All was quite in the stairwell. The dinner feast just ended and everybody had settled into their dormitories, lounging by the fire to let their food go down, drowning themselves in last minute knowledge before all the pop quizzes and tests tomorrow morning. All except Fred and Danica. They sat on the stairs, Fred's arm around Danica's waist. Pulling her closer, he smiled at her and brushed the hair out of her eyes. He hated when her mane was in her face. Fred could never see her eyes. He didn't want to admit it. Not even to him. But Danica was special, unbelievably special to him. No girl had ever made him smile like she did. He couldn't remember a single girl throughout his lifetime that would put up with all his jokes and pranks, let alone laugh at them. No one ever encouraged them to keep going when an experiment went wrong. Half the time everyone begged them to call the quits. But not Danica. She always told them to keep going, to keep trying. Fred felt as if he had known her for years, had looked into those gray eyes month after month, week after week. George was Fred's twin, his other half of course. Danica, however, filled a space that George could not. So Fred would be an outright fool to ever let her go.

Before he knew it, Fred was saying all of this out loud where she could hear. The signature Lorenzo smile was gone. On her beautiful lips was now a smile of gentleness, of sweet surrender. He looked down into her face, her eyes staring up at him as he saw the moon breaking through the clouds of a dark, stormy night so all the stars in the heavens could be seen. Danica gave a breathless chuckle, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Fred thought she couldn't get anymore adorable than she already was. Taking her chin tenderly in his fingers, he lifted up her face gently as he leaned down, touching his lips gently to hers.

He kissed her. Fred never kissed a girl like this before. It was always just snogging. When George, Fred and his friends would sit in the courtyard and watch the other girls walk away and they would argue amongst themselves over who would be the best at snogging. But Fred never just wanted to snog Danica. He wanted to kiss her. To hold her close and let her know that he thought she was beautiful. This was different. Much different than anything else he knew.

"Oi, get a room."

Immediately Fred and Danica pulled apart, clearing their throats. Danica tried to hide the blood rushing to her cheeks. Fred pretended not to notice. He made it obvious however, that he knew who called them out. Seamus hurried along inside the corridor, his eye shifting nervously from Fred to Danica. Silly boy. He knew better than to mess with one of the Twins. Or Danica. Hogwarts wasn't sure who to be more afraid of.

"I'm guessing we should get inside the Common Room," Danica suggested, standing to brush off her robes. She held out her hand.

Fred stared at it for a long time. He noticed that her right hand had a simple silver band with some engraving slumbering on her ring finger. Her left hand was bare.

"Fred?"

"Yeah, we should. Or Seamus will tell Head Boy that Fred Weasley and Danica Lorenzo were kissing in the stairwell and then wake up with painful rashes all over his body." He looked at Danica, locking eyes as he got up and took her hand. The grin on his face couldn't help but make her smile.

"A little overboard, love."

The hushing of voices and the staring as soon as the couple walked in stopped just recently. Everyone knew they were an item. The boys had to suck it up and live with the fact that Danica now took refuge in Fred's arms. It took awhile for the gossip and rumors to stop. Fred had a favorite. This summer, Fred and Danica were going to elope and not come back to school next year in order to start their lives together. He remembered spending a good 10 minutes laughing on the floor with Danica. It was ridiculous. He wouldn't elope with Danica. He would actually get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. And they would have a wedding that his mom dream- Whoa. Whoa there, Fred. Slow down the imagination train.

"Good-night, Fred," she said sweetly, tippy-toeing to reach up and kiss his cheek. Looking behind Fred's fire colored head; Danica could see Seamus sulking in the corner. She had to hold in a giggle.

"Good-night, Dani." Dani. He liked that. Sounded like the American name Danny, but he still liked it. An original nickname that only he could call her. Brilliant!

Danica giggled, obviously liking her newly found nickname, and headed up the stairs. She felt a good night's sleeping waiting for her in her warm bed. Hermione was probably already up there, reading. She never really was the shriek and share your feelings type but Danica had to tell someone what just happened between her and Fred. Hermione was the only girl she could trust.

Shutting the door gently behind her, she locked eyes with Hermione from across the room. The lamp on her nightstand warmly lit the room, strewing rays of light in pockets and corners so some visibility was available. Danica smiled. Hermione couldn't help but smile back as she guessed what news Danica could possibly have for her. Tonight is going to be a good night, Danica thought. She was wrong.

