Author's Note:

Reviews and Comments: To AQuickRead91: Thank you! I'm so glad I made you laugh so hard! To briana_t: I love that you heard about ASC on TikTok. That's so cool! Thanks for sticking around for over 200+ chapters after binging the first 100 and I really hope you like where I take the story with the third part. Hinny definitely would sneak out lol. Thank you! To Khanate: Thank you! To shuweet: Thank you! I loved Sebastian standing up to the boys and everyone ribbing on poor Harry. Thank you! To TatiRena: Aww, I love that you're a puddle of goo. Yes, I am making you fall in in love with everyone only to possibly kill them off later lol. Thank you very much! To kyciona: Harry is incredibly sweet and yes, Ginny is so lucky! Tonks is very lucky with how good Teddy is and yes, the family dinner was so fun to write! Thank you! To Potterm1997: Thank you! To RiverFord: Yes, you will have to see! Thank you! To BadWolfKris: Great reference! Thank you! To katelyn453: Thank you! To Felice J: Henry Cavil is an extremely good looking man who does have dark hair so that's a good person to picture. Thank you! To lovemelikeyoudo: Thank you!

To marauders_mowopapr: I would love it if someone made fan art of Harry sleeping with the babies! Thank you very much! To Mackie919: Hinny are adorable but everyone does support them. Thank you very much! To Bellmel: Ha, Harry did totally up his game! Yup, they got photos! Ha, the Weasley Collective — I see what you did there 😉 Yes, Sebastian has finally realized he's in love with Theo, but boys are dumb and don't communicate. We'll see how long it takes him to tell Theo. Yes, Sebastian got to witness the Weasley banter and teasing of Harry and he loved all of it. Thanks for loving how Remus said "that Harry looks at Ginny like he's a drowning man and she's his oxygen." Thank you! To ravenclaw_rockchick: I know, it's overwhelming! Thank you very much! Yes, the Weasleys knowing Bas won't hurt Theo is nice for them. Thank you! To Bhelliom: Thank you but as stated in the previous author's note, ASC is finished being written so no. Thank you!

To Nuno Neves: Thanks for loving the Hinny and the Remadora moments. I love everyone talking about Hinny when they're missing from the dinner lol. Thank you! To Katie2001: You're welcome lol. Thank you! To Sets: Thank you! No, Mina and Leo will have no Metamorphmagus abilities. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To Slaidback: Yes. Thank you! To alix33: Congrats! Thank you! To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thank you! To the frozen flame: Thank you! I love Ron totally instigating the gossip about Hinny and then defending them lol. To Wolf's scream: This is all true about Remus. Yes, they used a silencing charm! Thank you! To MoD366: Thanks for loving my Weasley family interactions. Well, as I said in the previous chapter, 360 will be the final chapter! Thank you! To Den: Thank you! To the Mandalorian terminator: Thank you! To puttyman24: Remus is an amazing father and husband. Thank you! To Shivani: It is a very gratifying moment, thank you. I love the Weasleys just instantly adopting people, thank you! Yes, thank you for admiring that line, I was so proud of it! Thank you! To A Huge Fan: I love giving him people he can love and surround himself with. Harry deserves it. Thank you!

To Sirenstrong0617: Thank you! I hope there will be a few surprises your way with the final battle. To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you! No, Harry and Ginny know that if they both survive the final battle, they will be together. Sebastian appreciated the boys going big brother on him, but nope, he wasn't going to take it lol. I love showing Colt being continually amazed by magic. Thank you very much! To pix25: Yes. Thank you. To ascfan: There will be Third Time's the Charm which is the final edition to the trilogy. Thank you! To ellyann13: The third story is called Third Time's the Charm. I'm glad you enjoyed the dinner, the banter, and Hinny time. 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!

CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY-THREE:

The One With the News

Three days after returning from the Easter holiday, Snape's body was discovered. He'd been tossed in a dumpster behind The Hog's Head. No effort had been made to conceal him, but the word 'traitor' carved into his forehead had been enough of a message.

Aberforth Dumbledore had discovered him on Wednesday morning and had immediately called the DMLE to report it. Rex Higgins had come up to the school to talk to McGonagall and she had called Harry and Ron to her office.

"You wanted to see us, Professor," Harry said, letting himself into McGonagall's office just before lunch. "Hi, Higgins."

"Harry," Higgins said, giving him a small nod before he did the same to Ron.

"Have a seat, Potter, Weasley," McGonagall said. Once they were seated, she folded her hands in front of her. "I asked both of you to come up here today because of your desire to join the Auror Academy and because Tonks suggested that you both be present when Auror Higgins came to talk to me."

Harry kept his eyes on the headmistress. "Go on."

Higgins cleared his throat. "Aberforth Dumbledore discovered the body of Severus Snape this morning at oh two hundred hours. He was putting out the last of his trash for the night and found him thrown in the dumpster behind the pub, The Hog's Head."

Ron's eyes widened. "Snape's dead?"

"Yes," Higgins said. "From what I understand, no one has seen nor heard from him since early December. He was last seen in France, near where Ted and Andromeda Tonks were last scene before disappearing."

"He's been missing for months," Harry said, exchanging a look with Ron. "We know that he was working with Voldemort."

"But also with us," McGonagall added, her eyes narrowing. "Snape was working as a double agent for a long time, passing on information to Dumbledore and others about Voldemort and his nefarious plans. I like to think that despite his choices, he was on our side in the end."

"Yes, we gathered that," Higgins said. "I think that he was on our side in the end. The word 'traitor' was carved into his forehead. Post mortem."

"Well, that's lucky," Harry said.

Higgins shook his head. "Trust me, that man was anything but lucky. We believe that he was killed by Barty Crouch Junior. The signs of torture and types used are all things that he's done in the past. The man has a signature and he clearly used and abused Snape until he had no use for him anymore."

"Why tell us?" Ron asked. "Just because we plan on being Aurors doesn't make us privy to sensitive information about open cases."

"You're right," Higgins said. "It doesn't. But Dora Lupin is the best partner that I've ever had. She trained me and I trust her explicitly and when she tells me to keep you informed, I do it. If Snape was indeed working as a double agent, it's obvious that Voldemort discovered it and that he was tortured and killed. From the state of the body, there's evidence that he was held for months in captivity. Quite possibly even since he was last seen in France."

"How bad?" Ron asked.

"Bad," Higgins said. "The coroner still has to do a full autopsy, but there's evidence of the Cruciatus. Think Crouch Senior and you'll get an idea."

Ron paled and Harry reached out to grab his friend's hand. Ron gave him a grateful look.

"Why throw his body behind The Hog's Head?" Harry asked, squeezing Ron's hand in comfort. "Crouch displayed his father's corpse here at the Yule Ball, hanging him in front for everyone to see. Why not do the same with Snape?"

"Tossing him in the dumpster says a lot," Higgins explained. "It shows that now that he's been killed, they have no use for him. He's trash, rubbish, yesterday's news. Choosing The Hog's Head is a connection to Dumbledore, which to me says that they are not only fully aware of his connection to Dumbledore, but also to those who were loyal to him. Aberforth is the only Dumbledore still alive and he's close enough to Hogwarts to make a statement."

"And Hogwarts was Dumbledore's domain," Harry stated.

"Exactly," Higgins replied, his eyes on Harry. "Now with Snape's body appearing, we don't know what that means in terms of how long he was able to hold out or what he might have told Voldemort or his Death Eaters. He was a professor here for a long time and I understand that he may know things about the school and its inhabitants that could be considered useful to Voldemort."

McGonagall tapped her fingers on her desk. "We're being cautious. We know that there's a possibility of Voldemort attacking the school."

Higgins nodded. "I think that it will come sooner rather than later myself." He turned to look at Harry and Ron. "I should have the autopsy report by tonight. If I learn anything significant, I will keep you both posted. In the meantime, I think you should keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I think Snape's body being dumped like it was… it's a sign of something and I don't know what."

"I do," Harry said, his eyes meeting the Auror's. "He's turning his attention to Hogwarts and he wants us to know it."

"You know, that makes sense. I told Baxter that I thought it was a direct taunt," Higgins said. "And between us, you and Weasley are at the top of King's list for potential recruits."

Then he winked and left them alone with McGonagall.

McGonagall's eyes met theirs before she stood up. "I know that you've been preparing for war in the Defence Club. We've been getting ready for the castle to come under attack. You have a plan for the younger students?"

"Yes," Harry said. "They will be led through the tunnels and down into the Chamber of Secrets to wait out the attack. They'll be safe down there."

"And only those who are of age will be fighting," McGonagall insisted.

Ron shook his head. "With all do respect, Professor, no."

