Departures

"The hands of time, with fingers crossed, will lie to keep what must be lost;

Winds and tides will wash away all memories;

Remember me, tell me how to keep the flame, When seasons pass the time away;

Remember how you love me, how you'd see me, how you'd love to see me.

Won't you remember me?"

As promised, the following evening William flooed over to the Davis estate, telling Sirius that he'd be home early and they could drink again, which pleased Sirius to no end. When he arrived, William was very gratified to see that there were no single witches lying in wait to flirt with him. He loved Elisabeth Davis to pieces, and he knew she meant well, but she was so set on helping William find "someone special" that he almost dreaded being around her anymore.

"So, William, what have you been up to this week?" Elisabeth asked as they sat down to eat.

William shrugged. "Getting used to a quiet house again, now that the girls are back to school."

Elisabeth smirked. "It was wonderful to see Daphne and that nice Longbottom boy together, wasn't it?"

William made a movement with his head that may or may not have been a nod, and mumbled something unintelligible.

Elisabeth chuckled. "Spoken like a true father. Richard about went through the roof when Tracey started seeing that Zabini boy."

Now Richard muttered something unintelligible, and Elisabeth laughed louder. "Men! Really! They're not little girls anymore; they're growing up and turning into fine, upstanding young women. Of course boys are going to start paying attention to them. I know it's scary. But it's a part of life."

William sighed. "I know, Elisabeth. You're right. It's just that…when I look at them, I still see the little girls they were. I can't help it." Then he scowled. "And I know what boys have on their minds these days."

Elisabeth snorted and raised an eyebrow. "'These days'? What do you mean, 'these days'? Richard always wanted to sneak off somewhere and snog when we were still at Hogwarts. And I'm quite certain that you and…and Mary were the same way." She had almost mentioned the name of William's first love, but had caught herself in time.

Not quite fast enough, however. A wistful smile crossed William's face as he thought back to the two women he'd loved and lost. "It's ok, Elisabeth. And you're right, on both counts. They were so different, yet so similar…both very passionate. But while….while Bella was aggressively passionate, Mary was, oh I don't know…more demure about it." He stopped talking and his eyes held a faraway look.

Elisabeth and Richard glanced at each other. Richard cleared his throat. "So, Will, can we expect to see you at the Ministry a bit more this Fall?"

William snapped out of his reverie. "What? Oh, well, yes, perhaps a bit. I need something to keep myself occupied." Then he added in a lower tone, "Guess I just have to get used to an empty house." He hadn't meant for the other two to hear him; but they did, and exchanged another look.

"I understand that you met the famous Harry Potter last week, Will," said Richard. "What do you think of him? Elisabeth was rather impressed. But then, she was good friends with his mother, after all, so she might be a bit prejudiced on that point."

Elisabeth threw a carrot at her husband.

"Yes, he seems like a fine young man. Not quite what I expected after years of hearing the hype about him in the Prophet."

"Better or worse?" Richard asked, taking a bite of potatoes.

"Better. He seems intelligent, down to earth. Not arrogant at all, like his father was when we were in school. But in all honesty, I was more focused on that Longbottom kid…"

(Flashback)

A very nervous Neville Longbottom was standing with Hermione, Harry and Ron, waiting for Daphne and her family to arrive. He was sweating profusely and kept gulping. Hermione patted him on the back. "Relax, Neville. Everything's going to be fine. Stop worrying!"

"But…I'm m-meeting my…my g-girlfriend's father. This is real! I'm meeting her father! The Greengrasses are one of the oldest magical families in Britain! They were here before the Norman invasion! They were here before the Romans! What if he doesn't like me? I—I feel like I might vomit." Harry and Ron glanced at Neville, then at each other, and discreetly took a step back.

Hermione shot them a glare, then returned her attention to Neville. "I know. But you're a pureblood yourself, Neville. Daphne and her sister seem down to earth. They're nothing like Malfoy, so I doubt their father will be much like Mr. Malfoy is either. Trust me; you have nothing to worry about!"

As she finished speaking, the group caught site of a blonde-haired girl waving at them, with a dark-haired girl walking a few steps behind her waving at them as well. Hermione smiled and returned their waves. So did Harry. Ron just muttered something about "slimy snakes", earning him a slap on the arm and another glare from Hermione.

Neville…poor Neville gulped again, looking like he might pass out. He managed a weak smile and returned Daphne's wave. Behind Astoria were a man and a woman. Tracey was walking next to the woman.

