Once we broke again, this all really sunk in. I was standing with a still-shirtless Percy Weasley. In his room. And I'd kissed him. Twice. He was smirking now, looking at me.

"You're quite right," He said finally. "Who cares what anyone thinks?"

"Let's not even tell them," I suggested. "It's nobody's business but ours, right?"

"Is there an 'ours'?" Percy asked, "Is there an us now? I'm a bit confused; it's happening so fast."

"Yes, there's an us," I decided. "There's a very wonderful us; an us consisting of you and me."

"The best kind of us's usually envolve two people, so I suppose this is an us," He agreed. "But what kind of us? A friendly us, a loathful us..?"

"How about," I said, smiling, "A romantic, random, crazy us?"

"I like that," Percy smiled. He kissed my cheek, then said, "Now to find a new shirt.." and looked through his things. I laughed and looked at the remains of the one he'd previously been wearing.

I guess I stood their in almost a daze for a few minutes, but was brought back by Percy saying, "Hey, it's my old Hogwarts album!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Go look at my page from third year; I left you a note."

He turned to the page and started laughing, too, as he slipped an arm into a new shirt.

"...Y'know," I said plainly, suprised that I'd only just now thought of this, "We could just 'Reparo' the first shirt..." I pointed my wand at it. "Reparo!"

The shirt mended itself, and I handed it to him, grinning.

"Under-aged magic..." He started.

"Nobody cares, I'll be seventeen tomorrow," I reminded him as he took off the other shirt and started to put the first one on. "Aww, do you have to put it back on?"

"Sorry, but yes," he apologized. "I'm leaving soon, I believe. Once the Minister, he's downstairs, is done talking to Harry Potter, I'll be leaving."

"Wha?!" I sputtered, "B-b-but you just got here a-and...! I'll be alone again!" I pouted and wrapped my boyishly short, messy-on-purpose blue hair around my finger.

"Oh, no you won't," Percy said with a sincere grin. "You'll never really be alone. I promise. I'm always thinking of you, honestly."

"Always?" I asked, grinning myself.

"Practically," He admitted honestly. "I'm only not when I'm having Ministry assignments shoved in my head."

"Psshhht," I said, waving off his attempted-romance, "I'm thinking of you even when stuff is being shoved in my head! I.E. at Hogwarts, during classes that I happen to be failing.."

"You're failing classes?!" Percy half-shrieked. "Which ones?!"

"Oh, I don't want to talk about it," I whined, pouting again, "The report cards are on the way via owl right now and when Remus sees, I'm gonna get killed."

"I won't let him kill you," he said, his romantic attempt having good affect that time. I grinned and wrapped myself in his arms. "But for now, I've got to get downstairs."

"Awww," I said as he untangled me from his arms. "But Perce..."

He kissed me quickly. "I'll visit you sometime; somehow. I promise." With that, he, holding the belongings of his he'd originally come up to get, trekked downstairs, leaving me breathless in an empty room.

"I love you," I whispered, but only managing to do so after he was already gone. ****____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I looked down at myself and saw my clothes were wrinkled. No doubt from being wrapped in his arms. I straightened out the blue mini-dress I was wearing. I'd been honestly suprised that morning when Mrs. Weasley didn't tell me to change. It might've had something to do with the black tights I wore beneath the dress, but still, it was a shock.

Walking out into the upper hallways, I heard voices coming from Fred and George's room, and their door was half-shut. The lights were out. Naturally, I went to investigate.

"Yesssss...!" Julie said from inside, "Just like that! Every time!"

"It's perfect, isn't it?" George, also in there, dreamily agreed.

Oh my God! I thought. What the Hell?!

"It certainly is, George!" Fred laughed from inside. I practically threw the door open.

"Heeyyy, what's up, Soph?" Julie asked.

"What's going on in here?!" I inquired.

"Glow-in-the-Dark candies!" Julie grinned, flicking the light-switch.

"They make you're whole face glow!" George stated.