"Mr Weasley, I fully support teaching the students to defend themselves and making sure that they are ready in case of an attack, but when that attack comes, anyone who is not seventeen years of age or older will be escorted to safety down in the Chamber of Secrets."

Dumbledore cleared his throat from the portrait on the wall. "But anyone who wishes to stay will not be forced to flee."

"Albus! There are children here! We're a school full of students, not soldiers," McGonagall exclaimed. "We cannot force them to fight a battle against Voldemort's army!"

"Too many people have lost loved ones, Auntie Minnie," Harry said. "We've lost Uncle Sirius, my parents… so many people have died. The attack on the Ministry, people lost parents and friends, uncles and cousins and aunts… if they want to fight back, would you deny them that?"

McGonagall let out a huff of breath. "I will not endanger their lives needlessly."

"The young ones won't be present, Professor, but the ones from the Defence Club who want to fight, we sure as hell could use them, at least until reinforcements come," Ron declared.

"Speaking of reinforcements," Dumbledore said. "Harry, do you still have the coin?"

"I do, Professor," Harry said, patting his pocket where he put it every single day. "And when he comes for me, I will use it. This time will be the end."

"What about Nagini?" McGonagall asked. "You can't be sure that he'll bring her along when he attacks."

"I think he will," Harry said. "But if he doesn't, it's okay, we have another plan for getting her here."

"And what's that?"

"I think the less people who know the better," Ron told her. "In the meantime, according to Hogwarts: A History, this castle has a special defence system."

Harry goggled at his friend. "You've read Hogwarts: A History? Really? Who are you and what have you done with my best mate?"

"Shut it," Ron said, his ears turning red. "There's a shield on the castle, is there not?"

McGonagall nodded, her eyes on them. "Yes, there is and the statues at the front and around will protect the castle."

Ron slapped his hands on his knees as he stood up. "We're going to need to know how to enforce that, Professor."

McGonagall's eyes twinkled and the pride in her face made Harry grin back at her.

"Yes, Mr Weasley, we will. Come with me. You and Mr Potter are going to learn a secret that no one outside of the heads of this school has ever been taught."

Harry and Ron followed McGonagall out of her office and elation tore through Harry. He knew that it wouldn't be today.

He knew that it probably wouldn't even be tomorrow or next week, but Voldemort was coming.

He could feel it.

And this time, they were going to be ready for him.

~ ASC ~

The letters arrived together at breakfast two weeks later. Both of them paused at the seal on the envelopes, their eyes meeting across the table.

"Is that —?" Ron began.

"I think so," Harry whispered back.

Ron turned his letter over in his hands. "Together then?"

Harry nodded, suddenly feeling incredibly nervous at the thought that this letter was going to help him decide his future. He carefully used his knife to slice open the seal and took a slow breath as he tugged out the letter. He looked over at Ron to see him doing the same and when their eyes met, they silently counted to three and unfolded the parchment.

Dear Mr Potter,

It is with great pleasure that we write to inform you of your acceptance to the Auror Academy of England. There are three parts to your acceptance.

1. NEWTs — If for some reason, your NEWTS do not meet AAE requirements, you will be allowed to take them again before the boot camp commences.
2. Basic Training — The AAE Basic Training or Boot Camp will determine your physical strength and endurance.
3. Psychological Evaluation — If you survive basic training, you will be taken through another test where we examine your psyche and test the limits of your mental state.

It is only upon passing all three sections that you will be allowed to become an A1 and begin training as an Auror in the AAE within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

We wish you the best and look forward to welcoming you to our program in the fall.

Sincerely,

Ian MacGregor

Magical Intelligence Agency

Auror Academy of England

Harry bit his lip, his eyes on Ron. "Well?"

"More tests?" Ron exclaimed. "Are they trying to bloody kill me?"

"Well, we can go out together," Harry said.

Ron grinned, his blue eyes meeting his. "Fuck yeah we can!"

Harry's smile widened as he reached out to grab his friend, hugging him tightly. "We did it! We're going to be Aurors!"

"And we're going to be fucking awesome at it!" Ron exclaimed.

They both turned to grin at Hermione and Ginny who were beaming at them.

"So, I suppose congratulations are in order," Ginny teased, moving to throw herself into Harry's arms.

He grinned as he caught her. "I got in!"

Ginny kissed him smartly on the mouth. "Why you ever doubted, I'll never know."

Harry grinned over at Ron in time to see Hermione kiss him. He turned back to Ginny. "Guess I really have to study my arse off now."

Ginny pecked his lips again. "Absolutely. We'll work out a reward system to keep you on track."

"I'm listening," Harry said, raising his eyebrow.

She chuckled and kissed his neck. "Oh, you know, like for every hour you study, we can snog for ten minutes."

"Mmm," he said nuzzling her neck. "That doesn't seem like enough of a reward. How about… for every hour I study, you come on my tongue?"

Ginny's tongue ran across her bottom lip. "You are a troublemaker. Let's make it something realistic."

He grinned. "Oh, I'll make it realistic."

Harry captured her mouth with his to cover her laughter and kissed her deeply until Ron rapped him on the shoulder.

"Stop snogging my sister and whispering filthy things to each other. I assume it's filthy and nothing that I want to know."

Instead of answering, Harry only kissed Ginny again.

"I have to go tell Uncle Rem. I'll see you in class."

He left Ginny with Ron and Hermione as he hurried out of the Great Hall and up to the second floor to find Remus' office. When Remus didn't make it to breakfast, it usually meant that he got an early start in his office or classroom so that was where Harry knew to find him.

Remus had been quite the talk over the last two weeks. Not only was he one of the most well-liked teachers, but him bringing his newborn son in every day had definitely won some hearts. He had a sling he kept around his chest where he cradled Teddy while he taught for an hour or so every day. It gave Tonks the opportunity to shower and catch up on a few things before she settled back at home with the baby. And it gave Remus the opportunity to show off his beautiful son.

And best of all, it gave Harry the chance to spend more time with Teddy. He often spent his free periods, cradling Teddy in his arms while he watched Remus teach. This meant that he seemed to be getting a lot more attention from the witches as of late, but he was enjoying himself too much to care.

He found his father exactly where he expected to find him and closed the door to his classroom. Remus looked up, his hands full of parchment.

"Good morning, Harry. What do I owe this lovely surprise?"

"I got into the academy."

Remus stared at him for ten full seconds before his face broke out into a grin. "Bloody hell! Of course you did! And Ron?"

"Yes."

Remus pulled him into his arms for a tight hug. "I am so proud of you. I never had a doubt that you would get in, but my heart is just swelling with pride right now." He kissed the top of his head and then hugged him again. "Gods, little Prongs, when did you grow up on me?"

"Around the time you taught me to swear."

Remus laughed and cuffed him lightly across the head. "You're a brat, do you know that?"

Harry grinned. "The boot camp starts in August so I just have to do well on my NEWTs and then I'm in."

Remus cupped his face in his hands. "You can do that. You're smart. You just need to buckle down and study. We both know that you're intelligent enough to pull off top marks, Harry. You have to focus and stop letting yourself get so distracted."

"I'm not distracted."

Remus gave him a knowing look. "I know how easy it is to be distracted by a beautiful witch, Harry. Ginny is wonderful and she makes you so happy that I can't help but smile when I look at the two of you. I understand why you two can't keep your hands off of each other and as I was seventeen once, I know that you are probably hard ninety percent of the time. I get it," he said as Harry blushed. "But you two need to focus on your studies and prepare for your futures. There will be plenty of time for all of the other stuff later."

"Are you telling me to stop having sex?"

"No," Remus said, his lips twitching. "Because you'd never listen and also because I would never say that; I'm simply saying, try not to let it distract you so much that you don't focus."

Harry grinned. "Right. So, I should only shag her two or three times a day."

Remus chuckled. "Good grief, you two are even randier than I thought! Just focus, Harry. Study hard and you'll do great."

Harry nodded and hugged his father again just as the first few students started to trickle in. Remus kept his arms around Harry and when his class was full, he squeezed Harry's shoulder.

"Class, I would like to share with you all that my son has just learned he's been accepted into the Auror Academy of England and I am so bloody proud of him," Remus exclaimed.

The group of third years clapped and Harry grinned.

"Thanks, Uncle Rem."

Remus beamed. "Now, get to class."

Harry hugged his father once more and hurried out of the room, a huge smile on his face. He and Ron were going to to be Aurors together. It was everything he'd ever imagined and the sudden thrill of his future coming together only further reminded him of the impending doom that Voldemort was still bringing.

Now he had to wait for the other shoe to drop.