As they got closer, Daphne skipped—yes, she skipped—the last few steps up to Neville, a shy smile gracing her face. "Hi, Nev," she said in a quiet voice. Then she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

A stupid grin covered Neville's face as he forgot about meeting her father for a moment. But only for a moment, as the man in question arrived soon after his daughter did. Daphne moved to Hermione and gave her a quick hug, before returning to Neville. Taking him by the hand and entwining her fingers with his, she led him over to her father. Neville gulped again.

"Father, this is Neville Longbottom. My boyfriend." She was staring at Neville and smiling, as if just seeing him and being in his presence again after the long summer apart made her entire life worth living. And the stupid grin returned to Neville's face as he gazed back at her.

Someone cleared their throat, which snapped Neville out of his stupor. He cast a nervous glance up at the man standing before him. "Um, h-hello, L-Lord Greengrass. I'm very pleased to m-meet you." Daphne was beaming a beautiful smile at him, and squeezed his hand in encouragement.
Somewhat bolstered by his girlfriend's (he still couldn't believe he actually had a girlfriend!) affection, he gave a slight bow and stuck his other hand out to her father.

Several different emotions darted through William's mind as he gave the boy a stern look and a cursory perusal. He was about the same height as Daphne. His eyes were clear, and he seemed bright enough…other than the stupid grin plastered on his face every time he looked at Daphne. William shook his head. Boys.

Wait…he had once been a boy himself, a long time ago. He could remember how it felt. Just barely.

He shook his head again to clear it, and took Neville's outstretched hand in his own, giving it a firm squeeze and shake. Perhaps a little too firm of a squeeze, as a soft gasp escaped Neville. Always negotiate from a position of strength. Put the fear of him into young Neville at the beginning, so he knows whose daughter he's messing with.

Daphne glared at her father, who gave her a discreet shrug and smirk. He let go of Neville's hand. "I am pleased to finally meet you, Mr. Longbottom." Then recognition dawned on him, and his eyes widened a bit. "Wait, Longbottom…Augusta Longbottom's grandson?"

"Y-yes s-sir," Neville stammered, unable to tell by the tone of William's voice if that was a good or bad thing.

William chuckled. "Your grandmother is an absolute force of nature, young man," he murmured. "Not someone to trifle with."

Then he stared at Neville for so long, not saying a word, that Neville gulped again. Even Daphne began to become concerned. Finally, William sighed…it sounded like a sad sigh. "You look a good deal like your father did at your age. We…were friends at Hogwarts our last couple of years. Your father was the one who introduced me to my wife." William's voice trailed off, and his eyes got the far off look in them that Daphne had often seen since her mother died.

William sniffed, and cleared his throat, turning his attention back to Neville. "Your father is a good man. If you're half the man he is, you are more than welcome to court my oldest daughter." He held his hand out.

Neville let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, as a grin broke out across his face. His heart soared hearing the kind things Daphne's father had said about his own father. "Thank you, sir!" He exclaimed, shaking William's hand once more.

"We can discuss terms of the marriage contract with your grandmother over the Christmas holidays," William added, and Neville's grin disappeared. He gulped again. But Daphne saw the glint of amusement in her father's eyes, and knew he was only joking. Well, joking to a certain extent. If they continued to date, a marriage agreement would be drawn up between her father and Neville's grandmother. Time enough for that later, she thought.

Deciding a change of subject was needed, Daphne reached out and pulled Hermione over. "And this is my friend Hermione Granger. And this is Ron Weasley and Harry Potter." She indicated the two boys standing behind them. "Everyone, this is my father, and this is Mrs. Davis, Tracey's mum."

Hermione gave a small curtsey. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Greengrass and Lady Davis."

Elisabeth gave Hermione a kind smile. "Oh pish, none of that Lord and Lady nonsense, young woman. Elisabeth and William will do fine." When William didn't reply, Elisabeth glanced at him, catching the faraway look in his eyes once more. She elbowed him gently. "Isn't that right, William?"

He startled. "What? Oh…oh yes, no reason to be so formal." He took Hermione's hand, placing a kiss on the back of it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young lady. Daphne has mentioned you several times."

Hermione blushed and turned to shake Mrs. Davis' hand as William shook Harry and Ron's hands. "Weasley, you say? I seem to recall an Arthur Weasley who works as the Ministry. Something to do with Muggles, if I remember correctly. Is he a relative of yours?"

"Yes sir, he's my father. He works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office."

