The next couple of days passed surprisingly quickly and all of them easily adjusted to Holly living at Harry’s. It was even starting to feel like she had always been there, she just seemed to fall easily into their routine, always being the first one up and making tea for everyone once they woke up. Ron and Ginny had recently moved in while they saved up money to buy their own places, and Harry had always felt that the more people who lived in his house, the better.

 

Holly had already been involved in another Order mission and Flooed to Hogwarts briefly to visit Hermione and arrange their first training session, which was set for next Saturday. She had been very persistent about that, and every time any of them would ask about what they would learn, she would tap her nose secretively and smile.

 

As usual, the four of them were lounging in Harry’s sitting room, appreciating time together without any of them working or being out. Ron was chatting to Harry about Quidditch and how they hadn’t played for ages — which actually meant two weeks — Ginny was staring into space, and Holly was flicking through a newspaper. None of them were surprised when a head popped into the fire, as they got people Flooing in as often as a Muggle’s home phone would ring.

 

“Hello, Fred,� Harry said cheerfully as he looked up to see who was visiting, and instantly recognised them. They hadn’t seen each other in a while, work had just slowed down for Harry and Ron, and the twins were still very busy with their chain of joke shops.

 

“Hello everyone,� Fred said, grinning. “Mum told me to ask you if you wanted to come over to dinner today. George and I are around and so are Bill, Fleur and Charlie.�

 

“That’ll be great,� Ginny replied, nodding at her brother.

 

“Okay, I’ll tell her, she’s just rubbing Fleur’s stomach right now — she wants to feel the baby kick again. But I’m going to cut this conversation short because my knees are starting to hurt,� Fred told them. Then suddenly he noticed Holly lounging on the sofa, where she was still flicking through the newspaper.

 

“You must be the new Order member, Hermione’s mother’s best friend’s daughter, if I remember correctly,� Fred said politely. Holly nodded. “I would shake your hand, but they’re temporarily disabled right now.�

 

“Nice to meet you,� Holly said, looking away from her newspaper for a moment at the head in the fire.

 

“Likewise. See you at dinner,� Fred said, grinning. And after a pop and a burst of flames, his head vanished. Harry remembered how much it hurt when he just put his head in the fire. He made a mental note that from then on, if he ever Flooed just his head, he would place a pillow or something under his knees. He felt like he had dislocated his kneecaps.

 

“That was one of my other brothers,� Ginny explained as her brother’s head disappeared, leaving the flames crackling merrily.

 

“I thought he looked a bit familiar,� Holly laughed, sounding slightly sarcastic.

 

“Oh, I was just wondering, when did you learn you were a Metamorphmagus?� Harry asked. He had wanted to ask her for a while now, but had never gotten round to it. Holly laughed and grinned at Harry.

 

“Oh, years ago, I think I was about eight ... I had a cold and my father was showing me a photo album of him and his friends at school, and I sneezed and my hair turned pink!� Holly laughed, smiling as she reminisced. “My dad was very surprised; I think he found it very funny though!�

 

Harry laughed as he imagined the scene as well. He could picture an eight-year-old Holly flicking through a photo album, sitting on her father’s lap, surprisingly well.

 

Holly smiled and then continued to look through her newspaper, then stopped flicking as a picture caught her eye.

 

“Look at him, he’s pretty cute,� she commented. There was a picture of a boy, about seventeen, with what was obviously light blond hair, and an attractive face. Ginny looked over Holly’s shoulder at the black and white picture, then pulled a revolted face. A second later, she lifted her hand and placed it on Holly’s forehead as if to check her temperature.

 

“Strange, you don’t seem to have a temperature, but you must be ill — that’s Draco Malfoy!� Ginny said, sounding absolutely disgusted and taking her hand off Holly’s forehead. At the other side of the room, Harry and Ron choked on their drinks.

 

“What!� they both yelled, throwing Holly very alarmed looks.

