Fred inhaled and exhaled. This anxiety entering his own room was new to him and not a feeling he enjoyed. He clasped the scroll in his hand tighter. This would be the last time he was worried about a conversation with his brother. From now on, as it had always been, they would be closer than brothers, a closeness that only twins could understand. He knocked.

George didn't reply though Fred knew he was inside. Fred entered anyway. He was being polite in knocking but it was his room too and he technically did not need to knock. "Fred," George grumbled upon seeing him. "Where were you this morning?"

Fred swallowed. "I woke up early. I didn't think you'd want to speak with me." George shrugged. "But I want to speak to you now." George didn't look up. "I should have told you about Hermione and I'm sorry that I didn't."

"I was just-"

Fred held his hand up. "No, don't say that you were wrong because you weren't. I'm not saying that I need to tell you everything and there will probably be things that I don't tell you about me and Hermione, but this was the first time that I haven't told you something straight away and I should have trusted your reaction."

George shook his head. "You were right. I probably would have taken the piss out of you."

Fred smiled wryly. "Then I should have been prepared for that and borne it in good humour. I'm not ashamed of how I feel for Hermione. I was surprised and worried that Ron would hate me for it, that you would think little of me for it, but I was never ashamed."

"You shouldn't be."

"I know. You are my brother and my closest friend. I wish I had told you." George inclined his head.

"I'm sorry I reacted the way I did."

"I've hated these past few days."

George looked up and smiled, albeit a small smile. Fred shared in it. "Me too," George confessed.

"I have something." Fred held up the parchment in his hand. George furrowed his brow. "It's from the owners of that building on Diagon Alley."

George's eyes widened. "What do they say?"

"That we can rent it, starting with a twelve-month lease." George's mouth fell open, his eyes wide. His shock turned to joy before Fred's eyes, his smile far more comfortably looking on his face than a scowl had been.

"We're truly going to have a joke shop?" George said. Fred nodded, grinning.

"Truly."

"And all thanks to Harry."

"All thanks to Harry," Fred said, nodding his head once. They shared a look that was half happiness at the prospect of a dream fulfilled and half sadness at their investor not being able to see it accomplished.

XXX

Molly arrived at the farmhouse in a fluster, having immediately followed her youngest son, who looked as furious as Luisa felt. Luisa watched her sullenly, her hands crossed over her chest, her feet resting on the farmhouse table. "Oh, Zoe, go, go," Molly said, her voice slightly breathless. Luisa's mum shot her a guilty look. Lu rolled her eyes.

"Go," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Leave me behind. Who cares?"

Zoe approached quickly, pressing a soft kiss to Lu's forehead and then, with one final pitying look, heading to the fireplace from which Molly and Ron had emerged. Anger at having been left behind and fear for her mother and Sirius warred within her.

"I'll make us some tea," Molly said, her voice tremulous. Lu watched her with pity. Lu had two people to worry about, principally; Molly had her husband and at least two of her sons.

"Where are Fred and George?" Lu asked. Molly's hand tightened around the mug she had removed from the cupboard, her eyes welling with tears. Lu looked curiously at Ron, who cleared his throat.

"They've gone with the others, to the attack on Hogsmeade."

Make that four sons. Only Percy and Ron were not there. Percy had been informed of the attack but he could not break his cover at the ministry. Lu imagined he felt as she did, as Ron did, left behind and useless. It was the first full-scale attack since Voldemort had returned and Luisa could not do a thing, could not do anything but wait for news. She prayed to the god she had learned of in Peru, though she did not know whether he was real, but if he were, she would have his aid, to protect her mother and Sirius, to protect her family. She shot a quick prayer up for Harry, too, her brother. She imagined he felt as useless as her.

"Are you okay?" Lu asked Ron quietly, as Molly filled the kettle to boil. Lu did not understand why English people always needed a cup of tea but she was not going to diminish their traditions.

Ron shook his head. "My best friend and sister are on the run and most of my family is fighting death eaters, while I sit in a kitchen drinking tea." Anger laced his voice, an anger Lu understood.