~ ASC ~

Neville was both anxious and a little terrified to tell Hannah his plans. He'd spoken to Michael Corner, who had helped him draw up a plan, and he was thrilled with how it looked. Corner wanted to be a magi-architect and Neville thought that he had a lot of potential. After seeing what he had come up with, he thought that potential was even better than he thought it was.

He waited for Hannah outside of Gryffindor Tower and when he saw her come down the hall, he wrapped his arms around her and steered her through the portrait hole. He chose a spot in the corner, away from the hustle and bustle of the other students and pulled her into his lap in the armchair to kiss her.

"Hi," Hannah said, kissing him again. "Did you miss me?"

"So much," Neville said, kissing her a third time.

"How did it go?"

"Amazing," he admitted, his forehead resting against hers. "They loved it. It's getting published in Which Plant? and Nature's Magic."

"Neville! That's incredible!" Hannah exclaimed, slapping his arm in excitement before she hugged him. "I'm so proud of you!"

He hugged her back, marvelling in the feel of her in his arms. "I know, it's pretty great. Something else happened today."

"What?"

Neville took the envelope out of his pocket and passed it to her. "Julius Abbott stopped me on my way out of the Wizengamot and asked me to give this to you."

Hannah's eyes widened before she bit her bottom lip. "Why? What is it?"

"I don't know," Neville said. "He hasn't spoken to me about you since that day I told him he shouldn't hold you responsible for your mother's actions and that was months ago."

Hannah looked down at the envelope, turning it in her hands. "Did you read it?"

"Of course not," he said. "It's private."

Hannah passed it to him. "I don't know if I want to read it."

Neville took the envelope back from her. "He seems like a nice bloke, Hannah."

"I'm sure he is," Hannah said. "Nana always had good things to say about him, but he's never been a part of my life, Neville. Where has he been? Why does he want to talk to me now?"

"Maybe the answers are in this letter," Neville said. When she didn't answer, he opened the envelope. "Would you like me to read it?"

Hannah nodded. "Yes."

"Aloud?"

She nodded again so he carefully pulled the letter out and opened it. Hannah shifted in his lap so that her back was resting against his arm, her legs spilling over the arm of the chair.

Dear Hannah,

I know that I am probably the last person you want to hear from, but after speaking to Neville Longbottom and hearing about the difficulties you've had with Caroline, I thought that it was wrong of me not to speak up.

Jake and I were inseparable.

He was my identical twin brother, my best friend, the one person I could always count on. When he fell in love with Caroline Collins, I knew that she was trouble from the beginning. I tried to warn him, but he was charmed by her and by the time she was pregnant with you, it was too late. Jake loved you. From the moment that he found out Caroline was pregnant, he was charmed by you.

He went out and bought gifts for you before you were even born and the day you came into the world, he cradled you against his heart and he cried. You were his entire world, Hannah, and because of that, your mother was upset. Jake was always a free spirit. I was the business minded son who made money from the beginning, Jake was more interested in having fun and living life. He wasn't poor and he had a good life, but he wasn't rich. Caroline soon realized she'd gone after the wrong brother and when she attempted to seduce me at my daughter's birthday party, I lost it.

I called her all sorts of terrible names and ordered her out of my house, telling her to never return. You were a baby at the time, only a few months old, and Jake and I had it out. He told me that he knew Caroline was trouble, but that she was your mother and she loved you and he wanted nothing but the best for you.

It didn't end well.

I said some things, he said some things and he took off.

He was killed that night by Death Eaters. Wrong place, wrong time. We never made peace with each other and I never made an effort to get to know you because of Caroline. My mother told me that I would regret it, claimed that you were my last link to Jake and I know that she was right, Hannah. But I'm stubborn and I have my pride and as Abigail always tells me, my pride is what stops me from doing a lot of things. I put it off and I put it off and I put it off — until it was too late. When my mother died, I finally reached out to you.

Caroline told me that I had no business being part of your life. She said that if I wanted to get to know my niece, I had to give her what was due. I caved and I paid her five thousand Galleons. The next day I received a letter saying that you wanted nothing to do with an uncle who abandoned you and that if I wanted Caroline to convince you, she would need another five thousand Galleons.

I chose to believe that you wanted nothing to do with me.

I'm sorry that it took me so long to reach out now. You will have just turned eighteen when you get this letter and I know that you hardly need me in your life now, but I hope that since you have seen Caroline's true colours, you might consider taking a look at mine. My wife, Abigail and I, have two daughters: Angelica and Jaclyn. Angelica is a healer assistant at St Mungo's. She's twenty-four and engaged to marry a wizard named Benjamin Rawlings, who is a writer of very good mystery books. Jaclyn is twenty-two and works as cosmetic witch at a fancy shop in Apricity Lane. She has a serious girlfriend named Makemba Keita who works at the Witch's Spa in London. They are very happy.

I know you have no reason to, but if you would like to reach out, my wife and I would love to have you over to the house for dinner one night. Neville would be welcome, if you wished. I'd love to tell you all about my brother and I'd love to get the chance to know you once and for all.

Sincerely,

Julius Abbott

"Uncle Jules"

PS — Jake always called me Jules.

Neville finished reading, his eyes on Hannah as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Oh, Hannah," he murmured, wiping her tears away.

Hannah buried her face in his shoulder. "How could she have ruined so much?"

Neville let his hand roam over her back. "Don't let her ruin this, too."

"You think that I should write back? Meet him?"

Neville nodded. "I do. He seems like a nice man, Hannah, and even if you don't think so, this is an opportunity to learn more about your father. To meet your cousins and your aunt. It could be good for you."

"My mother extorted money from him when he only wanted to be part of my life after Nana died. It's no wonder he's wanted nothing to do with me this whole time!"

Neville shook his head. "Caroline is not a nice person, Hannah. He knows it. You know it. Don't let her put up a wall between you again."

Hannah took the letter from him and folded it back up, tucking it into the envelope. "I won't. You're right."

He kissed her brow. "Take all the time you need to think about it, okay?"

"I will," she said.

"And whatever you choose, yes or no, I will support you one hundred percent."

"I know," she said, her lips curving. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Neville Longbottom. Now, stop stalling and tell me about the Herbological Association."

Neville raised his eyebrow, surprised by the change in conversation. "What about it?"

Hannah gave him a look. "You said that once you published, the Herbological Association would be interested in you. So, did they reach out? What happened?"

He shrugged, his cheeks heating. "Oh, well, they liked my publication, obviously because they offered me a job. I don't write my PLANTs for a few more weeks, but they want me to run one of their greenhouses."

Hannah's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! Neville, that's amazing! Did you tell them yes?"

He shook his head. "I told them that I appreciated the offer, but that I wasn't interested."

Hannah frowned. "But why? I thought that this was what you wanted."

"It is," he admitted. "I want to work with plants and run my own greenhouse, that's always been my dream, Hannah. But I don't need the Herbological Association for that. I have my own greenhouses in Cumbria."

"Well, yes," Hannah said. "But what are you going to do on your own? Sell your ingredients for Potioneers?"

"Partly," he agreed. "But I've been thinking about something else."

Neville pulled the parchment out of his pocket and carefully unfolded it, passing it across to her. Hannah took it, looking down at it in confusion before her eyes widened.

"I had Corner draw it up for me as an idea," Neville began. "See, we could break it into sections. This would be your bakery and this would be my shop. They would be separate but part of each other. I'd have my greenhouse in the back plus I would keep stores at home and you'd have a kitchen in the back and the front would be for the customers. I thought, if you liked, we could go under one name: Serendipity. Flowers and sweets meet in the middle by a happy chance and create something magical."

Tears welled up in Hannah's eyes. "Neville… I don't even know what to say."

He used his thumbs to wipe her tears away. "Say that you like it and be honest with me."

"I want this," she whispered. "I want my own little bakery and I want you to have a flower shop next door. I want that so much that it makes my heart hurt to want it."

Neville pressed his lips to her forehead. "I love you, Hannah. I want you to want more. I want you to tell me every time you want something. I want to give you everything you want."

"You have," she said. "And more."

She kissed him, soft and slow.

"I can't wait to have Serendipity with you." She turned back to the parchment, her eyes widening as she read the names he wrote over the top. "Oh, Neville! This is even better!"

He grinned, taking her hand in his. "I thought the name would show that we're in business together, but we would each have our own separate heading. Serendipity Sweets and Serendipity Blooms."

"It's perfect," Hannah said, grinning. "We'll find the perfect place. Together."

Neville kissed her brow. "We will. We can start looking this summer, get some ideas."

"We still have to save," Hannah said. "I don't have enough money put aside yet."

