Hats flew high into the air as the 7th year graduates were finally done with school, they had all received their graduation certificates and most of them were ecstatic to return to their families. "Where are James and Lily?" Remus asked as the usual group of friends gathered.

"I'm sure they're around here somewhere," Ann answered with a knowing smile. Before anyone could ask what she knew she spotted Regulus Black in the crowd. "You, know what – I'll go see if I can find them," she offered walking away before the others could respond.

"That was weird," Sirius observed. When Ann reached Regulus she took him by the arm and pulled him further into the crowd. "A bit risky don't you think?" she asked a little petulantly.

"We're in a crowd aren't we?" Regulus asked in turn. This elicited a small smile and roll of the eyes from Ann, "I just wanted to tell you congratulations," he added with a smile of his own.

"Thank you," she replied. "Now get going before your brother sees you, because he will not be able to refrain from making a spectacle my friend." Regulus grinned as he turned and disappeared into the crowd. Ann spotted James and Lily making their way over to their friends, she fell into step beside them with a bright smile.

"Where have you been" Alice asked suspicious of Lily and James' matching grins. "Can I see the ring?" Ann asked half a second later.

"How did you know?" Lily laughed as she obligingly held out her hand. The ring was beautiful, obviously antique, with an unusual stone no one recognized.

Annicka smiled as she inspected the ring, "Lily if it wasn't for me he would have asked you in front of the entire school," she informed her friend with a smirk.

"Thank you for saving me," Lily replied with another smile as James grimaced.

3 July, 1978

We've been back at the Lupin's for several days and I think Amanda is dreading the two of us leaving. Remus announced he'd found a flat at graduation, so Amanda has been taking us out on family outings every day. I keep telling her not to worry, that we'll visit, but I think the war has her scared. I can't say that I blame her, deaths and disappearances are already climbing. Sirius keeps sending me messages, waiting for me to join him at our new home. It sounds like he suddenly doesn't know what to do with himself. Our NEWT scores should get here any day now, and then I will find out if I can apply to the Ministry, which is something Dumbledore wants too. He hasn't said anything specific, but I can tell that he would love to have someone inside the Ministry, and I can see why. Voldemort obviously already has someone on the inside, and we'll need one too. Oh, life is too complicated.

Annicka Llewellyn

"So today is the day," Remus sighed from the doorway of Ann's bedroom.

"Yeah, today is the day," she replied with a sight. "Sirius is extremely happy, he's been writing for days." Ann paused and turned to face him, "When are you going?"

"Tomorrow," he said with a sigh of his own.

"Amanda is going to be devastated, losing both of her children," she said with only a hint of sarcasm. "We will see each other again, soon, won't we?"

"Of course we will," Remus assured her and stepped forward to embrace her. "The war will end, and we will still be here when it does."

"You're being very optimistic," she joked smiling up at him.

"I have faith in you, in all of us," he stated releasing her.

Annicka smiled once again, "I have to finish packing," she stated, Remus nodded and left her. Annicka finished packing and said a short but tearful good by with her new family. When she arrived at the address Sirius had given her he was waiting. The moment he saw her, a grin spread across his face.

"Come in," be beckoned holding a hand out to her. Ann took his hand and followed him inside. The flat was small, but well proportioned, Annicka immediately loved it. "What do you think?" Sirius asked, he sounded so nervous she was surprised he hadn't passed out already.

"It's perfect," Annicka stated setting her bag down. She turned to him and kissed him, "Now," she said as she pulled back slightly, "where is the bedroom?" Sirius laughed, picked her up and carried her into the bedroom with a grin.

8 July, 1978

I have just applied to the Ministry and hopefully I will hear back from them before another week has passed. I'm so nervous, honestly I don't know what will happen if I don't get in. I've been working toward this my whole life. Sirius keeps telling me not to worry, that it the Ministry doesn't accept me then they're fools. Then he says that won't happen. He's really terrible at reassuring me, but I give him points for trying. So far, the only life goal I've heard him talk about is never letting me out of bed. As always I have to be the sensible one. I know we're only 17, but I really do feel like we'll be together for the rest of our lives. Dumbledore has set up a meeting in a few days, everyone has gotten the invitation so I think this is about the Order. I'm kind of excited. What I really find difficult is that all of this is happening so quickly. When you're in school it all seems so far away, but it's not, it's all happening right now.