"Have you spoken to Hermione recently?" Lu asked. Bill had informed the whole household of what had happened between Ron and Fred, and, indeed, Fred and Hermione. Lu found it very cute, the way opposites attracted. Sirius had said it reminded her of her Aunt Lily and Uncle James, which was even cuter.

Ron gave Lu a look and then obviously swallowed. "No."

"Maybe you should. This isn't a time for arguments between allies."

"Allies," Ron repeated with a shaky breath. "Allies are what you need in war." Lu nodded severely. "Have you got any parchment?" Lu beamed and tottered off to find him some. Perhaps she would write a letter too, to her friends in Peru. There was nothing worse than being idle in times like this.

XXX

The canteen in the ministry was a depressing place on the best of days, never mind while half one's family fought a battle that one believed in but could not fight. Percy's hands shook. He picked up a green lunch tray to steady them, running his nails against the textured material that would hold his food still. The queue wasn't long, thankfully. Percy was ready to eat. His mother's main belief was that food and a cup of tea made everything look better. The thought of his mother made his stomach clench. Was she in Hogsmeade too? Percy hoped that his father had been able to convince her to stay home.

Percy reached the front of the line. "What can I get for you- oh!" Glancing upwards curiously, Percy was pleasantly surprised by the sight of Audrey, Angelina Johnson's cousin, who he had met for the first time only a few weeks prior, in a canteen worker's loose wife clothing, hairnet and a sort of square hat.

"Audrey!" Percy said in surprise. "I didn't know you worked here."

Audrey shrugged with a smile. "Just to put myself through my final year at the healer academy. What can I get for you?" she asked.

Percy's eyes widened. "Oh," he said, dragging his eyes from her big brown ones and hastily deciding what to eat. "Shepherd's pie. And could I get a cup of tea?"

Audrey nodded. "Of course." She turned to pick a teabag out of the pot and fill a mug with boiling water. Percy watched her fondly. His conversation with her at the Hogwarts' leaving party had been very pleasant. She was incredibly smart, one of the top of her class, having just received her results at the end of her second year of the healing academy. "Do you take milk?" she called. Percy nodded and then chastised himself mentally, realising that she couldn't see him.

"Oh, yes, please," he said, wondering if he sounded as awkward and foolish as he felt. She turned back then and he took the brewing tea and small jug of milk from her, placing them on his mat. She then cut him a large slice of the shepherd's pie. "Well," he said, as he slowly sidled along to the till where he pulled out a galleon. "It was really nice to see you." She gave him a beaming smile that made him think that she was as pleased to see him as he was her. She took the galleon and ran it through the till, before returning him a sickle and four knuts.

"It was really good to see you too, Percy," she said and Percy felt irrationally happy that she remembered his name. With one final smile, Percy turned, only to be called back a few seconds later. His eyebrows rose at the sight of his name and he smiled so that he looked more friendly than expectant. "I'm due a break…" she trailed off and Percy nodded hurriedly.

"You should come and join me."

She did come and join him, less than ten minutes later, when Percy's tea had just got to a temperature that was enjoyable to drink. He was a Weasley, so, in ten minutes, he had finished his food, a sight that made Audrey smile when she took a plastic seat at the table across from him. She pushed a small plate, holding a piece of cake, across the table to him. Percy furrowed his brow and Audrey shrugged.

"I get half off and you looked like you needed a treat." Percy smiled down at the chocolate cake. "So," Audrey said, her fork breaking off a piece of her shepherd's pie, "what is wrong?"

Percy sighed. He knew that she lived with her aunt and uncle between her school year at the healers' academy and he knew that she knew that they were part of the Council of Resistance. He also knew that she was not a part of it, but that may have been because it hadn't been offered to her. Percy shook his head slightly. Sirius trusted her enough to let her into the Farmhouse, so Percy would trust her too.

"There's an attack in Hogsmeade," Percy said quietly, glancing around them. Audrey's eyes widened, one cheek bulging in an amusing manner, reminiscent of a hamster. "My family is there, fighting. Yours might be too. I'm afraid I don't know." Percy pushed his glasses up onto his face.