William nodded. "I don't know him well, but I have seen him in passing several times. He seems like a kind man." To be honest, William had been rather underwhelmed by Arthur Weasley. While he did indeed seem kind, he was too kind, and he appeared to be a bit bumbling as well. But William had enough tact to not mention that to the man's son. Besides, he didn't dislike Aruthur Weasley. He just found him to be a bit weak when it came to politics. Weasley was one of the types who thought the best of people…much like that idiot Headmaster did.

Ron flashed a bright smile. Maybe he was wrong about Slytherins…maybe they weren't all bad, like Hermione was always telling him.

Elisabeth was shaking Harry's hand. "I am very pleased to meet you, Harry. I was good friends with your mother our last couple years at school. She was one of the sweetest, most kind people I've ever met. She had a beautiful soul."

"Indeed," William said, turning to their conversation. "Lily Evans had a way of making anyone she came across feel special. How in the world she managed to fall for James Potter is beyond my understanding. Not that James was bad, mind you…he was just so opposite of her. A big prankster. He was quite close with my cousin Sirius."

That got Harry's attention. "Sirius Black is your cousin, sir? I didn't know that." That meant Daphne's dad was also related to the Black sisters and Tonks…interesting.

"Well, second cousin actually. My grandmother was a Black. So Sirius and I saw each other several times a year when we were children. I wasn't very close to your father, though. He had that whole 'Gryffindors and Slytherins must hate each other, because Gryffindors and Slytherins hate each other' mindset." William chuckled.

Hermione sent a very pointed glance at Ron, who rolled his eyes.

William turned his attention to Hermione. "I'm not familiar with the Granger family, however." He frowned in thought, trying to place the name.

The blush returned full force to Hermione's face. "Well, that's probably because I'm muggle born, sir." Her voice was very low, and she was looking at the ground. Harry noticed the look that the adults exchanged. These were two purebloods, and had both been in Slytherin. Their reaction was about what he had expected.

Therefore, Harry was very surprised and taken aback by what happened next. William placed two fingers under Hermione's chin, and gently raised her head until she was looking him in the eye. "Never be ashamed of your family, young lady," he told her, a gentle smile on his face.

Hermione stared at him a moment, as if she was unable to process what he had just said. The she broke out into a brilliant smile.

William stared at her for a moment, eyes narrowed but not in a mean way. More like he was contemplating her. "Judging by your reaction, and reading between the lines of things Daphne has mentioned about you in the past, I take it that your interactions with other pureblood families-outside of Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Weasley, of course- has not been…pleasant."

Hermione shook her head. "No, no t really, sir." She replied, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

"Well, we'll have to do our best to show you that not all of us are like the Malfoys, don't you agree Elisabeth?"

"Indeed I do, William," Tracey's mother said. She tapped her lips in thought and looked in silence at the group in front of her a few moment. Then, as if she had come to a decision in her mind, she spoke. "To that end, I hereby extend you all an invitation to attend the annual New Year's Eve gathering at our house this year."

This elicited excited chatter among the teens, who all began smiling and talking at once. William and Elisabeth stood watching and listening with content smiles of their own. A few others on the platform regarded the group with mixed emotions—some were confused, others seemed annoyed, and still others amused.

Then everyone on the platform was startled as a voice boomed out. "WILLIAM! ELIZABETH! HERE YOU ARE! I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!"

William pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, "Mother of Lilith, what is HE doing here?"

The teens turned to see an old man striding through the crowd as it parted to let him through. His eyes were bright and his face was beaming and focused on William and his family. As he neared, he spread his arms out wide. He went down on one knee, enveloping Daphne and Astoria, who had run over to meet him, in a tight hug.

"Uncle Polaris!" Astoria exclaimed. "I'm so happy to see you! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I couldn't let my little gumdrops head back to school without telling their old uncle goodbye now, could I?"

"Wh-who is that?" Neville stuttered, as he and his friends stared wide-eyed at the old man who was heading over with his arms across Daphne and Astoria's shoulders.

"That, my dear Mr. Longbottom, is my great-uncle, Pol—" but he was cut off by Hermione before he could finish.

"Polaris Black!" She exclaimed. "One of the most famous explorers of the magical world! They say he's even been to the ruins of Atlantis! I thought he was dead!"

"Oh no," William muttered. "I'm sorry to say he is still very much alive." His voice sounded sour.