Annicka Llewellyn

Anncika was cooking breakfast when her owl Luthien delivered the morning mail, before swooping off to her perch. With a sigh she picked up the letters, freezing when she saw the Ministry seal. "Sirius!" she shouted, "Sirius!"

"What? What is it?" he asked running into the kitchen with his wand drawn, obviously thinking they were under attack.

"It's from the Ministry," she held out the letter to him. "I can't open it. What if they say no?"

Sirius almost laughed with relief, "Okay I'll open it." He took the letter from her as she finished cooking breakfast, turning off the stove and dishing up the food. When she finally stopped moving he told her the news. "You got the job."

"I got the job?" she asked disbelieving. "I got the job?" she asked again as Sirius handed her the letter. She read it quickly, "I GOT THE JOB!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Annicka grabbed Sirius and kissed him exuberantly.

"What about breakfast?" he asked with a laugh.

"Forget about it," she ordered as she pulled him into the bedroom.

10 July, 1978

Dumbledore came by to congratulate me on my new job today, and I was right, he does want me to use my job for the order. He wants me to spy on my co-workers. I understand why, but Dumbledore saying it aloud just sounded funny. So now all of my dreams are coming true. I have my dream job, dream boyfriend, I am fighting on the side of good, and next month I will be the Maid of Honor in Lily's wedding. Life is still complicated, but good. I can't wait to live it.

Annicka Llewellyn

25 July, 1978

James' parents passed away some time in the night. We're all sad to see them go, especially because they won't get to see James and Lily get married. The funeral is in a few days, they had everything pretty much planned. The two of them had been pretty sick for a while now, they didn't let anything on to James and Sirius but I think they knew they were dying. Right now I'm trying to take care of as many wedding details for them as I can so James and Lily can properly mourn Stephen and Amelia. It's one of the great wonders of the universe, how even if one life ends, the rest of us carry them with us forever.

Annicka Llewellyn

15 August, 1978

James and Lily were married today. Sirius looked very handsome in his suit standing next to James as his Best Man. The wedding photos were a bit of a fiasco, but I think Lily got what she wanted in the end. The two of them were so happy they were practically floating. It's too bad they won't get to have a real honeymoon. We all wanted them to take a break, have some time for just the two of them, but they refused. Two days, that's all the time they'll give themselves. Neither of them sill ever give an inch in this war.

Alice and Frank are next, even Mary and her boyfriend John Harrison are talking about getting married. Everything changes – and yet, some things never will. The Marauders, for example, still thick as thieves and just as willing to cause mischief for Voldemort as they were for the Slytherins. On a more personal note, I think I'm getting close to a solution for Remus' "furry little problem". I have more tests to run, but I'm feeling optimistic.

Annicka Llewellyn

Annicka woke up to a persistent tapping on the bedroom window, it was almost dawn, the sun just beginning to shift the night to morning. She looked up to see an unfamiliar owl pecking on the glass. With a small groan she disentangled herself from Sirius' limbs and opened the window to retrieve the letter from the owl. With a hoot of self-satisfaction the large bird flew away. Ann tore open the note and read it quickly, after a moment she paused and read it all again. "Sirius wake up!" she shouted tossing the note aside and grabbing a new set of clothes.

"What is it?" Sirius asked groggily.

"I'm going over to Remus', I need you to be awake in case something happens," Annicka pulled her shirt over her head and headed for the door.

"Ann, wait, you can't just barge into his flat. He might still be transformed," Sirius cautioned.

"It doesn't matter!" she argued, "he could be in trouble and I have to go," she reached the door just as he called out again.

"At least let me come with you," he pleaded.

"Fine, but be quick about it," she ordered anxiously. Sirius dressed just as quickly as she had and joined her in the front room. The moment they stepped out of the flat she took him by the hand and disapperated, the two of them arrived in Remus' living room. There was a door half-hidden behind a bookcase that led down to the basement. Ann immediately headed for the door. "Let me go first," Sirius moved quickly to block her path, "He could still be a wolf – or naked."

"Go!" she half shoved him toward the door. With a small roll of the eyes Sirius went down to the old cellar. The room was dark, there was only enough light filtering down through the open door to see the young man curled up on the floor. His hands were attached by chains and manacles to the wall, and he was as Sirius predicted, naked. "Remus wake up," Sirius urged the man on the floor. He found the key to the manacles hanging from a ring on the wall. Remus stirred as Sirius unlocked the chains, "Ann is here."

