Author's Note:

Okay, so, I think things have kind of calmed down, hopefully? I am aiming to get back to my two posts per week schedule, but I cannot make any promises.

I thought with fourth year coming to an end, I would supply the timeline once more. So, if this were a series, we would now be coming into Part VII.

Part I: Chapters 1-49 — Harry's first year with his dads. (1985-1986)

Part II: Chapters 50-61 — Harry ages 7-11. (1987-1991)

Part III: Chapters 62-73 — Harry's first year at Hogwarts. (1991-1992)

Part IV: Chapters 74-105 — Harry's second year at Hogwarts. (1992-1993)

Part V: Chapters 106-143 — Harry's third year at Hogwarts. (1993-1994)

Part VI: Chapters 144-179 — Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts (1994-1995)

Part VII: Chapters 180-present — Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts (1995-)

Reviews and Comments: To Obscure-Reference-Girl: Thank you! To midnitewanderer: You think Colin is gay? Interesting. I do tend to think he leans more towards men than women, but I am leaning more towards him being bisexual. The grapes reference made me laugh! Thank you so much for saying you feel so much for a fanfic, I wanted to show all of Harry's conflicting emotions. Hinny is coming soon, but not quite the next two or three chapters. Thank you! To alix33: Thank you! To LifeonEarth: Thank you! Yes, Ginny was the one to find out because Harry needed her by his side. He does trust her the most and he's willing to admit that he wants her with him as much as he can. But he's not ready to tell her why. Harry needed Ginny to be there that night and I think out of all of his friends, she would understand the most because of her interactions with the diary. Harry needed her more than I think he realized and it's important for both of them. Thank you for looking forward to Harry and Zee's relationship prospering, it definitely will! Thanks for loving the proposal! We might see some emo/angry/angsty teenager Harry a bit. Ron is being such a great friend to Hermione and she will need him. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you!

To Moony The Sheep: I agree, I Colin is bisexual as well. Thank you! I think Gaelic is a beautiful language myself. You don't trust Maia? We will see. Yes, Remus asked Tonks to marry him! Harry does need more time to process everything. Thank you! To Wolf's scream: Yes, Ginny does know better than anyone. Yes, the proposal will make for some interesting stories as we will see. As to the idea of "gaining the ability to become werewolves" I always thought that the transformation is forced and painful, but for those who choose to live in packs and as wolves, they consider it differently. Thank you! To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! To Ari Black-18: I agree, I think Colin is bi. Thank you! To Love4lupinalways: I am excited for a Remadora wedding! To Steelcode: Ginny really does know how to put both Harry and Sirius in their place. Thank you! To Guest: The idea with Tonks marking Remus, it's more like she has chosen to be his mate and made him hers officially - which means that she won't ever want anyone else, and neither will he. It's like a soul bond, but until Tonks had marked him, she always had the option to leave at any opportunity which is why Remus never told her about it, as he was afraid that he wasn't giving her a choice. They were made for each other and they have both accepted it. Thank you!

To notthatchhavi: No, Harry didn't mean it, but it was a lot for him to deal with on top of the night he had! Thanks for liking Sorcha. Sorcha was there for him and he needed it and he needed it from someone who wasn't Sirius or Remus; he needed the comforting arms of his grandmother. Thanks for finding Tonks marking Remus sexy, I wanted it to be! I had to add the "I bit you and I liked it" line because I loved when Tonks told Remus, "you bit me and I liked it" in chapter 95. It felt like there was no way that she would let that pass without adding it in. Thank you! To Guest: I am still working on the wolf storyline, but in my head I think of it as the wolves are separate from those who are born as wolves and those who are turned into wolves. It's still a work in progress storyline, thank you! To DetroitNate: Thanks for liking the wolf culture! Mandy does understand Harry's close with Ginny, but we'll see more of the soon. Thank you! To geekymom: Thank you! To Leaf Ranger: Thank you! To coloredwords: Harry is definitely pissed! You hope Tonks will say yes? Do you doubt she will? Thank you!

To Blue Luver5000: Thank you! To Denisa: Definitely couple goals! Harry trusts her inexplicably and she needed to be there for him just as much as he needed her. Thank you! To supersandman86: Yes, Ginny is stubborn and Harry needs that. As to Harry's power, we'll see what happens. It could be suppressing part of his magic. It could not be. Thank you! To Inhaled Atoms: Nope, Remadora are not married yet, just living together. Thank you! To darkpegasuzz: Thank you! To speedsONEandONLY: It's true, Ginny would have been the first one Harry told if she hadn't been there. Oh, the Marauders aka Sirius will have lots to say when he finds out how Remus proposed lol. Thank you! To smallwjl: Yes, finally LOL. Thank you! To HJP4Life: Thank you very much! To ClarieRoss: Yes a cliffhanger proposal lol. Thank you! To Saz: That's a lot of yeses, I imagine Tonks will have a similar response! Thank you!

To Jbrowne26: Thanks for liking the bit with Sorcha! As to Mandy, the Horcrux thing is not something that Harry will be telling Mandy about. It is a secret and only a select few amount of people know and Mandy isn't included on that list. Harry and Mandy are still getting to know each other and this is too big of a thing to bring her in on in such a short amount of time. I have so many ideas forming and I only hope that I can do them justice as we delve deeper into the war. Thanks for enjoying the ripple effect. To Itsaka: It is the best kind of cliffhanger! Thank you! To xXQueenofDragonsXx: Well, technically she didn't say yes yet… but we all know the answer is yes LOL. Thank you To Soveliss: Everyone seems so sure this is the end of Mandy lol. In regards to Luna, I've always felt like she was just the perfect, quiet, dependable type of friend who is always there when you need her. Ginny was trying to be strong for Harry, but of course she would be freaking out inside, too. Her worst nightmare was a memory version and to know that the real thing has returned, that has got to be a lot for her to handle. As to Teddy coming earlier, wait and see! Thank you!

To Jmcglynn522: Thank you! Glad I can keep you on your toes with so much going on! To LadyPhoenix: Harry needed to have that little breakdown. He essentially discovered three new Horcruxes in one night on top of witnessing Voldemort's rebirth, being tortured, and learning two of his friends were killed. Sorry it made you want to cry. Thanks for the Colin insight, I see him as bisexual as well I think. To pottermum: Thank you! A lot is coming up and now and I'm trying to get it all straight LOL! Thank you! To hugh: Thank you! To gracie328: Thank you! I love knowing people are obsessed with my story! Thank you so much! To Rena: Thank you! There will be more, don't worry!

Thank you for all of the thoughts on Colin. I am still working out my plot ideas there, but I appreciate your thoughts and comments.

Thank you to my Beta — SilverStarwolfe!

My posting schedule: Once a week and sometimes on weekends.

As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY:

The One Where Remus Proposes

It was hardly how she had imagined it.

She was lying naked on her stomach in a bed that wasn't their own, her mate still perched over her. His thumb still pressed against her clit as her body vibrated from the aftershocks of what had happened. She turned her head to look back at him, but his whisky coloured eyes were full of desire and love as he stared at her.

"Marry me, Nymphadora. Be with me. Always."

