'It's definitely my turn now,' Ron said, in a fake childish voice, placing his Gillywater down on the picnic table and plonking himself down onto an ancient wicker chair which creaked ominously and sank into itself slightly.

The quartet had been invited to spend the Saturday afternoon in Remus's new house and Tansy, Ron and Hermione had already been sat in his small, overgrown garden for more than an hour. Harry had been spending the day with Kingsley Shacklebolt but he was hoping to join them later on after his work with new Minister and the Auror department was done.

'Come on Tansy, she finished the bottle ages ago. I can take over now.' Ron said again, holding out his arms towards the baby. Tansy smiled at his eagerness and lifted her daughter out of the crook of her arm. Deftly supporting her head, she passed the baby over the table to him.

'Every time I set eyes on her she seems bigger. Good work Tansy!' Remus said, yawning and stretching out his legs. Ron nodded in agreement and placed the baby over his shoulder and started rubbing her back in small, rhythmical circles. Tansy blushed at the praise and smiled at them both. Then she stole a glance across the table at Hermione and was amused to see her staring at Ron with undisguised affection. It was good to feel so relaxed and content.

Two weeks of term had passed slowly but surely and although Tansy had grown used to leaving her tiny daughter in the care of others whilst she attended her classes, she still hated doing it. Classes were going badly too; her concentration was poor at best and when her mind was full of fog it was non-existent. On bad days, leaving the headmistress's quarters was an impossible task. Minerva McGonagall never forced Tansy to go to her classes but she always tried to encourage her. She also encouraged Tansy to talk about her feelings, or, failing that, when Tansy was in the grips of so much anxiety that talking was utterly impossible for her, she would ask the girl to write them down. Tansy knew that she was only trying to help but she found it totally exhausting and there was still a huge part of her that hated sharing her thoughts and feelings. Silence definitely felt safer.

The previous day, the quartet had celebrated Hermione's nineteenth birthday with a picnic by the lake after classes had ended. It had been a quiet affair, just the four of them, Ginny and baby Hope but it had been a lovely evening. Kreacher had provided them with enough delicacies from the castle kitchens for an entire Quidditch team and the weather had been unexpectedly warm for September. They'd stayed out long after the sun had set behind the mountains across the lake, leeching the colours out of their surroundings and leaving them in a world of sepia.

'Do you want to tell Remus the news, Tansy?' Hermione asked, taking a delicate sip from her drink. Tansy snapped back to reality. For half a second, she had no idea what Hermione was talking about but then she remembered the event which had made her so happy that morning and she smiled to herself. She nodded, but Hermione seemed unwilling to continue and gestured for Tansy to share the news.

'What is it, Tan?' Remus asked. Tansy swallowed, then, remembering that she'd promised herself that she would make an effort to answer questions this afternoon, she spoke.

'Hope smiled this morning for the first time.' Her voice gained confidence as she reached the conclusion and she felt her face split into a beaming smile at the memory.

'That's brilliant! I wish I could've seen it!' Remus exclaimed, looking keenly at the baby as if hoping she'd smile again for everyone to see.

'It was amazing.' Tansy said softly, handing Ron a muslin in case Hope's milk made a reappearance. She looked over fondly at her small daughter and reminded herself that she must be doing something right if her daughter was smiling at her.

'Well she is nearly seven weeks old now,' Remus said, grinning at the baby and Tansy in turn. 'I remember when Teds smiled for the first time; I was giving him a bath and it startled me so much I dropped him in the water.' His face fell slightly and he looked over his shoulder at the open kitchen door and dropped his voice slightly. 'Don't tell Dora!'

'Don't tell your wife that you nearly drowned your son?' Ron teased, moving Hope off his shoulder and into the crook of his arm. He looked up from the baby's sleepy face and grinned. 'Well, I don't know Remus; secrets aren't good for marriage…'

'He only went in a bit quicker than we both expected.' Remus protested. 'He was fine! A bit wetter than I intended… Tonks has actually dropped him twice…' He trailed off, probably realising that he'd said too much even though his wife's clumsiness was well known to everyone present. Tansy suppressed a smile and glanced over at her daughter, pleased to see that her eyelids had fluttered shut and she had fallen asleep. She pushed herself out of the chair and stood up.

