The Ultimate Power

You can't quit until you try
You can't live until you die
You can't learn to tell the truth
Until you learn to lie

You can't breathe until you choke
You gotta laugh when you're the joke
There's nothing like a funeral to make you feel alive

Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful.
Will you swear on your life,
That no one will cry at my funeral?

-Sixx A.M. (Life Is Beautiful)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Life Is Beautiful

November, 1997

As October merged into November, the temperature dropped noticeably and thin layers of frost could be seen donning the windows and grounds of Hogwarts. Holli was shaken roughly awake on one of these particular mornings by Hermione. She groaned and threw the pillow over her head.

"Go 'way," she grumbled to the witch.

"Holli," Hermione sighed, "if you don't get up, you're going to miss breakfast and be late for class."

Holli removed her pillow from her line of sight and peered with squinting eyes at the clock on her bedside table. "Bugger," she mumbled when she saw that Hermione was right. She slowly slouched out of bed and stretched before turning to the other girl.

"Merlin, Holli," Hermione said as she moved closer to examine her face. "You don't look so well. Are you all right?"

Holli worked a hand through her hair as she moved over to a mirror. "I just woke up, Hermione. How nice am I supposed to look, eh?"

"A right lot better than you do, dearie," the mirror answered her as she gazed at her reflection.

Hermione stared at her through the mirror. "Where were you last night? You weren't in the common room when I left it and you weren't up here in bed."

"I was with Remus," Holli answered while running her brush through her hair. "We were studying." This wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the absolute truth either. Holli and Remus had studied most of the night after dinner until they had become distracted by other, more pleasurable focuses. Holli had sneaked back up to her dorm room just as dawn was spreading over the grounds of the school to steal a couple more hours of sleep that she hadn't been able to gain with Remus.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, Holli," Hermione told her with a shake of her head, "but have you maybe thought that you're studying too much? Stringing yourself out like this isn't good for you health. You know how well that worked out for me in third year, and I wasn't trying to do half of what you are."

"I'm fine, Hermione," she said as she shrugged. "I just finished my exams with McGonagall for the second year material so I should be able to take a couple days break and just relax." Holli sneezed.

"All right, but maybe you should go see Madame Pomfrey today and get her to give you some Pepper-Up potion. It might help."

"I might tonight," Holli answered with a sigh as she knelt down in front of her trunk to search for her clothes and rubbed at her eyes.

After Holli was dressed and ready for the day they both made their way down to the common room where they met Harry and an impatient Ron.

"Finally," he exclaimed as the foursome climbed through the portrait hole. "What took you so long, Hermione?"

"I was waiting for Holli," Hermione answered as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder.

Ron scoffed. "Can't get your own self dressed?" he snidely asked Holli. "Maybe we should start sending in an army to help you in the mornings."

Holli saw the glares Harry and Hermione directed at Ron but chose to ignore the malevolent comment and directed her gaze to the windows as they made their way down to the Great Hall. Ron's remarks continued throughout breakfast and the rest of the day as they moved from class to class, pinpointing various aspects of Holli and her daily life and throwing everything he could in her face.

The later in the day it became, the more Holli began to visibly droop. She felt horrible and was in a foul mood and Ron was not improving this. It was as they were on their way to Transfiguration, their next to last class of the day, that Holli snapped as Ron said, "And what about you studying with Remus? Who has to go to someone else every night just to make sure you learn a few things?"

"Oh that's rich, coming from the likes of you," Holli snarled, "when you have to rely on Hermione to even get through your daily homework. Who has to do that, Ron? What kind of person can't think for their own self and has to rely on other people to do it for them?" Holli was all but screaming by the end and many people in the corridor was staring at the foursome with curious yet wary eyes. Holli was still an unknown within the school and most students did not know how to approach the girl.

Ron looked shocked as Harry gripped her elbow and pulled her out of Ron's face and the rest of the way to the classroom. Once inside, he seated her beside him and told her in a low voice, "I don't like how he's been treating you and I've tried to talk to him about it, but it hasn't done any good. You have to ignore him, though, and not let him get to you."

"I have been ignoring him," Holli growled. "For two months I've done nothing but try to be nice and ignore every little insult he's poured out of his great sodding mouth at me. I just can't do it anymore!"

Harry sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I really don't know what to do about his attitude towards you, Holli. We have tried to talk to him; I've tried, Hermione's tried. We're sort of at a standstill when it comes to you and him."

