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.

279. The One Where Ginny Is Just One Tiny Gir

Author's Note:

This is a rather long chapter and I know, that's okay with everyone LOL! I'm just letting you know.

Reviews and Comments: To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! To AQuickRead91: Thank you! To miniandminie: I'm happy you're excited to read more! To Seriously Sam: Theo really is too precious for this world, of course he's happy to see his bitches again! Auror K is definitely a badass. Dumbles has to be cool and collected, I just can't see him being any other way, even in times like this. Misha is being a good dad, helping his daughter around the house and that includes fixing toilets LOL. Harry needed that freakout and I thought that it made sense for Remus to just let him know he was there when he was done. To TheOgholycookies: Yes, you caught up haha. I'm glad you were enjoying it. To shuweet: I know, poor Hinny! To Steelcode: What will happen between Ginny and Michael? Hmm, questions, questions! To FLAMIN' HOT McNUGGETS RULE THE UNIVERSE: Augusta Longbottom is kind of awesome, isn't she? Not sure about Kane? Well, I guess you'll have to wait and see. Yes, we will see Rolf again, but he and Luna won't be meeting anytime soon.

To ITHersey: I know, watching Harry just be in pain is so hard to witness. Our poor little Harry's heart. Thanks for the kind words about Dean. I wanted to show the turmoil that he's feeling in wanting to meet his father, but also not really wanting to meet him. Having the Slytherin boys back together was very much needed! I missed my Slytherin boys! As to Dumbledore, I think Voldemort plans on doing exactly that! The Ministry definitely wants to piss Voldemort off and what better way then by plastering Harry's face everywhere as the one destined to kill him? To Guest: Thank you for reading! Please don't be scared to review, I don't bite! It's so kind of you to say it's your favourite fanfiction. As to your questions, 1) Yes, we will see more Hannah and Neville coming. 2) Yes, there will be more smut coming as well. 3) Harry's ex-girlfriend was Mandy Brocklehurst, she's now dating Anthony Goldstein and 4) I usually post late Saturday nights/early Sunday mornings or Sunday evening just depending on my work schedule. Thank you for the kind words.

To propita: Thanks, both my beta and I missed the typo! To shivani: Thank you! I hope you enjoy the Jily story as well, it's a great one and don't forget to leave a review! Us fanfic authors appreciate those more than we put into words. To ScoutGinevra: Poor Ginny indeed, she will get better. To Tiyanie: Thank you! Harry will definitely be trying his hardest to find a solution for Ginny. To GodMisha: Thank you! I think having Sirius and Dumbledore come forward along with Harry and memories makes them all saying "Voldemort" as opposed to You Know Who much more plausible. The KofAs were fun to write about and we will see more of Kane soon. To Dianne: Aww, I'm sorry Harry's monologue made you tear up, our boy is sad. Yes, his siblings do give him a little comfort. I wanted to show the parallel between Harry destroying Dumbledore's office after Sirius and here how he destroys another room over Ginny, he doesn't know how to deal with his pain and this time, having Remus there just to hold him when it was over, I think made all the difference. To Chintan: Thank you! I'm always pleased to give chills! Will Dumbledore be saved? I don't know (well, I do, but I'm not going to tell you LOL). I don't know if Dean's father is a homophobe so much as equally as confused and terrified of meeting his son for the first time. We'll see if Dean meets with him again. To ahlem stelena: You want Harry and Ginny to date other people for a bit to make their reunion more powerful? I don't know if I agree with that, but we'll have to see what happens.

To Speedyconzalis: Thank you! I'm glad that you like the addition with his grandparents. To bronzebec: Thank you, me too if I'm honest! To mlhspets: What a great line! "I guess I'm allergic to cliffhanger season because you're making me itch for each new chapter." Haha, thank you! Hope I don't disappoint. To scrappy8: I always feel like I did well when you leave me more than 'great chapter.' I'm sure Harry will find something soon. To Wolf's scream: Theo is healing and seeing Blaise and Draco again was part of that last hurtle he needed to heal. Fleur will definitely be helping Bill with his English LOL. Speaking philosophically with Tom over life vs. living would indeed be an interesting conversation. Neville is getting more evidence of Hannah's mother and he's starting to wonder about it. To gemini614: Thank you! I like to get back to my side/side-characters sometimes. Dean and Seamus are two of them. I love that you call Theo a cabbage! Hannah's mother is definitely a piece of something! And yes, I wanted Harry to be very involved in the Order.

To Arctoid32: Thank you! You're welcome for successfully prolonging your pain LOL. To tim2604: Thank you! The last chapter did have a lot of pain but my Slytherin boys needed to be reunited to help Theo heal. Bill discovering his face was also very hard and well, Dean and his dad — we shall see where that goes. And oh yes, Harry's pain. He is heartbroken and angry. As to the potion, slowly but surely and hopefully a cure is in the works. To Nuno Neves: Thank you! The Slytherin trio's friendship is very strong. As to Harry working out, I think helps him with his emotions. He has so many feelings right now and he's doing his best to put them into perspective. To sygt: Thank you! It's nice to know one chapter can make you smile, laugh, and cry all at once. And yes, Harry is definitely stepping into the spotlight in a way that he's never done before.

To Slaidback: Aw, thank you! Glad a new chapter is like coming home to a good meal! To WinkingSkeever: Thank you and here's the update! To ValGrey02: Thank you! I find writing Order meetings difficult to juggle so thank you for saying I nailed that one! To alix33: Thank you for finding the Bill and Fleur interaction moving, it was meant to be. Yes, Fleamont's journals are something that Harry will treasure, but right now, he just wants to find the antidote. To kkggr: Thank you! To Guest: Haha, no, fanfiction is a completely free service (though I do ask to be paid in reviews ;) lol). Thank you! To kittikatlova: Thank you! And chapters between ending Hinny forever or reuniting them seem very bleak, how about a happy medium? LOL. And yes, we will be seeing Charlie and Aydin again soon (280)!

To thequantumwitch: Thank you! It's always nice to give hope. Death would be merciful for Dumbledore, we will see what happens. And yes, Voldemort is one sodding bastard. To notthatchhavi: Theo is healing and by keeping the sword, it's showing that he keeps Finn with him even though he has moved on. Thank you for saying that, I think so too, I like the idea that the Slytherin trio are so loving and devoted to each other, while still being gits to everyone else lol. Yes, they are attempting to take Dumbledore's magic. Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed Augusta grilling Neville on his girlfriend. I picture her as a very nosey lady! I can see the Mother Gothel vibe in Caroline Abbott. Thank you for that amazing review! To TNT: Thank you! Dumbledore still has a bit to play yet, yes. We will have to see about the Hallows and Grindelwald as some of it as already been dealt with. To astolfo83: No one is forcing you to read this story, but no, it is still going on and the end is near but far. Thanks for leaving a review despite having zero interest in it, I always appreciate the boost! To pix25: Harry needs a good hype team! Thanks! To ANewRanger: Welcome back! I'm glad you returned and that you love the current storyline.

To Mackie919: Wow, thanks for reading ASC a second time! It's lovely to know the story can still make you laugh, smile, and cry. Do I plan on stopping right after seventh year — no, but I don't know where exactly I will end it. I do have some "future bits" planned. To Dark Lord 19: Dumbledore's situation is definitely getting worse and worse. As to another dramatic fight scene between him and Voldemort, I think we may be past that point. To TNT: An audiobook format for ASC? Interesting. I feel like you can do this already, but I may be wrong. Go ahead, just please send me a copy of the link.

My posting schedule: Weekly.

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!

---

CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-NINE:

The One Where Ginny's Only One Tiny Girl

Remus rubbed his tired eyes as he and Tonks stepped into their home after the meeting. The thought of his son being used as a poster boy that was essentially bait for Voldemort wasn't exactly something that he liked either. But he did have to agree, it seemed like the best plan.

His eyes followed his wife as she headed into the bedroom and he stood in the doorway, watching her as she undressed.

"Just going to watch, Mr Lupin?" she asked, sneaking an amused look over her shoulder at him.

Remus grinned. "You're breathtaking."

"Me? With bags under my eyes and dying of exhaustion? Oh, yes, I'm basically a princess."

"Hasn't stopped you from shagging my brains out every night this week," he said, making her laugh.

She stepped out of her knickers and turned to stand naked before him. "It helps me sleep."

"Oh? Is that the only reason then?"

"Obviously," she told him, climbing onto the bed. "Now come here and do your husbandly duty."

Remus chuckled as he moved into the bedroom. "Always so romantic."

Tonks smiled as she snuggled under the covers and stifled a yawn. "I can't believe Harry is really going to let the Ministry declare him The Chosen One. I think it's a good plan, but I'm still surprised."

"Me too," Remus admitted as he got undressed and climbed into the bed next to her. She snuggled into his embrace and he kissed the top of her head. "Using him as bait doesn't exactly make me feel good, but I agree. It will piss off Voldemort and maybe he'll finally make a mistake. Until he comes out into the open, we're just waiting."

"K thinks it won't be much longer," Tonks told him. "The little raids he's had us going on has actually pulled in a lot of intel. He's abrasive, but intelligent. I like the way he thinks."

"A man of mystery."

"A Knight of the Auror," she corrected. "Or so the rumour goes."

Remus chuckled. "Well, we can't always trust rumours."

She nodded, turning her head to kiss his chest. "Yes, but I think this one might be true." She rolled her body onto his and kissed his chin. "But we can talk about that later. Sex now."

"Greedy," Remus teased, his hands sliding down to cup her bum.

"Would you rather sleep?"

Remus nipped at her mouth. "I definitely didn't say that."