"Lumos!" Danica whispered loudly, running down the corridors to Dumbledore's office, her wand raised to create some light. The paintings grunted in protest but she just grunted back as she zoomed passed them, not caring that she forgot shoes. Hermione woke her up only moments before she left, telling her that Harry was in trouble. She threw on whatever she could find and raced down the stairwell, almost tripping and breaking a leg. Tonight, of all nights, something would happen.

Too distracted by her own thoughts, Danica couldn't register the fact that someone was right in her path until the last moment. She sidestepped just in time so only her shoulder slammed into the road block. He scoffed in disbelief.

"Excuse me, where do you think-" Snape, Danica realized, grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back roughly. "you are going?"

"Harry needs me. In Dumbledore's. Now let go!" She shook her hand from Snape's grasp and took off again, leaving him standing there in the middle of the corridor, dumbstruck.

Bursting into Dumbledore's office was like barging into a hospital room where a family just learned their relative just died. In our case, he almost did.

"What it is it? What happened?" Danica asked, her eyes searching the room for Harry. The Weasley's, all of them, stood in one corner, oddly close. I creased my eyebrows together. Ron being here is understandable but the others? Hermione stood in the opposite corner, pacing with her fingernails in her mouth. Danica jogged over to her. Trying to catch her breath from the run and anxiety, she put a hand on the wall and looked at Hermione who had a grave expression on her face.

"Will someone tell me what happened?"

"Harry, he dreamt, I mean he saw-"

"Alert the Ministry of Magic. Arthur Weasley might be in grave danger."

"Yes Headmaster." A painting left to fulfill his duties.

"Tell them I'll be sending his children, all of them, to their home tonight."

"Yes Headmaster."

"I want Severus in here immediately. Someone find him."

"On my way, sir."

"LOOK AT ME!"

The entire room stopped. Danica even felt as if she stopped breathing. Dumbledore's face. It scared her. The look in his eyes made her believe that Dumbledore had somehow seen this before, seen the madness in Harry's green eyes with sweat glistening down his face and soaking his shirt. Harry looked like death. Or if he just saw one.

"Will someone please tell me what's happening to me?" Harry's voice sounded desperate. He was begging for help. This whole time, this entire semester that had already flown by, Harry silently screamed for help. But why wait till now?

"Harry will start his Occlumency tonight with Severus." Just as Dumbledore gave the order, the grease ball stalked into the room, his large nose in the air and his cold eyes staring at Harry that made Danica want to sock him in the face. Something changed however. Snape could see the insanity that was sparking behind those glasses; he could see Harry shaking from where he stood. Maybe now somebody would listen.

"It cannot wait." Snape exclaimed grabbing Harry by the shirt roughly; he dragged him out the door. Harry tried to protest but Severus only shushed him. Once again breaking out into a jog, Danica headed for the door, intent on keeping her promise to Harry. But Dumbledore stopped her.

"Danica you will be heading home with the Weasley's tonight."

"But what about Harry?"

"Harry will be joining you all shortly."

Danica looked up and over at Fred who tried to smile. But he just couldn't seem to be able to. That worried her.

"Professor, please, inform me about what happened." She went to stand next to Fred who eagerly took her hand, intertwining their fingers. He needed her. For once, Fred couldn't find the heart to be funny, to find a joke.

"Harry had another dream. But this one, we believe, was much more." Dumbledore began to pace in front of them, his hands clasped behind his back as his ocean eyes stared intently at the floor as if he were reading off a script. He looked older, worried. "Harry saw Arthur Weasley being brutally attacked inside the Ministry of Magic. It all seemed too real to be a dream. So Mr. Potter alerted us. And to Arthur's luck, Harry was right."

"Like he was telling the future?" Ginny piped in, trying to be seen from behind Ron.

"No," Danica interrupted once Albus opened his mouth to continue. "Harry is seeing things that somebody else wants him to see. Like a connection of some sort." Involuntarily, Danica squeezed Fred's hand in response to her prediction. Fear rose in her of what Dumbledore might say next. Fear that what she thought was the same as what he thinks. If so, then it must be true.

"That is correct, my dear. We believe Harry's mind is in direct connection with Lord Voldermort."

The air grew tense. Ginny went rigid from within Ron's shadow. Danica could even swear George growled beneath his breath. She was right. This is it; this is her chance to prove that this is exactly why she came here. To help, to guide, to protect. She figured Harry's strange dreams out on her own, on the spot. And with the Occlumency, he will train to build walls around his mind so that no one can get in and nothing can get out.

