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.

293. The One With BS

Author's Note:

Hello, my lovelies! Good news — I am double posting his week! My chapters have so far kind of aligned chronologically with our lives and I figured out the other day that I want the Christmas chapters to be posted during Christmas so I spoke to Dusk and she is allowing me to double post — this week only! One chapter today and again this weekend at my usual time! Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I look forward to reading each and every one of them!

Reviews and Comments: To Atea1793: Thank you for your opinion and for boosting my review count :D. To marauders_mowopapr: Harry does feel a bit more open without Ron nearby when it comes to talking about his sister lol. Yes, Ron and Hermione will have some fun this year. I loved the idea of Hagrid getting to run the Sorting — he deserves it! Gossipy teenage girls are definitely the worst! To AQuickRead91: Thank you and yes, those girls do need a good hexing. To CorbanD17: I post once a week already lol, what more do you want? To briana_t: It is the last time they will do it at the beginning of the school year, but I'm sure it will still be played in the future. Hinny are almost there, I promise. To shuweet: Aw, sorry to break your heart. Soon. To AnaGPotter: Thank you! Ginny will be talking to Na'eemah very soon (this chapter). To Seriously Sam: I loved writing them take care of Audrey! Fred doesn't sugar coat it because he knows he needs to tell them. I would love to see George's diagram as well. Ron can definitely be tactless, he tends to speak before his brain catches up with his mouth. I love Neville getting to be a bit sassy! I love Ciara still being close with Theo. To GryffindorHealer: Predatory is a good word to describe her and yes, there might indeed be some interesting fireworks lol.

To Gimrrin: Thank you! We will see more of Fred and Fiadh eventually. I decided to just do some scaring and not actually murder anyone we love (at least this time around). No promises for the future LOL. To HinnyForLife: Thank you! I wanted to show the Weasleys were dealing with it and waiting for news is almost as bad as not knowing. To BadWolfKris: Is Cornfoot messing with Theo? We shall have to see. Everyone does need a hug this chapter! To sweetxsavory: Thank you! And ha, reading too much into things I'm afraid, as that Horcrux has already been destroyed. Harry will get some Ron and Hermione time soon. To edwards_zoe_32: LMAO! I promise you'll last. To Fanfis01: You think Hinny will get back together at Dumbledore's funeral? Interesting. To Steel: Ginny is reconnecting with everyone. Slughorn will be good as the new Potions professor and Mary Raffigan is still teaching history, nothing has changed there. To Mizfitz22: It's true, but his friends are trying to help him stay positive as they do know how easily he can let himself fall into a downward spiral. Aww, you were suspicious of Audrey! To be fair she's only an original-ish character since JKR gave us that Percy married someone named Audrey who works at the Ministry. We don't know anything else so I gave her a backstory, a surname, a job, and everything else. Theo does deserve the world! Ginny is suffering with her decision but she's still processing too. She will get the help she needs to make the right choice.

To Guest: Thank you for your support! I'm glad you liked the chapter. As to Ron and Hermione taking advantage of having their own little flat — of course they will LOL! To Phoenix Is Rising: I know you think Harry and Ginny shouldn't be together because Ginny is treating him bad, but they will get back together. She suffered a major trauma and he was part of that, she needs time to recuperate and I know it's hurting them both, but they both need this break. To Mutt N Feathers: Thank you! We will find out who will be the new Minister soon. To Anna1607: Thank you! So many options lol. I hope how they get back together doesn't disappoint! And no, thank you for reading! It means the world to me!

To Mackie919: Haha, love the play by play of emotions! I agree, they both have to be ready and yes, we will see more of pregnant Tonks. To scrappy8: Thank you! To Ironhidensh: Ginny did and yes, the witches will think Harry is back on the market. To Dianne: Yes, Fiadh is Finn's sister and yes, you did know this earlier though she was really only mentioned in passing. I love the students totally supporting Remus, he deserves it! Harry is definitely the perfect boyfriend. You're still holding out hope for Theo and Kane, eh? We'll see. I hc that all of the Weasleys learn how to cook. Molly is a resourceful woman and she would have made all of her children learn how to cook and clean. I love making Seamus the comedic one! Haha, you're missing Voldemort? That is funny! We'll see him soon too haha.

To Wolf's scream: Ginny is definitely twisting with guilt and anxiety. Na'eemah will definitely help Ginny. To R4mb0g: Thank you very much! You're not the first one to think Dumbledore's funeral which I find interesting. To Nuno Neves: I rather like writing Percy and Audrey. I thought Remus deserved a good first day send off. Bill is definitely an amazing brother and I love having Fred being the cocky and hilarious brother. Thank you! To HPuni101: Thank you! You too! To the Mandalorian terminator: Thank you! I like the idea of the SILs all hanging out and getting along and comforting each other. Haha, I thought it was funny to call them Gryffindor royalty. To Guest: I know, poor Harry and Ginny are both suffering, but Harry is definitely taking the brunt of it. To shivani: Thank you! I don't think waiting was literal torture though haha. And no, Arthur is safe, at least for now lol. To Harry and Ginny's Fluff: Soon. Within the next few chapters. To Guest: Thank you and I think I will be sad, too!

To pottermum: Thank you, but yes, he's not out of the woods yet. I know, but they need the break. To notthatchhavi: She did call Harry! They needed that moment even if they didn't realize it. Yes, it was more of a thrown into the pond lol. McGonagall rocks. Trust me, there are loud snores and midnight farts haha. Crookshanks loves Ron and yes, he definitely wants them to be together. KJ is a little nicer but not much. To The Booknerds: Thank you! Virtual bulletin boards on my laptop and phone, most definitely! Sometimes I don't know how I keep things straight either! To tim2604: It was! I like Ginny and Fleur bonding to help Audrey. Fred ALWAYS manages to lighten the mood. I really like Kane as a younger version of the French model Francis Cadieux. Remus getting a blowjob is always hot. Interesting idea. We will see more of Ciara now that Theo is back at Hogwarts. They will be back together soon.

To ahlem stelena: Thank you! Sometimes it's too much detail, but I need it in my life LOL. No, Romilda didn't leave Hogwarts. She was suspended and got community service hours, but her sisters went to Azkaban. She also had a restraining order to keep her away from Harry. To Yusraa Ifthikar: Soon. To newgroundcreations: Thank you and I promise I will. To ANewRanger: Thank you and yes, they are central. To pix25: Gossips are always crazy. To apham: Thank you! They will come back eventually, right now I just haven't had a place for them. To UrmixMoonstone: Thank you! It is a massive trauma and they need this time apart to heal and make up. Thank you, I wanted us to feel their anxiety and worry. To gemini614: Ah, you think Stephen and Theo won't be long term… perhaps… Kane does intrigue Theo, this is true. To DeadFish37: Thank you. To WinkingSkeever: Sorry for killing you. RIP. To Parlabane: Thank you very much! Blitzing through in two weeks is very impressive (it's not small in case you didn't know LOL). Thank you! And don't worry, it is before 300. To Nightwing2013: Vane is not going to be happy lol. Harry isn't friends with Susan Bones so no, I don't think he would not check in on her. Arthur does deserve to walk his little girl down the aisle one day.

To The Go1den Snitch: Not much longer. To LunaFireFly11: Thank you very much! I think it's an important turn to the story as well and for them as a couple. To yunkol76: You're welcome, thanks for reading. To Ellieoryan7447: Thanks for finally leaving a review! Ginny definitely deserves a hug, she's had one hell of a rough summer and having the rumours top it off are not going to help. To Derpdude32: Sorry, no spoilers on who will live and who will die. To alix33: I have no idea lol. To JamesTKent: Hinny will sort themselves out and we will see Susan Bones eventually. To Cristina: Haha, yes he lost a kidney! Tonks is too invested in her work not to do what she can! I love Remus including Hagrid in the sorting ceremony. Fred and his jokes are what make his character fun to write. Hey, writing songs are hard LOL. I like trying to come up with new spells and ideas for duelling.

To Spellotape707: Thank you! I made up Audrey's surname. All we know from JKR is Percy married a girl named Audrey who worked at the Ministry. Everything else about her is all me. Thanks! I'm excited too! To Arctoid32: Haha, soon. To Calamity Ganon: Thank you! Harry is being patient. Charity Burbage moved to Australia a few years ago when I brought in Gideon Birmingham to teach Muggle Studies. To DoodleBug78: Sorry you feel Ginny is being a bitch. I believe she needs to heal. To mysuvone: K and Theo will rock millions, will they? And yes, I think Harry will be rejecting them.

