AN: I apologize profusely, and thank you immensley to mm for the review pointing out that I am a retard. Wow. In Chapter 24, I made the mistake of saying that Harry was in the kitchen taking off his halloween makeup when he was really in the bathroom. I'm sorry for the confusion. It'll be edited soon.

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Harry awoke the next day after a restless sleep to find Remus at the kitchen table talking to Kit. Nate was peacefully eating cheerios. As Harry sat down with a cup of coffee, Remus turned to him.

"Your next door neighbour is a wizard?"

Harry nodded, confirming. "He seemed a bit dodgy when I spoke to him, though."

"And no one has seen him since Halloween," Kit piped up. "He's never outside like he used to be."

"It is colder out," Harry argued.

"He hasn't picked up his mail," Kit countered.

Both Remus and Kit adopted suspicious looks as they gazed at Harry.

"I think you should investigate," she continued, and Harry pulled on his shoes.

"And shovel the walk while you're at it, eh?" Remus smiled as Harry adopted a jacket.

As Harry closed the front door behind him, Remus turned to Kit who had traded her suspicious look for a green one.

"Are you alright?" he asked, but she did not answer, running out of the room to the bathroom.

"Mummy's sick," Nate commented wisely.

When Kit returned to the kitchen, Remus looked at her, his eyebrows raised. Kit only shrugged, shooting him a warning look. However, the impending conversation died away as Charlie sat in the chair next to Nate, puffy eyed.

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Harry traipsed up the walk to Walt's house, pulling together a dozen different conversations, all of them beginning the same and none of them turning out how he wanted it to. He knocked on the yellow door and barely had to wait a minute before Walt answered it.

"Good morning," Harry said cheerfully, but Walt barely smiled.

"Morning," he said warily.

"Haven't seen you for a while," Harry continued, and Walt immediately looked guilty.

"I've been busy."

"Busy back in our world?"

Walt did not answer.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Are you still active in the wizarding world?"

"No," Walt replied, a little too quickly for Harry's liking.

"Really?"

"Yes," Walt went on. "I'm not involved with that anymore, but I am quite busy this morning, so –" He trailed off, beginning to close the door, but Harry stuck his foot in the way.

"You are, aren't you?" he demanded.

But Walt pulled his wand. "Listen, Potter," he said scornfully, "it's none of your business. Mind yours and I'll mind mine, right?"

Harry withdrew his foot, surrendering, and Walt slammed the door.

Harry frowned as he stepped back into the kitchen.

"Well?" Kit prompted him, but Harry looked at Remus.

"We should be suspicious of him," he said simply, and Remus nodded.

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"Why aren't Kristina and Charlie here?" Mrs Weasley asked to no one in particular. Kit, Harry, Nate, Hermione, and Mrs Weasley were sat around the kitchen table, waiting for the potatoes to boil and the others to arrive. Fleur and Bill had not sent a letter since their honeymoon, and Ron and his father were in the living room.

"Oh, they dropped by last night to offer their congratulations," Kit lied easily, pouring Nate a glass of milk. Kristina and Charlie had left for their own flat earlier in the day. Remus had handled the baby. "They didn't want to bring the baby on such a long trip."

"Oh, I see," Mrs Weasley said. "Well, that's understandable."

Kit did not comment, choosing instead to turn the conversation over to Ginny, asking her about her university experience.

"It's great," Ginny gushed. "Everything I thought it would be, and easier because I can clean my room in about two seconds," she laughed.

"And do you only clean your room when a certain someone comes over?" Hermione asked pointedly.

"Well, my room mate is pretty finicky, and –"

"I meant a boy," she clarifies impatiently.

Ginny blushed and Mrs Weasley snorted.

"No," Ginny admitted softly.

"No, of course not," Mrs Weasley fumed. "The only courting going on anymore is Remus and Tonks. And thank goodness they come around, reminding us all what real romance is!" She raised her voice for the last three words, carrying them to her husband. "Besides,' she continued placidly, "we all know the French can't display their romance for long."

"Bill and Fleur haven't writ," Ginny clarified lowly when Mrs Weasley left the room.

But Harry was looking past her to the doorway she had just left through.

"How long has she been like this?"

Ginny shrugged and Mr Weasley appeared in the door looking slightly anxious.

"Dad, is mum sick?" Ginny asked softly.

"Where did she go?"

They all shrugged and Harry repeated her question.

-The doctor let himself into the room. Mr Weasley sat holding his wife's hand, both nervous for the news.

"We have your test results back, Mrs Weasley," he said softly, closing the door behind him. "And I'm afraid that it isn't good."

Arthur shot Molly a concerned but brave look, but she still frowned.

"Well?" she prompted him, "What is it?"

"Cancer," he said quietly, and Mr Weasley gasped. He had heard of the dreaded muggle disease before, but they were wizards! He did not understand how his wife, who had magic running through her veins, could have contracted it.

"Where?"

He asked the question bravely, and Molly looked at her husband with tears in her eyes. She was the first one who ever heard his stories about his research.

"In the brain," the doctor replied, and he looked at them both with deepest sympathy in his eyes. "We could operate and take out the tumour, but it would be difficult and the surgery could damage the brain cells."

"What else is there?" Arthur asked as Molly shook with silent sobs.

"We could wait it out," he responded. "It is not very harmful at the moment, and if we would let it alone she could live for another year; six months at the least."

"What's wrong with that?"

The doctor sighed. "The area of the brain that the tumour is currently infecting is very close to the emotional centre. If, and when, the tumour grows, your wife will experience severe mood swings. Anti-depressants will do nothing to subdue the rapid changes, and the condition will only get worse with time."

Mrs Weasley wiped her tears and Arthur looked at her sadly.

"Could we have a minute?" he whispered, and the doctor nodded and left them alone.

"Surgery?" he pleaded, but Molly shook her head.

"I heard the doctor," she breathed, "and I would rather live another half year than maybe die on that bed." She looked at him and her eyes welled up with tears. "I want to see either Harry or Ron married. Please, Arthur."

He wrapped his wife in a hug and whispered in her ear, "Okay. We'll just go home then."

She smiled.

But the couple knew that the next few months would be some of their hardest, and it was. Neither told the other family members, and neither discussed anything medical related in broad daylight. Before long, their conversations in bed were non-existent, and Arthur often slept on the couch.

He could not bear to see the pain the cancer was causing his sweetheart. They knew it would not be long, but as long as she remained non-violent, Arthur was happy to keep her in the house. She was slowly going insane, and he was quickly losing steam. -

Mr Weasley only shook his head, frowning.

Remus and Tonks arrived just before Mrs Weasley announced dinner, not holding hands or acting romantic. Throughout dinner they were like siblings, bickering and joking, none of their antics ending with or containing soft love-filled looks.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Kit, and Ginny exchanged occasional raised eyebrows. Nate stayed quiet throughout the entire evening. No one mentioned the upcoming wedding.