I shot up into a sitting position, panting hard. The dream had felt so real, too real, like I had actually witnessed the events of what had transpired between Helena Ravenclaw and Baron Arnold Barnes in the Albanian Forest as if I had been there myself. But it had been well over nine hundred years ago. This was 1973, not 1000 A.D.

Drenched in sweat, I untangled my legs from the twisted sheets and peered outside through the thin curtains. It was very early morning, the sun peeking out from behind the ridge of the high green mountains that circled around the valley. My heartbeat was slowing in my ears, but I was too awake now to fall back to sleep.

My feet touched the cold hardwood floors and sent a shiver up my back. It was late June, but in the heights of the Scottish Highlands, the seasons had little impact on the weather. After freshening up in the small bathroom situated between my bedroom and Virginia's old room, I pulled on a pair of jeans and a dark knitted sweater to ward off the chill. Heavy white clouds hung near the bases of the surrounding mountains, and I knew within a few hours, the sun would have warmed up the earth enough to bring the temperature back up to normal.

Downstairs in the small kitchen, I brewed a pot of tea over the embers in the hearth and fried two eggs in a cast-iron skillet. I added two slices of sourdough bread to the mix and brought them to the table, opening the latest edition of The Daily Prophet that an owl had delivered.

TERROR AT HOGWARTS: LORD VOLDEMORT IS TO BLAME

Two weeks after the unprovoked attack on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ministry officials believe they are finally able to identify the mastermind behind the terrorism.

"We had to make certain we were correct before announcing this critical information," Eugenia Jenkins, the current Minister of Magic, says to reporters gathered at a long overdue press conference, "but we are confident in laying the blame of these heinous attacks at the feet of Lord Voldemort, leader of the rebellious group known as the Death Eaters."

Critics have hounded the current Minister of Magic for the past two weeks, demanding deserved answers for the attack on Hogwarts that left one student dead and many others wounded and traumatized. The sole victim, Angelina Azadian, was a third-year Ravenclaw who was found dead in the depths of the Forbidden Forest, nearly a mile from the school grounds.

Details on the cause of her death were not released.

Lord Voldemort, or simply Voldemort, has been a relatively unknown wizard in the past several decades since his departure from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His pureblood views and anti-Muggle beliefs have attracted the support of several wizards and witches who practice or support the Dark Arts. Once believed a non-threat, Lord Voldemort has cast aside this false passive facade as his supporters launched an attack on innocent schoolchildren in order to intimidate and terrorize the wizarding community. Little information is known about Lord Voldemort, but the very real threat of his supporters' zeal for his ideals and his own thirst for power have had dire consequences.

When asked for a response to this act of violence, Eugenia Jenkins merely responded, "we are working on an effective strategy to combat this blatant attack on the innocent."

Eugenia Jenkins faced heavy criticism last year after the attack on Platform 9 ¾, which has also been labeled an attack by the Death Eaters. Her slow response left many wondering if she is up to the challenge of dispensing judgment and punishment for those responsible for both attacks. Critics also called into question Jenkins' ability to cope with the rising violence in the wizarding community.

Bartimus Crouch Sr. and Harold Munch have been particularly vocal about their strategy for containing and stopping Lord Voldemort's path of destruction, but neither were available for comment.

Continued on A4…

"You're up early."

I dropped the paper on the table as Dad walked in, pouring himself a cup of black coffee from an urn that had already brewed itself with magic. Even at his age, he still was handsome with his rugged looks and golden hair and stubble. It was easy to see why he and Mum had married at such a young age.

"I couldn't sleep." I said honestly, glancing up as Soren pecked at the window. Dad let him in. The barn owl prompted dropped a letter on my plate. Predictably, it was addressed from Lily, all the way in Cokesworth. She had written at least one letter a day since we had left Hogwarts, mostly voicing her concerns over Severus and his increasing interest and fascination with the Dark Arts. It seemed that now, after the violence at the hands of the Death Eaters at Hogwarts, she was finally starting to see how dangerous his fascination really was.

About time, I thought as I sipped my cup of tea. Dad sat at the table, picking up the dropped paper. He scanned the front page briefly and then lifted his green eyes to me. "Wasn't she your friend? This girl?"

I remembered the fights between us over Remus, the blank expression on her face when I realized she was no longer alive. "Not really, no."

Dad shrugged and put the paper down. "Your mother has something important to tell you later."

I nearly dropped the cup. "Is she pregnant?"

Dad choked on his coffee. Spluttering, he waved at his red face. "Merlin's beard, no. No, it's something else. I'm sure you'll like it."

"Oh." I deliberated opening Lily's letter but didn't want to be rude. "Dad, are you working today?"

"Only for a few hours." He promised. "I'll be home in time for dinner."

I wanted to ask Dad more about Voldemort. "Dad, do you think that this Lord Voldemort person will take over the Ministry?"

Dad's face went from red to white. He pursed his lips. "Amber, we will not speak of his name under this roof. Is that clear?"