 

“That’s Malfoy! Oh my, he looks so different! I didn’t realise!� Holly cried, now looking very sick as she actually threw the newspaper across the room in revulsion. In her time, she was sure he was bald ... or was that his father? Or was it both? Yes, that’s really what you should be concentrating on! Holly scolded herself.

 

“Well that was smart of me,� Holly muttered to herself a moment later. She sighed, pulled out her wand and muttered ‘accio Newspaper’ and the paper sailed back into her hands. For a moment, she was tempted to rip out the offending pages and set fire to them, but then settled on just changing the page. She didn’t want to go over the top. The other three were in shock. How could she like Malfoy!?

 

“Hey, look. Harry’s in here,� Holly exclaimed, starting to read the article.

 

“What else is new?� Harry said, still looking at Holly with a peculiar look on his face. How could she think that Malfoy was good looking?

 

“The stupid press just won’t leave him alone,� Ginny muttered crossly.

 

“You’d think they’d be bored of me by now,� Harry said idly. It had been a long time since he had accepted that, no matter what, the press would never leave him alone. It was just a fact of his and his friends’ lives. He didn’t like it, but he was adjusting.

 

“It’s not like you would just have a quiet life now anyway,� Ron commented. Harry laughed.

 

“True. But I don’t think I’d like a quiet life, I do like a bit of danger,� Harry said, thinking how perfect being an Auror was for him.

 

“They have no right to poke into your life all the time,� Ginny complained, still not happy at all about the article.

 

“Unless we move to Australia or something, I don’t think they will ever leave me alone, so there’s no point getting upset about it,� Harry assured her. Thinking again, he realised they would probably still track him down there as well. No way would his ‘fan club’ allow their beloved hero disappear from the public eye for longer than about a week.

 

“So what are they saying this time?� Ron asked, looking at Holly with mild interest.

 

“It’s about the fire the other day and-� Holly started, then froze.  She raised her eyebrows in surprise, and shock.

 

“What’s the matter?� Harry asked. Ginny scanned over the article Holly was talking about and her eyes grew wide.

 

“The Prophet has seen me and well...� Holly threw the paper over to Ron and Harry, where they also began to read.

 

Harry James Potter, famous for his defeat of You-Know-Who two years ago, has still refused to step out of the spotlight. Forever involved in numerous cases for the Ministry along with his friend Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter is always where the action is.

 

Sources confirm that Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Ginevra Weasley were involved in a ferocious house fire four days ago. Why they were in the house is one of the questions people want to know the answer to, as well as the woman who was with them. Eyewitnesses say that they have never seen this woman before, and seemed to be able to fight to a spectacular standard. It is speculated that it is Harry Potter’s new girlfriend-

 

Harry and Ron didn’t need to read any more and the four of them sat in silence, digesting this information. Harry tossed the paper to the side and muttered, “Bloody Daily Prophet.�

 

“Out of anything, I wasn’t expecting that,� Ron said blankly. “I didn’t know they knew that Holly even existed!�

 

“Which is still technically true,� Holly added.

 

“I know ... but didn’t they think Hermione and I were dating at one point?� Harry asked, adding a very inappropriate snort of laughter, then suddenly turning serious again and frowning over the article. He had chosen not to reply to Holly’s last comment.

 

“Oh yeah…� Ron said reminiscently, remembering that year and the awful Rita Skeeter. Then he, too, brought his attention back to the article in front of him.

 

“You know, one of these days, I think we seriously need to go down to the press and put them in their place!� Ginny said, shaking her head crossly.

 

“I agree ... oh wait, Hermione!� Ron exclaimed, hitting himself round the head.

 

“What about her?� Holly asked, no longer looking unnerved over the article, in fact, she looked perfectly normal.

 

“Her students are going to go crazy about this!�

 

“Oh, I’m sure Hermione will be able to handle it. She was able to deal with all the other rumours that have been going round, hasn’t she?� Ginny said almost casually.

 

“But maybe I should check up on her…� Ron started.

