"Dumbledore, I need out." Danica paced. Her feet scuffed against the hard wood floor, the cold feeling she felt so long ago creeping back into her skin. Last night, she felt it strangle her. In her dream, he left. He left her alone. To fend for herself. Where Dumbledore could not see, she cringed inside herself.

"Did you know Harry has been having dreams?" Dumbledore, the wise man with a chest length of silver beard, leaned forward in his arm chair. He put his bony elbows on the desk, propping his head up in his palms. Danica stopped and turned her head to look at his sky blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Dreams?"

"Yes. Very frightening dreams. Every night he sees memories, slips, and slivers of the Dark Lord's mind. We believe he is connected to Harry." He spoke in a grave voice. Just low and dangerous enough to make Danica's heart beat sharply.

"Why wasn't I notified about this?" She stepped forward, her eyes narrowing at Dumbledore. Gripping the head of the chair on the opposite side of the Headmaster, she whispered, "Why wasn't I told?"

"Because you're too busy having fun. I watch you, Danica. Every day is a party. Every day is a popularity contest for you. And I understand that now you are dating Fred Weasley? I certainly don't want to ruin your good time," he chuckled lightly as his lips pressed into a smile.

"Are you saying I'm not doing my job correctly?"

"No. You aren't doing your job at all."

Danica stared. Her fingernails dug into the material of the plush chair and she cursed under her breath. He was right. She was too concerned about her new social life. The life she dreamt about as a child while she tagged along day after day with Remus. This life, this regular teenage life, was all she wanted. And Harry was taking it away.

"Danica, I know you are concerned about Lupin. But he is, I indeed suspect, perfectly fine. He has taken care of himself all these years. I'm sure he will have no trouble now." Dumbledore watched her. He saw the color retreat from her face and her eyes grow distant. The tips of her hair suddenly turned into a snow white shade.

"You need to worry about Harry."

"Harry? Harry? He doesn't speak to me. He doesn't even look at me! If something was wrong he should've to-"

"Told you? My dear child, now of all times he is more alone than ever. Can't you see it? The distance he has put between him and his friends? The way his eyes zone out into a place we could only dream of imagining? Danica you are horribly mistaken if you think he does all this on purpose." His voice grew sharp. Twirling his beard around his finger, he watched Danica begin to pace again.

"What should I do?"

"Stay here with him. Keep an eye out. And it wouldn't help to actually be his friend. Now is a time where he wants nothing more than to have company. He just doesn't know it yet."

She stared at the floor, her brain clicking and churning inside her skull. Friend? It'd be a long shot but she needed to do it. Remus wanted her to do this. Asked for this. Wouldn't it be wrong to not obey him?

"Danica-" she looked up at him, her gray eyes softer. "You can fix this. I trust in you." He smiled at her and all the tension in the room seemed to fade melt of her tired bones.

"Yes, Professor."

"Now, I suppose you'd like to see Remus. He's in Hogsmeade. I asked him to arrive shortly as to have a quick visit with you. Then he'll be off in hiding until I can do something about this horrid accusation against him." He wriggled his finger and a quill began to scribble furiously onto a piece of parchment. "Turning a child into a werewolf, preposterous. Here child. You're excused from class for the rest of the day. Go see Remus. Then come back and do your job. That simple."

Danica couldn't have gotten out the door faster. Hope, desire burned inside her. She was going to see Remus. Some part of her, a small, chiding part of her kept whispering in her head that he abandoned her once again. But not this time. This time, he was waiting for her.

"Take the other three with you, please!" Dumbledore cried after the already retreating figure of Danica Lorenzo.

Remus paced the length of his small cave hidden in the slope of a snow covered hill, a small fire flickering in the cool gray center of the floor. The warmth was barely enough to reach farther than his skin. He had little time to prepare for cold weather when Tonks arrived with the warning, fear in her eyes. Not even a suitcase with a change of clothes was in his possession. Rubbing his temples and sighing, he closed his eyes, trying to figure out why and how he even got in this mess. The child that Cornelius Fudge had been informed of, the child Remus had supposedly tried to change, could be Danica. But why? Why would someone try to frame this on him and Danica? It didn't make sense. Of course Lupin was never a crowd favorite because of his…condition. He would never, not in a million years, do unto a child what had been done to him. It was a curse, a horrible flaw that he has to live with for the rest of his days. Why in Merlin's Beard would he ever want this for a child? Nothing made sense. Nothing.

"Ron, if you step on my heel one more time I am going to smack you!" A voice shouted from the end of the cave. A voice that made his heart jump and the warmth suddenly race into his body all at once, the cold disappearing with the dark thoughts intruding into his mind. Footsteps sounded against the gray stone as they made their way deeper into the cave and he could still hear them mumbling under their breaths. He could see their shadows on the walls once they got close enough. Therefore, they saw his.

She saw his shadow on the wall, tall and lanky with his hands in his pockets. With the breath catching in her throat, she dropped the bags she had in her hands and immediately broke out into a run. Danica turned the corner, the tips of her hair flashing into a bright orange as she saw him there, smiling.

"Remus!" She shrieked, her voice echoing off the walls. He almost fell back as she slammed her body into his arms, holding him close, her feet unable to stay still like he knew they did when she was unbelievably happy. Lupin smiled softly, stroking her hair once before pulling her away with some effort.