Audrey reached across the table and took his hand, making Percy smile. She brushed her thumb across the back of it. "I suppose we'll just have to hope together that they're all going to be alright." Percy nodded, his smile falling at the thought. Hope was not enough. "Why aren't you there?" she asked curiously, pulling her hand back. "I thought you were a member."

Percy nodded. "I am. It's just that I have to keep my - my cover here," he said. Her eyebrows flew up and then her eyes widened. Percy was pleased that she seemed impressed.

"Wow," she said. "You're very brave."

Percy swallowed. It was perhaps the first time somebody had told him that, even after seven years in Gryffindor. For the first time, perhaps he deserved to have been put in Gryffindor. "Thank you. That means a lot."

Audrey grinned at him and then tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, returning to her food and Percy to his cup of tea, whose powers, he thought, had been outdone by the restorative, hope-filled powers of Audrey Johnson.

XXX

Sirius watched, panting and sweating, as Zoe grabbed her daughter and hugged her desperately. He made eyesight with Molly at the end of the corridor, an anxious look on her face, and remembered the rest of the family that was waiting behind him. He tapped Zoe on the shoulder. "Come on, love, let's head to the kitchen."

In the kitchen, Sirius slumped down onto one of the wooden chairs, receiving a slap on the shoulder from Remus and various offers of cups of tea from other members of the Council. Most of them were there, now, though some, like Amelia and Kingsley, had headed back home to fix themselves up, rather than debrief together at the Farmhouse. Sirius was too exhausted to care. They would have another meeting in a week anyway.

Sirius smiled fondly when Lu came over and gave him a half-armed hug. He pulled her down so that he could press a kiss to her short hair and she smiled and ran off to speak to Charlie. "How was it?" Molly asked anxiously when she pulled away from the last of her sons, Fred.

Tonks sighed as she too settled at the table, a mug of water in her hands. "We were confused at first, because some of them were invisible and the rest of them were polyjuiced." Molly gasped.

"How did you know?"

"Sirius figured it out," Bill said, nodding at Sirius who raised his brows in return. "We didn't even know until they left."

"We believe that they want to continue to keep You-Know-Who's return under wraps," Remus said. Exhaustion and frustration coupled to create the whirl of irritation that started in Sirius' chest at Remus not saying Voldemort's name.

"I spoke with Bellatrix," Sirius said, appreciating Zoe's approach and curling his hand around her waist, splaying his fingers against her. "She was the one that made me realise that they were really death eaters that we knew and not a load of new recruits, or a new group entirely."

"So they weren't wearing robes or masks?" Molly asked. Sirius shook his head. He found Ron watching him curiously, sullenly, and didn't have to wonder why. He remembered the attacks that had started in full throttle when Sirius was in fourth year. He remembered the case he and James had made to Dumbledore to be allowed to help in the defense. At the time, of course, Sirius didn't have to worry about his best friend and sister who were known targets of Voldemort and who had no known location. Sirius truly sympathised for the boy.

"No, no robes or masks," Charlie confirmed. "There were no distinguishing marks whatsoever and we're not sure where they got the hair for the polyjuice from, whether they were random people or targetted, whether they're dead or alive." Molly winced and then she looked at Ron and Lu.

"I don't think the children should be here," she fretted. Zoe clucked her tongue.

"I want Luisa to be here," she said and Sirius could hear how tired she was. He tugged at her waist and she tumbled down onto his lap, where she leaned her head back against his.

"Well, Ronnie-"

"No, Molly," Arthur interrupted. His tone was not harsh but it was not kind either. "Ron has had more of a part in a lot of this than most of us here. He deserves to know what is going on in the world around him." Molly pursed her lips but she said no more. Privately, Sirius congratulated the man for standing up against his wife. Even Sirius found himself daunted by her frequently.

"Were there any injuries?" Ron asked tentatively, as though he weren't sure whether he was allowed to speak.