"Headmaster, I ask permission to stay behind and observe Harry's Occlumency." Fred shook his head, only slightly enough so she could tell that he didn't want her to stay. Going to the Burrow with Fred and his family sounded very appealing. But at the same time, she didn't want to be there when they saw their father. Danica wouldn't feel like she belonged there. More like she was intruding. Harry needed her. So did Fred. And Lupin. And Sirius. And Dumbledore. Suddenly Danica felt as if her head was about to explode.

"Oh, that won't be necessary, Danica. Harry is in more than capable hands here. He will join you before you know it." Dumbledore smiled at her. Danica knew his game. She wasn't done playing.

"Sir, please. I made a promise. I have a duty. I believe my place is here with Harry while he undergoes these lessons." She found Dumbledore's gaze and she refused to let go. Danica wanted to show him that she meant business, that she wasn't going anywhere. But those starry blue eyes behind those half-moon spectacles told her otherwise. She was going. Whether she liked it or not.

"Go, Danica. You deserve a break. And I think Mr. Weasley would like your company on his journey home." With that, he smiled, sat behind his desk and went to work. As if nothing just happened. Danica kicked herself in her mind. She lost. Standing up to Professor Albus Dumbledore stood at nearly impossible. His word was law. End of story.

"Come on guys, let's head home."

Arriving at the Burrow was even worse than she had anticipated. Mrs. Weasley not only welcomed them home, she attacked them, bursting into tears every time she hugged a different one of her children. Ginny had to pry herself away by force so she could breathe again. Danica stood at the back of the pack, her suitcase in hand, shifting nervously from foot to foot as she started reaching the front of the greeting line. Would Mrs. Weasley treat her differently now that she was dating Fred? Would she be angry at Danica for acting so coldly towards Harry? What if she didn't want Fred dating Danica? What if she begged Fred to dump her because he was breaking his mom's little old heart? Danica was in a panic so she didn't notice when she got to the front of line until Fred had to let go of her hand to hug his mother. Talk about Kodak moments. Fred, who towered over his mother, held his mom close while she sobbed in his shirt. Her twin son stroked her hair lightly and said in a hushed tone that mother's could consider the antidote to anything,

"It's okay, mum. I got you."

Danica wiped a tear from her cheek, hoping it didn't leave a line of mascara down her face. Fred returned to her side and took her hand once more, leading Danica to his awaiting mother who stood, looking wide-eyed at the couple.

"I think she hates me now," Danica whispered to him, trying to make it look like she said nothing at all.

"No. She loves you even more than before." And like the magic words, Mrs. Weasley pulled Danica into a bear hug that crushed her. Dropping her suitcase, she held her hands up in the air, unsure of where to put them.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for taking care of my son and for being here for him while his father is-" Danica heard the crack in Mrs. Weasley's voice and immediately wrapped her arms around the mother. A mother's hug. She had never really had one before. It felt warm, loving. To have a woman embrace her as such was a completely new sensation. Danica never knew her mother. Or a mother for that matter. But Mrs. Weasley…she was the perfect first.

"No, no! You cheated!" Ron shouted over everyone else. Leaping to his feet, he pointed a finger at Danica, his face flushed scarlet with anger. "Danica, you cheated and you know it!"

"Ron, you're just a sore loser," Fred said, grinning. He reached for a homemade cookie. Danica opened her mouth. Rolling his eyes, he put the cookie in her mouth for her to take a bite. So she did.

"No, he's just angry-" Danica tried to swallow the cookie before continuing to talk. Didn't work out so well. "Because I beat him at Wizard's Chess. No cheating needed." Smiling the Lorenzo dazzler, she got up and headed to the kitchen. Fred leaned his head over the back of the couch, his head hanging upside down, watching her. His expression pleaded for her not to go and leave him with his mental siblings. Danica only laughed and pushed the door open to the Weasley family kitchen where she was welcomed by the smell of Christmas cooking and magic. A truly remarkable combination.

"Mrs. Weasley, would you like some help?" Danica called, trying to be louder than the shouting in the living room and the banging of pots and pans, boiling of soup and other dishes on the stove.

"Oh, no dear! I'm fine! You go along and have fun with the others. Fred is probably getting lonely by now." Mrs. Weasley smiled, swiping some stray hair away from her rosy cheeks.

