Terribly sorry for the long break. I just got my wisdom teeth out Monday – hopefully I won't have to go back to the doctors for a long time! Here you go, the second chapter of my new story. (:

REUNITED.

"Who's there?" asked a nervous voice on the other side of the door. I looked at Dumbledore, knowing it was Mrs. Weasley. "Declare yourself!"

"It is I, Dumbledore, bringing Darcy."

The door opened at once and Mrs. Weasley flung herself at me, hugging me tightly and kissing both my cheeks. "Darcy, dear! Gracious, Albus, you gave me a fright! You said not to expect Harry and Darcy until morning and – goodness!"

"We were lucky," Dumbledore smiled. "Slughorn proved to be much more persuadable than I assumed. Well, I must be on my way. I shall see you soon, Darcy."

I looked back at Mrs. Weasley. As soon as Dumbledore Disapparated, she took my hand and led me inside. There was no one up – it seemed to be just her awake and the smell of onion soup filled my nostrils. My stomach growled loudly and Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Would you like some soup, Darcy?" she asked and I nodded. "Your brother ate lots. You two are getting two skinny – don't the Muggles feed you, dear?"

"Not really," I admitted gravely.

"I'll get you a nice big bowl of soup, alright?"

I jumped as something rubbed against my leg and a big, fluffy, ginger cat jumped up onto my lap. I stroked his head and it jumped away. "Hermione's here, too?"

"Yes. She arrived the day before yesterday," Mrs. Weasley said. "Everyone's already in bed, of course, we didn't expect you for hours. Here you go, dear."

She gave me a big, steaming bowl of onion soup and bread to go with it. I stuffed my mouth and Mrs. Weasley sat beside me in a chair. I thanked her graciously. "Who else is here?"

"Oh, just Hermione and your brother," she replied. "Tomorrow night I'm making a big dinner. Remus is coming."

I nearly choked, hiding a smile. "Remus is?"

Mrs. Weasley straightened up in her chair and I could tell she was about to lecture me. I returned to ladling soup in my mouth, burning my tongue in the process. "Darcy… I like Remus, I really do, but don't you think – don't you think he's too old?"

"Mrs. Weasley, no offense, really, but I'm not a child anymore," I said quietly. "Besides, I'm twenty one!"

"You are still a child to me, Darcy," she said boldly and I smirked. "And he's thirty-six for Merlin's sake! I can take your – your relationship to a certain extent, but – oh, it doesn't matter. So you persuaded Slughorn to take the job?"

I nodded, my mouth so full of hot soup that I couldn't answer.

"He taught Arthur and me," she said, staring at a wall. "He was at Hogwarts for ages… started the same time as Dumbledore, I think. Did you like him?" I shrugged. "I know exactly what you mean. He always picks out favorites – those big shot, smart people who go somewhere in life, you know?"

I nodded and yawned, stretching my arms. Mrs. Weasley took away my onion soup before I could finish and threw it in the sink.

"Bed," she said immediately and my eyes widened. It surprised me at how Mrs. Weasley treated me like a child, even though I wasn't. "I have Fred and George's room all ready for you. Harry's already up there."

"What? Where are they?"

"Diagon Alley, of course!" Mrs. Weasley beamed, leading me towards the stairs. "They've opened up their joke shop. I don't approve much of it and I still have no idea where they got the money, but they're doing a great job! They're staying in a little flat above it. Now, let's go, your trunk is up there already."

"Night, Mrs. Weasley," I said and before she could return the favor, I ran up the stairs and to the second floor, where the twins' room was. I opened the door slowly and fell onto the unoccupied bed without taking my shoes off and I closed my eyes. The bed was so much more comfortable than the floor at the Dursleys.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"HEY! HEY! WAKE UP!"

Someone was jumping on my bed and I opened my eyes slowly to see Ron, with one leg and hand on one side of my body and his other arm and leg on the other side of my body. He bounced up and down again.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

"I AM UP!" I yelled in his face and he got off me, ripping the blankets from my body. I shivered. "RONALD, GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"WAZZUP?"

"Get away from me, Ron!" I said. I began to take my shoes off, which were still on from the night before. I stood up and saw that Harry was already awake and out of bed. I was alone with Ron in the room.

"We already came in to wake up Harry," Ron said, sitting on the foot of my bed and I told Ron to close his eyes and he did honestly. I changed my shirt and quickly changed into shorts. "But I guess you were out! Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yeah," I muttered.