'You okay, sweetheart?' Remus asked, catching Tansy's eye as she headed into the house. Tansy nodded but she could see that he was expecting an answer. She sighed to herself.

'I thought I would go and help Tonks in the kitchen.'

'You don't need to do that, Tansy,' Remus said, smiling. 'We prepared everything this morning whist the Tedster was napping. It's just a matter of getting everything set out. We're the hosts today.'

'But it sounds like Teddy just woke up from his nap in a bad mood.' Hermione said, getting to her feet as well and coming over to stand beside Tansy.

'Past time; he's been asleep hours.' Remus said, looking relieved. 'I was on the verge of going to wake him; he will never sleep tonight.'

From inside the tiny cottage, Tansy could hear Teddy's discontented howls. As they all listened, the howls redoubled in volume and they heard Tonks yelling for Remus.

'He's my son even when he's teething.' Remus jumped to his feet. 'You two girls sit back down. You both okay for drinks?' Tansy nodded towards her half full fruit soda and reluctantly sat back in her seat.

The afternoon passed slowly and lazily but eventually the lengthening shadows and the slight chill in the autumn evening air reminded the group of the time. Tansy looked up from where she'd been playing with Teddy on a rug in the centre of the small lawn as Hermione got to her feet.

'It's been lovely Remus, Tonks, but I think we need to make a move; Ron and I need to check in to the Three Broomsticks.' A pink spot appeared on each of her cheeks and she looked down at her handbag so as not to meet anyone's eyes. Tansy smiled to herself; Ron had booked a luxury suite of rooms in the Three Broomsticks as a birthday present but, true to form, he'd got the day slightly wrong. She glanced down to check that Teddy was well and truly occupied with his teething ring and got to her feet as well.

'Here…' Remus handed Tansy her baby sling and she slipped it over her head. Without being asked, he helped her to tighten the straps. Then he turned back to Hermione who had asked a question about a strange looking pot plant nearby.

With the air of someone who is being super careful, Tonks handed Hope to Tansy and between them they got her into the sling without waking her up.

'Thanks.' Tansy said, a little breathlessly, when everything was secure.

'I'm glad the sling is such a success,' Tonks said approvingly. Tansy nodded and bent to pick up the changing bag.

'Thanks Tonks. She loves it.'

'It's more use now she's grown into it,' Tonks agreed. 'She was so tiny at first I thought she would slide through the leg loops!' She looked approvingly at the baby. 'She's definitely growing but she's still tiny, Tan.' Tonks used a finger to stroke the auburn fuzz on top of Hope's head. 'How much does she weigh now?'

'Five pounds exactly this morning.' Tansy couldn't help but suppress the proud smile as she said the number. It was ridiculous but she was delighted that her daughter was growing slowly but steadily. Tonks beamed at her and then grinned down at her son, who seemed to have forgotten his sore teeth and was wriggling happily on the blanket and edging his way towards the grass. She swooped down and lifted him up, almost dropping him in her eagerness to plant a kiss on his forehead.

'And you, my chunky Munchkin, you were seven and a half pounds the day you were born!' She pulled a face and looked over at Tansy. 'My poor undercarriage will never be the same again.' Tansy suppressed a giggle and the two witches turned back to the others.

'…such a pity Harry couldn't come.' Remus was saying, as he used his wand to banish the dirty crockery into the kitchen.

'Something must've come up,' Hermione shrugged. 'We'll probably hear all about it tomorrow. Are you ready Tan? We'll walk you back to the castle.'

'See you all on Monday,' Remus said as they walked in single file round the side of the cottage. Tansy felt the familiar twinge of panic as she thought about lessons but dismissed it easily; today had been a good day and she wasn't going to let anything spoil it.

Draco Malfoy's POV

Draco was in such a distracted state of mind, he was quite surprised that he actually managed to apparate himself back to the castle gates without splinching himself. He blinked, feeling his eyeballs expanding again and took a deep breath; the taste of earthy leafmould from the forbidden forest making him feel slightly calmer but only slightly…

Draco turned swiftly towards the school gates and felt the familiar sense of being scanned by an invisible magical probe. The iron gate shuddered almost imperceptibly and he knew that he could now walk forwards through the seemingly solid iron bars. He hated the new security measures at the castle; they reminded him horribly of the security at Malfoy Manor when it had been The Dark Lord's headquarters. He shuddered delicately and, stealing himself, he took a deep breath and made the step, moving seamlessly into a swift walk up the castle drive as soon as he was on the inside of the gate.