"Why?" Fred asked. "What on Earth did you think was going on?" He raised an eyebrow, and George and Julie both cracked into laughter.

"Err.... I'm, uhh, gonna go..." I sputtered and backed away slowly, then turned around to walk down the stairs.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar, eruptive, angry voice. "She's failing!?!?"

"Ding-dong," said Julie, suddenly behind me on the stairs. "It's Death and I think it's for you, dearie." All the way down the stairs, she hummed a slow, funeral march.

I saw, when I got downstairs, a red-faced Remus. He looked mad. I looked dead. In the room were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, too.

He glared at me hard, so I stuttered, "W-w-w-wotcher, R-Remus!"

"You're failing three classes!" He said as if we'd already been discussing it, "Including Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts!"

"Heheh..." I laughed nervously, "Report cards..." I muttered to myself, "Damn..."

"What on Earth is going on with you?!" He demanded.

"Protest?" I stated, though it sounded more like a question.

"And what," Remus yelled, "may I ask, is important enough to lower your grades for a simple protest?!"

"Severus's liiiiiiiife," I said lowly, so low I hardly heard it myself.

"His what?" Remus repeated, not catching my sentence.

"Liiiiiiife!" I hissed.

"...What?" he asked, his confusion greater than his anger.

"Bad stuff happens to the D.A.D.A. teachers!" I said, biting my lip to keep from crying. "You of all people know that! No way am I letting anything happen to Severus!"

"Sophie," Remus sighed, shaking his head, "Don't you understand? Failing grades won't change a man's job."

"Well, it's all I can do!" I shouted back, unsure why I was shouting at all, "I've got to at least try! I did nothing when you taught, and look where you are! You can't find a job, which in turn is making you poorer and poorer by the day, and giving you an excuse not to date Tonks!"

Remus was silent for a moment, then spoke, "Sophia, nothing that has happened to me was your fault. And nothing that could possibly happen to Snape would be, either. But nothing will happen."

"What makes you think you're so right all the time?" I demanded.

"Because I always am," he joked with a confident grin.

I raised an eyebrow. "No time for joking, Dad," I said thoughtlessly.

He smiled momentarily at the shock of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, then said, "All right. But honestly, get your grades up. Repeating sixth year won't be much fun, I'd say."

"But then I could have classes with Ginny and Luna!" I said, faking an excitement comparable only to the true sorrow that showed through my eyes. "It'll be loads of fun!"

With a sigh, Remus replied, "You don't honestly mean that."

"Maybe....." I said, pulling out my cell phone so I had something to do besides returning Remus' eye-contact. "..No..."

"Then I suggest not failing," Remus said, ending the conversation. I gave him wondering eyes, begging to find out what he was thinking, but he looked away. I knew what that meant; his thoughts were of Tonks. Big shocker there, right? No? Just checking. I went to open my mouth to speak, but his eyes flashed back to me, and I choked on the words. I was quite frightened, really.

"Oh, Remus," said Mrs. Weasley, putting a hand on my shoulder. I jumped a little, as it was unexpected. "You've got the poor girl practically terrified! Can't you go a bit easier on her?"

"I'd much appreciate it, Molly," Remus said with a little bit of sting in his voice, "if you could refrain from telling me what or what not to do in the disciplining of my daughter."

If I could have read Mrs. Weasley's mind, I'd've heard something like, "She's been like a daughter to me since the day Ron first introduced her, Harry, and Hermione to us! How dare you speak other wise!" But, alas, I could not, and therefore did not.

Instead, I heard Mr. Weasley speak. "Remus," he said, "There's no need to snap at her. After all, Molly's only trying to help. She does know quite a bit about punishing children; you are, after all, speaking with the woman who raised Fred and George."

Remus slumped down in his chair. He didn't like argueing with the Weasleys, and just didn't have the energy for it. Instead, he sighed and looked at the ground in a way that resembled a child being lectured.

I squeezed myself into his chair and smiled at him. He grinned back momentarily, then looked away.

