Sunday afternoon Remus Lupin knocked on Mrs Figg's door. Danny answered the door and stepped out.

"Hey, good to see ya again Remus. How are you doing?" Danny greeted, genuinely concerned about the man. He'd recently lost his only remaining childhood friend. Sirius Black had been a true friend, learning to be an animagus to spend full moons with Lupin when he was an uncontrolled werewolf. Danny still felt responsible for the wizard's death.

"Fine. What about you? How's the arm?" Lupin replied with a smile.

"All better. My family and friends didn't even find out," Danny answered. Lupin chuckled.

"I really don't know about you hiding the injuries you sustain from your loved ones Danny. First that snake bite and then getting hit by a dangerous spell," Lupin remarked. Danny shrugged.

"They'll just get worried. There's nothing they can do so what's the point in scaring them?" Danny reasoned, leading the way to a back alley.

"You didn't check I am who I appear to be," Lupin commented.

"Two reasons, only people who know me like you do would know of both injuries. And can werewolves even be impersonated?" Danny retorted. Lupin laughed and hummed to concede the point.

"And I could say the same to you," Danny pointed out.

"You knew of both injuries and I doubt a half-ghost can be impersonated by polyjuice potion either," Lupin replied. Danny smirked.

"Just a couple of half breeds then. Gotta stick together," Danny joked. Lupin chuckled.

"That we do. Here's good," Lupin decided and held out an arm to Danny, which he grasped firmly before Lupin apparated to the Burrow.

Danny whistled as he took in the building.

"Interesting place," Danny remarked.

"Says the guy who has a luminous sign on his roof," Lupin muttered with a smirk.

"Fair point," Danny retorted. The Burrow had a small farm adjoining it with a number of hens scratching in the dirt. But the building itself was tall and seemed almost mismatched with parts added on. It was clear that magic was the reason it was still standing.

"This is the closest thing to headquarters we have now that we're not using…" Lupin explained, trailing off.

"Good to know. Who's coming here?" Danny replied, knowing why Lupin broke off.

"Just a few order members. Bill and his fiancé are here. Careful of Fleur, she's part Veela," Lupin answered.

"Veela? I should know that shouldn't I?" Danny mumbled. Lupin nodded.

"They can make men fall in love with them just by looking at them. I hear that Ron is particularly susceptible. So, just be careful alright," Lupin explained.

"Can't be worse than Ember putting me under that love spell. Then again, that got pretty bad," Danny retorted, frowning in thought.

"Severus won't be here, will he?" Danny asked nervously as they started to walk up to the building.

"I highly doubt it. Why?" Lupin replied, raising an eyebrow. Danny sighed.

"Let's just say we had a disagreement. He never really warmed to me, and then I watched his occlumency lessons with Harry and we had a disagreement. Never resolved that either. I know that was with Phantom, but that was me. So I don't really want to deal with him today," Danny admitted. Lupin nodded.

"Fair enough. May I ask what the latest disagreement was about?" Lupin inquired.

Danny bit his lip. The reason was because Snape was upset that Dumbledore was going to die. Not something Danny was allowed to share.

"Severus blames me for something that went wrong. That's all Remus, but things got pretty heated, really fast. Lucky Dumbledore was there. Probably would've turned into a fight," Danny answered. Lupin frowned.

"Seems a trivial thing for Severus to get so angry about. But I won't pry further. I get the feeling that you aren't at liberty to explain," Lupin decided with a small smile. Danny gave the wizard a grateful smile in return.

Lupin stepped forward and knocked on the door. Mrs Weasley answered the door. She beamed at them both.

"Remus! Danny! Wonderful. Sorry but um prove you are who you seem," Mrs Weasley greeted them warmly.

"Before school term started last year, you had a run-in with a boggart. I saved you from its sadistic fun," Lupin offered.

"We all have bad days," Danny quoted calmly with a smile. Mrs Weasley smiled and allowed them in.

"Sorry, but we have to be careful with Harry staying here," Mrs Weasley apologised. Danny suddenly felt a stab of guilt. He knew that Harry was only being kept safe until the right moment to die. He pushed down the guilt. Dumbledore was certain that the plan wouldn't kill Harry as long as everything went according to plan.

"Not to worry Molly, we understand. I hope they all got good OWLs," Lupin replied, blissfully ignorant of Dumbledore's plan.

"Oh yes, Ron and Harry are a little disappointed with their potions results though. Exceeds expectations. Professor Snape only takes outstanding students on to NEWT level," Mrs Weasley answered.

"Did they need potions?" Lupin inquired.

"They were interested in becoming aurors. Which they need potions for," Mrs Weasley explained. Lupin hummed.

"I see. Ah well," Lupin muttered disappointedly.

"Although, Harry did say that Dumbledore hired Horace Slughorn. And when we were at school, he taught potions," Mrs Weasley recalled. Lupin frowned.