"Remus," she whispered in surprise, turning as he sat up. "You… you haven't thought this through." She reached her hand out and touched the bite mark on his thigh. "Is it because I did this?"

Remus leaned in and captured her bottom lip in his. "Part of it. It's that you cared enough to do it even knowing that it wasn't necessary. It's that I've been waiting my whole life for you and that I've been a complete fool for trying to talk myself out of deserving you. I love you. I love everything about you. I love what you stand for. I love your compassion. I love your warrior personality. I love your beauty. I love how you make me feel. I love how you always stand beside me through everything. I love how you taste. I love your sense of humour. I love your body. I love your mind. I love your eyes, and I love you more than life. Nymphadora, I want to be your mated husband. Be with me."

Tonks pressed her fingers to the bite on his thigh. "I've never wanted anyone else."

He grinned and lifted her into his lap, kissing her deeply. "I love you."

Tonks wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself close to him as they kissed. "I love you, Remus."

They kissed over and over, basking in each other for the longest time until Remus pulled back and kissed her cheeks, her nose, and then he grinned foolishly.

"We're getting married."

She grinned widely and kissed his nose. "Yes."

Then his eyes widened in horror.

"That was such a shitty proposal! I'm sorry! I don't even have a ring!"

Tonks chuckled and kissed his cheek. "I'm not a big ring kind of girl and well, it wasn't exactly the big fancy romantic proposal I imagined when I was little girl, true, but it was ours, and it was perfect. Let's not tell my Mum that we were both naked and you were still holding my clit when you asked me though?"

He grinned, but then his eyes sobered. "You know it won't be easy."

"I don't need easy."

"People are going to look at you strangely."

"I've never cared what people thought of me."

"There will be stigma, being married to a werewolf."

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to back out of your proposal, Professor Lupin?"

A small smile flitted across his lips. "No. I want you too damn much."

Tonks kissed him, long and deep until they were both breathless, and then she rested her cheek against his. She gently traced one of the long, thin white scars with her finger that were so faded that they were barely noticeable now unless one was this close.

"I've never wanted anyone more in my life. I can't wait to marry you, Professor Lupin."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "After this, when we go home. I'll find you a ring."

She shrugged and kissed him again. "I just need you."

Remus lied her back against the sheets, covering her body with his. "I'm yours, Nymphadora, always."

Then his lips met hers again and she knew that it was completely true.

~ ASC ~

Ron woke up the next morning to the sound of his name and he blinked. His head was on his arms and as he sat up his back cracked. He had fallen asleep bent over Hermione's bed, he realized and his eyes immediately sought her brown eyes.

"Hey, morning."

"Ron? Did you stay here all night?"

Ron squeezed her hand gently. "I didn't want you to wake up alone."

Tears welled up in her eyes again. "It wasn't a dream, was it? He's really — he's gone?"

"No, it wasn't a dream," he said softly. "I'm sorry, Mione." He moved to sit on the side of her bed. "Madam Pomfrey gave you a calming drought and a sleeping potion last night to help you. But if you're feeling up to it, I'd like to go and see Harry this morning."

"Harry," she breathed. "Oh my… I forgot! I'm a terrible friend!"

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed, squeezing her hand. "You most certainly are not! If anyone would understand it would be Harry. You lost someone important to you, Hermione. You need to take a moment for yourself. Harry understands that. Here, Ginny brought you some clean clothes and some girl stuff, she said, whatever that is." He told her, handing her the bag from the chair.

Hermione smiled. "Thank you for being here, Ron."

He nodded. "Of course. Go on, make yourself feel a bit better and get dressed. I'll wait."

Hermione climbed out of the bed and then leaned down and kissed his cheek before she took her things, hurrying off into the small bathroom of the hospital wing. Ron heard the shower turn on and he let out a slow sigh. She was going to be all right, he thought and that's what mattered.

He looked up at the knock on the door and smiled at his sister. "Hey, she just got into the shower."

"You look like you could use one, too. Go on, I'll stay with her and we'll meet you at Professor Lupin's suite to see Harry."

Ron nodded gratefully at her and hurried off to go change and shower for the day. He needed to see Harry. Things were happening and he knew that the war had officially started all over again.

It wasn't a comforting thought.

~ ASC ~

When Harry woke up that morning he felt mildly better. He let Madam Pomfrey examine him without fuss as she explained how his bones had mended, but that he still needed to rest carefully over the next few days so that the muscles could heal with his bones. He wasn't allowed to fly or do anything strenuous for at least four days and he grudgingly promised.

Remus and Tonks were still gone as was Zee, but Misha had returned to sit with him. He told Harry and Sirius that he had found Bagman's nine-year-old-daughter dead and it looked like his ex-wife had been kidnapped before the trail had gone cold. He was convinced that they had used a portkey, but unfortunately he could only track the initial use of the portkey, not the destination.

Dobby had just served him oatmeal and fruit for breakfast with a side of bacon when his friends came into the bedroom.

"Hey," he said, smiling at the sight of them.

Ron took a seat in the chair and grinned at him. "You look better than yesterday. Ginny told us about your injuries, you feeling all right?"

He nodded. "As good as I can be, I guess."

"I always knew that he would return," Luna said, quietly. "We liked to think that he wouldn't; that someone would be able to stop it somehow, but we knew that it would happen."

He swallowed slowly, drinking his orange juice. "I know."

Hermione moved to sit on the bed next to Harry and wrapped her arms around him. He put his good arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry about Viktor. He was a really great bloke."

She nodded against his shoulder. "They took him back to Bulgaria for burial. Mrs Krum said that she would keep me informed of the funeral arrangements."

Harry kissed her forehead. "We'll all go with you, if you like?"

She nodded and stayed pressed against him, tears blinding her vision. "Thank you."

"Will you tell us what happened, Harry?" Neville asked quietly, sitting down next to Marauder at the end of the bed. "In the maze and… after."

Harry stared at his friends. "He came back. I don't really think the how if it matters much."

Ron nodded, the turmoil in his friend's eyes making his own stomach turn over. The horror of what had happened to Mr Crouch had been one thing, he couldn't imagine what his friend had saw. He reached out and gripped Harry's hand, squeezing. "I'm sorry, mate."

Harry stared at Ron for a moment before he nodded, squeezing his hand in turn. He turned to Luna.

"Luna, Ginny told me what you discovered. That's brilliant… and well, at least we had some good news out of all of this."

She smiled. "Every little bit counts, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

The six of them looked up at the knock on the door and Harry smiled at the sight of Mandy.

"Hi, sorry to interrupt," she said, nervously.

Harry shook his head. "No, you're not interrupting. Come in."

Mandy came into the room slowly, sitting next to Harry on the bed as Hermione moved out of the way to give her space. She gently cupped Harry's bruised cheeks, turning his head to and fro as she examined his black eyes and bruised and healed over broken nose.

"Are you all right?"

He leaned in and kissed her softly, the feel of her lips under his making him feel surprisingly better and alive. "I'm all right. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I was so scared, Harry! You appeared out of nowhere bleeding and looking so broken and then Dumbledore cancelled the tournament and everyone left and… then Diggory and Krum were declared dead. It was a lot to take in. Is You Know Who really back?"