"I think he can go some time without me." Danica chuckled. "Is Mr. Weasley asleep?"

"Oh yes. Surprising considering all the noise in this house!" A whisk and a spatula at that moment got into an argument over who was going into the sink first. The spatula decided to whack the whisk right off the counter. "Be nice or you're going back in the drawer!"

Danica laughed. Loudly and happily. This must be how Harry feels. To have a home that you wish, so much, desperately and constantly, that you were a part of. Being here, in a place where she was constantly being asked if she was hungry, if she was warm, if she wanted third helpings, made her feel as if she finally belonged somewhere besides the place she had always known. There was such thing as a happy family. She couldn't help but feel a part of it.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm going into town to buy presents. I'll be back soon. Tell Fred not to miss me too much." Danica was already out the door so she could barely hear Mrs. Weasley call to hurry and not to be late for dinner. She shuddered as she pulled out her wand. How many times did she wish she had a mother to tell her that when she went out to play with the friends she always wanted? It felt good to be wanted, to be loved. And even though she was already a few good meters from the house, she could feel the warmth radiating from the cozy home, just beckoning all who are welcome to come in. Apparating with a smile on her face, Danica realized how much of a hurry she was in. She wanted to be back by the time Remus came. And Danica had the perfect present in mind for him.

"Sirius." Harry said breathlessly as he saw his godfather standing in the doorway of the Weasley Family Dining Room, smiling. Realizing how much he missed the way Sirius' eyes crinkled when he smiled; Harry took one big stride and held his godfather close. Sirius closed his eyes, his arms wrapping around Harry in return.

"How have you been, my boy?" Sirius asked, his dark eyes taking in Harry's face, as if trying to memorize it once he pulled him away at arm's length. Patting his back and leading him into the kitchen, Sirius listened intently as Harry broadly explained how his semester had gone. He left out the parts that he knew would worry Sirius. Plus, he probably already knew. Seeing his godfather was the perfect medicine to the horrible feeling that he had felt chocking him for weeks now. Being able to see Sirius was always a perfect topping on his day.

"That toad-face? Can't stand her. Thinks she owns the place when she's nothing but a-"

"Pink fluff ball" Everyone who was within hearing distance said at the same time. Sirius couldn't help but smile. As every head in the house piled into the dining room for dinner, Sirius and Harry sat side by side. Hermione and Ginny sat at the other end of the table, the twins sat together on one side while Ron occupied the other seat next to Harry. Fred left the seat next to him empty. The one after that had Remus Lupin sitting in it.

"Where's Danica?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at Fred who only shrugged.

"Molly, do you know where that trouble-maker child went?" Sirius asked from down the table. Harry grinned at him while Sirius winked at him from the corner of his eye. Lupin sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Now, Sirius. I don't go around calling Harry a trouble-maker child." Lupin said, smiling at Harry.

"Yes but Harry gets special treatment because he's my godson." Nudging Harry in the ribs with his elbow, Sirius wiggled his eyebrows. Harry had to suppress a laugh.

"Where is that girl? It's dinnertime already and Arthur is ready to come down!" Molly grew impatient, whipping her head around every few seconds when she thought she heard the door handle click.

Everyone had settled into their own conversations when they heard it. CRASH. The house shook in response and the sound of something very old and very fragile breaking rang through the dining room. Shrinking back in their chairs, all who watched could see the blood rush to Mrs. Weasley's face as she tried to contain the screaming that was being chained up inside.

"There's your trouble-maker child, Remus." Sirius said quietly so Molly couldn't hear. Like two best friends back at Hogwarts for the dinner feast, Lupin shot a shut-up-or-I'll-get-ugly-with-you look from across the table.

"I'm alright!" Danica called from inside the living room. The room soundly filled with the sound of everyone exhaling as Mrs. Weasley could catch the cadence commotion of Danica fixing whatever she broke. Before long, she burst into the dining room, her cheeks and nose red from the cold. Snowflakes still clung to her black hair and even to her eyelashes.

"Danica Lorenzo, why did you bring all that snow in here?" Mrs. Weasley shouted while Danica hurried back to take off her coat and shoes.

"I'm so sorry, I was in such a hurry to get back, I didn't think about apparating outside."

"You don't think about a lot of things," Hermione slyly said with a grin that Danica mockingly returned, tugging on a lock of her golden curly hair as she passed.

"Hello, Harry." She ruffled his hair before kissing Sirius on the cheek who simply melted. He thought of Danica as a niece. They all knew it. He just didn't want to admit it.