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!

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CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND NINETY-THREE:

The One With BS

Ginny had no idea how much her words would ring true. When Harry sat down to breakfast the next morning, the hall was buzzing with whispers. He helped himself to some breakfast just as Natalie Monroe slid a magazine in front of him. The issue of the gossip rag known as Belle Sorcière Magazine had the photo that Colin had taken of him shirtless with the words, Potter Gets Ditched, glittered across the top before they changed into, Newly Single Chosen One.

"Bloody hell," he mumbled.

Natalie gave him a helpless shrug. "You might want to read the article."

Harry already knew that he didn't want to read the bloody article.

Seamus had other plans. His friend plucked it from in front of him and flipped to page twelve.

Harry Potter, newly single and on the prowl. Potter, who's been in a year long relationship, has finally been freed. But the question on everyone's lips is, why did Jenny Weasley chuck him?"

The gossip has gone from one extreme to the next, but this reporter heard the truth herself and says with absolute certainty, that the size of his wand is a BIG factor. Apparently, he's too big to handle.

Harry's face flushed bright red as Seamus continued to read aloud:

"Potter's skill of speaking Parseltongue clearly has more meaning behind it now that we know he has a python in his trousers."

"Are you kidding me? It can't be legal for them to publish that!" Harry exclaimed, sinking lower into his seat.

Seamus snorted as he kept reading.

"Too big to handle seems to be the word, which makes us wonder how he's keeping it a secret? Investigators have combed over Potter's photos to see about sneaking a glance at the python, but it seems that Potter favours looser trousers and is obviously using some sort of charm to hide his wand.

The now adult Harry Potter (albeit only by a few months) has been making ladies swoon all over the world. From those killer green eyes, to the messy hair, and now hearing he's single is making lots of ladies want to sneak a peek below the belt.

"He's always been so nice," one witch said. "Always polite, always a kind smile, always a friendly hello. This Jenny didn't deserve him and frankly, he can do better. I'm single, Mr Potter."

Another witch has called herself willing to test the theory. While others are wondering if there's something else behind the breakup.

"Too big is preposterous! Only reason I can see is if he only lasts two seconds."

Is that Potter's problem? Is he guilty of an early release? Rumours are flowing and everyone wants to know why Potter got ditched!

Harry's face was beet red.

"They didn't even get Ginny's name right," Dean said taking the magazine from Seamus. "But what's the verdict, Harry, you have a problem with letting the surprise out too early?"

Harry made a rude hand gesture just as Hermione sat down.

"Harry! Five points!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Did you see this rubbish, Hermione?"

She frowned, tutting as she read it. "Oh, Harry, it's all gossip. No one actually believes this."

"I do," Seamus quipped.

"Piss off," Harry declared darkly.

"Harry," Hermione said. "Belle Sorcière has the initials BS for a reason. Trust me, it's all rubbish."

When he snuck a look down the table, it was to see Ginny's cheeks flaming as well and he felt slightly better. At least if she was as embarrassed as he was, it wasn't so bad. The urge to go talk to her about it, made him pointedly look away in annoyance. It wasn't her fault and he knew that.

"Mate, this might be our fault," Seamus said, turning Harry's attention away from Ginny. "Remember our convo at the Leaky, the other day? I think your reporter might have been there."

Harry swore under his breath. He had a vague memory of a bleach-blonde haired woman sitting near them in the pub and he realized immediately who she must have been.

"Sounds like something Skeeter would do."

In fact, the more he thought about it the more sense it made, which infuriated him even more. What right did anyone have to know about his personal life? Sure enough, another look at the article had her name written under it and he scowled. Sirius had always called her menace and Harry knew his father had never been more right.

"Hey, Harry," Dean said, his eyes twinkling. "How do you feel about autographing this copy for me? I could use the extra cash."

"Piss off," Harry said, making his friends burst into laughter.

At least someone found his predicament amusing because he surely didn't.

~ ASC ~

Snape had been working diligently and as under the radar as possible to try to get the young ones to Ted and Andromeda Tonks and so far, he felt like he was doing an all right job of it. The problem was that those who he was getting out were not the ones who needed it most.

He sat in the Lestrange flat in Paris drinking the wine that Ophelia served him and kept his face neutral. He knew who needed his help the most and these three young women were the ones who he didn't know how to save. Ophelia Rowle Lestrange had become a shell of the woman he remembered. She did nothing without looking at her husband first as if to ask for permission and when he praised her, she blushed as if it were the words she'd been waiting years to hear.

Hestia Carrow Crouch was withdrawn as she sat at the table, a hand over her pregnant stomach as she picked at her dinner. She looked no more than a child with a cauldron beneath her shirt and the thought of her giving Crouch a child made him feel a little sick inside. Millicent Bulstrode Crouch was the one whom he was most worried about. Her anger hadn't simmered at all and she clearly was still fighting against her husband in every way she could. Crouch had cut her right cheek. The long slice from eye to chin would scar and Snape wondered what she'd done to warrant it. Despite the cut, Millicent had also become fiercely protective over Hestia which he thought was a good thing for both wives. Her stomach was larger than Hestia's, but she was just as pregnant and he knew that the three women were due within the next few weeks to give birth.

Once the children were born, he wasn't sure what was going to happen to them or where they were going to be, but he was positive on some level that both Crouch and Lestrange would limit their contact with them. He couldn't imagine either of them feeling particularly good about screaming babies. But it still left Snape with more questions than he had answers.

The fact that he had been summoned to Paris by Rabastan Lestrange now left him with a bad taste in his mouth. He had brewed the Amethyst Inferno potions as the Dark Lord had demanded of him. Belladonna had been assisting him and her work was exemplary on every level making it impossible for him to not brew it successfully. He had brewed more of it than he had felt truly comfortable with, but he knew that it had to be done. Voldemort was already paying very close attention to him as of late as if he knew that Snape was up to something. The potion had to be a success and when he'd presented it to the Dark Lord, he had known exactly how much damage it would cause.

But no one had told him that they were planning to use it on the Ministry of Magic.

The moment he'd seen the news… the explosion that had rocked all levels… he'd known exactly what they'd done with his potions and he'd felt sick to his stomach. Now, he sat here, waiting for the next thing and hoping that they weren't asking him to brew more of it.

Rabastan Lestrange finally came into the room. He barked out an order for wine and his very pregnant wife waddled away as fast as she could to bring him a glass. He tapped his fingers on the table before he leaned forward, his eyes on Snape.

"I'm sure you've heard, the Inferno worked splendidly."

Snape nodded but said nothing.

"Yaxley is working on the next step, but now that the Ministry is in tatters, gaining better access and control of it is going to be a lot easier." He looked up when Ophelia waddled back into the room with a fresh glass of wine. "Took you long enough."

Her face fell and she stumbled over an apology. He took a sip and grimaced.

"You know I like Merlot, not Cabernet Sauvignon." When she flinched, he merely poured the wine out onto the floor and waved her off. She waddled out again to get him a new glass. He accepted the second glass a few minutes later and sniffed it. "Better. Now clean up this mess and get out of my face. Take these two cunts with you."

She looked crestfallen, but quickly fell to her knees to clean up the wine with the napkins from the table before Rabastan got frustrated and vanished the wine with a spell because she took too long. She waddled back out of the room as Hestia and Millicent each stood and followed her. Snape failed to hide his disgust.

"Have a problem with how I treat my wife, Snape?"

Snape merely took a sip of his wine. "What's the plan here for when they give birth, Rabastan? Are you and Crouch going to become full-time fathers? Be here for every cry and burp?"

Rabastan snorted. "Like hell I am! Once she presents me with the son I deserve, she can take care of him. I've already found myself a lovely witch to take care of my needs while Ophelia deals with the child. I'll pop in every now and again and make sure she's keeping her place. Fuck her into submission like a good husband."

"And Crouch?" Snape asked.

Rabastan stared at him over the top of his wine glass. "Can you imagine Bart as a devoted dad? The Dark Lord has plans for Bart. He'll be too busy to pay attention to his wives. Until our sons our old enough to do more, we've no use for them."

Snape nodded. That was information he could tuck away, though he still wasn't sure what he could do with it.

