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.

313. The One With D and J

Author's Note:

I have been in a bit of writing funk lately. I blame January. It drags and then I drag and I procrastinate. It's a whole thing. But I also think my funk is coming because everyone keeps talking about the end of ASC and as I approach the final battle, it makes me sad and it makes feel a little overwhelmed. I have never written anything that's taken me this long to complete. I started this in February of 2018, started posting in May of 2018 and now we're into 2022 and it's still going and that's amazing, but it's also a lot. I may be taking a little posting break for a few weeks coming up soon. We'll see how the next little bit goes, but I will let you know when or if it happens. I need some time to motivate myself back into writing and to get my ass in gear. I'm only 9 official chapters ahead (though I have lots of unfinished and unofficial and undesignated scenes written — probably 4 chapters worth) and I like to be a lot more. My anxiety is kicking in. So, as I said, we shall see how it goes. But for now and for next week for sure, there is more to come.

As part of my procrastination on writing, I have been going back and re-reading and grammar editing my earlier chapters (even adding in the titles and bolding the names in the reviews) while updating my character charts and timeline. I am currently up to chapter 60 so if anyone is re-reading and they notice it, it isn't complete yet and it will probably take me a long time to do it, but I started it lol. It's helped keep me focused on ASC and yet procrastinating about writing ASC at the same time LOL. Updating my character charts, location charts, and timeline helps me and it's fun to go back and read how I started ASC as well.

Review and Comments: To Sam: Thank you! I am loving their friendship as well. Theo should feel special, but of course he would be the first one whom Ginny would tell. Theo can definitely be your bff lol. George would approve of the leg jokes, you're right. Thank you for liking Fred and Fiadh. Haha, you hate Snape so you approve of everything happening to him, noted lol. To briana_t: Thank you! They do make great partners and do have great Hidden Passions dates haha. Kane definitely likes Theo, this is true. To AQuickRead91: Sadly, this is one Christmas they won't forget anytime soon. To CorbanD17: The chapter wasn't posted late. If you read the last author's note I explained that due to the holiday I would be posting on that designated weekend to get back onto a regular schedule. As to Hinny, it will happen when it happens. Snape did make sure Ginny didn't die, but he still did a lot of bad things. I have George make a leg joke in this chapter, just wait.

To Skidattles: Ha, George would definitely say he can save money on shoes now lol. You think George and Moody have to have scenes together now? I will keep that in mind but no guarantees lol. Ha, I loved that you screamed "The Fae" when I said no one made the connection to the gold mist, thank you! I'm so glad you love Tonks and Bas' friendship. Thank you so much for saying you're loving the pacing between the changes in the relationship in comparison to Theo and Finn, I thought that was important as well, to show the differences. I'm glad Greg is alive too. I have a soft spot for him that appeared while writing that surprised me. I'm honoured that the chapter gave you chills when the OFB declared it was suicide to enter along with Voldemort's message. I agree on the Weasleys being in the hospital with Mr Weasley, it was a missed opportunity! Thank you so much and please, never stop these super long comments! I enjoy them so much!

To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! I am also glad that the twins and Angelina are alive. Harry, he does want to be the bait only because he thinks if he is, no one else will get hurt. He needs people to tell him this is a lie. I promise Kane will not be killed on this mission before he and Theo even become a thing. Thanks. To AnaGPotter: I don't think it makes you evil if you feel bad for Bellarosa. Her sister is very evil, much worse than she is, and it makes you sympathetic. Belladonna and Bellatrix make me want to puke when I'm writing them. Thanks for loving Bas' start there, he was definitely checking out Theo's butt lol. PS — Loved your tumblr asks, but sorry, I'll kill everyone before I tell you who lives and dies :D To Joyce Foesenek: Thank you! Ginny definitely noticed Sebastian's interest. It's a bit of a role reversal for Theo and Ginny now and it's fun to write. To Shivamrai2001: Thank you! Harry is becoming restless. As to Snape, I very much agree with him using his skills as a Potions master to make sure he has a handy little poison with him, but if you remember, he was at his house when he was taken and in his attempt to get away, didn't succeed in taking anything with him. I think he felt a false sense of security being in his own home. A mistake I am sure he is deeply regretting.

To katelyn453: Thank you! I agree that Harry being restless is good. We're starting to get there. Hinny will get there when they get there. To Fanfis01: Thank you! And yes, the plot does thicken between K and Theo. I have a rough idea of when the story will end, but it's not set in stone and no, I won't share it. To AmericanDesi: Ha, yes take a breath of relief, they all lived LOL. The thing with Yaxley, is everyone is suspicious of him, but he's never actually around when shit goes down. He's very sneaky. Don't worry, Sebastian's arrogance is well warranted and no, they will not underestimate anyone. To bruh99: Thank you so much for loving my Tonks and Kane friendship. Theo is so oblivious and it's so fun to write. Sebastian definitely ignored Ginny's question because he totally wanted to see Theo over the "accident" of activating the card LOL. I'm glad Fiadh is growing on you. Yes, Snape has done some good things. He helped get all of those teens away and made sure Hermione found the antidote for Ginny, but he's done a lot of bad things too. Thank you!

To Bellmel: Thank you! I'm so happy you may forgive me for killing Ted and Andromeda because I didn't kill George and Angelina or Greg lol. I appreciate that. I definitely gifted you with some Theo and Kane and I must say — there's A LOT of them coming up. Thank you so much for saying you "adore the intricate plots" I've "developed in this fic, and the way things are playing out with the Brambilla sisters, and Bas' man on the side." I'm honoured you think it's both intriguing and amazing! Thank you! We will learn more Emilio/Joseph but it won't be in the next few chapters I'm afraid. To PurpleLotus: Thank you very much! To Sumsugar: Thank you for saying my vision and writing enthrals you. Yes, I know you would think with over 300 chapters it would fee inished, but sadly not. I'm sorry waiting week to week is hard, but thank you. A fellow Ontarian! Even better! Yes, Cobra Chickens are the devil lol. I know, I always forget about the pets. I will try to add them in soon. Thank you! To Grouchbear: It does take a lot for someone to stand up to Riddle at the height of his powers, Snape deserves that praise. Thank you. As to Greg, he is alive, but in a coma. Thank you.

To darkhk: How many characters… none lol. Why do you always review first? It's so confusing lol. To Katie2001: Thank you! It's always nice to know people can't wait for the next chapter. To the Mandalorian terminator: Thank you! It will take George some time to deal with the loss of his leg, it's true. Angelina will recover, but she also has a long road ahead of her. Thank you for thinking my version of Snape has been so interesting as a spy, I wanted to make it so. I'm sorry to hear you've tested positive for covid, stay home and stay safe. To Guest: Thank you! That's so nice to hear that you count down until a new chapter is released. You're too kind! To Wolf's scream: Yes, Bellarosa isn't exactly innocent, but in comparison to her sister, she's a downright angel. Tonks is doing pretty well. She's still sad of course, but she knows her parents wouldn't want to her wallow. But grief comes and goes. Ginny didn't call out Theo on calling Kane 'Bas' because she knows this already. Yes, it is a very good thing that Snape doesn't actually know where the fugitives are. Thank you! To R: Thank you. You think Snape will be saved in the raid? We'll have to see.

To scrappy8: Thank you! Ginny and Theo are always awesome and yes, poor George. To Guest: Thank you! It's interesting to see the mixed reviews on Snape being tortured. Thank you for loving the dialog between Ginny and Theo and the Tonks and Kane friendship. To Shivani: I hope Greg recovers too! D and J are Sebastian's two MIA Aurors and we will see them in this chapter. We will see Kane's thoughts on Mr October, but unfortunately that will be in the next chapter (not this one). Sebastian was definitely checking out Theo's arse. Harry and Ron have definitely already started with the jokes lol. Nope, Snape's death is not going to be quick, not quick at all. (Unless he's saved). To loveurficscath: You're welcome for not killing Fred, George, or Angie. Thank you very much. Hinny will do it when the time is right. Thanks for loving my Theobas, I love them very much! To Slaidback: Thank you! I do think ASC is Harry Potter where the adults have common sense lol. To GODMISHA: Haha, I accept that. Thank you! Who are the top 5 most brilliant people in ASC? Like at Hogwarts or overall? At Hogwarts: 1) Hermione 2) Theo 3) Anthony Goldstein 4) Draco (when he was still there) and 5) Padma Patil. Overall would be: 1) Dumbledore 2) McGonagall 3) Sebastian… then I have no idea.

To Dianne: I love the surprise that I didn't kill any of them (but I suppose I deserve that) LOL. Was it temporary so I can kill them in the final battle? Well, that still remains to be seen, doesn't it? Fiadh did run in to save George and Angelina as much as Fred, yes. Sebastian wasn't jealous of Ginny and Theo holding hands, he was more just being Sebastian lol. Theo definitely has the worst gaydar ever. Ha, I'm glad you almost threw your phone down, thinking that I was going to kill Zee and Misha haha. I love knowing I can keep you on the edge of your seat. Harry did need that moment of assurance from Remus. Voldemort… does he really have feelings or is it all a ploy? He is pissed off at Snape, but I don't know if he truly understands what it means to be betrayed. Haha, the emphasis on immediate made me laugh. Thank you as always for those long and wonderful reviews!

