A Second Chance

by Breanie

Part 2 Kismet Trilogy: What if Sirius didn't spend twelve years in prison but was given a trial after 4 years? Follow the story of Sirius Black as he learns what it means to be a father/brother/guardian & the story of Harry Potter, a young boy with a loving home who learns about the Marauders from the two men who should have raised him. Slow-burn Hinny. M for sex & violence.

231. The One Where Harry Asks Remus For Sex A

Author's Note:

Thank you to everyone who commented on the mother/son bonding and the gifts from his fathers, I felt like it was important and needed to be done right.

Surprise — you get 231 an entire day early! But I have a busy few weeks ahead and I need a little break to decompress and catch up on my writing so I will be taking a little break in posting (two weeks) but I promise to return with a chapter after that. Thanks for understanding and see you in two weeks!

Reviews and Comments: To xXQueenofDragonsXx: LOL, you're pissed Zee's not in canon, I think that's the best compliment a girl can have, thank you! To Steel: Harry is a bit disappointed, but mostly because he's still beating himself up for the DofM, he thinks he should have been able to do more. To LittleEngland: Thank you, but unfortunately there is no portrait of Sirius (though we will be seeing a portrait soon, just not of Sirius). To Pottermum: You would love the Glisseo spell LOL, thanks :D To MaluhXavier: Thanks for the review, your English was fine! To Savageness321: I can't make those kinds of promises about upcoming character deaths, sorry-not-sorry ;). To ABlackRaven: Thank you, grief does a leave a hole in our hearts and it doesn't heal quickly. Thanks for understanding that Harry is still processing that. To wildstyle_101: I think Zee's a pretty great mum myself. Thanks!

To notthatchhavi: I wanted the Hinny to be hot and I agree, we always need more more Remadora and Hinny smut :D Oh Ron and Hermione, well, they will get there… eventually ;) To witchyromy: "Damn so many emotions in this chapter, first you make me laugh, then you make me cry and then you make me all hot and bothered... and now you make me wait again." — I do try. To LifeonEarth: Teaching Ron would be entertaining, he'd probably love to surf! To Wolf's scream: Harry is growing into his powers, it's just about learning how to use them right. I always hc the idea that everyone is capable of doing wandless magic, but it's about how much they depend on the wand to channel their magic and how much it's about understanding and utilizing the magic they have in their blood. To Zacnelson0628: Harry was only a little distracted by his instructor lol. To Menna Taha: Thanks for checking up on me! Work sometimes gets crazy!

To speedsONEandONLY: You sparked a debate with your review, so thank you! For those who were curious, "So I have a theory about dick size and attitude. Remus made me think of it to tell you about it. Guys around 5 are bravado and talk about the girls they dated how pretty they are and such. Guys around 8 are cocky. They talk about who they've fucked and how much the girls loved it. Guys around 10 are Remus. They have no problems being themselves. Are usually kinda quiet and keep to themselves. They know what they have, but don't feel the need to broadcast it. Do you think this works for the guys in here?" The conclusion was, we voted cocky guys fell in the Sirius, Blaise, Draco department. Quiet ones are Remus and Neville. Harry was between them both because he knows what he has and is cocky when he's with the right woman, but doesn't flaunt it. If anyone else wants to chime in, you're welcome too, it was a fun thing to think about. And if anyone wants to rate the rest of the ASC characters, go ahead!

To coloredwords: I've missed your reviews, welcome back! And no, Harry and Ginny are not ready to go all the way yet. To Lolikiano: I will take that as a compliment to make you go from sobbing to oh my. To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! I needed Harry to have an important "mum" moment, while still being recognized by all three of his fathers. To James: Thank you for that long and beautifully written review, you know how much I cherish them! And you're right, they all do believe Harry will have a future and that Tom is a hurdle and they are going to do everything in their power to show him. To Uberdonut: Don't worry, Harry will make sure it's not lopsided any longer. It's just that Ginny wasn't quite ready yet and he didn't want to push her. To xoxozh: Thank you for your kind words! To LegendDairy: You're welcome!

I'm particularly proud of my Harry/Remus scene here and thanks to Dusk for letting me bounce ideas off of her!

My posting schedule: Once a week.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

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!

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CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND THIRTY-ONE:

Harry couldn't stop thinking about his afternoon with Ginny. She had let him touch her and his fingers had... well, it had been the most incredible feeling. He wanted to do it again. He wanted to do it again as soon as he possibly could. He wanted to get her knickers fully off so that he could look at her. And he was most surprised by the fact that he wanted to put his mouth there. He wanted to put his mouth there more than he wanted to do anything else.

Uncle Remus had claimed that it was amazing, and from what Harry had tasted from his fingers, his father wasn't wrong. The thing was, he wasn't sure how to go about it. How did he let Ginny know that he wanted to... do that? She was so giving, so good with her hands, and he wanted to give back to her. But he was afraid to push her as well. He knew that she was a little afraid of intimacy because of what Riddle had done in the Chamber. He knew that her letting him use his fingers had been a big step for her in more ways than one, but he wanted to make her happy.

He sighed in frustration as he stared up at the ceiling in his bedroom at the ranch. He looked down at the watch on his wrist and a rush of warmth ran through him before he sat up and grabbed his mirror off the table. Uncle Remus would know what to do.

He tossed a tee shirt on and snuck down the stairs and out into the yard. The moon was high in the sky, but the weather hadn't cooled at all; the hot breath of the air clung to him as he made himself comfortable in a chair on the back porch.

"Uncle Rem," he said, holding the mirror up to his mouth.

It was a moment before Remus answered, his hair sticking up everywhere, and Harry could see bright pink hair on his shoulder.

"Harry? You okay?"

"Yeah, um sorry. I forgot that it's early there."

Remus turned to look at his bedside clock. "Just after six. I only just came to bed. One minute."

Harry heard him shuffling around and then when his face came back into view he was in the back garden.

"It's one here, which is still late I suppose."

Remus nodded. "It is. But you know that you can wake me up anytime to talk. Besides, I hadn't gone to sleep yet anyway, the moon just set."

"How was it?" Harry asked nervously. "I'm sorry, I should have been there."

Remus smiled. "It was fine, Harry. I want you to enjoy your time in Georgia, I can handle myself on the night of a full moon. Now, what's going on? How was the rest of your birthday?"

"It was good," Harry said with a grin. "Grandma made me dinner with all of my favourites and Grandmama and Zee made me a huge three tiered chocolate cake with Snitches all over it. Grandma and Grandpa gave me Ebony. I'm going to bring her back to Somerset and set up stables for her. She loves Ginny and she's become more trusting of me so Grandpa thought that I should take her, when I finish school that is. But she's mine."

"That's great, Harry. I'm glad to hear it. What else did you get?"

"Grandma and Grandpa gave me a book on American Quidditch teams and two new jumpers for the fall. Papa and Grandmama gave me a book on the history of magic, like power itself and how it connects to mythology and paganism and how witches and wizards grew from natural powers to using tools like wands. It sounds like it will be an interesting read. They also gave me a new pair of sneakers and new shoes for school. Ginny gave me two new CDs and some great Aviator sunglasses. Zee helped her put my prescription in the lenses and they have these really great silver mirror lenses so people can't see me, but I can see them. They're brilliant! Plus, Ginny says they make me look cool."

"Sounds like you had a pretty great birthday," Remus said with a smile. "Is your age catching up with you and making you reflect upon your past year?"

Harry smiled at that and shook his head. "No. I just… can't sleep I guess."

Remus nodded, but didn't say anything.

Harry liked that about his father, that he never pried. Remus had a way about him of just making him want to open up without ever asking him to. He sighed before he spoke. "Zee bought me a surfboard. I picked it out and designed it. Ginny and I designed one for her too, but they won't be ready for a few more days. That's what I'm giving her for her birthday, the board."

"You said that you loved surfing, that's great."

He nodded. "It's brilliant, being out on the water like that… the wind in your hair and balancing on the waves. Like Ginny said the other day, we both tend to flock towards things that remind us of flying."

"I'm glad. You both love to fly so it's nice to find things that are similar for you to enjoy. It sounds like you had a great birthday. Like Nymphadora and I said earlier, we'll have another cake for you when you come home."

Harry nodded.

Remus gave him a small smile. "Considering I saw you early this afternoon, I imagine something else happened since then and it's weighing on your mind."

Harry's cheeks flushed and he stared down at the ground, knowing that all his father could see of him was the top of his head. "I... Ginny let me... I mean..."

"What, Harry?"

Harry bucked up his courage and took a deep breath. "She let me use my fingers and I want to use my mouth, but I don't know how to tell her that I want to do that."

Remus' mouth dropped open in surprise before he caught himself. "Oh, um... fuck, Harry. Give a bloke some warning eh?"

Harry flushed at that, but he didn't meet his father's gaze. "I just... you said that I could come to you about... I don't want to rush her or push or... but today she let me touch her … there and I... I liked it Uncle Moony. I liked it a lot."

Remus chuckled. "Well, I told you that you would one day." He let out a slow breath. "Harry, you're sixteen and I know that you're only one year away from becoming a man and... sixteen is young but... you and Ginny have been together quite a while now."

Harry nodded. "Am I crazy to want more?"

"No, no, of course not," Remus said quickly. "Every bloke wants more. And I'm sure a lot of women want more too, er… but you have to move together at a pace that works well for the both of you. It's just... oral sex is still sex and..."

Harry swallowed. "We're not ready for actual sex yet. I mean, I don't think."

"If you're unsure, then you're not ready," Remus told him, his whiskey coloured eyes serious. He let out a slow breath. "As to using your mouth there… um, yes it's bloody fantastic and you will both love it, but you have to be um... Merlin, I didn't think this would be so hard," he said, rubbing his hand over his face.

Harry grinned. "So, I'm not the only one mortified then?"

Remus chuckled. "No." He took a deep breath before he spoke in his professor voice. "Okay, oral, well, the thing is that it's about making sure she's happy so, you found the clit I take it?"

"Yes."

He nodded. "And you um… made her come?"