"Where's my kiss?" Fred asked as she sat down in her awaited spot. Danica rolled her eyes and leaned over to kiss his cheek. But Fred, who sneakily turned his head, stole a kiss on the lips causing Mrs. Weasley to clear her throat and remind them to not show public affection at the dinner table. Danica turned as red as a tomato. Lupin watched her, a small smile on his pale and sickly face. Danica then turned to him and the red slipped back into her body where it belonged and she smiled at him, talking quietly to Remus who reminded her how much he disliked that ring in her lip. She simply rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Fred who sent a toy flying over his father's head who just rolled in. Danica held her breath. His face was purple, bruised, discolored in painful splotches across his face. Stitches lined the upper hand corner of his forehead and one eye remained closed. His lips were still swollen but he managed to smile at everyone. His gaze lingered a little longer on Fred and Danica which made her squirm in his chair. Fred patted her knee three times, telling her it was okay. She nodded and with effort, smiled back at Mr. Weasley. He really did almost die. Danica knew all her life what it was life to not know her father. But to lose him once you had him, that must've been pain she would never know. And hopefully would never know. From the corner of her eye, she watched Lupin have a silent conversation with Sirius. She hated when they did that.

"I want to make a toast!" Mr. Weasley said, more clearly than Danica thought possible. "To Mr. Harry Potter. If it weren't for him…I wouldn't be here. To Harry!"

"To Harry!" Everyone shouted and then drank from their glass. Sirius looked at Harry for a long time before sipping from his drink. James. Danica knew that's what he was thinking about. How proud James would be to see his son be a hero like this. And I could tell, just by glancing across the table at Harry who happened to look up at the same moment so we locked eyes, that Harry didn't think he was anything close to a hero.

"No, Fred and George both think that it's a brilliant idea to make a firecracker that eats you after you light it!" Lupin laughed loudly as Danica did a reenactment of something with large jaws crunching down on someone and screaming bloody murder.

"Do you think it's a good idea?"

"I think it's a drop dead amazing idea! I'm just scared about being the first one to test it." Danica shuddered at the thought of her hair smelling like ashes for weeks. Running ahead of Lupin, the woods in the distance, just beyond the snow covered plains that surrounded the Burrow, slept silently as twilight broke unto the world. They took a walk; both of them decided the excitement in the house was a little too loud and cheery for their heads. Remus watched her jog ahead, a smile on her face as she twirled around trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue. He remembers her doing this as a small child. Before she got that awful piercing in her lip. She had long hair, to her waist almost, and she wore dresses back then. She wore a blue one that day. Remus took her shopping for her Christmas present. He never knew what to buy her so he just took her along with him. She stopped just outside the toy store and looked up at the sky, her gray eyes matching perfectly. Sticking her tongue out, she caught a few and they melted right then and there. Lupin remembered later that night when he tucked her into bed, when he left her room, he heard her little voice say to no one in particular,

"I wish it would snow all year long. Because then the sky would never have to cry and make it rain. Or get angry and make it burning hot. It would just snow. And be perfect. Like vanilla ice cream."

Lupin watched her now, several years later, twirling in the snow with her tongue ready to catch. Her eye was growing out. She was getting taller too. But then Remus noticed the black high heeled boots. What happened to that little girl who only ever worried about ice cream, purple, and her Remus? Now she was dating Fred and if Remus wasn't mistaken, they would be getting married soon if they didn't slow down! Maybe he was just being paranoid, just being protective.

Danica jogged back to him, smiling, her nose already growing red. As they continued to walk along, she watched amusingly at how she could see their breath in the cold. Lupin couldn't help but smile.

"You're going to need a haircut soon." Remus said, tugging on the colored tips of her hair gently.

"You hate my hair like this."

"I don't hate it, Danica. It just…surprised me when I came back and you cut it all off." They had been over this time and time again and yet the girl never knew when to give it up. "What shocked me even more was when you put a piece of metal through your lip."

"It looked pretty cool to me so I thought I might as well try it." Danica grinned, knowing Remus was secretly cringing inside.

"The next thing I knew, you'll be telling me you have a tattoo!"

Danica grew silent and slowed her pace so she trailed behind him slightly, pulling up her hood. Lupin looked back sharply, his eyes narrowing at her. Stopping where he was and turning, he towered over Danica and looked down at her, his serious face definitely serious.

"Where is it?"

