OKAY! So glad to be back. I'm sorry about the lack of updates. I ended up having an emergency surgery and I've been recovering from that! Everything is great and I'm slowly getting back to normal, hence the new chapter!

Still loving the feedback, so please keep that coming! While we do have awhile to go in this series, I had a thought come to me…would you be interested if I wrote a side-along series to In the Name of Being Honest about their seventh year at Hogwarts from Sirius's point of view? Or would I be beating a dead horse?

As always, read, review, and enjoy!

I am a strong, independent woman, Lavender thought to herself as she clambered through the portrait hole, walking toward the great hall for breakfast the day of the first Hogsmeade trip. I don't need a man. I am strong and independent and smart and-

Lavender had created a mantra for herself ever since Seamus had finally, FINALLY, asked her out on a date. Though it had been several years in the making and no one was the least bit surprised for it, she found that she was becoming increasingly more anxious as the days wore on. Even Seamus's presence made her nervous and she realized she was starting to focus on petty things, such as how her arms swung at her sides when she walked next to him or how her makeup skills were subpar compared to many of the other girls in the school.

When it came down to it, she continued to try and remind herself that Seamus asked her on a date because she was Lavender Brown and not Padma or Susan or Hermione, etc.

That reassuring thought, however, didn't stop her from looking in the mirror that morning and criticizing her brown eyes or how her nose was too slender or how her blonde curls hung limply down her back unless she charmed it otherwise.

I am a strong, independent-

"Lavender! Wait up!"

Despite the mantra she had set out for herself, she was irritated to find that her heart leapt into her throat and her pulse quickened as Seamus said her name. She had to repress a squeal of excitement and jumping up and down as he approached her, a grin donning his lips.

"I was hoping I would catch you! We can just go to Hogsmeade right after breakfast, try and skip the line."

Lavender attempted to come up with a quick-witted response, but was having a hard time coming up with anything that sounded remotely quick or witty. Stupid hormones. "Yeah, that sounds great!" Lame. "Did you have anything in mind for Hogsmeade?" Even more so.

Seamus shrugged his shoulders as they turned the corner, entering the great hall together. "Not so much, just wanted to spend the day with you is all." He grinned down at her, effectively sending her heart erratically beating against her chest once again.

They took a seat at the Gryffindor table, Parvati smiling coyly from her perch on the bench a few feet down. Lavender made to grab a piece of toast, but knocked hands with Seamus as he made the exact same motion. They smiled awkwardly at each other, Seamus gesturing for Lavender to help herself.

Seamus is my best friend and I am a strong, independent woman. Seamus is my best friend and I am a strong, independent woman.

As much as Lavender had hoped and dreamed for this day to come, she suddenly felt quite nauseous and had thoughts of regret pop in rapid succession through her head. What if this was a mistake? What if they weren't meant to be? She had never really considered even being in a relationship before. What if they broke up and she lost her best friend?

Suddenly, Lavender wasn't so hungry anymore.

Someone dropped onto the bench next to her, pulling her from her spiraling fears. Neville grabbed a handful of bacon, tossing it onto his plate before spooning some eggs next to the mound of meat. He turned toward the small group, a smile on his face.

"I think I've got it."

It took everything in Lavender not to roll her eyes. The first DA meeting was a success, with people from every house (except Slytherin) agreeing enthusiastically to reform the group. In his excitement, Neville mostly forgot to write things down, so many of his good ideas were either lost or repeated for days to follow.

Lavender and Seamus leaned in while Parvati scooted down the long bench, placing her elbows on the table and hoisting herself partially over. Neville, pleased that he had commanded the small audience, took a dramatic breath in.

"I think we should focus on the detentions."

Parvati, much to Lavender's joy, rolled her eyes and sat back into her seat. "Neville, you've said this three times in the past two days. We KNOW we should focus on the detentions-"

"Hear me out!" he interjected, waving his hands erratically into the air to cut her off. Grease flung from the piece of bacon he had pinched between his thumb and forefinger, flicking the remnants onto Lavender and Seamus. "We should start a patrol. I've been talking to my Gran who gave me some ideas from how the Order was run during the first war."

"Because that worked out SO WELL," Lavender responded with an eye roll of her own. "Neville, like half the original Order is dead."

Neville refused to be put out, merely shaking his head. "I know the war didn't end…favorably for many people, but they had some good ideas! Listen, detention rounds."

Seamus cocked an eyebrow as Ginny sat on the other side of Neville, buttering her own piece of toast before spooning oatmeal onto the plate in front of her. "Detention rounds?"

"Are we talking about more ideas that Neville is going to forget by noon?" Ginny asked smoothly, shooting a smirk over to Lavender and Parvati, who both nodded in response.

"Merlin, I'm telling you now so I don't forget!" Neville lowered his voice back to a whisper as Alecto Carrow sauntered by, readying for the breakfast ahead of her. "Detention rounds. We'll go in pairs. Make our rounds to the places where detentions would most likely occur. The dungeons, empty classrooms, their offices. Free the students who are being tortured."

Lavender choked on the piece of toast she had just bit into. "Neville," she managed to cough out as Seamus banged on her back, "that sounds like an absolutely TERRIBLE idea. What happens if we get caught ourselves?"

Neville seemed to contemplate it for a moment. "Well, Gran DID say that some Order members had their families killed, because the death eaters figured out who they were…"

The group groaned in response, leaning back into their seats.