Ron did so and watched me put my dirty clothes back in my trunk. "Mum's got breakfast ready – I already ate –"

"Surprise," I joked.

"Shut it!" he grinned. "Anyway, we weren't expecting you until morning and when mum told us you were here – well, that's fantastic. Hermione actually told me I should wake you up or your breakfast will get cold – mum says you two are too skinny… you and Harry. She doesn't shut up about you –"

"RON!" I shouted and he fell silent. "Could you shut up? I'll come downstairs in a second."

I followed Ron downstairs and Hermione greeted me with a smile, Ginny grinning beside her. I sat down beside Harry, grabbing some toast and Mrs. Weasley piled pancakes on my plate.

"When did you get here?" Harry asked, just as tired as I was.

"About one."

Harry groaned something and I moaned back. "How are you?" Hermione said and I looked up from my breakfast plate, shrugging. She frowned.

"Never better," I replied.

"You're just hungry," Mrs. Weasley piled more food onto my plate and I leaned back, sighing. "Eat up, eat up."

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and I turned around to see a red headed man and a blonde woman hanging off his arm. She was rubbing his shoulder and touching him gently and Mrs. Weasley ran over to him and pushed them both towards me. I stood.

"Darcy, this is my son, Bill. Bill, this is Darcy. And this," she pointed to the blonde woman. When I finished shaking Bill's hand, I looked at her. Mrs. Weasley sneered while the blonde wasn't looking. "This is Fleur."

"Nice to meet you," I said almost cheerfully.

"Yes," Bill replied, grinning. "Mum's told me all about you."

"Oh, er – that's nice," I said, glancing at Mrs. Weasley.

Bill and Fleur walked into the sitting room where they sat by the fire. Ginny scrunched her nose. "I hate her."

I shifted awkwardly. It wasn't like Mrs. Weasley to not say anything after hearing Ginny say something like that. "Er – Fleur? She didn't seem that bad," I said quietly.

"Yeah, just let it go, Ginny!" Ron protested. "She's not that bad!"

"She treats us all like we're three years old!" Ginny hissed. "Darcy, why couldn't Bill fall in love with you? I'd rather have you in our family than Phlegm!"

I snorted. As Mrs. Weasley walked into the sitting room to join her son and 'Phlegm', Ginny continued to speak directly to me.

"She's been talking about it for weeks now. She raves about you to Bill – I think she's convinced you two will fall magically in love and Fleur will be out of here in no time," Ginny said and I raised my eyebrows. "I told her it wouldn't happen so then she tried to bring Tonks around, but you know Tonks – compared to Fleur…"

"Like I'm any better?" I asked with a laugh.

"At least you can walk a straight line," Ginny sighed. "I swear – Tonks broke about eight glasses over the past summer."

I laughed again. "I can't assure you I'd be the right fit for Bill anyway. I never did like redheads."

"Yeah, besides," Ron rolled his eyes. "You've got yourself a man, haven't you?"

I nearly choked on my food. "Enough!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Darcy?" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen. I was in the sitting room, reading the newspaper.

"What?"

"Can you get the door? I'm busy! It might be Arthur – make sure you ask the question!"

I sighed and stood up, walking over to the front door. I put my ear to it and grumbled, "Who's there? Prove it."

"It is I, Remus John Lupin," said the voice and my heart raced. "And you're Darcy Potter."

"What's my favorite food?" I asked with a smile.

"Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."

I hesitated. "With what jelly?"

"Grape."

I opened the door and flung myself at him. Despite the fact that he looked ill and even worse than the year before, he lifted me off the ground. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he carried me inside, walking slowly, but steadily. His fingers trailed up and down my spine and he greeted Mrs. Weasley and set me down, his hand gently touching the small of my back.

I kept fidgeting and I think Mrs. Weasley noticed. I wanted to touch him; I wanted to hug him and kiss him and just feel him, but I didn't want to do it in front of her.

As he spoke to Mrs. Weasley, I looked him over. His hair was streaked with even more grey and his face was pale and sickly. I couldn't help it; in the middle of answering Mrs. Weasley's question, I stood up on my tip toes and pressed my lips to his cheek. Mrs. Weasley shot me a quick, disapproving glance, but I ignored it and he continued to speak, but with a smile on his face.