Tonks laughed as he flipped her beneath him and his mouth met hers. Her hands slid down his lean back and he thought that he definitely didn't want to sleep just yet. He had much better plans for his wife; delicious plans that promised both of them would sleep like babies.

~ ASC ~

George wasn't sure what to think. It had been almost two weeks and yet Ginny seemed... fine. She was happy and healthy; her regular charming self in every way, except when it came to Harry. A mere mention of his name had her snarling and they hadn't even dared attempt to bring him anywhere near her, not again. Neither of them had seen the other since she'd attacked him on the Astronomy Tower. Instead, she threw herself into the last minute wedding preparations, helping Fleur and Molly with flowers and decorations, dress fittings, and table organization. But it worried George.

It worried all of the Weasley boys.

Bill had been released from St Mungo's after a week of procedures and much to his dismay, Molly insisted that he stay at the Burrow and Fleur agreed. Fleur refused to leave his side, but Bill was doing much better. The cuts were finally healing and despite the ugly red scars, they looked remarkably better than the bloody gashes they had been. As to his throat, his voice was still an awful croak and half of the time, he could only speak in short heart-breaking sentences, but he was speaking.

Despite the slow progress of his voice, Bill was moving up and about and doing what needed to be done for his upcoming wedding as well as having returned to work, despite both Fleur and Molly protesting this. He seemed content and George thought it was a good sign. He said as much to Charlie when he mirror-called him the night before to fill him in.

Charlie was returning to England next week and he would be staying for most of the summer to see his elder brother married. He was Best Man. Fred and George had been taking it in turns to fill him on what was happening while he was away. Charlie had wanted to return immediately, but Percy had talked him out of it. He was needed in Romania and Percy insisted that they could handle things at home.

Charlie reluctantly agreed as he very busy on the reserve. He was in the middle of training agents to work in the Wing Guards. They had a magizoologist who worked closely with Thunderbirds, three dragonologists to assist with dragons, and two wizards who were skilled with Thestrals. Charlie requested Hagrid to lead the Thestral training unit in England and his friend had been incredibly touched. Things were coming along. He didn't want to leave in the middle of crucial training as the witches and wizards he was training, would be leading units in the Wing Guards themselves.

Percy had mentioned that the Ministry had even finally recruited a new ally. The Merpeople had officially come forward and signed an alliance. After seeing the Inferi rise from the sea, the Merpeople had been furious. Some of the dead had come up from their own kingdoms and villages, buried in shipwrecks. When they returned to the sea, the dead wreaked havoc and the Merpeople were forced to battle them back into submission below the water. Merchief Murcus from the Black Lake had agreed to call a meeting to discuss it.

Zee, despite still being on maternity leave, had attended a meet with Goldwin Oliphant as they met with Princess Sapphira from the Greek Islands, Lir from the Black Lake, Alya from the Maldives, and Chief Caulder with his advisor Caspian from Marseilles. They met on the shores of the English Channel and they signed an alliance.

The Merpeople were officially part of the Aqua Protectors and in alliance with the Ministry of Magic. It brought them one step closer than they were before and George knew how important that was to both the Ministry and to the new world that they were building.

Now, his family was here in his new home on Carysfort Road. He and Angelina had received the keys a few days ago and today they were finally moving in. With the help of his brothers, his parents, and Angelina's parents, it had only taken two hours to move everything inside. Organizing everything was going to be a task and a half, but he knew that he and Angelina were looking forward to diving in together.

They'd bid their parents thanks and sent them off, but his brothers and sister had remained. Angelina kissed his cheek and she, Fleur, and Ginny headed off to organize the kitchen, leaving them alone on the back patio. Bill had poured them all whiskey as the sun set.

"This is a nice place, George," Percy said, toasting him with his glass. "It's big."

"I know," George admitted, looking up at the house. "Four bedrooms seems like a lot, but it's really just two extra if you take away our room and then Fred's."

Fred rolled his eyes. "I'm not actually moving in with you, George."

George chuckled. "You'll still always have a room."

His twin gave him a sheepish look and George knew he appreciated it.

"It's perfect for us," George said. "I can see us making a home here and one day, a family."

"Ready to start popping out kids?" Fred exclaimed. "Already?"

George sipped his whiskey. "No, but one day, maybe."

Percy tapped his fingers on his glass, his eyes on Ginny laughing through the window. "We need to do something about her."

"We know that Harry is researching it and Dad said that Slughorn is doing what he can to put the pieces of his memory together, but bloodlust potions are incredibly tricky," Fred said.

"Why though?" Ron asked, sipping his own whiskey. "If we have an antidote potion, why won't it work?"

"'Cause bloodlust potions… are designed genewee… gen-a-lee but then also in-inda-inda-vis-u-lie," Bill said slowly with a deep frown on his face, his syllables broken and his sounds pronounced not quite right. "We haff to get the… ani-anti-dote just wight… or we can sev-wee alter G-G-Ginny's pers-pers-al-ality or worse… kill her."

Ron frowned, watching his eldest brother take a drink of the whiskey to soothe his raw throat. "How can a potion alter someone's chemistry like that? Ginny loves Harry. We all know it. She would do anything for him."

Fred nodded. "That's why it's so potent, Ron. It's made her forget that! Hell, it's altered half her bloody memories where Harry's concerned. Frankly, I think that we should be just as concerned about her claiming to be in love with Corner, that's an issue that we need to discuss. One of these days, she's going to actually get a letter out to him, and then what?"

"I already wrote to him," Ron said. "I explained that if he received any letters from Ginny, it's a spell and that she's confused. He told me that he would let me know."

Fred looked impressed by this. "Wow, look at you, little Ronnie all grown up."

"Shut it," Ron grumbled as Fred reached over to ruffle his hair. "Oi!"

Fred made a grab for his hair again and Ron's fist shot out, hitting his arm away.

"Honestly!" Percy exclaimed, shoving the two of them apart.

"Has anyone ever overcome the effects of a bloodlust potion?" George asked, ignoring the antics of two of his brothers.

Bill shook his head. "No. Not wiff-out… an ant-antidote."

"What aren't you saying?" Percy asked.

Bill brought his whiskey to his lips. The sound of his voice with the broken syllables was hard to hear, but they all knew how important it was for him to speak. He spoke very slowly, his brows furrowed as though he were concentrating on a rather difficult potion recipe. "Nine times… out of ten, the blood-bloodlust potion boils… inside of the… soul and... m-m-melts the soul away if left… un-unchecked." The last word came out in a strangled whisper and he coughed.

Fred paled. "Are you saying that she's going to lose her soul?"

Bill nodded. "Not today or t-t-tomorrow, but a… bloodlust p-p-potion is des-des-igned to kill wiff-in thw-thwee months… of being admin-administered. The only time the p-p-person has been c-c-cured is… after they've k-k-killed… the one the potion bids them to. Then they awe f-f-forced to w-w-wake and see what they've d-d-done. Usually it w-w-wesults in them taking… their own life in… sh-sh-shame."

He coughed again, rubbing a hand over his throat before he drank the whiskey.

George knocked his own whiskey back. "We're not going to let that bloody happen!"

"No, we're not," Percy agreed. "We have a couple ideas that were working on and Remus told us that Harry is going over his grandfather's journals and hoping to speak to the portrait of his grandfather? I wasn't clear on the why of that."

"His grandfather is Fleamont Potter, Perce," Ron said. "He has a portrait and Harry's been trying to get him to talk, but I guess the portrait's been empty. He doesn't know where he vanished to so, he's going over his journals. Slughorn is doing what he can. Hermione's been communicating with him and going over the ingredients that she and Goldstein discovered the night the potion was administered. They have most of them and Slughorn does remember most of the ingredients he used, but he thinks the Death Eaters added things when he wasn't looking. His memories are still foggy due to the Imperius and he doesn't fully trust his own judgement when it comes to the potion."

"Flitwick and McGonagall are helping him revisit his memory of that night," Percy told them. "McGonagall's doing much better and back on her feet, though I heard that she's using a cane."

"Two stunners back to back to the chest," Fred said, letting out a whistle. "It would take down a centaur."

"McGonagall's always been made of sterner stuff," George agreed.

Ginny's laughter floated through the open window and Ron took a drink.

"She's so happy. Merlin, it's like nothing even happened!"

Bill coughed again. "It won't… last."

Percy nodded. "Eventually the bloodlust potion will drive her towards finding Harry and hurting him. Keeping her away from him will only last for so long."

"What if we try it a different way then?"

Everyone turned to look at Ron and he put his glass down.

"We've said it more than once. Harry and Ginny have this strong connection, even before they were together they had it. When Harry was doused with that love potion, Ginny broke him out of it every time before he was re-doused by Vane's candies. If all of us are there to help contain her, maybe he can get through to her just by being… well, them."

"That's incredibly dangerous, Ron," Percy said, sternly. "Like Bill said, if Ginny's bloodlust gets too high, it will overcome her and she'll burn through that rage faster than three months. It's not a risk that I'm willing to take."

George bit his bottom lip. "I'm not either, Perce, but Ron has a point. Those two do have a connection. We can try it, for say five or ten minutes, just to see if anything happens. If it's a bust, we won't try it again."

Bill hesitated. "We can… try… t-t-ten minutes… no m-more."

Percy's eyes widened. "Bill, if it increases her anger and makes the bloodlust rage through her, is it worth the risk?"

Ron glared at his brother. "I can tell you that if either Harry or Ginny were here right now, they would both say yes. If Ginny was in her right mind, she would want us to let Harry get through to her and you know it!"

Percy promptly closed his mouth before he nodded. "Okay."