I frowned. "But it's just a name."

But Dad put his cup of coffee down on the table hard enough to startle me. "No, Amber. I don't want that name spoken. It's a dangerous, evil name. Please respect my wishes."

I wanted to argue, but at that moment Naomi stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She was seven, almost eight, and quickly outgrowing her clothes. She still enjoyed being the baby of the family and made a show of groping her way to a chair. I almost laughed at her clumsy manner but was still annoyed with Dad.

"Ny, it's barely five thirty." Dad chided. "Go back to bed."

Naomi scraped her chair closer to me, hugging me sloppily with her skinny arms. "I want to enjoy time with my big sister."

Now I did laugh. I held her close, trying to keep her young and innocent for as long as possible.

"Can we play Quidditch?" Naomi asked sleepily. "I want to see some of your moves. Mum and Dad said you were very good at that match against Hufflepuff."

I made eye contact with Dad. He made a habit of changing the subject whenever I tried to bring up Quidditch, but I knew Naomi wouldn't let him off the hook. So I brightly asked, "Yeah, Dad, why don't you tell me and Naomi about your days playing Quidditch at Hogwarts?"

Dad's eyes shuttered. "We'll discuss it at dinner."

"We can talk about it at breakfast." I suggested lightly.

"Amber." Dad warned.

I shrugged, sipping my tea nonchalantly. "Professor Smith said you were a good player."

Naomi was too drowsy to inquire. Dad silently buttered a slice of toast and nibbled it while reading the paper. Naomi snored lightly, having fallen back asleep. Gingerly, I spread her small figure out on the window seat and brought an afghan from the living room to cover her with. I opened the letter from Lily and scanned through it.

Dear Amber,

So, thank you very much for waiting a year to tell me about Remus. He really does like you! I hope you write him back quickly and share your feelings. Be honest! And be quick before some other girl snatches him up again. Sev and I found a colony of doxies in the forest yesterday. They are absolute nightmares! We almost broke the Decree for Reasonable Restriction of Underage Magic, but thankfully we escaped into my house before we had to use any magic to defend ourselves. Tuney is going off to university this fall. I'm not sure we'll ever have the chance to live together again.

I miss you. Write back soon please.

Love,

Lily

Smiling, I reached for a quill on the table to pen a response, but Dad surprised me by clearing his throat.

"Is that a boy's letter?" He asked, not looking up from the Daily Prophet.

"No, it's from Lily." I said matter-of-factly as I selected an owl quill from a jar full of quills and began writing a reply.

"Ah. That's the redhead I saw at the match, right?"

"Yes." I paused, unsure of what to say. I still hadn't written to Remus yet about his letter, but I knew if I didn't do it soon, Lily's warning would prove true, and I would lose him again.

But did I want to travel down that road with Remus? What if it ended badly? Could our friendship survive? And then there was Sean to consider.

"Do you talk to boys at all?" Dad pressed, sipping his coffee, feigning casualness.

I jumped guiltily. "Maybe." I hedged.

Dad didn't look convinced of my innocence. "You hardly mention your friends, other than this Lily. Who else do you run round with?"

"Dad!" I moaned. "Please, can we not talk about this?"

But Dad looked more interested than ever. Setting his cup down, he picked up his wand. "What are their names?"

I rolled my names. "If you really must know, I'm friends with James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Sean Locke… and Peter Pettigrew."

Dad's expression changed. "Remus Lupin? He's Lyall's boy. He has… lycanthropy."

I folded my arms. "So?"

Dad watched me carefully. "He's dangerous once a month, don't you think?"

I shook my head. "Unbelievable." I rose from my chair, filled with indignant anger.

Dad scraped his chair back, rising. "Amber, honey, I'm not saying you can't be friends with him. I'm just saying you need to be careful around werewolves."

"Because they have a furry little problem, right?" I asked scathingly. "Remus is one of my best friends, Dad. He would never hurt me."

Dad didn't look convinced. "Just be careful, sweetheart. You can still be friends with him, but please, just… be safe. That's all I'm trying to say."

I brought my dish to the sink and began washing it. I scrubbed it much more forcefully than necessary. I could feel Dad watching me, but I didn't care. I was defensive of Remus and didn't care if Dad suspected why that was. I liked him, even loved him as a friend… and maybe more.

I shut my eyes as thoughts of Sean drifted into my mind. I was so confused, torn between the two boys. What I felt for both of them made my head spin and knees weak, but neither of them knew how much they affected me.

"I'd like to meet this Remus boy." Dad said, interrupting my thoughts. "Invite him over for dinner. And your friend Lily too."

"Maybe." I said, even though the thought of seeing my two closest friends soon made my heart soar.

Dad shuffled into the living room and turned on the radio to listen to the news before leaving for work. Naomi slept peacefully on the window seat. Mum was still upstairs.

I quickly finished penning a letter to Lily.

