Holly made a couple more attempts to contact Jane and David. Her letters were met with the same cold response they had been earlier. Three days after her engagement to Remus, she sent a letter to them and to Alyssa, informing them of the news. Alyssa wrote back within a few hours, telling her how happy she was about it.

Jane's letter arrived two days later, and was quite angry. She told Holly she ' couldn't believe you would actually marry a monster like that. But I guess we should have expected as much from you; you've always had odd tastes in men. You must be getting desperate, though, to marry him. Have you given any thought to what your children will be?'

The letter went on like that for two pages, bringing up almost every decision she had made in the last twelve years or so. The words stung Holly, but what hurt the worst was where she called Remus a monster. She held the letter in her hands and cried, tears smearing the ink in places. She had known for years their relationship would likely end over something like this, because they refused to even try to understand her. They felt that because life seemed to go smoothly for Alyssa, Holly must be the source of her own problems. She had spent many hours over the years defending decisions and explaining different parts of her life, only to be met with an attitude of 'if you tried harder, this would work out.' Finally sometime around age twenty-five, she'd just stopped telling them much about her life. The last three years, she'd only seen them a few times, usually just on the holidays.

But as she sat there, she realized she wasn't really crying as much over the end of the relationship as she was over the fact that she had no parents with whom to share the joy her engagement brought. She'd encountered this feeling a few times before, most recently when she'd finished her training to be an Auror. She was so proud, so happy over what she'd accomplished that she just wanted to scream. Alyssa had been excited when Holly had told her about it, she knew how hard Holly had worked for that. Jane and David had barely acknowledged that it was an accomplishment at all.

That day, she had done the only thing that seemed to help on these occasions. She visited her parents' graves, and her old home site. Though at the time she was nearly nineteen, she had climbed partway up her favorite old oak tree and sat for a while. The neighbor she'd sold the property to a couple of years earlier had told her to come back any time she wanted.

Tonight, though, she didn't do that; she felt it was too late an hour for that. So, she wrote two letters...one for herself and one for them. Hers was really just to get everything she felt and thought about the situation out on paper. She didn't even know if she'd keep it, but it felt good to write it out. Theirs was to let them know that since they refused to accept Remus, they would not be seeing her again. She would have nothing further to do with them. She was very careful not to make accusations or drag up the past, as they had done. When she finished it, she sent it. She knew she'd never receive a response, and that was fine with her. Later that night, as she was getting ready for bed, she received a letter from Alyssa, inviting her and Remus to meet with her for lunch the next day.

Holly accepted the invitation. Remus was a little skeptical when she told him, fearing Alyssa might be trying to "help" by inviting Jane and David as well. However, he agreed to go, to support Holly whatever may happen. Thankfully, Remus was wrong this time. Alyssa was waiting for them, alone, at the Leaky Cauldron. She just wanted to celebrate Holly's birthday and to ask if Holly wanted her to do anything.

Holly told her "No. Honestly it's a relief in a way to have them off my back. I'm sorry it has come to this, but I refuse to give up the man I love just to shut them up."

"I understand. I wouldn't do it either if I was in your place. You deserve to be happy and there's no excuse for their behavior. Personally, I'm thrilled you're getting married. I know Remus must be a wonderful man to make you gush like you did in your last few letters."

"Thanks. He is wonderful. He sometimes doesn't believe me when I say that, but he is a very kind, caring man. I've never loved anyone like I love him. But as far as Jane and David, it's their loss. I meant what I said when I told them I won't have anything else to do with them. I will visit you, if we're both welcome."

"Of course you're both welcome in my home. But enough of the bad stuff, how about we celebrate. That's what I invited you two here for."

"Sounds good to me."

"Both of you order anything you like, my treat. The food here has improved a bit recently. I think they got a new cook. Oh, and I got you a little something."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a wrapped box about the size of a hardback book.

Holly opened it, and inside was a half-dozen quills, the same number of different colored inks, and some colored parchment.

"Thanks. I still love to write, so this will be very useful."

"You're welcome. I had hoped you'd like it."

The waitress came by and took their orders. A few minutes later, their food was brought to the table. They ate, talking a little about a number of things. Shortly after they finished, Alyssa looked at her watch and realized she needed to go, this was her lunch break from work and she was due back soon.

Holly thanked her for the gift, for lunch, and told her goodbye.

She and Remus sat there a few more minutes, silently. Then he spoke up "I can tell you are still upset by your parents' reaction to our engagement. Is there anything I can do? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yes, I would like to talk about it, but I'd like to go someplace more private."