Holli shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore, Harry. I'm through trying. I'm going to tell him exactly what I think and them I'm done; finished."

The rest of the class passed in silence for the foursome as Holli and Ron both stewed in their own personal thoughts and Harry and Hermione moved their eyes back and forth between the two. When Kinlin finally dismissed his students, Holli quickly gathered her things and bolted from the room.

Ron snorted. "Guess she can't face me after that, eh?" Hermione and Harry met one another's gaze and rolled their eyes. Harry had the sneaking suspicion that Ron was not going to enjoy himself the next time he met Holli.

The trio made their way to Defense slowly, not saying much of anything. Suddenly, Ron shouted, "Oi!" as a hand snaked out and pulled him into an empty classroom. Harry made to follow until he saw Holli's livid eyes peer back warningly at him through the crack in the door. Harry turned back around, grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her down the corridor, muttering something about Ron being busy with digging his grave.

Back in the classroom, Holli had shoved Ron up against the wall and was glaring at him furiously.

"Blimey, Holli," Ron said nervously. "What are -" but Holli cut him off with a wave of her hand. Ron's mouth snapped closed with an audible clack as his teeth slammed together.

"I think you've talked enough for one day," Holli said threateningly. "Now it's my turn." Holli turned her back on him to gather her thoughts before she spoke and Ron made to move towards the door. With another wave of her hand Ron's back smacked against the wall once more, completely immobilising him.

"Don't. Move." Holli turned and glared at him with menacing eyes. Ron swallowed loudly.

"Now," Holli said, "I know you don't like me; I know you don't trust me. I've done everything I could possibly do to prove to you that I am, in fact, trustworthy, but you reject everything. Of course I have an ulterior motive. Why in the world would I want to be just a normal witch trying to earn an education when I could be someone that no one trusts?"

Holli was pacing back and forth in front of him, coming slowly closer. Finally, she turned and stood directly before him and said as she glared into his wide, frightened eyes, "Well, I'm finished trying to earn your trust, Ron Weasley. I don't have to deal with you if I don't like and I don't like. Stay away from me when it's at all possible and when it's not, keep that God awful mouth of yours shut, understood?" Ron tried to nod his head vigorously, but realised that he still could not move any part of his body. Holli waved her hand and removed the silencing charm she had placed on him.

"Yes," he gasped.

"Great, wonderful, hunky-dory," Holli said venomously as her eyes flashed dangerously. She then turned on her heel and left the room, leaving Ron where he was, frozen to the wall until she was two corridors away and finally released the spell. Ron fell to the floor in a large, shaking heap of lanky limbs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Remus glanced away from his students when Holli walked through the door.

"You're late, Holli," he informed her. "Do you have a reason for this?"

"I just lost track of time, Professor," she responded as she made her way to her seat.

"Very well, then. Five points from Gryffindor," he said as he studied her. Holli did not look well. She had deep, dark circles under her eyes which stood out in sharp relief from her unusually pale skin. She had almost dragged herself across the room as though she would collapse at any moment. Remus frowned at this. Holli had been fine when she had left his quarters that morning.

Just as Remus was turning back to his lesson Ron walked through the door.

"You as well?" Remus asked with a sigh. "All right, Ron. Do you have a reason for why you're late to my class?"

Ron shook his head and took up an empty seat at the very back of the room, far away from Holli.

"Five more points, then," Remus said, trying to hide his puzzled expression. Something was going on, that much was certain.

Remus continued the lesson without any other incident and dismissed his class after assigning an essay on Patronii due next lesson. As the students began to filter out the door, Remus picked his way back to where Holli sat gathering her things. Up close, he was able to see the thin sheen of sweat that glittered on her forehead.

"Are you feeling all right, Holli?" he asked as he straddled the chair in front of her desk. He leaned forward and placed the back of his hand against her cheek. "You have a fever."

Holli leaned into the touch as she said, "That feels good. You're cold and I feel as though I'm roasting alive."

Remus frowned. "When did you start feeling unwell?"

Holli shrugged as she grabbed his other hand and placed it on her face as well. "Since this morning when Hermione woke me up. I thought I was just tired and I'd feel better after I moved around a bit. The longer I went, though, the worse I've felt."

"You're sick, Holli. You need to go to Madame Pomfrey. You should have gone earlier," he scolded her softly.

