A/N: SORRY for the superlong delay on this! I got caught up in school work and life and other important things. Nearly summer, though, time for more chapters! Hopefully this one doesn't take very long. :D

-C

Work for Emma had become merely routine, although a strenuous, arduous routine. She had gotten used to the mountains of paperwork pushed upon her by the Minister and Umbridge, and she wondered vaguely from time to time when they were going to give up their ridiculous attempts to squeeze her out of the Ministry. The standards of Emma's work clearly weren't going to fall any time soon.

Fred had warned her that she was overworking herself, but she merely retorted that he could stand putting a bit less energy into his own work.

Of course, the two things were very different. He didn't work so hard for such a short period of the day, but rather worked when the shop was open and did product development and research as the inspiration struck him. But Emma got so frustrated when he would chastise her for things more or less out of her control that she would lash out, if a bit irrationally, and then she always felt terrible for it.

"It's fine," Fred had told her after she came to him in tears for their latest fight. "Darling, I understand. I'm not mad at you."

Surprisingly, he never was. He was just worried about her, as he always was. It was sweet, really.

The truth was, though, Emma knew she was working far harder than she should ever have to do. She had taken work home with her, especially things having to do with Katie's case. Despite what Professor Snape had assured her when she'd visited Hogwarts, Emma thought there was something she was missing right in front of her face.

"I just can't put my finger on it," Emma moaned as Fred lay breakfast before her. "I don't know where it would have come from. I've talked to all of my sources, cross-referenced dozens of lists. I just don't know how that necklace got into Katie's possession! Or anyone's, for that matter. Apparently it just popped out of thin air!"

Fred slid a fork and a cup of tea toward her.

"Did you talk to Dad yet?" he asked. "He might see something you're missing. He did this for years, you know."

Emma blinked up at him.

"You," she said slowly, "are brilliant."

Fred just grinned, shrugging. She was pleased that he didn't say something like, 'I know,' but she was too pleased at the thought of some way to move forward that she didn't even want to smack him for being so insufferably smug.

She finished her breakfast very quickly after that, nearly burning her tongue on hot tea, but Fred cast a quick Cooling Charm at it when she went to pick it up.

Emma didn't even thank him properly, just kissed his quickly and sloppily on her way out the door and rushed to the office.

Arthur wasn't in when she got to his office, so she stood outside and waited impatiently, running through her mind the places he might be, but deciding in the end that it was too much of a risk of missing him if she left to track him down somewhere else. For a split second she thought she might have missed him, but she knew that he always worked Wednesdays, so it was just a matter of patience.

Patience.

For about fifteen long minutes she waited, but Arthur finally came strolling down the corridor to his office, nose in a file she couldn't read the label of, not that she actually cared much about it.

"Emma!" he said when he looked up to open his door, surprised. "Fancy seeing you here! Did we have an appointment?"

"No, no," she said breathlessly. "No, it's just I've been having difficulty with something, but Fred suggested I see you about it, so... here I am!"

"So you are," Arthur said kindly, swinging the door open happily. "Come on in!"

Emma felt relieved as she followed Arthur into his office and sat down across the desk from him as he closed the file he was holding, setting it on top of a pile in the corner of his desk.

"What is it that's troubling you?" he asked, folding his hands on his desk like a counselor or headmaster.

"I'm sure you've heard of Katie Bell's situation," Emma said sadly.

"Nasty business," Arthur said with a sad nod.

"Yes," Emma said thickly. "And... and I've been trying to track down for the Auror's office where that necklace she was holding came from, because it's been assigned to me. Well, you know about that. But anyway, I can't seem to track it down at all. None of it's adding up; it's like the necklace appeared out of thin air."

"Hmm," Arthur said, frowning. "None of the places you know of?" Emma shook her head. "And I really don't think I know of any place I didn't already write down for you. Hmm. You know what I used to do when I wasn't sure where to turn in your job?"

Emma shook her head again, waiting for what she hoped would be some sort of profound wisdom. She couldn't let Katie down.

Arthur smiled slightly.

"If things don't add up there's really only one person to talk to. Albus."

Emma stared at him for a moment, and then a slow smile broke across her face.

"Of course," she said with a small laugh. "Of course. I'm going to Hogwarts right away, then. Could you make sure things from my office get diverted here if they're urgent?"

"Naturally," Arthur said kindly. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Emma."

She smiled a bit sadly.

"Me too," she muttered, waving goodbye to Arthur and taking off for Hogwarts straight away, not even thinking to check if Albus was there in advance. He would be there, she was almost certain.

