Author's note: First of all, thanks to all of you who have read this story and have stuck with it so far. A special thanks to WuHaoNi for sticking with me from the beginning and giving me your honest feedback :). Again I present to you one of my favourite chapters in this story. I hope it will be as enjoyable to read as it was to write. As always, feedback is much appreciated!

Chapter 12

Christmas at the Burrow

Thick pearly white snowflakes fell from the cloudy sky, covering the streets and flowerbeds of Godric's Hollow with a crisp layer of snow. The large Christmas tree in the middle of the town square was decorated with multicoloured lights and ornaments. Children played around the tree, threw snowballs at each other or made snowmen. They were so taken up by their activities that they didn't hear the faint 'pops' nor see a party of four people appearing out of thin air in the shadow of the small church.

The two men quickly scanned the environment to see if there were any Muggles who might have spotted them, or worse, Death Eaters. Sirius pushed Briana against the church wall as he looked around. Remus walked a few meters away from them, covering the back.

'Sirius,' said Briana, pushing his hand off her chest. 'I have a wand and I know how to use it, you know.'

'Yes I know,' said Sirius, turning his eyes to her as soon as he was convinced nobody had seen their Apparition. 'But since your hands are kind of tied up at the moment…' he said, looking at the little girl in her arms.

'All right, just don't…don't treat me like,-'

Don't worry, love. I'm well aware of your abilities. All of them.' said Sirius with a mischievous smile. Briana quickly hid her reddened cheeks behind her raven black hair as Remus walked up to them.

'All clear,' he said as he reached the couple's side.

'Good,' said Sirius, flipping his dark hair from his eyes. 'Then we'd better get going. I don't want that turkey to get cold…' Briana rolled her eyes as she hoisted Judy a little higher on her hip before following him.

'If you want I can carry her for a while,' offered Remus as they walked across the town square.

'Thank you, Remus,' said Briana casting him a small smile, 'but I'd rather hold onto her…'

'You never liked this place, did you?' asked Remus gently as they followed Sirius down the snow covered lane.

'It's not that I don't like it,' said Briana, holding Judy even closer as an awful sense of foreboding dawned on her. 'There's just something about this place that…that scares me.' She looked around at the small cottages as they proceeded to the Potters' house. 'Dark magic has taken place in this town, Remus,' said Briana in a whisper. 'And…'

'And…?' asked Remus carefully.

'I don't know…' said Briana, not quite able to hide her fear. 'I…' She took a deep breath. 'Nothing is decided…' she said, seemingly to herself.

'Briana…'

'What are you two chitchatting about?' asked Sirius as he held and waited for them to reach his side.

'Nothing,' said Briana quickly, casting him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

'Nothing?' asked Sirius arching a brow. 'Then why do you look so worried?'

'She's just worried because we're running late,' offered Remus gently.

'Well, if you two would pick up your pace instead of chatting like a couple of school girls we'd be there already,' he walked over to Briana and took Judy from her arms.

'Sirius,-'

'You've been carrying her around all day,' said Sirius gently. 'She's safe with me, love.' Briana nodded as she watched Sirius holding their daughter.

'Padfoot,' said the little girl happily.

'We really should have taught her to say 'Daddy' first,' said Sirius amused.

Remus held the small gate as Sirius, carrying Judy, and Briana walked up the path leading to the small cottage. They could already see James and Peter sitting on the couch in front of the window. A Christmas tree had been put up in the back of the room, white ornaments and lights shone amongst the green branches.

Sirius greedily smelled the night's air as Briana rang the doorbell; the smell of spices surrounded the small cottage, promising a delicious dinner.

Lily opened the door, wearing a short dark blue dress with her red hair flowing down her shoulders, and met her friends' smiles with one of her own. 'Happy Christmas!'

'Happy Christmas!' said Sirius with a grin. 'Hope you cooked enough food, this little one is starving.'

'Yes, I can see that…' said Lily sarcastically, as she looked at the silent girl in his arms.

'Merry Christmas, Lily,' said Remus, stepping up to her as Sirius walked inside. He kissed her cheek.

'Thank you for coming, Remus,' said Lily, cupping his sunken cheek. 'I hope a warm meal will make you feel better soon.'

'I'm sure it will, Lily,' said Remus, casting her a small smile before walking past her into the hallway.

'How's he been?' asked Lily in a whisper as Remus entered the living room.

'Not as bad as usual,' said Briana truthfully, walking inside and waiting for Lily to close the front door. 'I think it helps to have a comfortable bed and a decent meal after his transformations.'

'It was real nice of you and Sirius to take him in...' said Lily gently.

'It's too dangerous for him to live on his own right now.' said Briana truthfully. 'The Ministry is hunting his kind down, because they think all of them are on You Know Who's side...'

'And how are you?' asked Lily, looking in her friend's eyes. 'You look tired, Bri.'

'It's this war,' said Briana, closing her eyes for a moment as fear threatened to take hold of her heart. 'I haven't had a decent night's sleep in weeks, because of my dreams. And my visions…I have them about all of us…in some we die, in some we live…but most of them are vague and,-'

'But that's a good thing, right?' asked Lily quickly. 'You said when they are vague, the future can still change…'

'Yes, it can,' said Briana kindly. 'I'm sorry, Lily. I shouldn't be worrying you with my troubles.'

'Yes, you should,' said Lily, placing a hand on her shoulder. 'We're friends, Briana. I'm here for you whenever you need me,' she paused as Briana evaded her gaze. 'You haven't talked to Sirius about these visions yet, have you?'

'He has enough to worry about as it is,' said the dark haired witch. 'I don't want him getting himself killed because his mind is on me instead of on his mission.'

'I can understand that, but you really shouldn't keep it from him,' said Lily gently. 'He's worried about you…I've heard him talking to James about it. He loves you, Bri.'

'I know,' said Briana, stopping in the doorway and looking at the scene before her. Judy sat on James' lap, playing with his dark blue tie as he talked to Sirius about the latest Quidditch match. Peter and Remus talked quietly. They both looked pale and tired. 'I'll tell him…' whispered Briana as Sirius looked at her and cast her a loving smile. 'I'll tell him when it's time.'

'Jude…?' She moaned in protest as her comfortable pillow suddenly moved. 'Come on, Jude. Nap time is over.' She turned, her eyes still shut, as she tried to fluff up the feather pillow and felt…an arm. 'I won't get any fluffier, no matter how many times you poke me…' Judy opened her eyes and looked at Fred's wide grin.

'Oh…' Judy quickly pushed herself upright. 'What…where are we?'

'We're pulling into King's Cross Station,' said Fred, glancing out of the window at the darkened sky. 'I thought I'd wake you…I can't carry you outside, my back would never survive, you see.' Judy slapped him on his arm. 'Ouch! Is that the gratitude I get for serving as your pillow during the entire train ride?' asked Fred as he rubbed his arm.

'It's what you get for not knowing you shouldn't joke about a girl's weight…' retorted Judy, yawning as she looked around the compartment. 'Where are George and Willow?'

'They left about ten minutes ago,' said Fred, getting to his feet and taking his rucksack from the luggage rack as the train came to a halt. 'Probably looking for a quiet corner to snog each other goodbye…' he added amused.

'Yes, probably…' agreed Judy, as she got to her feet and took her purple rucksack from the rack above them. 'How do I look by the way?' she asked. Fred arched a brow at her. 'I mean, is my mascara ruined or my hair a complete mess or…'

'Let's just say it suits you…'

'Fred!'

