Soldier keep on marchin' on
Head down 'til the work is done
Waiting on that morning sun
Soldier keep on marchin' on

Head in the dust, feet in the fire
Labour on that midnight wire
Listening for that angel choir
You got nowhere to run

You wanna take a drink of that promise land
You gotta wipe the dirt off of your hands
Careful son, you got dreamer's plans
But it gets hard to stand

Soldier keep on marchin' on
Head down 'til the work is done
Waiting on that morning sun
Soldier keep on marchin' on

Quiet now, you're gonna wake the beast
Hide your soul out of his reach
Shiver to that broken beat
Dark into the heat

- Soldier by Fleurie

After we had finished our meal and emptied our drinks, it was time for Remus to take me to the new headquarters of the Order of Phoenix. Before that, he showed me a piece of paper with the sweeping handwriting of Albus Dumbledore, who now acted as a keeper of secrets of the Fidelius spell.

To my surprise, I knew this house very well, as we were rudely rejected by an old house-elf last year. And it hadn't changed at all, it seemed as gloomy between numbers 12 and 14 as I remembered. After we entered the musty-smelling house, I looked around in amazement and my gaze wandered over chopped-off heads of house elves that adorned the staircase to the higher floors.

"You should be quiet when you enter the hallway or entrance from the living room," Remus said very quietly, but when I turned to him, my foot slammed against a troll leg that seemed to serve as an umbrella stand. I drew in my breath sharply in pain.

"Ouch," I breathed, holding on to Remus' shoulder for a moment, pulling out my wand, and mumbling "Episky" as I tapped the tip against my big toe. Immediately, the sharp pain subsided, and I could breathe a sigh of relief.

Remus beamed at me. "You are not the first to have made the acquaintance of this house in this way."; he laughed and I saw his eyes sparkle. But his laughter was probably too loud, for suddenly a terribly loud woman's voice rang out, shouting, "Unworthy pack, wretched scum in this noble house of my fathers! Shame! Shame!"

I watched with wide-eyed eyes as Sirius shot out of the kitchen, cursing, and pulled a velvet curtain over the portrait of an elderly and spitefully drooling witch opposite the front door, before turning to me with a big smile and taking me warmly into his arms without further ado.

"How wonderful. Now we are finally reunited in the fight," he said, patting me my back.

"Well, honestly, I would have preferred to see you again under different circumstances," I said, but Sirius continued to smile at me crookedly. He looked better, much more well-groomed of course than when we last met. But he could not shed his years in Azkaban like a cloak. There was still something rushed in his gaze, and he seemed erratic, if he needed a calming draught.

"Sure, but I'm glad you're here. I thought you might stay out of it. But Remus was sure that you would join as a healer," Sirius said, quickly looking back and forth between me and Remus.

"Not only that, Sirius. She wants to be more active this time," Remus replied, smiling triumphantly as if he had won a bet.

Sirius shook his head in disbelief. "So, miracles are still happening."

"Hey, not like that," I said angrily, but this made the portrait on the wall scream again. Annoyed, Sirius waved the wand, and the velvet curtains covered the bitter witch again.

"My dear mother. Permanent Sticking Charm," Sirius explained with rolling eyes. "The best thing to do is to go to the kitchen. And be careful with what you touch! All this black magic stuff contains a lot of curses against unpleasant people that my family would not have welcomed here."

"And I suspect a Muggle-born witch like me would have been extremely unwelcome?" I asked with a grin.

"Probably just like the werewolf in your company," Sirius replied cheekily and with a lively step he went forward. I glanced at Remus, who was standing next to me and nodding encouragingly.

We walked through the salon past a huge carpet with some kind of pedigree and entered the kitchen.

"Wow," I gasped as I took in the size of the huge kitchen. The kitchen was a large vault with rough stone walls and a large fire pit which gave the room some character and I liked this rustic charm.

"Pretty big, isn't it? I didn't know you were impressed by sheer size." He cheekily sneered again when he playfully thrust his elbow into my rib.

"Sirius!" Remus` tone was reproachful, but a fine grin played around his lips, and I giggled significantly.

"Usually only the house-elves stayed here, never anyone from my family, so no emphasis was placed on chic furnishings," he explained, before the wizard rummaged through one of the kitchen cupboards. When he found what he was looking for, a big grin adorned his face and he put a bottle of old fire whiskey on the table in front of us.