"Hey." I said quietly into his ear so the others in the room didn't hear.

"What?" he whispered back.

"Love you, Dad." I kissed his cheek in a very daughterly way. He smiled, and even went red for a minute.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, laughing a little and pushing me about an inch away. I didn't blame him. I'd probably have done the same thing if he had kissed me and said, "Love you, Soph."

I giggled to myself, thinking about what he would do if he knew that the lips that just kissed his cheek had been against Percy Weasley's lips not an hour before. ***_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Maybe ten minutes later, Mrs. Weasley said she was going to make dinner. I offered to help, and she gladly accepted. We walked to the Burrow's kitchen and began to create a meal.

"So, Mrs. Weasley," I started. I really wanted to get along with her. Hopefully she'd one day be my mother-in-law. "How's, er, life going?"

"Wonderfully?" She replied awkwardly.

"That's great!" I said, putting everything I could in sounding happy, "Same for me. I mean, as well as possible with the Dark Lord around and all. We'll get him one day." I beamed.

"That's definately right, dear," said Mrs. Weasley with a smile as she cracked a few eggs.

I smiled at her. I put down the cooking utensils I had just picked up and hugged her. "Thank you so much."

"For what?" she asked.

I half shrugged. "Just being here, I guess." I decided to be truly honest with her. "I never had a mum, so it's good to have someone who treats me like their own."

Mrs. Weasley laughed and hugged me back. "No problem, dear, really. I've enjoyed your company for, what, seven years?"

Seven! That was right! I forgot about the time I accidentially flooed to the Burrow. I was ten and I thought the floo powder was glitter. I fell into the chimney as I was yelling something about how groundhogs live in burrows to Tonks in the other room. I'd been so scared. I allowed myself to flash back.

A ten-year-old me stumbled out of the chimney, covered in smoke. I looked around the room, terrified of this unfamiliar place. A nine-year-old red-head looked up from the book she sat reading and said, "Daddy!"

"What's the matter, Ginny?" her father called in.

"There's a girl here!" she replied, "She came out of the chimney! Must've flooed.

Flooed? I thought to myself, what does that mean?

The girl's also red-haired father poked in the room. "Well, hello there!" He smiled, and I pulled back from the hand he extended to me, "It's ok, don't be afraid." He sounded like he was talking to a six-year-old.

"I'm not a baby, you know," I said quite rudely, "I'm ten, not five."

"Oh, are you now?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I am." I snapped.

"Molly, dear," the man shouted out of the room, "We've got a visitor; a little girl who's ten-years-old!"

"Have we?" His wife, Molly, said, coming into the room. "Why, Arthur, so we have!" She looked me over and saw the fear in my eyes. "Dear, are you all right? You look thoroughly terrified."

I looked away, not sure how to reply, and saw a picture on the mantle. It was two more red-haired children, but boys, much older than the girl who was in the room. Between them stood my cousin, Tonks. I walked over to the mantle and reached up for the picture, but couldn't reach.

"Oh, that?" the man, Arthur, asked. "A picture of my eldest boys and there friend, that is. The smaller of the two, Charlie, graduates Hogwarts next year." Hogwarts? "His brother, Bill, graduated last year. Their friend is older, though, she graduated-.."

"Two years ago," I finished for him.

"How'd you know that, dear?" Molly asked.

I pointed up at Tonks in the picture: "Cousin Tonks."

"That's your cousin?" Arthur laughed, "Well, then, you're certainly welcome here! I'm Arthur Weasley, and that's my wife, Molly." He pointed the young girl. "This is our youngest child, Ginny."

"Mum?" asked another red-haired child, walking into the room. He looked about my age. "Dad? What's going on?"

"This is Ron," Mrs. Weasley said. "Ron, we have a guest; Tonks' cousin..." She turned to me, "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Sophie," I said, a smile playing on my lips, "I'm Sophie Jamison."