It wasn't long before Yaxley arrived along with Rodolphous and Linus Lestrange who told them of the chaos the Ministry had fallen into. Departments were in disarray and they were still trying to figure out where to run things while the Ministry was being rebuilt. The official news releasing the deaths of Minister Bones and Deputy Minister Scrimgeour were what pleased them most. It had been published in the Evening Prophet and they considered it a triumph.

"I already assigned young Goyle to follow him," Yaxley said, forcing Snape's attention back. "He's to stay with him all day and to report back everything he does, no matter how insignificant."

"Goyle as a spy? The man is built like a solid wall and not exactly easy to hide," Linus declared, reaching for his own wine.

"Yes," Yaxley agreed. "But he's on thin ice and he knows it. Trust me, he's going to be the perfect one for the job."

Linus nodded, his eyes on his youngest son. "And you? Have you stopped by the shop yet to get the next part rolling?"

Rabastan's lips curved. "I'll be doing that soon, Father. Bart and I have decided to make sure Goyle is nowhere around when we talk to his wife again."

"Rabbie doesn't want to get his nose broken again," Rodolphous smirked.

"At least my wife didn't castrate me and then set my bits on fire."

Rodolphous' eyes narrowed.

Linus held up a hand. "Boys, now is not the time to bicker." He reached behind him and lifted the small chest up to the table, opening it up. Inside was the Sovereign Chalice, shining in a bright white light. "We need to find a place to store this safely. Once the Ministry realizes it's missing from the Wizengamot chambers, they will be in a panic."

"Why take it?" Snape asked, his eyes on the shining chalice. "None of us can touch it without possibly losing our magic?"

Linus closed the lid. "Possessing it doesn't mean that we must touch it. It means that we have something others will want. Now, Corban, let's go over the next phase of the plan before we meet with the Dark Lord. I don't want there to be anything for him to question."

Yaxley nodded. "There shouldn't be. We're on the right track."

Snape breathed slowly through his nose. It was that right track that worried him the most.

~ ASC ~

The start of a new school year should have been exciting, but Lavender hadn't been able to get out of bed. Parvati had tried to convince her to come down to breakfast, to see her schedule, and to get a start on the day, but she just couldn't. Her best friend had slept next to her last night, letting her cry on her shoulder as she did her best to comfort her. Natalie and Sophie had tried to help. They had even mentioned something about some gossip moving through the school about Harry and Ginny, but she couldn't even bring herself to be interested. She couldn't move because if she moved and did something as trivial as eat breakfast or be entertained by something she loved like gossip, it would only remind her that she was alive and her father was dead.

He had been one of the missing when the explosion went off and she and her mother had been worried, listening for any sign of news. When her mother urged her onto the train the next morning, promising to keep her in the loop, she had protested. Her mother's owl had arrived one hour into the train journey and she'd ripped open the envelope as quickly as possible only to discover that the worst had happened.

Mrs Brown had told her to stay at school, that she would send for her when it was time for the funeral and Lavender felt even more helpless. She couldn't stop crying no matter what she did and now the next morning, she refused to leave her bed, still numb.

It was lunchtime when the bed dipped next to her. Padma didn't say anything. She merely crawled under the covers, wrapping her arms around Lavender. The moment her arms encircled her, the tears began to fall all over again. Padma kissed her forehead, a hand running up and down her back. When Lavender finally stopped crying, Padma still didn't speak.

Lavender snuggled into her girlfriend's breasts, her fingers playing with the Ravenclaw tie. "It doesn't seem real, Mae."

Padma's hand continued to run in soothing motions over her back.

"He just went to work and… I don't even remember the last thing I spoke to him. I don't know what my last words were."

"He knew you loved him," Padma whispered. "He knew your mum loved him. Never question that."

She nodded, breathing in her girlfriend's scent. "I don't know what to do."

"You just be there for your mum when it's time and she'll do the same for you. I'm sure if you talk to McGonagall or Lupin they will let you go home early."

Her bottom lip trembled. "Okay."

Padma kissed her forehead again. "Now, come on, let's get you into the shower."

Lavender's arms tightened around her girlfriend's waist. "Not yet. Please, Padma, just hold me a little bit longer?"

Padma nodded, her hand still stroking her back in comfort. "As long as you need, baby. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

When sleep finally overcame Lavender a little bit later, Padma still didn't move. Instead, she gently stroked her fingers through her girlfriend's hair and pulled the blankets up. When her sister arrived back after afternoon classes and climbed into the bed on Lavender's other side, hugging her from behind, Padma smiled.

No, neither of them was going to let Lavender grieve alone.

~ ASC ~

The first day of classes turned out to be not as much of a distraction as Harry had hoped it would be. He only had his five core classes this year in preparation for Auror training and the only good thing about it that he could see was that at least he and Ron were in the same classes. The two of them had the same timetable, but Hermione was taking seven classes this year as opposed to their five. She had opted to keep Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Transfiguration, but wasn't in Herbology with them. Instead she was taking Care of Magical Creatures, History of Magic, and Advanced Arithmancy.

Seventh year classes were dedicated towards students' career choices which meant those in the core classes and looking to get a NEWT had longer classes with more advanced workloads. Mondays meant his entire day was consumed with Advanced Potions and being in the dungeon all day with Professor Slughorn only reminded him that Slughorn had brewed the bloodlust potion to give to Ginny; which in turn reminded him that Ginny had told him that they needed a break; which brought the article back full circle.

Not to mention the whispers.

The seventh year Potions class was quite small due to it only being for students looking to get a NEWT in the subject. Other than himself, Ron, and Hermione, it included Seamus, Natalie Monroe, Padma Patil, Hannah, Stephen Cornfoot, Anthony Goldstein, and Tracey Davis. The class itself wasn't too bad, but it was once he was in the halls that he heard the whispers. Gossip at Hogwarts was always something that was hard to stop once it got going. But when it was so blatantly about him, he found it even worse and much harder to ignore. It reminded him of his second year with the Heir of Slytherin fiasco. Or his fourth year, when everyone thought he'd cheated to get picked for the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Ron put a hand on his shoulder when Slughorn dismissed them from their afternoon class. "Come on. Let's go out by the lake and get some fresh air, hmm?"

Harry nodded, grateful to his friend, but Slughorn called his name before they could make their escape.

"Harry! I'd like a word if I could," Slughorn said.

Harry urged Ron and Hermione to wait in the hall as he turned towards Slughorn. "Yes, Sir?"

Slughorn rubbed a hand over his chin as he spoke. "I just wanted to say… well, what happened at the end of last term… I wanted to apologize for my involvement in it."

"I know that you were under an Unforgivable, Sir."

"Well, yes," Slughorn said. "But being under the curse doesn't mean that I still can't feel guilty for my actions." He scratched his balding head, his eyes full of shame. "I hope you never have to feel that, to witness yourself doing something that you can't stop. No one deserves to be put under a bloodlust potion, but Miss Weasley especially… I know that you two share something very special and I hate to have been the one to change that."

Harry nodded, surprised to feel tears prickling his eyes. He blinked them back. "Thank you, Sir."

"I understand that she was given an antidote this summer?"

"Yes," Harry said. "We were given the antidote instructions through a message Snape left us. Then I received help from Libatius Borage when he brewed the antidote for us as well as my grandfather's portrait."

Slughorn's eyes widened. "Borage? You know him?"

"I met him this summer," Harry said. "He's an old friend of my grandfather's."

"He's… he's a legend, Harry! The name Borage is almost as infamous as Fleamont Potter in the potions world, if not more so! My dear boy, surely you could send him an invite to my Christmas party this year? Why having Borage attend would be… of course, I'm getting ahead of myself, but I hope that you and Miss Weasley will attend this year as well?"

"I don't know, Sir," Harry admitted. "Since she… the antidote has made her question things and we're… taking a break."

Slughorn looked crestfallen. "Of course, of course. It's a big change for her and she must readjust… I'm sure that she'll come around again."

Harry nodded but didn't answer. He was too afraid to speak the words aloud.

"Well, if there's anything that I can do for you, Harry, please, don't hesitate to ask."

He nodded again. He appreciated Slughorn's willingness to help and he understood the old man had to be harbouring a great deal of guilt for it. But he did know that it wasn't his fault either.

"Thank you, Sir."

Slughorn waved him off and he hurried out to meet his friends in the hall.

"You okay?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "I guess. Let's go out by the lake."

Ron led the way out of the castle and once Harry stepped out into the sunshine, he felt a bit better, gulping in the fresh air. They took a seat on the shore, tossing their bags on the ground before taking off their robes and unbuttoning the top two buttons of their shirts in the sun. Hermione immediately pulled a book from her bag and made Ron groan as he loosened his tie.