"Excellent age," Sirius stated and conjured up 3 glasses out of nowhere. "Oh, I still miss my old wand"

"Maybe Kingsley Shacklebolt will succeed if he replaces your old wand with a replica," Remus said encouragingly and Sirius nodded.

"You want to steal Sirius' wand from the Ministry's storage?" I asked, but no surprise in my voice, because I knew Sirius all too well.

"Yes, Shacklebolt works as an Auror, so he has easy access. It's just not the same as having your own wand, you know," Sirius explained, sitting down at the table.

"And now, come, join me!" Sirius said to Remus and me before we hesitantly took our seats.

"I don't usually drink during the week or at such an early hour," I said, pushing the glass aside.

"Don't act like that! Let's drink to be back in the Order," Sirius said, raising his glass challengingly.

"But this time without victims," I added.

"Can this be avoided?" Remus asked, smiling mildly at me, there was a sad expression in his gaze.

"Well, we're just doing our best! After all, we are the last of our group! There must be a reason why we were spared. At least so far. That's why we should live like legends. And drink! So, to the destruction of Voldemort!" Sirius said, slamming his glass against ours before taking a big sip.

"The destruction of Voldemort!" Remus and I shouted, rinsing our dry throats with the fiery liquid.

"When is the next meeting?" I asked as we put down our glasses.

"Tonight, is the first Meeting. Everyone will be here. That occurs to me, Kreacher!" Sirius shouted the last sentence so loudly that it burst through the whole house.

With a loud pop, the old house-elf appeared, whom Remus and I already knew. He looked at us with a wrinkled nose.

"Kreacher, welcome my guests and prepare a good meal for tonight! There are some people coming, whom I would like to welcome with hospitality," Sirius explained, while I raised my eyebrows skeptically.

"The Lord wants a feast? How should I get it? You useless bastard, a disgrace to the noble Black family. If only my mistress knew—"

"Shut up and just cook. Just like in the past, when there were corresponding events here. And stop giving such garbage from you. In fact, we can all hear you well," Sirius ordered in a tone that immediately made me uncomfortable.

"Sirius, do you think he's still able to do that because of his age?" I asked, smiling at the house-elf .

"This mudblood thinks I'm not good enough to cook for it. I'll show her if I poison her tea in the evening," the house-elf whispered sharp through clenched teeth.

"Maybe we shouldn't include him at our meals," Remus interjected, frowning.

"We could ask Molly to help Remus and me cook," I said quickly, Remus nodded and grinned at me.

"Good, then get out and finally make yourself useful Kreacher! Get all this depraved clutter out of this cursed house!" Sirus shouted, and the house-elf bowed and disappeared with a loud pop, gritting his teeth.

"How long has Moony been able to cook?" Sirius asked with an incredulous look at his old friend, but with a wry smile on his lips. "I really seem to have missed some things. But you don't want to tell me that you're finally a couple, do you?"

Before I could open my mouth to get the insinuation out of the way, Remus cleared his throat loudly.

"Padfoot, you know our situation. Nothing has and will not change in this regard," Remus said so firmly that he did not allow any further demand.

"Too bad," Sirius said, shrugging his shoulders before taking another sip of fire whiskey. "But you should have a few more glasses before the general meeting is. Dumbledore told me who was on the guest list. You won't believe it."

"Why? Someone famous?" I asked, smiling.

"No, someone extremely disgusting. Snivellus Snape, our old schoolfriend," Sirius said disparagingly and emptied his glass while Remus and I exchanged glances.

"Maybe he's changed?" asked Remus half-heartedly.

"Changed? You were already there when he wanted to rush the Dementors on my neck in the penultimate school year? It's a pity that I couldn't enjoy how he must have gone crazy when I fled. I wonder how you both could have endured this creep when you were a teacher at Hogwarts," Sirius said with a sniff of his nose and poured himself from the bottle of fire whiskey, while the glasses of Remus and me were still almost untouched.

"I've accepted him, and I suspect there's a good reason why Dumbledore trusts him," I said, trying to keep a tremor out of my voice.

"Mh, you've always had a heart for weird guys," Sirius said, shaking his head.