"William!" The old man exclaimed, grabbing his hand and giving it several shakes in both of his. "How are you, my dear boy?" His voice held a grandfatherly tone to it, until he dropped William's hand and fixed his eyes on Tracey's mother with a lecherous leer. "And Elisabeth, my dove…as beautiful as ever!" He gave her a rather lingering hug then stepped back. "Still with that boring husband of yours, I take it? Any time you want to leave him, my door is always open." His voice was husky, and he gave her a wink.

Elisabeth returned his wink with a tolerant smile. "It's nice to see you, too, Polaris. Thank you for your…kind offer. But I am more than happy with Richard."

Uncle Polaris laughed and gave a shrug. "Ah well. Can't blame an old man for trying!"

William found himself pinching the bridge of his nose—again!—and grinding his teeth. "Uncle, could you possibly not be this way every time you're around?"

Polaris roared with laughter, and slapped William on the back. "Sorry, my dear boy, I must be this way! It's just how I am! We can't all be boring and proper like you!" Then he looked at the gaping teenagers around him. "Well, hello, young people! How are you all? Ready for another fun term at Hogwarts?" He laughed again.

"Uncle," Daphne said, leading him over to Neville. "This is my boyfriend, Neville Longbottom."
The old man's eyebrows rose and a grin covered his face. "Boyfriend, eh? Well, young man, welcome to the family!" He leaned closer to Neville and whispered. "If you need any advice on wooing women, send me an owl!" He winked, Neville gulped, and Daphne's face turned deep red, while Astoria laughed.

Then he stepped back and raised his voice. "But you keep proper respect for my grand niece, you hear me, boy? Don't break her heart, and don't make her cry, or I'll hear about it! And no fooling around!" He added, jabbing a finger at Neville. "No sex until you're married! We always deliver our women folk into marriages completely pure!" He lowered his voice again and leaned close to Neville once more. "Of course, anything else is ok, just don't let old Will know!"

Poor Neville looked like he might pass out.

"Uncle, PLEASE! Could you just stop?" William was grinding his teeth so hard it hurt, and the glare on his face would have scared Medusa herself.

Polaris roared with laughter again. "Well, people, I must be off. I'm heading to Wales…I will find that cave where Arthur and his knights are sleeping before I die! I've promised that to myself. It gives me something to live for." Then he hugged Daphne and Astoria again, this time including Tracey in the hug as well. "You girls have a wonderful term! Write me when you can. I love hearing from you!" Then he spun to Neville, glaring and jabbing his finger at him. "And YOU! YOU make sure you take excellent care of my young niece! No funny business, understand boy?"

Neville was white as a ghost and swaying on his feet a little. But he still managed a nod and a very weak "Yes, sir!" All it took was Daphne taking his arm and smiling at him for the color (and sappy grin) to return to his face once more.

"And remember." Polaris stage whispered. "If you need any advice, owl me!" He winked again before turning to William and wringing his hand. He then gave Elisabeth another somewhat lingering hug before he turned and strode off the platform.

"Talk about a force of nature," Ron muttered to Harry, who smirked. Hermione was still gaping after the old man.

"I should introduce him to Gran," Neville murmured. "Maybe he can perk her up and she can calm him down." Daphne grinned at him.

William frowned at the effect Daphne and Neville had on each other.

The whistle blew, signaling the imminent departure of the Hogwarts Express. Elisabeth hugged her daughter, kissing her on the cheek. "Write me, love. And be safe." Then she hugged Daphne and Astoria. "Take care of each other, girls," she ordered. Turning to Hermione, she hugged her as well. "It was lovely meeting you, dear. And we'll see you at our house on New Year's Eve."

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione replied with a bright smile. "And thank you again for inviting me! I'm looking forward to it!" Ron and Harry grimaced, as they knew Hermione would spend hours studying about proper dress and behavior for formal pureblood gatherings.

Elisabeth hugged Harry and Ron goodbye. "And we'll see you boys as well, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," they both replied. Harry smiled. He would attend the party no matter what. He wanted to ask Mrs. Davis more about his mother.

William hugged both his daughters, and told them to write him as much as possible, and they both assured him they would. Astoria had tears in her eyes as she kissed her father on the cheek. "Love you, Daddy," she whispered.

"I love you too, sweetheart," William replied, his voice think with emotion.

William then shook Neville's hand. He considered saying "No snogging!" But he knew it would most likely be a waste of time. So he just said, "Take good care of my daughter, Mr. Longbottom. I'm trusting you with her."

A light shone in Neville's eyes at William's words. He gripped Daphne's hand tighter. "I will, sir."