"That's fine with me. I'm with you whatever you need."

She gave his hand a squeeze. "I appreciate that. Let's go so we can really talk."

They walked outside to the courtyard behind the pub, then she told him it would be best if they apparate side-along. He took her hand, and a minute or so later, they landed in a garden. She looked around and said "It hasn't changed since I was here last."

"Where are we?"

"This is my old home site. Now it's one of Mr. Smith's gardens. He's the squib neighbor who told Dumbledore about the fire. When I was seventeen, I sold him the property. He approached me about it because he was running out of garden space. He paid me market value for it like anyone would have. I sold it to him because I'd already decided I wasn't going to live here again, and I always had thought of him as a nice man."

After a moment, she spoke again.

"The place has healed nicely...you'd never know there was a fire here, or even a house for that matter. But I see he's kept my favorite old oak tree." She walks over to one particularly large oak, with long, gracefully hanging branches. "When I was a little girl, I climbed all over this tree. The summer I was 9, I had scraped knees a lot from climbing so much. But I loved sitting on the branches watching everything that went on around me."

"That's not quite what I had pictured of you as a child. So you weren't the typical ruffles and lace, tea parties and teddy bears little girl?"

"No, ruffles and lace never have been my thing. I'm not a prim and proper lady, and I was more of a tomboy than a typical dainty little girl. I had my teddy bears, but I gave up tea parties sometime around age 5. I was more content to play outside in the trees and garden or to read than most kids my age...and I loved anything that used my imagination. I was a little mischievous , but my parents always knew how to get me to behave. They also understood the difference between a little mischief and truly bad behavior. They both had a wonderful sense of humor and let me get away with things other parents might not have tolerated. But they also taught me to think for myself, to do what was right, and not be afraid to follow my dreams. I think they would have really loved you, just for the fact that I do. That would have been all they wanted...for me to be happy."

"I'm sorry you have gone through so much loss. It's a shame your parents didn't get to see you grow up. But apparently they did a good job with the time they had with you. I know they'd have been proud of you."

She looks at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I know it may not make sense to be here, or to want to go to my parents' graves after what's happened. But I felt the need to come back to a place where I had a real family, to remember what it was like to never question if I belonged. I know Jane and David care about me, in their own way...but there's so much they don't understand. When I was younger, we got along fine, but as my life has gone a different way than they expected, we've grown apart. I'm more like an acquaintance or casual friend to them now than someone they once treated as their daughter."

"I think I understand your reasoning. You have some happy memories here, and you feel a connection to this place. It's a source of comfort to you to be able to come here and reflect. As for Jane and David, it's their loss since they have pushed you away. They'll lose touch with a wonderful woman that they really should be quite proud of."

She hugged him and thanked him for his kind words "I'd like to think my real parents would have been proud of me. I believe they could have related to my professions better than the Thomsons do. My dad was in law enforcement; my mom was a school teacher. The summer they found out I was a witch, they read everything they could find about our world...they went shopping with me for my school books and were amazed at everything they saw in Diagon Alley. They were as fascinated with it all as I was; I think they'd have liked to go to school with me if they could have. Jane and David, on the other hand, never quite "got it". They understand owl post, they have seen our school books, but they never bothered to open one. They learned just enough to be able to keep in touch with us, but were content to let the school handle us. Since graduation, my job choice and my social life have been a source of conflict. They don't understand what an Auror does, and they couldn't see why I couldn't just "work out" my disagreements with the Minister...I think they thought of him as my boss, not as the same as the Prime Minister. So I quit talking to them about work. But that only really left my social life, and they couldn't see why I didn't settle down with any of the guys I dated. They didn't realize that those guys were just after my money. But I could list a lot of things over they years that have caused disagreements. None of it is really important anymore. The letter was the last straw...I'm done being made to feel inferior or unacceptable. Now, let's go to the cemetery."

"Okay" They apparated together to the cemetery, and she sat down on a bench at the foot of their graves. Remus spoke "I don't really know what to say to comfort you, but I am here to listen as long as you want to talk."

"Thanks. An ear is really all I need. There's nothing that can be changed...the past is over, and nothing is going to change my mind about them now."

He sat down beside her "This is a pretty spot. Did you choose this area?"

"Yeah, I did. I love this big tree...it reminds me of the one at our home."

Several long minutes passed in silence, during which Holly seemed to be collecting herself. She conjured a bouquet of flowers, placed them in the vase on the headstone, and stood there for a few minutes. Remus stood a respectful distance away from her, until she beckoned him. He walked to her, she put her arm around him. She whispered something which he didn't fully hear, but guessed wasn't really for his ears anyway. Then she hugged him and said "I'm ready to go on our date, but let's go to my house first so I can clean up."