"I know," he told her. "But we can look. It might take us a while to find the right spot. We have to make sure you have the perfect kitchen to work in and I have enough space to build a greenhouse. The more we look around, the better idea we'll get at what we're looking for, right? Corner drew this up for me as an idea just to show you, but I think that something like this would be great. Lots of space for us both to work and it would be ideal to make this area smaller for customers to come in and out."

Hannah beamed. "Neville, this is the most thoughtful… I love it! I want this so much!"

When she kissed him again, he only held her close, a big smile on his face.

~ ASC ~

Lavender looked over at her girlfriend as she slid into the seat next to her at the Gryffindor table during breakfast. She turned to peck Padma on the lips.

"Good morning, Beautiful."

Padma bit her bottom lip and carefully placed a pristine envelope on the table before her. "I can't open it."

Parvati turned to look over at her twin, raising an eyebrow. "Want me to do it, Mae?"

Padma slid the envelope over to her sister as Lavender clutched Padma's hands in hers.

Parvati broke the wax seal and tugged out the letter within.

Dear Miss Patil,

It is with great honour that we would love to welcome you to study at the Dian Cecht Healing Academy. Once we receive your marks from your NEWTS, we will send you a schedule of your start date. If for some reason, your NEWTS do not meet our standards, you will be allowed to retake them before the start of the term.

Welcome to the Dian Cecht Healing Academy.

Sincerely,

Martha Hobbs,

Head Healer

Padma squealed and threw her arms around her twin, holding her tightly. "I got in!"

"Did you really have any doubt?" Parvati asked. "We both know that you're the brains in this family."

Lavender pulled her girlfriend into a hug when Parvati released her. "You are going to make the best healer ever!"

Padma squealed again before she composed herself. "Okay. Okay. I can be calm. I just have to kick arse on my NEWTS. Oh, gods, I have to study!"

Parvati rolled her eyes. "Okay, Ravenclaw. Eat some breakfast and go to class first."

Padma hugged her sister a second time before she jumped to her feet. "It's really all happening and I can't believe it! I have to go!"

Lavender watched her girlfriend run off and she turned to look at her best friend. "She does know that NEWTS are still weeks away, right?"

"Good luck finding alone time with your girlfriend until then," Parvati said, shaking her head. "Did you see the latest article in Witch Weekly on how an orgasm a day keeps you healthy?"

Lavender chuckled. "I believe that. Tell me more."

By the time they finished breakfast and made it to class, Lavender was still thinking about her girlfriend's exciting news. Padma had decided that she wanted to be a healer years ago, to follow in her father's footsteps. But she hadn't decided what area of healing she wanted to specify in. Lavender knew that whatever she chose, she would be brilliant at it.

When dinner finished, she grabbed her girlfriend's hand and dragged her off, ignoring her protests about needing to studying.

"Lav, really, I need to focus tonight, I told you," Padma insisted.

Lavender tugged her into an empty classroom on the fourth floor, locking the door before she led her girlfriend over to the desk and urged her to sit on it with her. Padma sighed and hopped up onto the desk, her lips curving when Lavender took her hand in hers.

"You didn't let me tell you how proud I am of you," Lavender said, squeezing her hand.

Padma smiled. "It was just so overwhelming and now I have to focus on NEWTs and be ready for them and… it's a lot."

"It is, but if anyone can do it you can," Lavender assured her.

Padma rested her head on Lavender's shoulder. "Thanks for bringing me here. I was headed straight to the library and you know that I wouldn't have taken a moment for myself until bed."

"I do know," Lavender teased. "My fault for falling in love with a brainiac who needs reminders to take a breath."

Padma poked her side and she laughed. "You're annoying."

"But you love me," Lavender said, tugging her over into her lap.

Padma straddled her on the desk, linking her arms around her neck. "I do love you."

Then their lips met for a long searing kiss that left both of them wanting. Lavender trailed her lips down her girlfriend's neck, letting her hands wander under her shirt. When her hand cupped a breast, Padma moaned and she took that as the encouragement she needed. She shifted, pushing Padma down on the desk and covering her body with hers as they kissed again and again.

Lavender had never expected to fall madly in love with her best friend's twin sister, but she had. She loved Padma more than she could put into words. She loved the warmth and comfort she gave her. She loved her smart mind and her sexy mouth. She loved how supportive and kind she was. And she really, really loved how smart she was.

Until Padma, Lavender hadn't really thought about witches, but now as she dragged her fingers through buttons, revealing Padma's firm, perfect breasts, desire shot through her. She lowered her mouth to suckle her through her bra and Padma's fingers tangled in her blonde curls. Merlin, she couldn't get enough of her.

She loved the taste of her skin, the way it always seemed to taste like salted almonds with a hint of spice that she knew was strictly Padma. When her bra opened, Padma moaned.

"Lav… oh, Lav…"

Lavender smiled against her breasts, using her tongue to tease and stroke her nipples, making them taut and eager for more. She danced her long fingernails over them, the bright pink polish on her nails seeming to shine more brightly against Padma's beautiful skin, teasing them over her dark brown nipples as she kissed her way down Padma's stomach.

Padma gasped, her fingers still tangled in Lavender's curls as Lavender's hands slid under her skirt to tease her through her knickers. She bit her bottom lip. When Lavender lifted her skirt and shimmied her knickers down her legs, she groaned.

"Oh, gods, yes!"

Then her skirt was off and Padma was sprawled out across the desk in nothing but her stockings and garter belt. She spread herself eagerly, her eyes on her girlfriend, as Lavender dipped her head between her legs and tasted her with her tongue.

The instant her tongue moved inside of her, Lavender was comforted. There was something about the taste of her girlfriend on her lips, the feel of her losing control on her tongue, in her mouth, that drove her wild. While her nipples tasted like salted almonds, this was all wild spices. Lavender twirled her tongue, stroking it through her folds in long, slow strokes designed to drive Padma mad with lust. When she rubbed her finger over her clit, Padma's hips arched up off of the desk.

Lavender kissed her way over her folds, suckling her bud into her mouth and slid two fingers inside of her. The moment those fingers slid into the hot, warmth, they both groaned. She took her time, sucking and licking as she fingered her, feeling Padma lose control with every stroke and when she finally came, crying out Lavender's name, she smiled. She kissed her way up her body, kissing her lips softly and Padma's lips curved.

"You are a goddess."

"What can I say," Lavender said, cupping Padma's breast. "I learned from the best."

Padma kissed her again. "That was exactly what I needed."

"An orgasm a day keeps you very healthy according to Witch Weekly."

"Well, if it's in Witch Weekly, it must be true," Padma teased, brushing her lips over hers. "Mmm, but I think there's truth in that. Orgasms release oxytocin which reduces the oil in your skin and makes your skin look healthier. Plus it definitely boosts your immune system because it makes you less stressed. It definitely helps you sleep better."

Lavender pressed a kiss to her girlfriend's breast. "Less stress is definitely what you need."

Padma laughed when Lavender began to work her way down her body again. "How come you're still dressed?"

"Because you didn't undress me," Lavender said.

"Well, let me fix that," Padma teased, tugging her girlfriend back up into her arms.

More soft kisses as Padma unbuttoned Lavender's shirt and pushed it off her shoulders. When her bra followed and her large breasts were being fondled by Padma's small, soft hands, she groaned. Then Padma's mouth lowered to suck on her breast and Lavender's head fell back. More teasing and stroking had Lavender pinning Padma back under her, hovering over her body on the desk.

"You are a tease, Mae."

Padma ran her hand under Lavender's skirt to stroke over her knickers. "So are you."

Instead of answering, Lavender kissed her way down her girlfriend's body and when she slid her fingers into her again, Padma arched towards her.

"Touch yourself while you touch me," Padma whispered. "I want to watch."

Lavender's eyes darkened, but she moved back and slowly undid her skirt. She stepped out of it and then her knickers as Padma licked her lips. Then Lavender pushed two fingers into Padma. Padma's eyes widened as a low moan escaped her, before she watched Lavender remove her fingers, and slip them into herself.

Padma licked her lips, eyes on where her girlfriend was wantonly fingering herself. She groaned and it was that sound that made Lavender's eyes meet hers; then Lavender lowered herself back down, and used her mouth.

Padma cried out, her fingers clutching Lavender's curls, holding her head in place as she came again. When she caught her breath, Lavender was breathing heavy, her fingers still working herself over. Padma crawled across the desk and added her fingers to Lavender's.

Lavender's eyes widened and the moan that escaped her was so wanton and so guttural than Padma had never wanted her more. She twisted her nipple sharply and dragged her tongue over Lavender's bud. Lavender gasped, her hips arching forward to meet Padma's tongue as they each continued to push two fingers inside of her. When she came, they both moaned and Padma rested her cheek against her soft belly.