'You look fine, Byrne,' he smiled at her. 'Really. Now come on, I don't want to keep my parents waiting.' Judy nodded, waited for Fred to turn the corner and then quickly turned on her heel to check her appearance in the window.

She ran her fingers through her long raven black hair in an effort to untangle it into decency. Her mascara seemed to have stayed in place she noticed as she looked back at her own clear blue eyes. She recognized her mother in her features more than ever as she thought back about her dream…a dream she had chosen not to fight. Another memory of the family she'd missed out on.

She smiled at her reflection, thankful for what she'd seen.

Platform nine and three-quarters was swarming with Hogwarts' students and their families. Judy saw Shania and Abigail as she scanned the crowd, giving them both a short wave as she pushed her trolley onward. Fred had apparently walked ahead when she was looking at herself in the window, so she had to search for the Weasley family on her own. She'd looked around the crowd several times, certain that she would spot the family's red hair with ease, but she didn't.

'Judy!' She turned on her heel as Ginny walked up to her, pushing a trolley of her own. 'You're looking for Mum and Dad, aren't you?'

'Yes,' she said relieved. 'I lost track of Fred and I just can't seem to find them.'

'Don't worry, I know where they are,' she smiled at Judy. 'Follow me.'

As they reached the Weasley family, Judy saw Mrs. Weasley talking to the twins with a stern and worried look on her face. Mr. Weasley and Percy were scanning the crowd, looking a little concerned as well.

'Mum is telling them off for losing us,' said Ginny, rolling her eyes. Judy smiled at the younger girl, understanding all too well how concerned Lupin was for her and how he sometimes tended to forget that she wasn't a five year old anymore.

'How many times have I told you, you don't leave your little sister alone in this crowd!' said Mrs. Weasley to the twins as Judy and Ginny approached them.

'But Mum,-' Fred tried as he saw the other two approaching.

'No buts, Fred Weasley!' said Mrs. Weasley heatedly. 'And I can't believe you left Judy all alone. She's our guest and I promised her uncle we'd take good care of her…'

'Molly,' said Mr. Weasley hesitantly.

'Just a moment, Arthur,' said Mrs. Weasley, keeping her eyes on the twins.

'We're here, Mum,' said Ginny brightly, making Mrs. Weasley turn.

'Oh, hello dears,' she said warmly. 'Everything all right?'

'We're fine, Mum,' Ginny assured her.

'And you Judy?' asked Mrs. Weasley, worried. 'I must say you look…'

'I'm all right, Mrs. Weasley,' said Judy quickly. 'I just really could use a holiday,' she said truthfully.

'Yes,' she cast Judy a warm smile. 'It's good to have you with us, dear.' Judy smiled back at her, feeling truly welcome.

'Well,' said Fred, looking rather sour for being put in place a moment earlier. 'Now that everyone is finally here, can we go home? I'm starving…'

'Yes, what's for dinner?' asked George eagerly. Mrs. Weasley spun on her heel and looked at the two of them rather sternly.

'You two,' she said dangerously, pointing her finger at them, 'are doing the dishes tonight. And there will be no magic involved!'

'But Mum,-' George quickly shut his mouth as he saw his mother's eyes.

'How about we start heading for the bus,' said Mr. Weasley in a would be casual tone. He took Ginny's trolley and urged her to go through the barrier first.

'I must apologize for my brothers' behaviour,' said Percy haughtily as he and Judy walked toward the barrier. 'I assure you that their lack of responsibility does not run in the family.'

'I see,' said Judy as they waited for Mr. Weasley to disappear through the brick wall. 'Well, I must say I rather appreciate that they believe I can take care of myself.' Percy arched a brow at her before she walked toward the barrier, right through the brick wall and emerged between platforms nine and ten.

Judy walked straight into the Muggle crowd, avoiding crashing into an old lady with a walker and missing a pram by an inch. But even though she'd only just missed crashing into anybody, none of the Muggles noticed that she'd just emerged from a brick wall.

'HA!' Judy turned on her heel because of the laughter erupting out of nowhere. Fred had followed her through the barrier and George came out with a wide grin right behind him.

'What's so funny?' asked Judy confused.

'Percy,' Fred said in between laughs. 'I don't know what you told him, Byrne, but I don't think he's ever looked that offended except because of me and George.'

'What? I didn't mean to,-'

'Of course you didn't,' George interrupted. 'But we still think it's brilliant. Now you won't have to make up for our mother yelling at us.'

'I…what?!' Judy looked at the both of them. 'You're blaming that on me?'

'Do you think it's our fault?' asked Fred indignantly.

'Well, if you would have waited…'

'What? For you to redo your hair and make-up?' Fred retorted, a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

'I wasn't, I…' Judy looked from one twin to the other, both wearing a grin on their faces. She felt rather uncomfortable being left speechless as the boys teamed up against her.

'Mum asked both of you to keep an eye on her.' The twins turned on their heel to face the familiar voice. 'Neither of you did,' said Ginny, her hands on her hips. 'And she stands up for you two no matter what…and still you act like a couple of gits.'

'I, we…' Fred and George stammered at a loss for words.

'Come on, Judy,' said Ginny, beckoning her. 'I'll show you the way.'

'OK,' Judy smiled as she followed the red haired girl. 'Looks like you two have met your match…' Judy said amused as she passed the twins, who seemed to have lost their tongue. Ginny smiled at her as Judy caught up with her.

'You looked like you could use a hand,' she said gently. 'They tend to get carried away at times, especially when their together…'

'I know,' Judy smiled. 'Thanks.'

'Don't mention it,' Ginny said brightly. 'I rather enjoy being the one that leaves them speechless for a change…'

Judy laughed as they walked on. 'Shouldn't we wait for the others?' she asked, looking over her shoulder.

'They know the way,' said Ginny casually. 'Besides, I don't want to linger too long…Bill is waiting for us at the house.'

'Bill?' asked Judy, stopping in her tracks.

'Yes, Mum's really glad he came over for the holidays. He usually stays in Egypt, because he can't get time off around this time of year,' said Ginny, stopping as she realised Judy wasn't walking right behind her anymore. 'Is something wrong?'

'No…' said Judy as she started walking again. 'It's just…' She met Ginny's eyes for a moment, remembering the afternoon they'd spent in the Quidditch stadium and how the young girl had more or less revealed her crush on Harry to her. 'Ginny, is…is Charlie at the Burrow too?'

'No,' said Ginny, casting Judy a sympathetic smile. 'He wanted to come, but he couldn't get any more time off. He spent all his spare days on this past summer and our trip to Egypt.'

'Oh…' said Judy, noticing to her own surprise that she sounded more disappointed than relieved. She knew that part of her longed to see Charlie again, though another part dreaded seeing him again because she was afraid she had misinterpreted his glances and his words.

'I think he would have come, if he could have,' offered Ginny gently as they headed for the elevator.

'I hope you're right,' said Judy softly, exchanging a smile with the other girl.

&

The fields surrounding the Burrow were covered in the same crisp layer of snow as Godric's Hollow had been in Judy's dream. The waning moon cast a magical light on the white fields. Combined with the star lit sky it made a perfect picture for a Christmas card.

Without warning, a triple-decker, violently purple bus appeared out of thin air, disturbing the peaceful scene. The vehicle came to an abrupt halt, followed by the sound of luggage toppling down to the floor.

'The Burrow!' The conductor Stan Shunpike called. He was a tall guy, with large protruding ears. His purple uniform was nearly as violent as the colour of the Knight Bus itself.