Dear Lily,

I'm sorry that Petunia isn't being the big sister she should be. She's jealous that you're a witch and she's not. Try to forgive her and let her come to you when she's ready. I would love to have you visit this summer for a weekend if you would like. I don't know what to say to Remus, but I don't want to rush into it and make a fool of myself again.

Looking forward to your response.

Amber

Soren nipped my finger playfully as I sealed the letter and tied it to his leg. He flew out of the open window, disappearing into the gathering sunrise. I checked the spoon clock on the opposite wall. It was nearly six. Hours until dinner. I could get a jump-start on summer homework… I debated as I put the quill back into the jar.

"Sweetheart," Dad called as he grabbed a fistful of Floo Powder, briefcase in the other hand, "won't you do some chores around the yard today? Feed the horses, collect eggs, mow the lawn, tidy up? Also, the garden needs to be de-gnomed."

I saluted Dad. So much for summer homework. "Yes, sir."

"That's my girl." Dad said proudly as he disappeared into the green flames.

Half-smiling, half-sighing, I set off to doing my full day of chores. Before I had even collected my first chicken egg, I had completely forgotten all about the faceless danger named Lord Voldemort.

Six p.m. arrived quickly. The sun warmed the ground up to a pleasant twenty-two degrees Celsius, and I ended up changing into shorts and a loose t-shirt. After a quick shower, I joined my family in the kitchen, helping set the table.

"Oh, darling, we'll be eating outside tonight." Mum said as I started to set the plates on the dining room table. "It's such nice weather. Naomi, why don't you fill the glasses with ice water?"

Minutes later, Mum brought out a large ceramic bowl of buckwheat pasta salad, garnished with tomatoes, parsley, and carrots. Dad followed her with a loaf of freshly baked bread and butter. The heavy odor of June hung in the late afternoon air, filled with the scent of the mown grass I had cut earlier and the sound of chirping crickets.

After we blessed the food and passed around portions, Mum said, "So, how was work, dear?"

"Busy, very busy." Dad remarked, taking a slice of warm bread and buttering it. "The Ministry's been in an uproar ever since… well, 'ever since'. They're trying to decide how to keep Hogwarts safe for students. Security's going to be increased a hundredfold over the summer. In the meantime, Muggles are being affected by these Death Eaters too."

"Really?" I asked, immediately intrigued. "But why would Voldemort go after Muggles? They aren't a threat."

Dad gave me a hard stare. "Amber, we aren't to call him by that name. If you're referring to him, it's He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who."

"But-"

"No compromise. Understood?"

Glowering down at my plate, I nodded once. Dad sighed and took a long swig of his iced tea.

"So," Naomi piped up, oblivious to the tension, "Amber said you played Quidditch when you were at Hogwarts, Daddy! Why did you stop?"

Dad flushed. But Mum looked delighted. "I remember those days. He was such an incredible flier. Still haven't seen anyone quite as talented."

"Amber's got my blood in her veins." Dad pointed out. "That was an incredible match."

I shrugged. "I only scored one shot."

"Sometimes one shot is all that matters." Dad replied.

"Why didn't you tell us played?" Naomi pressed. "Why did you keep it a secret from us?"

Mum slid her hand over Dad's. "He was offered a very special job at the Ministry of Magic. That, and we had a baby on the way."

"Me?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, you." Mum said, amused. "We married three months out of Hogwarts. You were born a year later."

"Wow." I had known they were young parents, but not that young. "That isn't the reason why you gave up professional Quidditch, is it, Dad?"

Dad shook his head. "No. Like your mother said, I was offered a prestigious job at the Ministry that I couldn't refuse. I made the right decision."

But I knew he wasn't sharing the true depth of his feelings. He wouldn't meet my eyes and he was silent after that. I knew he must have missed Quidditch, must be wondering about a career as a professional player. I took a sip of water and looked at Mum. "Dad says you have news?"

Mum lit up. "Yes! I've decided to come back into work. Remember that empty little building near the church?"

"Yes?" I said, not sure where she was going with this. The tiny blue building had been vacant for three years.

Mum swelled. "Well, I bought it. And I'm going to turn it into a bake shop. Bellinghall needs one desperately, and I've always wanted to have my own store."

Naomi squealed. "Mummy, that's amazing! Can I have free cookies?"

"Of course, dear." Mum assured her. She took a sip of firewhiskey that Dad had poured for her and himself and looked expectantly at me. "What do you think, Amber?"

I shrugged. "It sounds great, Mum. I'm happy for you."

Mum looked faintly disappointed with my calm reaction. "I thought you would be more excited, I suppose."

I looked squarely at Dad. "I guess I take more after him. I want to be a professional Quidditch player for England when I finish Hogwarts."

Dad choked on his water. Mum took a second sip of firewhiskey. Naomi clapped. "Oh, Amber, that would be so wonderful! Mummy, we could have free tickets to games!"

"If she makes the team." Mum replied. "You'll have to continue to work hard and sharpen your skills as a player, you know. I think you'd be better off working for the Ministry."