"Mione, it's the first day. Take a breather," Ron insisted.

Hermione looked like she wanted to argue, but she put the book down and leaned back on her arms.

Harry loosened his own tie and sighed. "I needed this."

Ron stretched his long legs out next to his friend. "Ginny misses you, Harry. I know it and so does she. It's just… she feels like she's lost part of herself, like… hell, like the diary all over again."

"I know," he admitted. "And it's not just that…"

"It's the kiss," Ron said. "I told her that it was my idea. I told her that I'm the one who called you over to test the waters and she gets that, but it's the kiss that's bothering her."

"Ron, I would never force her into… I would never," he whispered.

"She knows, Harry," Ron said quietly. "It's… it's been a lot for her and on top of the Ministry and Percy getting hurt and Dad…"

"Any news?" Harry asked.

"Fred said that he's doing okay. Ginny and I are going to mirror call him tonight after dinner, but I know that Ginny wants to go to St Mungo's and see him personally. I do, too. After the way she treated him this summer, blaming him for the diary and the Chamber… she feels extra guilty."

"It's your dad," Harry said simply.

Ron nodded. "I know. We're all worried about him, but Fred said that the healers are pleased with his recovery. He's going to be okay and that's all that really matters. We can deal with the rest."

Harry leaned back on his arms, tilting his head up to look at the sun. "Blowing up the Ministry like that… Tonks said that it's going to take a while for them to rebuild. It's left the magical world really ungoverned and unprotected in a way that it's never been before. Not just all of the people who were injured and killed but those that are left to run things… Voldemort has to have another plan in mind."

"I agree," Ron said. "But what?"

"I'd say to try to gain some power," Hermione said, making them both look at her. "What better chance at gaining it when the Ministry is in shambles and chaos?"

"But no one is going to let him just take over," Ron began. "We all know that he's bad news."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know. He's very intelligent and I think that he has a plan in mind."

Harry hated to admit that she was right. Why had Voldemort gone to such lengths to blow up the Ministry? How was he hoping to gain control without the Ministry at his fingertips? It left him with a lot of questions that he didn't have the answers to which only frustrated him more.

The familiar laugh made goosebumps erupt over his skin and he looked over at the sound, catching a mane of fiery red hair in the sunlight. She was walking with Luna, her arm through hers and the fifth year boys nearby were staring at them. One of them wolf whistled and Harry felt the monster in his chest jump straight into his throat.

"Hey, Red!" a boy called out. "Want to come join us? Bring Blondie with you!"

Ginny and Luna both ignored them, but Harry's fingers twitched around his wand.

"Harry," Ron began. "They're prats. Ignore them."

He knew that. He knew that they were prats and he knew that looking at Ginny and Luna walking side by side they would attract attention. They were both beautiful. But the monster in his chest didn't want to listen to reason. He wanted nothing more than to march across the grounds, grab Ginny by the arms, and snog her senseless so that those gits knew exactly how unavailable she was.

But we're on a break, the nasty voice in his head said.

He scowled and closed his eyes, feeling even angrier than before. He needed to keep his head down or he was going to hex the prats drooling over his girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend, he corrected with a grimace.

It was going to be a long year.

~ ASC ~

Ginny, unbeknownst to Harry, agreed with that statement entirely. After spending her first day in Advanced Muggle Studies followed by Charms, she had been itching to get back to her dorm for some peace and quiet. Everywhere she went people were talking about the sordid article in Belle Sorcière Magazine. Everyone wanted to know how much of it was true and everyone wanted to know why she was stupid enough to chuck the Chosen One.

Ginny couldn't decide if she wanted to curse every one of them before bursting into tears or merely curl up in a bawl and cry like a baby. But she definitely wanted to cry.

The article had done nothing to help her come to terms with Harry. In fact, it only made her more weary. Harry was famous, something that she had always known, but now that he was seventeen, the press could print whatever they wanted about him. He was no longer a minor in need of protection and with him declaring himself the Chosen One, the press was using this step into the limelight as an advantage. Suddenly, they wanted to know everything about him and Ginny was made out to be the bad guy.

It hurt. It hurt that they diminished her relationship with him to something so petty. It hurt that it was thrown into the papers, accusing her of ditching him because of the size of his wand, and it hurt that the people she knew believed it of her; especially because they didn't even get her name right.

If her roommates had been bad last night, the article had given them more incentive. Not to mention the articles that followed hinting that Ginny had cheated on him, to Harry cheating on her, to them having a secret love child… it seemed each day they grew more outrageous and unbelievable. Yet people seemingly believed them. Romilda Vane had made a snide comment about her being able to keep Harry happy better than Ginny had and KJ had agreed with her. Ginny had ignored them to the best of her abilities, determined not to let herself get drawn into their antics.

After dinner, she'd gone to the Head dormitory to mirror call her parents with Ron and seeing her father's face had done a world of good for her. He had cuts on his face, but he was smiling.

"Hi, baby girl. How's sixth year treating you?"

Ginny had immediately gushed to find out how he was feeling. Arthur had told her and Ron about how he and Perkins had been going over a notice about a series of front doors which had mysteriously been vanishing once they were unlocked in Bristol. They would insert their key, turn the lock and step inside and when they turned to close the door, it would vanish into thin air. The police were baffled and Arthur had been called in to deal with it. They had been gathering up files when the first explosion shook the Ministry.

"I would have called, but I forgot my mirror," Arthur said. "And I was knocked out for a bit, I think. It's rather blurred."

Molly lectured him on forgetting his head if it wasn't attached and he kissed her fingers tenderly, making her sigh.

Ginny and Ron had both felt better after seeing him. Molly promised that they could visit him in the hospital the next day after classes.

The moment she and Ron had arrived at St Mungo's, she'd hugged her father tightly and refused to let go. Arthur had kissed her cheek and told her he loved her before insisting that he was fine. When she finally let go, Ron hugged him as well and whatever Arthur murmured into his ear made Ron hug him tighter. Ginny knew her brother had been just as worried as she'd been. They'd visited for an hour before Molly insisted that they go back to school. The healers were hoping to keep him another week just to monitor his vitals and make sure everything was healing the way it was supposed to, but then he would be going home.

Arriving back at school, Ginny had felt much better about it all, but then more talk about the article made her feel angry again. People kept stopping Harry and asking him to sign the photos of him from the summer. Her dorm was peppered in posters of Harry posing shirtless, of his gorgeous smile and Merlin, it made it harder to stay away from him. To make matters worse, the third day of classes resulted in the letters. Some of them were sympathetic, telling Ginny that it was wise of her to not be with Harry while others called her a coward and whore. The howlers were by far the most embarrassing and she tried her best to laugh them off.

Harry didn't seem to be faring much better.

Ginny tried not to watch, but he opened envelopes full of frilly knickers, letters asking him on dates, and by the loudness of Seamus' laughter and cackles, nude photos. She watched the back of his neck heat in embarrassment and when his emerald gaze landed on hers, she quickly looked away.

She wasn't ready.

But the wave of jealousy she felt made her stomach knot. What right did she have to be jealous? She had asked him for a break which meant that he was free to do whatever he wanted and she hated that. She didn't want him to look at another witch or to think about one. But when her gaze landed on his messy head of hair, she couldn't quite bring herself to walk towards him either.

Ginny felt trapped in her own fears and her own thoughts and she was still working on pulling herself out of them. On the fourth day of classes, she heard back from Na'eemah who apparently was living in England now with her husband, Daniel. Daniel had accepted a job at Gringotts in London. They had moved to Sussex where Daniel's family was from and she was planning to start up her own practice. She offered to meet Ginny that night and Ginny had immediately gone to see Professor Lupin to see if she could go to Hogsmeade.

Remus had kindly told her that would be okay, but given the difficult times, insisted she go to the Hog's Head so that there would be Aurors about. Ginny had readily agreed. She knew that Aberforth Dumbledore would keep an eye on her and she was able to Floo directly into the pub from Remus' office.

The sight of Na'eemah Hickey sitting at the booth almost made her want to cry.

Na'eemah smiled, gesturing for Ginny to sit across from her. "Ginevra… you have become a beautiful young woman. It's lovely to see you've grown up so well."

The familiar slight accent to her voice made Ginny feel at peace for the first time in weeks. "Thank you. Thank you for coming to meet with me."

