Lupin had checked the little notebook three times in the past thirty minutes. He hardly needed to, since it was sitting in a place of prominence on Sam's desk and she checked it once every five minutes, but he still kept darting back into her office. The first few times he'd had some sort of pretext for his intrusion, but as time went on and the day went by, his acts grew less and less refined, until he just walked into her office, looked down at the blank book, and walked out again. He'd stopped closing the door behind him too.

It had been nearly a day. Nearly a day since they'd seen or heard from Hannah and Hermione last. Sam wondered, as did everyone in the Order's headquarters that day wondered, if that glimpse of the two women they'd gotten before Blaise Zabini had smashed the mirror would be the last they saw of either of them.

No one spoke of that fear (or premonition), since that was hardly the attitude they were supposed to be approaching this event with. But still. They all had it, just the same.

It was fortunate, then, that there was other work to do. Sam had to draft several carefully worded letters and orders to key operatives in the Ministry and in other parts of the world, and had a long talk with her counterpart in America about how the Muggle economic state in both countries would affect the wizarding world. But no matter how busy she got, there was always time to worry.

Lupin eventually locked himself in his office for a few hours after lunch. Sam was relieved that she was rid of the distraction, but she soon found that his silence was unnerving. He'd been dashing around all day, and when he suddenly stopped… it was some how even harder to work.

"I've got the transcript of Weasley's speech that you wanted, Sam," Hector Wolfgang said as he entered her office and placed a slim folder on her desk. "Hope I didn't take too long."

"No, this is a lot earlier than I thought I'd get it. Thanks."

"You know," Wolfgang said, taking a seat across from Sam's desk and resting his chin on his palm. "I don't think I've ever had to work a day like this before. No, really!" he said insistently when Sam raised an eyebrow at him "Having to work with a crew of people all pretending they aren't worried out of their minds about the same thing and still running the world calmly? While our fearless leader, usually much less frantic, slams doors and darts in and out of rooms? I don't think it's been this hectic since just after the Ministry burned down."

Sam sighed, and leaned back in her chair, smiling crookedly at Wolfgang. "Maybe we're just not used to having days like this. We've been spoiled by the peace, maybe?"

"Ha. Maybe. It has been a long time since I've honestly feared so much for my life. So maybe this is really just us getting back into shape, d'you think?"

"Could be. Where's Longbottom?"

"Out. He had to meet up with a friend." Someone interested in helping the Order, that meant. Longbottom was good with jobs like that. He could tell when a recruit had real potential.

"Lucky dog. Leaving us to deal with Lupin's crazy—"

"My door is open, you know," came an amused voice from Sam's doorway. "And so's yours."

Sam and Wolfgang wheeled around. Lupin was standing there, smiling at the pair of them. The other two gaped.

"The things I miss in my own home having my door closed," Lupin mused, coming in and walking around Sam's desk to peer through the window. "I had no idea."

Sam tried desperately to think of something to say. "Where've you been, Lupin?" She asked finally.

"Taking a nap on my couch," he said calmly.

"Really?" Sam and Wolfgang asked together, incredulous and just a little bit envious.

"Yes," Lupin said, grinning at them. "I was tired out from running around the building and worrying. I feel much better now."

Sam and Wolfgang glowered at him. That was just unfair, to be talking about naps in front of the two of them. Sam had been thinking recently that the bags under her eyes were growing down over her cheeks and taking over her entire face. A nap?

"I've also been thinking." Lupin said, his grin fading. "It's been a day." Neither Sam nor Wolfgang had to ask 'since when?' "And even if Hermione didn't think to write something as soon as she could, Hannah would have told her to. Since that hasn't happened, I can only draw two conclusions. That the two of them are in a position where they can't write at all, or that the notebook's transmissions have been destroyed or repressed. We need to find out which if these is true, and we should start by working on the connection between the notebooks. I want to know what you two think before I decide anything."

Wolfgang thought, scratching at the stubble on his cheek as he did so. "Well," he said slowly. "I think that since there's been no contact, we can assume that something is wrong. As you said, Lupin, Hannah knows how to operate, and she'd know to tell us what's going on as soon as she could. And that they wouldn't have anything to report on their first day there is pretty much out of the question."

"But," Sam put in, "We can't call out our people now. We don't know if the two of them are unable to write, or if the notebooks just can't work across such distances."

"We've checked the books over distance," Wolfgang reminded her "And they work together even if they're on opposite sides of the world, or just about."

"Alright," Sam conceded "then maybe it's not distance. Maybe the shields around the fortress cut off any message from the other book. That's possible, isn't it?"

Wolfgang nodded slowly. Lupin narrowed his eyes as he thought, turning again to look out the window.

"Here's what I'm thinking," Lupin said, finally. "Hannah has the notebook on one end. She can work on if from there. Wolfgang, you helped her construct the charm, right?" Wolfgang nodded. "Then you take the book and see if you can't get it to operate again."

"What if they actually are in trouble?" Sam asked, staring at her desktop, her raspy voice hesitant. Wolfgang looked at the faces of the other two, trying to read something in their expressions. Lupin was studying the view from the window, though Sam was positive that there was nothing that fascinating about the neighbor's yard.

"We can't act too rashly," Lupin said. "We have to wait. And—" he faltered "—if something has happened to them… then the Rebels will contact us soon enough."

He left Sam's office then, and went back to his own. Wolfgang picked up the book from Sam's desk, nodded to her, and then left as well. Sam sat alone for a while, then began to read the transcripted speech. Work continued for the Order, and they had much to do. If they convinced themselves that two operatives so far away were just as important as other international doings, they could manage. For a little while, anyway.

A/N: part two of the recent update. Neither chapter's too substantial, so I figured I'd post them together. Action's coming, I swear. Really. I totally know what I'm doing here. Yeah. heh heh. Reviews make me dizzy with joy!