"Fuck, Lav, that was so hot."

Lavender touched her face, her breathing still heavy. "I'll say. Gods, I don't think I've ever come that hard."

Padma grinned. "Well, we'll have to make sure we do that again, won't we?"

Lavender nodded. "Definitely."

Then their lips met again.

Padma kissed her once more before she sat up. "We better get dressed and get out of here before someone finds us."

"I'm pretty sure I saw Peeves earlier so he either left us alone or sent someone in here."

"I bet he watched, the perv," Padma said, making Lavender laugh.

"I don't think Peeves is a pervy ghost, but Moaning Myrtle? That girl likes to watch. Remember how close she got to us when we were snogging in the bathroom?"

Padma wrinkled her nose. "No, but I do remember her telling me to finger you harder when we were in there that one day."

Lavender blushed. "That was good until she interrupted us."

Padma kissed her nose. "I think I made up for the interruption in the broom cupboard later."

Since Lavender had come three times, she definitely agreed. "More than."

They grinned at each other before they quickly redressed, double checking to make sure they'd cleaned themselves up before Lavender took her girlfriend's hand in hers and brought it to her lips.

"I love you, Padma."

"I love you, too," Padma said, leaning in to kiss her once more. "Thanks for making sure I have proper study breaks."

Lavender brushed her fingers over Padma's soft cheeks. "Thanks for everything."

Padma's eyes darkened and this time when their lips met, neither of them made any effort to move away.

~ ASC ~

Dean thought his morning was starting off pretty fantastic. But then again, waking up with a warm mouth wrapped around your cock was never a bad way to start the day. He tugged on Seamus' hair, fascinated by the sight of his cock disappearing in and out of Seamus' mouth, and groaned.

"Fuck… I want you."

Seamus grinned and leaned back on his knees, rolling Dean over. "Good. Because I certainly want this arse."

Dean grunted as Seamus immediately began to play with him. When he passed his boyfriend the bottle of lubricant, he let out a small moan when a finger found him. It didn't take long for him to be comfortable enough for Seamus to add a second finger. He was three fingers in, a hand fisting his cock before Dean finally begged him to take him.

Seamus' hands disappeared and then he was behind him, sliding his hand over his flat arse and pushing into him. Dean bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Holy Godric, Seamus might not have a long cock, but he most certainly had the thickest cock in the world and he felt it. He breathed through the burn and then when absolute pleasure struck him, he groaned.

"Oh, bloody hell! Oh, fuck, Seamus… yeah, yeah, fuck me with that fat cock. Harder, baby, harder!"

He planted his hands flat on the bed, rocking his hips back to meet Seamus' eager thrusts, his voice getting louder and louder in his begging. He dimly heard Neville and Harry complain about silencing charms, but he didn't care. Nothing was as good as this, as the man he loved filling him again and again and again. When Seamus' hand fisted over him, he grunted. Seamus came, his face pressed into his back as he groaned and Dean swore he saw stars.

He let Seamus roll him over, eyes on his boyfriend's happy face, before Seamus lowered his head and took him back into his mouth. It took him less than a minute to finish and he clutched Seamus' hair, holding him closer as he did.

Seamus licked his lips after he swallowed and then he snuggled into Dean's side. "I think we forgot the charm again."

The curtains were pulled open and Harry and Neville each stood there, holding a pillow. Before either of them could move, pillows beat them over the head until they were laughing and on the floor, shoving them off. Feathers exploded out of one and Neville spit a feather out of his mouth.

"I think some people are jealous that we got laid this morning," Seamus said.

"No," Harry said. "Some people don't want to wake up to you two having sex for the hundredth time."

Dean grinned and wrapped his arms around Seamus. "Sounds like jealousy to me."

"Me too," Seamus agreed. "Harry's just jealous because I didn't wake him up with my fat cock in his arse."

"Use a bloody silencing charm," Harry hissed.

"We're just trying to help Neville, give him some more material for his hand," Dean said.

Neville made a rude hand gesture and whacked them both with his pillow again. "Piss — off!"

Seamus laughed. "Besides, it's not like we all haven't been woken up to the sounds of Ginny coming loudly and often. How many times does she orgasm in a day, Harry?"

"True," Dean said. "The other day she came twice before you reven emembered to use a silencing charm, so don't hate us."

"Oh, Harry," Seamus moaned. "Oh, yes, Harry, right there… oh, Harry!"

Harry smacked him with the pillow again. "Shut it! You two forget every fucking time! At least Ginny and I have only forgotten twice."

"Three times," Neville corrected. "The other day you forgot the charm and knocked your curtains down."

"Yeah, but that day we got a great view of Harry's naked arse," Seamus said. "I didn't mind much and he was very sweet about covering up Ginny so that we didn't see any of her. Like I would look at her tits when his arse was on display. Besides, he magicked that up so quickly and added a silencing charm before we could blink. Other than the bed shaking — a lot — it was relatively silent from this side."

Harry scowled.

"I'd really like to finish school not having to hear you two bloody shagging ever again," Neville said. "I'd also like to also not hear Harry and Ginny, but they are less likely than you two. At least they remember to use privacy charms and silencing charms and aren't as bloody loud as you two."

"I second that," Harry said.

Seamus grinned. "Do you include blowjobs in that? Because I think to make it fair, Dean has to wake me up with one tomorrow?"

"Included," Neville said, glaring at them. "I don't care if he chokes on your cock for the rest of the morning as long as you two use charms so I don't know about it."

Seamus chuckled as Harry and Neville marched off to use the bathroom before he kissed Dean's cheek. "What do you say, babe? Want to choke on my cock for the rest of the morning?"

"No," Dean said, laughing as he sat up. "That's for tomorrow. We have to get up if we want to make it down for breakfast."

He walked naked into the bathroom to shower, leaving his boyfriend lounging in his bed, a sloppy grin on his face.

Thirty minutes later, Dean had barely taken his first sip of tea before Seamus' arms practically strangled him from behind. He grabbed his boyfriend's arms to steady him, forcing him onto the bench next to him with a raised brow as he took in the excited face of the man before him.

"What?"

"I got in!"

Dean stared at the letter in Seamus' hands, taking the Official Fire Broomgade seal and his eyes widened. He threw his arms over his shoulders and kissed him.

"I knew it!"

Seamus beamed at him. "Obviously it still depends on my NEWTs score, but I'm in! I'll get to start training in September."

"I'm really happy for you, Seam," Dean said, kissing him again. "This is great news!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Dean insisted. "Of course, I'm still going to worry because I really fucking love you, but I couldn't be more proud. Plus, I think I'm rather going to like having a man in uniform at my disposal."

Seamus wiggled his eyebrows.

Dean laughed and kissed him again.

"Seems like everyone is getting good news this week," Seamus said. "Letters have been coming from all over offering jobs to people. Did you hear that Goldstein got into the Healing Academy and Brocklehurst was accepted into a curse breaking program in the Middle East?"

"I did. I also heard that Padma, Turpin, and Jones all got into the Healing Academy as well," Dean said. "And that other than Harry and Ron, the only other person from our year to get asked to be an Auror was Rivers."

"That's impressive," Seamus admitted. "Everyone has a plan for the future, for the most part."

Dean nodded. "And yet so much is still up in the air." He passed the letter he was holding to his boyfriend. "My father wants me to travel with him this summer. He says that he wants to show me what he does and give me a chance to see some of the art of the world."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah. I don't know. I mean… he's not a bad guy."

"No," Seamus agreed. "He's not. You've been getting to know him quite a lot lately and he's been good to you."

"Yeah," Dean repeated. "And it would be an amazing opportunity to go and see the world, especially all of this famous art, right? I mean, I could find it inspiring."

"You could."

Dean bit his bottom lip. "But it would mean we couldn't find a flat together and start making plans for the future."

"Says who," Seamus said. "Why can't we do both?"

Dean's eyes widened. "You'd come with me? But you have training and that LFF Grant bloke told you to come around to his OFB house and that he would run you through drills?"

"And he will," Seamus said. "But it won't be every day. If you want me to go with you, I will. And if you want to spend some quality time with your dad, that's okay, too, Dean. I can look for a flat for us here, Sunny will help me."

Dean's smile was so big he was pretty sure that he was showing every single one of his teeth. "You'd go flat shopping without me?"

"Well, only with your mother as she knows exactly what you'd want in an art studio."

Dean took his hand in his and squeezed tightly. "You are the greatest best mate a man could ask for."

"But I'm also the greatest lover and boyfriend," Seamus said. "Don't forget the important bits."