"Always," Na'eemah said. "I told you that I will always make time for you whenever you need it. Now, why don't you tell me what made you write to me this time? Have your nightmares returned?"

Ginny shook her head before she ordered a tea from the bar and thanked Aberforth when he brought it over to her. "No, it's not really nightmares. It's… I was given a bloodlust potion."

"Oh?"

Ginny explained how the potion had been given to her and how it had distorted her memories of her family, of her boyfriend, of her friends, and how angry she'd felt. She explained how since she'd been cured, she felt even more confused by everything like she'd been living in this bubble where she could see and hear things but only in parts. She told her how since she'd come back, she felt like part of her was missing and how she was afraid to let those she loved in. She told her how she'd pushed Harry away because of a kiss under the potion and how despite how well intentioned he'd been, it had felt like Tom.

Na'eemah reached across the table and took Ginny's hands in hers. "You've been through an ordeal, Ginny. The diary was a long time ago and while time does heal all wounds, it doesn't mean that you aren't still affected by them. The pain of that time, the realization of what happened to you, it will always be there. But I think what's bothering you about this bloodlust potion is something else entirely."

"What?" Ginny whispered.

"You feel like you didn't fight back."

Ginny's hands trembled and she tugged them free. "I did fight them. On the roof when they tried to give it to me, I fought back."

"You did," Na'eemah agreed. "But once you were under the potion's effects, then what?"

"Then I was… lost."

Na'eemah nodded. "Yes, you were lost and you are not responsible for that."

Ginny opened her mouth to protest but Na'eemah shook her head.

"No. You are not responsible for that. This happened to you, but that does not make it your fault. You were taken under the effects of a dark potion designed to make you mad when you didn't succeed in killing the intended victim. But you didn't kill him, Ginny and you didn't go mad."

"I wanted to," Ginny told her. "I dreamed about it, Na'eemah. I had dreams so vivid of how I would do it. I had him at my mercy and I… I enjoyed killing him in all of them. I took pleasure in it. It made me happy to think about hurting him. I wanted to cause him pain because until I did, I knew that I would never be happy again."

"But you didn't," she repeated.

"Because they kept me away from him," Ginny admitted.

"Someone under the dark affects of such a potion wouldn't have let anyone stop them, Ginny. You mentioned the memory changes, did you know that they were different before the antidote?"

"Sometimes," she said. "The things people said and I could see… holes. Things didn't make sense or pieces were missing and I didn't know why. I couldn't make connections to things… like I knew that my dad had given me the diary which brought me to Tom, but I didn't know why. I couldn't remember when he had given it to me or how I discovered it was him. Little things at first. Then I found the photo album Harry made me of our time together in Georgia and… it was like I was looking at someone else's life. I remembered being there and doing those things, but Harry wasn't with me. But I wasn't alone either and it… confused me."

"And you questioned it," she said. "Someone under the effects of a bloodlust potion is usually not that lucid, Ginny. They are angry, dangerously so. They want blood and they are willing to do anything they can to get it. But so far what you've told me is that your brothers and family kept you distracted. The black veins, the bruises… they were signs that the potion was wearing you down, this is true, but yet you still remained somewhat sane, did you not?"

Ginny hesitated. "I… I don't know."

Na'eemah smiled. "Yes, you do. Ginny, you are a strong young woman. You've beaten the possession of your very soul against the darkest wizard to ever have lived. You beat him. You pushed him out and you won. It took a toll on you, because nothing that dark can go without leaving an impression, but you did it. And this potion did not beat you down the way you believe it did. Tell me about the kiss."

"What?"

"The kiss," Na'eemah repeated. "You said that Harry kissed you when you were under the effects of the potion. Tell me about it."

"I… it's blurred," she admitted. When Na'eemah only stared at her, she swallowed. "I remember going into the orchard and he was there. I knew that he was there because it was like I… I could sense him. My heart was pounding and I could feel the blood coursing through my veins in excitement, like I knew that it was my chance to finally kill him."

"Did you attempt it?"

"I… I wanted to rip his throat out with my teeth. I wanted to hurt him and watch him bleed, but I also wanted… him."

"You wanted him?"

Ginny nodded, her face heating. "Sexually."

Na'eemah tapped her fingers on the table. "Have you had sex before, Ginny?"

Ginny shook her head. "No. I… we've done other things, but not… I've been afraid to, since the bone…"

"That was a traumatizing event for anyone, especially an eleven-year-old-girl, and not something that you will easily push under the rug, even now. But at that moment when you saw him, you wanted him, sexually?"

"I wanted to… I wanted to feel him inside of me," she admitted, her face reddening even more. "I wanted it so badly that it hurt and yet at the same time, I wanted to make him bleed. I wanted to watch the life drain out of his eyes. It… it scared me."

"Then what happened?"

Ginny let out a slow breath. "My brothers… they held me in place."

"They held you down?"

She nodded. "They held my arms, holding me back because I was snarling and… they were worried that I would hurt Harry."

"Go on…"

"They were holding my arms and I was trying to break free from them and Harry kept moving closer to me. He said my name and then he touched my face."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No!" Ginny exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Harry would never hurt me!"

"Of course. So, he touched your face?"

"Yes," she continued. "He touched my face, held it in his hands, and then he looked into my eyes. He caressed my cheek and told my brothers to hold me still. Then he never took his eyes off mine as he bent his head and touched his lips to mine."

"Just touched them?"

"It wasn't a passionate kiss, but he… he kept his lips there and… and…"

Na'eemah didn't speak, she merely sat back, eyes on her and waited.

"It felt so nice," she admitted, tears in her eyes. "I felt loved and cared for and cherished and I kissed him back for a second and then… I could sense his blood right there, under the surface, and I bit his lip."

"You bit him?"

"And his blood was… Na'eemah, his blood was like a drug. The moment it touched my tongue, all I could imagine was hurting him all over again. I was willing to do everything in my power to get him to come closer, to show him that he could trust me just so I could taste his blood again. Then my brothers dragged him away."

"And you? What happened to you?"

"They talked me down," she said. "They told me that it was going to be okay and Bill wiped the blood from my lips. George gave me some chocolate from his pocket and it… I didn't taste the blood anymore and I felt… calmer."

"And you think that Harry forced himself on you in this moment? That moment is what's driven you to push him away the way you have?"

Ginny shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. "No. It's that I…"

"Say the words, Ginevra," Na'eemah said. "Until you admit them aloud, you will not start to heal."

Ginny's bottom lip trembled and she hugged herself tighter. She wasn't sure how long she sat there in silence, whether it was one minute or twenty, but when she finally spoke, her voice broke.

"It's that I kissed him back in order to hurt him," she whispered. "And I was aware of it the whole time."

"And you feel that this was a way of attempting to possess him the way that Tom possessed you. You feel that by biting his lip and tasting his blood, by making him think that he had broken through to you, it was the same as the way that Tom manipulated you?"

Ginny slowly placed her hands on the table. "Wasn't it? Wasn't that exactly what I was doing?"

Na'eemah's dark gaze met hers. "I think you already know the answer to that."

Ginny swallowed and reached for her tea, not sure if Na'eemah's words made her feel better or worse, but she knew that she felt lighter. She had finally said the words that had been scaring her for weeks aloud and now she had to come to terms with what that meant. She had to come to terms with what she had done just as much as what had been done to her.

And that's what scared her the most.

~ ASC ~

The first week of classes went by in a blur for Theo. He was taking the same five classes as last year: International Magical Relations, Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts, Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced Ancient Studies, and Advanced Arithmancy and he felt comfortable with all five of them. He still wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to do with his life, but he did know that working in the Wizengamot was something that he enjoyed and prided himself with above all others.

The classes were familiar and the workload heavy, but it was Stephen Cornfoot who made the days fly by. True to his word, the Ravenclaw had taken him on a stroll through the grounds before providing him with a romantic picnic. They'd sat on the grass by the lake and talked about the future and Stephen told him how he wanted to work as an Unspeakable. He was taking all of the necessary classes to be considered for an interview and was hoping to make his mark in the Department of Mysteries, to help the world. Theo admired him for that, but told him the Department of Mysteries for him would always make him remember bad things. Stephen was impressed when he told him how he'd been there to fight the Death Eaters.

Then the Ravenclaw had kissed him and it had been just as sweet and lovely as he remembered. He'd snogged him back and it hadn't been long before they'd been lying on the blanket, snogging intensely and just genuinely enjoying each other.