"Yes."

Mandy settled herself at his side comfortably, her arm around him gently. "I'm sorry that you had to see that."

Harry kept his arm wrapped around Mandy. The feel of her making him feel slightly better, but he found his eyes sought out the warm brown ones standing at the edge of his bed petting Marauder.

"So, now what are we going to do?" Neville asked, looking around at his friends and pulling Harry's gaze away from Ginny.

"We aren't going to do anything," Mandy said sharply. "It's hardly our job to stop You Know Who. Harry? Am I right?" she asked turning his face to look at her.

"Of course. Not our job," he repeated.

Ginny cleared her throat, her brown eyes staring at him. "Well, Harry, I'm glad to see that you're feeling a bit better, but I'm going to let you get some rest and head down to breakfast."

Neville nodded. "I'll come down with you. McGonagall told us this morning that the train is taking everyone home today as opposed to tomorrow."

Ron, Hermione, and Luna all got up to go as well, but Mandy took Harry's hand in hers.

"Do you want me to stay for a bit? I've already packed all of my things and Padma told me that she would get it on the train for me?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that would be great. Stay."

She kissed him gently, mindful of his bruises and smiled. "Then I'll stay."

Once everyone else was gone, Sirius stuck his head inside. "Harry, I had Dobby pack up all of your things from your room. You're just going to come home with us. I don't want you going on the train."

Harry glared at him. "Am I to be even more restricted now?"

Sirius frowned. "Not restricted. I just want you safe and not to mention that you're still quite injured. Mandy, nice to see you again."

She nodded, her arms still around her boyfriend.

"We leave in an hour," Sirius told him.

Harry scowled as Sirius left the room.

"Don't be angry with him, Harry," Mandy said softly. "He's just worried about you. We all are."

"No, that I'm used to. We just... he's been lying to me about something and we had a row about it last night. I wish Uncle Rem was here. Sometimes I wish I could pass off as just remotely normal."

Mandy smiled at him and gently brushed his fringe over his scar. "Let's just hide this… and there, now you look like just Harry — completely normal."

He frowned at that. "Is it that repulsive?"

"Well, scars are never nice to look at," she said matter of factly. "But it's not repulsive, no. I just meant that if you hide it like that, you're just Harry."

"I think I need more than my scar covered to pass that off."

Mandy nodded. "Was it awful?"

"Watching him come back? Having him torture me? Nah, piece of cake. What do you think?" He scowled at her.

She looked at him in surprise and her eyes flashed hurt for a moment before she masked it.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Mandy. I didn't mean it like that. I don't want to talk about it."

Mandy gave him a small smile and nodded. "We don't have to. We can talk about whatever you'd like."

"I don't really feel like talking at all to be honest."

"That's okay, too," she said resting her head against his shoulder. "We can just sit here."

But Harry didn't find that reassuring either.

He could feel the tension in his girlfriend; her burning desire to ask questions. It was an uncomfortable silence. She must have noticed because she started rambling about how Hannah was coming to stay with her for a week and how she would love it if he could come and meet her mum and he only nodded rather non committable in response.

Now that he was awake and not focused so much on the pain, he was thinking about the removal of the Horcrux inside of his head. It was scheduled to happen in a little over a week. He knew that if the outcome didn't look potentially good that Sirius would never have even told him about it. That didn't reassure him either. It only further reminded him of the fact that Sirius had lied to him.

That he had continued to lie to him.

He leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes in annoyance. How was he supposed to trust him when he kept hiding things? When he kept holding back? What else wasn't Sirius telling him? Once the Horcrux was removed from his head; what did that mean for him? For the prophecy?

Neither can live while the other survives.

Those words had been haunting him and now he didn't know how this would affect them, let alone affect him.

Mandy reached out and covered his scar with his hair again and he grabbed her wrist.

"I get it! It's vile! Stop covering it up!"

Mandy stared at him in surprise. "I'll take that tone only because I know how stressed and tense you are. I don't think that it's vile, Harry. I was just trying to remove the reminder of what it stands for."

Harry snorted. "That I have a target on my back? Don't bother. It won't change anything."

As he said the words, he knew that they were true. Once the Horcrux was removed it wouldn't stop Voldemort from coming after him. It wouldn't change anything. As far as he knew Voldemort didn't even know that he had the Horcrux in him. If he did, he would certainly not be trying to kill him.

He saw Mandy's wide eyes and he sighed.

"I'm sorry. I'm in a really shitty mood and I don't mean to take it out on you."

She nodded. "I can't even begin to imagine what horrors you went through watching him return and… being tortured… I know that you must be feeling a mix of emotions and maybe you'd rather be alone."

It was on the tip of his tongue to say yes, but the look in her eyes made him stop. She didn't deserve for him to be treating her that way. She was sweet and she just wanted to offer him comfort. He needed to stop acting like a prat and take what she was offering.

"No, I'm sorry. Can we just — can we just lay here? Tell me about your summer plans. You said that your oldest brother Jack is getting married?"

Mandy smiled at him and cuddled back into his chest. "Yes, on the nineteenth of August. Tazanna is wonderful. I couldn't be happier!"

He nodded and let her ramble on until Sirius came to tell him that it was time to go. When she kissed him goodbye, he realized that he hadn't actually taken in a single word that she had said. He nodded at her and told her that he would write to her soon to discuss potential summer plans and then she was gone.

~ ASC ~

Remus and Tonks made their way downstairs for breakfast the next morning and made small talk with Adrian and Maia. Adrian was holding his granddaughter, Nikita. After eating, the four of them headed out and Remus Apparated with Tonks in his arms to the designated location.

The Council of Elders always met in the same place when a meeting was called. They met in the morning sun at ten in the ruins of Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire. Erecting a magical barrier, hiding them from potential Muggle tourists, they gathered under the arched dome of the Green Cellarium.

"They don't Apparate?" Tonks whispered, her arm around her mate's waist as she watched men and women emerge slowly through the entrance and into the room.

Remus shook his head as he whispered in her ear. "Most of them aren't trained witches and wizards and only a handful of them even know how to use magic like we do. I was lucky to get to go to Hogwarts. Most places don't welcome wolves."

Tonks only nodded in response; tucking her anger down at how much was taken from them simply because they turned into a wolf.

They waited ten minutes before Adrian stepped into the middle of the large circle. Twenty men and women stood around him, one of them Remus recognized as being Hawk. He was holding his baby daughter in his arms.

"I welcome you all to this emergency council meeting," Adrian declared with a small smile. "I called forth only the pack leaders and their advisors, as today, I have something serious to discuss with you."

The room seemed to tense as a whole and Remus tightened his arms around Tonks, his eyes on Adrian.

"Many of you will remember Romulus, the wolf who once lived among us during the war; the wolf who tried to help us escape the slaughter that our brothers and sisters were being subjected to by Greyback's Dark Lord. Romulus has returned to us today with his mate to tell us that the Dark Lord has indeed returned."