"Like me, Padfoot?" Remus asked challengingly.

"Oh Moony, you're not a wizard obsessed with black magic. No one whose soul is as contaminated and black as his," Sirius said bitterly, looking deep into his glass of golden liquid as I clenched my hands into fists under the table.

"Doesn't it have more to do with Lily?" asked Remus sharply.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, crossing his arms in front of him and looking at his friend emphatically with his eyebrows furrowed.

"You know what I mean, Sirius. Your dislike is not just the reason you mentioned," Remus stated with a mild smile.

"You know you should keep it to yourself," Sirius hissed through his teeth, looking at me briefly from the side.

"Why? She's our friend, and as you've noticed for yourself, she's the only one left in our group. James and Lily are dead. No one will judge you," Remus said, taking a sip from his glass.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked curiously, but also surprised, looking back and forth between the two.

"Tell her why you hate Snape so much, why you've hated him ever since he set foot through the doors of Hogwarts," Remus said encouragingly, but Sirius shook his head curtly before squinting at the floor.

"Sometimes it helps to feel better. In any case, I immediately feel better when I confide in friends something that burdens me," Remus said, looking meaningfully at his friend.

"I can imagine that. But I'd rather keep quiet about it now, wouldn't I?" Sirius said and I saw Remus twitch noticeably next to me.

"Listen, no one has to tell me anything if it's uncomfortable," I interjected loudly to calm the minds. No matter how curious I was, nothing was worth the two of them arguing with each other.

Sirius looked at me sharply before exhaling loudly.

"It's Lily," he said curtly and drank the entire glass in front of him in one gulp.

"Lily is the reason for your hatred of Severus?" I asked in awe. What was that supposed to mean? The only one who hated Severus because of Lily was James, and James was in love with her…and at that moment, it finally fell from my eyes like scales. The glances that he occasionally gave the two of them from the side in the seventh grade. I believed he was jealous of the connection between James and Lily, but because I thought he would see James less and not because he really wanted to be the one who kissed Lily.

"You loved her," I said, breathing faster because of this revelation. "But how? I mean, James..."

"He never knew. Neither does Lily herself. The only one who knew was Remus," Sirius said, giving Remus an appreciative look. "Because he knew me well and has a feeling for the abysses and love of the people around him, doesn't you, my old friend? He knew it before I knew it myself, before I even understood what was bubbling inside me." Sirius noisily placed the glass in front of him. And I knew Sirius was right. Remus had also recognized my love in my school days, although I had desperately tried to hide it, even from myself. I sighed.

"So, you're telling me you've been in love with Lily all the time? But you gave way to James because he was your best friend?" I asked, no less than shocked, watching Sirius pour himself one more time.

"That's right. But not all the time, about from the third year of school, when James had long made his feelings for Lily clear. The friendship with James has always been the most important thing to me. I put it above everything else," Sirius said, looking down at the ground. I swallowed and looked briefly at Remus, who had been watching me the whole time. That was the reason why Sirius never found a woman interesting, his heart belonged to Lily. All the time.

"It's sad that you never had the chance to reveal yourself to her. I'm sorry, Sirius," I said softly, feeling my eyes moist. It was something that connected us, except that after Hogwarts I managed to kiss the love of my life.

"It doesn't have to. You know, James was like a brother to me. And it helped that both of them were so infinitely happy together. Also, I've found that sometimes it's not wise to reveal your true feelings to someone who obviously doesn't feel the same way. You often risk a friendship that is so infinitely valuable that you would never jeopardize it, wouldn't you, Remus?" Sirius asked, toasting Remus solemnly. Remus raised the glass and they both toasted as my thoughts raced.

All these years at Hogwarts and I had never wasted the thought that Sirius might be in love with Lily. That he would sacrifice his own feelings for his great friendship with James.

"To the friendship!" cried Remus, looking at me expectantly. I, too, raised my glass and drank with my old friends to the old days, which seemed to be more difficult for everyone than it seemed at first.

That evening, Remus and I tried to prepare the food ourselves as best we could before the members of the Order of the Phoenix walked through the uninviting front door. Since Molly Weasley left the underage flock of children in the Burrow, she had to take care of this horde before she could help us.