"Yes," Harry repeated, his cheeks heating in embarrassment. "I just… how do I tell her, I want more? That I want to use my mouth?"

Remus let out another slow breath before he spoke. "Harry, one of the best things about you and Ginny is that you were friends first. The two of you have always been able to talk about anything. I think you just have to buck up your courage and tell her it's what you want and go from there. Or you can let things progress naturally. It sounds like you two are moving at your own pace and… don't rush things. Just let them happen, okay?"

Harry nodded. "I guess that makes sense."

Remus smiled at him. "I never thought you might actually come to me about any of the sex stuff, you know?"

Harry grinned. "Me neither. Uncle Siri always wanted to know and well…"

"He'd be equally proud and horrified right now," Remus assured him with a grin.

"Horrified?"

Remus nodded, chuckling. "Sirius always claimed that you were going to be a sex god like he says he was while still remaining his little innocent Prongslet at the same time. He was a contradiction."

Harry grinned. "He said he was proud of me when I told him I touched Ginny's tits."

Remus snorted. "Like I said: A complete contradiction."

"Uncle Moony?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Thank you, for everything."

Remus' lips curved and his eyes softened. "I love you, Harry. Try to get some sleep all right? You'll be home in a few days and we can talk about your lessons with Misha, among other things."

Harry nodded and bid his father goodnight before he tucked the mirror away. He felt a little lighter, but he stayed outside in the heat of the night, his eyes on the woods. He looked up when the backdoor opened and Misha stepped out onto the porch.

"Hi, Papa."

"I thought I heard someone out here. Everything okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah, just couldn't sleep."

Misha stared at him for a moment before he gestured towards the forest. "Have some energy to run some drills?"

Harry nodded and hopped to his feet. That sounded like the exact kind of energy he needed to burn at the moment.

By three in the morning, Harry was starting to feel tired. Misha had added a rope swing to one of the trees and urged Harry to bring Cloud Dancing out. He rode the horse, jumping from Cloud Dancing's back to the swing and barrel rolling into a run as he shot spell after spell over his shoulder, dodging and ducking. He held his shield into place, strengthening it and fighting around it — all without his wand. Misha slashed his wand, coming up against Harry's shield again and again. Harry erected his Patronus shield along with the Protego shield as he fought and Misha lectured him on balance, on keeping proper foot holds, and most importantly, keeping focused.

Harry collapsed on the grass when Misha broke through his shield, his breath coming out in large gasps and Misha smiled down at him.

"Very good. You're learning quickly."

He nodded, his eyes on his grandfather. "My spells are getting stronger."

Misha extended his hand to pull him to his feet. "Yes, they are. Vhen you get back from surfing tomorrow ve'll do more duelling on horseback. I'd like to see vhat exactly you're capable of, Harry. I think ve might both be surprised."

Harry thought Misha might be right and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. But when he climbed into his bed, he slept like the dead, and dreamed of Ginny.

~ ASC ~

"Eureka!"

Ron looked up at Fred's rather loud declaration and glanced over at his brothers in amusement. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, I think I finally figured this out!"

Fred jumped to his feet, bringing the mirror in his hand over to where George and Ron were both working. "The MC is done!"

"MC?" Ron asked, lifting his eyebrow.

"Mirror Comm," Fred said with a grin. "Well, we're still working on the name actually." He tapped the mirror on the table. "But working with the charms and designs that Remus gave us, I think that we managed to figure it out. The key was keeping it private to others so that random people can't access your mirror. No one wants to talk to anyone without their permission. Anyway, I think if this worked the way I think it did, you should be able to connect to Harry's mirror."

Ron grinned. "Yeah?"

Fred nodded, passing the mirror over to his brother. "Give it a go."

Ron took the mirror. It was the same size as Harry's, fitting into his hand in a slim rectangle just right. He held it to his mouth and said, "Harry Potter."

It was only a moment before Harry's face appeared in the mirror.

"Ron!" Harry exclaimed in surprise. "Hey!"

"Fred, it worked!" Ron said, turning his attention back to his friend. "Hey, mate! Fred and George made a mirror like yours."

"Wicked!" Harry said, putting his arm around Ginny and holding the mirror back to show both of them. "How are things going at the shop?"

"Great," Ron said honestly. "Hi, Ginny."

"Hey, Ginny," Fred and George called out in the back.

"Hi, guys," she answered with a smile.

"You two are all wet," Ron noticed. "Are you at the beach?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. We just came up on the shore to grab some lunch actually. We've been surfing all morning."

Ron frowned. "Lunch? Oh, right, time difference and all that."

Harry chuckled. "That's brilliant though, about the mirror. What are you naming it? Mirror Talk? Vain Much?"

Fred laughed. "I like Vain Much."

"That's what my mum teased my dad with when she saw him with the mirror. She didn't know it was a communication device and thought that he was just checking himself out," Harry told them.

George grinned, leaning over to look into the mirror. "That's actually hilarious. We haven't decided on a name yet, but I was leaning towards Mirror Comm or Marauder Comm."

Harry shook his head. "Don't use Marauder, that's too… secret, I guess."

Fred nodded as Ron held the mirror back to show Harry and Ginny the three of them. "I can agree with that."

"We'll come up with something. How's the beach?" George asked.

"Wonderful," Ginny said with a smile. "Harry and I were surfing."

"Good," George said. "You two deserve to enjoy yourselves. Hey, what about Mischief Managed?"

"Nah," everyone said simultaneously.

George put his hands up. "Just a thought."

"Mischief Chat?" Ron suggested.

"OWL Chat," Ginny said, making her brothers all look at her through the mirror. "It's a form of communication separate from owl post, so why not OWL Chat?"

"And what would it stand for?" Fred asked her.

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment. "Ordinary Wireless Link Chat?"

George shook his head. "I do like OWL Chat, but that's quite a lot."

"Oral Word Lingo Chat?"

"Nah," they all said again.

Ginny shrugged. "I trust you two geniuses to come up with something. Floo Chat?"

"Mirror Chat?" Harry said, rolling it around on his tongue. "Mischief Coordinator?"

"But you're not using it for mischief, it's first and foremost a communication device," Ginny pointed out.

"True," Harry said, adjusting his sunglasses. "Chat Comm?"

Fred wrinkled his nose. "It's giving me a headache."

"We'll come up with something," George promised. "Though with these suggestions, it might take longer."

Harry nodded. "I think it's great that you guys decided to make them though. They really do work great. How are you going to market them?"

"You'll have to buy two," Fred said. "Then to add someone to your communication device, you have to charm both mirrors so that it will go through that way. So, let's say I want to talk to the Minister of Magic and she has no idea who I am and obviously wouldn't want to talk to some crazy bugger off the street so, I would need her permission to have access to her mirror. It keeps it safe from all."

"So, how did you tap into my mirror?"

"It's because Remus gave us Sirius' old mirror as a starting point and we copied it as an example so we can connect to you and Hermione and technically to Remus since he holds the original mirror," Fred explained.

Harry nodded in understanding. "Interesting. Hey, what about JSR Chat? James, Sirius, Remus?"

"That's interesting," George said, considering it. "We were thinking of maybe making it a word though or an acronym of some kind."

"Makes sense," Harry said. "Hmm, to play off owl again or even the idea of a letter… Ordinary Words Link?"

"Oral Weasley Lingo?"

"Owls With Letters?"

Ginny chuckled at the last one. "Reflexicom?"

"Magic Mirror?" Harry said on a laugh.

Fred grinned. "That one's not half bad."

"FaceChat?"

Fred snorted. "I don't know, Georgie, if I got a nice bird on the other end I might be wanting to show her something other than my face."

Ron made a vomiting sound and Fred shoved him.

"What about Visual Dialogue? Could call it VD?"

"As in Venereal Disease?" George said, glaring at Ron. "That sounds rather awful."

Ron shrugged. "Well, when you point it out, yeah."

They all chuckled.

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment. "Wait, if you go back to the original Marauders and what they called it… Vain Much? It was funny, right?" At everyone's nod, she smiled. "Vocal Aid Intelligence Notification Mirror Utterance Chat — VainMuch?"

"VainMuch," Fred repeated, grinning. "You know, that's starting to grow on me."

Harry nodded. "Me too. But maybe instead of 'intelligence' it could be… it's a little long?"

George agreed, tilting his head back and forth. "Voice Activated Instant Name Mirror User Chat otherwise known as VainMuch?"

All five of them grinned.

"I think it's perfect," Harry said honestly. "And kind of a nice shout-out to my mum as well as the Marauders."

Fred smiled at him. "Done. VainMuch it is."

"Maybe you can do different designs?" Ginny suggested. "Different colour concepts or frames and name them after each Marauder? The original black frame can be the JS edition, James Sirius, and the others can be the RL or LE editions for Remus and Lily?"

George grinned. "I like the different design concepts. Thanks, Ginny."

"Me too," Harry told them. "But I think VainMuch works as a good enough shout out to my mum and the Marauders. You don't need to give them special names."

"Agreed," Ginny said.

Ron turned the mirror away from his brothers to look back at his best mate. "How's Georgia been?"

"Brilliant," Harry said. "But we're looking forward to coming home in a few days."

"Happy Birthday by the way, belated and all that," Ron said with a grin. "Do anything special?"

"Zee took me to get my motorbike license," Harry told him.

Ron's eyes widened. "Wicked!"

"When I get back, I'll take you for a ride."

"You'll have to snuggle up close to him, Ron."

Ron made a rude hand gesture at his sister. "No, that sounds brilliant. I know you've always wanted your licence. How are the horses?"

"Amazing," Ginny said. "It is like flying and I really love spending time on them. Ebony is going to come to England with us. She loves me."

"She does," Harry agreed. "Grandpa gave her to me for my birthday. Dobby is going to transport her to Somerset after we set up stables there."

"Won't she be lonely?" Ron asked. "I mean, it's not like the house elves ride horses?"

Harry nodded. "That's why it's not happening until after I finish school. I don't want her to be lonely. But we're going to get the stables built and you know after we finish school we can bring her there."

"Cool," Ron said.