To sunlitdxys: Poor Fred, can't imagine a world where his twin wasn't in it, this is true and no I won't answer that lol. Crouch does need to go and he will. To alix33: Thank you. It is sad about the shop, but Fred and George will rebuild. To Mutt N Feathers: Thank you. It's nice to know that I can make you feel sorry for Snape. To LilyBlack18: Thank you for loving what I made of Snape in this story. You hope he will be rescued before he can die like that? We'll see. To Nightwing2013: The tension is palpable between them, isn't it? I had you for a few minutes in Diagon Alley? Good, then my job here is done. Sorry, no meeting with the Weasley family just yet for Fiadh. Hermione would definitely find the WWII reference and yes, poor Snape. Thank you! To puttyman24: Thank you. I'm glad you're relieved to know Fred, George, and Angelina are okay. Yes, poor Snape, and yes, Harry has invited the Weasleys over for Christmas. To pix25: Thank you!

To ellyann13: Thank you! I am really enjoying your very long reviews as you reread, please keep them up! Is Kane grooming Tonks for the MIA or KofA? No, but he really likes her and how she works and since she's stuck on desk duty, he spends a lot of time with her. He does trust her and they've become very good friends. Yes, Kane's spy is willing to do whatever is necessary. The wren will be discreet, don't worry. Yes, Greg is alive and yes, they still need to figure out the curse. They have a lot of people on it. Will it be three MIA or 3 KofA? Well, that will depend… Tonks is definitely giving Sebastian a copy of the calendar lol. Theo definitely has a type and Theo is in deep denial. Fiadh did show up just in time to help and yes, the simple request isn't really so simple when those are the consequences. Yes, who will be the new Minister? Will K and his team be able to rescue Snape? We'll see. Thanks!

To nottthatchhavi: Thank you! It is sad that George lost a leg, but he's alive and that's what really matters. Greg is in a coma, but yes, he is alive. Thanks for finding the Brambilla sisters storyline interesting. I knew that you would love the conversation between Theo and Ginny. Theo really has zero boundaries lol. As to the fantasy shower… we'll see. To Derpdude32: You're praying for Snape to make it out alive? Interesting. To Bluerain22: Ha, I'm glad to hear you weren't laughing at Greg bleeding out (relieved). He's in a coma, but he's alive. Yes, that was exactly what I was going for that awkward calling your crush kind of moment. Thank you! To Felicity: Thank you! Nope, I didn't kill anyone and everyone is so surprised haha. Ginny is definitely enjoying teasing Theo over Sebastian. It would have been funny if she'd asked K for a card just to see his reaction lol. To ITHersey: Thank you! It's true, no one, not even Snape, deserves to be left in Barty's hands. The twin comment could have been a jab at the books or foreshadowing… wait and see. Thank you! Yes, the Theo, Sebastian, and Ginny scene was definitely a "OMG just shut up and fuck already" kind of energy lol. Thank you!

To Sloopyqueen4: Ha, well reading at midnight is your own fault lol. Happy to know you enjoyed it though despite the sadness and gore instead of fluff lol. To jennyalexa.1995alex: Thank you! Yes, poor Snape. And ha, I promise Theo and Sebastian will get together before they are old men lol. To 1Potterhead: Thank you! Mina and Leo's birthday will be mentioned in passing. Sorry, I don't have a lot to say on a one-year-old-birthday. Aydin just turned one on the first of December, yes, and same thing. It is easy to skip over birthdays. I do sometimes and sometimes I bring them up. Thanks for worrying about Greg (a lot of people forgot about him), but yes, George and Angelina as well. I'm so glad so many people are shipping Theo and Kane and loving Tonks calling K her work husband. Thank you very much! To Person: Thank you! We will see more of Sebastian and Theo coming up. A lot more. To BadWolfKris: Thank you!

To JUSTMEHERE: I am sorry that you feel Ginny isn't worth Harry, she totally is. Everyone is focusing on the part where she dumped him, but the part that makes their relationship so great is the fact that Harry understood her reasons for it. They have both undergone a great deal of trauma and the potion was traumatizing for Ginny just as much as Harry. She needed that break for herself and so that she could find her way back to Harry. Harry needed the break too. He was so worried about her that he couldn't focus on the trauma that she was dealing with and the break allowed them both to do that, to bring them closer together. I don't think Ginny is taking advantage of Harry's wealth either. He hasn't bought her anything expensive outside of the broom (which technically Sirius bought). He wants them to live in a house he inherited and didn't buy. He's not paying for everything. I also don't think their relationship is going too slow. It may seem that way because they've been together for a long time, but Ginny is only sixteen and Harry seventeen. Outside of Neville, everyone in Harry's dorm is older, by almost a year, almost two in Hermione's case. That does need to be taken into consideration. Thank you for loving my story despite your negative thoughts on Ginny. I hope I don't disappoint.

To Ellieoryan7447: I love that you gift me with two reviews. It makes me feel very special. Thank you for finding the bit with Bellarosa and Belladonna completely fascinating. They both are definitely not good people lol. K does know what he's doing, but yes, a three Auror team does sound risky. Theo does just know and Ginny is like wait, no, haha. Yes, Theo is definitely fancy-able. I don't think he's in denial about how it would be possible for Kane to like him it's more he cannot believe Kane is gay and therefore could be attracted to him lol. Harry James Potter likes Quidditch and boobs, omg, I just killed myself reading that statement. Accurate, but lmao! Theo and Harry definitely make great friends. Yes, Ginny calling him Auror Arsehole to his face was definitely so Ginny. She's onto him. Zee definitely went into mom mode when she realized it was WWW that had blown up and the twins were inside. We will see more of Fiadh and as to me killing Fred… (walks away and whistles). Remus does know his son well and needed to make sure he understood and see logic. Charlie was definitely telling Harry not to be stupid. Sorry that I made you feel bad for Snape LOL. Thank you!

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 THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN:

The One With D and J

George woke up slowly. He felt like his eyes were stuck with a sticking charm that he couldn't quite break. When he finally managed to open them, they felt heavy, as did his body. He took in the tired face of his father under the bright lights.

"Dad?"

Arthur jolted from his half doze and leaned forward to cup George's cheek. "Hi, son. How are you feeling?"

"Tired," George said. "Where am I?"

"St Mungo's," Arthur whispered. "You were in a fire, George."

George blinked. "Ange?"

"She's hurt, but she's okay," Arthur said. "She's in the bed right over there."

"Sleepy," George mumbled before he drifted off again.

He woke an hour later, feeling more alert and wincing at the sharp pain that stabbed him like tiny pricks on his left leg. This time he was looking at his twin.

"Freddie?"

"Hey, Georgie " Fred said, taking his brother's hand. "How you feeling? Because you look like hell."

George smirked. "Bet I'm still better looking than you."

"Liar."

George chuckled and then winced. "Ow, don't make me laugh."

"Sorry," Fred said, leaning in and pressing his forehead against his brother's. "Don't you ever scare me like that again. One twin is unacceptable. Clear?"

"Clear," George said.

Fred kissed his forehead before he leaned back.

"How's Angie?"

"She's okay," Fred said. "Broken pelvis and a broken hip. There are some burns on her side, but she's alive"

George shifted. "My leg hurts."

Fred frowned. "Your leg?"

George nodded, reaching down to touch it and he froze when his hand came to nothing under his knee.

"They took it, George."

"They… what?"

"It was too badly mangled," Fred whispered. "Between the burns and the way you hit it, you severed too many arteries and the burns… they had to take it, George."

George stared down at the bandage up to his knee and the empty space where his leg was. He didn't speak, he just kept moving his hand over the empty space as if trying to feel for the leg that was no longer there.

"George," Fred said quietly. "Say something."

George's eyes met his. "I can't. I'm stumped."

Fred's eyes widened before he let out a small chuckle. "Really? That's the best you can come up with?"

"I'm high on pain potions," he muttered. "Give me time."

Fred nodded. "Mum and Dad went home to shower and change, but they'll be back soon."

"Ange's parents?"

"Went to the cafeteria for some food. They've been here all night, too."

George nodded. "I want to see her."

"Georgie, you have to stay in bed."

He swore when his brother attempted to get up, almost falling over.

"Let me get a chair then," Fred said, grabbing the wheelchair from the corner and helping his brother sit down as he hopped into it.

The chair moved over to Angelina's bed on the other side of the room of its own accord. George took her in, his eyes wide. Her beautiful dark skin was marred all down one side with dark burns in ugly red and purple.

"How far do they go?" he whispered.

"Almost down to her knee," Fred said.

George gripped her hand, kissing her fingers. She stirred, her brown eyes opening.

"George."

"Hey, Ange. How you feeling, love?"

"Tired," she said. "What happened? There was a fire…"

"Voldemort had his Death Eaters set fire to the shops who wouldn't cooperate with him," Fred said, causing Angelina to notice he was there. "We weren't the only ones. Fiadh got you out."

"Remind me to thank her," she said, her eyes closing.

George kissed her fingers. "Ange, your pelvis is broken and your hip. The healers are…"

"Can I fly?" she asked, her eyes opening slowly to stare at him.

George swallowed. "I don't know."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Are you okay? Why are you hurt?"

