And Then He Was Gone

Victory

"This day shall go down in infamy."

~FDR (Franklin Roosevelt)

She walked through the long open halls. Light shone in from all angles. As she passed by fellow aurors would stop and call out to her. She'd wave dismissively as she continued on her way down the hallway. Her office was third from the end. And let's just say, the closer to the end the more important you are.

At the end of the hallway there was a sturdy oak door with a plaque that read: Remus Lupin, BC owner and head. Next to that office, across from her own, a plaque read: Harry Potter, BC vice head. And then there was her. Third from the top, and quite proud of it. She had worked hard to get this far, no one ever disagreed.

BC was a special organization of highly trained aurors who didn't want to be part of the ministry. Who didn't like to exactly, oh how to say this, follow all of the rules? BC stood for Battle Cry, seeing as it was started up during the war, by none other than Remus Lupin himself. BC's motto was: Forget the rules; they're more like guidelines anyway.

"Hey Victory," Harry Potter called from his desk. His door was open, held back by a stack of (yet to be filled out) papers. He was leaning back in his chair, but rose and strode to the door to great her.

"Hey Scruffy," she giggled giving him a hug.

"I told you not to call me that, my code name is Padfoot, not Scruffy," he said blushing at his long warn out nickname.

"But I've always called you Scruffy, after all, I gave you the nickname," she said running her fingers through his uncontrollable hair. "Three guesses why," she smirked.

"I know why, but I told you, I can't help it my hair always looks...."

"Scruffy?" she offered.

"Yea," he sighed.

"Well, you know I didn't get to pick mine, so why should you pick yours?"

"Yours isn't half bad, it's sweet. Besides when you woke up in that hospital the day after the war ended your first word was victory. It just stuck," he shrugged sitting back down in his seat.

"Sweet? Harry, darling, you forget who you're talking to," the young woman replied perching herself on the edge of his desk, sending a rather large clutter of papers to the floor.

"Only too true," Padfoot sighed. Harry had picked his code name in memory of his late godfather, and no one had objected.

"You know, when Moony gets one look at this dump he'll scold you from top to bottom," Victory replied bending over to pick up some papers.

"I've been rather busy lately, we all have," he helpfully pointed out.

"I hope it's because you've been picking out the perfect ring for that delightful red-head of yours, Harry," she replied.

"Hey, no real names," he scolded. "And no, I haven't had time to do that. And besides, it's still too soon, what if she says no?"

"Alright sorry, touchy touchy. And she won't say no Padfoot, she adores you too much. Just because it took you two a year after the war to admit to each other your feelings, doesn't mean we all didn't see it about four years prior to the war. The only person who didn't see it coming is Ron, and well, he's just about blind in that department Padfoot. In case you don't remember," she said.

"Ohh I know all too well that Ronald Weasley is a bit slow when it comes to noticing obvious things. That's why he works at a job where people are watching his back. And Ron loves driving Snape mad too much to quit his position at Hogwarts."

"I must admit, I never saw Weasley as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. But after the war I have no doubt he'd be best. Not to mention the very attractive Transfiguration Professor he's absolutely crazy for," she stifled a giggle.

"Did I just here Victory giggle? You, giggle? Is this a prank, because the last one WAS funny, but now we've seriously fallen behind on work."

"I wasn't giggling Potter; don't get your hopes up. I don't giggle."

"For the thousandth and first time, it's Padfoot," he growled.

"Well then, PADFOOT, I'd like to know why your mess is worse than the original marauder's would have ever been!"

The two bodies in the office jumped and turned toward the door. There in the doorway was a man, young despite his years, whom they never felt ashamed to call a friend.

"I told him you'd have a wolf Moony, I really did," the girl said jumping from her perched position.

"Ohh funny Victory, I thought I said no more werewolf humor," the man attempted to scold. Although he soon failed and broke into a wide grin.

"Yes sir, sorry," she bowed pleasantly trying to hold back the laugh forcing its way up her throat.

"Sorry Moony, I've just been swamped with that, err, new case," he accented winking.

"Oh right, well, I would suggest your office isn't much better?" Moony said raising and eyebrow to the young woman in front of him.

"Dunno, I haven't been in there yet today."

"Probably haven't been in there in the past week, you spend all your time on social calls around the office," he sighed.

"Sorry, but you know I wasn't very social in my, umm, younger years," she pointed out. "Now, what case is this that I don't know about? My position does require to be informed of all new reports," she said stubbornly, feeling left in the dark.

"Sorry, Vic, but it's kind of a personal case, you know, my kind of thing," Harry put in after a pleading look from Remus.

"Oh yes, because Padfoot has a heart and the ice queen couldn't possibly care. Well, fine, I don't want to know anyway, I'm sure someone around here actually DOES need my help!" and the young woman stormed from the office pushing past the man in the doorway.

The two dumbfounded men left in the office stood in her dust looking at one another.

"That is one stubborn woman," the young one offered. "And we're doing it for her."

"Maybe a surprise wasn't the best idea," Remus put in.

"The investigation hasn't gotten very far anyway," Harry sighed. "Not a single trace, that man sure knows how to cover his tracks well."

"The question is why would he want to cover them?" Remus questioned more to himself.

"Not a clue, but I never understood him one bit. Frankly when I wake up in the morning I ask myself why I would want to look for him in the first place."

"Well, perhaps we should just leave him a MIA, like for the past five years. Besides we've all got more important matters to deal with. And you, Padfoot, have a beautiful stubborn woman who wants a ring on her finger and another name to her signature. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it," Moony suggested raising his eyebrows.

"More than ever lately, but I'm still afraid. War does that to a person, you put up all your walls and it's a lot harder to take them down."

"Remember, a ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for. And I assure you that Weasley women know how to knock down anything. Even the barriers to your heart my boy."

"She's really something isn't she?"

"Yea, you know who she reminds me of?"

"Who?" the green-eyed boy questioned. His unruly (scruffy) black hair stuck out at odd angles as he looked at the man who was lost, deep in thought.

"Your mother, Lily. God rest her soul."