 

“Look, I’m sure she’s fine, and very busy, come to think of it. She told me she was giving her class a test today and it would take a long time to mark,� Harry explained.

 

“And Mum’s expecting us,� Ginny added. Ron realised that they were right. He knew how competent and independent his girlfriend was, and also knew that he didn’t want to be late to his mother’s. Her temper was still as scary as it was when he was seven and he made Ginny cry.

 

“I think the more appropriate thing we should be doing though, is trying to cure Harry of his unhealthy appetite for the spotlight,� Holly said in the most serious tone she could muster, even though the corners of her mouth were twitching and the last word was accompanied with a sort of giggle. She could see the funny side of the article. At first, she was unnerved over it, but there was no point crying over spilt news, was there? Harry threw her a dirty look, then ruined it a second later by grinning. He was thinking along the same lines as Holly; the newspapers would always say things that weren’t true, he could either laugh about it — or cry.

 

“So what are we going to learn in training on Saturday?� Harry asked, sounding curious. Holly smiled and tapped her nose.

 

“It’s a surprise!�

 

“Well, I’m going to get changed,� Ginny announced, getting up from her seat and leaving the room.

 

“I wonder what Mum’s going to say about the Prophet’s latest spout of rubbish,� Ron said musingly.

 

“She learnt years ago not to trust a word that newspaper says, I doubt she even reads it,� Harry said. Then a moment later, he added, “Come to think about it, why do we read it?�

 

“To keep up with your celebrity status of course,� Ron replied with a tone of voice that suggested what he was saying was obvious.

 

“Just a question; will I still be as, for lack of a better word, in the ‘spotlight’ in the future?� Harry asked. Holly looked thoughtful for a moment.

 

“I’ve only got one thing to say about that. Was Dumbledore ever out of the ‘spotlight’?� Holly asked, the smallest of smiles growing on her face.

 

“I’ll take that as a no then,� Harry sighed, thinking about his old mentor. He had always been in the newspapers and he defeated Grindelwald so many years ago, sometime in the 1940’s, and he was still one of the most famous people of all time. Harry already knew he himself was in many history books, and had been since he was eighteen months old. Holly suddenly burst out laughing.

 

“What’s so funny?� Harry asked, quite disgruntled about Holly’s reaction.

 

“Oh, it’s just, when I was at Hogwarts, we were taught all about your past and from the look on your face, you’re not any happier about the prospect now, than when it gets introduced in Hogwarts!� Holly replied, smirking as Harry looked both shocked and annoyed.

 

“What? I get taught about at school! That’s just great, even more publicity!� Harry moaned. He could just see it now ... Mr. Binns floating into the classroom and starting to ramble on about his life. He could just picture a large photograph of himself on the wall. He would try and leave that picture frame, maybe try and visit the Fat Lady or something ... Harry shook his head. He was really getting off topic, he needed to stop before his imagination went into overdrive.

 

“I don’t know what you’re smirking at Ron, does a flying car ring any bells?� Holly told him. Ron’s smirk was wiped off his face instantly.

 

“I’m in there too?� Ron croaked, looking at Holly with a mixture of despair, confusion, and even slight pleasure. A small part of him was quite pleased he was famous, he had always wanted to beat his brothers at something.

 

“Yeah, of course! That time you beat McGonagall in the giant chess game? That’s a legend!� Holly exclaimed, laughing.

 

“Oh wow ... that was almost ten years ago. Where has the time gone?� Ron said, whistling. Harry nodded. Suddenly, an image of the troll in the girls toilets and a tiny Hermione popped into his head. He smiled. Oh happy days.

 

“I can’t say the same thing,� Holly snorted.

 

“Good point,� Ron laughed, then frowning as he thought about it.

 

“I wonder if I’ll get to see myself as a baby,� Holly said musingly, a strange sort of grin on her face.