"Yes, he did. But I can't recall what level he took students on for NEWT level. I doubt they'll change the acceptance level though. Students wouldn't be able to prepare in time," Lupin remarked thoughtfully.

The Burrow was a busy, cramped home. Pots in the sink were magically cleaning themselves and a clock with nine hands, each depicting a Weasley family member was visible on the kitchen counter, all pointing to a section labelled mortal peril. Danny frowned at it.

"Oh, don't worry dear. It's always on that," Mrs Weasley informed him with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. Danny nodded slowly and tore his gaze away from the clock.

"We thought we'd have a buffet sort of dinner outside. It's a lovely day after all," Mrs Weasley told them and led them through a back door.

Outside there was a table set up with a number of plates laden down with sandwiches and other finger foods. There were bottles of butterbeer and two large jugs of pumpkin juice. Moody was standing off to one side. Sitting on the ground a few feet away was Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione. On a bench under a tree nearby was Bill and a slender woman with silver hair. The woman was captivating. Danny blinked and shook his head slightly.

"So, that's Fleur?" Danny muttered, nodding discretely over to the woman. Lupin nodded and smirked.

"Worse than Ember?" the wizard whispered as Mrs Weasley bustled off to take care of something in the kitchen. Danny snorted.

"Oh, Ember's love spell was way worse. Couldn't think of anyone or anything but Sam. I was obsessed," Danny replied.

"I think I would have liked to see that. I don't see you as an obsessive person Danny," Lupin chuckled. Danny smirked as they walked over to Moody.

"Anything interesting to report you two?" Moody growled, gesturing to Danny and Lupin with his hip flask before taking a swig.

"Nothing here. Staying in London with Mrs Figg," Danny answered, feeling a hint of guilt. These people didn't even know that Dumbledore was going to die.

"Very little here. Been trying to keep an eye on Fenrir Greyback, but he's not the easiest person to follow," Lupin admitted.

"Fenrir Greyback?" Danny repeated. Lupin nodded.

"Actually, Greyback was the werewolf that bit me as a boy," Lupin confirmed. Danny frowned.

"How bad is this Greyback guy?" Danny asked.

"Very, he enjoys being a savage uncontrollable beast. Big supporter of Voldemort. He doesn't even wait for the full moon to attack people. He gives all werewolves a bad name," Lupin answered, Danny flinching for appearance's sake. Danny scowled.

"Sounds dangerous. How close is he to You Know Who?" Danny inquired.

"I won't say he's within Voldemort's inner circle, but he would be involved in a number of Voldemort's schemes. It's hard to tell the exact hierarchy. Sometimes it feels like Voldemort is at the top and the rest are equal. But he does seem to have his favourites, Bellatrix Lestrange for one," Lupin replied, Danny making sure to cringe at Voldemort's name every time. Danny nodded.

"What about you Moody?" Danny asked.

"Back with the Ministry. They're so worried about Voldemort that they're calling in all their aurors. Kingsley's guarding the muggle prime minister," Mad-Eye answered. Danny nodded slowly.

"If you need a hand, let me know," Danny offered. Moody nodded curtly.

"Doubt you would be the one we call boy, but thanks," Moody replied.

"Danny! Remus! Good to see you. Fleur, this is Remus Lupin and Danny Fenton. They're in the order too," Bill called as he joined their group, his beautiful fiancé accompanying him. Danny blinked as Fleur's presence affected him.

"Oh, eet is wonderful to meet you," Fleur replied with a heavy French accent.

"Likewise, heard nothing but good things about you Fleur," Danny greeted the woman and smiled kindly.

"Ooh, you are American!" Fleur realised with surprise. Danny chuckled. It had been a while since his accent had been picked up on.

"I am. And you are French, yes?" Danny retorted calmly. Fleur blushed slightly and nodded.

"I am. Sorry, I was just surprised," the woman apologised. Danny shrugged.

"It's fine. Doesn't bother me," Danny assured her.

"Lovely to meet you as well Miss Delacour," Lupin greeted graciously. Fleur giggled.

"Oh, you must call me Fleur. We are all friends, yes?" Fleur replied. Lupin smiled warmly and nodded.

"How did you two meet? In France?" Danny asked curiously.

"Oh no, we met at Hogwarts a couple of years ago. During the Triwizard tournament. Fleur was competing and I was there to cheer on Harry. Then Fleur came to England to work in Gringotts to improve her English and I got a desk job. Been together for just over a year," Bill explained.

"We are getting married next summer!" Fleur declared happily, wrapping an arm around Bill's waist.

"Congratulations," Danny offered after a moment of stunned silence. Fleur grinned as Lupin also offered his congratulations.

Danny glanced at Lupin.

"They're getting married after meeting two years ago?" Danny whispered in disbelief as the couple walked off, Fleur saying something about helping Mrs Weasley. Lupin nodded.