Despite Stephen's brazen offer, Theo had put him off, insisting that he wanted to get to know him more first. Stephen had agreed immediately and every night that week had shown up to woo Theo in some new way. They'd gone on a moonlight walk, had a romantic dinner for two in the Hogwarts kitchens, watched the sunset on the Astronomy Tower, and gone on a carriage ride around the castle grounds (Theo still had no idea how the Ravenclaw had managed to get a school carriage for the occasion).

But it had been nice. It had been sweet and romantic and Theo hated that he still didn't really feel more than it being "nice." Kissing Finn had made his heart pound and his palms sweat and now, kissing Stephen, while pleasurable, just wasn't the same. He did his best not to compare the two, but the harder he tried to stop, the more he did it.

By the second week of classes, Theo figured it was pointless and he just had to let himself enjoy being courted by the Ravenclaw. And he did. They spent hours talking, doing homework together in the library, and walking around the grounds. They spoke about classes and theories and before curfew, they snogged each other senseless. And when Theo finally said yes and the Ravenclaw knelt down before him and unzipped his trousers, Theo had closed his eyes and basked in the moment of someone wanting to pleasure him for once.

It was why when he found Colin in the office of the Hogwarts Herald the second Saturday of the year, he was smiling.

"Someone looks pleased with himself," Colin said, turning to hang up the photos he'd taken onto the board.

"I'm feeling pretty good," Theo admitted. "Those look good. For the paper?"

Colin shrugged. "I'm still working on choosing which ones. How's Stephen?"

"Good," Theo said, his lips curving.

"He makes you smile so that's a good start," Colin said.

Theo leaned against the desk. "He's nice. Have you talked to Ginny today? I didn't see her at breakfast?"

Colin shook his head. "Not really. She was heading off to Quidditch practice this morning. Harry's reinstated Saturday morning practices for the Gryffindor team."

"And why are we in here and not out there? You know how much I like to ogle the Quidditch players when they're all sweaty?"

Colin chuckled. "Because I have work to do if we're going to get the first edition of the paper out for next week."

Theo nodded, hopping up onto the desk. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Other than give me your insider experience on the Ministry explosion?"

Theo grimaced. "I told you. I don't really want to talk about that."

"I know," Colin said. "But I had to try once more. Ginny jumped right back into writing as Compass. She finished answering all of the advice letters before anyone else even finished their articles. I think it's a sign that she's doing better."

"She's been talking to Na'eemah," Theo told him. "I think she's seen her four times in the last two weeks."

"I hope it helps her," Colin admitted. "Watching her and Harry sneak looks at each other when they think the other isn't looking is painful to witness. Not to mention the gossip that's been coming out. Between what Belle Sorcière Magazine published and what the other magazines have picked up, Harry's been in the paper every day."

"Oh, trust me, we've all noticed the naughty knickers he's been getting in the mail," Theo said.

Colin chuckled. "Did you see the nudes he received this morning? Some bloke from Dorset sent him a close up picture of his wand while he was um… polishing it."

Theo snorted. "No way! How did I miss this?"

"I think you'd already left to meet Ciara."

"At least he's getting interesting photos besides witches," Theo said.

"By how red his face got, I think he'd rather not be," Colin admitted. "Professor McGonagall is doing what she can to get his mail sorted before it's sent to him. Something about a censorship charm? She claims that she doesn't like to use it as it sometimes censors important things as well, but they're working on it. Harry mentioned something about getting a house elf to help. Someone he called Dobby?"

"Oh yeah, that's his personal elf. He'll be able to help get that sorted. Shame though, I rather like watching his face when he pulls out another pair of knickers."

Colin snorted. "You would."

"Speaking of knickers, I'm heading out to Apricity Lane after lunch today to see Pansy's shop. Want to join me?"

Colin turned away from his photos. "Are you sure that's wise? Didn't you say that the last time she basically refused to help you?"

"She did," Theo agreed. "But if I keep spending money in her shop, she's going to have to talk to me eventually."

"I suppose that makes sense," Colin agreed.

"So, I'm going after lunch. If Professor Lupin says it's all right, you can come with me. I could use someone else there."

"I'm not trying anything on," Colin said.

Theo laughed. "I wasn't going to ask you to, but now that you mention it…"

"No," Colin growled. "But yeah, I'll go with you. I'd love to ask Pansy if she wants to advertise in the Hogwarts Herald."

Theo hopped off of the desk. "Perfect! That will give me a legitimate excuse to be there. I'll let Professor Lupin know and see you at lunch."

He left Colin to go over the photos for the newspaper and hummed as he walked towards Lupin's office. Maybe Pansy would ignore him again and maybe she wouldn't, but he figured if he kept bugging her, she was bound to crack.

Besides, it was never too early to start Christmas shopping for Ginny or Luna, he thought. And bugging Pansy would definitely be fun.

~ ASC ~

Between classes, Quidditch practices three times a week, and working to get this Defence Unit off the ground, Harry was doing his best to keep his mind off of Ginny. But every morning, he was reminded all over again when inappropriate mail arrived for him. McGonagall's censorship charm had seemed like a good idea at the time, but it had only taken a few days for him to realize that it also censored some of his regular mail, like his Quidditch magazines.

Instead he asked Dobby to help him out and the elf had happily taken over the task. In the last two days, he hadn't received a single inappropriate piece of mail and he had never been so grateful in all of his life. He thanked Dobby and the elf only gave him an ugly smile and told him that he was appreciative for the job.

The lack of mail made him feel a bit better and helped him concentrate on other things. Zee was trying to help stop the gossip in the magazines and using her editor friend Danny Evangeline to do it, but now that he was seventeen they could publish what they wanted. He was no longer a minor who had protection over that, but seeing Zee's rage on his behalf made him smile. He loved how much she wanted to help.

Now that Dobby had helped him censor his mail, he was able to focus on the task he really wanted, the Defence Unit. After making sure each house was given information for sixth and seventh year students, he needed to start forming an actual plan. He spoke to McGonagall about it and not only did she fully support the idea, but told him that the school itself was built with a defence system that could be instigated in case of an emergency.

Harry had found that rather intriguing as she explained how any professor looking to protect the school had the power to bring it into play. She explained how if one was going to defend the school, she would want the students behind the school's natural defences to hold the line if necessary. Harry agreed whole heartedly. The last thing he wanted was for the students to be on the front lines.

The first week of classes had ended with Dumbledore's funeral that first Saturday morning. Harry had felt like he was moving in a daze as he took a seat in one of the chairs on the grounds and blinked around at all of the students who had come out to say goodbye to the great wizard. Order members were there, people from the Ministry, Merpeople, Vampires, Fae, Wolves, and so many people he couldn't even count them all.

Hagrid sobbed loudly throughout the entire ceremony and when Luna sat next to him with Hermione on his other side, both holding his hands, he felt steadier. Some part of him still had not entirely wrapped his head around the fact that Albus Dumbledore was gone.

McGonagall started off the ceremony by talking about her best friend and how Dumbledore had wished to be laid to rest on the Hogwarts grounds. His white tomb was built on the shores of the Black Lake and when McGonagall sat down, the ceremony official invited up others to make speeches. People like Newt Scamander, the Merchieftainess Murcus, Elphias Doge, and even his brother Aberforth stood up to speak about him. Harry noticed that even a few Centaurs came out of the Forbidden Forest to listen and to pay their respects.

When the ceremony official finished his eulogy, Dumbledore's body was encased in bright white flames, emitting smoke in strange patterns, until Harry swore he saw the form of a phoenix fly out of the blaze. His heart raced as the tomb was closed off and Luna rested her head against his shoulder. He clutched her hand, grateful to have her there as Hermione held his hand on the other side. When the funeral was over, he felt numb and cold, but for the first time since everything had happened, he truly realized that Dumbledore was gone.

Remus came to check on him and told him that Dumbledore's portrait had appeared in McGonagall's office, but there was no sign of him waking up yet. It seemed that when portraits were activated it sometimes took a while for the person inside of them to make an appearance. Remus urged him to come back to his room with him and they discussed the Defence Club and Harry thought his father was right, it was something that Dumbledore would have loved.

It only made Harry more determined to get it started.

Defence Club was set to start up again the third week of September and Remus agreed that sixth and seventh year students interested in joining the new Defence Unit, would work a second day separately from the rest of the club. They would meet twice a week, once for physical training, and once for magical training with the rest of the club. Harry was looking forward to the physical training more than anything as nothing made him sleep better than a good workout and falling asleep due to exhaustion far outweighed lying in bed and thinking about why Ginny still wasn't speaking to him.