"Maybe," I allowed. "But if I'm going to have to live with the decision, I'm going to choose what makes me happiest."

"A smart choice." Dad said. He drank deeply, his green eyes unfocused and faraway. Maybe he was thinking about the times he had played Quidditch, the possibilities he'd given up. Mum pursed her lips and ate another bite of food. "I'm taking suggestions for names… any ideas, girls?"

I shrugged. "How about 'The Starry Night'?"

Mum pondered this. "Hmm… I like it. What about you, Naomi?"

Naomi tangled her fingers together. "Well… what about Virginia's?"

The silence that greeted her words made her green eyes flood with tears. "I mean, I just thought…" she faltered.

I put my hand over hers. "I think it's brilliant. It keeps her memory alive."

Dad took another deep drink. I watched as Mum pulled the firewhiskey bottle well out of his reach, eyeing him heavily. Dad nodded once. "That sounds great, girls."

"Then it's settled." Mum said, smiling bravely. "We'll call it 'Virginia's'."

Naomi gave a tremulous smile. I felt a swell of relief that Mum hadn't made a huge mess of the suggestion. In fact, she was handling it well. Almost too well.

"I'll start the dishes." Dad said, rising from the table. He wouldn't look at me as he cleared away the dirty dishes and carried them back into the house. Mum stared after him.

"Is Daddy upset with me?" Naomi asked, sounding scared.

Mum shook her head. "He's just tired, dear. He works very hard at the Ministry, you know."

I listened to Mum and Naomi talk for the next twenty minutes, enjoying the quiet peace of the June evening and the positive turn of direction in the conversation. Dad didn't come back.

A horned owl fluttered on the edge of my chair, dropping a new letter beside my plate. It was Remus' owl, Percival, who was much larger than Soren. He perched regally and silently, not helping himself to leftovers like Soren typically did.

I reached out and stroked his back. Percival shifted slightly. He clicked his beak in warning. I looked at Naomi and Mum apologetically. "I'm sorry; I've got to take this owl and write a response. I want to keep up with Remus, after everything that's happened."

"Oooh, who's Remus?" Naomi drawled, fluttering her eyelashes. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Flushing red, I scraped back the chair, making Percival flutter his great wings in irritation. "He's just a friend."

"A friend who's a boy that you exchange owls with!" Naomi called as I retreated into the house. Percival flew to my open windowsill and waited on the ledge.

I lit several lamps in the darkness of my room. I looked out the window and saw Mum and Naomi still talking. Once, I had thought being two stories off the ground had been daunting. Now, it felt low and exposed, my bedroom hardly the private tower of the Ravenclaw dormitories.

I hastily opened the letter from Remus. He had corresponded often as promised, at least every other day, but I had yet to respond to him about his letter from last summer.

Blushing, I shook my head to clear it and read his latest correspondence.

Dear Amber,

Angelina's memorial service was held yesterday. I went with my parents and several others from Hogwarts. It was a nice service. I hope that her parents find closure quickly.

I'm writing to see if you'd like to get together this summer, hopefully soon, and discuss these Death Eaters. I've already written to Lily and she agrees with me. If possible, would you be willing to host us for the day sometime next week? If that's not an option, maybe we could meet someplace in Diagon Alley.

Please be careful. Both our fathers work at the Ministry and mine has already told me that this Voldemort character is no joke. He's certain that he's the one behind the attack last fall and this one, and that he's going to try to overtake our Ministry. That's his endgame, according to Dad. I don't know if I agree with him, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Looking forward to seeing you in person.

Your Truly,

Remus

I exhaled deeply, my cheeks strangely warm. I tried to dislodge the dizzying feeling, but it clung to me like a thick fog. It was a heady intoxication, knowing that someone I liked had harbored feelings for me in return.

Leaning out the window, I called down to Mum: "Hey! D'you mind if Remus and Lily come over sometime this week?"

Mum shouted back: "Of course! But Remus isn't allowed to sleep over!"

Rolling my eyes, I yelled: "Alright! Thanks!"

I ducked back inside. I picked up my quill and hastily wrote out a response to Remus.

Dear Remus,

I agree that something isn't right at all with Lord Voldemort. Dad says we aren't to call him that. It's He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named now. It's odd but I suppose that's how it's going to be in our house for awhile. Mum says it's alright for you and Lily to come by whenever. Just send an owl first.

I paused, hands shaking. Taking a deep breath, I plowed on.

I have something I'd like to talk to you about. Just you, not Lily. It's personal.

Love,

Amber

Before I could lose my nerve, I sealed the letter in an envelope addressed to Remus and tied it to Percival's outstretched wing. The horned owl hooted and swooped out of the open window into the inky black darkness. Unable to stop fidgeting, I prepared for bed and read several chapters of The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 4 by Miranda Goshawk, part of our assigned summer homework until my eyes drifted shut.

Not long after I had fallen asleep, the recurring dream of Helena Ravenclaw returned to me. This time, it was me, not Baron Arnold Barnes, who dealt the killing blow.