 

“That would be weird!� Harry said, shaking his head. His eyes wandered to the staircase, and then they almost popped out of their sockets. Holly swivelled round to follow Harry’s line of sight.

 

“You look ... amazing...� Harry sputtered as Ginny walked into the room. She was wearing a very pretty white dress that was cut off just above her knees, showing off her slender figure. Her auburn hair was loose on her shoulders and her eyes were of a smoky purple. It was simple, but elegant, and Harry was completely entranced.

 

“Thanks,� Ginny said, apparently unaware of the effect she was having on Harry.

 

“So what time are we going round Mum and Dad’s?� Ron asked, ignoring Harry’s stares, as if it were a usual event. Either that, or he didn’t even notice.

 

“What about an hour?� Ginny replied, glancing at her watch.

 

“Great.�

 

“Do you think your parents will be okay with me coming as well?� Holly asked, looking slightly worried.

 

“Of course they will,� Ron assured her.

 

“Why wouldn’t they?� Ginny said as she pulled out a compact mirror and started to apply some lip gloss. Holly didn’t say anything, but leaned back on the sofa, frowning slightly at Harry, as if she were trying to work something out about him.

 

“Have you had any more nightmares lately?� Harry asked after he eventually tore his eyes off Ginny and caught Holly yawning.

 

“No, I’ve had a lot to think about lately, though,� Holly explained, twiddling with her hair.

 

“Do you want to take a nap before we go out then?� Ginny suggested, knowing how dreadful it felt going out when she was short on sleep.

 

“That would be great,� Holly said appreciatively, getting up and leaving the room, yawning once more.

 

Forty-five minutes later, Ginny was shaking Holly awake. “Wake up; we’re leaving in fifteen minutes.�

 

Holly grumbled and sat up. Her brown hair was still as neat as it was before, in spite of sleeping on it. Maybe it’s because of her Metamorphmagus abilities. Ginny thought idly and automatically wondering whether the same thing was true for Tonks. Within fifteen minutes, the four of them were ready to leave and were standing around the emerald fire.

 

“Ladies first,� Harry said, gesturing for Holly and Ginny to go first. Ginny smiled, then walked into the fire, called out ‘The Burrow’ and disappeared into the flames.

 

“I guess your parents live at a place called ‘The Burrow’ then?� Holly asked Ron, who looked sheepish and nodded.

 

“Sorry, I forgot you hadn’t been there yet,� Ron said, apologetically.

 

“Easily done,� Holly said casually, then she stepped into the fire, repeated what Ginny said, and departed. Just as Harry went to follow, Ron called out.

 

“Harry, wait, I need to talk to you about something, in private,� Ron said, pulling at his best friend’s arm.

 

“What’s the matter?� Harry asked, his piercing emerald eyes locking with Ron’s determined blue ones. He knew his best mate very well and could tell from his face that he wanted to tell him something very important.

 

A few minutes later, Harry and Ron staggered through the fireplace. “What took you so long, did you get lost or something?� Ginny asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

 

“No, we ... forget something,� Ron said shiftily, looking at his feet. He was grateful when his mother engulfed him in a hug and drew Ginny’s attention away from them. Harry noticed that Ginny’s white dress was dusted with soot. Ginny did too, and pulled out her wand and muttered ‘Scourgify.’ All traces of soot vanished, and the dress was clean and white again, as if she had just bought it from the Muggle shop where Hermione had taken her.

 

“It’s so good to see you all again,� Mrs. Weasley said as she hugged Harry.

 

“Same here, we’re sorry we didn’t come earlier, it’s just there’s been a lot of things going on-� Ginny started, but was cut off by Mrs. Weasley.

 

“You don’t need to explain, it’s just good that you’re here now.�

 

Then she turned to Holly, a smile adorning her features. “Well, I’ve heard quite a lot about you, you’ve made quite an impression on the Order.�

 

“I don’t know about that, Mrs. Weasley,� Holly said, biting her lip bashfully.