"When should we do it?" Ron asked. "I can get Harry. I think bringing him to Ginny is a better decision."

George nodded. "To the Burrow, I think. We can bring him out to the orchard where there's lot of space."

"I'll get G-G-Ginny," Bill croaked. "Tomowow?"

Percy nodded. "Tomorrow."

"Shouldn't we wait until Charlie gets here on Friday?" Fred asked, looking between his brothers. "We'll make a united front for her."

"I think between the five of us we can contain Ginny," Ron said with a chuckle. "She's just one tiny girl."

Fred lifted an eyebrow. "I'll put that on your tombstone as your infamous last words."

Ron rolled his eyes as they all clinked their glasses again and drank. It was a step they all needed to take, for Harry, of course, they considered him a brother, but also for their sister. Weasleys stick together, he thought, and they protect their own.

Even when it was from themselves.

~ ASC ~

Bill sat on the sofa in the living room of his own home, relief coursing through him. The last few days at the Burrow, he felt like everyone was treating him with kid gloves. It had taken some convincing, but after helping George and Angelina move into their new home, he was in his own home, and he was thankful for that. He rubbed his fingers over his throat, making a small 'er' sound. The croak made him close his eyes.

He hated the sound of his own voice.

It was so weak and… pathetic sounding. The stutters, the mispronounced words, the croaking… He missed the smooth baritone, the tenor that charmed women of all ages. He missed being able to talk without it hurting.

Fleur sat next to him, her hand gripping his. "Do you need me to make you some tea?"

He shook his head and kissed her fingers. "No. I'm o-kay."

Fleur smiled. "It will get better, Bill. Ze healer said zat it will take many months before your voice will be 'ealed."

Bill nodded. He knew that. He knew that it would take months and he knew that even though his voice would finally heal, it would never heal completely. The crushing of his larynx had almost killed him and despite the procedures the healers had performed, he would never be at one hundred percent. But if he worked hard, he would get pretty damn close. Until then, he had to listen to the awful sounds that emerged from his throat when he attempted to speak.

Fleur rested her head on his shoulder as she played with the rose gold engagement ring on her finger. The sight of it made him pause. He hadn't asked her, not since the hospital, and it was eating at him now that he could see the long road he was going to be on. The slow road with his voice, the ugly scars that marked him. He turned to kiss the top of her head before he spoke.

"Fleur... be hon-honest… I l-loo-look… bad. I sou-sound bad…"

Fleur sat up, turning to look into his eyes. She gently traced her fingertips over the healing cuts, following them from the top down to his shoulder. They didn't hurt any longer, but Bill still wanted to flinch from her touching him. They were ugly and they marked his face in a way that made him not recognize himself in the mirror. He had always appreciated his looks. He had never considered himself vain before, but now when he saw his own reflection, he couldn't help but be horrified by the face he saw in the mirror. What woman would want to look into that face every day? It wasn't fair to Fleur when he could barely look at himself.

Fleur continued to trace the marks, her fingers slipping under his shirt to follow the lines to his shoulder as she spoke. "You 'ave ze most beautiful eyes, so blue, and this long lovely nose, these very talented lips, non?" The last bit made him smile. "You are very handsome. Zeeze marks will fade over time and not be so obvious, but you will always have zem to show how brave you are."

"They're ug-l-lee."

"Oui," she said in a matter of fact sort of way that he always appreciated about her. "But over time, zey shall fade. Your bravery will not. I did not fall in love with only your looks, Bill Weasley."

Bill growled in frustration, his eyes screwing shut as he focused on his sounds. "I ca… can't talk no-nomally. No-ma…"

Fleur touched the side of his face, her knuckles brushing lovingly along his jaw. He opened his eyes to stare at her gorgeous face. She deserved so much better than him… a man horribly scarred and unable to even talk.

"Shh, mon chéri, zee Healers will help you talk normally again soon, oui? Zey will teach out how to move your lips like this to form your sounds." Fleur pressed her o-shaped lips onto the pulse point below his ear, causing him to moan. "Zey will teach you how to position your tongue." Fleur drew her tongue along his neck, causing him to crane out to give her more access. "Zee will teach you how close to put your teeth together." Fleur nipped at his earlobe, sending shivers down his spine. "You will learn how to speak correctly again in no time. Just a little practice and motivation. I make great motivation. You helped me with my English, now I help you with yours." Fleur pulled back, her fingers tickling his throat.

"Not just sp-speech."

"Zee scars? Zey are very sexy. Zey show ze world zat you are brave, noble, kind, compassionate, amazing. Zey make me love you even more." Fleur traced a scar that ran from his chin to his ear, her bottom lip secure between her teeth. "You are handsome. Ze perfect man. A few scars will never change zat."

Bill stared at her for a moment. "I d-d-don't w-w-want you to w-w-wake up next to me one day and... wee-weg-wee-get it."

Fleur traced the cuts again gently. "Zis will never happen. I will never regret it. Your scars show me you are brave and zat ze man I chose is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. It makes me only more proud to be your wife zen before. I want you very much. Always."

Then she kissed him as if she needed his lips more than anything else. The kiss was hard, her lips moving over his as if she still couldn't believe he was before her and when she finally pulled away, she kissed the tip of his long nose. Then she slid down to kneel before him. His fingers moved into her hair as she unzipped his trousers.

"Fleur..."

"You are exactly ze man I want," she said as she unwrapped him. Then with her eyes on his, she lowered her mouth and kissed him.

He let out a small sigh.

"You want me to do zis, oui?"

Bill could only nod.

She kissed him there again and again, teasing him with soft kisses as he hardened under her touch until she opened her mouth and brought him inside. He groaned and her eyes met his. She slowly slid her lips off of him and kissed the tip of him.

"Oui?"

"Oui," he whispered, his fingers tightening on her hair. "Come up… here."

Fleur shook her head. "Non, you are still tender and must rest!"

"I'm w-wested," he croaked.

She smiled. "You must rest more so zat when I straddle zat mouth of yours, I will not hurt your face."

Bill licked his lips at the image of her riding his face. "I'm w-wested. Get up here."

He pulled on her hair just hard enough to make her laugh, but instead of rising she took him in her mouth again.

And Bill thought he was definitely the luckiest bloke on the planet. When she finished him off with her mouth, he watched her swallow before she snuggled into his side, her cheek resting against his heart.

"Je t'aime, Bill."

"Je t'aime," he whispered back and for the first time since he'd woken in the hospital, he knew that as long as Fleur was by his side, everything was going to be all right.

~ ASC ~

"I need to get away."

Remus looked up at his wife from his seat at the kitchen table that morning in alarm. "You need... what?"

"I need to get out of here. I need... I have to go."

A growl erupted from his throat before he realized it. "You... you're leaving me?"

Tonks spun around, her eyes wide. "Good heavens no!" She plopped herself down into his lap, linking her arms around his neck. "Why would you even think, you silly, daft man? No, but I do need to get out of here. Out of England. You and me, Remus. Let's go on a holiday, somewhere warm where we can do nothing but make love and drink wine and eat lots of food."

Remus buried his nose in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her. "A holiday? After everything that just... we're needed here, Dora."

Tonks pouted. "I know, but we deserve a few days, maybe a week, don't you think? With Dumbledore still missing and Slughorn's almost demise and Harry and Ginny... we just... I need a break, Remus. Between the intensity of Auror K and these little operations and finding new breaks and absolutely nothing new at the same time, it's a lot. Kingsley says that we need to be more vigilant and I just… I need a break and I feel like I might crack if I don't get one soon."

He looked into her grey eyes and he found himself nodding. He knew how much strength it took for her to admit that. They all needed a break. But his Nymphadora worked like mad. Between her long hours as an Auror, working as an Order member, and training with the Terra Troops, she did nothing outside of work and sleep. It was rare for her to crawl into bed before three and she was gone again by seven every day. He had spent more nights than he would care to admit tracing the dark circles under her eyes in worry for her. In the morning, she would use her Metamorphmagus abilities to hide them, but he knew exactly how exhausted she was.

"Zee and I talked about it last night. She's thinking the same for her and Harry. We just all need a break and we deserve one. They can keep going without us for a week, Remus, there are others. And if we don't take a break, if we all don't take one, she's worried that Harry might break."

Remus nodded. That he understood. Harry may have been healed from his own injuries, but he was not dealing well with the loss of Ginny. But until they got the antidote just right, he couldn't be anywhere near her for both of their safeties. It was eating at him and he was desperately trying to find the solution.

"Harry won't go anywhere until he knows Ginny is safe."

"Just you and me, Rem," she whispered. "Zee will take care of Harry, but this is just for you and me. Please."

Remus' fingers traced her eyebrows. "All right then, where do you want to go?"

Tonks' whole face lit up. "Really?"

Remus kissed her. "You're right, we need this. You and me."

Tonks framed his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, until he almost purred and then she pulled away, her eyes twinkling. "Anywhere, Mr Lupin. Take me anywhere. As long as I'm with you."

He cupped her small breasts in his hands. "I'll ask Harry if we can maybe use his place in Barbados, what do you think?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, that sounds perfect. Hot sun, warm water… in a few weeks though, after… after Ginny is cured and Dumbledore is found We can't leave before then…"

Remus kissed her forehead. They both knew that there was no real timeline on how long that was going to be. "Deal."

"Then we'll finally have time to use the things I bought."

His eyebrow rose. "What things?"

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Atwell and I did some shopping a few weeks ago when we were out in London. I bought a few new things, but the timing hasn't been right to use them."

"What sort of things?" he repeated.

Tonks leaned in to nip at his mouth. "Naughty things."

