****Battles***

As April drew to a close, the Ministry examiners arrived to conduct the OWL and NEWT tests for fifth and seventh year students. This process would take a couple of weeks to go through and all the students in those years were quite nervous.

On one of the exam days, she heard a rumor that Harry Potter had fainted (or fell asleep, depending on who you believed) during a test, and was unable to complete the exam. A couple of hours later, Dumbledore and Snape came to her in her office and told her to accompany them into the forest. As they walked, she learned that Harry and five other students had been caught trying to use the fire in Professor Umbridge's office. She had assumed that he was trying to contact Dumbledore, but it had been Sirius he was looking for. He evidently thought Sirius was not at home, because he told Professor Snape, in code, that Sirius was at the Ministry. Snape had relayed the message to Dumbledore, who had returned to the school to get a better picture of what was going on. He had sent Moody, Kingsley, Lupin and Sirius ahead to the Ministry to deal with whatever might be happening there. Upon his arrival at the school, he had gone to Umbridge's office, and finding only the students who had been guarding Harry and his friends, had asked them what had happened. They told him that the other students were leading Professor Umbridge to a weapon of some kind.

From this, Dumbledore had guessed that they were probably leading her into the forest, which is why they were headed there now. As they walked through the forest they could hear noise...the centaurs seemed to be quite upset about something. Once they were within sight of the herd, they could see Umbridge on the ground, obviously injured, and looking like she was barely conscious. Dumbledore managed to reason with the centaurs and get them to leave her alone. Dumbledore then told Snape and Holly to take her to St. Mungo's. He was going to the Ministry, he was pretty sure that's where the students had gone. He told both of them to return to Hogwarts; with himself and McGonagall gone, the school needed all the capable wizards on hand that they could get.

Holly didn't question what she was told to do, but felt she could have been more useful to the Order at the Ministry. She did as she was told, and thankfully the school had a relatively calm evening. It was not until the early hours of the morning that she learned what had gone on that night. Upon his return, Dumbledore called Holly, Snape and a few others up to his office to tell them what had transpired. Harry had seen a vision that he had been certain was real, of Sirius being tortured by Voldemort in the Hall of Prophecy. When he used the fireplace, the house elf had said the Sirius was "out". Harry took that as confirmation of his suspicion. He did not realize that Sirius was merely in another room of the house. Fearing Sirius was in mortal danger, he and his friends got rid of Umbridge by leading her into the forest under the pretense of showing her a secret weapon. They led her to Hagrid's giant half-brother, and the already angry centaur herd. She insulted the centaurs and was carried off. At this point, the students got out of the forest and took thestrals to London. They went into the Ministry and found no one there, but did retrieve the prophecy made about Harry by Professor Trelawney. They were then surprised by a handful of Death Eaters, and a running battle ensued. The Order members arrived to find all six students alive and with only minor injuries. They fought the Death Eaters and, though no one was badly injured, Sirius did have a very close call, narrowly escaping alive. Dumbledore arrived, as did Voldemort himself. The two dueled, and just before Voldemort disappeared, the Minister and several other officials arrived, catching a good look at him. This forced Fudge to admit Voldemort's return and Dumbledore was reinstated as Headmaster. He and Harry both received a public apology which would appear in the morning paper.

Holly was relieved that everything had worked out okay, and thrilled that they were rid of Umbridge. The students involved all received some time off because a couple had minor injuries, and Harry had been possessed by Voldemort. He was understandably shaken by the experience, and by coming so close to losing Sirius.

After he dismissed the teachers, Holly stayed behind, wanting to talk to him for a moment. But before she could even say anything he said " I know you probably want to go see Remus. If that's what you want, you are free to do so. Today is Saturday, you don't have classes, so you don't have any obligations for the day."

"I will then. I know you said he's okay, but I just want to see for myself. I will be back by dinner, though."

She went to Grimmauld Place, and was admitted by Remus. When he had closed the door, she sighed " You are okay."

"Yes, but are you?"

"I am now, but I was quite worried about you last night. It was hard not knowing what was going on."

"I asked Dumbledore to tell you I was okay. Did he forget?"

"No, he told me, but I just needed to see for myself."

"Well, I'm glad you came, but you look as tired as I feel. I suspect we could both do with some sleep. Would it be okay for us to visit later?"

"Sure. We'll both enjoy it more if we're rested."

"Would you like me to go back with you?"

"No, that's okay. No sense in you losing more sleep. I'll take a carriage from Hogsmeade to the castle. I appreciate the offer though."

Sirius was sitting in the kitchen, and overheard the entire exchange.

"Remus, why did you do that, turn her away like that?"

"She looked tired, and I am tired."

"But she was up all night worrying about you, and then she took the time to come here and inspect you for herself to see that Dumbledore wasn't minimizing some injury, and you tell her to go home."