"I know," she sighed wearily, "but it's not as though I can afford to miss classes."

"You're more than capable of catching up and you know that," Remus told her. "Besides, your health is more important than your school work."

Holli scoffed weakly. "I don't see it like that."

Remus shook his head and moved around behind Holli to help her to her feet. "You need to go to Madame Pomfrey. Now. Do you need help getting there?"

Holli shook her head once she had gained her balance. "No, I'll be okay. I can make it." She turned around to face him. "Thank you."

Remus kissed her forehead gently then grimaced when he felt how truly fevered she was. "Go, right now. And don't fool with coming back here tonight if you're still not feeling well. We can put off studying for a few nights."

Holli raised her eyebrows slyly at him. "We can put that off, too," he told her as he pulled her to the door. "I also believe that your health is more important than that, as well." Holli gave a low chuckle as she trailed out the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh, hello, Remus dear," Madam Pomfrey greeted when Remus entered the hospital wing later that night. "What brings you here, love?"

"Hello, Poppy," he said. "I sent Holli up here earlier after my class. I thought I'd check and see how she was faring."

"I see. Poor love, she should have come to me first thing this morning. If she had, she would have been well by now."

"What's the matter with her?" Remus asked, trying to not show just how concerned he actually was.

Madam Pomfrey must have seen it anyhow, because she responded quickly, "Oh, nothing too serious. Just a touch of the flu, is all. The longer it progresses, the longer it takes to treat, though. She'll have to stay overnight and part of the day tomorrow and then spend the remainder of the day in her dorm resting if she hopes to return to classes day after tomorrow."

"Right," Remus said as he felt a bit of his worry abate. "May I see her for a few minutes?"

"Of course, dear. Stay as long as you like. I am about to give her a potion in a bit, though, and when she takes it she may seem a wee bit...out of it."

Remus smiled and thanked the matron as she pointed him towards the correct bed. He hadn't known if Holli was still in the hospital wing or not until Hermione and Harry had shown up at his door looking for her. They had told him that they had not seen her since after his class and Remus told them that he had sent her to Madam Pomfrey directly after the lesson. After they had departed, Remus had waited long enough to provide them a decent length visit before he too had set out for the hospital wing.

Remus rounded the curtain that blocked out prying eyes to the only occupied bed within the wing. Holli sat slightly propped up within, silently reading. She glanced up when she heard him chuckle.

"What's so funny?" she demanded in a hoarse voice.

Remus pulled up a chair beside her bed and sat down while glancing at the title of her book. "You never stop, do you? Even when you're laid up in bed, ill as a fish out of water."

Holli sniffed at him delicately. "No, I just figured that if I let a little illness stop me you'd be disappointed."

Remus snorted. "I said you could afford to take off a couple days not three hours ago."

Holli raised an eyebrow at him as she said, "Yes, you did. You see, though, I am what you would call an expert on reading between the lines. While you said I could afford that, what you were really saying was, 'Illness is meant to be mastered and defeated, not accepted and incapacitating. If you put off studying for one single night I will shun you forever.'"

"You really do have a knack for the dramatics, you know?" Remus grunted.

Holli giggled, then sneezed.

Remus chuckled as he handed her a tissue to wipe her watering eyes and Holli glared at him. "It's your own fault, you know? Karma takes another one."

"Yes, why don't we all just kick Holli when she's down," Holli sighed as she dabbed at her eyes.

"Well, you look as though you're feeling a bit better, at least," Remus commented. "Poppy tells me you have to stay until tomorrow afternoon."

Holli gave an explosive sigh. "Yes, and now I see why Harry always complained about being in hospital."

Remus smiled. "Speaking of, did he and Hermione come by to check on you?"

Holli groaned and said, "Yes, and Madam Pomfrey refused to let them in. Said the less people sick, the better." Holli ran a hand through her hair. "Actually, why did she let you back?"

"Werewolf," Remus responded simply.

Holli provided him with a puzzled frown.

"My kind does not fall ill easily." Remus smiled grimly. "We have strong immune systems that fight off almost everything except the most contagious of things, like Dragon Pox and such."

"Ah," was Holli's only reply and they slipped into an uncomfortable silence.

"Holli," Remus finally said. Holli glanced up at him questioningly and he continued. "What happened between you and Ron earlier? I know something did. Ron has never acted so put out before."