Remus let his eyes travel down her body provocatively before his gaze met hers. "I already planned on doing many naughty things to you, Nymphadora."

Tonks danced her fingers over his shoulders. "So do I. This will be even better."

Then she was standing up and heading into the kitchen and Remus was left wondering just what exactly his wife had in mind. They definitely needed to get to Barbados. He watched her grab her badge and her wand holster before she kissed his forehead and headed off to work.

He finished his tea and cleaned up the kitchen before he headed to Black Cottage to talk to Harry. He found his son lying on the couch in the living room, Padfoot sleeping on his legs, two babies sitting on his stomach. He bent down to kiss Harry's forehead.

"Are you trying to kip, too?"

Harry half-smiled. "No, can't sleep."

Remus nodded and took a seat on the couch across from him. "I know that you're concerned, but we will find the antidote to this potion. Ginny will remember what you mean to her, Harry."

Harry didn't look convinced.

"Where's Zee?"

"She went upstairs to take a shower. I said that I'd watch the twins," he told him.

"You're lucky that they're still in the snuggle stage or holding both of them would be a lot more difficult."

Harry grinned. "They do wiggle a lot more that's for sure. But I like holding them."

Remus understood that. The need for contact would be comforting. "Harry, I wanted to ask a favour."

Harry's eyebrow rose. "A favour?"

Remus nodded. "I know that you're worried about Ginny. We're all worried about her and about Dumbledore and none of us have heard from Snape since Nyx took his leg. There's a lot of balls up in the air. Bill is still recovering and his wedding is in a few weeks… it's not an ideal time for it, but Nymphadora asked for a holiday."

Harry stared at him. "A holiday?"

"She said that she needs it. She needs to get away."

Harry sat up, his arms holding the twins in place as he did so. "Away? Like out of England?"

"Yes. The fact that she asked… Merlin, Harry, she's been working herself to the bloody bone. She glamours it away, but the dark circles under her eyes and the hours she puts in… she's exhausted. Mentally and physically it's taking a toll on her. The fact that she asked to go away only goes to tell me how much she needs it. Nymphadora loves her job."

"Will King let her go?" Harry asked. "In the midst of all of this, I mean? He considers her one of the best."

Remus shrugged. "I think that he will. Attention is elsewhere with this Kane bloke and the new team and well… I don't know, but if he does, I want to take her out of England after it's all… I don't know when, but I was hoping that you'd let us use your home in Barbados when we do decide. Sirius and Zee spoke highly of it."

"Yeah, yeah, of course, go," Harry said, his eyes softening. "You're right. She deserves a break. So do you. I'll be fine."

Remus moved to sit next to his son, his arm coming around his shoulders. "I know you will be. I know how much this Ginny thing is eating at you, Harry and we're not going to leave right away. Not until after Bill's wedding at least, but we need this. Nymphadora will want to see this special operation through. Until news of Dumbledore is heard and we hopefully find him, safe and sound, and you have Ginny back, we won't be going anywhere."

Harry nodded.

Remus took Mina from his arms, snuggling the baby against him. Her grey eyes, so like her father's and her cousin's stared up at him. "Until then, you will be here with these incredible little babies who love and adore you. Don't you, Mina? Do you love your big brother?"

Mina's face broke out into a big smile and Remus kissed her chubby cheek.

"Yeah, yeah you do."

Harry smiled at her as Leo attempted to grab his glasses. "Uncle Rem… what if Ginny… what if even with the antidote, she still…"

"No," Remus said. "The two of you love each other too much, Harry. A love like that, it doesn't disappear. No matter what. You have to trust that no matter what happens you will find your way back to her."

Harry nodded, but didn't speak.

Remus stared at him a moment. "I know that we threw a lot at you last night at the meeting, but Vance was right. Voldemort chose to do this to you because he knew it would distract you. Harry, he knows that Dumbledore has been training you. He knows that you are working against him and he knows that you've become one of the leaders in this movement. You are the Chosen One and whether you like it or not, people are rallying behind you. He wanted to take Dumbledore, to get him out of the way and as much as we hope that he's safe, I don't think that Voldemort is offering him tea and biscuits in his dungeon. What better way to ensure that we don't find Dumbledore than to make sure that the very man Dumbledore trusts the most to take over the fight is distracted by trying to save the woman he loves?"

Harry's eyes met his. "The man Dumbledore trusts the most?"

"Yes," Remus replied. "I don't see anyone else getting special lessons from the man himself, Harry. Dumbledore trusts you. He trusts you to see this through and to make sure that Voldemort doesn't win. As we said, you're a worthy adversary and Voldemort has started to realize that."

Harry rubbed the dark stubble on his chin, his eyes on Leo's dark hair. "I have let it distract me, Uncle Rem, I have let him win this one."

"No, you haven't let him win, Harry. Your heart is just as important and you will see this through. You won't lose Ginny."

Harry let Leo play with the buttons on his shirt as the baby leaned in to maw on them. "My mum said something to me back when I… when I… died."

Remus' brow furrowed. "Lily?"

Harry nodded as he remembered how he'd found himself in Godric's Hollow; how he stumbled through the gate and found himself wrapped in his mother's arms. He knew that it had been real, even if it had felt more like a dream than reality. The feel of his father's arms around him, the way he'd smelt like broom polish and the forest and a little bit like teakwood. The way his mother had smelt like coconuts with a hint of vanilla… it had been real.

"We love you, Harry, and nothing would make us happier than for you to stay here with your mum and I, with your nan and your pop, to get the chance to be parents to you, finally — to get to know you, and to tell you all those things that we never got the chance to. If that's what you want to do, we will support you," James said. "But we don't want you here with us yet."

Harry's brow rose in confusion as Lily gripped his hands.

"We've seen the two paths that your life will take, Harry. Neither of them will be easy, but in both of them you will find love and in one of them, you defeat Voldemort."

"Only in one?"

Lily nodded, her green eyes so like his shining widely from her young face. "There is one option where he wins; where you let him win to save her, and the world suffers for it. But there is another option where you defeat him and the world is saved."

"Who is the girl?"

James grinned and tugged him closer. "We're not here to tell you your future, Harry. We don't know it. We don't know what path you will decide to take. We're only here to tell you to fight for it. Life is about choices: Some of them easy, some of them hard. But every one of them sets you on your path. Walk that path, Harry. Live the life that you were meant for, the life that you want to live."

Harry stared at them. "But… if I choose… I won't get to stay here with you anymore?"

Lily kissed his cheek. "No, my darling. But we will always be right here," she said, placing her fingers over his heart. "We will always be watching over you and loving you with every breath you take. You are, and always have been, our entire world. We love you so much, my baby, my Harry James."

He shook the memory from his head, his eyes on Remus. "Mum said that they'd seen my future; that they knew what path I was destined to take."

Remus frowned. "You didn't tell us this before?"

Harry shook his head. "I didn't really… I don't know, it seemed like some strange cryptic dream that didn't make sense, but now…"

"What exactly did Lily tell you, Harry?" Remus asked.

"She told me that they could see the two paths I would be forced to choose and that in one of them I would defeat Voldemort, but in the other I would let him win to save her."

Remus' expression looked pensive.

"Is this… am I letting him win by allowing him to distract me like this? By trying to save Ginny, am I letting him win?"

"I don't know," Remus admitted. "Harry, I can't begin to imagine what Lily meant by those words. Hell, I don't even know if she knew what she meant by them. But this… this can't be it. You won't lose Ginny to this potion. I know you and I believe in you. You have too many great friends who are willing to do everything that they can to help you. Ginny will fight this and so will you."

"And Voldemort? Will I let him win to save her?"

Remus stared at him for a long a moment. "That will ultimately be up to you, Harry. But remember, even if what Lily told you was true, that was almost three years ago and the choices you've made between then and now could have set you on a completely different path than the one you were on then. Fate is fickle and one should never trust that our choices don't influence our fate."

Harry only nodded.

"Now, I know that you've been spending a lot of time working out," Remus began.

Harry shrugged. "I want to be strong, Uncle Rem. I want… I won't let my guard down."

Remus' whiskey eyes met his. "Then you won't. And you are strong. You're in great shape, Harry, but don't burn yourself out either, okay? You'll only stay strong if you add sleep and food to that exercise regiment, understood?"

"And here I was thinking my abs spoke for themselves," Harry said.

Remus smirked. "Okay, Sirius."

"Okay, hey, I'm not that bad," Harry said. "But I will admit, the work-out I instigated for Quidditch team has done wonders for my team and for me."

"Yes, it has," Remus agreed. "You really are James' son in that regard. But again, those abs won't stay tight if you don't add a well balanced diet and a good night's sleep to the equation. Promise me that you will take care better of yourself."

Harry hesitated. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I need… I need to read Pop's journals and to find answers."

"Which you will do," Remus assured him. "And you'll work better when you get some sleep."

Harry nodded. "I promise to try."

Remus passed him back Mina and stood up, kissing the top of Harry's head. "I can't ask for more than that. I have to head to Hogwarts to help Flitwick deal with a few things. Hagrid has been taking care of Fawkes at Hogwarts. He's still a baby phoenix, but growing every day. We don't know if that means anything in terms of Dumbledore, but we want to keep an eye on him until we know. Do you need anything from me before I go?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I'm okay. You and Tonks should go on that holiday, Uncle Rem. I'm fine, honest."

Remus gave him an amused look. "If you think that we're going to take off in the midst of all this, you've gone mad. When Ginny's safe and Dumbledore's found, we'll talk about it."