"Dumbledore wasn't hiding anything; I am fine, we both know that."

"The woman just needed to see for herself. She's crazy about you, that's why she was worried, why she came here. She looked like she was about to burst to hug you...or didn't you notice the way she moved..she caught herself and scratched her back instead."

"I didn't notice. But there's no way she can be crazy about me...besides why would someone as young, beautiful and wealthy as she is be interested in an old, poor werewolf? It just doesn't make sense."

"Love never does, Remus. And I'm telling you, she is falling for you, if she's not already there yet. You really need to apologize to her if you want to keep seeing her. And you need to sort out your feelings for her, soon."

"I guess I do need to apologize, I was rather blunt. I think I'll go write her a note."

Upon her arrival at school, Holly went to her quarters. There she changed into her gown and fell asleep very quickly. She awoke several hours later, somewhere around noon, quite hungry. She dressed and went downstairs for lunch. After she ate, she decided to go to Hogsmeade to check her mail. She had not done that this week. She wasn't really expecting anything, but was handed a letter which she was told had just arrived. It was, of course from Remus. She opened it, curious as to why he'd written so soon after seeing her. In the letter he apologized for his bluntness that morning and said that "though I was tired, there's never a good excuse to turn away a friend, especially one who's concerned about you." He further said that he really hoped she would join him for dinner that evening, that he'd like to go out somewhere, if she didn't mind doing something different.

She searched her bag for a piece of parchment, and took a quill from the desk. She quickly wrote back that "of course I accept your apology. Don't worry about anything. It would take a lot more than that to hurt my feelings; I treasure our relationship and would not allow something that small to ruin it. As for dinner, yes, I'll go. Anywhere you want is fine, just let me know. Send your answer to the castle, or use the fireplace. I'll be working in my quarters most of the afternoon."

She then signed the note, sealed it up and sent it to him. She went back to the castle and, true to her word, spent the next hour or so working on grading papers. She looked up and realized it had only been an hour since her return, so she really wasn't expecting an answer yet. Then, her fireplace made a hissing noise and when she looked, there was Remus' head. She walked over to it and knelt down in front of it.

He spoke " I got your letter. Thanks for being so kind about this morning. I'm glad you weren't upset with me. As for tonight, how about we go to the Three Broomsticks? It's got better food than the Leaky Cauldron or the Hog's Head."

"Sure, that sounds great. When do you want me to meet you there?"

"Around 6:00p.m sounds good. I'll meet you at the gates of the school."

"Okay."

" I've actually been hoping for Umbridge to leave since I got back from my mission so that I could ask you out to dinner. With her gone, we can relax a little bit, for now."

"Yes, we can...and I'm thrilled about that too. I was getting tired of only being able to see you but for short periods of time, and always having to worry about what she might do. I know worse is to come, but for now, we can enjoy ourselves ."

"So, I'll see you at six?"

"Definitely."

The fire hissed again, then went to normal. She got up and almost floated back to her desk. This was a dream come true...Remus Lupin was interested in her and wanted to take her to dinner. She almost couldn't believe it. She hoped that she was correct in her understanding of him being interested in her. She knew she had gotten quite attached to him since they'd met. At first, she thought it was just a renewal of her teenage crush, but she had since realized it was different. This was more than that. She really loved this man...he was so kind, thoughtful and caring; in the days they had spent together she had learned that they were very much alike. She hoped he felt the same.

She forced herself to concentrate on her work for the next couple of hours, which was all it took to finish the stack of papers she was grading. She was excited, but tried to tell herself not to get her hopes up. He may only be wanting to spend some time with her away from everyone else. He might also just want to go somewhere else to eat for a change of scenery.

However, she decided to dress like she would for a romantic dinner date. She picked out a soft, knee length, deep purple skirt and a silky, silver-grey blouse. She curled her hair, then brushed it so that the curls were very soft and loose. She then walked down to the gates of the castle and met him.

His eyes widened when he saw her; he'd never seen her dressed like this before " You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thanks...you look great yourself." She was being honest, he was dressed in a very nice chocolate brown suit that went well with his hair and made his blue eyes stand out.

They walked to the pub, and found a booth near the back of the room. It was just noisy enough that they could talk without anyone hearing them plainly.

After the waitress had dropped off the menus, he spoke " I know I already apologized for this morning, but I just feel the need to say it face to face. I really did not think before I spoke to you, and it probably sounded like I didn't want to see you. But that wasn't the case, I was just so tired I knew we couldn't enjoy it."

"Don't worry about it. I appreciate you wanting to tell me in person, but I really hope you have not been worrying about that all day. As I said in my letter, I treasure our friendship and wouldn't let something that small ruin it."

"I appreciate that. I haven't really been worried about it, but just like you needed to see me to know I was okay, I needed to see you to know that you weren't upset either."

"Well, I'm not. So, shall we relax and enjoy our dinner?"