They chatted a bit more about Georgia and Ron told them how working at the shop had been. Hermione was supposed to be home the day after Harry and Ginny so Ron mentioned that he was looking forward to that as well. Ron told them about Anthony Goldstein's party and how elaborate his house was.

"It was insane," Ron insisted. "I mean, the ballroom where the party was could have fit the entire Burrow inside of it twice over."

"Sounds like we missed quite the event," Harry said.

Ron shrugged. "I'm glad Nev and I went. It was fun. We played some billiards and danced. Anthony was pouring champagne like water. We all stayed overnight and Mr and Mrs Goldstein made a huge buffet breakfast in the morning that could have rivalled Hogwarts. We had a good time. Other than you and Hermione, the only people from our year who didn't go were Malfoy, Goyle, and Crabbe. It was pretty packed."

"Well, I look forward to hearing more about it," Harry said.

Ginny smiled at her brother. "We want to head back out to ride the waves. See you soon, Ron."

"Bye," Harry said and the two of them disappeared from the mirror.

Ron turned to look at Fred and George. "VainMuch. I like it."

George grinned broadly. "So do we. Now hurry up and finish sorting those receipts from yesterday. We want to be out of here on time tonight as we have a Weasley brothers Night Out to get to."

Ron did as he was told, chuckling at his brother's antics. It should definitely be an interesting evening, he thought.

~ ASC ~

Tonks yawned as he listened to the morning briefing on the first of August. She hadn't slept much since she'd spent the night keeping an eye on her husband as he prowled the cellar in his wolf form. There was one more night of the moon cycle and then they would be able to get some rest. She didn't want to leave him alone with Sirius gone. It was the second cycle since her cousin had died and she knew that her husband missed having his friend around more than he was willing to admit. Not that he'd let her do much.

Remus insisted on her staying up at the top of the stairs and whenever she made an effort to get closer to him, he'd growl at her. But staying with him seemed to calm him regardless and he'd even slept a little. She hadn't dared close her eyes, but she'd felt safer keeping an eye on him.

Atwell's voice brought her back and she focused on the briefing once more.

"Amelia Foster is the fifth child to go missing in the last forty-eight hours," Atwell declared. "I think this is something much more serious than a MISPERS case."

"A missing child is already a serious concern, Atwell. The fact that we've had five over the last two nights is a huge concern. What are you claiming?"

Atwell pointed at the board behind her. "All five of the missing children have been in the same district. I think someone is intentionally taking them from that area."

"Where are we on the investigation?" Kingsley demanded.

"Nowhere. There are no signs. No one has seen or heard anything from the missing children since they were abducted. Every place shows a clear struggle and the kids were all taken in broad daylight in a public place. It was well thought out and well planned and the fact that we have nothing is worrisome."

"And the children's parents?"

"All Muggles," Atwell said clearly. "That's why we're concerned. These children have all shown magical abilities and are on their way to becoming witches and wizards, but they are all Muggleborn."

Kingsley stared at the board. "You think it's intentional."

Atwell nodded. "All of the children have been noted by the Ministry to have magical abilities. The Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes has been keeping their eye on them and taking care of any accidental magic they've done."

"Sir! Sorry to interrupt," Eric Baxter exclaimed as he hurried into the bullpen. "Muggle police have just closed down a department store downtown, seems four more children were abducted from the centre an hour ago."

"Four? At once?" Atwell exclaimed. "That's a major escalation!"

Baxter nodded. "And before you ask, yes, all four of them were on the list."

"Have all of these children been the same age?" Kingsley demanded.

"Between the ages of four and seven, Sir," Savage spoke up from the back. "Auror Atwell and I have noted that they've all been added to the list in the last six months for bouts of accidental magic in front of Muggles."

"Get officers from the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes to assist you. I want every child on that list checked out. I want to know who they are and I want all of the background on them immediately. Atwell, you and Savage go to the centre and talk to the Muggles. See what they know. Tonks and Higgins, I want you to map out the locations and see if you can figure out a pattern in these abductions. We need to find these children and we need to find them now!"

Everyone immediately hurried off to get to work and Higgins snuck a look over at Tonks. "You think there's a pattern?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "My question is why take the children? The fact that they're Muggleborns worries me."

"If they're taking that pureblood idea to the extreme, maybe they're killing them?"

Tonks nodded. "Maybe... but then why haven't we found any of their bodies? Rex, there's something really weird about this one."

But as she stared up at the board, she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

By the time she got home that night, they were no closer to figuring it out. Another three children had disappeared that afternoon making it an even dozen. The Muggles were flummoxed and claimed that their security footage glitched when the kids disappeared. She found that only further proved the point that it had to be a Death Eater. The team was working in shifts to try to get it done and she'd been sent home after the first to try to rest up.

She knew what the statistics meant. The first seventy-two hours were the most critical, especially when it came to missing children. They were working against the clock and with each decreasing hour it became more and more unlikely that the child would be found alive. The part that was bothering her the most was: Why take so many of them? The more children they had the harder it would be to control them.

Higgins had brought up a good point, if they were taking a stance on pureblood witches and wizards, then were they killing them? Experimenting on them? Nothing about the situation sounded good.

Tonks stopped at her parents' house on the way home to pick up dinner, thanking her mother for the rare steak and baked potato Andromeda had made for Remus. She promised to come by in a few days before she'd hugged her parents and made her way home.

She found her husband passed out on the sofa and she bent to kiss his forehead, brushing his hair out of his eyes. She wished Harry was here to stay with him tonight, but she knew that he needed this holiday. Losing Sirius had been a blow to all of them and she knew how hard it was on Remus as well. Seeing Harry yesterday and giving him his father's watch, watching him drive off wearing Sirius' jacket and riding Sirius' motorbike… Remus had taken it hard.

The two of them had gone to Godric's Hollow after Harry and Zee had left and spent time at Sirius' grave. Remus had spoke to him and to James and Lily, praising Harry and Tonks had stood there, holding his hand, and wishing that she knew how to do the right thing or say the right words. Harry's mirror call this morning had left Remus smiling and she again wondered what it was that Harry had called him for so soon after the moon had set.

Tonks took out the meal Andromeda had made, setting two large rare steaks on a plate with the baked potato and some green beans covered in garlic and butter. She made a plate for herself with a medium-rare steak and set the table before she went to wake him.

Remus sighed awake as she kissed his cheeks, his neck, his ears, his nose, and when those beautiful whisky coloured eyes met hers, she kissed him softly.

"How'd you sleep?"

"All right," he admitted. "I could use a few more hours. What time is it?"

"Four hours until the moon rises. Come on and eat something."

Remus took her hand and let her pull him to his feet. He saw the steak and he smiled. "You didn't have to."

Tonks stood on her toes, tugging his face down to kiss him. "I want you strong tonight and feeling your best. If you're going to refuse to let me down there again, I want you at least fuelled up."

"Dora —"

"— Sit and eat," she interrupted.

Remus pulled her close, burying his face in her neck. "I want you to get some rest. I hate it when you go to work tired because you stayed up with me."

"Tough," Tonks said, moving to sit at the kitchen table.

Remus did the same and dug into his dinner. "Your mother is a fantastic cook. Remind me to thank her for this."

"I will. We're going there for dinner on Sunday."

He nodded. "Good. How was work? Any news on the missing kids?"

Tonks shook her head. "No, nothing, and now there's twelve missing. Higgins brought up an interesting thought about them being Muggleborns and the idea of the pureblood extreme. He thinks maybe the Death Eaters are experimenting on them, trying to figure out how these children are magical when their parents are Muggles."

Remus frowned. "That's a disturbing thought."

"I didn't say it was a good one. The leads are getting slimmer and slimmer and as the hours decrease the less our chances are of finding them. Atwell's in charge of the investigation and she's been working with the Muggle police to try to figure out who could have taken them. The thing is, they're all from the same area, Remus. They all went missing in Bristol."

"Bristol?" Remus asked, frowning. "Has there been any Death Eater activity in Bristol?"

Tonks shook her head. "None of any sort. Everything has been in the London area, some sightings in Manchester, and a few bouts of chaos in Nottingham, but to be focused strictly on Bristol is strange, isn't it?"

Remus nodded. "It is, but… Bristol is only about fifty kilometres away from Wiltshire Manor. If Theo was right, he told your parents that Voldemort is staying with the Malfoys and if he's staying there then I imagine there are other Death Eaters there as well."

Tonks frowned. "King's been trying to get a search warrant for Wiltshire Manor, but we don't have probable cause. Dawlish and Proudfoot have been a few times and every time it's Narcissa Malfoy who greets them and she claims all is well. The Aurors can't legally get passed the entrance hall to do a full search and Dawlish claims that the place looks immaculate. He says that there's no sign of anyone living there outside of Narcissa and Draco."

"And he's seen Draco?"

"Yes. He and Proudfoot both say he looks fine and that he claims to be fine when asked. The last visit resulted in Draco claiming that the Auror Department is harassing his family and that if Dawlish or Proudfoot show up again, they'll sue the Ministry."

Remus snorted. "That should go over well."

Tonks stood up to get some milk. She poured a glass for Remus and then knocked her own glass over, milk spilling down the side and onto the floor. Remus only chuckled and used his wand to clean up the mess.

She drank deeply from her glass before she sat down. "I'm going to take a shower, why don't you join me?"

"I should sleep more," Remus said as he finished his dinner. "You go and relax."

Tonks only moved into his lap. He was hard under her bum and she only rubbed herself over him. "I will relax after I make sure my man is taken care of. I know what the moon does to you."

His breath hitched. "Nymphadora…"

Tonks kissed him softly. "Shower and then the bedroom, yes?"

Remus only nodded and let his wife lead him off into the bath. Lately, he really didn't know what he would do without her.

~ ASC ~

Ron had just finished showering and changing into clean jeans and a Chudley Cannons tee shirt when he jogged down the stairs. Percy was tapping his foot impatiently, his eyes on the clock.

"Cool it, Perce, we don't have to be there until seven."

It was still fifteen minutes away, but Percy (being Percy) needed to be there early.

Ron dug through the front closet to find his trainers just as the fireplace lit up.

"Hello, Hermione," Percy said cheerfully.