Remus squeezed his shoulder before he said goodbye. Harry watched him go, his thoughts on what Remus had said. Had he made a choice since then that had altered his path? Or was he on the same path as before? Was this the path where he found and lost love or the one where he found it and fought to keep it above all else, letting Voldemort win. Or was Remus right and had his choices veered him off onto a different path, one that changed the outcome entirely? Just thinking about it made his head hurt. As much as he wanted to know the answer, he knew that it was better if he didn't.

He carefully adjusted the babies on his lap and he looked down into their happy little faces. "I won't lose Ginny to him and I won't let him win. I promise that you two will have a good world to grow up in. No matter what, I can promise you that."

Mina and Leo just cooed at him in response.

The mirror vibrated on the table next to him and he carefully reached over to answer it, the sight of Ron's freckled face making his heart race.

"Ron, hey. Is Ginny okay?"

Ron nodded, his eyes sad. "Yeah, no change, Harry."

Harry's face fell before he caught himself. "Sorry, I just… how are you?"

Ron gave him a sympathetic look as he scratched his long nose. "I'm fine. Listen, we were talking last night after we moved George and Angelina into their new place and we want to try something."

Harry's eyebrow rose. "Try what?"

"Try to see if you can get through to Ginny. Will you come to the Burrow this afternoon around two?"

"Try to… did something happen? Does she want to see me?"

Ron shook his head, sadly. "No, mate. She still hates you and wants you dead. But we want to see if this works. You two have always had this connection. Remember when you were under the love potion, she broke you out of it? Then with the Veela, Ginny stopped you from being entranced by them? I think that if given the chance, maybe you two are stronger together than the potion is over her."

Harry's heart raced as he stared at his friend. "You think?"

Ron shrugged. "It's something that we're willing to try. We've agreed to no more than ten minutes, Harry. After that ten minutes, you'll have to go, for both of your sakes."

Harry nodded, eagerly. Ten minutes, he would take it. He would take any opportunity to see her, to try to get her to remember how much he loved her. It was worth it.

"I'll be there," he told him and when the mirror went blank in his hand, Harry felt the first real surge of hope. Then a foul smell invaded his nose and he winced.

"Ah, bloody hell, which one of you imploded?"

Leo and Mina only stared at him and he stood up carefully, holding them both in his arms as he did, and called out for Zee. He knew from experience that diving into their nappies without help was a dangerous task and one that he wasn't quite up to the challenge of doing alone just yet. He wondered what Ginny would think of his nappy changing skills and the pang returned to his chest.

He was going to see her in a few hours, he remembered, and the hope returned and made him smile for the first time in weeks.

~ ASC ~

When Tonks arrived at the Ministry that morning, it was to find Higgins waiting for her in the front entranceway with a cup of coffee for her.

"Thanks," she said, accepting the cup. "Is something going on?"

He shook his head. "Results are supposed to be up at nine this morning."

"Ah," Tonks said.

She was ashamed to say that she had forgotten about his A3 test. With Dumbledore having gone missing and Ginny being given the bloodlust potion and Snape disappearing and her parents removing Dark marks… she'd clearly had other things on her plate. The results would be sent out to the Kingsley today at nine and he would be letting his new recruits know who had passed and who had failed.

"Are you nervous?"

Higgins shot her a look. "I felt like I did awesome, Lupin! I left there, flying high and ever since, I've become increasingly more sure that I failed."

Tonks chuckled. "I can relate to that. That's just your imagination playing tricks on you. Look, Rex, I think that you're a brilliant Auror. You're a great partner and I will always trust you to have my back. Whether you pass or fail today, I know that you're already a great Auror."

He nodded, shooting her a grateful look.

They headed to the lifts and into the bullpen as Robards declared a meeting in the conference room. Kane stood at the front of the room, his hands behind his back.

"The latest interrogations have told us that plans are moving along. Voldemort has a plan for the Ministry of Magic and I think that we can all agree that if Dumbledore is eliminated, that plan will be moved into action. Teams will be prepped and sent out investigate known werewolf safe houses as well as vampire nests. I want anyone brought in who you think might know something. Not everyone is kissing this wizard's feet and I want to know who the weak links are. Robards will be assigning teams."

Tonks yawned as she moved towards Robards when her name was called. His eyes fell on her when she yawned.

"What time did you leave here yesterday, Lupin?"

Atwell snorted, stifling her own yawn. "Robards, you must be jesting? We didn't get out of here until almost three this morning."

His eyes narrowed as he looked at his exhausted team. "I'll coordinate officers to start searching the towns near the Giant's Causeway. Atwell, Lupin, Baxter, and Higgins, you four are homebound for seventy-two."

"What?" Atwell exclaimed. "Gawain, we just got here!"

Kane stood in front of her. "And you're clearly tired if you were all here until three. We will not use Aurors who aren't at their best. How many hours have you four put in since the attack on the causeway?"

Savage cleared his throat. "I pulled an eighty-six hour week myself with Maverick and I can tell you, Lupin and Atwell were here later and earlier than both of us."

Kane's eyes narrowed. "All six of you, seventy-two off. I don't want to see any of you beforehand."

"But, Sir, we're here and ready to work," Lupin protested.

"Seventy-two off, Lupin. That's an order. I don't want to see any of you before Monday morning's debriefing. You're all dismissed."

The door to the conference room slammed behind him as they all looked around at each other.

Robards held his hand up. "I agree with Kane. We've been putting too much on you six since we started this op. I'll have officers canvas around and anyone we bring in, King, Kane, and I will interrogate. I won't have my top Aurors collapsing due to exhaustion. You'll all be on paid leave. Go home. We'll see you on Monday morning."

Tonks went back to her desk as she let out slow breath. As annoyed as she was, being sent home this way, she was relieved. She had just told her husband how badly she needed a break and now she was actually getting one. She shuffled a few folders around, things that she knew she would need to give attention to when she returned just as Kingsley headed towards her.

"Before you go, this is for you. I think you should be the one to tell him the news," he said, passing her an envelope.

Tonks stared at it for a moment and when she saw Kingsley turn and give Atwell the same envelope, she grinned. She tucked her wand into her holster before she opened the envelope and the badge fell out into her hand. She looked up in time to see her partner grab his lunch bag and hurry towards the lifts. She quickened her pace to catch up with him.

"Hey, a three day holiday is kind of a nice surprise, don't you think?"

Higgins nodded. "I could use it, if I'm honest. I feel like I've been running on coffee fumes. You know this morning I put my trousers on backwards. Twice."

Tonks chuckled. "I forgot my trousers entirely yesterday and it was only when I went to holster my wand that I even realized I wasn't dressed. I guess Kane knows what he's talking about. We did put it in over ninety-six hours in this week."

"It's only Friday morning," Higgins said.

"Yes, and we worked through the weekend," Tonks told him. "I could definitely use the break. I think I could sleep for a week."

"Me too," he admitted. "But I was hoping that I would get some news today, you know? I mean, the day I'm supposed to get my results and they send me on a mandatory three day leave? Baxter was looking forward to his results as well."

Tonks nodded. "I know. The waiting is always the hardest. But listen, Monday morning, we'll go straight to King and find out exactly where he wants his newest A3 to take over on the interrogations, okay?"

Higgins blinked. "His newest… what?"

Tonks pulled the A3 badge from her back pocket and held it out to him. The bronze star-shaped badge with the Ministry of Magic emblem rising over the top of the star had a Roman numeral three imposed over the top of the emblem. In the centre of the badge were two crossed wands with a sword between them and around the circle were the three words that Aurors lived by: Honoris, Praesidium, Veritas. At the bottom, were the Roman numerals of his badge number.

"I… I passed?" he asked in amazement.

Tonks carefully pinned the badge to his cloak, a smile on her face. "I knew you would. Rexford Higgins, Auror Class Three. Congratulations."

He beamed at her before he hugged her tightly. "This is the best day of my life!"

Tonks chuckled. "Go home. Celebrate with your girl and I'll see you Monday morning."

Higgins hugged her again before he hurried off, calling the name of Eric Baxter as he did. An arm linked through hers and she turned to smile at Natalie Atwell.

"Our boys did it."

Atwell grinned. "We taught them well. Though I don't know about you, but it makes me feel as old as hell."

"You're twenty-six," Tonks said with a laugh.

Atwell shrugged. "And their twenty-one and twenty-two. Newly appointed A3s, we did well."

Tonks agreed with her on that. "I told King that I want to keep Higgins on as my partner. He has a sharp mind and we work well together. Are you keeping Baxter?"

"For now," Atwell told her. "As much as I like working with him, I do rather like training."

"Arnett was never much of a trainer," Tonks said. "I learned more from you, Savage, and Proudfoot."

Atwell nodded. "Aww, I'm touched."

She steered Tonks into one of the lifts as they headed down. "So, seventy-two hours to get some rest, are you going to sleep or shag that husband of yours?"

Tonks bit her bottom lip. "Maybe a little of both."

Atwell chuckled. "Have you used it yet?"

"No," Tonks told her. "There's been too much going on, but maybe… tonight."

Atwell grinned. "Let me know how it goes. Me, I'm going to go sleep for a few hours and then I'm going to drag Sully into bed and shag his brains out until the early hours of Monday morning."

"How is Sully?"

"Still sexy as sin," Atwell told her. "I might borrow a pair of his suspenders, fasten them to my knickers and see what kind of fun I can make of it."

Tonks snuck a look at her friend as they headed into the main entrance of the Ministry. "Sounds like an eventful weekend."

"Oh, it will be," Atwell said with a smile. "Especially with that long tongue of his."

"Have you told him that you're madly in love with him yet?"

Atwell blushed. "All in good time, Lupin. Have a great weekend."