"Because he went in after you after the building caught fire," Fred said.

Angelina's eyes widened. "George… what were you thinking?"

"That I couldn't lose you," George said. "I love you, Angelina. I can't lose you. Besides, I already lost my leg, I can't lose my heart too."

"You lost your leg?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, guess we can play pirate in the bedroom now. I'll even get an eye patch!"

Angelina glared at him. "And this is how you tell me? You're a complete prat, George Weasley!"

George kissed her fingers again. "Completely, but I'm your prat, Ange."

Her eyes softened. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"And George?" When his eyes met hers, she smiled. "We can only play pirates if I get to wear the hat and the eye patch."

George's eyes twinkled. "You are fucking perfect, do you know that?"

Fred made a gagging noise just as Mr and Mrs Johnson came back in.

"Angelina!" Mrs Johnson exclaimed, rushing over to her daughter. "Oh, baby, you're awake!"

Angelina smiled as her mother hugged her and tutted over her. Fred urged George back to his own bed to lie down. They had just settled when Angelina's voice carried across the room.

"How bad is it, Mum? What aren't you telling me?"

Mrs Johnson pulled a mirror from her purse to show her daughter the burns on the side of her body and Angelina gasped.

"Mum!"

"I know, baby, I know."

Angelina let her mother wrap her up in her arms as she cried and George's eyes met his brother's.

"She's going to be okay, right?"

"Yeah," Fred assured him. "She'll be okay."

George closed his eyes, feeling tired again. "The shop?"

Fred shook his head. "I haven't been to check. The OFB said we can't go inside until they declare it safe to do so and with the holidays, it might take a bit longer. The fire damaged a lot, George. We're going to be starting over."

"We can do that," George said. "We can start over. We did it once before, Fred."

Fred nodded, a smile on his lips. "Yeah, we did. Get some rest, brother. When Mum realizes you're awake, prepare to be coddled."

George snorted and leaned back against his pillows. "Tell her my leg joke."

Fred grinned and leaned back in the chair. "I always knew I was the funnier twin and you just confirmed it."

George let his eyes drift close to the sound of Fred's teasing and thought he was a damn happy to be alive. Even if it meant having to deal with Fred's antics. They would rebuild the shop and they would start over. He and Angelina were alive and nothing else mattered.

~ ASC ~

Harry woke up on Christmas morning to the feel of tiny hands pressing against his cheeks. He attempted to burrow under the blankets and ignore it, but small bodies were now crawling all over him.

"Ah-e! Ah-e!"

Harry opened one eye and saw a blurry figures of two tiny humans crawling all over him.

He groaned.

"It is Christmas morning, Harry," Zee said in amusement from the doorway.

Harry blinked at her blurred outline. "I'm up."

"Good," she said. "You can bring Mina and Leo downstairs with you."

Harry held onto Mina when he moved towards the edge of his bed and fumbled for his glasses. He took a baby in each arm and carried them into the bathroom with him, closing the door to prevent them from escaping. He attempted to wash his face and clean his teeth, but it took him three times as long because he kept having to stop them from playing in the toilet, crawling into the shower, and pulling the tissue from the roll. How could two small humans have so many limbs? When he finished, he scooped them both up again and carried them downstairs.

"I'll be right back. It's impossible to take a piss without them wandering off."

"Welcome to my life, Harry," Zee said, scooping up Mina before she could make a beeline for the kitchen.

Harry left Mina and Leo with her while he hurried upstairs to relieve himself and came down a moment later. He was surprised to find McGonagall sitting in the living room.

"Good morning, Professor."

McGonagall smiled. "Good morning, Harry. Granny couldn't miss their first Christmas."

It was only another ten minutes before the living room was full of Misha, Sorcha, Colt, Flo, Remus, and Tonks as well. There was laughter as Mina and Leo played with the boxes and attempted to eat the paper. They were spoiled rotten by the grandparents in the room. There were endless new outfits and new toys, but the twins were more interested in the packaging.

Harry opened some new clothes himself and some new toiletries from Zee. Misha and Sorcha gave him some Auror training books. Colt and Flo, a southern cooking book and some new shirts. Remus and Tonks gave him supplies for his broomstick servicing kit along with a gift certificate to have his broom professionally manicured.

Harry gave Remus and Tonks a onesie he'd had made at Pint-Sized Things, the baby store in Hogsmeade, that read 'The Lupin Remix' along with matching shirts for Remus and Tonks that said, Original Lupin and Married A Lupin. It made them laugh, which he enjoyed. He also bought Remus two new novels he knew that he'd enjoy and for Tonks, concert tickets to see the Weird Sisters in February. For Zee, he bought her a day at the Witch's Spa again along with a reading box subscription from Café Book in Apricity Lane that sent her two new romance novels every month. She kissed his cheek in thanks.

Padfoot was elated to find treats for him and Lady Godiva was given a treat as well, which she only looked at cooly, as if she felt she was too cool to accept it. Harry had a gift for Mina and Leo but he told Zee that he was saving it for later as it was from Ginny too.

Grandparents watched Mina and Leo happily as Harry and Zee headed upstairs to shower and dress. They came down in time to see McGonagall giving Mina and Leo breakfast as Flo whipped up breakfast hash for everyone. Harry moved into the sunroom to call Ginny on the mirror. When she didn't answer, he called Ron.

"Hey. Ginny's in the shower."

"Maybe I wanted to talk to you."

"Sure you did," Ron said. "But I know she was your first choice."

"She's better looking."

"I'll give you that," Ron admitted. "But my arse is better."

Harry rolled his eyes and decided not to comment. "How are George and Angelina?"

"Awake," Ron said. "Mum and Dad came home to shower and change. The healers want them to stay a few days to make sure that George doesn't have any infection from taking his leg. His burns need to be tended to every few hours and he has to be monitored for fever. Angelina has to stay longer. They can't give her Skele-gro until they deal with the burns and hers are a bit more extensive than George's."

"Does she know how bad?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, Mum said her parents told her this morning. George refuses to stay on his side of the room and keeps getting wheelchairs to go over and sit with her."

"What about the Bats?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't know. Fred said that Mrs Johnson called her captain to let her know, but I haven't heard anything else. Ugh, Harry, I gotta go, Ginny finally came out of the bathroom!"

"Hi, Harry!" Hermione said, appearing in front of the mirror. "Ignore Ron. Ginny's barely been in there twenty minutes."

"Yeah, but Theo was in there before her!" Ron bellowed.

Hermione smiled. "Theo did take a long time. Harry, Mrs Weasley asked me to ask you what she can bring later? She seemed very grateful and flustered by the sudden change of plans."

"Nothing, Hermione," Harry said. "Just show up."

"I think that she has some food she was planning to cook today and will probably bring it over."

Harry chuckled. "That's fine, too. You doing okay?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "I miss my parents, but the Burrow has always felt like home."

"Yeah, it does," Harry agreed.

"You doing okay?" Hermione asked. "First Christmas without the Tonkses can't be easy."

Harry shrugged. "I'm getting by. Thanks for asking."

Hermione nodded and promised to see him in a few hours and he tucked the mirror into his pocket before heading into the kitchen for breakfast. When they arrived at Clevedon Court a little while later, Dobby was ecstatic.

Kreacher insisted on coming to help out and both elves were scandalized at the idea that they wouldn't be cooking the big Christmas meal. There were a lot of arguments, but finally they conceded that it was acceptable. But they would be cleaning every step of the way.

They had barely settled into the living room before Zee, Sorcha, Flo, and Harry moved into the kitchen to cook. Mina and Leo stayed with Colt, Misha, Remus, and Tonks. McGonagall had to return to Hogwarts for the holiday feast.

Zee and Sorcha were working on the turkey while Flo started on the ham. Sorcha was also making a stuffed goose. Flo insisted that ham was necessary for their dinner as it was Colt's favourite. Harry got to work peeling potatoes, finding it oddly comforting to be back in the kitchen. He was peeling and chopping carrots when Ginny came in a little while later. She immediately moved to help out Harry cutting up carrots before Flo started showing Ginny how she made butternut squash.

There was chatter about this and that and talk soon turned to the attacks in Diagon Alley. Five other people had been badly injured in the fires and one person had died. No one knew what to make of it.

Once they had dinner cooking, they headed into the living room to settle themselves. Harry smiled at the sight of Aydin, Mina, and Leo playing on the floor. Charlie was sprawled out next to them building a block tower. Percy and Audrey were sitting on the love seat talking to Colt about their jobs at the Ministry. Misha was talking to Remus and Tonks about retiring from the Russian Ministry and taking on his new job at the MIA.

"Are you going to be part of the Cloak and Daggers?" Tonks asked.

Misha chuckled. "That is not real."

Tonks pouted. "It is though! I swear K is a Knight of the Auror!"

Misha shook his head. "That is a myth that has been around for centuries. The Magical Intelligence Agency trains highly classified Aurors in special operations involving international policing and intelligence. They aren't a secret organization."

"My work husband is very good at his job, but he is a K of A. I just know it!" Tonks insisted. "And besides, even if it was true, you couldn't tell me, right?"

Misha smirked and poured himself a shot of vodka. "Da."

"Work husband?" Ginny asked in amusement. "Is that what we're calling Auror Arsehole now?"