Ron tripped, falling into the closet before he caught himself, and came out red-faced. Hermione was standing in the living room wearing a long light purple sarong-like skirt with a black tee shirt. Her bushy brown hair was tamed somewhat haphazardly into a messy braid that hung over her right shoulder. Her skin was tanned a lovely gold and he noticed that her toes were painted a bright purple. She had small silver and purple hoops in her ears. He swallowed, his trainers in his hand.

"Hermione, hey! I thought that you weren't coming back for a few more days."

"Mum and Dad were homesick so we came back early. Ron, I was hoping to talk to you, if you have a minute?"

"Actually, Hermione, Ron and I are just on our way out. We're meeting our brothers at the pub," Percy said, tapping his watch impatiently. "And I just finished telling Ronald that we're going to be late."

"We have twelve minutes, Percy," Ron said again, making his brother scowl.

Hermione bit her lip. "Oh, well of course, I don't want to intrude… um… can I come by tomorrow?"

Ron shook his head. "I'm working at the shop until eight. I can see if Fred or George will bring me by your house tomorrow after if you'd like?"

Hermione's face fell. "No, Dad is taking me to a superhero movie marathon that starts at eight. It's all right. I'll see you for Ginny's birthday."

He nodded and made to say something but she'd already stepped back into the fireplace and disappeared.

Percy slapped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Now can we go?"

Ron glared at him and put his trainers on. He felt like he was supposed to do something here, go after her or… something. But he wasn't sure what she'd wanted and he had somewhere else to be. He shook the thoughts from his head and ignored his brother's annoyed 'let's go already face' and headed out into the yard.

"Yeah, let's go."

~ ASC ~

Hermione stepped back into her living room and closed her eyes. That had basically been a disaster, she thought. So much for hoping to tell Ron how she was feeling. She'd thought of nothing else since that moment on the beach with Dario over a week ago, and now she was home and they couldn't seem to find the time to talk to each other.

She leaned back against the wall of the living room and closed her eyes.

"Hey, Jellybean," Greg said, coming into the room with a cup of tea. "I thought you were off to the Weasleys?"

Hermione shook her head. "Nah, they're busy. Another time perhaps. What are you up to?

Greg held up the comic book in his hand. "I am going to find out what new adventures Mr Peter Parker is getting up to. Want to read with me?"

Hermione moved across the room to kiss her father's cheek. "I'll let you read about Spiderman on your own, Dad. I think between the Batman and Superman movies tomorrow, I'll have enough superheroes to contend with. I'm going to go upstairs and finish that novel I started on the train."

Greg nodded, taking her arm and tugging her back into his arms for a warm hug. "I'm always here if you want to talk, baby girl."

"I know. Thanks, Dad."

She left her father downstairs with his comics and she made her way up to her room. The sight of the Krum family owl sitting on her dresser brought a smile to her face as she unrolled the letter from Desislava.

Dear Hermione,

I got my letter! I will be going to Durmstrang come September. I am so excited! Iglika has promised to show me around and to be a good big sister. How are you? How was your summer in Spain? Did you meet any cute boys? Iglika has a boyfriend now. His name is Ivan and he has a big nose. But he's nice to me.

I am sorry that your friend Harry lost his godfather. He will miss him every day. I still miss Viktor. Do you miss Viktor? I loved the beautiful sarong you sent me from Spain and Iglika loved hers as well. We wore them to the beach the other day and felt very glamourous. How is your friend Ron and his sister Ginny? We heard there might be war in England soon and our mother is worried. She says she wishes you good thoughts and safety.

Write back soon and tell me all about Spain! I want to know everything! I can't wait to tell you about my classes and my professors — I'm finally going to magic school, Hermione!"

Love,

Desi

Hermione smiled warmly as she folded up the letter and put it on her desk. The thought that little Desislava was already eleven years old and going to school in September was quite the feat. Viktor had been gone for over a year already and it was hard to imagine. Sometimes, she felt like she'd lost him only yesterday. She moved over to her dresser, telling the owl she would write back tomorrow before she moved to her jewellery box. Inside was the key pendant necklace from Viktor. She'd taken it off over Christmas and placed it inside there. She held it in her hand for a moment, remembering the moment he'd given it to her and how happy she'd been.

She would always remember him kindly. He was her first love and she knew that he would always hold a special place inside of her heart. Her eyes moved to the pictures she had tucked into her mirror: Her, Harry, and Ron in the Great Hall; the three of them at the Quidditch Cup; her and Ron near Hagrid's hut; her and Ron in the Room of Requirement, sitting on the sofa with Neville in the back; her and Ginny, arms around each other and smiling. Hermione placed the necklace back into her jewellery chest, her eyes on Ron's in the photo, watching the way his grin was slow, catching.

As much as she had loved Viktor, he never made her feel like Ron did. Viktor had made her want, made her desire more than she could explain. She'd loved kissing him, feeling his hands on her. But when Ron kissed her… just the thought made her breath hitch. When he kissed her, she couldn't think. All she could do was feel.

Merlin, he'd looked good today, she thought.

His hair had been damp from his shower and carelessly tousled. He'd smelt like the citrus soap he always used with that earthy smell that she always associated with him. The scars on his arms had faded from the dark reddish pink to a light pink, fading into white, twirling up his arms and she'd found them rather sexy, endearing almost. And a blind woman would have noticed how those tight jeans had fit over his body, the ripped knee and frayed hems only adding to the appearance. The reddish gold stubble on his chin and the scattering of freckles over his face…

She shook the thoughts from her head, they were hardly helping her cause. She plopped down onto her stomach on her bed, sighing dramatically. It was probably for the best really that Ron had been busy. It's not like she actually knew what to say to him. How exactly did one start the conversation admitting they were wrong and that she wanted to snog the living daylights out of him at the next possible opportunity?

Hermione blew her escaped curls from her eyes and unbraided her unruly hair. She hopped up from the bed to change into cotton shorts and an old tee shirt. She'd made herself look good because she'd been hoping that she and Ron could… what… she didn't even know. She had to figure out how to start the conversation.

Ron… about that talk we never had…

Ron… about those flukes…

Ron… that kiss…

Ron… oh bugger!

She slammed her fist down into her pillow and reached for one of the books on her nightstand. She had no idea what she wanted to say or how to say it so why should she even bother?

But the voice inside of her head made her heart pound: Because if she didn't try and she had to see Ron kissing someone else; it would destroy her. And to her surprise, tears welled up in her eyes.

Hermione pulled her pillow up close to her and she wept.

~ ASC ~

Ron followed Percy into the pub, his eyes peeled for his brothers. Fred and George had decided on having a Weasley Brothers Pub night almost two weeks ago, but getting everyone's schedules to mesh had been harder than anticipated. They'd decided to close the shop two hours early tonight just so they could accommodate the plans. He moved around the tables until he saw the familiar flash of Weasley red in the corner. His eyes widened when he saw the extra head there.

"Charlie!"

Charlie stood up to give Ron a one-armed hug, before he did the same to Percy. "Hi, boys. Missed me terribly?"

Bill snorted, slapping his brother on the back as he sat back down. Ron and Percy took their seats and Bill ordered two more pints. "You can have a beer since you're with us responsible types."

Charlie snorted. "You must mean Percy?"

Percy grinned. "When did you get in?"

"About an hour ago," Charlie said, reaching for the bowl of nuts in the middle of the table. "It was a last minute decision. I surprised the hell out of Bill when I showed up at his flat." He smirked at his older brother. "But I did see some of the lovely Fleur."

Bill made a rude hand gesture. "You saw her naked back, now shut it."

Charlie grinned widely. "Still gorgeous. And I saw a peek of a lovely pink nipple. For the record, Fleur has magnificent tits."

"Fuck off, you barely saw anything."

"If I'd been five minutes later, I would have seen a hell of a lot more."

"Ah, don't be jealous, mate," Bill said. "Just because I'm getting shagged on a regular basis and you only have dragons to contend with, is no reason to… no, that's a valid reason. Be jealous. And yes, Fleur's tits are magnificent."

Charlie slapped Bill on the shoulder. "I can't believe by this time next year you're going to be married."

"Me neither," Bill admitted. "But she's worth it."

"And I have more than dragons," Charlie added. "A new dragonologist from Spain has been visiting and we've been tearing up the sheets in our spare time."

"Serious?"

Charlie scoffed. "Please!"

"How long are you in England?" Ron asked, smiling at the waitress when she placed the beer in front of him.

Bill smiled at the waitress. "He's with me. And we'll all have an order of the fish and chips as well."

The waitress nodded, sneaking another look back at him before she hurried off.

"Maybe I didn't want fish and chips," Percy said.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Too bad. I had to order food with Ron's pint, he's only sixteen after all."

Ron took a sip of his beer with a grin. "And Mum will never know, right?"

Charlie elbowed his youngest brother lightly. "Not unless you spill it. Where's our lovely sister these days?"

"Georgia," Ron said, helping himself to the nuts.

"Eastern Europe?"

"No, America," Ron said. "She went with Harry and Zee to visit Zee's grandparents. She'll be home in a few days."

Charlie frowned. "Away with Harry, eh? Do we need to have a chat with him?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Not if you don't want Ginny to hex your bits off."

George nodded. "Well said, bro. Harry's good to her, Charlie. There's no one better, really."

"Guess I can't argue with that. I was sorry to hear about Sirius. Is he doing all right?"

Ron shrugged. "As good as can be expected. Having Ginny go to Georgia with him definitely helped a lot, I can tell. Fred, George, and I spoke to them today."

Fred and George immediately started to explain about the new communication mirrors they were making and their brothers listened with rapt interest. By the time the food came, Fred was teasing George about Angelina.

"Her practices are going great and their first game is in September against Puddlemere," George said. "She's brilliant."

"And sexy," Bill said. "You're a lucky man, George."

"I know," he said with a grin. "I'm lucky she gave me another chance."

"Did I tell you he shagged her in his office during work hours?" Fred said.

George glared at his brother. "Yes, yes, I finally lost my virginity — can we stop making a thing out of it already?"