 

“Call me Molly, dear, and yes you have. Saving Ginny, Ron, Harry and Hermione from that fire and taking part in all of those Order missions? That’s very brave of you.�

 

“Well, I just want to help people,� Holly said, just as a band of redheads bustled into the room, calling out greetings.

 

“We wondered when you would all come over!�

 

“Yeah, long time no see!�

 

“Aww ... has work been too much for you all?�

 

Harry wasn’t sure who was saying what, and grinned. There was always something going on at the Burrow, it was never quiet or boring, the house seem to have a particular energy that was almost addictive.

 

In the sitting room, Mr. Weasley was busy reading a book. “Hello everyone,� he said, when he realised he had visitors. He put his book down, stood up and hugged his youngest. “It’s nice of you to come round. It’s been quite a while since the family’s all been together.� Mr. Weasley’s voice was tinged with sadness.

 

A lot of things had changed since the second war with Voldemort: Charlie had moved back to Romania to work with dragons, the twins had a string of joke shops, least of which was the one in Hogsmeade. Recently, they had opened a few in America, which took up a lot of their time, and imagination. And Bill had his hands full with his pregnant wife, who had just gone for a nap after a hard day of complaining, eating, and having the baby use her bladder as a space hopper. Oh, and more eating.

 

But not all of the change was for the better; they were all still coming to terms with the death of Percy, who had died jumping in front of a curse meant for his father. In the end, his family loyalties had shone through everything else. Whilst Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were completely devastated about the loss of their son, they were very grateful that they hadn’t lost anyone else.

 

“So how has work been so far?� Charlie asked Ginny, giving his baby sister a proud smile.

 

“It’s great, I’m really enjoying it and learning loads. Although, it does annoy me when people don’t tell me how they got the injuries; it’s a lot harder to heal someone when you don’t really know what you’re dealing with,� Ginny explained. Ginny was a Healer at St Mungo’s, and a very good one at that. After helping the injured during the war, Ginny had decided that it was what she wanted to do with her life, and her grades were good enough for her to get into Healer academy immediately, and more recently, a job as an employed Healer.

 

“Why aren’t you working now?� Charlie asked. He had managed to persuade his boss to let him have a few days off to spend time with his family.

 

“I’ve got a late shift, it starts at eleven tonight,� Ginny said, not looking very thrilled at the prospect of working through the night. “That’s when all the freaky cases happened. Like last time I took a late shift, a man turned up with his head transfigured into a toaster!�

 

“What a shame. I’d hate to work that late,� Charlie said, but there was a hint of mirth in his eyes. “You need your beauty sleep!�

 

Ginny slapped him on the arm in response to such an insult.

 

“What about your girlfriend, have you just abandoned her in Romania?� Ginny teased.

 

“I asked her if she wanted to come, but she was busy with work,� Charlie said, a smile appearing on his features as he thought of his girlfriend.

 

“So you didn’t abandon her this time?� Ginny said slyly.

 

“Shut up, I only did that once, and that was an accident!� Charlie said, a blush creeping up in his cheeks. Ginny giggled to herself.  One of her favourite hobbies as a child was teasing her brothers, and it was still very enjoyable. That was one of the advantages of being the youngest; she could get away with more and could find out things about them that no one else knew.

 

“Yeah ... right...� Ginny said, raising an eyebrow. Then she turned away from Charlie to talk to her father, who was talking to Bill at the time. Charlie smiled as he watched her smile and chat eagerly with their father. She had really grown into a young woman, she was no longer that little girl who once chased him round the house trying to put on the make-up she had nicked from their mother. He smiled again and then walked towards his twin brothers, who had identical looks of mischief on their faces. Charlie knew that they were up to something, and secretly, he enjoyed seeing their pranks immensely. During the war, it was a light relief from all the death and destruction. He noticed Ron walk over to him, grinning and holding onto a virtually untouched bottle of firewhiskey.