She paced outside the gargoyle, trying to recall what the latest password was for Dumbledore's office. Before she could think of it, though, she spotted Professor Snape coming toward her down the corridor.

"Back again, I see," he snarled at her without a greeting. "Going to stick your nose in things that have nothing to do with your job again?"

Emma's heart froze for a moment before she realized that he was keeping up appearances.

"Naturally," she said coldly. "Could you assist me? I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore."

"If I must," Severus sighed, turning to the gargoyle. "Sugar Quill."

The gargoyle moved, and Emma quickly thanked Severus before rushing up the stairs. He wouldn't have bothered letting her in if Dumbledore had been somewhere else. She knocked sharply on the wooden door at the top of the stairs, tapping her foot impatiently without knowing she was doing it, waiting to hear Albus's voice telling her to enter before bursting into the room excitedly.

He was looking at her calmly from the other side of his desk, smiling slightly, perhaps a bit bemused, his blue eyes twinkly faintly behind his half-moon glasses.

"Good morning, Emma," he said softly.

"Albus," she said, stepping forward. "What... what do you know about Katie Bell's incident?"

"As much as the Aurors, I should think," he said, clearly amused with her conversation starter. "Is there something particular you wish to discuss? I know she was a very close friend."

"She was my best friend," Emma replied. "I... I'm working on a part of her case, though. For the Ministry. They wanted me to track down the origin of the necklace, as it's a Muggle artifact, obviously. Anyway, I can't seem to figure it out."

"I see," Albus said, his smile not fading one whit as he motioned for her to sit down. "Where have you checked?"

"Oh, all the usual places," Emma said dismissively. "I was so sure it was at Borgin and Burkes, but they doctor their books so thoroughly, and then when I talked to Severus he assured me that it had never been in the shop and the problem is anyone would take his word over mine." She hesitated. "Not that I don't believe him, it's just that I was so sure..."

Albus waved his wand calmly and Emma had a feeling that he'd put an Imperturbable Charm on the door.

"I am going to tell you something, Emma," Albus said softly. "And you cannot let it leave this room."

"But my report," Emma began, but Albus shook his head.

"I will talk to Rufus, deal with your report," Albus said firmly. "Listen, you are right, of course. The necklace was at Borgin and Burkes. Severus is on my orders not to allow it to be traced to there. We know who did it. We need to deal with the matter gently, of course. It's for the Order. Tonks knows what to do. If you have any more questions, feel free to come to me." He sighed. "Normally I would be able to anticipate how to deal with your work issues that interfere with the Order, but if you understand, with all of the strange things they're putting on your desk..."

"I understand," Emma said with a nod. "Albus, do you think... do you think Katie will be all right?"

He gave her a sad smile.

"Katie Bell was very lucky," he said kindly. "She could have died, and though I believe the healing process will be slow and perhaps even painful, but Severus and I have discussed it thoroughly, and we are of the firm belief that she will, indeed, fully heal."

"Well, that's something," Emma said sadly. "A sweeter girl it couldn't have happened to."

"Miss Bell is certainly a light in these halls," Albus said softly. "I must ask, how are things at the Ministry? Any change?"

"I think they're getting bored with trying to fire me," Emma said with a shrug and a sigh. "They really haven't got a lot to work with, thankfully. Arthur has given me a lot of support, and Tonks. And Fred and George have been very helpful when I'm off the clock."

"Ah, yes, Messers Weasley," Albus said with a fond smile. "I hear their joke shop is flourishing."

"Yes," Emma said with a proud laugh. "Yes, they're brilliant, and they're having a lot of fun. I help sometimes, on my days off. It's refreshing. The pace is still frenetic, but the stakes are different."

"I understand," he said. "I think they are very good for you, Emma."

"I think so too," Emma said with a soft smile, looking down at the desk. She frowned slightly, seeing his injured hand clearly for the first time. "Sir, forgive me, but how did you injure yourself?"

Albus covered his arm as if habitually with one of his long, wide sleeves and smiled at her.

"Oh, nothing to concern yourself with," he assured her. "Slower reflexes and the occasional foolishness of an old man. I hope it doesn't trouble you."

"Does it... does it hurt?" she asked.

"I assure you, Emma, it bothers me not at all," he insisted. "Now, I think you have a lot of work to get done?"

"Yes, I'm sure you're right," she sighed, standing. "Thank you, Albus. It's good to know where to turn when I'm desperate."

"You can turn to me for as long as I'm here, Emma," Albus told her with a smile and a wave of his good hand and she left Hogwarts feeling both lighter and a bit more concerned.

For as long as he was there? Was he thinking of retiring? It was nearly impossible to imagine Hogwarts without Albus Dumbledore.