There was a gasp from someone and Adrian held his hands up to silence the crowd. "I do not force you to follow my will and I have no intention of doing so now, but with the return of the Dark Lord, I am pledging to you all that I will not join him. I will not let him harm my family or my pack. Last time, Fenrir drove us to him and we lost mates, we lost friends and we lost children." He closed his eyes. "Many of you will remember how Fenrir held his granddaughter, Maia and I's only daughter, our beautiful little Clara; how he offered her up to the Dark Lord and how the Dark Lord slit her throat before us as a sacrifice and a warning of the control that he had. Fenrir didn't even blink. Maia and I… we grieved and we broke."

The room was dead silent. Some people were looking at each other in horror, others in sadness, but no one spoke.

Adrian cleared his throat. "I think about my beautiful Clara every day. Not a moment goes by that I don't wonder what her life would have been like, how she would have been proud of her brother Hawk for finding his mate, or how she would have been proud of her brothers Odin and Rafe for what they have achieved. But she is gone, as are so many of our loved ones. However, the Dark Lord is back and this time, I will fight against him."

A tall woman with short cropped silver hair stepped forward. "I lost my mate in the war, as you all know; living without a mate is like losing half of yourself, but I have carried on. I have carried on for my son, Ethan, who I hope to pass on this pack to one day. I will fight against him, but like Adrian, I will not force my pack to do the same."

Adrian nodded. "Thank you, Echo."

A stocky man with long black hair stepped forward. "I hear your words, Adrian, but how do we know that this is true? What proof is there that he has really returned?"

"Harry Potter saw him resurrect himself from a potion with the help of his Death Eaters. Two champions of the TriWizard Tournament were murdered in an attempt to get to Harry Potter. Potter escaped before Voldemort could kill him. Make no mistake, Rune, he is back," Remus declared darkly. "I would not be here begging for your help if he were not."

"Begging are you, Romulus?" Another man said with a snort. "Always were too good to settle with the pack; prefer to live like a wizard."

"I am a wizard," Remus said. "I am also a wolf and how I choose to live does not negate part of who I am, Daimon."

Daimon scowled at him. "And what of the Ministry? Are wolves going to be given better rights or still treated like stray dogs in the street?"

Remus nodded. "I have no control over the Ministry of Magic, but I do believe that if we stand alongside them, against Voldemort, the Ministry will see that most wolves can in fact be trusted."

"They almost executed a wolf last year. It was in the paper!" Rune exclaimed, angrily.

"But they did not," Remus declared. "That wolf was me. You know me as Romulus, but my real name has always been Remus Lupin and I was saved by wizards and by my mate, who held me as I transformed into the wolf and proved to them that I was not a danger."

Echo smiled. "Your trial was greatly followed among the packs. Rune swore that you were the wolf in question. You were set free, yet you are still investigated and watched despite the trial you won."

"I am. I am a professor at Hogwarts which makes them worried."

"The Ministry would be forced to change their minds if you stood with us," Tonks exclaimed, her voice echoing along the walls.

Every wolf turned to look at her.

Remus kissed her cheek tenderly. "My mate, Nymphadora," he declared. "She is a witch, not a wolf."

"We could smell her the moment we arrived," Rune said, bitterly. "But you've marked her and she you; anyone can see it."

"She's an Auror for the Ministry of Magic and we are going to fight against Voldemort in any way that we can," Remus declared, his eyes glinting dangerously at Rune. "The question is: Will you stand with us?"

Daimon nodded. "I will stand with you, Romulus."

Rune sighed. "As will I. Romeo, you will get the word out to the pack."

Romeo was standing beside him and he nodded. "I will, Alpha. What about Cami?"

Rune closed his eyes. "As long as Cami continues to choose to be with Fenrir, we can assume Conan will choose Greyback."

"Volk's pack as well?" Adrian asked.

Daimon shook his head. "I rather doubt that Volk will do anything Greyback does."

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Why? The last I heard, Fenrir was keeping Cami and Ivory as his wives."

"He was," Daimon told him. "But then he knocked up Ivory and abandoned her. Volk is furious. He's proclaiming that Greyback used Ivory and discarded her like trash. Greyback is claiming that the child isn't his. There's a bit of a war going on between the two packs."

Adrian's eyes met Remus' and he grinned. "That might enable us to get Volk's attention. Daimon, would you be willing to speak with him?"

"Not me," Daimon said, shaking his head. "He would never even grant me an audience, but he has always had a soft spot for Echo."

Echo nodded, standing tall and smiling when her son gripped her arm. "I will go and speak to Volk. In the meantime, we will reiterate the message among our packs. Anyone who wishes to stand with us, we will let you know, Adrian. Those who wish to remain neutral, we should make sure that they have protection."

"Absolutely," Rune declared. "I will not let any innocent lives be slain again."

Adrian smiled. "I close this council meeting on a good note. I wish you all luck with your packs and you, Echo, with attempting to gain Volk's trust."

The room emptied quickly, but a beautiful willowy blonde woman made her way towards them as Adrian and Maia spoke to Hawk and Emily.

"Romulus? Or is it Remus now?"

"Either will be fine, Summer. How have you been?"

Summer smiled, coyly. "I've missed you. I still think that you could have done great things if you had joined our pack."

He smiled. "Maybe, but I like where I am. I was waiting for my Nymphadora."

Summer nodded, her eyes moving over Tonks. "I can see why, she's beautiful."

Tonks glanced at the woman in surprise. "Er, thanks, so are you."

Summer smiled back. "I wish you both many blessings and happiness."

Remus nodded as she walked away and Tonks turned to stare at him. "What?"

"What was that?"

He kissed her softly. "An old friend. No, I never slept with her," he said before she could respond. "She tried to convince me to join the pack; to run free and to leave my life in the wizarding world behind, but I couldn't… the thought of leaving my friends, of leaving Harry was more than I could bear. I had a family already. She tried to tell me about wolf traditions and politics and I blatantly ignored her."

"Which is why his ignorance drove him back to me many years ago when a certain mate suddenly got his attention and he didn't understand what was happening to him," Adrian said with a grin, putting a hand on Remus' shoulder. "If you had listened to my wolf lessons many moons ago, you would not have been so lost, my friend."

Remus smiled at him. "Lesson learned."

"Come; you can have tea with us."

Remus shook his head, extending his hand. "I appreciate the offer, Adrian, but we just want to head back. My boy needs me and I need to see him."

Maia smiled at them. "We appreciate that, Romulus, but Adrian and I would both like you to come to our pack meeting tonight and see how they react to this news. Your help would be appreciated."

Tonks linked her fingers through his. "Of course we'll be there. We want to bring good news back ourselves, don't we, love?"

He nodded and let out a slow breath. He just wanted to get back to Harry, but he knew that he was all right with Sirius. This was important.

"What time is the meeting?"

~ ASC ~

Hermione spent the entire train ride back to King's Cross staring blankly at the book open in front of her. Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna had attempted to pull her into conversation a few times, but her heart wasn't in it. She was still completely shocked that Viktor was dead.

When the train pulled up in front of the station, she felt rather numb and Ron put his arm around her, half lifting her from the seat until she realized that they had arrived. She said goodbye to her friends and carefully wheeled her cart behind her, carrying Crookshanks' cage in the other hand as her eyes searched for her parents. They were standing near the platform sign and the moment she spotted them, she walked faster.

