So another update, I can't believe how close this fic's getting towards the end. *Sniffles* Sorry, just getting a little teary eyes here. I can't believe this stories 63,734 words long! A massive thank you to everyone who's stuck with me all the way and made this worth writing with their reviews, favourites, follows or just by reading! But don't worry there's a good few chapters to come yet – He Who Must Not Be Named is COMING DUN DUN DUN!

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"She was my grandmother, on my father's side." I explained to Lily who was walking silently beside me, her expression thoughtful. "There's some strange gene in my dad's side of the family which makes us like it – A bit like seers I think." I concluded.

"Hmm," Said Lily, "I've never really thought about it but it makes sense. Everyone says that seers and metamorphmagus's are born, not made and you're sort of like them, except without the freaky hair."

"Gee, thanks." I nudged her with my elbow to let her know I was kidding and she gave me a light punch on the arm. I laughed.

"So, let me get this straight." Lily was serious again, tapping a finger against her cheek. "You-Know-Who's trying to break into Hogwarts because…?"

She looked at me.

"Because," I said, "There's something hidden in the school that he wants. Least that's what the Mer chief-ton thinks."

"But everyone knows that Dumbledore's the only one that-" Lily glanced over her shoulder to make sure no-one was listening to our conversation but the hallway was deserted, everyone being at dinner. "-Lord Voldemort-" She whispered, "-Was ever afraid of."

I let out an involuntary shudder at the name. Lily looked shocked at herself.

"Yes," I whispered back, beginning to lead her towards the staircases. "But You-Know-Who must be pretty desperate to get his hands on whatever this thing is."

"And Dumbledore didn't know what it was?" Lily asked.

"No, well, not as such. He had plenty of ideas of course but he didn't tell me."

"But," Lily shivered, "But isn't there some way to protect the school? I think that if Lord-" She wasn't brave enough to say the name again "– You-Know-Who is bringing an army to find this thing-"

"Dumbledore doesn't think that he's going to bring an army in. I don't know that much about the lake but wouldn't it be difficult? Besides, I don't think He-Who-Must-not-be-Named wants to take Hogwarts, just find something. But…"

"But he wouldn't be opposed to killing those who stand against him if they got in his way." Lily finished for me.

I nodded, then hopped off one of the staircases before it could begin to move again and led the way down a sunlit corridor towards the library. We took a table towards the back and I picked up my copy of Advanced Potion Making: volume II, opening it at the Chapter entitled: 'A Revision of Golpalott's Third Law'.

I groaned and Lily leant over the table to read the chapter title upside.

"Ahh, yes." She said brightly, "Golpalott's third law states that the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components. Fun." She added, laughing at my horrified expression.

"How do you remember that?" I asked, agog. I really shouldn't have been surprised though. Lily had a brain like a bag with an undetectable extension charm on it. Things went in and never fell out. Unlike my poor brain that seemed to shrink in terror at the lists of facts and figures I was supposed to just know.

"Well it's logical, isn't it?" She said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "Unless you cure the separate poisons how can you hope to cure the overall effect?"

"You've lost me." I said, perfectly truthfully.

"Oh, Arty." She sighed in exasperation, "We did all this last year with Professor Slughorn and you got it fine then."

"That's because you were helping me." I said, completely truthfully.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't stop a smile. "Come on," She said, holding out a hand for the textbook. "Give it here."

"You're an angel Lils." I said, gratefully, dumping the heavy book in her outstretched hands.

"And don't you forget it." She grinned.

0o0o0o0

I was never quite sure how I got through my N.E.W.T.s while half expecting You-Know-Who to come bursting into the Great Hall at any moment but when I was finally told to lay down my quill after my History of Magic exam I couldn't help throwing my sheets of note paper into the air with everyone else, cheering, as we filed out into the grounds and the sunshine, impending doom be damned.

We headed down to the lake as a small pack, me arm in arm with Lily and Sirius attached to my other hand, James on Lily's other side. It was hard to feel worried about anything, we had a week off lessons then a few more days and we'd all be going home. A pang echoed through my chest at the thought but I pushed it aside.

When we reached the beach tree we flopped out on the grass, half in the shade. James leaned over Lily and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in until they lay like spoons on the ground. Remus was going through his test papers, at least until Max stole it off him and hid it under her shirt. He groaned but flopped out besides us anyway. We lay that was for some time, neither of us needing to check or watch or worry about needing to be somewhere. The sun was going down, flooding the sky with pink and turning the sides of the castle crimson, when Sirius grabbed my hand and pulled me away to a clump of nearby trees where we were hidden from view.

I grinned as he pulled me into his lap then let out a contented sigh as his wonderful, magical lips began to brush against my neck sending shivers down my spine.

"I love you baby, you know that don't you?" He told me between his kisses as he worked his way up the side of my neck to that hollow place just behind my ear.

I was almost breathing too hard to answer him but managed to say or rather gasp a 'yes'. I felt him smile against my skin, pulling away long enough to look at me deep in the eyes. "And I love you to." I said simply, then his lips were on mine, soft and gentle, yet kissing me so deeply I felt I was drowning in him, his skin – so warm against mine, his hair – silky, and his scent – intoxicating.

We were falling backwards and his hands were in my hair, legs tangled together as he rolled over and pulled me on top of him. I pulled him closer still, our bodies flush together, like they were meant to be together, like we were one soul in two bodies. Like we had the forever kind of love, the love that consumes you both and dances you on a thread of moonlight on towards the dawn.