"I was just kidding, I haven't gotten one!" Danica held up her hands in innocence and smiled reassuringly at him.

"Don't scare me like that Danica Rae Lorenzo." Lupin scowled only for a moment until Danica's loud laughter made him smile.

"Come on, Remus. I wouldn't put you through that."

"Good."

"Not yet, anyway." She grinned at him, turning around to walk backwards, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets. Remus rolled his eyes, which he found he did often while she was around, and looked ahead at the sun laying the last bits of its rays to sleep so that the night may come.

"So what am I getting you for Christmas?" He asked, looking back to see the smoke still rising from the chimney at the Burrow.

"You still don't trust yourself getting me something?" Danica smiled.

Before he knew it, the words slipped out. He had been thinking them all day and had fought them back every time an opportunity came to say them. Remus knew they would hurt her. They would hurt him. But it was as if his tongue wanted to betray him, to cause him even more trouble than he already had. Slowly and sadly, he watched the smile fade from Danica's face as he said,

"I hardly trust myself just being around you, Danica."

It got quiet. Painfully quiet as Danica stopped walking backwards and he stopped walking forwards. He messed up, he knew it. But it was too late to take the words back. He already said them and they already stung her.

"You just can't let it go, can you?" She turned sharply on her heels, spewing a small spray of snow as she stormed off back towards the Burrow, a little faster than a comfortable pace for him.

"Danica, please. I didn't mean to say that." He reached for her arm but she knew him too well. She yanked it away when she heard the ruffle of his jacket, telling her that he was reaching.

"Yes you did."

"No, I did-"

She spun back around, her hair whipping around angrily. Her eyes shone brightly. The snow storm was approaching. "You always mean what you say. Because Remus Lupin is always right. Yes, we all know that you are almighty and full of wisdom and I'm a stupid child for not listening to you when you tell me that staying around you isn't safe."

"Because it isn't, Danica. I don't want to have to do what I did again."

"You act as if you're the number victim in this. I'm the one-" She was angry, agitated and most of all hurt that he would bring this up on Christmas of all days. On a day that she was supposed to spend with him not fighting. So she did what she knew would hurt him the most too. Danica unzipped her hoodie and shrugged it off, turning back around and lifting up her shirt far enough to show Remus the scars that lay imprinted in her skin as if they were birthmarks. Birthmarks that looked like the claw strikes of a werewolf. "who got scratched, scarred."

She put her shirt back down but he already had his eyes averted, looking towards the dark horizon so he didn't have to see again what he had done to her the night she followed him into the forest when the full moon was out and he ran out of Wolfbane.

"You think you're so big and smart, showing me your scars so you can act like a child and hurt the person who has hurt you. Sirius was wrong, Danica. You haven't grown up at all. You're still that same child that cut off her hair, pierced her lip all for the attention because I took a job FOR YOU."

"I didn't do it for that!"

"You can't lie to me, Danica. You wanted to hurt me, to make me feel like I missed something important so I would regret leaving you here. That's a child's move. And you're using it now."

"You left me here!" She took a step forward and jabbed her finger into his chest, looking up at him, straight in the eyes. "You just took off and left right after the accident. You know what I thought? That you didn't want me anymore! That you were tired of me and angry that I made the mistake of following you so you wanted to get as far away from me as possible!"

Remus just stared at her. His heart hurt and his bones felt more tired than they had in a long time. "Danica, how could you ever think that? I took that job because Dumbledore needed me. And I thought you would be a lot safer away from me than with me. I didn't want to hurt you again."

"But you did. You left. And that hurt more than any kind of werewolf claw."

She threw something on the ground where it sank into the snow. Danica turned and ran, as fast as she could, to the Burrow, hoping to find the comfort of Fred's arms once she got there. Because she didn't find any in Remus'.

Lupin sighed as he bent down to pick up what she had thrown. A golden pocket watch, cold to the touch, lay in his open palm. On the front in engravings that swirled around in the gold it said,

Remus J. Lupin

His heart sank even lower into his stomach as he opened the watch to find that it wasn't a watch at all. It was a clock, like the one in the Weasley house, that showed exactly where Danica was. The hand had a picture of her smiling and waving at him, her eyes bright and her smile even brighter. Above the hand in white bold letters it said "The Burrow". Remus sighed and closed the pocket watch. The back had another engraving in the same swirly lettering.

So you always know where your trouble-maker is

Danica Rae Lorenzo