Judy was the first to drag her trunk out of the bus, her head still spinning a bit from the bumpy ride they'd had. A ride on the Knight Bus was never a pleasant one, though it was still far better than Apparating in Judy's opinion.

The Burrow, a crooked house of about six stories high, stood out against the darkened sky. The lights in all the rooms radiated a welcoming warmth and once again Judy couldn't help but feel right at home.

'Come on dear,' said Mrs. Weasley as she stopped beside Judy. 'The boys will carry the trunks.' She walked on as Judy lingered a moment longer to take in the sight of the high crooked house which had to be supported mostly by magic. She noticed Ginny stopping beside her from the corner of her eye. 'You really have a beautiful house.'

'Thanks. What house do you live in with your uncle?' asked Ginny interested as they walked on a small path leading to the house.

'It's a small cottage actually,' said Judy, smiling as she thought about her and Remus' home. 'It's in the country, surrounded by fields. It's just big enough for the both of us, but we like it.'

'Sounds lovely,' said Ginny with a small smile as she held the door for Judy to enter the kitchen. 'You can put your backpack down over there,' said Ginny, pointing to a corner in the living room as she walked to the stairs.

The dark haired witch looked at the small and cramped kitchen with its wooden table and chairs at the centre of it. On the kitchen counter enchanted knives cut up vegetables while a peeler separated the potatoes from their skin. The smell of tomato soup was already filling the room as a pan filled with the red concoction simmered on the stove. Mrs. Weasley overlooked it all as she washed lettuce above the sink.

Judy walked into the living room on her left, looking upon the familiar fluffy chairs and brightly coloured rug and coverlets. The Christmas decorations gave the room an even warmer atmosphere than it had had that past summer. Branches of holly, mistletoe and green pine had been put up all around the room. Wooden stars and snowmen, all painted in different colours, seemed to fill in the gaps the branches had missed. To top it all a Christmas tree, decorated with more ornaments than Judy had ever seen before stood in the far corner of the room.

'Bill! We're home!' Ginny called up the stairs.

Judy put down her rucksack and walked up to the fireplace, looking at a framed picture from the Daily Prophet on the mantle piece. The Weasley family waved at her excitedly from the picture that had been taken on their holiday in Egypt. It didn't take long for her eyes to wander to the broad shouldered Weasley standing at the back.

'I hope…I hope I'll see you again sometime.'

Judy's lips curled up into a small smile as she thought back on the way she and Charlie had said goodbye to each other, many months before. The worried look he'd had in his eyes after her crash, the way he'd said goodbye to her with an insecure look in his eyes, the small smile he'd cast her as their eyes had met…

'Bill!' Ginny called impatiently.

'I'm coming, Gin!' His call was followed by the sound of footsteps and screeching wooden steps. Judy turned on her heel in time to see Ginny give her eldest brother a hug.

Bill was a tall and slim man. His long red pony tail, dark blue jeans, black T-shirt and the silver skull dangling on a chain around his neck, gave him a sort of bad boy look that reminded Judy of her father. She could imagine many girls melting away by just looking at the eldest son of the Weasley family.

'You're acting like you haven't seen me in ages…' said Bill amused as he let go of his sister.

'Well, it has been nearly six months,' said Ginny defensively. 'And it's not like I see you every Christmas.'

'I can't argue with you there,' agreed Bill. 'Listen, I'm going to help the others with the trunks. We'll catch up during dinner, all right?'

'Yeah, OK,' said Ginny. 'Oh wait, before you go I want to introduce you to some one.'

'Ah yes, I almost forgot about our holiday guest,' said Bill with a smile as he followed Ginny to where Judy stood.

'Bill this is Judy,' said Ginny brightly. Bill extended his hand and gave Judy a steady handshake.

'Bill Weasley,' he offered with a smile.

'Judy Byrne.'

'Fred and George's friend, right?' Judy nodded. 'Gryffindor?'

'No, Ravenclaw,' she said apologetically.

'Ravenclaw…so you like to study…then what on earth made you become friends with Fred and George?' Judy laughed.

'Ginny, would you mind giving me a hand?' Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen.

'Coming, Mum,' said Ginny with a hint of regret as she already made her way to the kitchen.

'Quidditch,' said Judy as she noticed Bill's inquisitive eyes were still on her.

'Ah yes, Quidditch…well that explains a lot…' There was something about the amused look in his eyes and his chuckle that Judy couldn't quite place.

'What do you mean by that?' she asked confused as a loud thump made both of them turn. Mr. Weasley stood in the kitchen, leaning over a trunk.

'Bill, would you mind helping your brothers with the trunks?' asked Mr. Weasley as he put a hand on his back. 'I'm afraid my back is acting up again, and I don't want to spend Christmas lying in bed.'

'No problem, Dad,' said Bill, already moving past Judy, who was still waiting for an answer. He stopped as he noticed she was still looking at him.

'What do I mean by that?' he asked, his mouth curving into a mysterious smile. 'You'll find out soon enough,' he said with a sparkle in his eyes. His pony tail swayed as he turned away from her.

Judy looked after him as he walked out of the kitchen door, her mind racing on what he had and hadn't told her and the meaning of his words. The mischievous sparkle in his eyes and the secretive tone in his voice, didn't tell her anything except that he obviously knew of something she didn't. Having just met the eldest of the Weasley children, there was nothing more she could make of it. So, deciding that remaining in the living room thinking instead of helping the others was just plain rude, she walked to the kitchen and helped Mrs. Weasley and Ginny with preparing dinner.

By the time dinner was served, all of the trunks had been brought to the house and to the appropriate rooms. Mrs. Weasley informed Judy during dinner that she would be sharing Ginny's bedroom. Both girls were quite pleased to hear this.

As Fred and George started on the dishes, Mr. Weasley and Bill retreated to the living room for a game of wizard's chess. Mrs. Weasley took the sagging armchair in the corner of the room and resumed knitting what seemed to be a rainbow coloured scarf. Ginny and Judy exchanged one glance and, as if able to read each other's mind, decided to turn in for the night. They were both rather tired from that day's journey and the delicious dinner.

Ginny's room was located on the first floor and though small, the brightly coloured walls and the window overlooking the orchard made it appear brighter and larger than it really was. She had put up several posters of the famous wizarding band the Weird Sisters, while a poster of the Holyhead Harpies showed the youngest Weasley's love for Quidditch. A mattress lay opposite the wall where Ginny's bed stood, with a thick bright green comforter on top of it.

'It's not a very large room…' said Ginny apologetically as she followed Judy inside.

'It's perfect,' said Judy, smiling at her. Ginny returned her smile before turning and heading to the bathroom to get ready for the night.

Judy walked over to the window and looked over the darkened orchard, picturing herself flying through the trees and being chased by one of Gryffindor's best Seekers. Being alone in that room, the memories of that summer returning to her mind, she realised for the first time how much it saddened her that Charlie wasn't at the Burrow. Spending two weeks together would have been the perfect opportunity for them to get to know each other better…the perfect opportunity to find out if and what he exactly felt for her…

She leaned against the wall, her eyes still on the orchard as she took her brush from her trunk and started combing her hair. So many things had happened in the past months, so many things which had taken up her mind allowing virtually no room for her normal cares.

She had thought on Charlie, though not as often as she would have if her father hadn't escaped from prison. Perhaps it were all the events of late which had kept her from realising what she did now…She'd give anything to see him look and smile at her the way he had that past summer. She sighed, a flock of butterflies fluttering in her stomach, as she looked out of the window, disappointed. Since nothing was going as planned this year, she supposed it was only natural for her to miss out on Charlie and what could have been a perfect holiday.