Glancing down at his wristwatch, he saw that it was ten past six – dinner had already started in the Great Hall. Ahead of him, on the long drive, he could see large clusters of students making their way up to the front door. His insides twisted slightly and he wondered if the slight nausea he was feeling was due to hunger or his heightened level of anxiety. At any rate, he was not going to enter the Great Hall until it was much emptier if he went at all. Draco loathed eating in the Hall and had skipped a lot of meals since term started. As a result of his negligence, he had lost nearly two stone and his robes were hanging off him.

A group of giggling first years suddenly appeared out of a clump of bushes just ahead and Draco spontaneously veered off the drive and into an overgrown area of tall grasses and stunted trees on the edge of the forbidden forest. It was a shortcut to the lake but one that was well known to many of the older students and, once again, he was forced to duck out of sight under a weeping willow tree as a group of fourth year Ravenclaws approached, chattering madly. After they passed, Draco considered continuing down to the lake but he would never find a better hiding place than this one and there were still a fair number of students around. The magical meteorologists had warned that the following week would bring a change in the weather and the students were clearly all making the most of the final warm days. The endless summer was finally over and autumn was creeping in. He could feel the slight chill that preceded it in the air tonight. Draco sighed and sank down on a convenient log, wondering how he was ever going to sort through the whirlwind of thoughts in his overstimulated brain.

Two weeks ago, he had received a letter from Azkaban prison informing him that his Aunt Bellatrix had asked to see him before her trial. At the time, Draco had had absolutely no intention of agreeing to the visit and for two weeks he had successfully ignored the request. Then, two days ago, he had been summoned to a meeting at the Ministry of Magic with Kingsley Shacklebolt and the new head of the Auror office, a grim bespectacled man named Gawain Robards. Draco had been told that he had to attend the visit to Azkaban. Moreover, her would attend whilst wearing a magic recording device so that the Auror department could listen in on everything that was said. He had been reminded that this was non-negotiable and that he would cooperate if he wanted to remain free. The meeting had been scheduled for the following Saturday in two days' time.

Like Hogwarts, the island where Azkaban was built had strong anti-apparition wards across every centimetre of it. The only way to arrive or to leave, short of swimming, was by boat. Although he'd been offered the comfort of a warm cabin, Draco had chosen to remain outside on the slippery deck and, with mounting dread, he'd seen the small grey island with its large stone towers approaching from the distance. Although the place was no longer guarded by Dementors, the feeling of dread and despair had intensified as the boat docked off the small stone jetty. Draco's legs had gone numb as he'd disembarked and followed Gawain Robards up the narrow path and his knees had started shaking.

In the four and a half months since the battle of Hogwarts, Bellatrix Lestrange had deteriorated hugely. It wasn't just the dramatic weight loss and the way her features had turned waxy and gaunt. There was also a sense of hopelessness about her, a lack of purpose and an indifference to her own continued existence now that her master was dead. Draco had felt himself relaxing slightly as he stared through the charmed glass of the one-way window; she looked as though she had no fight left.

Her black eyes had fixed on him as he entered the room and her mouth had stretched in an echo of a smile.

'Well hello Draco.' Her voice had been soft, almost a croon. 'I was wondering when you'd come to see me. I've been waiting a very long time you see…' Appearances can be deceiving and Draco had realised his mistake as soon as his Aunt had opened her mouth. Perhaps Bellatrix Lestrange had one fight left in her.

The crunch of a twig and the scuffle as someone tripped over something startled Draco out of his reverie so badly that he nearly gave himself away by yelling and he half jumped up from the log. Biting his tongue hard, he sank down again and listened carefully. There was a whimper and a slight snuffle and then he heard the person regaining their balance again.