Jean's eyes softened at the sight of her. "Hermione! Sweetheart, we're so sorry about Viktor."

"We know how much he meant to you," Greg said softly.

Greg reached her first, tugging her into his arms and the moment she was cradled against his chest, the tears fell all over again. Jean moved into her husband's arms, wrapping her own body around her daughter as Greg held both of them. They both kissed their daughter's hair and cheeks as she cried, whispering words to her that she barely heard.

When she finally managed to catch her breath, she wiped her eyes, looking up at her father. "I loved him, Daddy."

Greg kissed her forehead. "I know, jellybean." He kissed her again before he bent down to grab her trunk. "Come on; let's go on home, okay? The car isn't too far."

Jean picked up Crookshanks' cage and wrapped her other arm around her daughter's waist. Hermione let her head rest against her mother's shoulder as they walked to the car.

"Wait," Hermione said, stopping before they reached the car. "How did you know… about Viktor?"

Jean smiled and gently tucked a bushy curl behind her daughter's ear. "Your friend Ron. He used the mirror to contact us to tell us what had happened. He said that he was staying with you in the hospital wing and for us not to worry as you weren't hurt, just grieving. He didn't want us to worry and he wanted to make sure that we took good care of you when you came home. Such a sweet boy. You have a good friend there, Hermione."

Hermione stared at her mother in surprise and nodded. "I can't believe he…"

Greg kissed her forehead. "You have wonderful friends, jellybean. You take care of each other. Come on; let's get into the car, okay?" Once they were inside, Greg turned to look at her. "We were going to take you to dinner at that Indian restaurant you love, but if you're not feeling up to it, we can just get some for takeout?"

Hermione nodded. "Takeout please. I don't want to sit in a restaurant right now."

Jean smiled at her and reached back to squeeze her hand. "Done. What would you like?"

Jean used the car phone to call ahead as Greg drove through the London traffic. Thirty minutes later, they had bags full of fresh Indian food and were pulling into the drive of their home on Heathgate. Greg unlocked the front door, carrying Hermione's trunk as Hermione let Crookshanks out, cradling the cat in her arms.

She helped her mother set the table as they sat down to eat and halfway through her meal, the words came tumbling out: About the tournament, about planning to visit Viktor in Bulgaria, about meeting his family, about Harry appearing and breaking the wards at Hogwarts, about discovering Ludo Bagman had killed Viktor and Cedric, and about how Harry had witnessed the return of Lord Voldemort.

Greg stared at her when she finished. "So, you're telling us that war is coming to your world?"

She nodded. "I think it's been coming for a while, but yes."

Jean let out a slow breath. "Harry's okay?"

Hermione smiled at her mother. "He says so. Sirius wouldn't let him take the train home, but he's okay. He says that he will go with me to Viktor's… f-funeral."

Greg stood up and kissed her cheek, wrapping an arm around her as he crouched next to her in her chair. "So will Mum and I. Darling, we're so sorry. Losing someone you love is never easy."

Hermione reached under her shirt to pull out the golden key pendant, holding it between her thumb and forefinger. "Mum… I thought he was… he could have been the one."

Jean kissed her daughter's cheek tenderly. "He wasn't, darling. First loves are always very intense and all consuming. Some first loves are the it love, the big one that lasts forever, but most are sweet and beautiful and not meant to last. God would not have taken him from you so quickly if he was to be your be all and end all, I don't believe that. One day, you will find your Prince Charming and you'll know."

"I don't want anyone else," she cried.

Greg kissed her cheek. "You never have to date again if you don't want to, jellybean."

"Greg," Jean said, sternly.

Hermione looked at her parents. "He was perfect and I loved him and… all the things that we were going to do together and now we can't and… his team lost him and he was just really getting into his career as a Quidditch player… I miss him."

"And he will always have a special place in your heart, Hermione. You will never stop loving him. Just take it one step at a time, one day at a time, and eventually, darling, it will hurt a little less. I promise you," Jean assured her.

She smiled gratefully at her parents and allowed her mum to con her into snuggling between them on the couch and watching one of her favourite movies, My Fair Lady. Greg put his arm around her, smiling when she cuddled into him. An hour into the movie, she was sleeping soundly against her father; exhausted in her grief.

~ ASC ~

Zee stepped into Black Cottage later on that night feeling exhausted. It was almost midnight and she had been running around between countries since she had left Hogwarts at eleven the night before. She closed the door behind her and Lady Godiva immediately came over to greet her, nuzzling her hand gently. She pet her lovingly as she left her boots at the door and Sirius poked his head out of the kitchen.

"Hey," he said in relief.

She moved to him and kissed him softly. "Hey. Is he home?"

"Upstairs. He took the last of the potions from Pomfrey, including a dreamless sleep draught."

Something in his expression made her narrow her eyes.

"What?"

"Fuck — Zee, I told him."

Her eyes widened slightly. "What?"

He quickly explained what had happened: How Ginny had shown up with the news of the diadem, how Harry had said Ginny's name in his sleep, how she had stayed until he had woken up, how they had discussed Nagini being a Horcrux, and how Harry had figured out that he was one.

"He's furious at me. He's been giving me the cold shoulder."

Zee kissed him softly. "He'll get over it, Sirius. But he has every right to be angry at you."

"I know! That makes it even worse!" He let out a slow sigh as he dragged the heels of his hands across his face. "Your parents have been great. They stayed all night with him and just went back next door after we got home."

"Good." She kissed him again. "Have you slept at all?" At his look, she nodded. "I'm going up to check on him and then I need to shower. We'll go to bed together."

He nodded. "I was just debating making myself a snack. Harry didn't come down to dinner and I didn't eat much myself. Did you have any success?"

"I think so. We'll see. Most of them weren't sure whether or not to believe he was back. We'll see what happens."

She headed upstairs, leaving Sirius to his own devices concerning snack food, and knocked gently on Harry's bedroom door. There was so answer so she opened it just a little and saw that he was sleeping in his bed, Marauder stretched out across the bottom. She stepped inside and sat on the edge of his bed. She gently brushed his fringe out of his eyes and kissed his forehead softly. He stirred at the kiss and blinked wearily up at her.

"Zee?"

She handed him his glasses and he quickly put them on. She smiled at him. "Hi. How are you feeling, sweetie?"

He shrugged. "Better."

"Sirius told me."

His eyes narrowed. "You knew?"

"Sirius told me before we spoke to Xander. But yes, I knew. I agreed with him about not telling you. You still had the Third Task up ahead and it was important to keep your head in that and not have you worried about this."

Harry stared at her. "I could have handled it."

Zee gave him a small smile. "You're right. You could have. But you don't have to bear the world on your shoulders, Harry. Sometimes letting others do the worrying for you is a good idea."

He didn't answer her and she gently brushed his hair away from his forehead.

"Are you hungry? Do you need any more pain potions or anything?"

He shook his head. "No, Madam Pomfrey gave me a few to last me through tomorrow morning and Dobby brought me a sandwich an hour ago."

She nodded. "Well, get some rest and heal up. We have a lot to talk about. I know that you're angry with all of us for keeping it from you, but I think that you also know why we did. Sirius and I would both like to talk to you about what Xander has planned and how we can proceed. I'd like to talk about the diadem and the snake as well."