Tonks bid her goodbye and waved to the security guard before she Disapparated back to Wrexham. The house was quiet when she let herself inside and she knew that Remus would be at Hogwarts all day helping Flitwick. She left her shoes at the door, hanging up her holster and badge before she made her way into the bedroom.

It made her smile to see that her husband had made the bed. She never saw the need for it when they were merely going to climb right back into it, but every morning, without fail, Remus took the time to smooth out the sheets and fluff the pillows. She had to admit, it was rather lovely to climb into the freshly made bed.

Thinking about Atwell's words and her plans for her Muggle accountant, she opened the bottom drawer of her wardrobe and rifled through her knickers until she found what she was looking for. She bit her bottom lip as she inspected it carefully. Then with a wicked smile, she took it with her into the bathroom.

Remus was in for one hell of a surprise when he got home.

~ ASC ~

Harry's palms were sweating as he followed Ron out into the orchard of the Burrow that afternoon. He knew his best mate had told him over and over again that they didn't think that this was going to work, but he didn't care. He was desperate to try anything. Ron explained how it had been his idea to attempt it just because he always saw how strong of a connection the two of them had. He told Harry how he had convinced his brothers by using the love potion as an example.

Harry had only partially been listening. The thought of getting to see Ginny was enough for him. It had been over two weeks since he'd had any form of contact with her. He hadn't seen her or spoken to her since that moment on the top of the Astronomy Tower when she'd tried to kill him. But he did speak to Ron or Fred or George every single day and every day they told him it was best that he stayed away. Being told to come to the Burrow for any form of experiment was one that he had no intention of passing up.

Ron explained the dangers of exposing Ginny to him and how Bill was worried that it could set her back which was why they were only granting him no more than ten minutes just to see how she reacted. Harry didn't care if they granted him two minutes, he had to see her.

The moment Bill brought her into the shelter of trees, his heart ached. He fought the urge to run towards her and scoop her up into his arms. Instead, he stood next to Ron, his green eyes on her as she walked alongside her eldest brother, a smile on her face. Her long red hair tumbled over her shoulders, blowing in the wind. The same wind gave him a whiff of her lovely flowery scent and he just inhaled it, missing her more than he could put into words. Bill brought her into the orchard, standing between Fred and George and Harry took a step towards her.

Ron gripped his shoulder. "Wait."

Harry didn't have to wait. The moment he had started towards her, those chocolate brown eyes had zeroed in on him. The laughter died on her face and those brown eyes turned almost black as Fred and George each gripped her arm to hold her in place. When they nodded towards him, he took another step forward.

The closer he got, the more Ginny seemed to be fighting her brothers. She was snarling like an animal as she fought against them, eyes on him. He swallowed before he spoke.

"Hold her still. Please."

Bill grabbed her from behind to help hold her as Fred and George each grabbed an arm and Harry, not really sure what he planned on, took another step in her direction. Once he stood in front of her, he carefully grabbed her face in his hands. The feel of that soft skin under his hands made his heart ache. He let his thumb gently caress her cheek as he kept his eyes on her, not letting go. He ignored the struggle she was putting up as Fred, George, and Bill all held her still and he bent his head to place his mouth over hers.

He noticed the difference immediately.

Ginny didn't taste the same. It was like kissing chalk. The sweetness that he loved, the softness of that mouth… it was gone. He attempted to deepen the kiss, pressing his lips harder against hers, trying to make her remember. For a second he thought that it had as her lips parted under his. Her tongue met his and he shivered at the familiarity of it before her teeth ripped into his bottom lip.

Harry hissed in pain as he pulled away, blood dripping down his chin and Ginny fought against her brothers, her own lips covered in his blood. She growled, snarling at him as she attempted to break free.

"It was a bad idea," Bill said, pulling Ginny back.

Harry only nodded and turned to leave.

"Harry?"

The sound of Ginny's timid voice had him turning.

"Ginny?" he whispered.

"Harry... something's wrong, Harry. Harry… Harry, don't go, Harry!"

He made to move towards her again, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Gin, I'm here. I'm right here."

Then those eyes darkened again and her teeth clamped into his hand. He howled as he jumped back, shaking blood off his hand as he did.

"Harry, you have to go!" Ron demanded.

"Let me at him!" Ginny exclaimed. "Potter, you deserve to die! Let go of me, Ron!"

Percy dropped an arm around Harry's shoulders as he steered him away from Ginny. "Come on, let's go."

"She recognized me for a second. Didn't she?" he asked, hopefully, trying to ignore Ginny's shouts for his demise in the background.

"I don't know," Percy told him. "But our Ginny's still in there, she is, and we're going to get her back."

Harry wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand, smearing the blood from his hand as he did so. "What if we don't?"

Percy squeezed Harry's shoulder as they stepped into the Burrow. "Keep working on that antidote, Harry."

Then he pushed him into the fireplace and passed him the container of Floo powder. Harry stared at him a moment, his lip still bleeding, before he took a pinch of powder and disappeared from the Burrow living room, feeling even more helpless than before.

~ ASC ~

Hermione had spent the last two weeks studying everything that she could find on creating an antidote. Antidotes were fickle and as she learned from her many failed attempts over the last two weeks, harder than they looked. She'd gone over every possible variation of the ingredients that she and Anthony had recorded, but she knew that she was still missing something. The problem was that she didn't know what.

She Apparated to Hogsmeade and made her way up to Hogwarts. It was the third day in a row that she'd come to the school hoping to find something to help her in Hogwarts' massive library. Hagrid let her in and despite Madam Pince's evil eye, she immediately began to search the stacks, trying to find something to help. Everything she did manage to find on bloodlust potions was recorded in books so ancient that half of them were in Latin.

Hermione was doing her best to try to find something. She was positive that if she found the right string of ingredients, she could brew an antidote for Ginny. Ron kept her updated on his sister and it worried her how normal Ginny was acting. It seemed like she really had forgotten about Harry and since she knew how that was affecting Harry, it was heartbreaking to witness.

Ron had called to tell her about their experiment that afternoon. He told her how they had held Ginny as Harry had tried to get her to see him. He'd kissed her and she'd bitten him.

"But I think that she did recognize him, Mione," Ron said. "When he stepped away, she called him Harry, not Potter, and she… she said something was wrong and her voice was scared and almost timid sounding. She's fighting it!"

Hermione frowned, her eyes on her boyfriend in the mirror. "Timid?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah."

"Ron, when have you ever heard Ginny being timid?"

Ron's brows knit together. "Er…"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I think it was the potion. It wants her to hurt Harry. I think that means it will force her to do so in any way possible and that… it was pure manipulation. You said that when he moved close to her a second time, she immediately became hostile again?"

"Yeah, she… bloody hell, she ruddy well played us!"

"No, the potion did," Hermione said, sadly. "It's manipulating her into doing anything possible to hurt Harry."

"I thought that it was a good idea," Ron muttered. "All I could think about was how you said Harry recognized Ginny through the love potion and how she broke him out of it. I thought maybe if she saw him, it would… it was stupid."

"No," Hermione insisted. "It wasn't stupid at all. We have to try everything that we can."

"How are you doing? Are you still in full research mode?"

"As much as I can be," she admitted. "Flitwick is letting me go back to Hogwarts today to keep looking through the books. I'm hoping that I can find something with a similar list of ingredients. Goldstein wrote to me yesterday as well and he said that he thinks he might have figured out the exact amount of bloodflowers that were used, which is a good sign."

"Um, when did we let Goldstein into the group?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He wants to help, Ron. He was there when everything happened and he's an intelligent wizard."

Ron scowled. "Doesn't mean that he has to hang around you all the time."

"He's hardly hanging around me all of the time. He sent me two letters with his own thoughts on the ingredients."

"Two letters!"

"Ron, you do know that Tony is madly in love with Mandy Brocklehurst, right?"

"Tony? Hermione, that's a little too close for comfort to have you call him bloody Tony!"

"That's what his friends call him!"

Ron spoke very slowly and very loudly. "Since when is Goldstein our friend?"

"How about since he blocked a spell aimed at your girlfriend during the attack on Hogwarts and then stayed up all night with me to try to research the bloodlust potion?"

Ron scowled. "I'm still not calling him Tony."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Do you always have to complain about something?"

"Do you always have to be right?" At her look, he sighed. "I just miss you. I wish I was with you right now. Hell, I'd even help you research."

"I miss you, too," Hermione admitted. "But Ginny needs you more right now."

He nodded. "I know. What have your parents said about everything? Any change?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. They have been trying to convince me that I shouldn't return in September. They're worried with Dumbledore missing and the Death Eaters getting into the school that things are only going to escalate. When I told them that I agreed with them and that it was part of the reason why I thought they should take a sabbatical, I got the lecture again. They say that they won't run away unless I go with them."

"Dad said that there was another family that went missing yesterday," Ron said quietly. "A girl who was supposed to be starting at Hogwarts this year. She was Muggleborn. They were all killed."

Hermione brushed her bushy hair behind her ear. She didn't want to admit how much that kind of news worried her. "I have to go, Ron. I told Hagrid that I would be at Hogwarts by four. I want to go through as many of those books as quickly as I can."

Ron's blue eyes stared into hers through the mirror. "Okay. Call me later. I love you."

Her eyes softened. "I love you, too."

She knew that Ron was worried about her and she was worried about her parents. The attack on Muggleborns and their families was definitely escalating and it was foolish of her not to think that she could be next. She was the best friend of Harry Potter and it was dangerous for her. But convincing her parents that they needed to get out of the country for an unscheduled amount of time was proving near impossible to achieve. She rubbed her fingers over her tired eyes and tried not to think about the conversation with Ron.