When I woke up again, drenched in sweat, I couldn't understand why even though I knew the murder in the dream wasn't real, the lingering feeling of guilt remained.

Two days later, the routine commuter train arrived in Bellinghall. This time, it carried two passengers who had never stopped in town before: a teenage werewolf and a Muggle-born witch.

Lily slammed into me like a wrecking ball, nearly knocking me off of my feet. "It's so good to see you, Amber! I can't believe it's only been three weeks since term ended. How are you? Bellinghall is absolutely beautiful, isn't it, Remus? Are you alright? I've missed you!"

Gasping for breath, I pulled back and smiled at Lily's bright face. Her distinctive brilliant green eyes shone with delight, and I couldn't help but grin in response to her contagious mood. "I missed you too."

Remus shuffled forward, hands in his pockets. His faint pink-gray scars caught the sunlight, reminding me of Professor Smith's garish slash that took up her whole face. "How are you holding up?" He asked. "I've been writing owls to James and Sirius, but they don't know I'm here right now. I think they'd use it as ammunition."

I smiled wryly. "Good call. Hey, my mum's opening up a new bakery down the street. Want to take a look?"

"Of course!" Lily said at once, looping her arm through mine. "Lead the way."

Grinning, I obliged. Remus trotted by my other flank. He smelled incredible: like cinnamon, fresh laundry, and chocolate. I breathed in the pleasant aroma and tried to be as subtle as possible.

Lily hummed happily. "Well," she said in mid-hum, "I've subscribed to the Daily Prophet to keep up with what's going on while I'm stuck in the Muggle World, but you two have parents in the Ministry. Tell me what you know."

I exchanged a look with Remus. Making eye contact with me made my stomach jolt. "My dad says we aren't allowed to speak his name. Voldemort. Er, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Why?" Lily asked, frowning. "Dumbledore said that 'fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself'. So what's wrong with saying his name?"

"'Speak of the devil, and he appears'." Remus quoted. "I think people are worried he'll turn up if his name is mentioned. Maybe it's jinxed. Amber's certainly had her share of trouble with those Death Eaters for a few years now."

I glared at Remus. "How is that my fault?"

"Well, you did kind of go nosing around." Lily added, looking guilty as I trained my annoyed gaze on her. "I mean, if you don't want to get dirty, you shouldn't go digging in the first place."

"She's right." Remus agreed. "It's bad enough that Folsom has some kind of obsession with you. And now Mulciber. And who knows who else?"

"Lily, how is Severus?" I asked loudly, changing the subject.

Lily's happy mood dimmed considerably. "He's… he's…" She dropped her arm from mine. "I'm so worried about him. He's in with the wrong crowd, and he's a little too fascinated in the Dark Arts."

Of course he is, I wanted to say, but I bit back the harsh words and instead said, "I'm sorry, Lily. Do you think you'll still be friends?"

For the first time, Lily looked unsure. "I don't know." She answered honestly. "I want to be his friend, but there's no way I can stay close to someone who's in with the kind of crowd who goes about attacking children. I'm scared for him."

Remus cleared his throat as we walked down the cobblestoned streets of tiny Bellinghall. "This place reminds me of Hogsmeade."

Lily nodded, distracted from Severus. "It's adorable. Cokesworth isn't at all like this place. It's Bellinghall, right?"

"Yeah." I took in the library, the boutique, market, church, cafe, and train tracks that ran through the center of town. "It's a great place to grow up."

I stopped in front of a tiny wooden building. One of the shutters was hanging off the big bay window in the front, and another window was smashed through as if someone had hurled a rock at it. The blue paint on the cedar siding was chipped and fading. A few shingles had fallen to the ground in the years the building had been vacant.

"This is the place?" Lily asked in disbelief.

I nodded grimly. "It's good, though. Mum needs a new project."

Remus walked up to the front door and pulled out his wand. "Alohamora." He said, and opened the door, which creaked and whined in response.

"Remus!" Lily protested. "We can't just go in."

He shot her an amused look. "Afraid of finding a boggart?"

Lily frowned. "No."

"Then let's go." Remus insisted. I followed after him, careful not to step on the broken glass littering the floor from the window. The small building had just one front room, the back hidden. Remus led the way into the rear, where a small kitchen lay disused and covered in thick layers of dust.

"Your mum thought this would be a good idea?" Lily said in disbelief. "Talk about your fixer-upper."

I wiped a finger along a counter, leaving a clear line through the gray dust. "I mean, it has potential. Bellinghall does need a bakery."

Remus tapped an old hanging pot, which reverberated dully. Lily shivered. "This is so creepy."

"Not as creepy as this," I said as I picked up an old edition of the Daily Prophet. It was dated nearly three years ago. The photos were moving sluggishly, as if time had slowed them down. But tucked in the corner of the front page was: Voldemort Rising? By Vincent Backe.