She stood up to go and he clamped his fingers around her wrist. "C—can I ask you something?"

Zee sat back down, her brown eyes on his. "Anything."

Harry let out a slow sigh, his eyes wide as he looked at her. "I… never mind."

Zee frowned. "Harry, I am always here if you need to talk about absolutely anything." She cupped his cheek gently. "Tell me."

"Ginny knows."

"Ginny knows about you being a Horcrux?" When he nodded, she smiled. "Sirius mentioned that she was there with you. Is that a bad thing that she knows?"

He shook his head. "No… I'm — I'm glad she does she… understands and she said it's not the same and that it doesn't change who I am; that she had him inside of her once too, and that she was still her."

Zee's eyes softened and tugged him towards her, wrapping her arms around him. "Of course you're still you! Harry, this soul piece has not changed a single ounce of who you are. You have always been our Harry and removing it will do nothing to change that. You will probably feel better in fact, and there's a small possibility that you might even be stronger. But you are you, one hundred percent. I can promise you that."

"You can't!"

She pulled away a little to cup his face in her hands. "I can! Look at who Voldemort was, even as a child, Harry. He was a monster. He didn't know how to love. He didn't know how to have friends; how to live like a decent human being. You have a great capacity to love which you've shown by allowing me into your life; by allowing my family into your life. You love Sirius and Remus and your friends with all of your heart and you are incredibly brave and selfless." She kissed his forehead tenderly. "I am honoured that I get to know you, let alone love you. You are the son of my heart, Harry James, and I am so proud of the man that you are growing up to be."

Tears welled up in his eyes and he blinked them back, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She was warm and soft and her embrace was tight and inviting and he held on, hugging her for a long moment and then he started to talk.

He hadn't meant to.

In fact, he had kind of resigned himself against telling anyone, but the words tumbled out of his mouth: His fear in the graveyard, his decision to die fighting like a man, his pain at being tortured, at being under the Imperius Curse, and being confronted with his mum and dad. Zee gently trailed a hand up and down his back as he spoke, keeping him in her arms since he made no move to pull away.

His voice broke when he got to the part about his parents.

"Of course they're watching over you," she said softly. "I like to think that my mum is watching over me. I barely remember her myself, only tidbits and Mama has been in my life for so long that I sometimes forget that she is only my stepmother. Your parents are so proud of you, Harry. I know that. Sirius and Remus know that."

"But… it was just a spell, right?"

Zee smiled and kissed his cheek. "No, sweetie, it wasn't."

His eyes widened. "They were… really there?"

She nodded. "Priori Incantatem forces the wand to re-examine its last spells or hexes and curses, but when it comes to death curses, only the spell is released. By releasing the spell, the soul of the person who was killed has the ability to return to that witch or wizard's wand for a short period of time if they so wish it. The moment your wand connected with that monster's, I know that your parents were only waiting to jump through and see you up close." She brushed her fingers through his unruly hair. "The pride and joy I saw on their faces in your memory when they were given the moment to see their boy, who was so full of fire and love, trust me, it was enough for them, even if they were only given a moment. I wish that I had been given the opportunity to meet them."

"They — they said that they approved of you and of Tonks."

Zee smiled at him, unshed tears in her eyes as she gently brushed her finger down his uninjured cheek. "Well, that's the best compliment a girl can have." She kissed his forehead tenderly. "You're going to be okay, sweetie, I promise."

He let her hug him a moment longer before he pulled away, making himself comfortable in his bed again. "I… I think that I want to try to sleep again now."

Zee smiled and stood up. "That sounds like a good idea. Get some rest. When you're feeling up to it, come downstairs and we'll talk, all right?"

Harry nodded. "Is Uncle Rem back yet?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so, no. But I'm sure that he will be back soon. Goodnight, Harry. I love you."

She closed his bedroom door behind her and let out a slow sigh before moving down the hall to the master bedroom. She was surprised to see Sirius sitting on the bed waiting for her.

"Hey, I thought that you were making a snack since you didn't eat dinner."

Sirius shrugged. "Realized I wasn't really hungry. I heard you talking to Harry. I'm glad he talks to you…"

Zee closed the bedroom door behind her and moved to straddle him on the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Do you need me to comfort you too?"

Sirius popped open the top buttons her blouse. "Maybe."

She kissed his cheek. "Harry's going to be okay, Sirius."

"I know," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "He's still angry with me."

"He's hurting and he's terrified. What he went through in that graveyard… Merlin, Sirius, as if being tortured and forced to duel the man who killed his parents wasn't hard enough; he saw and spoke to his parents for the first time in his life. I can't imagine what that was like for him. He escaped only to learn that two of his friends had been murdered, that he himself is a Horcrux, and that you knew about it and kept it from him. He's a wreck and frankly no matter what he says, I just think that he needs someone to talk to about everything, someone more than us."

Sirius frowned when she kissed his forehead. "He said that he doesn't want a mind healer."

Zee smiled. "Sometimes stubborn men don't know what they want and need to be told."

"Haha," he said, kissing her neck.

Zee tucked his hair behind his ear. "I need to shower. I've taken six international portkeys in the last twenty-four hours. I feel like I've been run over emotionally and physically by an Erumpent."

She climbed off his lap and continued to unbutton her blouse, tossing it in the hamper. Sirius followed her into the bathroom as she undressed and stepped into the shower.

"Where did you go? Who did you talk to? You said that they were a maybe, but who?"

The shower turned on and Sirius watched the shadowy blurred outline of his woman behind the frosted glass. She took a minute to stand under the spray before she answered him.

"I went to Greece first and requested an audience with Princess Sapphira. She has promised to speak to the other villages and districts about not joining Voldemort if he comes calling. Last time, the Merpeople were left largely alone except for one of the small villages in the North Sea. The Village of Nix is known to have gold and jewels, more than most," she said through the shower door.

"And they joined him?"

"Not entirely," Zee called out as she scrubbed her hair. "But they gave him access to their gold and he murdered half of their village even after promising them that he would help restrict wizard access to their homes. Princess Sapphira has promised to try to convince everyone to not allow Voldemort or his Death Eaters any access, but whether or not they come on land and help us fight when the time comes, that I do not know."

He nodded, leaning back against the bathroom counter and crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Not giving him access is still a good sign. After Greece, where did you go?"

"I headed to France to talk to a friend who is married to a half-Veela. Her husband is very powerful and has made it his business to befriend the Veela around the world. He knows at least one Veela in almost every country. He agreed to try to persuade them to fight against Voldemort if the time came. Last time, the Death Eaters enslaved four female Veela in France and used them as sex slaves. They are not willing to allow this to happen again."

"Good," Sirius said, letting out a slow sigh. "That's good news. After France?"

"I stayed in France a little longer and spoke to Lord William Clovenfield, the vampire who owns the winery out there and married a witch. He has agreed to speak to some of the vampire outposts within France and the United Kingdom about choosing the other side. Most vampires prefer to live quiet lives off of the radar, but considering how many of them were slaughtered in the last war, he thinks that we might be able to gain some valuable allies this time around."