"What? Why?" Remus asked rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"I have no idea, but if you don't get up there soon she'll come barreling down here whether you're naked or not," Sirius warned his friend. Remus immediately started dressing, moments after he had his trousers on, and as he reached for his shirt, Annicka called out "Remus?" from the top of the stairs.

"I'm here," he replied. There was a flurry of steps down the stairs then Annicka was flying across the floor toward Remus. He had only a moment to brace himself before Annicka hugged him.

"Are you okay?" she asked taking a step back.

"I'm fine," he replied as she started looking for injuries. He reached down and turned her face toward him, "Ann, I'm fine."

"Okay," she sighed. "Breakfast, I'm going to make you breakfast," she announced and headed back up the stairs. Remus shook his head and put his shirt on. He looked up to see Sirius staring at him, "What?" he asked.

"That didn't bother you?" Sirius asked.

"What didn't bother me?" Remus asked completely confused by the question.

"Ann just saw you half-naked," his friend stated sounding almost angry.

"Why would it bother me?" Remus questioned. "She has seen me without a shirt on before."

"She has?" Remus took in Sirius' shocked expression and almost laughed.

"You don't need to be jealous," he stated. "Ann and I loved in the same house for years, and you know I don't' wear a shirt when I swim." Once again Remus shook his head and followed Annicka up the stairs, after a moment Sirius followed. He arrived just as Ann set their plates on the table. "This is the first time anyone has cooked for me since we left home," Remus commented.

"Dig in," Ann invited and immediately started eating, the boys followed suit.

"So Ann, what was all of this about?" Remus asked when they had finished eating.

"I received a letter this morning from a friend at the Ministry," she explained. "A pack of werewolves moved through London last night –"

"And you were worried I was one of them," Remus concluded.

"No," she objected placing her hand on his. "Several of them were killed and haven't been identified yet. I was afraid, not that you had gotten out, but if you had that you might have been hurt, or worse. Remus you are my family, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Ann, I'm fine," he assured her, "and I'm not going anywhere," he promised. "Well we are going on an assignment next week, but other than that."

"We?" Ann asked looking over at Sirius.

"Dumbledore asked us last night, I was going to tell you today," he informed her. Ann smiled encouragingly and cleared the table. Annicka and Sirius stayed for about an hour more, until it was time for her to run off to the Ministry for work.

Annicka sighed setting aside her supper preparations as the knock sounded again against the door. "I'm coming!" she called out as the impatient knocking continued. With another sigh she opened the door to find Regulus Black on the other side. "What are you doing here?" she asked incredulous.

"May I come in?" Regulus asked in return. Still completely stunned she stepped aside letting him in. "This is nice," he commented looking around.

"Regulus –" she began to ask again, but he interrupted.

"I'm here as an informal, 'welcome to the family'," he answered easily.

"You know I'm not really part of your family now," Ann felt compelled to point out.

"My brother loves you more than anything, and that makes you family in my book," he replied with a slightly mischievous grin.

"That's not the only reason you're here though, is it?" Annicka challenged.

"I don't know what you mean," Regulus argued.

"You're here because of Voldemort," Regulus flinched but Anncika continued. "You've been trying to hide your left arm from view since you got here. You joined him, didn't you? And since you have the Dark Mark on your arm now, you didn't want me to see it."

There was a charged silence for a few minutes, but finally Regulus nodded, his posture relaxing. "You always were very observant," he commented dryly.

"Are your parents happy?" she asked, remembering their many conversations on the subject.

"Ecstatic," he corrected.

"Are you happy?" she asked knowing that deep down, that was the most important thing.

"I'm really not sure," Regulus answered honestly.

"You know what happens now right?" Annicka sighed as she continued, "We're on opposite sides of a war, the next time we meet we'll be enemies, and we may even have to fight one another. So this has to be it. This has to be the last time we see each other, we are not friends – cannot be friends anymore."

"I hope that day never comes," Regulus sighed.

"I hope you find everything you were looking for," Ann replied with a sad smile. "Good bye Regulus," she turned back to the kitchen, allowing him to see himself out.