William gripped Neville's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Excellent. That's all a father can ask for." Then he leaned closer. "And we will be having a talk over Christmas." Neville gulped again, causing William to smirk.

Daphne glared at her father. "Come on, everyone. Let's get on the train." Dutifully, the boys helped the girls with their trunks. Neville hurried to take Daphne's, and then felt obligated to take Astoria's as well. William watched with a satisfied expression as Neville did so. Harry grabbed Hermione's, which left Ron to take Tracey's. He hesitated, and Tracey laughed. "What's wrong, Weasley? Afraid to touch a Slytherin Trunk? Worried a snake might slither out and bite you?"

"Ronald!" Hermione hissed as Ron just stood staring dumbly at the trunk after shooting Tracey a glare. "I'm not afraid of anything, Davis," he muttered as he finally took hold of her trunk. The kids boarded the train, and with one last wave from Daphne, Astoria, and Tracey, they disappeared inside. A few minutes later the train started to move.

"I cannot believe Daphne has a boyfriend already," William muttered as the train slowly pulled out of the station. "She's only fifteen, too young to be hanging around with boys." Images of Daphne and the Longbottom boy involved in passionate snogging popped into his mind, and he frowned. He and that boy would most assuredly be having a talk over Christmas.

Elisabeth sighed and locked her arm with William's, laying her head on his shoulder as they watched the train pulling out. "You can't stop time, Will. They're teenagers. Let them enjoy it, and experience what happiness they can. I fear the real world will intrude all too soon."

"I know, Liz. You're right. It's just…" Elisabeth heard his voice catch. "It's just, I feel like I'm losing them. I hate being alone. And it seems that's all I have to look forward too: a life of loneliness stretching ahead of me as far as I can see."

Elisabeth squeezed his hand. "You never know what destiny has in store for you, Will."

William snorted in disgust. "Destiny hasn't exactly been too kind to me over the years, Liz. Well, outside of giving me the two greatest girls a father could ever hope for." He smiled before adding, "Except when they start becoming interested in boys. Thank Hecate that Astoria is still too young for that!"

Elisabeth glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and smiled. Men really were so oblivious when it came to matters of the heart. She patted his hand. "Come on. I'm hungry. I'll let you treat me to some shepherd's pie at the Leaky Cauldron before we head home. I'll get an order to go for Richard, too, so he doesn't feel too left out."

"As you wish, my lady." William smiled. And with one final glance at the disappearing train, the two friends turned and left the platform.

(End flashback)

The evening with the Davis' ended by Nine, and William returned home to find Sirius sitting in the living room reading a book. William cocked an eyebrow. "Sirius Black reading a book? My goodness, you have changed."

Sirius shrugged. "You end up missing the little things in Azkaban…books, travel, hell, just walking around your own house freely. It is not a cheery place, Azkaban."

"No, I'd expect not," William murmured. Then two men fell silent for a bit, each lost in his own thoughts.

They shared another bottle of firewhiskey until they both began to nod off, finally wishing each other good night and heading off to their respective rooms.

Truth be told, Sirius was using his visit to casually explore William's house without arousing the suspicion of either the resident house elves nor William himself. He hadn't lied to William, or at least not completely. He had been feeling cooped up in Grimmauld Place, and William's house was one of only a tiny handful of places he could visit in safety. But that was just part of it.

When Hermione mentioned in passing to Mrs. Weasley that she had become friends with Daphne, and thus Harry and his inner circle of friends, the Order had become worried. The Greengrasses were purebloods, an old family, and related by direct blood to the Blacks, who were notoriously pureblood supremacists. The concern—voiced loudly by some (Tonks and Moody being the loudest by far) and a bit more gently by others (the Weasleys and Dumbledore) was that perhaps they were working with the darker families to get someone close to Harry and either spy or—more worrisome—actually inflict harm on him. Neville himself could be a potential target as well, considering what had happened to his parents, and the fact that the prophecy could also have been referring to him as well as Harry.

"It could even be a plot to get at my poor Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley had cried. "Many other purebloods considered us to be blood-traitors, after all; or Hermione, since muggle-born are hated almost as much as muggles themselves were!" There were too many possibilities being discussed by the Order for any of them to feel safe about Daphne's apparent sudden interest in Neville.