Fred put his arm over Ron's shoulders. "Only one brother left to take that plunge."

"How do you know I haven't?"

Fred stared at him critically before he shook his head. "Nah, you're still a virgin."

Ron scowled into his beer.

"Nothing wrong with that," Charlie said, lifting his own beer to his lips. "Don't let anyone pressure you, Ron."

"He's not pressured, Charlie," Fred said. "He's pining after Hermione."

"She stopped by the house to see him on our way out," Percy said. "He almost fell into the closet."

Ron's ears flushed. "Well, I don't see you with a girlfriend either, Percy! Still pining after Penny?"

Percy's face flushed. "I'm not pining after Penny and I have other things to worry about. The Minister gave me a very important job that requires me to work lots of long hours and to —"

"— Give long-winded speeches?" Bill cut in. "Let's rein it in, you lot. Percy and I have been working with the Wizengamot and the Defence Department."

Charlie nodded as he munched on chips and listened to his brothers fill him in. "That sounds rather brilliant. You two are definitely the best for the job there. No way in hell I'd want to sit in on the Wizengamot, sounds dead boring."

Fred grinned. "You'd rather fly dragons."

"Most definitely," he said, winking at his brother. "That's part of the reason I came home. I'm coordinating with a unit on the reserve to work in the Wing Guards. The Bulgarian Ministry spoke to us about connecting to the new defence system being put into the works here in England. Two of the Bulgarian magizoologists have been travelling to the different reserves around Europe to rifle up volunteers. I volunteered and will be working with a few other dragon tamers to train with some of our dragons as part of the unit."

George's mouth opened. "You're actually going to ride a dragon, bro?"

"I am and it won't be the first time," Charlie said, drinking his beer. "That also means I'll be in England a lot more. I'll probably be home about once a month or so for two weeks at a time, which should keep Mum happy for a bit."

"That's brilliant, Charlie," Fred said. "If you want a place to crash, George and I have a pretty comfortable pull out in the living room."

"I might take you up on that," Charlie admitted. "I don't fancy being coddled by Mum every time I come home."

Bill snorted. "She'd only coddle you a little bit."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "I'm lucky she hasn't found out I have the dragon tattoo yet. I love that woman to death but how she manages to make me feel like I'm five and have my hand in the biscuit tin I'll never know."

"Practice," Bill said.

Charlie chuckled. "I'll take you two up on that bed tonight, if you don't mind, unless of course I find better company for the evening," he said as he winked at a blonde sitting with her friends a few tables over. "Tomorrow I plan to head to the Ministry and was hoping to surprise Dad for lunch. I'll go home tomorrow night for dinner and see Mum and fill them in on what's going on. I want to make plans with Tonks too."

"She's been busy," Bill said. "Woman's been running ragged in the DMLE. Tonks is part of the unit that's been hunting Crouch Jr and she's been coming up empty handed."

"Yeah, she mentioned that the last time we talked. You two have joined the Wing Guards as well?"

Fred nodded. "We've been running drills with the other members. We're working on how to cast spells from the air and do the most damage from above to help incapacitate those below."

"We were thinking of trying to come up with ways to help that," George said. "We have this dust called Peruvian Darkness Powder, and it makes everything like really dark."

"It might be more of a hindrance to all if we dropped it down on the battle," Fred admitted.

"Still, might be something to think about," Charlie said. "I'm sure you two will come up with something. How's the shop doing?"

"Amazing," George said. "We're already ahead financially, but that's mostly due to the large orders that the Ministry has given us to work on for the defence department. But we're doing really well. Wednesday nights are usually slower so we decided closing two hours early tonight wouldn't be a problem. The shop is honestly bustling."

"Glad to hear it," Charlie said. "So, enough shop talk. Bill, tell me more about Fleur and her lovely… assets?"

Bill made a rude hand gesture. "That's for me to know and for you to dream about."

Charlie chuckled and clinked his beer with his brothers. "Cheers."

~ ASC ~

After spending another day surfing and horseback riding, Harry and Ginny ate dinner outside in the back of the ranch before Misha urged them to run through another obstacle course with him. This time, Colt came out to watch; he seemed very fascinated with the way that both Harry and Ginny changed from their human to animal forms while dodging spells. When Ginny ran under Misha's legs, claws extended, Colt whistled and made a time out gesture with his hands.

Ginny transformed back into herself, her wand in her hand. "Why the time out, Grandpa?"

Colt smiled at her. "Honey pie, I think that I have something that can help."

Misha raised an eyebrow. "Not to be rude, Colt, but you know nothing of duelling."

"Well now, I was a sheriff for a few decades and I saw my fair share of violence over time, so I may have a thing or two add," Colt said, nodding at Harry. "Dogs are a big part of the police unit, the canine unit more specifically. You two are able to turn into animals at a whim and that's fantastic, but you should be using your animal skills a little more strongly."

Ginny stared at him. "I used my claws in the Department of Mysteries."

"I'm sure you did, sweetie pie, but you also have sharp teeth. Harry, when you were in the graveyard, you bit someone in the ankle… I don't encourage violence in any way, but if you two are in a fight to the death, I want you to use every strength you have. Animals have sharp teeth and those teeth are part of their strength. They can hold grown men into place with them." Colt explained.

Misha nodded. "Very good points."

"And I'm not saying tackle Misha here to the ground, though that might be an entertaining thought or two, I'm saying that you should show your animosity and show them that they should be fearful of you. Harry, you are part wolf. Growl, show off your teeth… make them fear you enough to back off. Ginny, the same thing, darlin'. You're a cute little bear, but you got sharp teeth and claws that can tear into flesh just the same. Make them fear you. That's all I gotta say."

"But what if we… I don't want to tear someone's throat out, Grandpa," Harry said nervously.

Colt smiled. "Aw, son, none of us want that. No, you get their muscles. Upper and lower arms, calves and hamstrings. You get those teeth wrapped tightly and get a grip. It will take them down and slow them down, which is what's important."

Harry nodded. "Oh, that makes a lot of sense actually."

Harry and Ginny nodded before turning back to Misha. Misha instructed Ginny to ride Ebony, firing spells from the horse's back with her wand and this time, he wanted Harry to be on the ground as his Tamaskan.

"You Apparated as a dog, I taught you. You even lit your vand as an Animagus, don't tell me it's impossible. Go."

It wasn't impossible, but it wasn't exactly easy either.

Harry was only slowly learning non-verbal spells and Remus had told them that it would be a more prominent part of their learning in sixth year, but Harry had been practicing the ones from Defence Club as much as he could. But while performing a non verbal spell with one's wand was one thing, doing it wandlessly and as a dog was something else entirely.

He managed to erect a thin shield that collapsed at the first spell Misha sent his way, but Misha was still grinning, because it was still a sign of power. When his shield collapsed, Harry changed back into a wizard and wandlessly sent a stunner towards his grandfather. Misha ducked and responded with a hurling hex that Harry met with a disarming charm. Misha's wand flew from his hand, but the Auror grabbed it before he lost it entirely and sent a knockback jinx that Harry dodged. He rolled behind a hay bale, sending a trip jinx forward before he nodded at Ginny and swung himself up onto Ebony's back, erecting a full Patronus shield around the two of them and the horse.

The dog barrelled forward first, sending Misha flying back and when Harry felt his magic waning, he grabbed his wand and sent a stunner straight at him. Misha rolled out of the way just in time and he grinned, clapping his hands together.

"Now that's vhat I'm talking about. You used your surroundings! You saw Ginny as an ally, a partner that you could trust and you von the fight, Harry. Now, vhy did you pull out your vand for that last one?" Misha asked.

"I could feel my magic fading," Harry admitted. "Not fading per say, but weakening, and when I used my wand it was like an electric charge that brought me back on track."

Misha grinned. "Keeping you on track is vhat's important. I don't expect you to fight vandlessly the entire time, but having the option… it's a hell of a good thing. Ginny, your spellwork is flawless. You're fast and not afraid to react. I'm very impressed."

"Thank you, Papa," she said with a smile.

Misha clapped his hands together again. "Now, let's give Harry a break and vork on your Patronus, what do you say?"

Ginny nodded and hopped down from Ebony. Ebony, who had taken a liking to Harry over the last few days let him move her off into the stables to brush her down and Ginny turned to Misha with a grin. "Where do I start?"

"Let's review, shall ve? You know that a Patronus is created by having a happy memory inside of your mind. You must keep that happy memory in your mind for as long as possible, keep it strong and never let it falter. The charm is linked to your thoughts and you von't be able to perform it unless you keep that memory strong in the forefront of your mind, da?"

She nodded again, her eyes on Misha.

Misha smiled widely. "The incantation is Expecto Patronum. Repeat after me."

"Expecto Patronum," Ginny repeated, moving her wand in the way Misha demonstrated.

"Good," he said. "Now think of a happy thought and let's see vhat you can do."

Harry returned from the stables and watched his girlfriend attempt the charm again and again to no avail. She'd been trying to learn for the last few days and so far had been unsuccessful, much to her dismay.

"It is a hard charm," Misha assured her.

Harry shook his head. "It's about the power of your mind, Gin. Don't focus on the charm itself, focus on your memory; your happiest memory."

Ginny's brown eyes met his for a moment before she closed them tight. Harry could see her concentrating hard. She stayed that way for almost two minutes and then her wand shot out. "Expecto Patronum!"

A huge silver-blue stallion erupted from the end of her wand. It fizzled, fading in and out as it did so, but it pranced around her, dancing in delight.

Harry grinned. "You did it!"

Ginny's eyes flew open and widened at the sight of the horse. "A horse! She… she looks a bit like Ebony."

"A horse is a good Patronus," Misha said. "Horses represent freedom and power, strength and beauty. It is a vise vitch that produces such a strong animal."

Ginny beamed at him. "She's beautiful."

Harry linked his fingers through Ginny's as her Patronus faded out. "Yeah, you are."

Ginny kissed his cheek, blushing.

Misha smiled at them. "Vell done tonight, you two. Ve'll practice some more tomorrow night." He took down the wards that he'd erected around the yard so that no unsuspecting Muggles could see anything, and headed into the house.