 

“So Charlie, how are the dragons these days, have you got a burn in the shape of America yet?�

 

_____________________________

 

Later that evening, after everyone had finished eating, Fred and George decided to engage in some ‘research’ with Holly as their test subject. Not that she knew, of course, they didn’t usually tell their other subjects beforehand, and they weren’t going to start now.

 

“So ... Holly, where are you from?� George asked, a mischievous grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. Most people were sure that Fred and George thought they were still children, and had just refused to grow up. A bit like Peter Pan, when Holly came to think about it, but without the pointed ears and the crocodile that swallowed an alarm clock. Holly raised her eyebrow slightly, and for a split second, she actually considered telling them the whole truth, just to see their reaction, but she resisted. Instead, she opted for one of her favourite techniques — sarcasm. She knew what they were going to do — for her it was obvious — and she wasn’t going to fall for it.

 

“I came from my mother’s tummy, what about you?�

 

“A sense of humour, I like it. I think we’re going to get on great!� George said pleasantly, not affected by Holly’s obvious sarcasm, it was something they were very accustomed to, being well known users of the technique themselves.

 

“Do you want a sweet?� Fred asked, pulling out a bag full of sweets. It looked like it was full of biscuits, sweets and toffees. But it was actually a bag of Canary Creams, Ton Tongue Toffees and some of their newest inventions. Holly smirked inwardly. She recognised them instantly and had no intent on reliving their effects. She had enough experience with them in the future ... or her past. Holly shook her head as if to clear those thoughts, it just gave her a headache.

 

“No thanks, I’m not really in the mood to become a Canary or have an extra large tongue, thank you very much,� Holly said absolutely seriously. Fred and George looked slightly shocked, but recovered quickly.

 

“How dare you accuse us of such things!� Fred said dramatically, the firewhiskey the two had been drinking were making them over act slightly, which to others, looked very comical.

 

“Well then why don’t you both eat one first!� Holly challenged. Fred and George gruffly put the bag away and didn’t say anything. Holly laughed.

 

“We’ll get her before the night’s over,� Fred whispered to his twin.

 

“It’s time to step up the mark,� George replied. Then the two of them left a smug Holly to plot their next move.

 

Unfortunately, their plans did not go too well.

 

_______________________________

 

“Holly, open this door!�

 

Ginny knocked for what seemed like the hundredth time on the bathroom door.

 

There was no answer.

 

“I know my brothers are prats, but you’ll need to turn them back sometime,� Ginny called out. Still no answer. Ginny was losing her patience very quickly.

 

“Open this bloody door this instant, young lady, before I blast it open!!�

 

Ginny cringed as she realised how much she sounded like her mother. There was a scuffle of noise and the door swung open. Holly looked pissed off.

 

“They deserved it!� Holly huffed, crossing her hands over her chest, her face slightly flushed and her bright blue eyes seemed to shoot daggers.

 

“Perhaps they did, but-� Ginny started, only for Holly to interrupt her.

 

“There are no ‘buts’ about it, they’ve been trying to prank me ever since we arrived here and I’m sick of it! Didn’t you see them make my drink pour itself all over me! They wanted to be clowns and they are!� Holly snapped. Ginny bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing out loud. She had to admit, it was funny and definitely a good piece of magic.

 

“Let’s go back to the sitting room,� Ginny suggested. Holly nodded. As they walked back slowly, Ginny had to ask Holly something.

 

“Where did you learn that spell?� Ginny asked, unable to resist. Holly looked pensive for a moment, her eyebrows were furrowed and she looked slightly confused.

 

“I honestly can’t remember!�

 

“You do remember how to turn them back though?� Ginny asked quickly, really not wanting to have toys for brothers for the rest of her life.

 

“Yes, of course, I’m not going to use it though,� Holly said, looking determined and also quite stubborn.

 

“What? They’re going to stay clowns ... forever?� Ginny said, almost fearfully.