Dean chuckled. "Oh, yes, and I do really love you and all of your bits."

"You better."

He pecked his lips. "I haven't decided yet on the travel thing. But when I do, you'll be the first person I tell."

Seamus stood up, offering his hand to his boyfriend. "Good. Come on; let's get to class and then afterwards you can choke on my cock to congratulate me properly."

Dean laughed and grabbed his bag from the bench, his eyes on his boyfriend's bottom as they left the Great Hall and thought that he had a lot to think about. The future was coming fast, but as long as he had Seamus, he figured he was on the right track.

~ ASC ~

Harry had just finished getting dressed for the day when hands slid around his waist. He covered them with his and inhaled the flowery scent that came with it.

"Ready for breakfast?"

"Yes," Ginny said. "Bring your cloak with you today."

"My cloak?" he asked, turning around to look at her.

Ginny's brown eyes were twinkling as she nodded. "Yes."

Harry raised an eyebrow but when she didn't elaborate, he grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it into his book bag before they headed downstairs. After classes today, he'd made plans with Theo to go to Wiltshire Manor and talk to Draco and Blaise. It wasn't something that he overly wanted to do, but after talking more about Nagini with Ron, Neville, and Hermione, he agreed with Neville's plan. Blaise's mother might actually be their best bet in case the snake didn't come with Voldemort when he attacked.

He'd discussed the idea with Remus and Tonks the day before and Tonks had immediately perked up, passing Teddy into Harry's arms.

"You need to talk to K about this."

Harry's eyebrow rose. "K as in Theo's boyfriend?"

Tonks nodded. "We were investigating the Brambilla Sisters and he has something on Bellarosa Zabini that could be useful. Talk to him before you go to Blaise, okay?"

Harry had promised to do so which was why Sebastian was meeting him in Remus' office during lunch today.

He found the Auror standing in his father's office, looking out the window into the courtyard when he stepped inside. He turned to look at him when he entered, his hands at his sides.

"Harry."

"Sebastian," Harry said, closing the door behind him. He placed a privacy charm and a locking charm on the door, making Sebastian raise his eyebrow. "Thanks for meeting with me."

"Well, you said it was urgent and that Dora asked you to speak with me. I figured that had merit."

"It does," Harry said, taking a seat and gesturing for Sebastian to do the same. "Tonks told me that you've been investigating the Brambilla Sisters."

"We are," Sebastian said. "But I can't tell you anything about an ongoing investigation."

"I know, but I need to know what you think of Bellarosa Brambilla Zabini."

Sebastian leaned back in his seat. "I know that she's a dangerous woman. Not as dangerous as her sister, but she's still a threat."

"Trustworthy?"

He hesitated and Harry leaned forward.

"Voldemort has this snake, Nagini. She needs to be killed before Voldemort can be. It's crucial. Papa told me that you know this, that you know there's a reason why you couldn't attempt to assassinate him when he was at Nurmengard. Nagini is that reason. We know that he's going to attack the school soon, I can feel it coming. His patience is wearing thin and we all know it. When he does, I need to make sure that the snake is here with him."

"And you think that Bellarosa will help with that," Sebastian concluded, his blue eyes on his.

"I'm hoping that if the request comes from her son, yes."

Sebastian tapped his fingers on his knee. "Her son does seem to be her one area of weakness. What is your plan?"

"To get Blaise to reach out to his mother and tell her that Nagini has to be at Hogwarts when Voldemort attacks."

"You don't think that she might find that suspicious?"

"I expect she will," Harry admitted. "But if it's coming from Blaise, I think she'll do it."

"All right. Talk to Blaise and see what you can do. We have a man on the inside who might be able to help."

"You've infiltrated Voldemort's inner circle?" Harry asked in surprise.

Sebastian smiled. "I told you, I'm MIA. We always have a plan. Talk to Zabini and I'll see what I can do on my end."

"Thanks," Harry said.

"Oh, and I wanted to add that Zacarias told my team that you have all of the Deathly Hallows that Voldemort is looking for."

Harry's eyebrow rose in surprise. "In a manner of speaking, yeah."

"He's going to be bloody pissed when he realizes that."

"Good," Harry said. "I hope he is."

Sebastian stared at him for a moment. "I have to admit, the idea of leaving Voldemort's end up to you has left more than just me a bit skeptical, but Zacarias explained that when you add in the prophecy, the Deathly Hallows, what I know from what you've done with the Order of the Phoenix… it makes sense. You're a powerful wizard, Harry, but if something goes wrong, there's a lot of people who will have your back — myself included."

Harry was surprised to feel warmth rush through him with that statement. He did know that, but knowing that Misha had spoken so highly of him that the MIA was also standing behind him somehow made him feel like he was flying. He would take all of the support he could get.

"Thank you for that," Harry replied. "I know it's asking a lot when I say trust me, but the less people who know everything, the better."

"Agreed," Sebastian said.

"Tonks was right. You are a good bloke."

His lips curved. "Don't let it get around. And congrats on getting into the Auror Academy. If you need any advice, I'd be happy to help."

"Thanks."

Sebastian said his goodbyes and took off, making Harry wonder just who was secretly spying on Voldemort and for how long. Had Snape known before his death? Did anyone? How long had they been undercover? He suddenly felt like he had a lot more questions than answers.

He definitely needed to talk to Zabini.

Between classes and the professors discussing how they only had three weeks left of class before NEWTs would come into play, he forgot all about the Invisibility Cloak tucked in his bag until his girlfriend met up with him before dinner. She gestured for him to follow her before they headed into the Great Hall and Ron rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, do I need to hose the two of you down with cold water because I'm not afraid to do it!"

Ginny ignored him and led Harry away as he grinned at her.

"Where are we going?"

"To find someplace to shag according to my nosey git of a brother."

"Wait, we're not going somewhere to shag?" Harry asked, suddenly disappointed.

Instead of answering, she only kept leading him around until they were in one of the open courtyards in the middle of the castle, the sun shining down into the little garden. She urged him to take a seat on the bench and then she opened his bag to take out his invisibility cloak. Harry watched her curiously.

Ginny pulled the cloak up over herself, disappearing before his eyes and then a moment later, he felt her straddle him on the bench as the cloak covered both of them. He kissed her and she nipped at his mouth before she reached between them and began to undo his trousers.

"Fuck," he whispered, hardening at the thought of her touching him. "We're in the middle of the courtyard!"

"Everyone's at dinner," she said, freeing him from his trousers and boxer briefs and holding him in her hand. "And we're invisible."

His hand slid over her thigh, rising higher and higher until he found her naked beneath her skirt.

"Bloody hell, Gin, where are your knickers?"

She dragged her tongue over his throat as his fingers found her wet for him. "I didn't put any on this morning."

Harry made a growling sound. "You've been walking around without knickers all bloody day?"

Ginny's mouth found his ear as she stroked him. "Uh-huh."

He groaned and then she lifted herself over him and used her hand to guide him into her.

"Oh, fuck," he whispered, his mouth meeting hers as she began to ride him right there.

She was so wet and hot. The idea that she was shagging him, right here in the middle of the courtyard where anyone could walk in at any given moment, was a serious turn on. They were invisible, he knew that, but that didn't mean someone couldn't hear them or accidentally bump into them if they came closer. He lowered his lips to her neck and let his hand fall between them to rub her clit. Ginny moaned in his ear.

"I've been thinking about riding you like this all day," she whispered. "I had to touch myself during lunch because I couldn't touch you."

Harry moved faster, his hips jumping to meet hers with every thrust and her lips found his again.

"The thought of you touching yourself," he panted. "Fuck, next time I want to watch."

Ginny's eyes darkened and she moved her hips in a slow circle making Harrys' eyes cross.

"Harder," she demanded, her fingers slipping into his hair.

Harry did as she demanded and his thumb worked her over faster. He wanted to change positions, to make this last, but if he shifted too much the cloak would fall off. So instead, he held on and when they both came, they groaned into each other's mouths, breathing heavy. Harry kissed her quickly on the mouth.

"You are going to be the death of me."

Ginny smiled and helped him zip up his trousers before she climbed off of him, taking the cloak with her. "Is that a complaint?"

Harry stood up, pulling her into his arms and kissing her smartly. "It most certainly was not."

"So, if I want you to bring your cloak and shag me under it again oh say… in the Charms corridor you'd…"

Harry's cheeks flushed. "I've created a monster."

Ginny's tongue flicked over her bottom lip. "I didn't say when it was crowded."

He grinned and let his hands slide down to cup her arse. "I love you."