Her eyes had met his at the funeral and the understanding he saw in them, had him wanting to reach for her. But to his surprise, she had reached him first. When the funeral had ended, she'd walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I know how much Dumbledore meant to you."

He'd nodded, grateful for her as he hugged her back, relishing in the floral scent of her hair. Her hug was the exact support he needed and he could literally feel the tension draining away when she held him. When she let go, she offered him a small smile before she took Luna's hand and led her away. It had been the exact support he needed.

Harry had been doing his best to give her the space she wanted, but it was so bloody hard. As soon as the news for the Defence Unit had come through, she was the first person he wanted to rush over to tell. Even though he told himself not to, he still took extra bacon at breakfast for her and filled his plate with extra chocolate pastries during dessert. When Ron told him that their dad was finally going home, he wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her tightly. When the awful letters and howlers came for her, he wanted to set them on fire so that she didn't have to hear them. He wanted to hold her close and assure her that everything would be all right.

But he did none of that.

Instead, he'd done what he could do and asked Dobby to silently take care of them for her. The elf had happily agreed to do so and Ginny was none the wiser that the reason they'd stopped was because of him, but Harry couldn't bear to watch her look so sad.

But he did have to deal with the amount of males who suddenly decided her ditching him meant that she was readily available.

"Look at them surrounding her like hawks," Harry grumbled, his eyes on the unknown Ravenclaw who was blatantly flirting with her in the Great Hall. "They won't let her alone. Always flirting and... did he just touch her arse? I'll kill him!"

Ron's eyes flashed. "Nah, he didn't or she would have hexed him by now, but he better take his eyes off of my sister's arse."

"She has a great arse," Seamus said. "Can't blame a bloke for looking."

At Harry's glare, he put his hands up.

"Kidding. Totally can blame him. He should be drawn and quartered."

When Harry didn't disagree, Seamus rolled his eyes eyes. "Tough crowd."

"I could try telling them that I turned straight for her and that we were dating to keep them at bay, but nobody will believe me," Theo offered before he glanced over at Harry and shrugged. "Now, people may believe we're dating if you want me to keep the girls at bay, but in exchange, I get to see you naked."

Harry rolled his eyes as Ron chortled. "Nah, all the girls think he's dreadful in bed because she broke it off with him."

"They obviously have never seen the outline in your trousers!" Theo laughed. "I'd be more than happy to set them straight."

"None of you are helping," Harry said flatly. "And aren't you dating Cornfoot?"

"Semantics," Theo said, shrugging. "And she's been meeting with Na'eemah again. Give her time, Harry. Trust me, you're not too big for her to handle."

Harry made a rude hand gesture as Seamus snorted, but Theo's words didn't make him feel any better.

He was glad that Ginny was talking to Na'eemah. It meant that she was dealing with whatever it was that she needed to deal with. But it still didn't bring him any closer to getting her back.

~ ASC ~

Greg was nervous. He was doing his best to stay hidden and inconspicuous. He was even using an Invisibility cloak that Yaxley had given him, but he was pretty sure he'd butchered the charm to muffle his footprints because he still felt like he was clomping around like an elephant. But so far, the wizard in question wasn't aware that he was being followed.

He didn't know why he had to follow him. He didn't know what he was looking for, but so far the wizard hadn't done anything remotely concerning. But Greg stayed behind him and watched him on his daily routine, heading to and from the Ministry and dealing with the shambles that the building had become since the Amethyst Inferno had torn through it. When the wizard went home each night, he reported back to Yaxley and Linus Lestrange the comings and goings of the wizard's day.

He knew better than to ask questions.

When his left arm began to burn, he glanced down at the Dark Mark a moment before sneaking another glance at his target and moving off. When he arrived at Avery Castle, he was relieved to see that he wasn't the only one being summoned.

Voldemort sat in his throne chair, long spindly fingers tapping on the arms of the chair as he waited for them to settle in around them. Greg shuffled to the side, standing in between Vince and Healer Pucey. Voldemort stared at them, his eerie red eyes roaming over each of them as if he was looking for something. When he finally spoke, Greg let out a slow breath, not realizing that he'd been holding it in.

"The attack on the Ministry wasn't as devastating as I had hoped. Aurors captured some of our targets before they could detonate the potions, but significant damage was still wrought and the Ministry is still in shambles," Voldemort declared, his eyes on his Death Eaters. "With the Ministry in disarray, our leaders deceased, and the DMLE still trying to organize themselves, we have an opportunity to move forward. Linus?"

Linus Lestrange cleared his throat. "The death of Bones and Scrimgeour means that there's no one to run the Ministry and with the Wizengamot and Ministry cabinet in shambles, we need to help guide the right person into power."

Greg's brow furrowed. He wasn't sure what they meant by that. Choosing who would be Ministry of Magic had to be voted in and he knew that no one was going to vote for the Dark Lord to rule them.

"Humphrey Himmler is the wisest choice," Yaxley declared. "He's in the right age bracket. He's been a devoted member of the Wizengamot for thirty years, and he's recently retired from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement where he worked as a Hit Wizard. He's always been fairly well liked and has always held pro-pureblood ideologies. He doesn't trust magical creatures and was against the admittance of them into the government, especially the fae. Young Goyle has been keeping an eye on him the last week and Linus and I think that he's the wisest choice to run for Minister."

Voldemort nodded, his wand tapping against his palm. "And his deputy?"

"Kendra Norton," Linus said. "Another devoted member of the Wizengamot. She's very outspoken against the addition of werewolves into the Ministry and was extremely supportive of Dolores Umbridge's superiority bills a few years back."

Voldemort looked intrigued by this as he continued to tap his wand against his palm. When he nodded, Yaxley bowed his head and moved back into his spot in the crowd.

"Corban, you and Wendall can handle that. You've both worked in the Ministry long enough to know the ins and outs. In the meantime, Linus, the chalice needs to be put somewhere for safe keeping."

"I had my son place it in the vault in his Parisian flat, my Lord," Linus said, bowing his head. "It will be safe there as no one as access outside of me, my two sons, and Bellatrix, of course."

Voldemort accepted his, turning to the room. "Well, it looks like you all have more important places to be then, don't you?"

The room quickly scattered, but Greg's heart sped up when the Dark Lord said his name.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"I want you to head down to the dungeon and take Woodrow with you. I think it's about time we have a more detailed chat with Miss Dolores Umbridge."

"My Lord?" Greg asked, confused on the why of it.

The mad woman had been imprisoned in Azkaban after forcibly being removed from Hogwarts for her crimes. When the breakout had happened, Greg had assumed she'd been one of the victims. But now he was starting to wonder with both her and Lockhart seemingly coming out of the woodwork, just who else the Dark Lord had kept hidden away after the mass breakout. It made a chill run down his spine.

"Woodrow will know what to ask of her," Voldemort continued. "And Goyle? When you're done, I want you back on guard duty."

"Yes, my Lord," he said, bowing his head.

He hurried from the room as quickly as he could without causing suspicion and glanced at his watch, hoping that Pansy had gone home to rest. The shop was a great success and she spent far more time on her feet than he felt she should, but with his newfound guard duty, he was barely home to see her. In the last two weeks he'd done nothing more than sleep beside her and to shag her. It seemed even late in her pregnancy, Pansy was still very randy.

Though he loved waking up in time to put his cheek over her large belly. Their baby was in there and the feel of him kicking or moving around amazed him. No matter what happened to him, he knew that Pansy was going to be a great mother. Their son would know how much his father had done to protect him and his mother. As Greg wondered not for the first time just what kind of trouble he had truly found himself in and whether or not he would make it through long enough to see his son even be born.

~ ASC ~

Ted watched his wife rub the lower back of Flora Carrow Rowle, worry in his eyes. Ever since they'd taken in the two boys from Hogwarts, it seemed that more and more young people had found their way to him and Andromeda. They never saw Snape, but the notes that he gave the young ones who arrived, amazed Ted.

He had no idea how Snape was getting them out.

But now, mid-September, he and Andromeda had a house full and four of their guests were due to give birth any time in the next few weeks which meant four babies would be added to that. They needed to find a place to keep them safe and he knew that Shoreditch couldn't be that place for much longer, especially once the babies arrived.