&

Three days later Judy sat at Ginny's desk, overlooking the snow covered field and orchard, with her Charms book opened in front of her. Despite having spent her last weeks of term on doing homework, she'd still had a few chapters that needed to be read and essays that needed to be written. She'd decided to start on them right away, to get it over with as quickly as possible. And sure enough she was now working on the last essay which stood between her and her holiday.

The sound of laughter drew Judy's attention away from her roll of parchment for the umpteenth time as she watched the twins and Ginny throw snowballs at each other. Fred looked up at her and their eyes met as he gestured for her to come down. Judy shook her head with a hint of regret. She couldn't wait to stow away her books and join them, but she knew if she did she'd never find the discipline to tear herself away from them again and finish the essay on the Fidelius Charm that lay before her.

A knock on the doorpost made Judy look over her shoulder and she saw Bill leaning casually against the wall and casting her a smile. His rock star look didn't quite fit the fact that he'd been the best student of his class; he earned OWLs in all twelve subjects according to the twins.

'I can see why you're in Ravenclaw,' he said amused as he walked over to her. 'You do know the difference between a term and a holiday, don't you?'

'I'm just finishing up my last essay,' offered Judy as Bill sat down on Ginny's bed and looked over her shoulder.

'Finishing up?' asked Bill as he looked at the three lines she'd written. Judy couldn't help but laugh at his sarcastic tone.

'I am trying…' she said defensively. 'Your brothers just keep distracting me…'

'Ah yes,' said Bill, leaning over and looking at the three Weasleys in the snow. 'What's the deal between you and Fred anyway?'

'Deal?' asked Judy, turning on the chair to face him properly. 'We're best mates.'

'Just best mates?' asked Bill curiously.

'I hate to disappoint you, but yes. We're just mates,' said Judy truthfully. Bill nodded approvingly, again the mysterious sparkle in his eyes that Judy couldn't quite place.

'What…?'

'How about I help you with this?' he offered, ignoring the confused look on her face. 'I'm bored stiff and my only alternative is listening to Percy bragging about his Headboy Badge and how he intends to graduate with perfect grades…'

'I thought you were interested in academics,' said Judy confused.

'I am, but Percy tends to forget there's more to life than school,' Bill offered casually as he took up her book. 'So, the Fidelius Charm…'

Judy moved her quill along the paper as Bill read the chapter out loud, asking him for clarifications when she didn't completely understand what he said. She cast a few furtive glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking; his mysterious hints were still on her mind and she hadn't gotten to know him quite well enough to know what he meant by them. He caught her glances once or twice, the corners of his mouth curling up in that same secretive smile again. Judy quickly hid her face behind her raven black hair as she felt her own lips curling up as well.

Bill seemed to like the fact that he'd left her so curious and she had to admit she felt rather comfortable spending the afternoon with him, the same way she did when spending time with the twins. The two of them spent half of the afternoon on the two rolls of parchment which were required, having quite a few laughs and enjoying each other's company.

'There,' said Bill as Judy finished up the last line. 'If Flitwick doesn't give you at least an 'E' for that, then he has to be Confunded.'

'Thanks, Bill,' said Judy kindly. 'You've really been a great help.'

'No problem,' he said, smiling. 'How about a game of wizard's chess to celebrate you're homework free now?'

'Sounds good,' said Judy truthfully, putting her book and rolled up parchment in her trunk. Bill waited for her to reach his side before descending the stairs.

'Bill,' said Judy carefully, deciding that the afternoon they'd spent together had made them comfortable enough with each other to ask him a question. 'You're hiding something from me aren't you?'

'That is correct,' he said, smirking.

'And you're not going to spill the beans about what it is…are you?' she asked, not quite able to keep her voice from sounding hopeful.

'I am sworn to secrecy,' he said solemnly. 'He'd kill me if I told you.'

'He?' asked Judy interested. Bill smiled at her, indicating that his slip of the tongue had been completely intentional.

'Oh, you're bad,' said Judy, as they reached the ground floor. 'Who is it? Fred or George?'

'Like you said, I'm not going to spill the beans…' said Bill as he took up the chess set from a nearby table. 'Will you join me in the kitchen?'

Judy looked after him as he walked ahead of her. She glanced out of the window to her left and noticed the twins now making a snowman with Ginny. George looked up and waved at her, making her wave back absently as she thought on what the twins had up their sleeve this time.

&

'Judy?' She opened her eyes at the urgent whisper. 'Are you awake?' Ginny's blazing red hair reflected the first sunrays, making Judy squint.

'What time is it?' Judy asked sleepily as she stretched her arms carefully.

'Eight, I wanted to wake you before Fred and George will do it in a ruder way…' They both started at the loud knock on the door.

'Come on, Ginny,' called George from the other side, 'we won't wait for you.'

'And I'm taking your presents if you're not down in five, Byrne!' called Fred, followed by a thunder of footsteps down the stairs.

'Come on,' said Ginny. 'I spent an hour last year to find the Every Flavour Beans I got from Bill.'

'Eh, Ginny…is it ehm, possible for me to get dressed?' asked Judy, shyly. 'I mean, I don't want to go down in my pyjamas…'

'But we'll all be in pyjamas,' assured Ginny her, standing beside Judy's mattress in orange pyjamas with the pants a shade darker than the long sleeve top.

'Oh OK…' said Judy slowly as she cast back her comforter and got up from her bed. Her head span as she got up and she cautiously took hold of the rim of Ginny's desk, making sure the younger girl wouldn't notice. 'I'll just pull a brush through my hair then and be right down, all right?'

'Yeah, OK,' said Ginny, turning around and rushing out of the room. Fred and George were apparently very apt at hiding presents, if their younger sister was in such a hurry to get downstairs.

Judy grabbed a mirror from her trunk, positioning it on Ginny's desk so she could see herself as she brushed her hair. Though her head had stopped spinning, there was still a minor headache teasing the back of her head. She knew at her first sip of eggnog the night before that Fred had spiked it with Firewhisky, yet she drank it all, not wanting to offend Mrs. Weasley. As Mrs. Weasley offered her another glass, she took it thinking this time it would be safe, but as she drank it she soon discovered that Fred had slipped in somewhere and spiked that one too. She was glad she'd called it an early night and hadn't given Fred a chance to slip her any more alcohol.

Judy pulled on her brush harder than usual in an effort to hurry up and bit her lip as she literally pulled the tangles from her hair. Her face looked acceptable, though she wasn't really pleased with the dark circles around her eyes. Though, admittedly they weren't as bad as they had been a few weeks ago. In fact, Judy thought as she looked at herself, her sunken cheeks seemed fuller and her pale complexion had regained some of its former colour. Mrs. Weasley's meals were definitely the most important cause of that.

'You're really planning to search for your presents for the rest of the day, aren't you?' Judy turned on her heel, recognizing the amused tone of voice. Even in his linen pants and wrinkled Weird Sister T-shirt, Bill still pulled it off to look as if he were heading to some sort of rock concert. His long red hair was pulled back, uncombed in a quickly made pony tail.

'I was just about to head downstairs,' offered Judy truthfully. She felt rather embarrassed as she stood facing him in her pink flannel pants and lilac short sleeve shirt with a pink Pygmy Puff on the front.

'Well then, by all means,' he stepped back to allow her to descend the stairs first. Judy tried to hide the breath she drew as she walked past him, feeling nervous about walking around in her pyjamas in a strange house.

'No, I said you had to wait!' Mrs. Weasley called.