Holli glanced down at her twined fingers resting on her lap and sighed. "He doesn't trust me," she said softly after a contemplative moment. "And because of that, he picks and he nags and I just became so tired of it, Remus! So after Transfiguration today, I cornered him in a classroom and I told him exactly how I felt about him and everything he had been doing. I was a bit...forceful," Holli said guiltily and Remus winced as he pictured exactly what that probably meant.

"I told him that whether he trusted and liked me or not, it didn't matter to me anymore. I'm finished trying to please him. I'm not the sucking up type, Remus. And while he's figuring it out, he's to stay well away from me. I don't think he'll have much of a problem keeping that promise," she said softly as she thought back to the encounter.

Finally, she met Remus' eyes and said pleadingly, "What else was I supposed to do, Remus? Ron's so thick-skulled that nothing else would have got through to him. I just couldn't stand listening to him belittle me anymore."

Remus sighed. "As a teacher, I would have to say you ignore him and distance yourself from him at whatever cost. Violence is never permitted." Holli's face dropped the longer he spoke and Remus smiled. "However," he continued and Holli's eyes found his again, "as a friend, I would have to say that you did what was sorely needed."

A smile blossomed slowly across Holli's face, finally turning into a full grin. Remus smiled at her as she beamed across the bed at him. Just then, Madam Pomfrey bustled around the curtain.

"Here we are, dear," she said to Holli. "A little potion to help kill that nasty infection."

Holli grimaced as she swallowed back the vile concoction and almost sputtered it back up as she gagged.

"There now, none of that, there's a good girl," the matron soothed. "We'll have you healthy yet. Now lay back here and relax; no more reading. And you." She turned her - Remus had to admit - rather frightening gaze upon him. "Ten more minutes and then I want you out. This girl needs her rest." With that, Madam Pomfrey left Holli's bedside.

When Remus glanced back at Holli, she was smiling. "What?" he asked.

"Looks like I'm taking over as favourite patient, Lupin."

Remus snorted. "I don't think so, Holli. Dream all you want, but Poppy Pomfrey's heart shall always belong to me."

"If you say so," Holli said as she tried to suppress a yawn.

"I should go and let you sleep," Remus said softly as he rose from his chair.

"No," Holli said as she made a grab for his hand, "not yet. She said you had ten minutes. It's too quiet in here without anyone to talk to."

Remus lowered himself back down and grasped Holli's hand in his own. "All right," he said with a small smile, "but if I'm not out of here in ten minutes, Poppy'll have my head and any other expendable attachment."

Holli's eyes fuzzed out of focus momentarily which made Remus think the potion was taking affect. "Well, that'll be too bad for me then, won't it?" She giggled. "A bit for you too, I suppose." She seemed to be giving the matter a great deal of thought.

"Just a bit," Remus replied while trying to contain his laughter at Holli's pensive look. "You all right, Holli?"

Holli's eyes snapped wide open as she turned her gaze upon him. "Quite good; bloody fantastic actually! Why do you ask, Rem?"

"Oh, no reason, really," Remus said as a small smile broke through.

Holli frowned dramatically. "You're laughing at me."

"No, I'm not," Remus assured her.

"Then why are you smiling like that," Holli asked with a puzzled expression fitting of a small child. Yes, Remus thought to himself, the potion has definitely taken hold.

Remus' smile turned more sincere as he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her hand. "I just forget how good company you are sometimes is all."

"Oh," Holli said after a contemplative moment, "well, that's all right then."

Remus chuckled and whispered, "Yes, I think it is, too."

Holli rolled over on her side and curled up into a small ball, still clutching his hand. She stared at him as her eyes began to drift closed. As the last light over Hogwarts disappeared and Holli fell closer to sleep her hand squeezed tightly around his and she sighed out the soft words, "My Remus," before sinking into obliviousness.

Remus sat and watched her for a few minutes longer as he contemplated her words. Hers; he was all hers. As a slow smiled attempted to work its way onto his face he tried to berate himself for letting his thoughts run wild. Nothing good ever lasted. His entire life was proof of that. Everything good and loved: gone. It was that simple.

Still, though, the smile was there and it continued to grow along with an unfamiliar feeling deep down inside of himself. Remus stood and glanced around before bending down and kissing Holli softly on her lips. She smiled in her sleep and mumbled something unintelligible. As Remus left the hospital wing, he decided it didn't really matter what his life had proved. He had something magnificent and they were each others.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two days later, Holli was fully recovered and back to her normal self. Just in time, Remus told her, to get her exam results from Professor McGonagall.