Ginny's lips curved as she smiled up at him, her brown eyes twinkling. "When you get back from talking to Malfoy and Zabini, I'm going to show you just how much I love you in the prefect's bathroom."

His eyebrow rose. "Oh really?"

Ginny nipped at his lips. "Yes, but first we both need to be very… slippery."

Harry groaned against her mouth, his cock stirring against her again. He grabbed her hand and dragged her from the courtyard, tugging her into a broom cupboard and shoving her up against the door. Ginny grinned, her hands undoing his belt eagerly and when he lifted her up against the door and hiked up her skirt, she locked her legs around him and took him inside of her.

Harry grunted as he pumped himself into her. "How do I want you so much after I just had you?"

Ginny's head fell back, her hands holding his biceps. "Never stop! I want you so much and oh… oh, you feel so good, Harry. So, fucking good inside of me."

"Fuck," he moaned, pumping faster.

He flattened his palm against the wood to give him better balance as he took her hard and fast. They came almost at the same time, surprising both of them as their eyes met. Harry stared into her brown eyes, watching the way dark chocolate glistened until he finished. Their breath came out in a whoosh as they stared at each other, Harry still inside of her.

Ginny rested her forehead against his, breathing heavy. "Wow."

He could only nod.

Ginny kissed him fiercely before she carefully lowered herself back to the ground as he slid out of her. She fixed her skirt, her hands going to her hair, and he carefully did up his trousers again.

Harry cupped her cheek, tilting her head back to kiss her lips. "Did you mean it?"

"What?"

He rested his forehead against hers, his thumb coming up to stroke her bottom lip. "What you said about liking me inside of you?"

Ginny's eyes darkened. "Every word. It feels so good, Harry. I love feeling you inside of me. I love everything about you. I love making love with you and I love it when you lose control and drag me into a broom cupboard and take me against the door."

His cheeks flushed. "Well, erm… good."

She chuckled. "We should get down to dinner."

"Shit, what time is it?" Harry asked, looking at his watch. "I have to meet Theo for six to talk to Malfoy and Zabini!"

"You have two minutes," Ginny teased, her hand squeezing his bum.

Harry groaned and fixed his belt. "He's totally going to know why I'm late."

Ginny laughed as he finished making himself presentable and she opened the door to the broom cupboard. "Absolutely he is."

Harry shot her an exasperated look before he hurried off to meet Theo, leaving his girlfriend laughing at him. He was only a minute late when he found him in the entrance hall.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Theo took in his swollen lips and messy hair with a smirk. "Still in your uniform? Didn't have time to change between the shagging?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Shut it," he mumbled as Theo snickered.

They left the castle and went to the Apparition point near the gate to Hogsmeade. Harry held Theo's arm as he let him Apparate him to Wiltshire. Since Theo knew the exact location of the house, he could get them closer. When they stepped through the gates, Sebastian was standing in the entranceway and Theo's eyes lit up.

"Bas!"

Sebastian grinned, pulling Theo into his arms for a long, passionate kiss that went on long enough for Draco to clear his throat from the bottom of the stairs.

"I've run out of spare bedrooms so you two will have to cool off," he drawled as he walked into the entrance hall. "Potter."

"Malfoy," Harry said as Sebastian took Theo's hand in his.

"We'll talk in the dining room," Draco said, leading them through the white marble interior and into the dining room.

Blaise was already sitting at the table, a glass of red wine in front of him. To Harry's surprise, Parkinson and Goyle were there as well.

"Uh, I only asked for Malfoy and Zabini, not to be outnumbered by Slytherins."

Pansy sneered. "You should be so lucky."

Sebastian took a seat next to Blaise, holding the chair next to him out for Theo. "Goyle's good. You can trust him with this."

Theo sat down next to Sebastian, his eyes on his friends. "Did you hear back?"

Blaise nodded. "I did. I was accepted into the Lex Schola. I just have to write my NEWTs."

"We all still have to write our NEWTs," Draco drawled. "Will we be allowed to do that?"

"There are ways for you to write your tests without going to Hogwarts," Theo said. "Blaise is going to make an amazing advocatus."

"Yeah, because he's already so good at winning an argument," Draco replied dryly.

Pansy tapped her long nails on the table as Harry and Draco took a seat. "Yes, we're all thrilled that Blaise has decided to practice magical law and was accepted into the program. Big whoop. Now, are you here to tell us how much longer we're trapped here or not? I have a shop to reopen and a business to run and I'd like to get it back in order before the baby comes."

"Pansy," Greg warned, taking her hand in his.

Harry accepted the wine that Blaise poured him. "I don't know how much longer you lot are stuck here. That has nothing to do with me. You lot are hiding from Voldemort so whenever you want to stop hiding, that's on you."

"You don't know what we've been through, Potter!" Pansy exclaimed. "We're not hiding here because we're cowards, but because we've done or said something to make an enemy of the Dark Lord!"

"And your shop isn't yours while he's alive, Parkinson. Until he's gone, you can't just waltz back in there and go back into business and you know that" Harry said. "I know you've all been through hell and I know that by coming here and by staying in hiding, you've chosen a side. Don't think I don't know that."

Greg squeezed his wife's hand in his large one. "We want to be free from all of this and free to start our lives. We want to help, Potter."

Harry stared at them for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Voldemort is going to attack Hogwarts. Soon. I don't know when, but I know it's coming. My guess is within the next month, probably sooner. When he does, he needs to bring his snake with him."

Greg frowned. "His python? Why? She's dangerous."

"I know," Harry said. "And she has to be killed."

Blaise brushed his thumb over the rim of his wine glass. "Why do I get the feeling she has to be killed in the right way?"

"Because she does," Harry said. "Like his Dark Mark, she's special to Voldemort. You know what removing that mark was like, Zabini. All of you do. Nagini is similar in that sense and there's only a certain way that she can be killed. And it has to be when he attacks Hogwarts. Not before."

Blaise sipped his wine. "How is she special to him?" At Harry's look, he rolled his eyes. "Come on, Potter, we're not idiots. There's something you're leaving out."

"Yeah, I am," Harry said. "It's better if you don't know, trust me."

"I've watched that snake kill for the Dark Lord," Greg said. "She's swallowed people whole. It was… disgusting."

"What do we have to do with his great ugly snake?" Draco demanded. "Just because we're from the snake house doesn't mean that we like snakes. If my memory serves me correctly, you're the bloody Parselmouth, Potter."

"I don't want to talk to her, Malfoy. I want her dead," Harry said, trying not to roll his eyes. "But I have to make sure that she comes to Hogwarts when Voldemort does."

"She follows him," Greg said. "It's rare for her not to be at his side."

"I know, but when he attacked Hogsmeade in January, she was nowhere around," Harry replied.

"What do you want us to do?" Draco asked.

Harry turned to look at Blaise. "It's what I want Zabini to do, actually."

Blaise leaned back in his chair. "I'm neutral. The only reason I even ended up here was because that arse got branded with the Dark Mark. I'm not getting involved in this shit."

"But your mother is," Harry said.

Blaise's eyes flashed before he masked it.

"The Brambilla Sisters are trouble, Zabini," Sebastian explained. "But your mother isn't the real Black Widow, Auror Lupin told you that. Yet she's still working for the Dark Lord and still part of his Death Eaters. You said that she didn't want that life for you."

"No, she didn't, but it doesn't mean that I trust her," Blaise exclaimed. "My mother is complicated, to say the least."

"If you got a message out to her, would she listen to you?" Harry asked.

Blaise licked his lips, his dark eyes on Harry. "Possibly. It depends on what I said."

Theo kicked him under the table and Blaise glared at him. "Stop being an arse, Blaise! Tell your mother to make sure the snake comes to Hogwarts. Help us end this once and for all."

"Theo, you've become too much of a little Gryffindor and it makes me want to vomit," Pansy said.

"Well, that's because all of the Slytherins abandoned me and the Gryffindors welcomed me," Theo shot back. "We're all tired of this war, Parkinson! Goyle went to fucking prison and you're stuck here, not knowing when or how you can move on with your life. This is your chance to help get it all back."

"When he attacks Hogwarts, what about us?" Draco asked.

Sebastian draped his arm over the back of Theo's chair as he leaned back. "You have two options. You either wait for news or you get your arses to Hogwarts and help defend the castle."

"They aren't the fighting types," Harry said. "Much better at hiding."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Goading us isn't going to help, Potter."

"I want to fight," Greg said. "I want to do something and when he attacks the school, I want to help."

Harry nodded, surprised to find so much support from Goyle of all people. "We'll make sure that word gets to you when he does. In the meantime, Zabini are you in or out?"

Blaise knocked back the rest of his wine. "I'm in. But I can't make any promises on my mother's part."