"Neville, come on-"

"That could be US-"

"Their FAMILIES were killed?"

Ginny reached over, patting a dejected looking Neville on the arm. "I think it could be a brilliant idea. We just have to make sure to cover our faces so we don't get found out is all." Neville beamed at her, encouraged that at least one member of the group found his idea agreeable. "It should at least be discussed at the next meeting. Which, as another idea, we should begin to review defensive spells."

As much as Lavender pretended to be interested in the subject of the DA, she found herself becoming more nervous as Neville became more serious about it. She had known that Neville's parents were tortured to insanity by death eaters, a few of whom were now free from Azkaban, but her parents were quite clear that they wanted her to keep her head down and her nose clean.

Though she didn't argue, she also didn't understand it. Her parents had been vocal in the past about their involvement with the Order. Why did their hesitation start now?

"As much as I would love to keep going about this," Seamus finally butt in, tossing his last, half-eaten piece of toast onto the plate in front of him, "Lavender and I have a day ahead of us that I'm rather keen on starting."

Lavender caught Parvati's eye, who sent her another coy smile. Since the discussion of the Order and the DA began, Lavender had almost forgotten about her date with the Irish boy. She thought she was going to be sick again.

"Bye!"

"Have such a good time!"

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Seamus grinned at the group as Lavender got up from the table, slapping a forced smile onto her own face. She was quite sure it looked more like a grimace.

The walk to Hogsmeade was quiet and cold, the weather an outward reflection of how Lavender was feeling internally. Gray, gloomy skies spread from the mountains and over the lake, the brisk wind blew sharply through the trees. Winter was clearly on its way in, but it certainly didn't help to have dementors stationed at the entrance. Lavender made a feeble attempt at a patronus, but was overtaken by the forcefully negative effect of the creatures. Seamus pulled out his own wand, murmuring the incantation just in time for the two to pass between two small groups of dementors.

"A fox," Lavender said with a grin and a jealous sigh, taking a bar of chocolate from her pocket and breaking a piece off for each of them, "I haven't seen your patronus in so long, I had almost forgotten what it was."

"Good thinking on the chocolate," Seamus replied, taking a massive bite from the piece Lavender had handed to him, "I wouldn't have thought of that either. Seems we make a pretty great team."

As the two continued to chat, Lavender was beginning to feel much more comfortable. It was just her and Seamus, hanging out together like old times. Flirting relentlessly with each other, smiling and joking around. She didn't need to put a label on the day; she just needed to enjoy who she was spending it with.

Seamus pointed toward the Three Broomsticks, which was yet to be filled with students, as they were among the first out of the castle. Lavender nodded enthusiastically, ready to be out of the sting of the wind. Her mouth watered at the thought of a warm butterbeer. He held the door as Lavender scooted over the threshold, unwinding her scarf from around her neck and stuffing her gloves into the pockets of her cloak.

"Get us a couple drinks and I'll snag a table?" Seamus said, pushing a few coins into the palm of her hand.

"You got it boss," she replied with a smile, threading her way through the throngs of people that had begun to gather near the counter. Waving down Rosmerta, she put in their order and casually leaned onto the counter, glancing at the patrons around her. She furrowed her brow when she recognized someone, an old teacher that she hadn't seen in quite a few years.

"Professor Lupin?"

The man appeared much older than she had remembered him, she thought as he spun around in his chair. The blood ran from his face, paling him instantly, as he dropped the mug of butterbeer he had held tightly into his hand.

"Darling!"

"Professor! Are you okay?"

It was as if he had seen a ghost. His eyes widened as Lavender bent down to pick up the glass. A woman with dark purple hair that Lavender didn't recognize quickly pulled out her wand, siphoning up the butterebeer that had spilled.

"Nor-Hal-Lavender?" Lupin stumbled out, shaking his head and furrowing his brow tightly toward the middle of his forehead.

Lavender set the mug gently down onto the counter, eyeing him with concern. "I'm sorry, professor, I didn't mean to startle you-"

Lupin shook her off. "No, you just look exactly like- you know, never mind. Took me off guard is all." The woman, who was wearing a ring on her left ring finger, also was eyeing the ex-professor with concern. "I'm hoping things are going well with school?"

"Erm- yes," Lavender replied, grabbing her own butterbeers that Rosmerta had set in front of her, "just getting ready to start studying for the NEWT exams, typical student things."

Lupin looked at her in awe. She could have sworn he began to tear up in one eye. "NEWT exams already. Has it really been that long?"

Lavender chuckled. "Yeah, I mean, school whizzed by for me as well." She shrugged a shoulder. "I should be getting back…I'm kind of on a date, I guess."

He snapped his eyes over to Seamus, who was drumming his fingers mindlessly on the edge of the table. "On a date. Wow." He paused to sigh. "Makes me wonder how he would have taken to that news."

"I'm sorry- who are you talking about?"

Lupin pulled his eyes back to Lavender's, quickly shaking his head again. "Don't worry about an old man's musings, I tend to say things aloud to myself before I realize I'm saying them. You have a good Hogsmeade trip, Lavender. It was good to see you."

"You too, professor," Lavender replied with a small smile. As she made her way back to the table Seamus had saved for them, she couldn't help but think about the odd encounter. Was he going to call her by a different name? She shook her head. He had hundreds of students. How could she expect him to remember all of them?