But we had thrown our skills together and decided on a light stew, which would certainly not be embarrassed in the summer warmth, as well as an apple pie for dessert according to an old Muggle recipe, which I had found in my parents' estate. With magic, everything went quite quickly and with Remus by my side it was a lot of fun.

"Nymphadora, it's nice that you're here," Remus said in a strangely enraptured voice when a young woman suddenly stepped into the kitchen, almost burning the stew if I hadn't intervened.

"Please don't call me that, Remus!" she said, looking curiously from top to bottom. "Let me guess! That's your friend Catherine, you told me about!"

"Yes, I am," I said, happily holding out my hand to her. "And what's your name, if not Nymphadora?"

"Tonks. I hate my first name. I don't know what his cousin was thinking, but it's way too pompous and doesn't suit me at all," she said, pointing with her heart-shaped face to Sirius, with whom she had come into the kitchen together. My mouth opened.

"Cousin?" I asked incredulously.

"Favorite cousin," Sirius agreed, amused at my expression. "She was banished from our family for marrying a Muggle, after years of a secret and really passionate romance at Hogwarts."

"Uh, please, I don't want to hear about that," Tonks said laughing and bent over our eating skills. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not really. We're done," I said, shaking my head and lowering the flame under the stove with a tap of my wand.

"Well, then I can sit back," Tonks said and walked backwards a few steps to place himself on a chair. But she had missed a small side table that fell over with a rattle, which made Remus giggle quietly next to me.

"Oh, excuse me, Sirius!" she said, picking up the table and her knick-knacks, with a red head that now resembled her bright red chin-length hair.

"No problem, all this stuff has to get out of here at some point anyway. Maybe we'll let the two of them continue to work here and you'll help me conjure up a dining table in the salon," Sirius said with a broad grin and led his niece out of the kitchen.

When we stepped out of the kitchen into the living room with the immensely large cooking pot and freshly baked breads floating in front of us, Sirius had set up a long table there, where almost every chair was now occupied.

I immediately recognized some of the faces that I hadn't seen for so long and that seemed to have aged over the years. And I felt a slight uncertainty rising, was afraid to drop the heavy soup pot and clung my right hand tightly around the leading wand. But almost at the same time, Remus' hand placed itself in my left hand. I looked at him and he smiled encouragingly.

Damn, he could read me like a book and I loved him for it. We could silently fill entire books with each other. And the gratitude for this connection completely washed away my insecurity.

I smirked and saw Minerva and Filius smiling at me and Remus, apparently knowingly. Molly and Arthur grinned and waved at me, but their sons seemed a bit uncomfortable with their parents' overzealousness. Charlie seemed to want to sink into his chair, while Alastor nodded at me as if we had only seen each other yesterday. And when my gaze scanned all the others present, I found that Severus was missing, which gave me a little punch in the stomach. But Remus grabbed me tighter by the hand and we took advantage of the two free seats next to Sirius and the young witch whose acquaintance I had already made.

"You have really beautiful long hair. I wonder if it would suit me too," Tonks said and at the next wink she suddenly had my hair on her head, which reached up to her hip.

"I've never met a Metamorphmagus before," I said in astonishment and looked at her closely with my mouth open.

"And one of the youngest aurors ever," Remus added with a grin.

But Tonks looked into a mirror across from her, shook her head, and suddenly her hair turned rasp-short and purple.

"Better," she said, amused.

Then Albus Dumbledore rose from the front opposite Sirius. He glanced briefly at the empty chair beside him, no doubt intended for Severus, before clearing his throat and starting to speak as the door swung open and Severus entered his nemesis's house with a grumpy face. Sirius next to Remus drew in audibly sharp air.

But Severus did not pay attention to any of those present but swung himself extremely gracefully into the empty seat.

"Very nice, then we are now complete. The Order of the Phoenix has come together again to rise up once again against our old enemy. First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has once again answered my call to conquer the horror in the form of Lord Voldemort." When the name of our enemy appeared, some of the new members choked on their drinks or their own spit. The black eyes of Severus sparkled briefly and seemingly meaninglessly in my direction, but everything inside me tingled under this secret gaze.

