The first of December brought with it frigid air and small snowstorms. Slowly the whole of Hogwarts and it's ground were covered in fresh snow that glistened it the sun light that escaped the thick clouds covering the opaque sky.

"Twins." Harry said for the tenth time, sitting with Ginny on a bench in one of the small courtyards dotting the castle. The snow fell in small flakes and caught on his eyelashes.

"Not just twins Harry, a girl and a boy!" Ginny had become increasingly excited as the day had progressed. Now she was drawing small pictures in the snow on the ground by her foot with a long stick.

"What are we going to name them?" He asked quietly, watching her movements affectionately.

"I don't know, but let's make deal." Harry could tell she knew something important that they had to do, but he couldn't think what. "We wait to name them until we tell my parents."

Harry took a deep breath, the cold air stinging his lungs. He had totally forgot about that. "Okay, you got a deal. But I like Lily and James."

"You made a deal!" She said, refusing to listen to any name suggestions he had, though they were always the same.

''

Harry and Ginny had decided that the first person that they should tell was Hermione, who might be able to help Ginny out until Christmas break, when she would be going home for the holidays. Harry had been invited to stay, as had Hermione, and both of them graciously took the invitation. Hermione was surprised, yet delighted to hear the news and said she would be there for the two of them. She also agreed that they shouldn't tell anyone else until Mr. And Mrs. Weasley were informed. Though they hid the fact quite well, Ginny's morning sickness was beginning to worry her roommates.

"Good morning," Ginny told everyone as she sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch.

"Gin, is it just me, or have you been eating more lately?" Ron asked her.

"Are you sure you just haven't been eating less?" She asked, trying to avoid the question.

"Could be." He admitted and began buttering his toast. "You know, you'd think they'd butter this stuff for you."

"Some people may not want butter on their toast, Ron," Hermione told him, grabbing a piece for herself.

He snorted his milk before saying, "Yeah, weird people."

"So how are you and Luna working out?" Harry asked Ron, grabbing the bowl of oatmeal and pouring himself some. Ron suddenly became very interested in his eggs.

"She keeps going on about how I have these little creatures living in my ears, and suggests all these remedies for it. None of which seem in any way pleasant." Ginny and Hermione both giggled, but didn't say a word.

''

Hermione sat in the head's common, reading, when Draco got back from his meeting with Snape. He had caught a fifth year Slytherin trying to blow up some toilets on the second floor and had to be there for the punishment, and to explain what had happened. He seemed mad for some reason.

"How'd it go?" Hermione asked cautiously as she turned the page.

"He got two weeks detention." He snapped back at her. Walking over to the couch, he grabbed a pillow and threw it at the far wall.

"So, that bothers you why?"

"Because I have to oversee his detentions, with Snape, who has been a complete…"

"Enough!" She cut him off before he could finish the sentence.

''

"You are playing games with me, but your games will soon end." Voldemort said in his high-pitched drawl.

"I've told you everything I know, please believe me!" Narcissa kneeled on the ground with her head bent, tears trickling slowly down her face, still shaking from the last cruciatus. Her pleas were falling upon deaf ears, but still she tried.

"If do not tell me what I want to know, I will just have to ask Draco." His only intention was to get her to talk, for Lucius would never be fool enough to tell his son the truth. Draco wouldn't stand a chance against the Dark Lord.

"Please, Draco has nothing to do with this! Leave him in peace!" By avoiding eye contact, she was hoping he wouldn't be able to use legilimency on her.

"Look at me." Voldemort commanded her, and when she refused, he hit her with another Cruciatus. "We can keep this up all night, until the pain gets so bad it drives you to insanity. Then we would have no choice but to go to Draco." He told her before releasing her.

"My son knows nothing!" Narcissa growled at him, forcing herself to stand up, to defy him one last time.

"Your husband will die, it is inevitable. I will be back at sunrise, make your choice, your life or his." Voldemort turned and walked to the door where a small man stood guard. He whispered something to him before slipping away down the hall. Narcissa's screams would be heard many more times that night.

''

Dumbledore was pacing his study once again. This was not supposed to happen. His plan was failing, and with it his hopes for a victory. Sighing, he took out his penseive and began examining memories, trying to find his potentially fatal mistake. He was unaware of the suffering taking place all around him.

''

Sirius with Remus at the small table in his makeshift kitchen, they were playing a game of chess, and Sirius was loosing pitifully.

"You always win!" He told Remus after he had managed to check mate him.

"That's because you suck." Remus told him simply as the players repaired them selves and raced back to their starting position. Remus had now won ten times in a row. "No more tonight guys, I think Sirius is about sick of loosing." He told his chess pieces, all of which sulked about, talking amongst them selves.

"Your so supportive." Sirius told him, laughing.

"You've changed," Remus told him critically.

"So have you." Was Sirius' quiet response.

"Your not going to ask me how I think you've changed?" He asked raising one eyebrow. "You, who used to ask why I thought at all, is now not questioning my every statement. You have changed." Remus chuckled quietly and shook his head in disbelief.

"No, I've finally realized what's important." Remus burst out laughing, and soon Sirius smiled too.