Sirius could see her shadow rinsing her hair. Her voluptuous curves distorted through the frosted glass. "After Clovenfield?"

"I headed to Ireland to speak to the King of the Fae. King Taliesin assured me that all fae, gnomes, and leprechauns in his kingdom would be loyal to anyone who followed Albus Dumbledore. The king is a big fan of him and says that both times he had the honour of speaking with him, he was treated with nothing but the utmost respect and kindness and he knows what kind of man he is. He also said that he would put a word in with the goblins, but they are very mistrustful of witches and wizards and honestly, I don't know if they'd support either side if it came down to it."

Sirius nodded. He had to agree with her there. "Still, that's more than just a little success, Zee. No one outright told you no."

"I know, but no one other than King Taliesin actually agreed to help us fight either."

"You still did amazing," Sirius told her, watching her figure through the door. "That's still a good number of magical beings who will not be joining his army. I hope that Moony and Tonks are just as lucky. He was going to see Adrian and he's head of one of the wolf packs in England, but if it's anything like last time, they will have to have a council meeting between the packs to discuss any potential alliances."

"Do you think that there's a chance?" Zee called out.

"I hope so," he said honestly. "Obviously Greyback is loyal to Voldemort, which means that his pack will be too, but if Remus can convince the ones not in Greyback's pack to follow Dumbledore instead, we might stand a chance."

The shower shut off and Sirius opened up a large towel holding it out and wrapping her up in it as she stepped out of the shower.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him. She tucked the towel closed at her breasts and accepted the other towel to wrap her hair. "If we get any of these magical beings to help us, Sirius, the big question is going to be the Ministry."

Sirius frowned. "I know. I guess that's going to be on me to try to talk some sense into the Wizengamot."

"It's not only on you," she said, moving to the counter and grabbing her body lotion.

Sirius watched as she rubbed the vanilla-cinnamon scented lotion into her body. "I want to bring King on board, he can help with that. I think Amelia Bones would probably be another asset, especially since she dealt with finding Crouch's body and recognized that it had obviously been done by Death Eaters. You would obviously be an important speaker and representer from the DRCMC. I'm hoping that Bill can help us with the goblins since he works for Gringotts and now that he's been transferred back to London, that could help."

Zee smiled at him as she rubbed the lotion in her legs. "One step at a time, Siri. Let's figure out each step slowly. Any news on Fudge?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, but the paper didn't say much this morning either. Just an announcement that Harry Potter was deemed TriWizard Champion and that two of the champions were killed in the maze. It is listed that Ludo Bagman is the one who murdered the champions in an attempt to win a gambling bet. He and his wife Constance are both listed as missing and his daughter as dead. The article went on to say that if anyone has seen him to please inform the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but there's nothing about Voldemort or his return."

Zee rubbed the lotion into her arms, her chest and her back before moving into the bedroom to tug on a pair of silk pyjama shorts and one of Sirius' Nirvana tee shirts. She used her wand to dry her hair and carefully pulled her hair back into a messy bun on the top of her head.

Sirius leaned against the doorjamb to the bathroom watching her. "You're so fucking gorgeous."

She smirked at him. "Like this? Flatterer. I don't even have any makeup on."

He took a step forward and tugged her towards him to kiss her softly. "Gorgeous. And all mine." He slid his hands down, cupping her bum.

Zee smiled up at him. "No distractions. Are you worried that the paper hasn't printed anything?"

Sirius shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure what to think. The next Wizengamot session is in four days, I guess I'll know then. But with the Bulgarian and French Ministries looking to come together on this, Fudge has to admit that it is real."

"Is he just in denial?"

"I believe so," Sirius admitted. "We can hardly blame him. Who wants to admit that Voldemort has returned? But he needs to step up and help get the Ministry and the country ready. We cannot let him gain as much power as he had last time."

Zee kissed him softly. "No matter what happens, we will do what we can to stop that from happening. He doesn't know that we know about the Horcruxes. And we're close, Siri, there's only three left and we now know what all of them are."

Sirius held her close to him. "I know."

She smiled. "Come on; I'm starving. Come eat with me. We'll put a film on and just shut our minds off for a bit. When Harry is ready to talk, we have a lot to discuss."

He kissed her forehead, smiling. "All right, that sounds like a plan. Maybe by the morning we'll have heard from Remus."

Zee smiled in response, taking his hand and leading him out of their room and down the stairs. One step at a time, she told herself; it was the only thing that they could do.

~ ASC ~

Andromeda sat in the little Muggle cafe in the small town she had chosen that Monday morning, her fingers tapping on the table. It seemed that some things had never changed, she thought as she glanced up at the clock and saw that her sister was late.

Exactly fifteen minutes late, Narcissa strolled through the cafe, spotted her and took a seat.

"Andromeda," she said curtly.

Andromeda stared at her. Her blonde hair was styled perfectly; plaited at her neck, not a hair out of place. She stopped herself from bringing her own hand up to her unruly mop of curls in response. "Cissa, thank you for meeting me."

Narcissa nodded. "Draco told me that you gave the information to Sirius."

"I did. We already knew as Harry told us, but getting the coordinates was great so thank you."

She folded her hands in front of her. "Why did you want to meet with me?"

"Your husband told Harry that, 'they knew.' We want to know why. Was he implying the location? Why did he tell him that?"

Narcissa swallowed, her eyes on her older sister. "The moment his tattoo became inked again, he knew that he would be called upon. We've talked about it and the importance of me knowing exactly where he is going at all times."

"And?"

"When he gets the coordinates, he gives them to me. If something is to happen or if he doesn't return when he is supposed to, I have a starting point in which to find him."

Andromeda could see the turmoil in her sister's eyes at the thought of her husband not coming home. "Did he tell you what happened?"

"Yes. He told me how all of his followers returned to him; how he told them how he had come to return; how he tortured some of them, Lucius included. Then he duelled Harry."

Andromeda nodded. "Harry escaped."

"I know, I'm grateful." She clutched her hands before she spoke. "Brax took the Dark Lord to his manor in France until they've organized properly. He was furious with Harry's escape. He knows that Dumbledore has been alerted as has the Ministry, the two things he was hoping to avoid until he was more organized. Right now, he's waiting to see how they react. Brax has already spoken to the Dementors. Envoys have been sent to the giants. He's amassing an army once again."

"Do you know what for?"

She nodded. "He plans to take the Ministry by force, but I don't know when. He's not ready yet. But I do know that he was hoping for the element of surprise and Harry escaping stopped that from happening."

Andromeda brought her tea to her lips, her eyes on her sister. "Cissa, are you safe? Is Draco safe?"

Narcissa smiled gratefully at her sister. "Yes, we're fine. Brax and Isla are hosting the Dark Lord in France for the time being, which is a relief for me. Bella volunteered Malfoy Manor and I have a feeling that it won't be long until our home is overrun, but right now, the Dark Lord is staying in France. Andromeda… it won't be more than a few weeks until there's a mass breakout from Azkaban."

"We're working on it, Cissa. We all remember the power that he had the last time and like you said, Harry escaping alerted not only Dumbledore, but the Ministry of Magic as well."