She looked back down at the books around her. She couldn't let those thoughts creep up on her again, she would deal with that later, right now, she needed to look into this.

She lost track of time, not noticing that the lamps lit up as darkness spread. The library was quiet and abandoned and she never heard Madam Pince leave for the night. When the clock struck midnight, it was only another sound that she heard and ignored as she deciphered the Latin.

She was hunched over the desk, trying to make sense of the complicated verses describing varying degrees of curses that came out of a bloodlust potion when a doe Patronus appeared in front of her. She blinked for a moment, unsure of what was happening and still immersed in her research too much to comprehend the interruption, when the doe stared at her.

Hermione looked around the library, but no one else was around. Since it was July, she wasn't surprised by that, but still confused by the appearance of the unfamiliar Patronus. The doe made a come hither motion with her head and turned away. Hermione found herself following it, her wand raised in curiosity. The doe led her through the stacks and out into the hall before heading down into the dungeons and she found herself standing in the middle of Snape's office looking down at his desk.

The doe gestured towards the desk before vanishing before her eyes.

Hermione frowned, but moved towards the desk. She sorted through papers and lecture notes, old potion recipes, and pressed ingredients between the pages of books. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking for. She knelt down to open drawers, but there was nothing here out of the ordinary, but drawers full of parchment, quills, and ink. Just as she made to stand, she noticed the small irregularity in the wood just under the desk. She brushed her finger over it and thought it felt a bit like a button. She pushed it and a secret compartment opened.

Hermione looked into the tiny compartment and found an envelope with her name on it. The sight of it made her nervous, but she pulled it from the drawer and carefully placed it on the desk. A quick charm told her it wasn't cursed so she slowly opened it and her eyes widened at what was written there.

She let out a squeal of delight just as her mirror vibrated in her pocket. Hermione almost dropped the compact mirror in her excitement and thought that it was about time they had some good news; she couldn't wait to share it.

~ ASC ~

Dobby appearing in front of him on the balcony of his bedroom at one in the morning was enough to almost give him a heart attack. The fact that he wasn't sleeping, and hadn't been sleeping more than an hour at a time, hardly mattered.

"Dobby, what is it?"

"They is there, Harry Potter, Sir!"

Harry wasted no time. He held his hand out to Dobby and immediately was brought to Clevedon Court. He raced through the house and straight to the portrait, Fleamont's journal still in his hand.

"We understand that you've been looking for us, love?" Euphemia asked, a bright smile on her face.

Harry found himself scowling. He had been looking for them. He'd been looking for them since he returned home over two weeks ago. "Yes! Where did you go? I had the house elves check all of the portraits and you'd just vanished!"

"My dear boy, we were visiting our establishments. Then we were in Italy! Our portrait has a lovely view out the terrace there. It makes us feel like we're on holiday! It's lovely there this time of year," Fleamont said with a smile. "You must take that girlfriend of yours. She'd love it there."

Harry frowned. "That's what I needed help with is Ginny and you're the only person who can help me!"

Fleamont blinked. "Sometimes it gets exhausting to sit in the frame and we wander off to visit other portraits. I'm sorry, Harry, we didn't realize that we'd be missed. What's going on, my boy? What can we help you with?"

"Ginny's been given a bloodlust potion and you have to help me cure her!"

"Oh, no!" Euphemia exclaimed, her hands moving to cover her mouth.

Fleamont pursed his lips. "A bloodlust potion? That's very dangerous and dark magic."

Harry nodded. "I know. We've managed to break down most of the ingredients, but we know that we need more to make a proper antidote. I found your journal entry about the one used on Elgin Fawley a few days ago."

Euphemia buried her face in her husband's shoulder. "Poor El! He loved Briella something fierce. It broke that girl's heart to see him acting like that"

Harry's storm-filled eyes stared at the portrait in thunderous silence that spoke volumes.

"Monty, you have to help him," Euphemia exclaimed.

Fleamont sighed. "Fee, I will certainly do my best, but being a portrait means that it will be a tad difficult. What do you know so far, son?"

Harry pulled the parchment out of the journal. "I have the list of ingredients that we think were used here, but we still don't know what exactly the base that the potion was made from."

"A true bloodlust potion always has a base of volcanic soil, milk of the poppy, and the juice of a sophorous bean boiled in water. The soil and milk make it a dark paste."

Harry nodded. "How can you be sure?"

"There's no need to be sure," Fleamont scoffed. "I know my dark potion bases! Of course, examining the potion myself would be ideal..."

Euphemia bit her bottom lip. "You know who could help him, Monty, is Lib."

Fleamont's neck heated. "That old codger couldn't tell a bloodlust potion from a pot of water!"

"Who's Lib?" Harry asked, looking between his grandparents in curiosity.

Euphemia ignored her husband's mutterings and turned to Harry. "Libatius Borage. He lives in Brazil. He's an old friend, Harry, we told you about him. Remember he wrote your potions book?"

"No!" Fleamont blustered. "I won't let that twit muck it all up! A friend — he's not a friend!"

"This is the woman that he loves, Fleamont Potter!" Euphemia exclaimed. "What if it was me?"

Fleamont swallowed back his remark before he nodded. "I'd want Lib to help me."

Euphemia looked pleased by this. "Go, get Lib to come to England."

Fleamont looked like he wanted to protest before he disappeared from the portrait.

"Is he still alive?" Harry asked. "Where did Pop go?"

Euphemia let out a slow breath. "Yes, he's still alive. Monty had a portrait made by the Departamento de Poções in the Brazilian Ministry. It was in honour to him after he spent a month in Rio doing a guest lecture circuit on potion making. Borage has been head of the Potions department there since 1961. Monty agreed to the portrait, but only if it was placed in Borage's office and connected to the one he made here. When Borage was to retire, the portrait was supposed to go with him and not to return to the department until his death."

"Why?" Harry asked. "If Pop hates him so much, why would he want him to have his portrait?"

Euphemia sighed. "To annoy him."

Harry smirked at that. It sounded like something Sirius would have done. "So, he's gone to annoy him now then?"

"He'll get Libatius here for you and you can fill them both in on what you know about the ingredients so that we can make an antidote."

Harry's face lit up. "You can definitely make one then?"

Euphemia stared into her grandson's hopeful face. "Where there's a will, there's a way. Of course, Monty won't be able to do the actual brewing, but we'll take care of that with Lib's help."

"Nan, will you tell me about the bloodlust potion used on Elgin Fawley? I only found the first entry about it in Pop's journal. He mentions it more, but no details on the actual potion."

Euphemia nodded, wringing her hands together. "He was your uncle, you know."

"He was your brother?"

"He was my older brother," Euphemia said. "Poor Elgin. It was heartbreaking to watch the way his actions hurt poor Briella so."

"Did you get the antidote?"

Euphemia nodded. "We did, but not before Elgin blinded his beloved."

"Blinded her!" Harry exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Euphemia's eyes were sad. "She wouldn't stay away from him. She said that she knew he loved her and that she would make him remember and he tried to hurt her. In the end, he used a dark curse that blinded her and she never healed."

"What happened?"

"He loved her," Euphemia told him. "He loved her more than anything and when we finally got the antidote to him and he realized what he'd done... he begged her to forgive him, to marry him, and she did. He worshipped her. He did everything for her, he kept her in nice things, and he made sure that she always knew of his love for her. They were married for eight years before she died from the effects of the blinding curse."

"She died?" Harry repeated, his eyes wide.

His grandmother nodded. "It was dark magic and… my brother couldn't live with himself and what he'd done. It didn't matter that she forgave him and that they had eight wonderful years together. He drank himself to death two years later," Euphemia said, tears in her eyes. "But for eight years they were happy and in love and both of them claimed that they were the best eight years of their life. Briella said that losing her sight was a small price to pay for getting to be with Elgin."

Harry swallowed. The idea of losing Ginny was more painful a thought than he could deal with. "I can't… she's everything to me."

Euphemia smiled. "We won't let it get to that, Harry. Now, I'm not as good as Monty, but let's talk antidotes. You should have learned about creating them by now, am I right?"

Harry closed his eyes as he nodded. "Yeah, but not for dark potions."

"Every antidote has the same basic components, Harry," Euphemia told him. "If I've learned anything from Monty over the years it's that one of the most important part of any antidote is the Mandrake, specifically stewing them. Of course, they would have to be matured or they won't be viable."

Harry frowned. "It takes months for Mandrakes to mature! How long will this take?"

Euphemia looked thoughtful. "Well, we certainly don't have months. The longer we allow the bloodlust potion to eat away at Ginny, the more potent it becomes. A bloodlust potion is designed to kill the host within three months of it being administered if they do not succeed in killing their intended victim. If Ginny stays away from you, you have longer, but if you let the rage take her over, her bloodlust rises."

Harry swallowed. "Nan, what do I have to do to save her?"

"Get me everything you know about the potion and set up a cauldron in here. Until Monty gets Borage here, you're going to get started."

"Me?" Harry asked, feeling a little alarmed to be given the task of brewing this potion.

"You," Euphemia said. "Is there anyone else you trust to help?"

Harry blinked for a moment before he tugged out his mirror. "Yes."

"Good," Euphemia replied. "Get them here and we'll get started."

~ ASC ~

Pansy looked up when Mitzy led the Death Eaters into her living room and her eyes widened slightly at the sight of her old Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.

"Prof—I mean, Mr Lockhart, this is a surprise."

Lockhart smiled revealing every one of his pearly white teeth. "A good one, I hope."