Malcolm Baddock and Graham Pritchard had immediately dived in to help Ted; from chores around the house, to assisting with the new house guests. They were so grateful to them that they wanted to help in any way they could to show their appreciation for taking them in. Remus and McGonagall sent them coursework to help them keep up on their studies, but Ted didn't know when they would actually be able to return to Hogwarts safely, considering that the world thought they were dead.

Then Graham's young wife had arrived, Shanae, and the boys had done what they could to help her. But now, they had a house full as the group included Flora Carrow Rowle, Aeliana Avery Ledbury, and Juliet Parks Lofthouse. And all four were hugely pregnant and due within the next few weeks.

Holden Ledbury's legs had been crushed during the attack on Hogwarts in June and he was now serving time in the Azkaban Crypt for being a Death Eater, leaving Aeliana stranded and abandoned. Xander Lofthouse was one of the other students from Hogwarts and he'd arrived two days after his wife, Juliet, along with his sister Marion, who was also very pregnant. He'd been quiet and hadn't said much once they'd removed his mark outside of giving them the message from Snape.

The six who had arrived were all eighteen or younger and all of them were terrified of Voldemort or his Death Eaters finding them. The more Ted spoke to them, the more he realized that they were more than just scared teens. They had been coaxed and bullied into these relationships, taken out of school, and their lives forever changed. Aeliana told them how worried Holden had been about his younger sister, Bridget, who had been married off to Abel Rowle, the older brother of Flora's husband, Caleb. The more Ted learned, the more he knew that they just weren't doing enough.

Flora, Aeliana, and Juliet hadn't had the Dark Mark cursed into their skin and when Ted remarked upon it, Aeliana explained how the Dark Lord believed they would be useful for other things once their children were born and that the Dark Mark wasn't for them. She explained how they'd been offended and yet relieved at the same time as everyone else had been gifted with his Mark. The term "gifted" bothered Ted even more and when he said as much to his wife, she merely buried her face in his chest and wept.

Ted knew that it was taking a toll on his wife. It was taking a toll on him, but how could they not help them? How could anyone sit back and let these young people be forced into doing things like this? They asked as many questions as they could, but most of them didn't want to talk. He knew that some of them had been badly abused, others merely ignored or deemed unworthy.

But all of them had been hurt in some way.

Xander Lofthouse was surprisingly the most talkative. He'd been quiet and withdrawn his first few days, but then he really seemed to open up. He told Ted all sorts of things about who the inner circle of Death Eaters were, how they organized, and who they wanted for missions. It seemed that of the missing Hogwarts students, only a few of them had been taken directly into the main circle of Death Eaters. Ted wrote down the names, making notes on everything Lofthouse told him in hopes that something would help.

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle had been admitted because of the role of their fathers in Voldemort's inner circle. They were both being used mostly for muscle, though it seemed that Goyle had been given special privileges by the Dark Lord. Ted wasn't sure what that meant, but Lofthouse told him that Goyle's wife, Pansy, had also taken the Dark Mark and that he suspected her lingerie shop was going to be a front for something. A front for what, Ted didn't know, and Lofthouse didn't know either. Crabbe Senior's wife, Loretta Cornhill, was very quiet, and once she'd become pregnant had banned her husband from their bedroom. She was living in a guest room in the dungeons where she insisted on staying until her child was born and Crabbe Senior didn't care enough to argue with her. Crabbe Junior's wife, Olivia Rowle, had also banned her husband from the bedroom and since Crabbe was being used for muscle, wasn't usually around much anyway.

Marcus Belby had been arrested by Aurors at Hogwarts in June. He had married Lofthouse's sister, Marion, who was with them now. Adrian Pucey was kept busy doing errands and short runs that often included stocking up on food and drink to reconnaissance missions. His father, Dominic, had been a well known healer at St Mungo's until he'd been fired for gross misconduct. He was in charge of checking in on the pregnant woman and dealing with injuries. The Dark Lord valued his skills over the others and Lofthouse suspected that this was why his son was given the tasks he was.

Siobhan Templeton Rowle, the older sister of Shanae Templeton Pritchard, had been married to a man three times her age, but apparently the eighteen-year-old-witch had more to offer. She was very gifted at Charms and Lofthouse told Ted that she'd helped ward more than one hiding place and the Dark Lord had given her a chest full of gold for her skills. Shanae seemed afraid of her sister, but Lofthouse didn't know why.

Scarlett Lympsham Avery, though almost fifteen, had also taken the Dark Mark eagerly. She begged to be put to use and from what Lofthouse understood had become an integral part of reconnaissance as well. The others were kept imprisoned and used by their husbands as nothing more than sex slaves until their children were to be born.

Hestia and Millicent were wives to Crouch and everyone knew exactly what kind of things he did to his wives. Ophelia had married Rabastan and was shared between her husband and his best friend. Ophelia had taken the Dark Mark willingly as well and from what Lofthouse could see, worshipped the ground her husband walked on. He considered her just as dangerous because of it. Isabella was left alone in Paris with a house elf who reported her every move to Bellatrix Lestrange. Cassius Warrington was the godson of Augustus Rookwood, who had recently passed from the injuries he sustained at Hogwarts. Warrington idolized his godfather and was very devoted to doing anything and everything needed to help the Dark Lord the way his godfather would have. Lastly, Selena Macnair Selwyn had been moved to Croatia and kept imprisoned in the huge mansion of the Selwyn Estate to be watched by house elves and a few of Greyback's prized wolves.

Ted was pleased to hear it accounted for every missing Hogwarts student, outside of Blaise and Draco, but considering Ted knew that they were safe, he didn't include them. He wrote down everything Lofthouse said, hoping that something from it could help his daughter and the other Aurors; hoping that something from it could help him come up with a plan to keep them safe. They needed to find a place for the ones who had come to them, but nowhere seemed quite right. They would have to go into full hiding and that was something that worried them as well.

Snape kept sending him lost souls, but he had no place to keep them. As it was, the three bedrooms were full and the cots he kept in the living room for the others had made Shoreditch a very crowded place to be.

He sighed when Andromeda finished checking on the young witches and finally curled into his side, her arm wrapping around his waist as she snuggled into his chest.

"Stop thinking so loud."

"What about you?"

Andromeda smiled. "I'm not thinking loud. I'm just contemplating what I should cook tomorrow. The more meals I have stored away, the less work it will be after."

Ted kissed her forehead. "We need to seriously discuss finding a place to move them, Dromeda. We have eight already and Merlin knows we don't have the room for them. Once those girls give birth… we need to keep them safe."

Andromeda kissed the centre of his chest. "I know. We need to get them somewhere safer. I was talking to Zee about it the other day and she suggested Grimmauld Place."

Ted wrinkled his nose. "It's not a bad choice… that place is more protected than anything else, but they would be trapped there. At least here we have an open area for them to go outside."

"There's a rooftop garden," Andromeda said. "It's not much, but at least they'll be able to get some fresh air."

Ted considered it for a moment before he nodded. "True. We'll talk to Zee about it tomorrow and see how serious she was about it. It might be a good option, but it would also mean relocating Order headquarters."

"When the babies come, the witches will need all the help that we can give them," Andromeda continued. "Most of them have never even held a baby before. They're still babies themselves."

Ted made a sound of agreement. They were still children and it amazed and saddened him to think of them having their own children within the next few weeks. "We'll take care of them, Dromeda."

Andromeda curled her fingertip around one of his chest hairs. "It will be practice for when our grandbaby comes in a few months."

Ted chuckled. "More than a few months, love. Dora only just told us."

"I know," Andromeda said. "But the thought of our baby having a baby… it's incredible, isn't it?"

"Amazing," he agreed. "I can't wait to be a grandpa."

"When did we get so old?"

Ted's lips curved. "Old? Who said anything about old? You're still as beautiful as the day I married you."

"Flatterer."

He slid his hand down her back, cupping her behind. "Still feels firm to me."

She smacked his arm and he grinned.

"I love you, Andromeda. I'd marry you again right now if you asked me."

Her eyes softened as she reached up to kiss him. She slid her hand down his chest and into his pyjama bottoms, a soft smile on her lips.

"Want to see if we can still have a honeymoon?"

When he pinned her beneath him, his lips on her neck, she purred. Ted knew that no matter what happened next, he would never regret a single moment of it as long as he was with her.

---

End Author's Notes:

Thanks to Liza from the Harry/Ginny Discord for coming up with BS magazine for me! You're a gem!

I'm really proud of my Ginny/Na'eemah scene so I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for reading and please review!