 

“Not forever ... just until they’ve learnt their lesson!� Holly said firmly. She took a deep breath in before they walked back into the sitting room. Everyone stared at her and Holly fidgeted on the spot slightly. I came round here intending to give a good impression, but instead I turn two of the family members into clowns. Good going! Holly scolded herself. Damn me and my short temper!

 

“Er, sorry about that,� Holly said uncomfortably as she saw two identical toy clowns lying on the sofa. The whole room didn’t know whether to laugh about the situation, or scream at Holly. However, Harry and Ron found the whole circumstance very amusing, and huge smiles were plastered on their faces — but only when Mrs. Weasley wasn’t looking of course.  Mr. Weasley was looking shocked, but also quite perplexed.

 

“I think they’ve learnt their lesson,� Ginny murmured in Holly’s ear. Apprehensively, Holly pulled out her wand and muttered the countercurse. There was a burst of colour and the small toys started to grow, their clothes started to change and their hair became redder. Within seconds, the twins were back, both with identical looks of shock and admiration plastered on their faces.

 

“Well that was unexpected,� George said, stretching his newly grown limbs.

 

“You definitely put us in our place!� Fred added. Both of them looked very serious for a moment, and then they simultaneously burst out with laughter.

 

“Best prank I’ve seen in a while…� Fred was able to choke out, however, he didn’t take his eyes off Holly, looking ever so slightly afraid of her.

 

“Very amusing!� George laughed, which was the signal for the rest of the room to relax and in Harry and Ron’s case, join in the laughter.

 

“Remind us never to try and prank you again,� George said cheerfully.

 

“Good, I’m glad we’ve cleared that up!� Holly said briskly, but she was smiling now. She could tell that even though they were laughing, they understood her meaning perfectly and would be a lot more cautious around her in the future.

 

“Where did you learn it?� the twins asked together, looking very intrigued.

 

“I can’t remember,� Holly laughed. She had learnt so many spells over the years it was hard to remember where she had learnt them. That was the first jinx that came into her head.

 

“You will have to teach us that spell one day,� Fred said, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye.

 

It’s good that they’re able to take pranks, unlike some other people who would sulk for hours after being targeted, Ginny thought, looking fleetingly at Ron, whose laughter was starting to calm down. He in particular, always longed for the day when someone would be able to beat the twins at their own game, and that day had finally come.

 

“Ok, but not tonight, we have to go,� Ginny said after glancing at her watch, it was half past ten and unfortunately, that meant that it was time to leave for work.

 

“Oh, well thank you for coming round and giving us all a ... laugh,� Bill said, grinning.

 

“We’ll see you all soon,� Ron said, smiling at his family.

 

“Goodbye dears,� Mrs. Weasley said, her eyes slightly wet with tears. She always got very emotional when her children left ... she just wanted her family round her, particularly after Percy died. She forced herself not to cry as her two youngest left the Burrow. Then she turned back to the rest of the family and her eyes lingered on her daughter-in-law’s growing stomach and felt herself swell with happiness. Her family was growing; it wouldn’t be long before she would be able to hold her first grandchild, something she had dreamed of doing for years.

 

_____________________________________

 

“That was a great trick you played,� Ron said, laughing.

 

“What? I didn’t know you liked it, I thought you were laughing your head off about something else!� Holly said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She didn’t mean to amuse everyone so much. She was just so irritated at the twins and wanted them to get a taste of their own medicine.

 

“I’m going to get changed ... got work soon,� Ginny sighed.

 

“Lucky we’ve got time off,� Harry commented. Ginny snorted.

 

“After how much work they made you do, you two barely slept for two months!� she told him. Harry just shrugged.

 

“It wasn’t that — oh, it was, wasn’t it?� Harry said, laughing as he remembered the past few months, better called the Months from Hell.

 

“And I thought those days at Hogwarts with all that homework was exhausting!� Ron exclaimed. Ginny laughed.