"At this point, I would like to thank Sirius, who is currently being unfairly mistreated by the Ministry, which prefers to waste its time persecuting innocent people. He immediately set up his home as his headquarters, and today he welcomes us to our first meeting with a hospitality that will become rare in days like these."

Everyone clapped briefly for Sirius, which seemed extremely uncomfortable to him. Only a black-haired person held his hands still and he sat next to the standing Dumbledore. With a contemptuous look, Severus wrinkled his nose.

"Very good, very good. And now I welcome all the new members. Today is the evening when Old History will mingle with New History. I hope you get to know each other, trust each other, just as I trust all of you without exception," Dumbledore continued, looking briefly at Severus at his last sentence, who, however, had turned his own gaze full of disgust to Sirius and Remus.

It started well, I thought depressedly and brushed my hair behind my ears. After all, this gesture was enough to draw Severus' gaze to me. He seemed to sense my sadness at his hatred, closed his eyes briefly, tried to take a deep breath and then let his gaze glide through those present people, seemingly uninvolved.

"And now I want us all to raise our glasses of this delicious elfmade wine and drink to a hopeful future for the Order of the Phoenix before enjoying the food that Remus and Catherine prepared for us tonight."

I felt myself blushing as the attendees grinned briefly at Remus and me before we all stood up, raised our glasses and toasted each other in chorus.

"Cheers to the hope! To the Order of the Phoenix!" it rang out loudly in the living room, so that suddenly the curtain lifted over the portrait of Walpurga Black and she snapped at us.

"You filthy blood abusers! Mudbloods and dirty pack! Get out of this noble house!"

Sirius angrily slammed the curtains shut.

"Permanent Sticking Charm, forgive me! Maybe we should move our meetings to the kitchen in the future," Sirius said dejectedly. I felt it was important for him to show that he was a worthy member of the Order, but instead his family history seemed to have thrown a spanner in the works.

But Dumbledore waved his wand and the howling behind the curtains died down for the rest of the evening, while Severus grinned mockingly.

"As you know, no one can do anything about their origins and I am the best proof that anything can spring from such a family," Tonks said loudly and laughing.

"Definitely good things too," Remus added with a smile and I saw to my own astonishment how he blushed slightly. I was amazed to see how a slight pink crept onto the cheeks of the young witch next to me.

Severus caught my gaze and raised his eyebrows significantly before everyone returned to their food. Even Severus seemed to enjoy the hot meal, for his gaze became milder, although he did not participate in any conversation.

I, on the other hand, was bombarded by questions from Tonks who wanted to know exactly what work I was doing during the First Wizarding War. Apparently, she had already heard about my past with Gideon, because she didn't exactly feel her way towards this topic emphatically when she asked me if I was still mourning him or if I had found a replacement in the meantime. Although I suspected that this question was aimed at finding out more about my connection with Remus. And as sympathetic as I found her, something in me didn't want to make it so easy for her.

"I've found support in my friendships, even though I have few left who haven't fallen victim to Voldemort. Of course, this connects me all the more strongly with the friends I have now," I replied and watched her swallow, before I got involved in a conversation between Sirius, Remus and Kingsley and left Tonks to Molly and Arthur, who wanted to know more information about their parents, as they probably knew them a little from their own school days.

But in all this time I felt somehow out of place, because my innermost being just wanted to grab Severus and run away with him, not to plunge into such a terrible time again, not to have to be afraid again about the lives that were important to me. It literally constricted my throat at the thought of how many of those who laughed, drank and ate here at the table might not survive the next few years and would have to die in the face of the enemy. But their hope for the future seemed unclouded. I swallowed and closed my eyes when I suddenly heard his voice.

"Forgive me, but I have other things to do," Severus said quietly, but he had the gift that he was still heard by everyone and gave me goosebumps. A glance into his black eyes was enough to give me new hope. He gave it to me, he was the epitome of that for me. Hope for the future without all that. We just have to get it right.

"How true. Maybe we should now start a joint exchange on the current situation," the headmaster said loudly and the conversations immediately fell silent. Now it was getting serious.

"Each of you will receive tasks from me that will advance the Order in the fight against Voldemort," the old wizard began, looking into our group. I felt a tension settle over all of us, as well as an awkward silence. It was clearly the fear of the danger that lay ahead of us, which had covered us like a veil, so that nothing remained of the hospitable round that we had been before but a memory.