"Well, why don't you go spy on the Greengrasses then, Molly? Their estate is pretty close to the Burrow, after all. It straddles the borders of Devonshire and Cornwall. Just down the road from you. You and Arthur go pay William a little visit if you really think he's out for Ron's hide." Mrs. Weasley often irked Sirius with her loud and emotional ramblings. He was pleased that she took her role as a mother seriously (!), but sometimes…no, not sometimes-often she took it too far. "For Merlin's sake, Daphne's mother was an Abbot, and the Abbots are one of the lightest of the light families!"

"But—but her father was in Slytherin! And he dated that horrible Lestrange woman for several years back at Hogwarts!" Molly was grasping at straws now, and everyone knew it.

"She was Bellatrix Black then, Molly," Albus interjected. "Her descent into evil and madness had not started yet at that point."

Deep down, Sirius did not think William was in league with the Dark Lord. The neutrality of the Greengrass family was legendary. The only fighting they had done in centuries involved minor skirmishes on their own lands, or in defense of loved ones, and several duels concerning family honour.

Besides, he had grown up with William to an extent, and never saw any tendencies that worried him…outside of William's previously mentioned relationship with Bella when they were teenagers, as well as random bouts of temper on William's part. Sirius just chalked that up to the Black blood flowing through William's veins. Sirius knew the feeling, as he himself was victim to much the same thing being a Black himself, and heir to the Family line.

But still, Sirius reckoned that it did pay to be extra cautious where Harry was concerned. Sirius loved Harry as if he were his own flesh and blood son. So when Sirius mentioned in passing to Dumbledore that he was getting a bit stir crazy, the Headmaster had come up with the idea of him going to "visit" William and "look into the situation at Greengrass Manor".

And look into it he did. The two men spent most of their time walking around the estate, much to Sirius delight. It felt so nice to be out in the fresh air and sunlight. William also took him on a tour of the house itself. Sirius remembered it some from his childhood, but walking around the place aided him in his exploration for the Order. It was a grand old house that had been in the Greengrass family for over a thousand years. Parts of it were very old, but most had been added on in recent centuries, and updated over the years since. Though very large, it was a warm and inviting dwelling.

The two men renewed their friendship as well, which both were pleased about. They spent most evenings in the den, drinking firewhiskey and laughing over their school days. Sirius noticed that William never mentioned Bellatrix, who had been such a big part of his life for several years. Taking this to mean that the topic of their cousin was off limits, Sirius steered clear of mentioning her as well.

Sirius left four days after arriving, fully satisfied that the Greengrasses were as true as their actions showed, and had no ulterior motives. Which is exactly what he reported at the next meeting. It was a great weight off everyone's shoulders (outside of Moody, of course…Sirius often felt the old Auror was too paranoid for his own good!). Those who knew Neville well had seen how much he had thrived and become so much more confident by having Daphne in his life, so the Order was relieved Daphne's intentions were indeed honorable.

There was only one thing that had stood out to Sirius while he was with William. It seemed there was something that lay dormant on the very land of the Greengrass estate. It was there, whatever it was, but only as a dull background noise, a thrumming that seemed to come from the ground itself, encompassing everything within a protective aura. It was calming and peaceful. And powerful. Very powerful. But not evil. It felt—he hated to admit it because it sounded so cliché—neutral. Could whatever this power was be the source and reason for the Greengrasses staunch maintenance of their neutrality?

Sirius regretted mentioning this unseen power as it set both Molly and Alastor off into more of their ranting. He sighed and put his head in his hands. This was going to be another long meeting…

William had been able to ignore the dreams whilst Sirius was there to provide a distraction. But once he left, the dreams came back in full force. And each night William woke yelling into the darkness of his room, drenched in sweat. He consumed more and more firewhiskey, hoping the alcohol would dull the fears and maybe drive the dream away. Instead, each night it grew worse and more lucid. William spiraled downward.

Being alone, there was no one there to distract or stop him. The girls wrote to him—Astoria more frequently than Daphne, who was spending more and more time with Neville. Richard and Elizabeth would contact him as much as they could. But William was good at hiding his feelings and situation from others. So no one knew, although the Davis' suspected. And nothing could stop the dream…

And one night, Lizzy just could not take it anymore. Something had to be done. Poor Master needed help. And so the house elf apparated to Hogwarts to speak with Miss Daphne…

A/N: Good godfrey, this is long! Yeah, so, anyway… after the next chapter, things are going to get really dark. Like, really dark. But it will end happy, I promise. Review if you want, I don't care. I just hope whoever reads this, if anyone, at least gets some enjoyment out of it.