Tonks cackled. "Oh, he was in a dither over that! He came back asking if we really thought that he was an arsehole."

Theo's lips curved. "I stand by my name. Do you work with Bas often?"

"Every day," Tonks said. "Now that I'm on desk duty we've been combing over old Death Eater files and making connections. We've even solved some cold cases. Not to mention our daily Hidden Passions date."

"Hidden Passions?" Ginny asked. "The soap opera?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Man, Mum loves that show. She used to kick us all outside for an hour every day just so she could listen in peace."

"My mum loves — loved it too," Tonks said, swallowing. When Remus squeezed her hand, she gave him a grateful look. "Sebastian loves it."

Theo goggled at her. "Excuse me? Did you just say that Auror Arsehole loves Hidden Passions?"

"Can I just say how much I love that you call him that? It gets his back up. He says that I can't call him that though," Tonks said. "I asked."

Misha frowned. "Voo is this Auror Arsehole?"

"Sebastian Kane," Tonks said. "He and Theo seem to butt heads."

"It's not that we butt heads," Theo interjected. "It's that he treats me like a never-ending witness! He asks me a million and one questions every week and gets annoyed when I tell him I don't know anything."

"Are you talking about Sebastian Kane, the MIA Auror voo vas awarded the Vand of Valour last year for his actions in Kuvait?"

Tonks frowned. "Maybe? He does work for the MIA. He was asked to run a team in the DMLE to help us in stopping Voldemort. He's only twenty-one."

Misha nodded. "That vould be him. I've been reading his file along vith the two other Aurors he vorks closely vith. They are a vell known three member team that has done some truly extraordinary vork. Kane has done some very impressive vork just on his own. One of the best for someone so young. I met him briefly in Moscow two years ago. He attended a seminar vith his boyfriend… vhat vas his name? Mark? Clark? It doesn't matter. He vas a specialist in criminal behaviour and Kane came along for the seminar he vas giving to my department. Ve spoke then about his vork. Of course, I didn't know that he vas part of the MIA until I received his file a few veeks ago, but I did know that he vas an Auror."

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Theo asked, his glass of wine halfway to his lips.

"I said I knew that he vas an Auror," Misha repeated.

Ginny smirked. "No, I think Theo was narrowing in on the word boyfriend, Papa."

Theo cleared his throat. "I wasn't… that's not… he's not gay."

Tonks lifted an eyebrow. "Sebastian? Please. He keeps it close to the vest, but he's had a hard-on for you from the beginning. Nat and I like to keep track of how many times he checks the clock after the Wizengamot session starts. It doesn't matter what he's doing, he has to be downstairs when the session gets out. The days he misses you or you don't attend session, he comes back even more crotchety than usual."

Theo opened his mouth to protest this before he promptly closed it again. "I… I think you've got it wrong. Bas doesn't even want to be my friend."

"Tonks, does K give cards out to people when you talk with them? You know, like contact information in case they remember something?" Ginny asked.

"Of course," Tonks said. "Just the standard departmental card with the DMLE information on it. Why?"

Ginny's lips curved as she looked over at Theo. "Interesting."

Theo downed his wine in one gulp and stood up. "So, Mr Zacarias, you're moving to England? What made you decide to do that?"

Ginny exchanged a look with Harry as Dobby ushered Bill, Fleur, Molly, and Arthur into the living room. Harry stood up to hug Molly, thanking her for coming and when she told him that she'd baked him a treacle tart, he kissed her cheek, passing it to Dobby to bring into the kitchen.

Everyone asked about George and Angelina and everyone was relieved to hear that they would be all right, but they had to heal. Fred was coming by later on, but didn't want to leave the hospital just yet. Dinner was a loud and noisy affair, but Harry thought that it was perfect. He couldn't remember the last time they'd all came together to eat and feast like this. Certainly not with Zee's family included and certainly not in the last few years. It was nice and it was comforting.

Fred showed up as dessert was being served and Dobby immediately jumped up to make him a plate of food. After dinner, Harry pulled out the gifts for the twins. They had ordered them each a toddler motorbike and Zee's eyes widened.

"Harry…"

"Aw, come on, Zee! They'll love it."

Mina giggled when Harry put her on hers, but Leo didn't seem interested in his. Instead he took more delight in chasing after Mina as Harry helped steer her around the room. The motorbike made engine sounds and had a horn to honk. Harry had even used a levitation charm on it to get it to float a few inches off of the ground. He thought it was perfect.

For Aydin, they had found her a dragon. She could sit on the dragon's back and the wings would come up around her before it rocked back and forth, giving the illusion of flying. She squealed in delight.

It was after nine when everyone began to head home. Charlie left with Aydin to put her to bed and Zee, Misha, and Sorcha left to get Mina and Leo to bed. Molly and Arthur were heading back to St Mungo's to check on George before going home for the night. Colt and Flo headed home before Percy and Audrey took off, then Bill and Fleur, then Remus and Tonks. Fred nursed his whisky, his eyes on the amber liquid in his glass.

"What was Fiadh doing today?" Ginny asked. "I thought maybe she would come by after everything."

Fred shrugged. "Not sure. Family stuff, I suppose."

"Zee said that she saved you."

"She got the three of us out," Fred said.

When he didn't elaborate, Ron cleared his throat. "How's the shop?"

Fred shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't been to look yet. The fire was pretty bad."

"Your inventory?" Hermione asked. "Were you storing it all there?"

Fred shook his head. "No. Thankfully we do have a lot at George and Angelina's place, but the bulk of it was at the shop. It will take some time before we can reopen and even then… George is going to be recovering for a while and then we'll have to redo a great deal of our stock. It's going to be months."

Ron nodded. "I'll help. Harry will too. On the weekends we can scrap the shop and repaint or rebuild whatever needs to be done."

"Definitely," Harry said. "Whatever you need, Fred."

Fred gave them a grateful look, rubbing his hands over his face. "Thanks. When I know, I'll let you know. The OFB says that we can't even get back inside until they finish investigating. It could take a while, especially with the holiday."

"Whenever," Harry said.

Theo stretched his arms up over his head. "So, Harry, now that it's just a handful of us, how about a tour of this place?"

"What?"

"Show us around," Theo said. "I'd love to see more of the infamous Somerset estate."

"Oh, right, sure," Harry said standing up. "You've seen all of the main floor already. I have a small pitch out back and stables for the horses. Upstairs is just bedrooms, some storage, and my grandparents' potions room and a mini greenhouse."

"I was thinking more along the lines of the fantasy shower," Theo said.

Harry's cheeks heated. "I don't know what you mean."

Theo linked his arm with his. "Come on, show me."

"What's a fantasy shower?" Fred asked, his eyebrow quirking. "That sounds incredibly mysterious."

"It's nothing," Harry said quickly. "It's just the shower in the master bedroom that I had redone, but Theo makes everything so extra."

Theo winked at him. "Let's see it."

"I don't think that's necessary," Harry said. "How about I show you the wine cellar instead?"

Fred agreed to that and Harry led the four of them downstairs to show them the cellar. Fred, Ron, and Hermione moved off to look at some wine and Hermione turned to ask Ginny something so Harry grabbed Theo's hand, yanking him over to him.

"You said that you wouldn't tell anyone about that," Harry whispered.

"I didn't," Theo whispered back. "But I am intrigued and would like to see this lovely shower bench that makes you imagine eating your girlfriend out for hours on it."

"I didn't say hours," Harry hissed.

Theo smirked. "You didn't have to." He moved around to examine a bottle of red wine before he dropped his voice again. "I can get them all out of here and give you a chance to fulfil that fantasy, if you'd like…"

Harry's cock hardened at the thought and Theo's lips curved. He had no idea what Theo said or how he did it, but ten minutes later, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and Theo had all left and Harry found himself standing alone in the entrance way of Clevedon Court with Ginny.

Ginny linked her fingers through his. "I should probably head home as well."

Harry tugged her close. "Stay for a bit. I didn't give you your gift yet."

Ginny smiled. "I was starting to think you forgot."

Harry shook his head. Ginny had given him a new jumper for Christmas with Longhorn's number and name on the back along with a photo of Harry and Longhorn dancing together from Slughorn's party. He'd blushed at the memory and Remus, Tonks, and Zee had proceeded to tease him when Ginny told the story of how he'd drooled a little upon meeting Lexie Longhorn.

Harry took her hand in his and led her upstairs. He gave her one look before he pushed open the double doors leading into the master bedroom suite. He had taken her advice and kept the warm neutral tones of the room and the warmth of the wood for inspiration. The elves had done an amazing job.

"It's beautiful," she told him. "Blimey, I love that balcony!"

Harry let her lead him across the room, opening the French glass doors to lead her out onto it. "The best part is that it's charmed to be the right temperature no matter what the weather. So, we can sit out here no matter what the season."

"It's beautiful," Ginny repeated. "It's an amazing view. The thought of…"

"Of what?" he asked, still holding her hand in his.

"The thought of living here one day is just… I mean, do you really want me to?"

"I want to live here," he told her, looking out at the view of the large back garden. "I want to make this place mean something for the Potters again. I want to wake up here, to kiss you good morning, to play Quidditch in the back, and go for a horseback ride. I want a future here and sometimes… I think about that future and I'm terrified that I won't ever get a chance to have it."