Harry pulled Ginny into his arms. "I'm proud of you. A Patronus is a difficult spell to master. Ron was the only other person in Defence Club to get it. He surprised all of us with that. Even Hermione only managed a wisp and not a clear animal, much to her dismay."

Ginny smiled at him. "It is a hard spell. It's holding the memory into place, locking it into your mind's eye long enough to perform the charm successfully. That's where the hard part is. I don't know if I could perform it under pressure or if a Dementor is nearby."

Harry bent his head to kiss her. "You will, with practice."

Ginny kissed him again, her arms twining around his neck. "I can't believe we go home in two days. I'm going to miss it here."

"Me too," he said, holding her close. "But I'm ready to go home as well."

Ginny nodded, sighing into him when he kissed her again. "Someone is going to come out in a minute to remind us that it's time to go to bed."

He chuckled, lips brushing over her jaw. "Probably. We get to pick up our surfboards tomorrow."

Ginny's face lit up. "Zee said that it's supposed to be a hot one tomorrow, we can try them out in the ocean?"

"Definitely," he said, kissing her nose. "But we should turn in, early morning chores and all that."

Ginny kissed him once more before she took his hand in hers. "Walk me to my room?"

Harry kissed their joined hands. "Happy to."

~ ASC ~

Remus kept himself as busy as he could. He cleaned their little cottage from top to bottom; he rearranged furniture, did spring cleaning on what he thought needed to go, and did what he could to stay occupied. When he found the photo albums, he spent hours in the living room with them opened around him, looking at memories.

Godric, they'd looked so young that first year… fresh-faced and innocent with no idea of the direction their lives would take. The first picture they'd taken of them had been the yearly dorm photo that McGonagall took of each dorm, all of them distant and unsure. The second one had been of James, his arms around him and Sirius, Peter standing next to them. They were so small.

He found himself tracing the outline of their faces, suddenly feeling a hundred years old. He was the only one left.

The photos mocked him with that. James. Lily. Sirius. Peter. Marlene. Mary. Dorcas. Alice. Frank. They were all gone. His friends. His classmates. His Hogwarts family. At thirty-six, he was the only one left living.

The front door opened and he quickly moved to put the photos away but Tonks only grabbed them, sitting in his lap.

"Look how sexy you were!"

Remus snorted. "I'm fifteen there."

"And very fit," Tonks told him with a grin. "I've always thought so." She kissed his cheek. "Memory lane?"

Remus shrugged before he leaned in and rested his chin on his wife's shoulder. "I'm it, love."

She raised an eyebrow.

Remus nodded to the albums in her hands. "I was cleaning and I came across them on the shelf and I just... I'm it. James and Lily... Sirius... Peter... all of them... Marly... Mary... Dorcas… Alice… Frank... they're all dead - except me."

Tonks' fingers stroked his hair. "I know."

"I miss him, Dora. It's like I lost a limb, like part of me is missing."

"It's not," she assured him. "I know what he meant to you. I loved him, too. He was your friend, your brother, your gay fancy."

Remus rolled his eyes. "No time for jokes."

Tonks smiled. "Worth it when I make you smile."

Remus kissed her forehead tenderly. "I guess it's just really starting to hit me, Nymphadora. They're all gone. Everyone. It's just me."

"No, it's not." Tonks said, kissing him softly. "You have me and Harry. You have my parents. You have Zee and around Christmas we're going to have two beautiful babies that will be the spawns of Sirius."

Remus snorted. "The spawns?"

Tonks nodded. "Can you imagine two mini Sirius Blacks both vying for attention in front of the mirror? Both telling cheesy puns? Both demanding attention? We better hope they take after Zee."

Remus chuckled. "I'll give you the vanity part, that is true. I can't believe that Zee is having his babies. Padfoot he… Merlin, I wish he was here to see them be born, to watch them take their first steps, to call him Dad… I know I have all of you. I don't know what I would do without you. You're everything. Harry is everything. And those babies... Merlin I'm going to be there for them, whenever they need me."

"I know you will be."

She held him, fingers stroking his hair before an owl flew in through the open kitchen window. Tonks hopped off her husband's lap to greet the bird and accepted the letter. She passed it over to him.

"It's for you."

Remus' eyebrow rose. "Who would be writing to me?"

Tonks sat on his lap again as he opened the letter and pulled out the parchment. "What does it say?" When Remus' mouth merely dropped open, she grabbed his hand. "What?"

"Neville and Luna found the diadem."

"WHAT?"

He nodded, standing up and lifting his wife with him. "Come on, we need to get to Hogwarts."

Tonks slid down her husband's body to the ground. "Did he say how?"

Remus shook his head. "No. They're waiting for us in my classroom."

"I'm right behind you."

He kissed her softly and tugged on his shoes before he stepped into the fire. His wife came out behind him a moment later in his office at Hogwarts. He hurried down the stairs into his classroom and Neville and Luna both turned to look at them.

Luna pointed to the desk where a silk scarf was bundled. "We wrapped it up as it was rather aggressive."

Remus only stared at them. "You found it. How? What are you two even doing here in the school?"

Neville just grinned. "I had an idea and it came through. So, how the hell do we destroy this thing?"

---

End Author's Notes:

Thanks to all of the amazing people on discord who helped me with the communication mirror names. So many incredible ideas and I just couldn't find the right fit. They were all great — thank you!

Thanks to Steel for his help with the Misha scenes. Much appreciated!

A lot of people have been asking me for some great fanfiction recommendations so I am going to post some of my favourites down below for anyone interested. The links are on my tumblr as well. ff (fanfiction), Ao3 (archive of our own), SIYE (sink into your eyes).

Some things to read while you wait two weeks for me to post the next chapter ;)

Hinny (Harry and Ginny):

1. Catch Her Snitch by Pottermum (ff and Ao3) — One shots and Snippets based on artwork and headcanons from blvnk-art on Tumbler, and dialogue from 'it's-hp-bitch's and incorrect hp quotes on Tumbler, with a bit of Pottermum added to the mix too.

2. 17, Clumsy, and Shy by Velvethopefics (ff) — Originally written pre-HBP, this is my little tale of what could have been. Harry finds out what being 17 is all about. And Ginny gets to help. An Irish Goddess and a new prophecy go along for the ride. It is a Coming of Age story with intrigue, magic and love.

3. In Essence: Undivided by Velvethopefics (ff) — The sequel to 17, Clumsy, & Shy. Harry begins his final year as he and Ginny embark on a new relationship filled with danger, mystery and plenty of Voldemort shenanigans to keep them hopping. New friends and new bonds are made, and some old friends are lost.

4. Covert Love by celtics534 (ff) — To serve and protect. That's what Harry was there for. He had been sent undercover to protect Ginny Weasley from a mad man. Not to fall in love with her. But how couldn't he? She was everything anyone could want, and clearly her stalker agreed.

5. An Unexpected Christmas Present by The DA is dressed to the nines (ff) — Has anyone else wondered why Ginny wasn't mentioned at Slughorn's Christmas party? How would Harry react when finding her there and dressed to perfection? M for typical teenage boy thoughts.

6. World of SS Potter Series by SSHenry (SIYE) — Nine part series that first got me into Hinny fanfiction back in the early 2000s

(i) Summer of the Serpent: Ginny Weasley survived the Chamber of Secrets, but will she survive the summer surprises and discovery that follows?

(ii) The Forgotten Girl: Ginny Weasley survived the Chamber of Secrets and the summer of revelation and discovery that followed, but how will she deal with her newfound powers?

(iii) Life is But a Dream: What was the real reason that Harry didn't want to get off the train at the end of OotP?

(iv) Towards Tomorrow: Harry's back at the Dursley's and is hearing voices that have nothing to do with Voldemort. Hermione spent the summer with Krum, but will that be enough to spur Ron into telling her how he really feels? And what secrets is Ginny hiding?

(v) Ron Knows: A companion piece to chapter ten of Towards Tomorrow.

(vi) Today the Tempest: Voldemort's powers are increasing, but so are Harry's. The final confrontation draws ever closer in this seventh year fiction featuring all your favourite characters.

(vii) Facing the Future: The Revenge of the Lime Green Bowler Hat: Voldemort is dead, but evil never truly dies. Plenty of challenges await Harry, Ginny and all of those who survived the final battle. A Post-Hogwarts fic that brings together all your favourite characters as they attempt to rebuild their world.

(viii) Facing the Future 2: Underhill: Voldemort may be gone but evil never dies. Only Ginny can unravel the tangle of hatred and deceit that has brought the Order of the Phoenix to its knees. But she is running out of time, for when one goes Underhill, one's magic doesn't work and nothing is as it seems.

(ix) Timepiece: Voldemort is gone — or is he? Is it possible for the Dark Lord to reach into the future and play the ultimate mind trick on The Boy Who Lived?

7. Oh, Harry by My Dear Professor McGonagall (ff) — A series of one-shots from the beautifully intertwined and magical lives of Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter.

8. It's Not Easy Being Green, It Could Be Nicer Being Red by deadwoodpecker (ff) — Harry and Ginny steer toward a relationship. Please enjoy this fluffy little story.

9. Noticing by TheDistantDusk (Ao3) — Ginny suddenly realizes two things, in very quick succession: One, that Harry has never really looked at her that closely before, and two, that he is absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, doing that. Right now. This is the story of how Harry comes to notice her... but more importantly, it's the story of how Ginny comes to notice that he noticed.

10. Never Trust Five-Year-Olds by HecateA (ff) — It takes about five seconds for Teddy to gain Ginny's trust and three for him to lose it again. Luckily, this is one secret worth sharing. One-shot.

11. Lips Long Parching by Annerb (Ao3) — Going solo to her ex's wedding is not exactly Ginny's idea of a good time, but thanks to a smuggled flask and a rather sullen Harry Potter, it's about to get a lot more interesting.

12. Can't Get You Out of My Head by jenorama (Ao3) — Harry and Ginny share several sunlit days together. If only he'd wake up.

13. Years To Talk by blvnk (Ao3) — "There would be time to talk later, hours and days and maybe years in which to talk." Various moments of Harry and Ginny's talk... around four walls, or less.