I scanned through the brief column, stunned. "I read this in our first year. Do you remember reading anything by this bloke? Vincent Backe?"

"No?" Lily looked apprehensive. "I mean, you read more than anyone I know… so I'm not surprised. But what's so important about Vincent Backe?"

Remus took the paper and looked for himself. "You said your mother knew him."

I nodded. "And last year at Sirius' house, Fenrir said something about making him disappear. Do you think he tried to warn the public that danger was coming?"

A tense silence followed my words. Lily bit her lip.

"I don't know, I mean, maybe, Amber. It just seems so… well, it seems to be a bit loose."

"I don't think so." I said. "I was there. I heard them. I saw them. The way Greyback and Folsom were looking at each other… it was like they wanted to kill the other. And they were serious about what they were talking about. And now this Backe guy is dead or missing or whatever, because he tried to get the truth in the open before Vold… You-Know-Who did something terrible. And now he's done it twice."

"I agree with Amber." Remus said. "It fits, Lily."

But Lily looked dubious. "I just think we need more proof, that's all. I mean, we're just kids. We're just fourteen. And Amber, you're still thirteen." She gave a half-smile and said, "and you don't always have to prove that you're right, Amber."

I bristled. "I'm barely two months shy of being fourteen. And I was right about loads of stuff so far. Like Folsom, and the Death Eaters in Hogwarts!"

Lily opened her mouth to argue, but Remus held up a hand for silence. "Listen."

We all froze, straining to hear any sound. But it seemed that the only noise was coming from a small mouse, skittering its way across a dusty counter and into a hole in the wall.

"Mum's really got her work cut out for her." I muttered as we left the vacant, decrepit building. The fresh air and warm sunshine felt good on my face and I breathed in the aroma of early summer. Regardless of if Lily and I were on the same page or not, we were still friends, and it meant the world that she and Remus had come to Bellinghall to spend the day with me.

"We should get a bite of lunch somewhere, or at least a drink." Remus suggested. "Does that cafe have butterbeer?"

"Maybe." I said. "Let's go find out."

The three of us ventured inside the coolness of the high-ceilinged cafe. A young witch, no older than eighteen or twenty, surveyed us as we walked in. "Just the three of you lot?"

"Yes." Remus said. "But do you have butterbeer for sale?"

The teenage witch nodded. "Yeah. Take a seat wherever you want."

I followed Remus to a table near the window. Awkward, I paused as Lily and Remus both took a seat on either side of the booth. Someone was going to be left out.

"What's wrong, Amber?" Remus asked.

I shrugged. "Just not sure where to sit."

Lily patted her side. "Sisters before misters."

Chuckling, I obliged and perched beside her. The witch brought over three bottles of chilled butterbeer, her wand sticking out of her apron. Bellinghall and Hogsmeade were the only towns in all of Great Britain that were wizard-exclusive. Both places were Unplottable so Muggles wouldn't ever find them. Had her wand been in plain view otherwise, it would have been a possible breach of the International Statue of Secrecy, not to mention bringing up a bunch of uncomfortable questions.

"So, you're alright, Remus?" Lily asked tentatively. "I mean, with Angelina and all?"

Remus had taken a long pull of his butterbeer. He set it down thoughtfully, gazing out of the large window. "Yes, I suppose. We were only dating for a little while and we had already broken up before she died." He grimaced at the word. "Even at the funeral, I couldn't believe she was… gone, you know?"

I nodded, understanding completely. I had felt that same dazed sense of disbelief when Virginia had died. It had taken long months of sadness and grief to move on and accept that she was truly gone from this world.

"It'll get easier." I told him. "It might take awhile, but it'll be alright."

Remus nodded. "I'm alright now. It's just…"

"I know." I said simply.

Lily took Remus' hand in a sibling-like way and held it for a moment. Remus straightened and looked out the window, frowning. "I have a weird feeling."

"What do you mean?" I asked uncertainly.

Remus shifted his weight in the booth. "I can feel something malevolent coming. Voldemort, or You-Know-Who, is starting something. He needs to be stopped."

Lily nodded. "But it isn't our job. We're just kids."

"There must be something we can do." I argued, forgetting my butterbeer in the rush of indignant heat that washed over me. "All of the studying and learning that we're doing at Hogwarts is so that someday we can get out and help. Right?"

Lily bit her lip. "I don't know. I mean, maybe it's different for me because I live in the Muggle World. But Amber, can't you let this go? It's not our job yet to try and take down Voldemort. I mean, You-Know-Who. Dumbledore and Professor Smith are handling Folsom. Just leave it for now."

I opened my mouth to fire off a retort, but at that moment the teenage witch returned with a plate of fries.

"We didn't order fries," Remus said.

The witch winked at him. "They're on the house."

Remus flushed. I stared at the teenage witch as she sashayed away, the anger building inside of me. I remembered Lily's warning of not waiting too long to tell Remus how I felt about him.