Ginny turned to look at him. "You will get a future, Harry. I won't have you thinking you won't."

"You were there, Ginny. You know what Charlie said about what Voldemort… how can I just ignore that?" Harry asked, his arms coming around her waist to rest on the small of her back.

"He's trying to draw you out, Harry."

"Well, it's working," he whispered. "I can't help but think if I had been there… if I had just shown myself, maybe everyone wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Harry," Ginny said, her thumb brushing across his cheek. "I don't know why you seem to think all of this weighs on your shoulders. You are not responsible for any of it. Whether you were there or not, people were going to get hurt. Their livelihoods were going to be effected. Tom is… he wants what he wants and wanting you is only part of that endgame."

Harry knew that she was right, but knowing it and feeling it were two different things. Ginny stood on her toes to kiss him. Harry held her close, feeling comforted by her lips against his. She pecked him once more before tilting her head back to look into his eyes.

"Now, where's this present you promised me?"

Harry chuckled. "I don't understand how you can be so adamant about not getting gifts and then at Christmas and your birthday be so demanding for them."

"Gimme," she teased.

Harry kissed the tip of her nose before he led her off of the balcony and back into the bedroom. Three wrapped boxes sat in the middle of the large bed. Ginny hopped onto the bed, eagerly unwrapping the biggest box first. When she opened the first box, she goggled.

Inside were six of his jumpers, two Gryffindor ones, one Quidditch one, one Pride of Portree, and one from Georgia that was too small now. Ginny lifted one up to her chest and held it close.

"You're giving me your jumpers?"

"Some of them," he said, gently brushing her hair back behind her ear. "To help your collection along."

"I love you," Ginny said, dropping the jumper in the box and tugging him close by his shirt to kiss him. "It's perfect."

"I'm glad," he said, gesturing to the second box.

The second box had two gift certificates inside, one to to the Witch's Spa and another to the Glass Slipper.

"I got the same for Theo," Harry began. "I thought maybe the two of you could go together, make a day of it."

"Harry, this is the most thoughtful… thank you."

"There's still one more," he said when she kissed him.

"It's too much already."

"Nah," Harry said. "Besides, you were saving the best for last."

Ginny bit her bottom lip before she turned to the last box. It was much smaller than the previous two. She carefully unwrapped the ribbon and lifted the lid, her eyes on the contents. When she didn't move or speak for thirty seconds, Harry cleared his throat.

"Gin?"

"Is this…"

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, it is. I got it from Lexie Longhorn. I asked her and she sent it to me by owl."

Ginny's grip tightened on the box. "Harry, this is… this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and if I'm not ready, if I mess it up…"

"You are ready," Harry assured her. "And you won't mess it up."

Ginny's brown eyes met his, tears glistening in them. "But this is a tryout for the PQTC."

"I know," he said, his lips curving. "It's a three step process. The first tryout is in February."

Ginny let out a strangled breath. "In February! Harry, that's only two months away!"

Harry took her hands in his. "And you're going to be ready. We're going to train together, harder and faster than before. You know what this means, Gin. If you make it into the top ten ranking in the first round, you can proceed to the second at the end of March."

Ginny bit her lip. "Round two only takes the top five."

"I know," Harry said. "And the final round takes the top three to put them through the Premier Quidditch Training Camp for six weeks in the summer."

"I'll still have another year at school," she whispered.

"Krum did it," Harry said. "You only have to be sixteen to play professional Quidditch, Ginny."

Ginny's fingers squeezed his. "If I fail… it will be over."

"No," he told her. "Anyone who makes it to the third round is allowed to try again the next year. Ginny, this camp is what it takes to get noticed, you know that. Gwenog Jones is already aware of you. You can do this."

Ginny swallowed, as one tear spilled down her cheek. "Harry… I can't believe you got me a tryout! I can't believe you… how did you pull this off?"

Harry brushed her tear away with his thumb. "I asked. I may have let her believe it was for me, but she gave me the form with her recommendation. I only had to fill in the name. Of course, you'll still have to do the essay and have everything submitted by the first of February, but I know that you can take care of that."

Ginny stared down at the form in the box before she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He let his hands sit on the small of her back as his mouth met hers for a long kiss that left him breathless.

"So, you like it then?"

Ginny nipped at his mouth. "Like doesn't begin to cover it. Thank you."

He cupped her cheek in his hand, brushing his thumb over her bottom lip. His cock twitched when she sucked the tip of his thumb into her mouth. Harry pushed her back onto the bed, falling between the boxes and wrapping as he kissed her in long deep kisses that left both of them wanting more.

Ginny's fingers slid into his hair as she turned her mouth away from him so that he could kiss her neck. "Harry?"

"Hmm?" he said as his lips pressed against her neck.

"I think that you should show me this fantasy shower that Theo keeps mentioning."

Harry pulled back to look at her. Her lips were already swollen from his and her eyes were dark like melted chocolate. "Theo doesn't know what he's talking about.

Ginny pushed him up to kneel in front of him, her hands on his shoulders. "Show me."

Harry swallowed before he climbed off of the bed, lifting her with him as he led her across the room to the door to the master bathroom. "It's just a huge bathroom."

Ginny took in the huge room in awe. It had a massive tub a few steps up in the rounded tower area. The windows surrounded the tub that looked like it could fit three people comfortably. The shower was next to it, on the tile and lower like the rest of the bathroom, wide and tall with lots of shower heads and glass doors.

"He's right. This is a fantasy bathroom," Ginny said, opening the glass door to the shower. "There's even a comfortable looking bench to sit and relax."

"Theo just likes to stir things up," Harry said, taking her hand.

Ginny turned to smile at him. "Yes, he does. When he said fantasy I thought maybe there was something here that would tell me what you meant by it."

Harry lifted an eyebrow. "What I meant by what?"

Ginny shrugged. "Theo told me that when you had your date in Cannes, you talked about fantasies."

Harry pursed his lips. "Theo also promised not to tell anyone that."

"He didn't," Ginny assured him. "But he has hinted at it enough that I've been curious."

Harry took a step towards her, sliding his hands up her sides and brushing her breasts. "The bench makes wanking a little easier," he said.

Ginny's cheeks flushed. "Harry!"

Harry pressed his lips to her jaw, slow kisses down her neck. "Do you want to know what Theo meant?"

She nodded, her breath hitching when his tongue dragged over her throat. "Yes."

Harry kissed her neck again before his bright green eyes met hers. "I've imagined you in this shower."

Ginny's eyes darkened. "Oh?"

"No, not just in the shower," he said, his lips near her ear as his voice dropped to a low whisper that sent shivers down her spine. "Sitting there, on that bench with the water hitting you from all directions."

Ginny's fingers slid under his jumper, trailing along his abs. "I'm just sitting there?"

"Naked," he continued in a low whisper. "Legs spread wide for me."

Her fingers trembled against him. "Seems very provocative for a shower."

Harry sucked on the tip of her ear, trailing his tongue around each hoop. "I'm on my knees in front of you."

Her breath hitched. "Oh?"

Harry kissed his way down her jaw, brushing his lips over hers. "And I use my mouth and my fingers again and again and again and again."

Ginny's head tilted back when he kissed her throat, her fingers pressing against the glass of the shower door behind her. "That's… that's… oh, Merlin," she moaned when he pressed his erection against her.

Harry's fingers gripped the bottom of her shirt and he slowly began to inch it up. Ginny raised her arms above her head and Harry kept his eyes on hers as he dropped it to the ground, followed by her vest. He slid his hands over her toned stomach and her hands gripped the bottom of his jumper, tugging it off. His tee shirt went next before Ginny moved her hands over his chest, marvelling at the toned muscles, the tight abs, and the beauty that was simply Harry.

Harry's fingers moved to the waistband of her trousers, unbuttoning the black velvet buttons slowly, one by one. When the fourth one popped open, he slowly pushed her trousers down and they pooled at her ankles as he let his eyes wander down her body. Ginny stepped out of her trousers and Harry stared. She was in dark blue lace that seemed to cup her arse in all of the right places. The bra accented her breasts and he found himself licking his lips as he took her in. Ginny pulled her socks off before she reached for his belt.

"Have I mentioned how much I really love you in lace?"

Ginny unzipped him, shoving his jeans down his legs. "It was a Christmas gift from Theo. He gave me a variety of colours and patterns."

Harry made a sound of agreement as he stepped out of his jeans and pulled his socks off before he pushed her back against the glass to kiss her, his hands cupping her arse. Ginny pulled his glasses off, tossing them onto his pile of clothes before her hands roamed over his back and she nipped at his mouth when he opened the glass door.

Ginny's dark eyes stayed on his as he lifted her over the step into the shower, closing the door behind them. She let out a slow breath as he began to turn on the taps. Hot water hit them from every angle and she let out a small gasp. Harry's hands slid over her shoulders, his eyes taking her in as soft lights lit up the shower in a light gold. His lips moved over her shoulders and collarbone, soft kisses in the water until her bra was on the floor so fast that she didn't even remember him opening it.