14. In Case of Emergency by lilyevansJan30 (ff) — Harry and Ginny thought they were doing the right thing when they broke up, but what happens when dark forces seem to be conspiring to both keep them together — and kill them?

Romione (Ron and Hermione):

1. Six Foot Ginger Idiot by Pinky Brown (ff) — Or, Ron Weasley's Year Six Diary: the whole of Half-Blood Prince from Ron's point of view. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to shake him.

2. Seven Simple Years by HalfASlug (ff) — The story of Ron and Hermione through a series of missing moments. Who said love was simple?

3. Monday at the Ministry by bowtruckles (ff) — Ron's not expecting much out of his nineteenth birthday.

4. Nine Down, Thirty to Go by bowtruckles (ff) — "It was all the dirty places her mind had gone simply for him, just to give him a birthday that he would never forget."

5. Everything in Transit by bowtruckles (ff) — Hermione is returning to Hogwarts as Head Girl, and Ron, due to circumstances currently out of his control, has to go with her if he ever hopes to become an Auror... but they're about to learn that going back is more difficult than they imagined.

6. Entertaining Ron by jenorama (Ao3) — It's a drowsy summer day and Ron has nothing better to do than get on his best friend's nerves

Remadora (Remus and Tonks):

1. The Bureaucratic Error by Iniga (ff) — After his death, Remus finds himself 5 years in the past, having undone Voldemort's defeat and Teddy's birth. He's going to need his old friend Sirius to help him with this one.

2. Distractions by Kuri333 (ff) — He is never easily distracted. Only, lately, somebody seems to be challenging that, once and again.

3. First Meeting by Love4Lupinalways (ff) — Nymphadora Tonks is invited to join a secret Order led by Albus Dumbledore. Little did she know that by accepting it, her life would change in more ways than one.

4. In Defense of Her by Love4Lupinalways (ff) — The sound of Tonks's crying reaches the ears of her cousin, and he knows the reason for her tears. As much as he loves his brother, Remus Lupin has hurt someone even more precious to him, and Sirius is determined to knock some sense into the thick-headed, self-sacrificing werewolf, even if it means taking his head off to do it.

5. Flying Colours series by TauraNorma (Ao3) — 2 parts:

(i) Flying Colours: "It's funny" Said Tonks, pink curls grazing the scars on Remus' bare chest, as she peered into his face. "Last night I had the privilege of seeing you lose control and now I'm watching you try to reassemble yourself. Piece by piece" — The Ministry's most unconventional Auror meets the Order's most self-disciplined werewolf.

(ii) Shadow Boxing: "It's hell," said Tonks, hating every tear that escaped. "It's hell feeling this way. People may have slapped a pretty name on the thing, but love is bloody breaking me!" — An indoctrinated werewolf army is rising, the war is spiralling out of control, and two divided lovers are haunted by their past. Remus/Tonks during HBP.

6. Pluto by bikelock28 (Ao3) — A series of Lupin/ Tonks one-shots.

7. The Colour of a Full Moon by Luce-Depp (ff) — Lupin and Tonks, ever wanted to know how they met and she fell in love? Will include all book situations they're involved in and the unwritten moments that got them there. POV of both characters. M for moments in the later chapters. Canon

Next Generation:

1. Tea Time series by ellizablue (formerly frombluetored) (Ao3) — 3 parts:

(i) Put Your Guns Away, Its Tea Time: Ginny Potter estimates it will only take three days into the Weasley-Potter family holiday for Albus to act on his feelings for his best friend. Albus estimates it will only take three days for him to die of embarrassment. And Scorpius, well. Scorpius is just glad to be there with Albus in the first place.

(ii) Put Your Curse in Reverse: Scorpius Malfoy knew his fifth year would be challenging- but he hadn't expected this. Between his impending O.W.L.s, his new relationship, Quidditch tryouts, the public eye, and the Slug Club, he can hardly catch his breath. Meanwhile, Harry Potter discovers that being a professor at Hogwarts is very different from being a student there- especially when you've got three mischievous children and a handful of students who can't seem to do more than ogle at you.

(iii) Set Fire To Our Homes: As Albus and Scorpius begin their life together, Albus discovers that married life is every bit as wonderful and difficult as he always anticipated it would be. Life is better now that they're free from the looming threat of a Dark Arts resurgence, but Albus quickly realizes that there are plenty of other threats, too, like aggravating bosses and unexpected bouts of baby fever. Meanwhile, officials within the Ministry unearth a rapidly-worsening problem: for reasons unknown, the frequency of Squib births has quietly and suddenly quadrupled, leading to serious concerns over what might be prohibiting wizards and witches from passing on their magical genes - and what that might mean for the coming generations of Wizardkind. While James and his new Ministry department struggle to deal with the societal impacts of an unprecedented amount of Squib children, Lily and Albus find their jobs — and their lives — intersecting in an unexpected way.

2. A Potter and a Lupin by Seriously Sam (ff) — Five times Teddy Lupin called Ginny Potter his mum. One time he called her grandmum. A few times he called Harry Potter his dad.

3. But I Want to Be a Weasley by deadwoodpecker (ff) — James Potter wants to be a Weasley. His mum, aunts, uncles, and grandparents tell him why it's pretty cool to be a Potter, too.

4. Jubliant by fighforthrightsofhouseelves (Ao3) —Teddy/Victoire smut

5. Second Tries by Phelpshobbit, StaircaseScorpius (Ao3) — It's been a few months since Albus and Scorpius returned from the past, but laughter and snide comments still follow Albus around the halls of Hogwarts. When it all gets too much and he's struggling to cope, James realizes it's time for him to step in.

6. No Luck or Love by RoRoWeasley (Ao3) — Albus can't stay in the house another minute and there's someone who wants to comfort him.

7. Keep it On by GoldenTruth813 (Ao3) — Albus loves hoodies. Scorpius loves Albus. Albus definitely loves Scorpius. A story in which there is a lot of fucking, a lot of love, and an abundance of hoodies.

8. Lost Boys by HecateA (ff) — Teddy's favourite days are Sundays at the Burrow. Harry likes them too; but small children ask complicated questions. One-shot.

9. Happy Birthday, Harry by Pottermum (ff) — Harry is hoping for a quiet birthday celebration with his family. Albus has invited Scorpius, and they have something to tell Harry and Ginny.

10. Raising Teddy by TSWriter (ff) — Just a collection of one-shots describing Teddy's childhood through Harry's eyes. Wood for the Trees by FloreatCastellum (Ao3) — James Sirius Potter's hobbies include annoying people, leading his father to an early grave with his career choice, and managing to fall in love at the drop of a pointy hat, inevitably ending in heartbreak. Hazel's hobbies include trying to be professional, getting wound up by James, and consistently managing to end up in awkward situations. Following popular demand on Tumblr, a nonlinear account of James Sirius Potter's realization of true love. Spoilers for In Mendax/Theia Higglesworth Trilogy, but can be read independently of that series.

11. The Quietly Series by starlightpeddler (Ao3) — 5 parts:

(i) Seasons: From the moment Scorpius and Albus get on the Hogwarts Express for their fifth year, things start to change. Albus starts to gain confidence both in the classroom and out of it, and Scorpius' realization that he has greater feelings for his best friend threatens to leave him more alone than he'd ever imagined.

(ii) Quietly: Albus and Scorpius aren't sure what they're doing when their relationship starts to change, and they discover the complexities of balancing a relationship and keeping secrets while immersed in Hogwarts where nothing stays quiet for long. As they find their footing in uncharted territory, Scorpius finds out he bears a heavier burden than just the Malfoy name, and Albus realizes some things are more important than his life.

(iii) Softly: Albus and Scorpius enter life after Hogwarts and find that their days aren't easier without classes and exams. With personal baggage, family obligations, and a wizarding community that's far more complex than they'd anticipated, Albus and Scorpius have to rely on more than just each other to survive.

(iv) Softly: Pancakes: Albus and Scorpius had followed their plan very closely for years, and thus far it had served them marvellously. They have a beautiful family and the home they've always wanted, but when a neglected child needs their help, they find themselves unable to turn away.

(v) Softly: Dragon Pox: Six kids, a massive family, and two demanding careers have kept Scorpius and Albus busy. When Albus brings home a new strain of dragon pox, their lives are thrown into disarray and Scorpius finds himself at a crossroads while trying to take care of his family in a crisis.

Jily (James and Lily) & Marauders:

1. Smiles and Smirks series by alrightginger (Ao3) — 2 Parts:

(i) Smiles: Lily Evans had three different types of smiles. James Potter would know. James Potter also knew that none of them were for him.

(ii) Smirks: James Potter was an infinity that Lily Evans could not be rid of. And within this infinity there were a limitless amount of smirks that she wasn't entirely sure that she minded. Companion piece to Smiles.

2. Kiss and Tell by SunshineDaisiesWindmills (ff) — The rules were simple. Provoke each other. Scream at each other. Snog each other. Do this as frequently as possible, but don't ever, ever kiss and tell.

3. Boyfriend by Molly Raesly (ff) — Potter was going to say that he wasn't my boyfriend. I couldn't let him do that. For the love of Merlin, I could not let him do that. I had to stop him. He couldn't tell her the truth. So I did the only conceivable thing I could think of. I kissed him.

4. Revenge by Molly Raesly (ff) — A thought that made the monster inside Lily's chest roar with triumph. He needed to be repaid for the constant harassment, pranking, date offers, and overall big headedness. She needed revenge

5. Pursuing Lily Evans by ohsnapitspotter (ff) —The Marauders chose to video tape their days at Hogwarts, their pranks, and James' desperate attempts at winning Lily's heart. What happens when Harry stumbles upon these old videos?

6. Crave by Aly-Cat101 (ff — unfinished which saddens me as it's great) — James makes Lily a simple offer. "Shag me and I'll leave you alone for the rest of the term." Of course, Lily refuses but the offer is always on the table...Will Lily give in? Will James sweeten the deal?