"Actually, Remus," I said as casually as I could, "I was-"

But Lily cut me off. She had let out a screech of shock as she accidentally tipped over her butterbeer and the contents went spilling all over the table and onto me and her.

I leapt out, swearing. The sticky cool liquid clung to me. The waitress hurried back over with napkins, but Remus drew his wand and pointed it at the table. "Scourgify!"

The mess vanished from the table. It was a little harder to find the right charm to clean our soiled clothes, but after Lily said, "Tergeo!" our clothes were dry and clean again.

"What was that all about?" I demanded as we sat back down, helping ourselves to the still-hot fries.

Lily shook her head, face red. "It's so stupid. Do you see that owl?"

She pointed out the window to the barred owl sitting on the windowsill. It had a letter tied to its leg, and it was staring directly at Lily without blinking. She was determinedly looking anywhere but at the handsome owl.

"Do you know who that owl is from?" I asked, catching Remus' perplexed eyes.

Lily shook her head vehemently and threw her hands into the air. "I'll tell you who it's from! James Potter! I'm telling you, Amber, I'm going to commit a felony and be sentenced to Azkaban prison if he doesn't leave me alone!"

I stared at her. "He's writing you letters?"

Lily groaned and slapped her hand on the table, making Remus jump and nearly choke on his fry. "Yes! All. The. Time! It's driving me nuts. I haven't responded to them anymore-"

"Anymore?" I asked increduously.

"-because he just isn't getting the message!" Lily cried, ignoring my question.

"What message is that?" I asked tentatively.

Lily looked stunned. "That I don't fancy him!" She roared.

Remus chuckled. "I'm not sure what to tell you, Lily. Once James gets an idea in his head, there's no dissuading him from it."

Lily moaned again and hid her red face. "I don't like him. I've told him that as well, and he just acts like he can't… oh, this is so silly. Boys are so silly. Except for you, Remus. You're a dear."

Remus grinned wolfishly. I laughed at poor Lily's expense.

"Give it time." Remus advised. "He'll move on eventually."

Yeah, right. I thought privately at Remus' words. The James Potter that we knew wasn't easily distracted from his goals. He'd already achieved his goal of joining the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, making his map, convincing me to take Polyjuice Potion, and even continuing his bullying of Severus. And I knew it would just be a matter of time before he, like Sirius, became an Animagi.

After we finished the fries, we walked down to the gurgling river fed by mountain streams. It gushed over granite boulders fantastically, refreshingly cool and crystal clear. Lily waded up to her knees in the brisk water, chattering on about the beautiful rocks underneath her feet and the fish swimming by.

"Don't you want to go in?" Remus asked as I stood ankle-deep in the chilly water.

I grimaced. "Yes and no. I'd rather not get hypothermia so early in the holiday."

Remus chuckled. "I think you'll learn to like it."

He gave a wicked grin. I realized, too late, what he was going to do. I tried to jump out of the way, but Remus caught me around my waist and threw me with surprising strength into the depths of the pool beneath the cascade of rocks.

The icy water closed over my head, and I burst forth gasping and cursing. My waterlogged clothes clung heavily to me as I kicked, spluttering. "Remus!"

Remus laughed and swam to my side. His green eyes glittered with unmasked amusement and excitement. "Come and get me, Harkstone!"

Jaw dropping, I stared at Remus for a moment, stunned. I had rarely seen him this unglued or wild before. And I wasn't sure if I liked it or really liked it.

"I hope you can swim well, wolf." I shouted as I swam for him.

Lily squealed as we splashed by roughly. She tried to keep her long hair dry, but it was a losing battle. Sloshing past her, I threw caution to the winds and launched myself at Remus, plowing onto his back like a monkey. To my surprised delight, he didn't shove me off, but instead swam across the length of the river pool to the cascades. We sat on the slippery surface of the granite, letting the cold mountain water wash over us. Lily was laughing, the sunlight catching in her red hair. The warm air felt good, the moment right. So when Remus turned his head to smile at me, I cast aside reluctance and leaned forward. My lips touched his before I could even stop to consider if this was a smart move or not.

For one moment of bliss, the warm weight of his lips molded to mine. I was aware of the sound of my frantic heartbeat racing to catch up to my actions, the biting cold of the rushing water against my skin contrasting to the sweet heat of Remus. And then he pulled back abruptly, his green eyes wide and wary, cheeks flushed.

As if that had broken the spell, I felt confusion replace the high that kissing Remus had given me. I stared at him, faltering. Swallowing hard, he slid down the wet rocks and splashed into the pool. He swam to Lily, leaving me shocked and wondering if I had just made a huge mistake.

Fighting the rising feelings of fear and concern (and worst of all, shame), I followed him back to Lily, who had started back toward the shore, carefully picking her way over the slippery river rocks beneath her feet. Holding my breath, I debated the possibility that she hadn't even seen what had just happened between me and Remus.

The energy in the air was suddenly crackling with tension as Remus hauled himself out of the water and met my eye. He wasn't smiling. Instead, he shifted his weight on the balls of his feet and said, "Lily, could you give us a minute, please?"