She nodded. "Draco told me that you offered your home to him, Theo, and Blaise."

"It's open to you as well if you need it," she said kindly. "I know the fine line you and your husband are walking, but if you need me to keep Draco safe or you, you need only say the word."

Narcissa nodded. "Thank you, Dromeda… thank you." She looked around before she spoke, leaning across the table. "Meeting with you again may become difficult. If I learn anything else, I will send Binky directly to you. I have to get going."

She hurried to her feet, stopping only when Andromeda reached out and squeezed her hand gently. "Be safe, Cissy."

Narcissa smiled kindly at her. "You too, dear sister."

And then she was gone, leaving Andromeda alone in the cafe with only more questions than she had answers.

~ ASC ~

When Harry woke up on Monday morning, he finally felt a little bit better. His bruises were starting to fade and his body ached a whole let less. He took the last of the potions that Pomfrey had given him and made his way into the bathroom.

He undressed and stared at himself in front of the mirror. He still looked like hell. Under both of his eyes were still a bruising purplish yellow. He removed the bandage from his ribs and the bruises peppered there made him wince. He was definitely going to have a mark. He removed the bandage from his arm and leg as well and saw the cuts and slices had fully healed. He cleaned his teeth and then stepped into the shower and the feel of the hot spray on his body felt so good it almost made him whimper in relief.

He took his time washing up and he had just stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist when there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Harry? I have some salve for your bruises?"

He opened the door to stare up at Sirius, the concern in his grey eyes made him feel a little guilty for treating him so badly, but he had lied to him and Harry still wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Sirius' eyes moved over his ribs and back up to his face. "Rub a generous amount of this on them and hopefully they will be healed up my tomorrow. You need to shave as well, if your cheek can handle it. You're looking rather patchy."

Harry accepted the container offered. "Thanks."

He closed the bathroom door to do just that, examining his cheek carefully in the mirror. He knew the fracture had healed, but it was still a bit tender. He voted against the shave and applied the salve generously, rubbing it into his skin until his bruises seemed shiny and then washed his hands; dragged a comb through his hair pointlessly and made his way to his bedroom to change into clean clothes.

When he went downstairs five minutes later, Sirius was making breakfast and Zee was reading the paper.

"Morning."

Zee lowered the paper, her eyes on him. "Hi! You used the salve, good! How are you feeling?"

He shrugged. "Better."

Sirius smiled. "Sit and eat some breakfast. Remus is on his way over."

Harry brightened at those words as Sirius placed a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of him. He was halfway through his breakfast when Remus arrived by Floo and hurried into the kitchen. He immediately bent down and wrapped his arms around Harry from behind, kissing his non tender cheek.

"I'm fine, Uncle Moony."

Remus looked like he wanted to argue that, but he instead sat in the chair next to him. "One day, Harry, you're going to wake up with those words tattooed across your forehead."

That earned a small smile from Harry.

Remus scratched his chin and grinned widely. "Um, so… I asked Tonks to marry me."

All three of them stared at him for a full thirty seconds, eyes wide before Harry let out a whoop.

"That's great!" Harry beamed. "Tonks has been telling me that she was going to marry you most of my life."

Remus blushed and shrugged. "It's time and we're ready."

Sirius smiled at him. "Moony, that's great. I'm happy for you. You deserve every bit of happiness."

"Thank you, Sirius," he said, grinning at his friend. He smiled when Zee hugged him.

"Wonderful news that we very much needed to hear amidst the darkness of late," she said, moving to sit back in her chair.

Sirius nodded. "Much agreed. Did you tell her parents yet?"

He shook his head. "No, we decided to tell them at dinner on Sunday so, please keep it a secret until then."

"Done," Sirius said with a smile. "So, other than the happy proposal: How did it go with the packs?"

Remus grinned. "Good. I think good. Adrian is on board, as were Echo, Daimon, and Rune and they think that they can convince Volk as he's not on good terms with Greyback at the moment. But we'll see. The packs don't control what others decide to do, but I think that most, if not all, will agree with the decisions their Alphas make."

"That's good. That's good news. Every little bit counts," Sirius said, his eyes on Harry.

Harry picked at his eggs, intentionally ignoring Sirius' look. "If they don't?"

"We want to stop him from having power like he did thirteen years ago. But we can only do so much," Sirius told him honestly. "Zee had some potential luck as well."

Zee nodded and explained about the Merpeople, the vampires, the Veela, the fae, the gnomes, and the leprechauns.

Remus smiled. "That is potentially some very good news. Nymphadora has headed into work for the day and she is going to talk to King about the Order. She said that he's the best and should definitely be given the opportunity to help in other ways."

"Arthur and Molly are already on board and have been for a few months now. After Ron and Harry found Crouch, I knew that I couldn't keep them in the dark from it much longer," Sirius admitted. "Plus we got Xander and Thea on board in terms of dealing with the AH."

"AH?" Remus asked.

"Accidental Horcrux," he answered, his eyes on Harry. "Harry knows, Moony."

Remus' eyes were wide as he stared at Harry. "And you seem remarkably calm about it."

"I think that I always knew on some level," he admitted carefully. "But I am not okay with you all lying to me about it — no matter what your motives were!"

Remus nodded. "I know that, and so does Sirius, but can you blame us for doing so? The last thing that we wanted to do was to tell you about this when we had no idea how to safely remove it without hurting you, without watching you die; neither of which Sirius and I are willing to do. You can be angry at us as much as you want, but I would make the same choice again."

Harry only stared at him. The amber eyes were locked on his, the determined stare only making him swallow slowly. "So, now what?"

Sirius let out a slow sigh. "I told you that we have a scheduled plan in Greece for the eighth of July. Xander will be ready for us then. If you're still ready, we're going to remove it and place it in an object for us to destroy it."

"How?"

Remus leaned across the table and gripped Harry's wrists in his hands. "It's going to be awful. I don't want you to think otherwise. Xander is hoping to be able to knock you out, but he can't guarantee it. You've seen how they fight back and you've seen how they can filter into someone's mind and make them imagine the worst of their memories; the worst of their thoughts. We don't know how that might affect you while Xander is trying to remove it, nor do we know how it may affect Xander. This is as much trial and error as you can imagine."

"Will I die?"

Remus' grip on Harry's wrists tightened. "No."

Sirius and Zee had each stood up to touch his shoulder. "If something happens and it looks like you are even remotely in danger of that happening, we will stop it. We won't let you die, Harry."

Harry's eyes met Sirius. "Don't stop it."

"Harry…" Zee began.

But he shook his head. "I want it gone. If it costs me my life, so be it. I don't want to die, but… if it's the cost to end him... let me go."

Sirius moved closer to hug him. "I will not sit back and let you die! I won't do it!"

"Uncle Siri, please... I trust you to get it out and to keep me safe, I do — but in case something goes wrong…"

Remus' grip tightened slightly and he nodded. "It won't, but if it does... we will do the right thing, Harry."

Harry nodded, his face set in determination. "We can't let him win."

Zee kissed his cheek. "We won't."

Harry turned back to his scrambled eggs and tucked in quietly.

Voldemort wasn't going to win. He couldn't.