Judy came at a halt at the bottom of the stairs. She waited a moment to take in the scene before her. The Weasley family sat around the Christmas tree as Mrs. Weasley handed out mugs with hot chocolate. The atmosphere was heart warming. Judy couldn't help but wish Lupin was there to share the moment with her.

Judy walked toward the gathered family and sat down on the armrest of the sagging armchair, which Fred had claimed for his own. He cast her a grin and padded his lap, indicating she was free to use it if she wished. Judy smiled at him without answering nor moving.

'Can't blame a bloke for trying,' he offered, faking disappointment. 'You look cute in that by the way…' Judy hid her blushing cheeks behind her long black hair.

'Hot chocolate, dear?' asked Mrs. Weasley kindly, wearing the brightest green robe Judy had ever seen in her life.

'Thank you,' she returned Mrs. Weasley's smile as she took the last warm mug in her hands.

'Can we start unpacking now?' asked George excitedly.

'Oh very well, go ahead,' said Mrs. Weasley, sitting down in a big fluffy chair behind Ginny.

Judy looked around the room as she blew the steam of the warm brown liquid. Ginny unpacked the rainbow coloured scarf Mrs. Weasley had been knitting a few days before. The twins got a green and an orange jumper, bearing an 'F' and a 'G'. Judy smiled as she noticed how they each put on the wrong one. It wasn't the first time they'd pretended to be each other.

'Here,' Judy looked up and met Ginny's eyes, who held out a package in front of her. Judy put down her mug on a small table beside her and took the present with a smile. She unpacked it to find a blue jumper with an orange eagle on the front.

'Thank you,' she smiled at Mrs. Weasley who beamed at her. Judy carefully put the blue bundle down beside her as she watched the twins unpack the gifts she had taken with her. They both tore the wrappings of their presents excitedly and… looked rather disappointed as each of them held up a bright blue teacup.

'Well, Jude…this is really…' said George slowly as Fred held up the teacup to examine it more closely. He jumped as it bit his nose.

Ginny and Bill simultaneously burst out laughing as Fred hopped around the room with the teacup dangling from his nose. Percy's face was battling between a look of amusement and disapproval, as Mrs. Weasley looked at her son worriedly.

'Brilliant,' said George, grinning from ear to ear. 'Bloody brilliant.'

'Oh Fred,' said Judy, getting to her feet and following him as he hopped into the kitchen. 'I didn't buy them for you to use on yourself…' She put a hand on his shoulder to make him stop getting away from her, took the cup handle and squeezed it twice. Fred rubbed his nose as Judy held the teacup.

'A Nose-Biting Teacup…' he said, sounding half-amused. 'You could have given me a heads up, Jude.'

'I know,' said Judy apologetically. 'But then I thought on what you would do if it were the other way around…' Fred grinned at her, appreciating her sense of humour.

'You're a worthy opponent, Byrne,' Fred said amused as the two of them headed back into the living room where the other Weasleys still sat the way they'd left them. Ginny wiped away tears of joy as Mr. Weasley studied George's cup. Percy seemed to have lost interest and taken up the Daily Prophet, while Mrs. Weasley cast Fred a relieved smile as he came back, unharmed. Bill and George were just looking at Fred with a set of smirks.

'Mum, this one is for you and Dad,' said Ginny, who had gotten to her feet and retrieved a large square parcel from the pile of presents. Judy sat down on Fred's armrest once again and watched in silence as Ginny handed the present to her mother. Mrs. Weasley unpacked it, looking surprised. She took a long look at the framed drawing and then smiled at Judy.

'This is wonderful, dear,' Mrs. Weasley smiled at her. She turned it around for everyone to see. Fred and George smiled at them from the charcoal drawing, dressed in Quidditch robes, their arms draped over each others' shoulder and in their other hand a broomstick.

'That's a real good likeness,' said Mr. Weasley honestly, as he looked over Mrs. Weasley's shoulder. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome, said Judy with a smile as she picked up her mug again and sipped the warm chocolate.

Judy leaned to her right to lean against the backrest of the chair a bit; the armrest she sat on turned out to be far from comfortable. Fred lifted his arm and put it around her waist in a purely friendly manner to allow her to lean into him a bit.

'Do you want to trade?' he asked, looking up at her.

'No, I'm fine,' said Judy truthfully. 'Just promise you won't move…I don't want to lose my balance and fall on your lap.' Fred looked at her teasingly. 'Don't,' said Judy warningly, making him pout like a little boy being put in place.

Judy leaned back as she watched the Weasleys unpack their presents. Percy got mostly school items with which he seemed extremely pleased. He gave Judy a graceful nod as he unpacked the two bottles of ink she'd bought for him. Fred and George got a bunch of sweets from their brothers and sister, since they knew all too well that whatever magical item they'd give the twins was bound to be used against them at some point. Ginny got a t-shirt of the Holyhead Harpies and an autographed picture of the team captain Gwenog Jones, for which everybody had chipped in. Bill opened a small square package with a smile as he noticed it was one of the few special editions of the latest Weird Sisters album. Mrs. Weasley got a book about knitting patterns and a cook book called Magical Meals: How to make delicious dinners with the swish of a wand. Mr. Weasley received several Muggle items, which Judy was sure Fred and George had bought from Muggleborn students. The two bottles of elderflower wine seemed to be a present from the other three children. And of course, as all Weasleys had unpacked their presents they were all wearing a knitted jumper with the first letter of their name on the front.

Judy herself was quite pleased with her pile of presents which, apart from the jumper Mrs. Weasley had knitted for her, consisted of a package of liquorish wands, Chocolate Frogs and a Screaming Yo-yo which she'd quickly rewrapped as its piercing scream made everybody in the room jump. There was no mistake who had given her that gift… Her last gift, a poster of the Pride of Portree Quidditch team, lay next to her on the table with a postcard from Willow wishing her a good Christmas. Apparently Willow was really enjoying her skiing holiday and, to her own surprise, had managed to not break any of her bones yet.

'There,' said Mrs. Weasley as half the morning had already past. 'Time for breakfast,' she said brightly.

'Excellent,' said the twins in unison, walking to the kitchen to set the table as soon as possible. Bill and Percy were eager to help as well. Judy could hear their stomachs rumble. She waited for Mr. Weasley to walk toward the kitchen as well before she jumped from her seat and quickly took Ginny by the arm to prevent her from walking away from her. The red haired girl turned around in surprise.

'Ginny, do you have a minute?' asked Judy in a whisper, trying to hide the excitement she felt inside.

'Ehm…yes, I suppose,'

'Good,' said Judy, pulling Ginny along to the staircase. 'I have to show you something,' she whispered as she rushed up the stairs, Ginny following closely behind her.

Judy quickly walked to her trunk and took out the rolled up drawing, bearing a red ribbon. She turned on her heel to look at Ginny, casting a confused look at her from the doorway. 'I didn't think you wanted to unwrap this with everybody present…' offered Judy. She walked over to the younger girl and handed her her gift. 'Happy Christmas.'

Ginny looked at her suspiciously as she carefully unrolled the drawing. She looked at it for a while, her jaw dropping an inch, and then looked up at Judy with a sparkle in her eyes.

'I promised I'd make you one…' said Judy smiling, as she looked down at the drawing in Ginny's hands. Harry Potter was lying flat on his broom with one extended hand reaching for the Snitch. 'Do you like it?'

'I love it!' said Ginny excitedly. 'This is really…thank you, Judy.'