"Hagrid, I can tell you that the task discussed must be started immediately. Your companion will be waiting for you tomorrow morning at the agreed place," Dumbledore said, while Hagrid blushed and nodded eagerly.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. I'm not going to disappoint you or her!" shouted Hagrid, toasting the headmaster with his wine glass.

"Severus has already entered the service of Lord Voldemort and will provide us with information there," Dumbledore said, looking at Severus with a smile. The black-haired wizard nodded curtly before his gaze met mine. It was official because Voldemort already knew about his position in the Order of the Phoenix. With the difference that he also thought he had positioned Severus as a spy. So, Severus now served two masters, both great wizards and both blessed with followers who took their tasks nodding, almost like dolls in a game. Only this game was the game of survival, led by two power-hungry intriguers. I sighed as these thoughts rushed through my head, so that not only did Severus' gaze linger on me, but Remus and Sirius also frowned at me before casting meaningful glances at each other. Maybe they both thought I was scared or pinched before my task.

"Bill, it would be good if you could find out how the goblins are facing another war. Are they ready to join a side this time? Find out if Voldemort has already made them an offer. Your connections to Gringrotts will certainly be helpful. Charlie, please keep an eye on the population of dragons. It is quite possible that Voldemort wants to use them as a weapon in battle. These creatures need to be protected from this. You have connections to all of the world's dragon conservation programs, so please pass this threat on to others in your field."

Charlie and Bill Weasley nodded in agreement.

"Molly, I have a special job for you and Sirius. Please try to rid this quarters of all the black magic objects and creatures. Earlier, on my way to the bathroom, I was attacked by an extremely unruly Doxy ." Sirius audibly drew in the air next to me. Apparently he had hoped for something other than playing cleaning fairy here. But I shook my head when I saw that he wanted to protest.

"Later, Sirius. Think about your position. You're being chased by the Ministry, and the Death Eaters know your Animagus form thanks to Peter," Remus hissed softly at him, so that Sirius threw himself into the chair with his arms crossed and pressed his lips tightly together which made Severus sneer.

"All employees of the ministry are required to recruit new members and to covertly and secretly oppose the silence of the Ministry of Magic. Try to warn the people." Kingsley, Arthur, Sturgis and Tonks nodded in agreement when they understood their task.

"Catherine, you as a healer would be an immense support to us again if you could take care of the injured in addition to Poppy. And if it doesn't bother you, please be able to observe at St. Mungo to see if there are any new cases of curse damage that are on Voldemort's account. You could also recruit more members there if someone seems suitable to you. I'm thinking of Sharp, whose knowledge and connections would be useful to us," Dumbledore said to me and I nodded like a doll.

"Very good. Mundungus, you also have very interesting connections. I want you to activate them underground for information gathering as well."

"Certainly, I will be happy to do so. Surely it is possible to continue to pursue my… umh… business? Otherwise it would be difficult for me, I mean, you know that-"

"I am well aware of what is necessary for this. But please try to keep it to a necessary minimum and do the tasks assigned to you carefully." Dumbledore looked at him over his half-moon glasses until Mundungus nodded.

"Very good. Then I would still need Remus. I'm aware it's going to be hard for you, but would it be possible for you to find out how werewolves feel about this war under Voldemort? What would it take to get them on our side?" Dumbledore asked, and I felt Remus stiffen. Surely everyone knew about his condition long ago, but to be defamed so publicly was something that had never happened to Remus before.

"Is it necessary for this... to live with my kind?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"Not for now. But it is possible that this could be indispensable to win them over to us," Dumbledore said, which Remus approved with a curt nod.

"Well, then I still need volunteers to protect the boy who has allowed us all to gather so quickly today. Harry Potter, who has already been able to confront Lord Voldemort again and inform us of his return."

Immediately, the arms of most of those present shot up, only a few held back because of their other tasks. So did Severus, who God knows had enough to do and I wondered how he was supposed to get to sleep with all this.

"Very good. Afterwards, we will discuss who can take over which of the shifts."

"But why don't we just bring the boy here? He is safer here than with these terrible Muggles. Harry would certainly be thrilled, he wanted to stay with me anyway as-," Sirius began, but was interrupted by our leader's head-shaking.