I sighed as I sturred the soup, thinking about this first meeting. It was the first day I met Percy... The day I started fancying him. I daydreamed about these kind of things, but was snapped out of it by Mrs. Weasley.

"Dear, you can stop sturring now," she said. Her facial expression told me it hadn't been the first time she said so, just that it was the first time I'd heard. "It's ready.

"Oh!" I realized, "Sorry, Mrs. Weasley!"

"Dear, you'll be of age tomorrow," she smiled, "Perhaps you should start calling me Molly?"

I thought about this a moment. Was she being serious? Just trying to see how I'd react? Testing me? "I'd much rather keep it as Mrs. Weasley, ma'am," I said finally. She smiled. Apparantly, I passed the test.

We finished cooking and sat down at the dinner table. I stuck myself between my dad (Remus) who I was quite getting used to, and Ron. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Ron never ceased to amaze me; he was such a good friend. Well, true, him and Hermione were quarreling, but it was only because they were both too stubborn to admit they were in love.

I had a sudden thought; should I tell him about Percy? I mean, we'd agreed not to tell anyone, but this was Ron. I never kept anything from him. Well, that's not true, but I never kept anything this monumental from him. I stared into space, more through Ron than at him.

"Sophie?" Ron asked in a whisper, noticing my blank stare. "Are you ok?" He waved a hand in front of my face. "Sophie!"

"Huh?! Wha?!" I said, snapping back to realitiy.

"Are you... all right?" he asked, and Dad (Remus) put a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to face him.

"Is something wrong?" he inquired.

"Hmm?" was the first thing out of my mouth. I tried to laugh off my own ignorance. "Oh, yeah, of course! I mean, everything's wonderful for me right now, Dad, simply wonderful." I definately wasn't lying.

"If you're sure..." Dad/Remus said slowly.

"I am," I said sincerely, "And how are you?"

"I'm... fine..." he replied awkwardly. I smiled and turned around back to Ron.

"Quit grinning like that, Soph," Ron requested, "You're creeping me out."

I turned back to my plate in front of me, but I couldn't whipe that smile off of my face. It felt perminate. I liked that idea.

I woke up grinning the next day as a wonderful feeling flooded through my body. I was of age. No longer could I not do magic outside of school. I could do magic whenever I wanted, so long as I was not around muggles. I couldn't help but squeel, or maybe more like scream, in excitement.

I got up and looked at the clock. It read four thirty-three. Perfect timing, I thought, as that was my exact time of birth. I was truly seventeen. I through on a black sleeveless shirt, jeans with some rips, a sweater that Mrs. Weasley had made with a big "S" on it in Slytherin colors, and walked over to the mirror. I lined my eyes with black and applied green eye-shadow. Mascara, blush, and lip-gloss finished the look. Only one thing was left: my hair.

What to do with hair that could be any color, any length? I decided to go with long, black, and wavy. It just felt right. I looked at my reflection. The woman staring back at me too closely resembled Aunt Bella Dearest, so I changed my hair to blonde and smiled in satisfaction. As it was a real yellow-ish blonde, I didn't look too much like Aunt Narcissa.

Nobody but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were awake yet. I saw them downstairs in the livingroom once I'd ventured all the way down the stairs and lived. They greeted my warmly with birthday wishes.

"I'm of age!" I exclaimed happily, but quietly so as not to wake anyone.

"Yes, dear, you are," Mrs. Weasley smiled, but her eyes looked sad. Like she'd been crying. And I could see a wet patch on the shoulder of Mr. Weasley's jacket.

"Is something wrong?" I asked stupidly. Of course something was wrong.

"Same thing as what's been wrong since last year, I'm afraid," Mr. Weasley said. Instantly, I understood. It must've been about Percy having came and left.

"H-he took more of his things!" Mrs. Weasley half-sobbed.

"He did?" I hadn't even noticed him take more bags when he left.

"Yes, he did," Mr. Weasley replied solomnly. "You were in his room when he came up. Didn't you notice?"

"I hadn't noticed him take anything," I said, mostly being honest.