'You're welcome,' she said with a smile as she recognized the look in Ginny's eyes all too well. She really wished she could have seen the red haired man that had conquered a piece of her heart without even knowing it.

'Ginny, Judy! A hand would be nice!' George called up the stairs. Ginny quickly rolled up her drawing and hid it in her desk drawer in case George decided to come and get them.

The two girls rushed down the staircase, eager to help out with breakfast since their stomachs were demanding a decent meal. Ginny cast Judy a bright smile over her shoulder as she preceded the older girl to the kitchen. Judy couldn't help but return it, pleased that Ginny was so happy with the drawing she'd made.

As she entered the kitchen, the hustle and bustle of everybody setting the table, caught Judy off guard and made her stop for a moment to try and get an overview of what was happening. She had trouble stepping in and contributing her bit as most of the china and cutlery and every food item which didn't need to be cooked or fried was already on the table.

Judy couldn't help but smile as she looked around the room at the busy family. It was truly heart warming how she was only getting to now them and yet they'd welcomed her with open arms and had really made her feel part of their family. She was about to ask Mrs. Weasley what chores were left for her to do, when a ticking noise drew her attention.

Judy walked to the clock from which the ticking originated, seeing for the first time that it wasn't an ordinary clock. It had nine hands, each one belonging to a different Weasley. There were no numbers but words and sentences on the edge, indicating locations and activities. Judy noticed how Ron's hand was pointing to at Hogwarts, and seven of the hands pointed to at the Burrow. She looked at the hand which was moving around the clock; its ticking noise was what had drawn her attention. The hand bearing Charlie's name and picture was moving and it didn't stop until it reached the place where seven of the other hands already stood.

'George,' she said confused, making him stop beside her. 'Why is Charlie's hand pointing at,-'

'Charlie!' Ginny's call echoed in Judy's mind. Her heart did a summersault and froze at the same time as she stared at the clock and realisation of what was happening behind her back dawned on her. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them up again to ensure she wasn't having some sort of cruel dream of something which simply couldn't be. She was slow to turn around, listening to the excited chatter in which she couldn't discern his voice. But he was there…

Standing in the kitchen, surrounded by his family, Charlie's ruffled hair and dishevelled appearance indicated he must have just arrived by Portkey. Ginny had apparently thrown herself into his embrace as she saw him, since she was only now pulling back to allow her mother to greet her second eldest son. Mrs. Weasley truly beamed as she kissed Charlie on the cheek.

'What a pleasant surprise, Charlie,' she said happily, framing his face with her hands and smiling up at him.

'Good to see you, son,' said Mr. Weasley, clapping Charlie on the back.

'Very nice of you to join us,' said Percy, distant as ever as he shook his brother's hand.

'When did you get here?' asked Ginny excitedly. 'I didn't know you were coming!'

'Well, it was supposed to be a surprise,' offered Charlie, his lips curled up in a smile due to the warm welcome. 'Only Bill knew.'

Judy was quick to look at the eldest Weasley son, who answered her questioning gaze with an amused sparkle in his eyes.

'Bill,' said Judy carefully, deciding that the afternoon they'd spent together had made them comfortable enough with each other to ask him a question. 'You're hiding something from me aren't you?'

'That is correct,' he said, smirking.

'And you're not going to spill the beans about what it is…are you?' she asked, not quite able to keep her voice from sounding hopeful.

'I am sworn to secrecy,' he said solemnly. 'He'd kill me if I told you.'

Judy's eyes were wide like saucers and her cheeks turned scarlet.

Bill knows

'Brought us presents?' asked Fred bluntly while shaking his brother's hand.

'Here,' Charlie handed both him and George identical packages. They unpacked it and both pulled out a set of dragon hide gloves. 'For Quidditch,' added Charlie, meeting their broad grins.

'These are great,' said George, clapping his elder brother on the back to thank him.

Judy watched in silence as Charlie handed out presents to his family. She pretended to be oblivious to Bill watching her and tried to hide her face from view by allowing her long black hair to fall over her cheeks. She looked around the room in a desperate attempt to do something instead of stand there like a complete idiot, but since the table was completely set there was nothing left for her to do.

Mrs. Weasley held up a bracelet of red corals, which according to Charlie were made with dragon blood. Ginny had gotten a set of earrings of the same kind. Mr. Weasley cast Charlie a thankful smile as he held up a bottle of Romanian Firewhisky. Percy seemed very pleased with a new quill and Bill smiled broadly as he unpacked the latest edition of Taking Care of Curses.

'Now,' said Mrs. Weasley, beaming at her family. 'Breakfast. Sausages and eggs for everyone?' The Weasleys confirmed, nearly in unison.

Judy's heart nearly burst out of her chest as everybody took a seat at the table. Bill went into the living room to get an extra chair and brushed by her, drawing her away from her thoughts and back to reality. She focused her gaze and noticed Charlie putting down his backpack in the corner of the room and slipping out of his coat.

'Mrs. Weasley,' she asked in a desperate attempt to avoid the inevitable confrontation. 'Is there anything I can do?'

'No, thank you dear. Just sit down with the others and enjoy your breakfast,' she offered kindly.

Judy nodded, having expected Mrs. Weasley to say just that and turned around, already hearing footsteps closing in on her. Charlie walked up to her, a confident stride in his walk that she didn't remember seeing before. A confidence which she herself didn't feel at all as she suddenly realised that she was wearing her pyjamas and hadn't brushed her teeth yet.

'Hi,' said Charlie with a smile.

'Hi,' said Judy, very aware of her warm cheeks. 'Merry Christmas.'

'Yes, you too,' said Charlie, still smiling. 'You ehm…' he hesitated as he looked at her attire.

'It's ehm…very pink, isn't it?' offered Judy, deciding that taking lead was perhaps the best method to reduce the burning of her cheeks.

'Quite…' he agreed with a smile. 'But it suits you,' he said gently. It surprised her that their talking was actually calming her nerves instead of increasing them. She remembered all too well Lupin's and Willow's comments on how she tended to get herself worked up about something much more than she had to.

'Thanks,' she said with a smile as she studied his appearance for a moment and managed to suppress the urge to tidy his hair a little. 'Looks like you had a rough journey…'

'Portkey,' he explained, confirming her suspicions. 'Not my favourite way of travel.' Judy nodded in agreement; travelling by Portkey was even worse than Apparating in her opinion. 'Listen, I ehm…I'm sorry but I didn't bring you anything,' he said apologetically. 'I didn't know you were going to be here.'

'You didn't…' By some miracle she managed to turn the words into a statement instead of a question. 'Of course you didn't,' she said quickly. 'I'm afraid I didn't bring you anything either,' she offered in the same apologetic manner. 'I guess that makes us even?'

'Yes, I suppose it does,' Charlie smiled at her as Judy realised for the first time how blue his eyes really were.

'Charlie?' He looked past Judy at his mother. 'Where will you be sitting, dear? Since you've travelled such a long way I think you should have breakfast first.'

'What?!' said Fred and George at the same time. 'That's not fair, Mum!'

'I suppose over there,' he gestured at the two empty chairs beside Percy. 'But you can give them their breakfast first, Mum. My stomach is still turning because of that Portkey.'

'All right then, Judy you're our guest, where will you sit?' Judy pointed at the left chair of the two free ones. She walked past Charlie as Mrs. Weasley walked over to her plate.

'What?!' The twins said in unison once again, staring hungrily at the sausages and eggs that Mrs. Weasley was putting on Judy's plate.

'Ehm, I don't think I can eat all that,' said Judy, her eyes on the five sausages and two eggs on her plate as she carefully slid onto her chair.; it didn't seem able to be moved in any direction with the table at the front of it, the wall on the back and Percy on the right.