7. Dare You by Madicon (ff) — The year is 1977. Lily, and all her friends, are in their final year of Hogwarts. She saw her seventh year as being the best yet, but she was wrong. Her world got turned upside down by the power of love and loss in this one part of her life story.

8. Marauder Moments Series by FloreatCastellum (Ao3) — Collections relating to the Marauders and Harry's early childhood.

9. Lily Evans Definitely Has a Boyfriend by fireflysneezes2 (ff) – She wracked her brains in the following months, running the conversation over in her mind, trying to find a logical explanation for why her brain led her right to those words that she couldn't take back. But time after time, it was no use. She just said it. And that's how it all began. Canon compliant (mostly), cliche and fluffy, fake relationship. Jily above all else.

10. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Proudly Present series by HPsmartone32 — 3 parts (sadly hasn't been updated in a while):

(i) Days of You: One hundred and sixteen. That's how many days Sirius Black has fancied Remus Lupin. Not that he's counting. Except that he obviously, totally is counting. In tally marks on the underside of the curtains above his four poster, actually. Only, now Remus is dating someone and Sirius hates them - though he does admit that his hatred would be better directed if Remus would just tell him who it is.

(ii) Circles: Lily wasn't entirely convinced that this new thing with James Potter was more than an elaborate plot to steal her owl and take her place at the top of the class, but she reckoned she'd see it through anyway.

(iii) Christmas 1977: At 9:07 am on Christmas morning, 1977, six teenagers in varying states of dishevel and undress looked towards the frozen, snow-covered lake and unknowingly thought identical thoughts. In the seconds that followed, they all thought that they were in for a perfectly ordinary Christmas, and each was soon proven very, very wrong.

11. Infinite Verse Series by WolfStarPups90 (Ao3) — 3 parts (sadly hasn't been updated in a while):

(i) We Were Infinite: "The Marauders aren't something that will just go away once we graduate." James continued, taking a more serious tone and addressing not only Remus, but the fear that they all had found recently in the back of their minds about what may become of them outside the walls of Hogwarts. "We're a family. We've proven that again and again, haven't we? We're forever. Unstoppable. We're infinite." The full story of The Marauders from September 1st 1971 - October 31st 1981. (Heavily centred around Wolfstar and Jily in later chapters).

(ii) The Morning After — Deleted Smut Scene: A little smut scene that follows chapter 72 of We Were Infinite, Remus wakes Sirius up the morning after they become bonded in the best way possible.

(iii) Five Stages: Sirius always said that he had loved Remus probably from the first moment he ever saw him. Remus thought it was a sweet sentiment, but he also thought that Sirius just couldn't pinpoint the exact moment, and that was understandable since Sirius' mind was a bit of a chaotic mess, and it would be hard for him to just find that one moment where he felt the slightest shift and pause it long enough to hold onto it. Remus, however, could pinpoint the exact moment he knew he was in love with Sirius Black. Or rather, the moments, because it had happened in stages and each one stuck out vividly in his mind as if he had been able to freeze frame them and store them away for safekeeping.

Favourite HP Fanfictions in General:

1. Percy Weasley and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by LullabyKnell (ff) —Pre-Philosopher's Stone AU: In which fourteen-year-old Percy Weasley is very stressed, does not get enough sleep, and accidentally and unknowingly saves the Wizarding World because of bad aim.

2. Cheating Death by Seriously Sam (ff) — Head Auror Harry Potter hated the Department of Mysteries, so he is less than thrilled when a case lands on his lap involving the department.

3. More Than A Pretty Face by lilyevansJan30 (ff) — Fleur Delacour is much more than her portrayal in canon. From the snotty, self-centreed child in GoF to a strong fighter, loyal Order member, and Bill Weasley's love in DH, she grew a lot. This story explores that growth and how Bill came to love her. Follows canon with many details of my own.

4. A Rich Man's Christmas by Solstice Muse (ff) — Short drabble about Arthur Weasley Christmas shopping for his young family with only three Galleons to spend.

5. Oh God Not Again! by Sarah1281 (ff) — So maybe everything didn't work out perfectly for Harry. Still, most of his friends survived, he'd gotten married, and was about to become a father. If only he'd have stayed away from the Veil, he wouldn't have had to go back and do everything AGAIN.

6. Reactions to the Legend by amber-chick (ff) — AU Sirius is freed after the tournament and is Harrys guardian. Everything is normal until Harry let something slip making Sirius & Remus realize that they don't know about Harry's first 2 years. Now Harry has to explain all the death defying stunts. Oh dear…

7. Padfoot Prohibited by Ever-Changing Anthem (ff) — The Seventh-Years are given an assignment before they leave school – an essay instructing incoming First Years on how to succeed at Hogwarts. Sirius Black jumps at the chance to leave his detention-ridden legacy behind.

8. Out of the Fire and Into the Cupboard by HalfASlug (ff) — There's a reason that adults don't usually play hide and seek — especially when they are nothing more than overgrown children.

9. Godfathering by lilyevansJan30 (ff) — Harry learns what it means to be a godfather, with important help along the way.

10. Changed by TheDistantDusk (Ao3) — Because at the end of the day, they're still Harry and Ron. They're the two prats from Gryffindor who became best friends on the Hogwarts Express and got detentions together and shared a mutual loathing of Malfoy, all as their voices cracked.

11. Love Me Forever by Aloemilk (ff) — Things are not easy for Ron and Hermione right after the Battle of Hogwarts. They need each other badly, but forced decisions bring them apart. This story is a different take on the Summer following the end of the war; it starts angsty but ends fluffy. It begins moments before Deathly Hallows ends and continues over the following months.

12. Missing Hogwarts Moments series by FloreatCastellum (Ao3) — A collection of missing moments and different POVs from Harry's Hogwarts days; canon compliant. Fancy by blvnk (Ao3) — Draco likes that with Astoria he never expects her to run away.

13. Slice of Life One-shots by FloreatCastellum (Ao3) — A collection of canon-compliant one-shots featuring slice of life scenes and character studies after the battle of Hogwarts.

14. The Theia Higglesworth Trilogy by FloreatCastellum (Ao3) — 3 parts:

(i) The Aurors: The last thing Harry Potter wants is to be lumped with a trainee Auror, especially not one that idolises him. As he guides her through the realities of being an overworked Auror and tentatively settles into adult life with Ginny, a dark plot brews on the horizon… H

(ii) ollow Ash: When a mysterious woman comes to the Auror office claiming to be the victim of a terrible crime, Theia and Harry want to do everything they can to help her. The problem is, she has no memory of what has happened. As they piece together the sinister events, their own troubles and traumas rise to the surface, causing them to question who they really are. Sequel to The Aurors.

(iii) In Mendax: Theia Higglesworth has reached a point of no return. Three years after she first met Harry Potter, she continues down a path that will change her life irrevocably in her hope to mend past mistakes. The final story in the Theia Higglesworth series.

Dramione (Draco & Hermione):

I kind of hate this ship, however, there are some Dramione stories that I absolutely love. I'm a contradiction lol. My main reason with not liking them is that Ron is one of my favourite characters and I love Romione so much. Second is the ship itself, Hermione and Draco - there's too much history there and after what happened it seems very unrealistic to me that they would fall in love. However, there are some truly great writers who have made me love their stories despite not loving the ship. These are some of my favourites:

1. Sour Grapes by liliansilver (ff) — Five years after the war, Draco and Hermione meet by chance as she wanders into a French vineyard and finds a shirtless, barefoot Draco Malfoy hiding out unbeknownst to the wider wizarding world. He's ashamed of his past misdeeds, and she's been recently humiliated by her soon to be ex-husband. Neither are aware that their lives are about to be inexorably linked, forever. [Sour Grapes is one of my favourite fanfictions ever written for three reasons: First of all, there is an amazing Harry/Draco bromance and I'm a sucker for a good bromance. Secondly, there's no Ron bashing (which almost always turns me off). Hermione and Ron are still good friends (though the beginning is misleading). And third, HINNY! This story makes me very happy.]

2. The Eagles Nest by HeartofAspen (ff) — Hermione's eighth year at Hogwarts is already going to be difficult in the aftermath of the war, but it is further thrown into upheaval when Headmistress McGonagall orders a re-sorting of all students to promote inter-house unity. But when the Sorting Hat sends Hermione to Ravenclaw with Draco — and without Harry or Ron, how will she cope? [AU] Prevalent alchemy.

3. Jealousy by rainsrabble (ff) — "If I've harmed her?" He seethed, snaking into Harry's space, his voice dropping to a menacing hiss. "She comes to me crying and you have the nerve to question how I've treated her?"

4. Tip of My Tongue by kittenshift17 (ff) — When Draco's wife is caught cheating and pregnant to another man, Draco must fight for custody of his son, Scorpius. Hermione, determined to ensure her son, Aurelian, grows up knowing his brother without Draco finding out, somehow winds up tangled into the middle of Draco's impending divorce. Can she help it if she also keeps finding herself tangled in his embrace, and liking it?

5. Inescapable by DMHG2014 (ff) — It happened one night. Neither of them know why they let it go as far as it did, but it's too late now. Their need for each other is inescapable. Find out how Draco and Hermione get themselves tangled up in a secret love affair whilst on opposite sides of the war. Will they get their happily ever after?... 6th Year and onwards.

6. Isolation by Bex-chan (ff) — He can't leave the room. Her room. And it's all the Order's fault. Confined to a small space with only the Mudblood for company, something's going to give. Maybe his sanity. Maybe not. "There," she spat. "Now your Blood's filthy too!"

Great Authors to Watch For:

gryffindormischief

thejilyship

floreatcastellum

Seriously Sam

TM Blue

bowtruckles

Pinky Brown

RoRo Weasley

Littleobird

LegendDairy

Molly Raesly

WarMunger98

Loquacious Lotus Blossom

Ellizablue

TheDistantDusk

fightfortherightsofhouseeleves

jenorama

Pottermum

celtics534

lilyevansJan30

velvethope

deadwoodpecker

blvnk

kittenshigt-17

petals-to-fish

Annerb

And many more…

Remember, fanfiction authors write for free so the best way to show your appreciation is to leave a review. Thank you, as always, and please review!