"Er, of course," Pansy said, gesturing for him to sit down.

She hadn't been expecting anyone, let alone an old professor who had been sentenced to prison. She did her best not to let her surprise show.

Rabastan sat next to Lockhart along with Crouch and Woodrow Selwyn.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked, hoping that she didn't look as nervous as she felt. "I'm afraid that Greg isn't here at the moment."

"We know," Rabastan told her. "We're here to speak to you, all about your new business. You're set to open soon, are you not?"

Pansy nodded. She wasn't sure that she liked the idea of them being interested in her new business. She was still rather infuriated at the thought of the Dark Lord wanting to extort sixty percent of the profits from her within the coming months. "Yes, we're planning to open on the thirty-first."

"Good, good. You see, Gilderoy here, is doing a very important project for the Dark Lord and from what we understand, you have the full building of this old abandoned bank in Apricity Lane. We would be very grateful if you could supply him with an office where he could work, perhaps in your very own shop."

"Oh, er, well to be honest, Mr Lockhart is very well known and I don't know if having him in such a high profile area is such a good idea. I mean, the last anyone heard was that he was sentenced to Azkaban before there was the mass breakout. The DMLE is still looking for him."

"It's true, we've been keeping his presence a secret, both for his safety and because the Dark Lord was... using his abilities."

Pansy wasn't sure that she liked the sound of that. She wasn't sure why, but the idea of Lockhart being with Voldemort this whole time was eerily unnerving. After everything that had come out about what he had done (and not to mention the sexual abuse he'd been involved in with some of his students), what could the Dark Lord possibly want with him?

"But an office where he could work diligently from would be greatly appreciated," Rabastan continued. "Plus it would be nice for you to have a man in the office, for protection."

Pansy put a hand over her stomach suddenly feeling a bit queasy. "I understand the idea, but I want this store to be a success, Rabastan, and frankly, I'm worried that if word were to get out that I'm harbouring Lockhart, the Ministry may come down on me."

"We will protect you from the Ministry, Pansy."

She swallowed, her hand rubbing her stomach absently as the baby kicked. "I'm sorry, but I really don't think it's wise to have Lockhart in Apricity Lane, Rabastan. I don't want him in my building."

Lockhart smiled, his pearly whites gleaming. "Mrs Goyle, I assure you, I would be on my absolutely best behaviour. I would be happy to give you anything you may need. You won't even know that I'm there."

"No." Pansy said, the word coming out a bit more commanding than she'd planned on. "I really don't think it's a good idea."

Rabastan's eyes narrowed. "Pansy, do you think that we're giving you a choice in this? Because we're not. You will provide Lockhart with an office where he can work on the project the Dark Lord has given him. He may have some guests from time to time and you are to let them in whenever he asks."

"What kind of guests?" she demanded.

"It's nothing for you to be concerned with. You just worry your pretty little head about your little shop and let us handle what we need to handle."

"But it's my shop," Pansy complained. "I get a say in what I want to happen inside of it. I get to decide what —"

Rabastan's wand pointed straight at her, making her pause. "Are you questioning the Dark Lord?"

"No," Pansy said quickly. "Of c-c-course not! I just think that —"

"Crucio!"

She screamed, her glass falling from her hand as she collapsed to the floor. When he lifted his wand two minutes later, she was trembling, her hands clutching her belly.

"You don't think, Pansy," Rabastan said coldly. "Your job is to fuck your husband when he says to. Your job is to ask how high when I say jump. Your job is give your husband a child. This little shop that your husband is letting you run is to keep you busy and out of his hair. Your husband knows his place, it's about time that you learned yours. This shop — you do not own it. The Dark Lord owns it. You will profit from it as he will offer you this, but so will he. Do you understand?"

She nodded, tears in her eyes that she furiously bit back.

Crouch knelt down in front of her, his creepy wide smile sending a chill down her spine. "Next time you speak out of turn, Rab and I will take it in turns. And next time, we'll be using different wands to do so." He grabbed his groin and winked at her.

The four of them left and the moment the front door closed, she vomited all over the carpet.

"Mistress!" Mitzy exclaimed, running into the room.

Pansy only shook her head as she slowly got to her feet, her hand shaking. "I... I need a healer."

Mitzy hurried from the room and it was only ten minutes later before Dominic Pucey came to see her.

"Mrs Goyle, is everything okay?"

"I... I don't know," she whispered her hands protectively over her stomach. "He's not kicking anymore."

Pucey immediately used his wand and a projection of the baby in the womb rose up above her stomach just as Greg came into the room.

"Pansy, I just finished getting the sign up and your desk is in place. It looks — what's wrong? Healer Pucey, what's wrong?"

"You have a perfectly healthy baby boy in there," Pucey said, smiling in reassurance at her. "He's sleeping, but his heart rate is normal, and he's doing just fine."

Pansy nodded in relief. Pucey told her to rest and left and Greg moved to sit next to her on the sofa, his big hands covering the bump of her belly. The moment he touched her, she burst into tears. His blue eyes were wide in panic as his hands rubbed her stomach soothingly.

"The-the-the shop," she sobbed.

"It's good, Pansy. I just came from Apricity Lane and it's all good," he assured her

She shook her head. "No! No, the Dark Lord he... he wants more than shares in it, Greg!"

She explained what Rabastan told her and Greg's brow furrowed.

"No, it's your shop. It was your dream. Have no doubt about that. The deed to the property is in your name, Pansy. You signed the papers. It belongs to Pansy Marguerite Parkinson Goyle. I promise, there's no one else on the deed."

She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "And Lockhart?"

Greg's lips tightened. "I'll see why he wants to be in Apricity Lane. It might not be too bad to have him in one of the rooms upstairs."

"He's a pervert," Pansy declared. "And we want him to work on the second level of a lingerie shop? Greg, if the Ministry finds out that I'm harbouring a fugitive, they —"

"They won't," he assured her. "The Dark Lord has him writing a book, Pansy. He will want him working on that."

"A book?"

Greg shrugged. "Well, he is a good writer despite his many flaws. And as to him being a pervert... he does like women, but he mostly likes er, boys."

Pansy nodded. "Where has he been this whole time?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "In hiding I think, or in the dungeons. My father once told me that Lockhart initially refused to join the Dark Lord in the mass breakout and he was tortured. The man then agreed to anything they wanted, but they left him alone... made him left to wonder."

His hands continued to rub her stomach as he spoke.

"Father said that he was kept in the dungeons of Wiltshire Manor for two full years, being tortured whenever they wanted to or until the Dark Lord decided that he was going to write his life story."

"And he just agreed?"

"Well, yes, he was offered more freedom and to show that they meant for him to be happy, they started bringing him gifts."

Pansy felt like she was going to be sick again. "Oh, Salazar, you mean they brought him…"

Greg nodded. "Yeah. Look, I don't know much else, but we need to be careful, okay?"

"Greg... I called the healer because they... Rabastan used the Cruciatus on me."

Greg's blue eyes turned to steel. "They what?"

"If wasn't for long, but it... I was worried that they hurt the baby and I..." she began to cry again and she threw herself into her husband's arms.

He scooped her into his lap, one hand holding her stomach while his other arm wrapped tightly around her, letting her cuddle into his huge chest. She was so tiny against him, that he cradled her easily.

"They won't hurt you again," he promised. "I wont let them."

She snuggled closer, unable to stop herself from crying and Greg ran his hands up and down her back as she sobbed. It was only after he'd tucked his wife into bed, urging her to have a nap, did he head to Avery Castle. He stormed into the living room and found Rabastan, Crouch, Selwyn, and Crabbe drinking and he plowed his fist straight into Rabastan's face, breaking his nose on impact.

Rabastan screamed and Crouch giggled.

"What the fuck, Goyle?"

"Don't you ever hurt my wife again! She's pregnant, you son of a bitch!"

Selwyn grabbed Goyle from behind and his elbow hit him in the chin. Crabbe moved to grab him and Goyle punched him too. Crouch stunned him, but he dodged it and grabbed Crouch's arm.

"If any of you fucking touch her again, I will break you in half!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Voldemort asked from the doorway. "Goyle?"

"They Crucioed my wife, my Lord. My pregnant wife."

Voldemort's red eyes landed on Selwyn's bloody chin, Rabastan's bloody nose, and Crabbe's bloody lip. "Well, they wont be making that mistake again now, will they?"

Greg stared at him. "I don't want Lockhart in an office in my wife's shop."

"Oh, and why is that?" Voldemort asked.

"It's dangerous for her. You promised me that she'd be protected and by having him there, I don't believe she will be."

Voldemort stared at him for along moment. "Goyle, you have more intelligence than your father ever did, but I can see that your wife is already leading you around by your cock. However… I will grant you this one request, if only because these idiots went too far and hurt your wife. I won't stand for that, after all, she is carrying your pureblood heir."

"Thank you, my Lord," Greg said, bowing his head.

Voldemort pursed his thin lips. "And in return, you will do something for me."

"Of course, my Lord," he said quickly. "I live to serve you."

Voldemort's twisted smile only widened. "Yes, yes you do."

And when Voldemort said nothing else, Greg wondered just what it was that he had agreed to do. But the thought of Pansy's tear-stained face reminded him that no matter what it was, her safety and that of their unborn child was what was most important.

---

End Author's Notes:

(Latin) Honoris = Honour

(Latin) Praesidium = Protection

(Latin) Veritas = Truth

(Portuguese) Departamento de Poções = Department of Potions

Thanks to Sam for her help with Bill's speech.

Thanks to GryffindorHealer for help designing my Auror badge, I like the crossed wands with the sword :D

Thank you for reading and please review!