Fred and George cast Judy a pleading glance from across the table as Mrs. Weasley walked back to the stove. 'One each,' she said gently. The twins took the offer without hesitation, each pricking their fork in a sausage and putting it on their own plate.

'Can we start, Mum?' asked George eagerly.

'But of course dear,' she called from the stove. 'I don't want you eating your breakfast cold.' The twins devoured their sausage without hesitation.

Charlie sat down next to Judy, as it was the only chair left which was unoccupied. He too had little room to spare and with a table leg on his left, he was forced to steer his knees a bit more to the right.

Judy looked down as their knees touched, unable to ignore the touch of his legs against hers and the flutter of butterflies breaking free from the cage in her stomach.

'I can try and shove a bit,' said Charlie apologetically as he tried to move his chair already.

'No,' said Judy quickly, looking at the twins opposite her and noticing to her relief that they took no hint of her eager tone. 'I mean, I don't mind,' she glanced sideways, looking straight into Charlie's eyes as the curves of his mouth showed a hint of a smile.

&

Judy smiled at her own reflection as she pulled her pink brush through her long raven black hair. It was reaching her hips by now and she made a mental note that she had to have it cut when back at Hogwarts; Shania was an expert when it came to haircuts and she had cut Judy's hair with the flick of her wand more than once.

She looked down at the everlasting candle Lupin had sent her via owl that afternoon, literally sending her a light for the nights the darkness was too much for her. The small note that had come with it thanked her for the new shirt and tie she'd bought for him and explained the reason for his gift, referring to the conversation they'd had the day before she took the train back to London. Lupin knew that if she followed his advice and was going to allow her visions and dreams to come to the surface, she was bound to wake up scared and confused in the darkness. Now, at least she would never be without a light to chase her fears away. She smiled as she realised how he never stopped caring for her.

Judy divided her hair and started working on a small herringbone braid, first left and then right, before pulling the braids back and clasping them together at the back of her head. Her black lashes seemed twice as long by the time she'd finished her mascara and a burgundy lipstick, matching her V neck fitting shirt completed her look. Her dark blue fitting jeans and black pumps, gave her look enough casual flair to make her feel comfortable. It wasn't really like Judy to apply so much care to her appearance, though she usually made an exception on special occasions…and the arrival of the unexpected guest sleeping in the room across from the one she shared with Ginny definitely fell into that category.

'Wow,' Judy turned in her seat. 'You look beautiful,' said Ginny, looking at Judy as she walked in the room.

'I didn't overdo it, did I?' asked Judy carefully.

'No, no…' Ginny looked at the herringbone braids. 'I love your hair…would you…I mean,-'

'Sit down,' said Judy amused as she got up from her seat. She picked up her brush again and started combing the red coarse hair. 'How about…' said Judy, thinking. 'I pull half you hair back and braid it the way I did mine?'

'Sounds good,' said Ginny, smiling at Judy via the small mirror put up on her desk. Judy smiled back at the younger girl, who by now she considered more as a friend than just her best mates' sister.

Half an hour later both girls walked down the stairs, having been called down by Mrs. Weasley to help her out with preparing Christmas dinner. Judy saw Fred ogling her as she passed, knowing fully well that the only reason he wasn't whistling at her was because his mother was standing a few meters away.

'Not bad, gorgeous,' he said, his voice less loudly than it normally would have been. Judy cast him a smile over her shoulder.

Another hour had passed before Ginny and Judy put the last two bowls with salad and vegetables on the table. The kitchen table was set like a Hogwarts' feast with several kinds of salads and vegetables, sweet potatoes and a huge turkey in the centre of it all. The different kinds of pastries which had been set out that afternoon were temporarily set aside, waiting to be brought out again for dessert.

Judy sat down to Fred's right at the corner of the table, since her shorter and slimmer legs would mean she'd be less bothered with the table leg. Bill sat at her right at the head of the table, though fortunately he didn't seem to be as focused on her as that morning.

'George,' said Mrs. Weasley as the other Weasley children took their seats. 'Be a dear and wake up Charlie for dinner.' The second eldest Weasley son had taken a nap during the afternoon; the time difference between Britain and Romania had proven to be too much to handle.

'Now, if you'd all pass your plates,' said Mrs. Weasley as she put a ladle in the pan of tomato soup. Ginny started collecting the deep plates and soon enough they were rotating around the table, empty ones toward Mrs. Weasley while plates filled with soup came back the other way.

As George entered the kitchen, followed closely by Charlie, all of the plates were back in their original position again. Fred interpreted their entrance as a gunshot announcing the start of a race; he immediately picked up his spoon and greedily started eating his soup.

Judy looked around the table, searching for the salad bowl as Charlie sat down opposite her. She couldn't stop herself and cast him what had intended to be a fleeting glance…intended to be, because when their eyes crossed Judy couldn't help but look back at him.

Charlie reacted like a student being caught in the Potions pantry by Snape himself. He evaded Judy's gaze and quickly picked up a jug of Pumpkin juice to pour himself a glass.

Bill hid his chuckle behind his hand, but since Judy was seated next to him she could still hear it. She ducked her head to hide the smile playing across her lips. Perhaps she was going to get the perfect holiday she'd secretly hoped for, after what seemed to be the worst six months of her life.

'So Judy,' she looked up as Percy addressed her. 'You couldn't spend Christmas with your family this year?' He asked interested, though rather blunt.

'No,' Judy was quick to answer, 'my uncle he…' she exchanged a glance with Mrs. Weasley and could read in her eyes that she'd kept her and Lupin's secret. 'He was rather busy with work; he had to catch up on a couple of things.'

'And you have no other relatives?' Percy pressed on, looking at her through his horn rimmed glasses. Judy could feel Fred tense beside her; he knew how she hated to talk about her past. Or rather, the lie of her past she'd always tell.

'No,' said Judy, denying the existence of her living ties to the Black family.

'What about your parents?' asked Percy, his curiosity clearing ruling over his tact.

'Perce,' Fred started, but Judy quickly put her hand on his.

'It's fine,' she assured him, taking a deep breath before telling the lie she and Lupin had agreed upon. 'My mother died when I was two years old,' she'd agreed with Lupin to keep that part the same, since many had died in the last wizarding war. 'She was killed by a Death Eater.'

'I'm so sorry, dear,' said Mrs. Weasley kindly, her eyes a little moist.

'What about your dad?' asked Ginny quietly.

'I never knew my father,' Judy said with watery eyes, caused by having to lie once again to people who had been so kind to her. 'He left my mother before I was born.'

'Git,' said George.

'George! Language!' scolded Mrs. Weasley.

'Sorry, Mum,' he said quickly. Judy exchanged a small smile with him, thankful that he cared. She knew his kindness was what had attracted Willow to him in the first place.

Judy picked up her napkin to catch a tear which had managed to escape from her eyes. Fred looked at her for a moment, worried, but his eyes soon brightened as she cast him a small smile to indicate she'd be all right. Although…she never could be all right with lying to people that cared for her and betraying their trust.

&

That evening Judy leaned against the house, looking up at the clear sky and the gleaming silver stars. Since she and Ginny had helped out preparing dinner, they didn't have to help the twins and Percy with the dishes. Judy had used the opportunity to sneak outside for a fresh breath of air and a bit of privacy as the memories of her past came back to her mind. She was relieved to find out that, despite her not resisting or fighting them, the visions didn't come and she was left with thoughts and memories which were all her own.