Sirius nodded. "Only one. Mrs Johnson is being tended to by Madam Pomfrey at Hogwarts, for a cut on her leg. Her husband and Angelina are with her." Ron smiled and nodded appreciatively. Sirius winked at him. He was sure that Harry would be grateful for him supporting Ron in this. After all, it had been what Harry had wanted last summer. But, more than doing it for Harry, Sirius did it for himself, and for James, and the knowledge that you could not keep children out of a war, no matter how hard you tried.

XXX

"So?" Harry said excitedly.

"You used to play that?" Ginny asked, nodding at the stadium that was in the distance. They were perched on a brick wall, a plasticky box filled with chips and gravy on Harry's knee and a similar one holding a battered fish and curry sauce on Ginny's.

"Mmhmm," Harry said, as he reached over and used the bad plastic cutlery to tear a bit of fish away and stuff it in his mouth. "I did as many clubs as I could, as a kid," he said with a shrug. "They were free and it was easier than going home." Ginny nudged him with her shoulder in what she hoped was a compassionate manner.

"And this is the biggest sport for muggles?" she asked, more quietly.

"Yeah. Football is like quidditch."

"Well, it's not," Ginny said, cocking her head. "It's - okay, it's okay, Harry. I can see the appeal. I can definitely see the appeal of the kit instead of heavy robes and I like the kicking part of it but it's literally lacking in magic. The flying, the crazy balls, the mad rules, that's what makes quidditch wonderful, so, I suppose, football was really the best that muggles could do."

Harry snorted. "You're ridiculous," he said, nudging her shoulder with his. Ginny's eyes widened as the fish started to slip from her lap. Harry caught it swiftly. "Seeker reflexes," he said with a wink, making Ginny grin. "You have to admit that the stadium is amazing."

Ginny nodded. "It's bigger than quidditch stadiums."

"It's huge," Harry agreed.

"It's bigger than the world cup stadium."

"Football is a bigger sport. More people want to watch it."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "People are wrong. If muggles had quidditch, then they'd know what life was about." Harry tutted and returned his attention to the fish and chips that they had finished their night with. Ginny had been adverse to the idea of going to watch a football game, admittedly, but it hadn't been as bad as she had expected and the atmosphere of the crowd was superior to that of a quidditch match, not that Ginny had attended many.

Half an hour or so later, the two of them wandered to the nearest tube station, arm in arm. Sometimes Ginny had to remind herself that she was so young because she felt like an adult. When they had looked in the mirror before they had left, Ginny had taken a moment to appreciate the fact that she looked so much older. Makeup and hair and clothes really did make a huge difference.

"So, back to Edinburgh tomorrow," Harry said, interrupting Ginny's thoughts. She swallowed.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"We have left it for a good while, Gin, and I think we need to get out of the country. The sooner we can get our passports from the house, the sooner we can get somewhere else, away from the Ministry."

Ginny nodded. "I just have a funny feeling."

"I know," Harry said grimly and then they went back to silence. Ginny knew that passports were necessary and, if one dangerous day in Edinburgh could get them out into a safer country, then it was worth it, despite what all of her instincts were telling her. "Gin," Harry started slowly. Ginny looked up at him, furrowing her brow. He shook his head. "I just - I want you to know that I care about you more than…" he trailed off and halted in his tracks. Ginny stopped and turned to him.

"What's up, Harry?" she asked, rather amused.

"I mean that, although I would have had the money to survive, I wouldn't have mentally survived without you."

"I know, Harry," Ginny said, a soft, bemused smile playing about her lips. "I'm the same."

Harry cut her off with a shake of his head. "No, Gin, what I want to say is that I'm in love with you." A sort of laugh burst from Ginny's throat but it wasn't mocking or amused, rather it was shocked. Harry turned away from her, ruffling his hair in that way he did when he felt self-conscious.

Ginny shook her head and grabbed his arm, turning him back towards her. "I love you too, you silly man," she said and then smiled. "I'm in love with you too." Harry's smile lit up the dark street and, as he bent down to kiss her, Ginny considered all the ways that she had grown and all the ways that she would have to adapt back when, or if, they returned to their previous life.