"Yes, I think so. Do you see something you like?"

They both looked over the menu, and shortly the waitress came back. They ordered, and while they waited for the food to arrive, Remus talked a bit more about the incident at the Ministry.

"It was really good timing that we got there when we did. Harry and his friends had put up an excellent fight, and had actually wounded a couple of the Death Eaters. But, a couple of them had been wounded too, and that only left four truly able to fight. The Death Eaters would have likely finished them off fairly easily if we had not arrived. Then, Bellatrix was going after Sirius and nearly killed him...the curse hit the stone he was standing behind, causing some of it to fall on him. Harry thought he was dead, so he and Neville Longbottom went after her. She led them away from the others, out into the atrium. Then, after Voldemort arrived, she disappeared. It was there that Dumbledore dueled with him, and that he possessed Harry briefly. Those of us that were fighting the other Death Eaters had to restrain them until the Aurors arrived, so I did not actually see what happened after Harry and Neville left the room. But Dumbledore told me about it later. Harry felt pretty bad once he realized that he had been manipulated; Voldemort had planted the image in his mind that caused him to go to the Ministry."

" Dumbledore didn't give me those details. He just said Sirius had been nearly killed, and that you were okay. I guess he knew that was most important to me. He did tell me about the incident in the atrium, though. At least now, the minister is finally admitting what's going on."

"Which brings me to what I wanted to ask you next. Now that he has admitted what's happening, will you go back to the Ministry? Surely he will change his attitudes about arresting people."

"I've thought about that, but, no, I've come to really enjoy teaching. Sure, I miss certain parts of being an Auror, but I can use those skills to help the Order. I'm happy with my job and it is fulfilling to be influencing young witches and wizards. In fact, I'm not going to change subjects, even though Defense Against the Dark Arts is open again. I'm thinking that job is jinxed, and I'd rather stay in a position I can keep."

"I'm glad to hear that. It will be considerably easier for us to spend time together if you're not right under the minister's nose. Even though his attitude has changed somewhat, I am reluctant to believe that everyone in the Ministry will share his views, and that could mean some difficulties for ministry employees who do admit to Voldemort's return. At least at Hogwarts, you know where you stand with everyone."

Just then, the waitress returned with their food. As they ate, they talked a bit about what they hoped would happen with regard to the situation as a whole, that it would be great if the Ministry would go after the Death Eaters and that they hoped the Order's membership would grow . They also hoped that the public would become more aware of being safe and careful, and would be better protected by the Ministry.

After they finished eating, they put their plates on the end of the table and sat back, not wanting the night to end yet, but not sure of what to do next. Since it was a warm, pleasant spring night, they decided to go for a walk. Holly offered to split the tab, but Remus said he wanted to treat her, so he paid. He knew his way around the area surrounding Hogsmeade far better than Holly did, so she let him lead her. They decided to stop on the shore of the lake opposite the Hogwarts grounds. They found a beautiful spot near a small clump of oak trees, but it still had a decent view of the sky and the lake. Remus put his traveling cloak on the ground so that Holly would have something to sit on without getting her skirt dirty.

He looked up at the sky and said "The sky's beautiful tonight...it's as if you can see every star. I really enjoy stargazing, which I guess seems odd for a werewolf. But it's only the full moon that causes any problems, so the rest of the month I can enjoy."

"I like to stargaze too, and this is as near a perfect spot as you can find, except maybe a tower or an open field. I like the way everything's reflected on the lake, it makes it feel almost endless."

"I found this area while I was at school here, one of the times I transformed. I didn't remember it myself, but Sirius and James did, ans on Hogsmeade weekends, we'd come here sometimes. It gave us a quiet place to plan our adventures for the next month or to just talk about things we didn't want anyone else to hear. It was a nice change from trying to find secluded corners of the castle or grounds."

"I can see how it would be good for that. Probably very few other people know how to get here."

"Speaking of friends reminds me of this morning. You seemed so relieved to see me , and you said you'd been worried about me all night. I know Dumbledore would have made sure you realized that being killed in our work in the Order is a risk we're all taking."

"Of course he talked to me about that, in fact he stressed it to me. I accepted that I could be killed in the line of duty when I was only 18...it's nothing new to me. And I know any of my friends in the Order could be killed as well. But it's only normal to worry about someone you love. I was worried about you when you were with the werewolves too. I didn't let it keep me from doing my job, and it didn't interfere with my work last night either. I was concerned about everyone, but you more than the rest."

Remus seems very startled at this statement. "Wait a minute...you said it's normal to worry about someone you love; are you saying you love me?"

"Yes, I am. I love you Remus. I can't say exactly when I knew I loved you, but I do. I can't deny it or change it, and I don't want to."

The expression on his face was a mixture of confusion and fear. "How could you let yourself fall in love with me? I'm old, poor, and a werewolf. I'm an outcast...nobody would want to have anything to do with you if we were a couple."