And they were, after all, in a war. What if that wasn't what he meant at all?

She shivered a little as she made her way up to the flat above the shop that night, still thinking about her morning, stepping into the flat and freezing at the sight that greeted her.

Fred had just lit a pair of candles on a conjured table that was in the center of a living room. She could see their usual furniture shrunken in the corner. He had some of her favorite dishes of his mother's on the table, including that delicious pudding Molly refused to give her the recipe to until she and Fred were 'married', which was the most tempting reason to tell Molly about their elopement.

"You had your mother cook us dinner?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow and forgetting about all of the paperwork she'd had to deal with throughout the day.

"Yeah, I told her I had a special night planned," he said with a mischievous grin. "I think she thinks I'm proposing."

They both laughed as she sat down across from him, surprised when he waved his wand to push in her chair for her.

"So what's the occasion?" she asked. "I've already got your name. What more do you want?"

For a split second her heart stopped and she looked up at him, wondering if he wanted a child, if he was trying to butter her up, ask if they could start a family.

But then she remembered all of the reasons he would never ask that of her, one of the big ones being that they could count the people who knew they were married on one hand. And there was also the fact that they were in the middle of a war and he couldn't possibly expect her to bring a child into a world where nothing was guaranteed.

"The occasion is George having a date with Angelina so that I have the whole flat to myself with you," Fred said with a smile. "And I haven't had a proper date with you in too long. Shags in the shower don't count."

Emma groaned slightly, teasing him with a grin.

"But I love the shags in the shower," she sighed.

"So do I," he growled, his eyes dark with desire as he ran his foot up her leg teasingly. "But not until after you've had a proper dinner, beautiful."

She blushed, picking up her fork and taking a bite of the pasta his mother had made.

It was nice, admittedly, to have proper food that hadn't been made by people who'd only learned because they had to.

The sexual tension throughout dinner and dessert was intense, though, and Emma kept looking up at Fred and shivering slightly to find him staring at her as he ate. Even though they joked and talked and it was a perfectly lovely date, she could just see the fantasies behind his eyes every time she glanced at his face and it was making her hot.

As soon as she finished the last bit of wine, Emma found her glass being removed from her hand by Fred's fingers, setting it aside as he took her hands in his, leading her to their room with eyes burning so brightly with lust that she was sure she'd never seen him so desperate before.

"I love you," he whispered, voice shaky as he slammed the door behind him, locking it with a quick hand that then moved to untuck her blouse. He then pulled the chiffon material off over her head, tossing it to the floor and kissing her so desperately as she scrambled to undo his robes and throw them off his shoulders.

They couldn't get undressed fast enough, his hands tinkering with her bra, hers with his trouser button. She'd just finished the trouser zip when his mouth encased her left breast and she forgot what her fingers were meant to be doing for a moment, running them through his silky red hair.

"Unh, Fred!" she groaned when he nibbled at her nipple gently. He moaned around it, the vibrations almost as much of a tease as his teeth and tongue.

He pulled away and she gasped at the loss.

"You taste so good," he growled, unzipping her skirt deftly and letting it pool to the floor around her ankles. He backed her up to their bed, pushing her down on it, actually tearing her lace knickers in his eagerness to undress her.

She shrieked his name, half because of what he'd just done, half because he had put his mouth around her clit in that moment and given in a vigorous suck.

But the reasoning behind her shriek was lost in a jumble of incoherent babbling and animalistic thoughts of more, more, more.

He was gripping her thighs so hard she was sure when she hit her climax and came down that she would have bruises in the morning, but she found she didn't mind as he pulled off his trousers and pants and hovered over her.

Fred entered her more slowly than she would have liked, but the long, low moan he let out as he moved inside of her was almost as incredible as the feeling of him filling her. They panted and moaned together, making slow, passionate love instead of the fast, urgent first climax she'd had that night.

Emma could taste herself when he kissed her and she sighed into his mouth as he hit just the right spot. It was incredible how much better things had gotten since their first time, and that had been fantastic on its own.

"That was... wow," Emma sighed when they finally collapsed together on the bed, cuddling in the sweat and heat of their pairing.

"Yeah," Fred groaned, shifting slightly so that she was resting on his strong body. "Mind-blowing."

"We should probably clean up dinner," Emma muttered sleepily.

"Leave it," Fred said with a shrug. "George can handle it."

Emma got the sneaking suspicion that she would be cleaning up the dishes in the morning and putting the furniture back anyway, but she was too tired to do it properly at the moment anyway, and Fred just felt perfect.

It would wait.