"You can leave that part up to me," Sebastian said. "I'll make sure she finds you when the time's right."

When Sebastian winked at him, Harry thought that this might actually work. If the snake came to the school, it would be one less thing for him to worry about. Then he could focus solely on Voldemort and stopping him before he destroyed the castle in his attempts to get to it, and to him.

He was going to end this once and for all.

No matter what.

~ ASC ~

After Harry, Sebastian, and Theo left, Pansy squeezed Greg's hand, her eyes on her husband. She wasn't that surprised to see that her husband wanted to fight back in some capacity. She knew that he wanted to do more than roam around this big manor with no plans.

Blaise tapped his fingers on the table before he reached for the wine and poured himself another glass. "Anyone else tired of hanging around here like sitting fucking ducks?"

"You've made plans," Pansy said. "You're going to the Lex Schola, you're going to go off and become some big shot advocatus."

"And you have a fancy lingerie shop," Blaise shot back. "No need to get snarky. We both know your sense of fashion will support you and your boy-toy there. Goyle's not smart enough to support the family you two are making. Good thing he comes from money. Even if it's not a lot."

Greg's hands fisted in his lap, but he didn't say anything. Somehow that made Pansy more angry.

"You don't even know Greg, so don't sit there and go on about him being stupid or whatever when you don't even know him. You don't know what he can accomplish!"

Draco poured a glass of wine, his eyes on Greg. "What do you want to do, Goyle? Any burning ambitions that we don't know about?"

Greg shrugged.

Pansy put her hand on her husband's arm. "I'll have you two tossers know that if it hadn't been for Greg, I never would have gotten my shop up and running. He was the one who found the perfect location. He was the one who helped me finish it. He was the one who found the perfect door. He's very talented and he sees things in his mind that none of you can!"

Draco snorted. "I'm sure he can. Come on, Blaise. Let's go upstairs."

Pansy glared as they left her and Greg alone in the dining room. She pressed a kiss to her husband's shoulder. "Why do you let them walk all over you?"

He shrugged. "Because they're right."

"No, they're not!" Pansy exclaimed. "Greg, you can do anything you put your mind to! You outsmarted the Dark Lord! You saved that woman from being raped! You are a hero!"

"I'm hardly a hero, Pansy," he said. "I'm just trying to get by, to survive. I only outsmarted the Dark Lord because he didn't care enough to look closely. I only want to make a home for you and for our boys."

Pansy reached up to brush his hair over his forehead. "You see things, Greg. The way you designed my shop, the way you knew what I wanted… that's a talent."

He shrugged again. "I guess."

"No, it is," Pansy insisted. "Not everyone can do something like that. You're great with your hands. You built me all of those beautiful shelves and racks to hang and display my lingerie, it's gorgeous. It's part of the reason why I'm so proud of that shop because of all of the incredible work you did to bring it together for me."

"I just knew what you wanted," Greg said. "It made sense to me."

"You know what makes sense to me," Pansy began. "That you should think about being a magi-architect. It's what you're good at. You were the one who designed Grayson's nursery. I picked the colours and the design, but the shape of it… it was your idea to take out the wall and make the room the way it was. You are a builder, Greg."

Greg opened his mouth in surprise before he closed it again, not sure what to say.

Pansy pressed her lips to his cheek. "It's just something that you should think about. Come on; let's go give Grayson his bath and get him ready for bed."

Greg let her lead him out of the dining room and up the stairs, thinking about her words. An architect, he thought in wonder, the wheels turning in his head. Pansy had definitely given him something to think about.

~ ASC ~

When Voldemort was presented with an old sketch of the Elder Wand, followed by a photo of Grindelwald duelling Dumbledore holding the same wand, anger surged through him. It was the very same wand that he'd possessed. The detail in the wood, the way it looked skeletal, the way grooves looked like knuckles in the wood grain… He flicked his wand and the wall on his left blew apart, sending chunks of stone and brick flying and smashing the window to pieces as his Death Eaters ducked.

"My Lord," Bellatrix began.

"Silence!" Voldemort demanded, his heart pounding in his chest.

This confirmed what he'd already known and hadn't wanted to accept. He had possessed the mythical Elder Wand. He'd held it in his hands, felt the power, and yet, he had not owned it. The wand had answered to Harry Bloody Potter and it had cracked down the centre, splintering between them in their desire for control.

"Leave me!" Voldemort exclaimed, his eyes on the broken wall.

"My Lord," Crouch whispered. "Can I get you anything?"

"Get out, Bart!" Voldemort demanded.

Crouch bowed reverently before following the others from the room.

Voldemort clutched his fingers at his sides as anger surged through him. This mythical wand, this great power that he had thought would be the one thing he needed to defeat Potter and he'd let it slip from his grasp. No, he thought, he hadn't let it slip… it had never belonged to him, which somehow made it worse. Potter had something else in his bag of tricks, something else that proved he had power unlike any other.

He dug his nails into his palms hard enough to draw blood.

This blasted prophecy had haunted him for almost eighteen years. Eighteen years of him knowing that this half-blood child was destined to kill him and yet somehow despite him being a child, he had thwarted him at every turn. He'd taken his blood for his resurrection potion and yet still, Potter had power over him.

But the runes… Dragomir had shown him something with that and when he had taken Dumbledore's power for himself, he had felt that draw, felt that connection.

"We can take Potter's power, my Lord," Belladonna had whispered. "If we prepare the runes ahead of time and trap him in the hold, he will be unable to escape. You saw how Dumbledore was trapped, how nothing he did would let him break the circle."

He was starting to think that Belladonna was onto something. He called for Belladonna and when she entered his throne room, bowing her head reverently, he gestured her forward.

"Tell me more about these runes, Donna."

Belladonna smiled, making her look even more beautiful. "Carvings work best because they are hardest to break, the deeper the better."

"It will have to be done at Hogwarts," Voldemort said. "I want to take his power there and then I want to take the school once and for all."

Belladonna licked her lips. "We can build a device to hold him, something to cuff his arms and legs and carve the runes right into it. It will hold him in place long enough to start the ritual. Even Dumbledore couldn't break out of my hold and he was only inside of the circle."

Voldemort's thin lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Get Rabastan and Rodolphous to help you. How long will it take?"

"A week, maybe two," she said. "The runes will have to be carefully planned out."

Voldemort nodded. "You have a week. It's time for Potter to die."

Belladonna's eyes met his. "The device, my Lord. It would work best if it had a wooden base that can be nailed into place, chains could hang from it and cuff his hands and feet, hogtying him face down, feet and hands bound together, twisted behind his back. Bart has that muzzle that he likes to use…"

"That could work," Voldemort said, a pensive look crossing his features. "I want him to not have access to his wand."

"He won't be able to make it work," Belladonna said. "The runes in the wood will stop it. We can use iron in the chains to increase the strength of the spell. Iron is always harder for magic to penetrate."

Voldemort listened with half an ear, nodding to her suggestions before he turned to take in the beautiful woman before him. "As soon as we get into the castle, I want you to find a place to set up. We'll bring Potter there and strap him into place."

"Would you want it somewhere private, my Lord?"

"No," Voldemort said, his lips curving. "No, I want it out in the open. That way he can watch his friends die while I drain his power. Once I have it, we'll kill him and when they see their dead Chosen One, they will know the truth: That Lord Voldemort is the most powerful man in the world. They will bow down to me once and for all."

"It will be glorious, my Lord."

"Yes. There can be no mistakes, Donna. Potter fancies himself the hero and he won't let an innocent die, especially someone that he cares about. If necessary, I will find a sacrificial lamb to slaughter to bring him to heel."

"Who's the lamb?"

Voldemort's cold laugh made her shiver as he trailed his wand over her cheek. "You work on the runes. Let me worry about the rest and tell your sister and her husband to stop looking for the Resurrection Stone, we don't need it."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Oh, and Belladonna?"

When her eyes met his, he cupped her cheek.

"Let's keep this just between us for now. I don't want anything to go wrong."

"Of course, my Lord," she vowed.

When she left him alone in the throne room, he pursed his lips. This was a plan, something concrete, and for the first time in ages, he felt like he was finally getting back into the game. He would take Hogwarts for himself and with the school, he would destroy Potter, and then take his place as Headmaster.

An army of students under his control would help him take on the Ministry where he rather thought Belladonna would make a strong Minister of Magic. After all, the Ministry wasn't going to fight him when it was their children who were fighting against them. Oh no, he would control all of them, and once he had power over the Ministry and the school, he would turn towards the ICW.

After all, absolute power only came with baby steps. Voldemort had waited much too long to let it all slip from his grasp now.