"D-did he say anything?" Mrs. Weasley asked, drying her eyes. "Like i-if he's ever c-coming back?"

I scanned my memories of that evening. A most wonderful evening it had been. "Not that I remember," I replied finally.

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Weasley persisted.

"I'd tell you if he said anything about his family, for sure," I reassured.

"A-all right, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, trying her hand at a smile. "Thank you f-for trying."

"I will always try, Mrs. Weasley," I promised, then smiled at Mr. Weasley, who grinned back.

"Well, you should get some more sleep," Mr. Weasley said to me, but I shook my head.

"I'd much rather stay awake, maybe pop over to the Death Eater's headquarters..." I replied, "See what's going on."

"Right then," Mrs. Weasley smiled, her tears done for now, "Off you go, then."

"I, er, can't apparate," I confessed, "Is my motorcycle still outside?"

"Of course," Mr. Weasley replied.

"Thank you," I said, hugging both individually, then taking my leave.

I rode over to Malfoy Mannor, parked outside, and walked up to the house. I knocked on the door and, as it was five in the moring, expected no answer. Instead, I was greeted by Uncle Rudolphus.

"Sophia?" He questioned, "What are you doing here?"

I pulled up the left sleeve on my sweater. "I am a Death Eater. Just because I'm at school most of the time..."

"Ahh, yes," he smirked, "I'd forgotten, as you're never around."

"Yes, well, as the Dark Lord knows, I've got reasons," I replied.

"Well, come in then," Rudolphus said finally, and I came with him inside. "Do keep up," he added, and meant for me to follow him. I did.

We went down numorous winding hallways until we came to the meeting room. There, before me, was the Dark Lord. As he commanded me to sit, I gulped, then did so.

"Yes, My Lord?" I said, curious why I'd been brought to this room to see him.

"Is Draco completing his mission?" the Dark Lord hissed.

"I'm unsure, My Lord," I replied honestly, "I was never informed what the mission was to be." I noticed Bellatrix standing confidentally beside her Master. I added, "Aunt Bella forgot to tell me."

He turned to her. "Is this true, Bellatrix?"

"My Lord," she began, "I was never told she was to be informed. I assure, had I been told to brief her, I'd have done so in a heartbeat."

"You weren't told to?!" He snapped, "Do I have to tell you every little thing you are to do?! You can't simply tell her what is going on because she is one of my loyal servants and needs to know?!"

"My Lord, I apologize most sincerely," Aunt Bella Dearest sputtered, "I was unaware you wanted her informed."

"Of course I want her informed!" the Dark Lord shouted, "Who else will keep track of Draco's progress while he is at school?! Yes, Severus is, but we need more than one keeping track of the boy!"

I cringed with Bellatrix as the Dark Lord struck her across the face. He said, "I expect much more of you, Bellatrix!"

"I'm sorry, Master," she practically sobbed, "I'll do better next time! I've always been one of the most loyal of sevants all these years!"

He opened his mouth to speak, but what came out was not what he had first wanted to say. "You are lucky you've provided for me so well in the past, or you would be in an awful lot more of trouble."

"So.. what is his mission?" I ventured, half expecting to be struck aswell.

"Draco," he said, "has been assigned to murder a certain wizard who's always in our way."

"Surely not Harry Potter!" I exclaimed, "I thought you planned on finishing him yourself, My Lord?"

"Of course not!" Bellatrix shrieked in laughter.

"That's enough Bellatrix!" the Dark Lord spoke, and she became silent. He turned back to me. "Not Harry Potter, as I will finish him myself, as you remembered. Draco will be killing Dumbledore."

My eyes bulged from their sockets and my hair grew long, white, and straight in shock. I bolted to a standing position and spoke thoughtlessly, "Dumbledore?! But isn't he too much for Draco? He's only a sixth year!"

"Silence!" He commanded. "You are not questioning your Lord, are you, Jamison? Or should I say, 'Lupin'?"