Lily nodded. "Of course!" She shot me a sly look over her shoulder as she skipped up the dirt track that ran through a small grove of trees back to the road that would lead into Bellinghall.

Now that Remus and I were alone, the tension mounted even higher, like a thunderstorm forming in unstable skies. Biting my lip, I tangled my fingers together, suddenly unsure of myself.

"Um… I read your letter from last summer." I confessed in an awkward voice. I could still feel the weight of his lips on mine and blushed. "I don't know what came over me, Remus. I just acted on pure instinct."

When he didn't respond, I pressed on, hurrying to fill the awkward silence. "I like you. More than as a friend. And I know you feel the same way." When he still didn't say anything, I felt fear creep stronger still into me. "You do, don't you?"

Remus looked at me with sad green eyes, and I knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth. He gave a heavy sigh and shook his head miserably.

"I can't be with you." He said at last, and I felt as if someone had pricked my balloon of happy feelings.

"Why not?" I asked in a small voice. I will not cry. I will not cry. I repeated over and over in my head.

Remus looked anguished. "Because I'm not safe, Amber. I couldn't bear it if you got hurt because of me."

I wondered if he was thinking about Angelina. "What happened to her wasn't your fault."

Fresh shadows flickered across his face, and I realized that I had just doused him with fresh pain. Groaning, I shut my eyes and put a hand to my face. "I'm sorry, Remus. Sometimes I speak without really thinking my words through."

He gave a half-smile. "It's alright. It's one of the great things about you. You've always been able to speak your mind, no matter what."

I summoned my courage and asked, "I think we should be together."

Heat rushed to my face, but Remus looked tormented by unseen things. He looked away. He sighed again and touched his scars, marring not just his face but also his arms and hands. "It's not you, Amber. It's because of what I am. Don't you see how dangerous I am? It's bad enough that I put you and James and Sirius and Peter in danger once a month, but if we were together, it would just make it that much more likely to happen."

I clenched my fists at my sides. That didn't stop you from going out with Angelina. I wanted to remind him, but I had made a decision to be more grown-up, and choose the higher road when presented with paths to take. So instead, I shook my head and fought hard to keep the waves of pain and rejection at bay.

"So." I said quietly. "Even though we both like each other, we can't be together."

"Not like that, no." Remus answered softly. He looked miserable as he said it. "I'm sorry, Amber. But it's best if we just remain friends."

"So, that's it then." I said briskly, inhaling sharply to force back the onslaught of tears. "Alright. Come on, let's go, Lily's waiting."

Remus took a step toward me. "Amber…"

But I wasn't going to listen. Feeling extremely foolish and hurt, I marched past him and hurried to catch up to Lily, who was humming happily and making a headband of daisies nearby. She looked up expectantly as I approached, her smile faltering at my expression.

"What happened?" She asked, rising from her place in the emerald green grass.

I shook my head, presenting a brave smile in spite of my bruised heart, which was now likely to never try something that brash again. "I think I should have been Sorted into Hufflepuff. Wasn't a very smart thing I just did."

Lily reached out consolingly. "What do you mean?"

I shook my head again, more forcefully. "It's fine. Come on, I think we can still squeeze in a game of Exploding Snap before supper."

Lily searched my face but dropped the subject. "Well, here you go." She said, placing the chain of daises on my head like a tiara. "It's not Rowena's diadem, but it's the closest thing I could manage."

Remus joined us a moment later. He wouldn't meet my eyes. "I just heard you two making plans for a game of Exploding Snap?"

His voice was carefully cheerful. Lily looked at Remus and then me, clearly guessing that something big had indeed transpired between us. But being the angel she was, she smiled and nodded. "That sounds wonderful. Just remember, Remus, you've got to catch the seven o'clock train… oh no."

A familiar barred owl was soaring toward Lily, yet another letter tied to its leg. Swearing, Lily turned on her heel and sprinted, trying to put as much distance between her and James Potter's continued attempts at friendship as possible.

Remus looked at me now. I was shocked to see my own emotions reflected back at me: longing, sorrow, love.

I repressed the urge to reach out and take his hand. Smiling at him bracingly, I said, "we'd better hurry up if she keeps going at that pace."

Remus nodded once, a quick smile flashing across his scarred face. "Dibs on the last of the chocolate I brought from Honeydukes."

I grinned, shaking my head. "Not if I win the game."

All the way back to the house, we kept up casual conversation and polite, careful fronts. I fought very hard to convince myself that we were just friends, that I hadn't really kissed Remus, but I couldn't dislodge the persistent memories. It was easy to pretend that we hadn't kissed, that we hadn't discussed being more than just friends, especially with upbeat, distracting Lily around. Confusing emotions and thoughts swirled inside of me in a turbulent vortex, plaguing me with unanswered questions for the rest of the day.

One thing I knew for sure: I was falling in love with my best friend. Whether he wanted me to or not.