'There, I'm so sorry… I tripped. Did I startle you?' He could count on one hand the number of times he had heard her speak but he recognised her voice immediately. 'Shh, shh little one.' Tansy Laverstock mumbled something too quiet to hear and Draco heard her moving on down the grassy path towards the lake. Draco felt the nausea stirring in the pit of his stomach again; she was here. She was here now and she was alone. It was almost as if it was fated.

Draco stood up and slipped soundlessly out from under the fronds of the willow. On silent feet he followed Tansy's retreating form down to the lake. He'd hoped that she would reach the water's edge before she realised that he was following her but she was still several meters away when she suddenly seemed to sense his presence and spun around. She gasped quietly, her arms flying around the baby sling protectively. She backed away from him as he raised his hands in a pacifying gesture.

'I'm… I'm sorry… please… I didn't want to startle you…' Her eyes looked like those of a trapped animal. 'Please… I…' Draco suddenly felt defeated and he raised a shaking hand to his face to dash away the sudden tears that had sprung to his eyes. 'I just want to talk to you.' His voice broke.

Tansy nodded warily and she stopped backing away, which was probably a good thing because she'd run out of shoreline. She stared at Draco, not saying anything to encourage or dissuade him from continuing.

'I'm sorry… I'm sorry about everything…' A tear escaped and rolled down his face, tickling his cheek. He tasted salt in the corner of his mouth. 'I'm sorry I couldn't help you… I let them…' He couldn't say the words.

'It wasn't your fault.' He was so shocked by her whisper that his tears dried instantly. 'You tried to help me… I heard her…' Tansy's words trailed off and she drew in a deep, shuddering breath. It seemed to take a herculean effort for her to continue. 'I heard her torture you… you were… you were bringing me food and blankets.' She shook her head vigorously, her face contorting, and her hands flew up to her ears as if she was trying to block out the sound of his tortured screams.

'I still… I wish…' Draco didn't know how to continue so he stopped trying to organise his regrets into logical sentences. He remembered why he'd spontaneously decided to follow her down here in the first place: He needed to talk to her. He owed her that much at the very least.

'I've been to Azkaban prison today.' His voice was stronger now and he felt clearer headed than he had in a long time. 'I saw Aunt Bella.' Tansy's face paled slightly. 'She… she... the thing is Laverstock she told me something…' He was making little sense but the girl appeared to be hanging on to his every word. Her face was now the colour of bleached parchment and her eyes were huge and scared. 'My mother wrote to me after Christmas and I wondered then but…'

'Draco…' He ignored the plea in her voice because he needed to continue. He needed to say the words out loud, to speak the truth that he had pretended not to understand for the last nine months.

'Aunt Bella told me today she has proof that she didn't kill George Weasley.' His own voice had dropped to a whisper. 'I guessed what she'd done when my mother wrote to me and told me you had…' He couldn't say the word. 'I guessed what had happened. It's sick… she imperiused you and she forced you to do it!'

'No!' The girl's voice had risen to a louder pitch than he had ever heard her use. 'She didn't! She didn't!' Her hands flew up to cover her ears again and her face twisted into such a look of pain that he took a step backwards. 'Stop it! Stop it! Fight it! It isn't real! This isn't you!' Tansy seemed to be looking through him. As he stared at her in horror at the distress he'd caused her, she turned away from him and started walking swiftly along the side of the lake.

Tansy's POV

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Adrenaline thrilled through her veins. Her lungs felt like they'd been compressed to the size of teaspoons. It was over. It was all over. Numbly Tansy concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. Dimly, she heard Draco saying her name but she ignored him. One foot in front of the other. The baby squirmed against her chest. One foot in front of the other. Her knees shook so badly she almost fell. She felt Draco touching her shoulder, trying to stop her.

'Let… let me go!' The words left her mouth in a wild shriek which startled a nesting moorhen out of its nest in a flurry of indignant feathers and splashing water. 'LET ME GO!' Draco's hand dropped and suddenly she was running, running away from him, away from the lake, away from the castle. When she reached the castle gate she didn't stop and charged through the iron bars, feeling the protective enchantments swirling around her. As soon as she was outside, she turned on the spot and stepped into the void.

I'm back! Thanks so much for your patience. It's been an absolutely manic summer where I work. I hope to be back more frequently from now on and I really hope I have some readers left. Please let me know what you think! Stay safe!