Lupin's fingers kept running up and down my spine, giving me goosebumps. I bit my lip and looked up at him again.

"Darcy? Do you mind helping me with lunch?" Mrs. Weasley asked and I frowned. There was another knock at the door and she asked if I could get the door instead.

"Who is it?" I asked, putting my ear to the door. Lupin waited patiently in the kitchen, watching me carefully.

"It is I, Arthur Weasley! And I've always wanted to figure out how planes stayed up in the air!" I opened the door and he put his bowler hat on the hat rack to his left. "Darcy, dear! Sorry I didn't get a chance to see you yet!" He hugged me tightly and kissed both my cheeks.

"Great to see you again, Mr. Weasley."

I followed him into the kitchen and he grinned, sticking out his hand for Lupin to shake. "Excellent! Great to see you again, Remus! Molly said you'd be coming."

"I wouldn't miss Molly's cooking for the world," he replied and Mrs. Weasley blushed a bit. I stood beside Lupin and he looked down at me, smiling. He drew lazy circles in the middle of my back and I rested my head against his arm, staring off into space. Mr. Weasley smiled at me.

Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat sternly, but I didn't move. "Darcy? Would you mind helping with –"

"No worries, darling," Mr. Weasley winked at me behind his wife's back and walked over to her. "I'll help you out. Darcy's our guest."

Mrs. Weasley mumbled something to her husband. I grabbed Lupin's hand gently and pulled him to the sitting room, where Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were all talking. They smiled at Lupin and greeted him.

"Aha! The happy couple is back!" Ron announced and I blushed. "Mum's probably angry that you aren't with Bill. That's why she's distracting you."

"No," I said, sitting down beside Harry. He moved closer to Ron so Lupin had a place to sit, too. "I think she's distracting me from Remus because she doesn't want us together in general."

"Have you seen them? Bill and Fleur? I absolutely hate her," Ginny told Lupin and he looked at me with a small smile. I leaned into his body and prepared myself for Ginny to continue. "They're always all over each other –"

I sat up immediately and moved closer to Harry, away from Lupin.

Ginny widened her eyes. "Oh no – I meant – not you – Bill and Fleur –" She sighed and I fell back onto Lupin's chest. Ginny's face turned as red as her hair.

"Harry," I said suddenly, trying to change the subject. "Aren't you O.W.L.'s supposed to be coming soon?"

"Yes!" said Hermione, sounding exasperated. She rocked in her rocking chair and sighed, running her fingers through her bushy hair. "And I'm so nervous! They were supposed to come first thing this morning, but –"

"Hermione," I chuckled, looking at Lupin. "I'm sure you did fine. Don't worry."

Mrs. Weasley interrupted us and walked into the sitting room. I sat up again off Lupin as she eyed me carefully. "Harry, dear, you'll have to share a room with Ron tonight – Ron, let Harry have the bed and you can sleep on the floor. Tonks is coming tonight, so she and Fleur will be sharing Fred and George's room. Darcy, you can sleep –"

Lupin and I answered at exactly the same time.

"I'll sleep on the couch."

"She can sleep with me."

I exchanged a horrified look with Lupin and he shrugged, thinking it was a perfectly good idea. I stuttered and the room went quiet. Ron stifled a giggle and I shot him a dirty look. Mrs. Weasley nodded awkwardly. "Well then… when it comes time for everyone to go to bed, we'll figure it out…"

She left and everyone saw it as their cue to leave as well. I turned and looked at Lupin with wide eyes. "Sleep with you? She asked me, you know," I whispered.

"I just thought – I didn't think it would be a bad idea," he replied. "I mean, we've shared a bed before."

"We just met up after a whole summer and now we're going to be sleeping together?"

"It's not like we're sleeping together… we're actually sleeping."

"But you know Mrs. Weasley doesn't approve of our relationship," I hissed. "But if that's the way it's going to be, maybe you can sleep on the couch." I stood up, but Lupin grabbed my hand and pulled me back down.

"Just one night. It's a big bed, too. Come on, I missed you." He brushed his lips against my jaw and I smiled. "But if you want to be alone on this couch, then be my guest. I'll be sleeping in the nice, comfy bed that you could be sharing with –"

"Okay, okay!" I laughed. "I'll sleep with you."

I went to kiss his lips, but Harry's voice made me freeze. "DARCY, OUR O.W.L.'S ARE HERE – WANT TO COME SEE?"