Ginny's eyes raked over him. His boxer briefs were soaked, showing every inch of him. She carefully pushed the wet material down his thighs, gasping in surprise when he lifted her and stepped out of his underwear at the same time. Ginny found herself sitting on the warm tile, wondering if it was magically warmed or just warm from the water when Harry knelt in front of her. Then all other thoughts disappeared from her mind.

Merlin, she couldn't explain it, but this seemed to be the sexiest thing that they had ever done. It wasn't the first time she'd been in the shower with him. She loved surprising him in the shower after Quidditch practice. She loved kissing him with the hot water beating down on them, but this…

Harry was feeling very much the same. He slid his hands around to finger her knickers and slowly tugged them down her legs, tossing the wet material behind him with a plop. He slid his hands over her calves, admiring the firm muscles there before he looked up at her.

Ginny's back was pressed against the warm tile where two jets of water would be hitting her lower back. Her hair was still in a ponytail, wet against her cheek, the hair tie falling out from the water pressure. Her nipples were taut from the cold and her breasts heaving as he spread her thighs open, eyes on the perfect triangle of dark red hair and he licked his lips.

Harry leaned forward, his hands holding her thighs in place, and used his tongue. The sound she made echoed on the tile and it prompted him onwards. He slid one hand up to play with her breasts as he leisurely used his tongue to tease and tantalize. Ginny made a 'mmm' sound as he slid his tongue in deeper, following it with a finger and wondered if he could die from happiness overload.

This was so much hotter than he'd ever imagined.

Harry trailed his tongue through her folds, teasing her with long licks, letting his tongue pierce her again and again. His thumb teased her clit and she threw one of her legs over his shoulder to bring him closer. Harry used his tongue more aggressively, enjoying every lick and stroke while she panted above him. He kissed her thigh as he added a second finger, licking his lips before he pressed his mouth against her bud and kissed it.

He flicked his tongue out like a contented cat lapping at milk before twirling the tip around her. Ginny moaned and the bud slipped between his lips so he gave it a little suck and added a third finger. Ginny's fingers clawed through his wet hair, her bum lifting off of the bench. Harry merely increased the speed of his fingers and leisurely licked her as she begged him not to stop.

Harry had no plans of stopping. He let his tongue enjoy each stroke and when he felt her let go, he still didn't stop. She shouted his name, falling apart under his mouth, but he kept going until she came crashing around him a second time, panting. Harry kissed her thigh, his hand rubbing himself under the bench to try to find some form of relief.

"Do you need a minute?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Mmm," Ginny said, her hand sliding down her breasts.

Harry kissed her thighs again before he locked eyes with her and spread her legs wider.

"Harry," she said in surprise, but he was already lowering his head to her.

He knew that she was still sensitive from two orgasms so he ignored her clit, slipping his tongue between her folds for long licks as she moaned above him. By the time his mouth wrapped over her clit again, she was no longer saying anything remotely coherent. He used his own hand, rubbing himself fiercely. He flattened his tongue over her, moaning as he came all over his hand and the vibration of the moan was enough to send her over a third time.

Harry finally moved to sit next to her on the bench, his own breath uneven as the hot water continued to beat at them from every angle. When he finally caught his breath, he turned to cup her face and kissed her deeply.

"I want to get you off once more."

"Harry," she gasped. "It's not necessary. I'm very satisfied."

Harry lowered his head to suck on her breast, his hand sliding down to cup her. "You're going to be even more satisfied."

All she could do was lie there and when his mouth found her again, she cried out, pulling on his hair as she came in wave after wave of incredible pleasure. She heard him cry out a moment later and couldn't help but smirk at him. She kind of loved that he had to touch himself when he was pleasing her. When her breathing evened out, she turned under the spray and Harry stood up, tugging her to her feet. Her limbs felt weak, but he was holding her in place which she was grateful for. He kissed her under the water, carefully untangling the elastic from her hair as he did so.

Ginny held his forearms as they kissed and washed each other up. When Harry shut off the water, the mirrors and glass were so foggy they could barely see out. Harry wrapped her in a big towel before he kissed her again.

Ginny snuggled into his arms and they just stood there, wrapped in towels and holding each other for the longest time. Harry finally pulled back and kissed her forehead.

"Do you have to go home?"

"They're expecting me," she said. "Plus, I'm heading to the hospital in the morning with Mum and Dad. I know Zee is expecting you home."

He nodded. "Yeah. If you need anything tomorrow or help with George or whatever, you'll let me know?"

"I will," she promised, kissing him once more.

They dressed quietly. Ginny stole a comb to brush her hair before she gathered up her gifts. Harry walked her down the stairs and to the fireplace, kissing her again before she took a handful of Floo powder. When she disappeared into the green flames, he placed a hand over his heart and thought that he was off to a great start with making memories here. He wondered how long it would be until he could get Ginny back into that shower so he could do it again.

He was grinning like a fool when he stepped into the fireplace to head back to Black Cottage and he was still grinning when he climbed into his own bed. Despite Voldemort's attempts at chaos, Harry thought that this Christmas had gone pretty damn well.

~ ASC ~

Pansy moaned over the toilet bowl. It was the third morning in a row that she'd woken up violently sick. She hadn't felt like this since the early days of Grayson and she was terribly worried that it was a sign she was pregnant again. But she hadn't been brave enough to ask Healer Brown when he came in to check on them. Grayson had only just turned three months old yesterday, and here she was, knocked up again.

It was unreal.

She had a sneaking suspicion it had happened in the change room of her shop when Greg had bent her over her and taken her in front of the three way mirror. Merlin, she missed him, she realized.

What was she going to do?

She'd been living here in Wiltshire Manor for over two weeks now. The new year was in a few days and she had no idea what the state of her shop was in. She had to abandon it for all intents and purposes, at least for the time being, and the thought of not building upon the shop that she loved was heartbreaking.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as Grayson began to cry from the bedroom. She rinsed her mouth before heading into the bedroom to get her son, snuggling him close.

"What are we going to do, Grayson? Hmm? If Mummy's pregnant again and daddy's in Azkaban and… I don't know what we're going to do, Grayson."

Grayson stared up at her with Greg's wide blue eyes and she kissed his forehead. The knock on the door had her moving to open it and she smiled kindly at Astoria.

"Hi, Astoria, come on in."

"Have you heard from Daphne?"

Pansy shook her head, giving the young girl a sympathetic look. She knew that she was worried about her sister. Pansy was worried about Daphne. "No. She said she had a plan, Astoria."

"Her plan was shit," Astoria insisted, tucking her long black hair behind her ear. "She has no bloody idea what she's doing!"

Pansy agreed with Astoria on that but didn't want to say it aloud. "We have to trust her. It's all that we can do."

"I don't accept that," Astoria exclaimed. "We're here and she should be, too!"

"Who should be?" Blaise asked, leaning against the doorjamb.

"Daphne," Pansy said.

"Yeah, she definitely should be," he agreed. "Then I would finally get laid."

"You're such a pig, Zabini," Pansy exclaimed, glowering at him. "Daphne's in danger and here you are standing there thinking about your cock! Could you pretend to care about someone else for two seconds?"

"You're one to talk, Parkinson."

Pansy scoffed, a wave of nausea coming over her again. She shoved Grayson at Astoria and barely made it back into the bathroom before she dry heaved over the toilet.

"Pansy?" Astoria asked quietly, concern in her voice.

"Fucking hell, Parkinson, are you up the duff again?" Blaise demanded.

Pansy dry heaved once more over the toilet before she finally rested her cheek against the seat. "Is Healer Brown coming today?"

Blaise swore under his breath. "Bloody Goyle can't even leave you alone after you just had a baby."

"Bloody Goyle is my husband," Pansy said, slowly climbing to her feet. "And for your information, I seduced him!"

Blaise snorted. "Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. Brown's downstairs talking to Aeliana about giving up Evelyn. Vance and that sexy bird she's with are adopting her today. I'll tell him that you need a pregnancy test."

Pansy took Grayson from Astoria and glowered at Blaise. "How about you tell him I'd like to see him and fuck off about the rest?"

"Touché," Blaise said.

Blaise left them alone and Astoria turned back to Pansy, her eyes wide.

"Are you okay?"

Pansy nodded, placing a hand over her stomach as she held Grayson on her shoulder. "I will be. Come on, we can ask Brown about Daphne while we're down there."

Astoria nodded and took Grayson so that Pansy could get dressed. Pansy brushed and styled her hair, tucking it back behind her ears before she changed into a blouse and trousers. She didn't think the healer could do anything about Daphne, but the truth was, she didn't know what to do or how to get into contact with her friend. As far as Daphne knew, she was dead and as far as Pansy knew, Daphne was in big trouble.

~ ASC ~

Kingsley cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention straight to him. Rumours were buzzing that something big was going to happen, a break in a case of some kind, but Tonks knew that she was the only one to know what it was. The fact that he'd only called a handful of them into the meeting, the ones picked to work directly with Kane, made her wonder how top secret it was going to be. She kept a hand over her stomach, wondering what kind of action was going to take place, and if Sebastian had been right in only leading his small team.

"As everyone is aware, we've been diligently trying to find the location of where Crouch is building this castle for Voldemort. With the information Goyle was able to provide us, it took some work, and thanks to some hard work from Auror K and his spies, we have one," Kingsley said.