"That's not an option for reasons I don't want to go into here, but you should be aware of, Sirius. He has to stay with the Dursleys for at least most of his summer vacation. And it is important that we do not provide him with any information for the time being. By the way, this also applies to your children, Molly. Not a word about the Order or other current developments." His gaze was so demanding that no one dared to object to it, even Sirius fell into silence, shaking his head.

"Good. I ask you to come to me if there are any further concerns. Otherwise, I thank you for coming. I will inform you about the next meeting as soon as possible in the familiar way," Dumbledore concluded and let his gaze wander over all of us again before we all rose from the board.

Severus stayed with Dumbledore and mumbled something to him that I couldn't understand from my distance. And I wasn't the only one who fought my way through to both men. Sirius also tried to get through to Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore, I want to talk about my... um.. so-called task talk to you. Is it possible to do more than that? I mean, being locked up here isn't for me," Sirius began, wringing his hands, trying not to look at the black-haired wizard next to the headmaster with disgust.

"Don't you like to swing the cleaning cloth with your tail tucked in?" Severus asked with a sneer, his eyes sparkling threateningly.

Sirius spat at Severus' feet.

"I wasn't aware that manners changed when a dog was allowed to sit at the dining table. Why don't you look for something nice to lick at? I'm sure Lupin will be happy to join you."Severus said with clenched fists. His hatred really seemed boundless.

"Severus," Dumbledore warned, but a mild smile briefly played around his lips.

Sirius snorted and crossed his arms, his fingers twitching with desire to reach for his wand. Severus curled his lips.

"I must ask you to be patient with this, Sirius. The Death Eaters know about your form as an Animagus and you are still wanted as a convicted murderer," Dumbledore said and without waiting for another objection from Sirius, who had already opened his mouth, he turned back to Severus.

"So, there's an update from your master, Severus?", Dumbledore asked, and the private conversations of the members of the Order began to dry up again.

"Indeed."

"Well? Do you want to keep us waiting all evening?" Moody asked, gritting his teeth, and stepped closer to the two men.

The wizard looked up at the headmaster, who had a tight-lipped smile on his face. With an exaggerated roll of his eyes, Severus began to tell.

"The Dark Lord is quietly trying to increase his numbers. He has no intention of acting publicly, uses the silence of the ministry in his favor and does not want to arouse suspicion. He knows that our numbers are too small to-"

"Probably because you told him," Sirius muttered in a way we could all hear. I sighed loudly.

"You–" Severus flinched, perhaps reaching for his own wand, but Dumbledore raised his hands to silence everyone.

"I have asked you to shake hands with each other. This does not mean that you should become the best of friends, but I wish an adequate tone from all members of the Order.", said the old man loud and clear, so that he radiated a grandfatherly attitude but also power in an impressive way, as he stood there with his light green cloak decorated with golden birds.

Severus and Sirius let out a hum over their pressed lips almost simultaneously.

"Severus... You can now move on." The old man now winked conspiratorially at Severus, who was visibly trying to swallow more bitter remarks.

"The Dark Lord uses some Death Eaters to make witches and wizards in appropriate positions compliant with the Imperius Curse, just as he is used to. Those among some members of the order who are affected by this in the ministry, at the daily prophet and at St. Mungo," Severus said quietly, but in such a way that we could all hear it unmistakably. When he spoke about St. Mungo, his gaze flickered at me barely noticeably. But it was enough for me to see in his eyes that he was afraid for me. So that's what made him react so angrily to Sirius. He needed a channel for his emotions, which took over him more than he would have liked.

"Well, then we'll talk calmly about Voldemort's plans, Severus. Come," said the headmaster, inviting him out of the house with an pleasing gesture. I looked at Severus with widened eyes, for I had hoped that we might see each other tonight. When our eyes met briefly, he shook his head barely audibly, turned around and followed the headmaster with his billowing cloak. I was left in a solitude that was hard to put into words when I was surrounded by so many witches and wizards I knew and whose fate I would share.

"How are you now, Professor?" Charlie suddenly asked me from the side. He had been watching me the whole time.

I turned to the young man, smiling, who still reminded me of the schoolboy in love, but who clearly seemed to have matured.