"First of all, you are a kind, caring, wonderful man who is exactly what I've always wanted...someone real who likes me for myself. You're not old, you're only five years older than me, not even forty. And we both know that for wizards, we're practically kids...we've got decades before we'll be considered old. As for what anyone else would say, I don't care. The only friends I have are the Order and my family. The Order has already accepted you, and I know my family will as well. If for some reason they don't, it's okay with me... I live my own life anyway. And as for you being a werewolf, I see no reason one day a month should keep us apart. Are you trying to say you don't have feelings for me at all?"

He was obviously stunned...he had not expected anything like this.

"No, it's not that. I never let myself think it even possible that I'd ever fall in love, or that anyone else would love me. I do care for you, but I have never thought of you as anything as a friend. I've never allowed myself to think that way about anyone...I just convinced myself over the years that it was impossible. Please don't be hurt by this, I just need time to think. The idea that you would really be interested in me, even knowing my condition is incredible to me. I don't really know how I feel. I guess that sounds silly, but it's the truth."

If she had heard this from anyone else, Holly would probably not have believed it, she would have assumed it was just a way to buy time to let her down easy. But knowing what she did about him, she realized he was telling her the truth. In their conversations, she had realized that he had always been ashamed of his condition, and that he had very rarely encountered anyone who liked him.

So, it made sense to her that he might have genuinely thought it would be impossible for someone to love him. Therefore, she felt it best to accept his words, and let him have the time and space he needed.

"Take all the time you need. I'll wait for you. But no, you don't sound silly. You sound like someone who has had a new possibility laid at his feet. Why don't we call it a night, and you can get back to me when you're ready?"

He agreed, and they walked back they way they had come, then they parted ways at the school gates. Holly walked up the driveway lost in thought. The night had not gone as she'd hoped, but she sensed in Remus' response something that told her there might be some hope. He had said he cared about her, but wasn't sure how he felt beyond that. Maybe he did love her, and just had not allowed himself to recognize it for what it was. But she also knew that she might have just put a large amount of awkwardness in the best friendship she'd ever had with a man. It was possible she'd ruined it. She really hoped that she hadn't.

When Remus arrived home that night, he called Sirius from the stairs...his head was spinning from all that had been said, and he wanted to run everything by Sirius. He couldn't believe Sirius had been right about her...not that Sirius was stupid or anything, but how could he be so sure, without really talking to her?

Sirius joined him soon, and asked "How was your date with Holly?"

"It was fine until she told me she loves me. Then I asked her how could she, didn't she know being with me would make her an outcast. Didn't she realize she could be infected too? How could she want someone like me? Sirius, she had answers for every one of those questions...and not just it'll be okay. She's really thought about this."

" I had a feeling she had, she's not stupid. As for her being an outcast, think about that...she's already said she's got no other friends except the Order. We won't turn our backs on her for being with you...though I may have to slap you if you don't acknowledge your own feelings. Think about how you react to her, Remus. I've seen you come home from being with her...you almost float when you walk. You even say her name differently than you do other people's. And you blush almost every time you make direct eye contact. You've got it as bad as she does, but she's ready to admit it."

"But how can I ask her to risk becoming a werewolf by being with me? "

" It's a risk she's obviously willing to take. The question remains, though, Remus, Do you love her; would you want to spend the rest of your life with her?"

"Yes, I do love her. I think that's why I'm so concerned about hurting her. But I also can't bear the thought of not having her in my life. I don't know what I'd do if I never saw her again. She was the one happy thing I had to think about while I was away. This sounds odd, but she can make me feel so much more human than I ever thought possible. The things she says to me, the way she's always so concerned about my feelings...no one I've known has been quite like that since I was friends with Lily. It is a bit hard to believe, though, that someone that intelligent and gorgeous could be interested in me."

"Well believe it, because she is. But you need to tell her how you feel, soon. You don't want her to get away."

"I will. You should have seen her tonight; she was stunning...I almost felt my heart stop when I saw her. The outfit she was wearing fit her like a glove, and the top shimmered in the moonlight. Her hair was loose and curled...I just wanted to run my fingers through it. I've never seen her dressed like that before."

"Yeah, you've got it bad alright."

"Well, thanks for making me listen to myself. I'm going to bed now."

Holly arrived at her quarters, changed into her pajamas, and asked the kitchen for a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a mug of cocoa. She found a good book, curled up in a chair at the fireside and nibbled while she read. Finally, around midnight, she got in bed. Her sleep that night was fitful...she had hoped that the reading and cocoa would settle her down, but she kept worrying over the events of the night. She'd bared her heart to him, and now she was worried about how he would react. She finally drifted into a fairly deep sleep around 5:00 a.m., and did not wake up until nearly 11:00 a.m.