"I don't understand why you don't like Potions, Holli," Remus said to her as he glanced over her scores. "You're rather good at it."

Holli snarled her nose in a look of great disgust. "It's all the ingredients and smells. They make me nauseous."

"Well," Remus sighed, "nothing we can do about that. Looks like you're coming along nicely in Defense and Charms, as well as Astronomy. Your real problem is Transfiguration and I'm not so sure that we can't attribute a portion of that to Kinlin." He wanted to say more about the lackluster professor, but bit his tongue.

"C'mon, Remus, say it," Holli all but pounced on him. "You and I both know you want to, so why bottle it up, eh?"

"I most certainly will not," Remus scoffed. "When I am no longer a professor of this school and we are not colleagues I will have my say."

"Oh, fine," Holli pouted. "So what are we going to do about my Transfiguration?"

Remus placed the piece of parchment on the table in front of him as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure. When you did your demonstration for Hermione, Ron, and Harry you had no difficulty changing your hair."

"Yes," Holli agreed, "but that was without a wand, Remus. We already know that when it's between the two, nothing ever comes out the same."

Remus sighed. "I know. If we could just figure out some way for you to channel whatever it is you do through your wand, I think you would be fine."

"I have no idea how to even begin to do that, Remus."

He ran a frustrated hand roughly through his hair as he said, "Nor do I."

They sat in silence for a long while, Holli curled up against his side, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Remus," Holli said, "can I talk to you about something for a minute?"

"Of course you can," Remus answered as he glanced down at her. He didn't like her tone.

Holli waved her hand towards her bag leaning against the wall behind the door and something small and silver flew into her outstretched palm. Holli held up her spoon from the Leaky Cauldron so that Remus could see it clearly.

"Have you thought about these at all?" she asked softly.

"A bit," Remus answered. "I still have no idea what they mean."

"Neither do I," she sighed. Then she snorted, "For two people who are supposed to be so brilliantly smart, we're not doing so well today. We're zero for two."

Remus chuckled. "I know. If this is the future of my mind, I want a refund."

Holli laughed then sobered as she ran her finger over the inscription on the spoon. "Future," she murmured.

"Holli?"

She looked up at him as though she were emerging from a daze. "Sorry," she whispered. "I was thinking."

"Don't apologise. What were you thinking about?"

She flipped the spoon up so that he could read the letters on the underside of the handle.

Death is never the end.

"Do you think this is my future?" she whispered suddenly. "Because if it is, I'm not sure what to make of it. I mean, its death, so, yeah. But then it says it's never the end so what does that mean? Is it like what Dumbledore used to say about death being the next great adventure or is it something completely different? And what about yours? The Moon's love will never fade. Are they connected and go together because we got them at the same time or are they completely separate and singular? Does mine mean that I'm going to die and go on to my next great adventure or am I just going to be thrown in a hole to rot?"

Holli was becoming hysterical and Remus made an attempt to calm her. He reached up with both hands and cupped her face and locked eyes with her.

"Holli," he said, "they're spoons. They can predict the future no more than this couch can. You're future is here, with me, right now."

Holli stared at him for a moment and he saw her eyes harden. "Right now," she said before turning her head to stare at the fire and whispering, "yeah."

"No!" Remus said forcefully as he grabbed her face once more and made her look at him. "No, Holli! I didn't mean it like that and you know it. I meant that your future is whatever you choose to make it. Nothing and no one can do that but you. And when you do die - because everyone dies, Holli - you will not be thrown into some hole to rot away. You will be celebrated and loved and missed by everyone who has ever known you; the real you." Remus was breathing hard with the effort of making Holli see reason, but he calmed himself and whispered, "And right now, if that were to happen, I would follow you without a second thought."

Holli's eyes softened as he said this and she reached up and cupped his face gently as well while one lone tear ran down her cheek and onto Remus' fingers. "Don't you ever follow me, Remus Lupin. If you have a choice between living and dying, you will always choose to live, do you understand me?" Holli was shaking in his arms with suppressed emotion.