When they arrived at her house, it's 4:30 p.m.; they had passed almost three hours since Alyssa had left them at the Leaky Cauldron. Remus had planned a quiet dinner and dancing to celebrate her birthday. They sat on the couch and talked for a while, since they didn't plan to have dinner until 6:30 p.m.

He asked her "Are absolutely sure you still want to marry me, knowing how they feel? I don't want to cause you any pain."

" I definitely want to marry you. I have no regrets at all. Remus, I am totally and completely in love with you. I've never felt as happy or as whole as I do when I'm with you. When we're together, when you hold me, the whole world disappears...nothing else matters. I'm not giving that up for anybody, especially not two people who have done little more than make me feel inferior for the last decade. As for pain, it's not you, it's them. But I'm not really that hurt over it. Talking it out with Alyssa, and you helped a lot. You especially showed me I have no reason to feel inferior; you soothed the little bit of hurt the letter had inflicted."

"I just needed to be sure of what you wanted. I feel the same way about you. I haven't felt this way in a very long time, and then it was because Lily had helped me through a really rough spot. She was a very caring friend who, like you, was able to make me feel human instead of like a monster. She really cared about me as a person. She would have been so thrilled to know I've finally fallen in love, that I've finally met someone who is healing me. Your presence in my life is like a balm to all the shame I've let wound my soul and heart over the years."

She reached over and hugged him, then said "Who'd have thought two people so wounded could heal each other?"

"Not me. I'm glad we found each other."

"Me too. Now, I guess I need to go freshen up a bit. I've cried just enough to make my face red. This shouldn't take too long."

She went into the bathroom, washed her face, then applied fresh makeup. She brushed her hair, then decided she was ready.

By this time it was 6:00 p.m., so they left for the restaurant.

They had decided to go back to the nightclub they had visited in Diagon Alley during the spring. They had both enjoyed themselves and were looking forward to going dancing again.

They arrived a few minutes after 6:00 p.m., and once they got in, Holly spotted a good table near the stage. They sat talking for a while, then were able to place their dinner orders. The meal was as good as it had been the last time, and after a few more minutes' conversation, Holly was ready to dance.

Before they did, though, Remus touched her hand and said "Wait. I have something for you, and I want you to open it."

He handed her a small slender box. She opened it, revealing a delicate gold locket on a thin chain.

"Thank you. This is beautiful. I know exactly which photo I want in it."

She asked him to help her put it on, and he did. She hugged him, then led him out on the dance floor. Quite a few dances later, they realized it was 10 p.m., so they left. Since it was so close to the beginning of the school year, Holly was trying to keep better hours so she got enough sleep.

When they arrived on her doorstep, Holly invited Remus inside. He declined, saying he wanted to go to bed early that night too. She thanked him again for the locket, and for being there for her through everything that day. Then she kissed him goodnight. As they broke from their kiss, he whispered "Happy Birthday, sweetheart." Then he left for home.

The next couple of weeks were busy for Holly. She was putting the finishing touches on her lesson plans for the year. She wasn't making a lot of changes, but there would be some differences, and she wanted everything to be ready a few days before the start of term.

She spent some time with Remus during those weeks, but not much. About three days before she had to leave, they spent an afternoon at her house. They talked about their wedding, and made a few plans. They decided on their colors; blue and white. The guys' outfits would be dark blue, the girls' would be light blue.

That afternoon, Holly also told Remus she would ask about any different quarters for married couples. She asked him if, in the meantime, he would keep an eye on her house.

" I'd just like you to come here a couple of times a month to see that everything's okay. Of course, if you'd like to stay here, even move in, you can, I don't mind."

"Moving in here before we're married would seem weird to me. This is your home, and it won't feel like mine until we stay here together a while. I guess that makes me odd, but it's just how I feel. I don't mind coming here to check on the place from time to time."

"That's good. It does have a mechanical lock, so I'll give you my spare key. What you said doesn't seem weird, it shows me that you have a lot of respect for me. It's the same thing as when you hesitated about sharing a bed with me after you'd transformed. The only reason you did that was because we both knew you were too tired to do anything but sleep. I understand your feelings; the only reason I offered is because I trust you and I love you."

She gave him her spare key and explained the few security charms that were on the house. They cooked dinner together, which they both enjoyed.

On August thirtieth, Holly left home and reported to the castle to get ready for the beginning of the school year.