"Hello, Danica." He said, looking down into her pale face and those gray eyes that he missed. She looked tired, worn out which is unlike her. She might be having a hard time adjusting. Her guardian's warrant for arrest probably isn't doing much.

The other three smiled and greeted Remus warmly as Danica momentarily stepped away to dig into the bags she tossed aside.

"How are you, Professor?" Hermione asked, leaning back against the cave wall.

"I've been better, Hermione. Been better. Gave me quite a shock when Tonks came barging into HQ this morning like a mad woman explaining that I was a wanted man."

"Why would that happen?" Harry asked, sitting down close to the fire for some more warmth. He felt cold all the time now. As if it would never leave since it was already been sunk into his bones.

"All I know is that Cornelius issued the warrant after believing for some strange reason that I tried to change a child into my kind."

"That's absolutely ridiculous." Hermione grunted in frustration, taking a seat next to Harry and beckoning Ron and Remus to do the same. They all sat around the fire, warming up to the flames as Danica rummaged through the bags nosily off to the side, muttering under her breath.

"I think so too." He sighed, leaning forward to look over at Danica. He chuckled slightly as she threw something and it bounced off the wall and hit her in the forehead. Harry followed his gaze and the imaginary light bulb in his head went off.

"They think you were trying to change Danica, didn't they?"

Ron and Hermione gasped and looked at Lupin who was nodding gravely. "Yes."

"I heard my name! Whatcha talking about me for?" Danica interrupted, plopping down next to Remus, and pouring him some fresh tea. She also placed a bag of sweets and other snacks into his lap. "There's a whole travel bag ready for you over there. I managed to pack it before we came."

"Yeah, took you about an hour once we got into town." Ron smirked.

"Well I knew he probably didn't have anything, I think logically Ron, unlike you." She gave her signature dazzling smile and instead of protesting, he just rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Danica. This was very thoughtful of you," Remus said as he sipped his tea, the warm liquid running down his throat.

"Meh, it's my job." She smiled happily.

"Where are you going next?" Harry asked blunty and suddenly which upset Danica. She wanted this time to be happy, even if it was just for awhile. And he had to go and ruin it. Pushing her lip ring out, she pouted slightly. Hermione noticed and refrained from saying something.

"I'll just be on the go, moving place to place for a few weeks until we get this mess sorted out. The Order will help of course. I just came here because I wanted to check you four. Harry, how have you been doing?" Remus asked, peering over his tea cup to look at him.

Harry lied. "I've been doing alright sir. Busy but I'm okay." He didn't want to worry Lupin with the dreams he's been having. Remus has enough on his mind as it is and he'll probably just think he's completely mental. But Harry was getting scared. Theses dreams were happening a lot more frequently and even more vivid each time. He wanted it all to just stop because he could actually feel the fear running through him as if he were actually there. Something was wrong. He, Ron and Hermione all knew it. But he, of course, was too stubborn to tell anyone about it. Even Danica who was supposed to be "protecting" him.

"That's wonderful. You need to be healthy. You're important to us all Harry." Harry cringed slightly. Lupin knew he was lying. "And Danica I hope you've been staying out of trouble."

"Danica staying out of trouble? Who ever heard of such a thing!" Ron exclaimed in a laugh. Danica narrowed her eyes at him and Ron's once loud laugh grew into a slightly audible chuckle until he was completely silent.

"Oh, really now? What kind of trouble?" Lupin turned his head to look at her and she instantly took a keen interest in her fingernails.

"She got a detention." Hermione said matter-of-factly. Danica growled and picked her hood up.

"Thanks a lot, Granger."

"Detention for what?" Remus tried hard to contain a smile.

"Defending the dignity and respect for werewolves in the pink, frilly, monster's class. That toad face. She's got it coming to her, I swear it!" Danica rushed the words out before she could catch herself and she shrinked back as Lupin noticed the back of her hand as she had her arms flailing about in frustration. He peered onto the back of her hand which was still rather red and raw where the lines had cut into her skin. And being Danica, she wrote them in several places numerous times so her skin looked almost mutilated.

"What is this?" Lupin demanded, shaking her wrist slightly, bringing her around to look at him in the eyes. She looked up, knowing she would be unable to fight him. She never could. A weakness for someone always did that to you.

"My punishment. It would've been less. But I was trying to prove my point. Harry has it too." Danica whispered in a soft voice, her eyes struggling to break free from Remus' gaze. He was angry at Umbridge.

"She's under employment of the Ministry. There's nothing we can do," Hermione interrupted. Lupin let go of Danica and she scooted closer to him when the others weren't watching. She wanted to let him know she was just fine and he didn't have to worry about her. But he was Remus. He worries about everything.

"They aren't teaching us what we need, Professor. They don't expect us to fight a war soon. Not teaching Hogwarts how to defend itself is going to get everybody killed." Harry's voice grew slightly angry and Remus looked over at him, his gaze now penetrating Harry. Slowly, Lupin nodded.

"I agree, Harry. Something must be done. They are ignorant. The Ministry of Magic will have to reveal to the rest of the world that Voldermort is indeed back. If not, our entire world will perish."

"Then we should do something! Harry, we could-"

"Start a club, an organization! An Order of our own. You and I could teach them how to fight. It's their only chance." Danica smirked slightly as Hermione fumed at Danica saying the idea first.

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Remus said, patting Danica on the back affectionately. Her skin tingled at his touch and she could feel Harry's eyes on her.

Don't worry, Harry. I'm going to look after you for now on. I promise.