"We are at war Danny. These are dark and uncertain times which can cause people to speed up things like marriage. Never know what will happen tomorrow, you know. Got to live in the moment," Lupin replied softly.

"Exactly. Best to avoid making long term arrangements. Could be gone tomorrow after getting cursed in the back by a Death Eater," Moody muttered seriously.

"Moody. Really?" Lupin scolded with a raised eyebrow.

"Just telling it like it is. Best to be prepared for the worst rather than get caught unawares. We all know the risks," Mad-Eye retorted with a gruff grunt.

Danny blinked before frowning in thought. Surprisingly, Moody's words had made Danny feel a little better. He still felt guilty about Sirius's death. He felt guilty for keeping Dumbledore's condition and later plan to be killed secret. And he especially felt guilty about Dumbledore's plan for Harry. But, maybe… maybe he should stop worrying about the future and focus on the here and now.

Everyone was celebrating Harry, Ron and Hermione's OWL results. Fleur and Bill were in love and planning a wedding. No one was focusing on the fact that they mightn't all be around for their NEWTs or the wedding. Everything was uncertain. Even Dumbledore's plan! He had yet to confirm that Voldemort even made horcruxes. Dumbledore was going to die. That was inevitable. But… the wizard was already at peace with that. And should Danny really be the one to tell everyone about Dumbledore's impending demise? It was Dumbledore's business and he was going to make it mean something. He was going to use his death to protect Snape and the elder wand from Voldemort. That was all in the future. For now, Danny could focus on rounding up the ghosts Voldemort had to give the order the advantage.

"Danny?" Hermione called uncertainly. Danny blinked and looked up, having missed Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny join them and Moody had left with Lupin to get some food.

"Sorry, lost in thought. Hey guys. Um… Hermione… what happened to your eye?" Danny greeted them, spotting Hermione's black eye. The witch rolled her eyes.

"One of Fred and George's joke shop things. It won't come off!" Hermione explained.

"How long has it been like that?" Danny ventured.

"Yesterday morning," Ron answered.

"Mum already tried to heal it. We're waiting for Fred or George to come by to fix it," Ginny added. Danny frowned sympathetically.

"What were you thinking about? That argument a few days ago?" Harry asked.

"Argument?" Hermione repeated. Danny shrugged.

"Lots of stuff. But I guess a bit, yeah," Danny answered evasively.

"How do you know about Danny having an argument?" Ron demanded, turning to Harry.

"I've been staying with Mrs Figg. Harry spotted me walking back after my disagreement," Danny explained.

"Who were you arguing with? You never said," Harry inquired. Danny shook his head.

"Nothing for you lot to be worrying about. How did you do in your OWLs?" Danny replied, changing the subject.

"Seven OWLs," Ron answered and pointed to himself.

"Same," Harry remarked with a nod.

"Nine OWLs," Hermione concluded. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't get all outstandings?" Danny inquired, having learnt the grading system while watching Harry. Hermione blushed.

"How could you tell?" she muttered embarrassed. Danny chuckled.

"I have a friend. Very like you. Over achiever. Very smart. She gets disappointed when she doesn't get top grades too," Danny revealed.

"Oh wow, really?" Ginny gasped surprised. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Just because I'm not the best student doesn't mean I can't have smart friends. Her name's Jazz. Short for Jasmine. Studying to become a psychologist," Danny replied.

"Psychologist?" Ron repeated, completely confused.

"Oh, she must be a muggle!" Hermione realised. Danny nodded.

"What's a psychologist?" Ginny inquired. Danny bit his lip as he thought of the best way to explain it.

"Kind of like a healer for the mind. You know, someone to talk to about problems when you find it hard to cope," Danny attempted. Ron and Ginny frowned.

"Problems? Like what?" Ron questioned.

"Like when you suffer a loss. Or get depressed. Sometimes it's just a bad experience like an accident or seeing something horrible," Hermione took over, not noticing Harry getting uncomfortable and Danny could understand. Harry had been through a lot, at least two of the three things Hermione listed.

"But Jazz usually focuses on me for some weird reason. She reckons I need to open up more to her or my parents. Constantly spouting off her psycho-babble. Drives me crazy," Danny interjected, drawing attention back onto himself.

"Does her "psycho-babble" help you?" Hermione asked pointedly. Danny shrugged.

"I guess her analysing everything I do, I do have a pretty good idea of what my mind is like. But I tend to ignore her," Danny admitted. Ron and Harry laughed, obviously thinking about how they ignore Hermione sometimes too. Hermione sighed.

Surprising where you can find comfort isn't it? But Danny does feel guilty about a number of things. Sirius, Dumbledore, Harry's future. He has a lot on his shoulders.

Let me know what you guys think so far.

Until the next chapter.