"No, never!" I replied hastily, "I'm meerly wondering why you picked Draco, My Lord."

"You've no right to wonder!" the Dark Lord screamed, "You are to make sure he completes his mission. Do not assist him unless he is having other Death Eaters assistance, as well. Do not do it for him. He must do this himself, or I shall kill him."

"Yes, My Lord," I said, bowing as deep as I could manage.

"You may go now," he dismissed, "I've no longer reason to speak to you presently. Go watch Draco."

I bowed again and left the room. I climbed the stairs to Narcissa and Lucius' empty bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed and cried for my cousin, grieving in advance. ***_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There I was, sobbing my eyes out, when I felt a small, cool hand on my shoulder. I snapped around to see Narcissa behind me. Her eyes couldn't like; she was deeply concerned to the cause of my tears.

"What's wrong, dear?" Aunt Narcissa asked sweetly. "Are you all right?"

"D-draco..." I stuttered through my tears, "H-his 'mission'.." I didn't want to say too much and upset her. She must've been even more distraught about this than I was.

"Yes, I know," she replied quietly.

"Wh-what are we going t-to do?" I demanded of no one, "There's no way h-he can do this!"

Narcissa's eyes met the floor as she said, "I don't know, Sophia, I just don't know." The sincere sadness in both her voice and eyes could force anyone, even Sirius, had he been alive, to see her as I did: a good person with a little confusion and a few bad choices.

"What do I do?" I asked. "How do I help him?"

"Oh, Sophia!" Narcissa exclaimed, "You aren't meaning how to help him kill Dumbledore, are you? Surely you mean how you can help him escape with his life!"

"Aunt Cissy," I replied, "I'm pretty convinced those are one in the same. I love Dumbledore, but, for sure, I love my cousin more. How can I help him?"

"I-I have Severus helping h-him," she stuttered, "B-but he doesn't w-want help. I d-don't think you can."

"I'll try," I said, putting my smaller, warmer hand on the one she placed on my shoulder. "I made my promise to him years ago. I protect him, he protects me. We're family."

"Aww," said Bellatrix's cold voice as she entered the room, "Having a lovely family moment without Aunt Bella, are we?"

I bit my lip, not wanting to snap at her, or I'd be giving up my own secret. Instead of yelling, I replied coolly, "Yes, sorry. Thought you were still with the Dark Lord. Our apologizes." Narcissa nodded in agreement.

"So, what was this about loving old Dumbledore, little Sophie?" She questioned, and my heart sank. She'd been standing in the doorway longer than I had thought.

"She simply meant she loves all he taught her, Bella," Cissy covered, "If you heard that, than you also heard her say she plans on helping my Draco."

"You're all so worried about Draco!" Bellatrix stated, "If I had a million sons, I'd gladly give them all up for the cause!"

"Yes, but you don't, Bella," Narcissa snapped coldly, "And I've only got one. You can offer as many of the sons you don't have for the cause, but I'd much prefer keeping my only son!"

I had to resist the urge to shout, "Burn!"

"Cissy!" Bellatrix hissed, "Isn't it obvious that the cause is greater than one boy named Malfoy?"

"Not when he's my son!" Narcissa said firmly.

"....Well, then," Bellatrix said, then turned to me. "How's school, little Sophie?" she cooed, wiggling a finger close to my face. It was so hard not to bite her.

"Fine, I suppose," I said instead, "Failing some classes, but who cares, really? I've got more important things ahead, I think."

"Atta girl!" Bellatrix hissed, pleased with me. "That's how it should be! Much more important things ahead, yes!"

I spied a clock; ten fourty-five. "Perhaps I should be returning..." I said quietly.

"Of course you should!" Bellatrix smirked, "You've got places to be! Off with you!" She smacked my hind-end with a broom and waved at me affectionately. God, I hated that woman.

I went outside and climbed on my motorcycle. Without a second thought, I drove, but in the opposite direction from which I came. I had somewhere else to go. ***_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________