"About damn time," Proudfoot exclaimed. "Hard to hide a construction project like that!"

"And yet he did," Kingsley said, eyes on Proudfoot. "It's on the Isle of Skye which means that it's in an ideal location to prevent ambush. He's given himself a clear view of anyone coming for kilometres."

Sebastian stood up. "As an Auror in the MIA, this is the kind of thing that I've trained for. I've recruited two other Aurors from my department to go in with me and we're going to see what's going on."

"We can't go?" Atwell asked. "What the hell, K? We finally get to find something to piss off this bloody maniac and you're telling us to stay put?"

Sebastian's attention snapped to her. "As I said, this is what I've been trained for is this kind of special operation. I know how talented each and every one of you are, it's why King and Gawain chose you, but this is out of your realm of experience."

Sebastian pointed his wand at the board and a map appeared. His wand pointed on the island, showing an eagle's eye view of the area.

"We know the castle is being built here. With the coast all around, plus the rocky terrain and mountainous area, it means that there's a clear view of anyone approaching. The back is trickier, but not impossible. The massive land means there's a way in through the approaching woods. The fact that an enchanted forest was put up surrounding an area only helped us locate the area faster. However, it also means that it's another obstacle to pass through," Sebastian explained.

Robards crossed his arms in front of his chest. "And you think that three Aurors can get in and out without being noticed?"

Sebastian's blue eyes locked on his. "Oh, we're going to be noticed. And yes, my team and I can do it."

When he didn't elaborate, Kingsley spoke up. "K's team will be heading out tonight at midnight. I want three teams of two spread out. I want one team in Portree, one in Broadford, and one in Dunvegan. One of K's team will coordinate with each pair for details. Each of you will report to K's handler."

Sebastian pointed his wand at the board again. "Proudfoot and Savage will take Broadford. Atwell and Baxter will take Portree. Kingsley and Higgins will take Dunvegan. Auror Z will be in touch and keep you organized on communication lines. Get your stuff together to move out. You have two hours and then we're going in."

Higgins turned to look at Tonks, his eyes wide. "I'm working with Shacklebolt?"

Tonks nudged his elbow. "I've been chatting you up."

His eyes were wide in awe.

"Higgins!"

"Sir, yes, Sir," Higgins said, jumping to his feet.

"My office, ten minutes."

Higgins nodded eagerly and when Kingsley turned he shot Tonks an amused grin.

Tonks watched everyone move out to get ready and she went to see Sebastian, resting her hip on the side of the conference table. "Anything I can do from the ground?"

Sebastian shook his head. "No. Unfortunately, this is one you have to sit out. If everything goes to plan we'll be in and out quickly."

"If it goes to plan."

"It will," he assured her. "I know you're feeling anxious about it, but it's not the same as France."

Tonks nodded, tears in her eyes.

Sebastian wrapped his arms around her, cradling her close to his chest. "I'm sorry. I know it's still… your parents were heroes. I wish I would have gotten the chance to meet them."

"Me too," she said, wiping her tears on his shirt.

Sebastian's smile was quick when he held her at arm's length to look into her eyes. "Trust me on this, Lupin. This is the kind of thing I was trained for. My team and I can handle it and if something goes wrong, I have six amazing Aurors nearby to help."

Tonks wasn't quite convinced, but she nodded. "Is this some secret Knight of the Auror thing?"

Sebastian's lips twitched. "K of As don't exist, Dora."

But when he walked away, she swore she saw him smirk and she wondered just what it was that Kane and his secret team were really planning to do.

~ ASC ~

Sebastian Kane knew three things with absolute certainty: He knew when someone was a damn good Auror, he knew when someone had his back, and he most certainly knew how to do his job well. Joining the DMLE on this MIA operation back in July had originally gotten his back up. It didn't matter that he was the youngest MIA operative to be sent to lead a team, he hadn't wanted to go to the Auror department. He wanted to stay in Londonderry working with his team. But working with the men and women that Kingsley and Robards had put together for him had been nothing but fun.

They were all great Aurors. He trusted them and he knew that sending them out as the second line of defence on today's operation was a great call, even if he knew in his gut, he wouldn't need them.

He was cocky. Always had been. He knew what he could handle and what he couldn't and he knew that he was damn good at his job. He'd worked his arse off to be good at his job and he kept it up. He spend time working out every day. He kept to a steady diet of nutritious meals and only drank in moderation (though he admitted to letting this one slide for certain occasions). But there was no one he trusted more than his two partners in crime, Durant and Jin. More commonly known as Aurors D and J.

They'd first been partnered together over three years ago to take down a domestic terrorism threat in the Ukraine and after a rocky start, with sharp tempers and a lot of verbal abuse, they'd finally found their rhythm. Though Sebastian liked to think the rhythm finally came when J knocked both he and D down on their arses. The woman had one hell of a right hook.

Now, he'd called them in to help him with this and he was looking forward to it. As much as he was enjoying his stint at the Ministry, he hadn't seen as much action as he would have liked. He met them in a pub near Portree, ordering pints for all of them. Durant came in first, his tall muscled frame making him hard to miss in any room.

Durant D'Estienne d'Orves was huge. People often commented on Sebastian's height as he topped out at a hundred and ninety three centimetres but Durant was even taller at over two hundred. He was made of solid muscle with his dark hair cut military short and a thick beard, shadowing his face and making his dark eyes look like onyx pools. His arms were covered in white runic symbols of protection that popped against his dark skin and Sebastian loved him like a brother. He sat down in the chair across from him, folding his long legs under the table.

"Bas."

"Durant," he said just as curtly.

"Piss anyone off yet?"

"Not today," Sebastian said, making his friend snort.

"It's still early. Have you seen the little one yet?"

"If you mean me, I'd suggest you open your damn eyes," Jin said as she slid into the chair next to Sebastian.

Where Sebastian and Durant were tall, she was tiny. Yeona Jin barely topped one hundred and fifty three centimetres with her long silky black hair and sharp angular face. She looked like a sweet twelve-year-old-girl and could take down a giant in under two minutes. Sebastian knew better than to mess with her.

He spoke in rabid Korean and Jin raised an eyebrow before responding that his Korean was rusty and sounded like shit. Durant snorted into his beer.

Jin leaned back in her seat, taking the pint Sebastian had ordered for her.

"So, when do we go in?"

"Two hours," Sebastian told her. "I'm thinking smooth and clean. I have teams on the outer sides to send out the ones we save."

"And the DEs?"

"From the intel I've gotten, it's mostly werewolves on guard duty. It's considered the easy job and keeps them away from the pureblooded DEs. Conan's leading the charge. There's at least twenty."

"So, ten for me and five each for you losers."

"Been awhile since I've had a good fight," Durant said, cracking his knuckles. "You can leave me a few scraps, surely?"

Jin shrugged. "I'll consider it."

"I got the intel you were looking for on Avery Castle. From what I've gathered, the Secret Keeper is Bellatrix Lestrange," Durant said. "Z's been a great asset since he transferred over and he's intelligent. I like how he thinks."

"Good. He's handling the teams today and he's the only one that I haven't gotten a read on yet. I only met him briefly a few years ago and haven't worked with him."

"You can trust him," Durant said. "I worked with him in Moscow eight years ago and he has unparalleled instincts. We're damn lucky to have him as our team's handler. As to Lestrange being the Secret Keeper, it's nothing that we didn't already know."

"Agreed and she's much too mad to ever give it up," Sebastian said. "She's the perfect candidate."

"And then some," Durant agreed. "And Rossi?"

Sebastian nodded. "He's been having trouble making contact. He took the Dark Mark. I don't think that he had a choice as Bellarosa has been getting suspicious. His last contact claimed that Bellarosa knows her son's alive and so does Voldemort. The DEs are all too self-absorbed to get to know him as any more than another minion."

Jin nodded. "Most men are."

"You're just jealous because that gorgeous blonde went home with me last week instead of you," Durant said.

Jin rolled her eyes. "She missed out, didn't she?"

Durant stuck his tongue out at her. "What about you, Bas? Have any good shags with your fancy new life at the Ministry?"

"Not lately," he admitted. "I've been too focused on keeping the team together and figuring out the next plan."

"So, who is he?" Jin asked, leaning forward to rest her chin on her hands.

"Who?" Sebastian demanded.

Durant smirked. "The bloke who has your knickers in a twist?"

Sebastian's cheeks flushed. "There's no one. Now will you two pay attention to the plan?"

"After you tell us about who struck your fancy? Is he fit? Winning smile? Great ass? You know I have a weakness for a great ass," Jin said.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "There's no one."

"Which is Bas-speak for there's someone, but he hasn't had the balls to do anything about it."

"Fuck you, Durant!"

Durant held his hands up in surrender, a smirk on his lips. "I'm intrigued now, Jin. We might have to make a stop at the Ministry, check out these Aurors under his care. Find out about the one he's dreaming about."

Jin shook her head. "Please, like Bas would ever fall for an Auror. I bet he's not an Auror. I bet he's pretty though and I bet he has a great ass."

Sebastian drank his beer, giving them both murderous glares. "Fine! There's someone I think is… good looking and he's nice, okay, but he's way out of my league."

"Here we go," Durant muttered. "Bas is on his self-pity kick."