"Oh, I haven't been a professor for a long time, Charlie," I laughed and saw his good-natured face still blushing slightly, even though his skin was now tanned. He looked weather-beaten, which made him look older than he actually was. "You'd better tell me how you're doing in Romania. I know you've always had a desire for magical creatures, but I was still surprised that you ruled out the offer to play in the England national team as a seeker at the time."

He turned a little pale and ran his hand through his red hair with one hand, on which I discovered some blisters and calluses.

"I thought you knew the reason why I couldn't stand it any longer in England. It literally drove my heart away into an unknown area," he replied quietly enough that the bystanders didn't hear about it, although I wondered who was going to overhear someone like him and me, when everyone shared their own worries and fears.

"You know I'm sorry. But I couldn't share your feelings, Charlie," I said in a depressed voice, remembering our hard farewell in the greenhouses. "I'm sure you've understood and processed it by now."

"I understood it then, but it hurts no less now than it does now when I see you," he replied bitterly, which made me gasp in disbelief. "Do you think that love passes so easily just because time is in between? Almost every night I see your face in front of me, your smile, hear your voice and dream about how you tell me that you feel the same way about me."

"Charlie, I... No, I'm sorry." It was the only thing I wanted to say, because I knew about the anguish that an unrequited love brought with it, since almost my entire school days had been marked by it. And yet in the meantime I had the inestimable luck to be able to live my great love.

Charlie shook his red hair, which fell into his forehead.

"It doesn't have to. I've really come to terms with it. At least now I have to, when you see me again and are still not ready to go out with me, or am I mistaken?"

"No, the situation is still the same, Charlie," I said softly, looking down at my feet as I felt his hand on mine. He looked spellbound at our touch as if it would give him the same sensation that I felt with Severus.

"I hope you're happy. I hope someone makes you happy, Catherine. Even if it's not allowed to be me," he said in a hoarse voice and I saw his eyes get wet. I nodded and he turned away and made his way through those gathered. I closed my eyes for a moment to take a deep breath.

"Well, another heartbroken one on your list?" Sirius asked next to me, grinning slightly. "Don't worry, he'll get over it eventually... Or at least learn to live with it."

In my mouth was the question of where someone like him wanted to know, but he knew that feeling. He loved Lily. And I wondered if he was still doing it, but it was not for me to ask about his suffering.

"But I'm glad that Moony seems to have found a little love too." Sirius replied to my silence and shifted his head slightly towards Remus, who was standing in a corner with Tonks. They were talking, and I saw Remus glued to their lips. And he smiled like I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Can you handle it?" I asked because the young woman who was obviously flirting with our friend was his niece.

"Remus is one of the best. But do you think he'll have the balls in his pants?" Sirius asked me with raised eyebrows.

"I hope so, Sirius. But I'm afraid he needs time. And self-confidence," I told us, looking at the young woman who had apparently stolen the wolf's heart. So we stood in silence when a woman's voice interrupted us.

"Sirius, I was wondering, what do you think if we live here for a while? Then it will be easier for Arthur to take over his duties from Dumbledore and I can help you better to make all this more livable," Molly began, looking around briefly before continuing. "And then maybe it's more bearable that you have to be here."

Sirius looked at her for a moment, perplexed, obviously he hadn't expected anyone to move in here voluntarily.

"I think it's a great idea. In addition, Voldemort knows that the Weasleys have a great significance for Harry. They would also be safe from possible persecution," I interjected thoughtfully. But it was a point that probably hadn't crossed their minds when I looked at their horrified faces in front of me.

"Yes, under all this... I would appreciate your company here, Molly."; Sirius said, looking at me as he did so.

"Very nice, then I will arrange everything. Immediately," Molly said, rushing off to find Arthur and proximately prepare for the move to Grimaud Place.

"Then maybe it's going to be funnier here than you feared, Sirius," I told him, trying to smile encouragingly.

"Interesting how you think. I could say you're a strategist, right?" Sirius said, eyeing me closely. "Maybe that's exactly what was missing in the last war."

I swallowed at his words and watched him make his way out the door towards the kitchen, no doubt looking for some high-proofed alcohol.

Notes:

The chapter is a little longer than usual, I hope you don't mind. I take a little time out. But I'll keep it as short as possible, don't worry. Have a wonderful time until then :)