She looked up at the stars the same way she'd done as a child, quickly finding the constellation of Orion and looking for Canis Major to its lower left. She smiled as she saw the star she'd been looking for. Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky stood out against the less bright ones with the same kind of flair her father had always stood out against the average Hogwarts student.

Her smile faded as she thought longer on her father…on the run, trying to stay out of the hands of Dementors. While she was welcomed so warmly by a family she barely knew, he had no family to run to, no family waiting for him to come home. Judy knew she was the only person in the world ready to believe that Sirius hadn't betrayed his best friends. The only person that would even consider protecting him from his fate and she still had a few doubts playing in the back of her mind. In the end, she knew he had to prove his innocence on his own.

Judy took a deep breath and wiped her tear stained cheeks, unable to stifle her sobs. She couldn't remember ever having felt so happy and sad at the same time.

'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know-'

Judy looked up, startled and met Charlie Weasley's eyes. He looked at her uncomfortably, afraid he had intruded on something he shouldn't have seen.

'Oh no,' Judy wiped her cheeks dry with the sleeve of her winter coat, 'I'm ehm…fine…well, OK anyway.'

'Yes, you ehm look OK…' Charlie met her eyes, looking concerned. Judy didn't say anything as she looked back at him, not wanting to feed him more lies. She never wanted to lie to Charlie. 'Do you mind if I join you?'

'No,' said Judy, thankful for his offer. 'I'd like some company.' Charlie smiled at her as he carefully walked over to her, searching for safe spots in the snow to put down his feet, as he carried two mugs.

'It's eggnog. Mum's recipe.' Charlie offered as he handed Judy a mug which she took with a smile. She moved the mug to her mouth but hesitated to drink it.

'Charlie, you didn't let Fred anywhere near this, did you?'

'What?' He looked at her for a moment and then smiled. 'Oh no, not a drop of Firewhisky in that one.' Judy smiled, guessing Charlie was speaking from experience. She sipped the warm eggnog, allowing it to warm her a little; she had realised too late that going out in the snow in her black pumps wasn't one of her best ideas.

'I must say that eye of yours healed up nicely,' said Charlie as he leaned back against the free spot of wall beside her. Judy glanced sideways, again registering that hint of a smile.

'How so?' The question rolled over her lips before she could stop it; a bolder side of her, no doubt inherited from her father, had temporarily taken over the shyness she'd inherited from her mother.

'Well,' he said slowly, turning his head to face her. Judy could tell by the look in his eyes that he hadn't expected her quick reaction. 'It's just…' he hesitated. 'I don't remember them being so beautiful,' he said with a smile, though carefully.

She flushed, her cheeks burning like they were on fire. She looked back at the horizon and ducked a little to allow her long black hair to fall forward and hide the reddened skin. Her shyness had clearly taken the lead again.

Judy sipped her eggnog as an awkward silence dawned on the two of them. One side of her wished to pursue her search and satisfy her curiosity about Charlie's feelings for her. The other, the one that had turned her face into a beetroot, refused to let her say anything, simply too afraid for her dream of him to be crushed to bits.

'I ehm…' Charlie started slowly, as if choosing his words carefully. 'I have a confession to make to you, Judy.'

'Oh…?' she managed to let slip casually.

'Yes, I…I lied to you this morning,' he said, a tone of guilt colouring his voice.

Judy turned to face him in surprise, realising too late that her cheeks hadn't quite cooled off yet.

'About what?' she asked curiously.

'I did bring you something,' said Charlie, a hint of shyness breaking through the small smile he cast her.

'You did?' Judy asked surprised.

'Yes.' He slipped his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a dark rectangular case. He handed it to her, showing again that mixture of confidence with shyness bubbling under the surface.

'Oh, Charlie,' said Judy, putting down her mug on a stack of snow covered logs. She slid off the red ribbon and opened the dark case. 'You really didn't need to….' Her voice faltered as she looked at the thin silver chain with a single red coral at the end. 'Charlie, this is way too much!' She looked up at him, shaking her head. 'I can't accept this.'

'Well, I'm afraid you'll have to, because I don't have any receipt.' Charlie said amused as he watched her stammer a protest.

'But we…we hardly know each other,' said Judy, ignoring the explosion of butterflies inside of her and somehow finding herself able to reason rationally.

'May be…' he paused to take a deep breath and met her blue eyes with his own. 'May be this is my way of saying I'd like for that to change.'

Judy's heart seemed to burst out of her chest at his words. She looked back at him, unable to say or do anything but look at him. Was he really saying what she thought he was?

'Do you like it?' he asked, a questioning look in his eyes.

'I love it,' said Judy truthfully. 'It's beautiful, Charlie. It's just…'

'What?'

'I didn't get you anything…' she said, feeling guilty. She couldn't help but smile as she saw the sparkle in his eyes.

'You didn't know I was coming…' Charlie retorted. 'I mean, I didn't even know I was coming till about two weeks ago…'

'Yes, Ginny told me you'd already taken too many days off this year and that you couldn't come,' said Judy, recalling her conversation with Ginny at King's Cross Station.

'She was right,' said Charlie truthfully. He took the silver chain from the box and undid the small lock. 'Turn around,' he said gently. Judy did as he said and gathered her loose hair to keep it out of his way.

She didn't speak as he lowered the silver chain and red coral in front of her and fumbled with the lock at the back of her neck. When he'd finished he took her hair from her and let it cascade down her back like a waterfall.

'So then,' said Judy, turning back to face him and continuing their conversation. 'You did have some days to spare?'

'No,' he said, looking at her necklace with a smile. 'I'm going to have to work overtime to make up for this vacation. You know, that really looks good on you.'

'Thanks,' Judy smiled at him. 'But then…if you weren't coming at first and you're here now…what made you change your mind?'

Charlie looked straight into her eyes as he said: 'You.'

'Me?' asked Judy confused, though the butterflies scattered throughout her body understood all too well.

'Ginny wrote to me that you were coming over for the holidays,' said Charlie, that hint of insecurity still in his eyes. 'I changed my mind, because I wanted to see you again.'

Judy couldn't speak as she looked back at him; unable to say or do anything as she slowly started realising what he was saying. Charlie looked back at her, clearly not feeling comfortable that he was the only one putting his neck on the line. Judy agreed that he had a point.

'I ehm…' she said slowly, 'when Ginny told me you weren't coming, I was disappointed. Very disappointed,' she said truthfully, seeing the insecurity fading from his eyes. 'I'm really glad you're here, Charlie.'

'Me too,' he said softly.

'Charlie, I,-'

'Oh, there you are, Byrne!' called Fred from out the window a few meters away from her. 'Come on, you and me, wizard's chess.'

'I'll be right in,' said Judy, waiting for Fred to pull back before she looked at Charlie again. 'If I won't go in, he'll come and get me.'

'Yes, I know,' agreed Charlie. 'Are you any good at wizard's chess?'

'No,' said Judy amused. 'But Fred likes to win, so it's not too big of a problem.' He laughed.

'Byrne!'

'I'm coming!' she called back at him, before casting Charlie an apologetic smile.

'Go,' he said gently. 'I'm going to stay out here for a few more minutes.'

'OK,' she put the empty dark case in her pocket and picked up her mug of eggnog from the snow covered logs. 'I'll see you later then?'

'You will,' Charlie assured her. Judy cast him a small smile and walked past him toward the kitchen door, her heart pounding against her chest as she thought on what he had said. Her heart warmed and felt like it was going to explode as she realised that her perfect holiday had just begun.