"Are you two ever going to shut up?" Sebastian demanded.

Jin leaned across the table, resting her chin on her hands. "Only when you tell us about him."

Sebastian dragged his fingers through his hair. "There's nothing to tell. He's only eighteen."

"And you're such an old man at the ripe old age of twenty-one," Jin said, rolling her eyes.

"He's still at Hogwarts for fuck's sake," Sebastian insisted. "And he's a fucking Marquess! As I said, he's way out of my league."

"And?" Jin prompted.

"He has brown hair and brown eyes and he's pretty, okay?"

"Pretty?" Durant teased. "Like, how pretty we talking? Like princely good looks or more boy next door like your boy from Hidden Passions?"

Sebastian glared at him. "I don't have a boy from Hidden Passions."

"Please," Jin said. "We all know that you totally fancy Desmond Elliott for his pretty boy good looks."

"Anyway," Sebastian said, ignoring them. "He's just… look, it doesn't matter. There's nothing between us. It doesn't matter. I messed it up and he wants nothing to do with me."

"What you're saying is that you being the super intense arsehole that you usually are didn't do it for him? You don't say," Jin said, dryly. "Ever heard of doing something romantic?"

"I can be romantic," Sebastian muttered.

"That's why all you've had is hook-ups for the last two years?"

Sebastian glared at her. "I've dated."

"No," Durant corrected. "You let that arsehole Kenneth take advantage of you."

"He didn't take advantage of me," Sebastian protested.

"Please! You two shagged like bunnies and he treated you like shit. You were good enough to fuck but not good enough to be seen in public with? He was a fucking prick, Bas."

Sebastian wrinkled his nose. "Look, there's nothing there between me and… he doesn't like me."

"Because you don't have the balls to make a move," Durant said. "Hate to break it to you, Bas, but you're a good-looking asshole. You sport that stubble because it makes you look dangerous and you know it. For someone who takes names and kicks ass on a regular basis, you sure aren't brave when it comes to personal choices. Not every bloke is going to be Clark."

Sebastian shrugged. "Can we stop talking about my personal life and get back to the mission?"

Jin tapped her fingers on her beer. "Since you clearly don't have a personal life, I suppose that's fair."

Sebastian swore.

"All right. Don't get your panties in a twist. What's the plan?" Durant asked as he and Jin exchanged a look before leaning across the table to listen, not saying another word.

Thirty minutes later, the three of them were approaching the boundary lines for the fortress. Sebastian was surprised to see that more of the castle had gone up than he'd expected, but they were still doing well. He motioned for Jin and Durant to split up and they each headed their separate ways onto the land.

It only took a few moments for Sebastian to come across the first Muggleborns being used as labourers. He used his wand to remove the charm on the chains and put a finger to his lips. No sooner had the chains come off, did two wizards come around the perimeter. With a few practiced moves, Sebastian knocked them both out without using a single spell. He tossed their wands to the two closest Muggleborns to him and ordered them to head south.

Then he kept going.

Five minutes later, he'd taken down two more wizards and a witch. By the time he made it to the centre of the fortress, it had been just over ten minutes since he'd arrived. He used his wand to tie up the wolves he'd knocked out just as there was a loud grunt and a man fell off of the marble balcony above, landing flat on his back as Jin looked over the edge, a smirk on her face.

Fifteen Muggleborns had been freed along with eight goblins before Crouch appeared, his eyes menacing as he played with his wand.

"Oooh, someone's being naughty."

Sebastian dived out of the way of the Unforgivable and kicked Crouch's legs out from under him. The wizard went down, his wand falling from his fingertips as Sebastian pinned him to the ground.

"Not so brave without that wand, are you, Crouch?"

Crouch smacked his head into Sebastian's and he keeled back, losing focus long enough for Crouch to grab his wand. "Oh, dearie, I'm not worried about you."

Something hit him from behind and he swore as he stumbled to his feet. He jump-kicked, knocking out the two wolves coming at him and swiped his wand from Crouch so quickly that Crouch's eyes widened.

"You're coming with me," Sebastian said, his wand pointing at him.

Crouch flourished his own wand to the left, using it to make Jin move close to him, holding her close to his body. "Take another step and I'll start slicing this lovely little girl right in front of you, dearie."

Sebastian held his wand up. "You don't want to do that, Crouch. She's an innocent here."

"No such thing as an innocent," he said, dragging his tongue across her cheek. "I'm going to skin you, dearie, and feed you your own flesh."

He made to lick her again and Jin shifted, yanking him over her shoulder and pinning him to the ground so fast, his breath whooshed as he coughed. He landed flat on his back, his eyes wide as Jin held her boot over him.

"You're disgusting," she said. "How do you want to bring him in, K?"

Sebastian made to grab him when a howl let out loose. Durant appeared on the balcony above.

"Got the last one free, but we gotta book!"

"We're taking Crouch with us," Sebastian said, using his wand to cuff him before Crouch went sliding across the floor to the feet of the man who stood there in the dark cloak.

"Did you really think that I would let you come here and take my best soldier from me?" the man asked, lowering his cloak.

Sebastian swallowed. The red gleaming eyes and the snake-like nose made him look monstrous. "We mostly came for the prisoners. Crouch was collateral damage."

Voldemort pursed his lips before he snapped his fingers. Wolves began to descend around them, eyes gleaming. "It might not be a full moon, but my wolves can still be dangerous. Isn't that right, Conan?"

Sebastian barely had time to duck before the first wolf attacked. He pulled a dagger from his belt, holding the blade in one hand and his wand in the other. He felt Jin move next to him, her hands clenched into tight fists as Sebastian held himself taut and ready for the fight.

Wolves seemed to descend from every angle and wolves were exactly what they were. The witches and wizards didn't have wands and the few that did, didn't bother to use them. They fought with teeth and nails. Pulling hair and scratching. Jin shrieked when one of the witches attempted to bite her hand before she flipped the witch over and knocked her out.

Sebastian tucked his wand away and used his fists. He shifted, dancing on the balls of his feet as he knocked out each wolf carefully, using the dagger only when necessary to knock them back. Durant smashed his fist into the face of the wolf on the left and he went down like a sack of grain. Sebastian kicked the legs out from under the wolf on the right and using his leg, kicked two of them together. They collided and howled as they fell to the ground.

The one they called Conan licked blood from his lip as he stood up.

"You think you're better than us?"

He charged head first and Sebastian didn't move fast enough. His head smashed into his ribs, making him lose his breath. He crashed to the ground, tangled with the wolf and sharp nails ripped his shirt. He grabbed Conan's hand before the wolf could draw blood and kicked him off and over, pinning him to the ground.

"Not as strong when it's not the full moon."

Conan hissed at him. "I can still taste your blood."

His head collided with Sebastian's cheek and he swore, pinning the man below him once more, his arm on his windpipe. He held it in place until he felt him pass out and stumbled to his feet.

"Right, no need to help, I was fine."

Jin shrugged and wiped her bloody and dirty hands on her trousers. "You looked like you had it covered."

Durant was wiping blood from the dagger in his hand. "Should we kill Conan?"

"No," Sebastian hissed. "We're bringing him in."

He spun around, dagger out as two more wolves descended upon them. The dagger sliced open one of their arms and the wizard hissed. Durant knocked him down, putting him into cuffs as Sebastian went hand to hand with the other one. When he landed on his back, Sebastian shoved his boot against his cheek.

"Move again and I'll kill you," Sebastian said.

The wolf growled, but obeyed.

The fight lasted less than ten minutes and five wolves had been slain before they managed to make it to the door. Durant's shield flew up behind them as they ran and Sebastian swore when they reached the forest.

"He fucking took him!"

"Bas, we rescued the prisoners, that was the goal. Last we heard, Crouch wasn't even supposed to be here," Durant insisted.

"But he was," Sebastian said. "And I was this close to bringing that bastard in!"

Jin gave him a look and the three of them Disapparated back to headquarters in Londonderry, heading into the MIA with Conan in cuffs being dragged along with them. Sebastian wiped blood off of his cheek with the back of his hand as they took the lift down to the MIA Level Six and stepped into the bullpen.

"Excellent vork," a voice said from the left. "It took you less than fifteen minutes to infiltrate the place and to get the prisoners out. You three really are a good team."

"Crouch and Voldemort showed up," Jin said. "Voldemort set his wolves on us and disappeared with Crouch."

"Fucking bastard," Sebastian muttered. "We could have had him!"

"He didn't vant you to have him," Z declared. "They veren't prepared for the attack and they knew it. Voldemort took vhat he could and he ran. They vere not prepared to fight."

"So what, you're saying that we caught them off guard enough that he came to rescue Crouch? What the fuck does Crouch mean to Voldemort?" Durant asked. "The sick fuck is old enough to be his father."

"He's important to him," Sebastian said. "Our intel's shown that. Out of all of his followers, it seems Crouch and Bellatrix Lestrange are his two highest agents. The two he trusts the most."

"And the two who are the most insane," Durant said.

"But he needs them," Z said. "And right now his desire to save them from being caught is a veakness ve need to focus on. Get yourselves cleaned up and report to the council for next steps. K, you'll be needed back at the Ministry after the council. Your team's vaiting on news."

Sebastian dragged a hand over his chin. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.