 

“I’ve got a much more flexible schedule,� Ginny said, then she rushed out the room and up the stairs. Harry watched her leave, his eyes looking at her almost longingly. Holly was starting to get irritated. Even though she had only been in the past for a few days, Harry and Ginny were starting to annoy her. Hopefully, she wouldn’t snap anytime soon, like she did earlier. Particularly if she told them anything ... unexpected.

                                                                                              

Within ten minutes, Ginny came back downstairs, pulling on her jacket.

 

“I’m gonna go now, see you all later,� Ginny said cheerfully, buttoning her coat over her uniform.

 

“Don’t fall asleep on the job,� Harry called out teasingly. Ginny stuck her tongue out at him before leaving.

 

“Oh, before I forget, Remus said we could use his club on Saturday, for training,� Harry told her, as he turned his attention to Holly.

 

“That was nice of him,� Holly commented. Yesterday, Harry had explained who Remus Lupin was, and also caught her up to speed with what was going on in the Wizarding world and who she would most likely need to know. A minute later she added, “When do you two start work again?�

 

“Next week ... unfortunately,� Ron answered, looking glum.

 

“I thought you enjoyed your work?� Holly inquired, tilting her head to the side questionably.

 

“I do,� Ron started slowly, as if he was thinking about how he would put it. “But when they send you on every mission that’s even remotely dangerous, it starts to get on your nerves.�

 

“The downside of being Harry Potter, is that you’re expected to get involved in every mission in the whole country, no matter the risks, with your best friend,� Harry sighed, shaking his head in annoyance.

 

“Oh poor you,� Holly said dramatically. In response, Harry threw a cushion at her and laughed.

 

_____________________________________________

 

 

“Come on, I want to go!� Holly half nagged, half whined. It was finally Saturday, the day of their first training session.

 

“Keep your socks on, we’re coming!� Harry called out, rushing in the room ad throwing an old Quidditch top on at the same time. Ginny also walked in after him, tying her long red hair back in a ponytail.

 

“This is so exciting!� Ginny said, grinning widely.

 

“It’s not really meant to be exciting, it’s supposed to help you learn how to fight!� Holly said, sounding annoyed.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But you’ve been so secretive about it, I can’t wait to find out what you’ve got planned!� Ginny replied just as Hermione and Ron joined them, all clad in loose clothes, as instructed by Holly.

 

“I’ll meet you there,� Holly said, smiling as they all Disapparated, leaving her alone. A wicked grin passed over her features as she thought about what she was going to do.

 

_________________________________________

 

“Where’s Holly?� Ron asked his friends as he noticed she was missing.

 

“I don’t know, maybe she forgot something,� Ginny guessed, looking around for the younger witch as well.

 

“We’ll meet her inside,� Harry said as he pulled out the key from his pocket and started to unlock the door into the dark hall.

 

“A little help with the lights please?� Harry requested. The other three instantly pulled out their wands and set the candles, which were dotted around the room, alight. Now that the room was lighter, Harry was able to have a good look round. It was almost exactly as it was the last time he visited, except now it was empty, not teeming with people, and it was a lot tidier. They were in a large hall, with a stairway that led to another floor. Virtually everything was made out of mahogany. Harry smiled proudly at his friend’s achievements, he had really helped thaw the rift between werewolves and people.

 

“Where is Holly?� Hermione said out loud, now slightly confused. One part of her brain was telling her that Holly was coming, that she had forgotten something, but the other, much smaller part, was disagreeing.

 

None of them noticed a dark figure sneak into the room, their wand raised.

 

“Something’s not right,� Ginny said slowly. Her instincts were telling her something, something was not how it should have been.

 

“Stop being paranoid — ARGH!�

 

Ginny threw herself at her friends and knocked them over, automatically casting a shield charm at the same time. A jet of violet light bounced off it and crashed into the wall, showering the room in bright sparks. Laughter erupted from the far end of the hall, where the spell came from, where there was darkness. A figure stepped forward, clothed in black.

 

All that was visible was a pair of piercing red eyes.