He bent forward and gathered her in his arms, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her hair. "Yes."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The following weeks passed by in a blur and as November began to wind down into December, school work for the young inhabitants of Hogwarts began to do the opposite. The trio spent almost every spare moment studying. Harry and Hermione had barely seen Holli since her escape from the hospital wing on account of her and Ron's confrontation. Harry was happy to note, however, that the red head was being far more considerate of what he said to other people since then. Apparently something Holli said worked, Harry thought to himself as he studied his friend across the library table, even if it wasn't exactly what she wanted.

Early one morning, Harry was seated alone in the common room of Gryffindor tower, having awoken long before dawn from a night of restless tossing and turning. He had figured he could use the extra time to study one of the books Holli had let him borrow to see if he could find anything of use about the Horcruxes. Suddenly, Harry heard familiar voices drifting through the now slightly opened portrait hole.

"...up a little late, aren't you, dear?" the Fat Lady said to the new arrival.

"Yes," Holli's voice murmured warily. "I just...lost track of time, that's all."

The portrait hummed after a silent moment before saying, "Lose track of time often, do you?"

Harry could practically hear Holli's mouth working silently as she searched for an appropriate answer.

"You spend more time sneaking back into this tower than you do inside of it," the Fat Lady continued pointedly. "I know what you're doing. I've spent far too many years guarding this room to have not noticed a few things. The least of all is when a student is sneaking off to meet someone special, dear."

"You won't say anything, will you?" Holli all but pleaded.

"Oh, of course not, dearie. 'Tis not my place after all and I'm not much for gossiping."

Harry almost choked himself as he snorted. If the Fat Lady and her friend Violet did not gossip whenever they were together, he'd eat his Firebolt without chewing.

"Thank you," Holli sighed in relief.

"Nonsense. Now on with you; portraits need their sleep as well."

The was a shuffling sound as Holli climbed through the portrait hole and swung the painting shut behind her. She wore a pensive expression as she made her way towards the dormitory stairs, staring at the far wall distractedly.

Harry watched her for a moment before saying, "Morning, Holli."

Holli started violently and turned to face him with her hand raised and a faint glow emanating from her finger tips. Harry held up his hands in mock surrender and said, "Calm down, Holli. It's only me."

"Harry?" she gasped, then lowered her hand quickly as she blushed faintly. "Sorry, I didn't see you. You surprised me."

"Obviously," Harry said to her without any real feeling.

Holli moved over and sat on the end of the couch closest to his chair and asked, "Why are you up? You don't have to be for another two hours."

"I should be asking you the same thing, sneaking around the corridors well after curfew." Harry watched as Holli's jaw clenched and her eyes became completely unreadable. Bemused, but pushing it to the side for the time being, he said, "I just couldn't sleep. Dreams..." Harry moved his gaze to the fire still burning beyond the hearth.

Holli cocked her head to the side slightly and said softly, "What did you see, Harry?"

Harry looked back at her in puzzlement, hoping it would throw her off. "What makes you think I saw something? They were just dreams, Holli." No such luck.

Holli leaned forward and flicked the cover of the book in his lap with her index finger. "I know, remember? You saw something, I know you did."

Harry glared down at the book and Holli snatched it away from him as she chuckled and clutched it to her chest. "Hey, don't take it out on my books. It's not their fault that I know you so well."

"Actually," Harry said, not being able to resist, "it is. The blame lays completely on them."

Holli snorted. "Don't change the subject, Harry."

Harry smiled charmingly at her. "Was it that obvious?"

"Oh, yes," Holli responded seriously.

Harry sighed and said, "I didn't really see all that much. Just Voldemort. He was torturing someone. I don't know who it was; I couldn't see their face. I don't even know if it was a Death Eater or someone on our side. It's difficult to tell sometimes."

Holli reached over and took his hand in hers, squeezing gently. "This war will be over someday, Harry," she whispered. "And I'm going to do everything I can to help you get to that day. Because, while it has to be you to do it, Harry, you don't have to do it alone."

Harry smiled at her, feeling his face grow warm in the light of the fire. "That's what Ron and Hermione keep telling me."

"And it's true. No matter what happens, they won't ever let you do this alone. And neither will I, if you'll trust me to do so."

"Of course I will, Holli," Harry told her reassuringly and he saw her shoulders deflate a bit in relief. They sat in silence for a long while, both lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, it began to grow uncomfortable so Harry asked quietly, "So, who were you with?"

Holli's head jerked in his direction so quickly that Harry heard her neck pop painfully. "What?"

Harry rubbed his neck sympathetically. "Who were you with earlier before you came back here? The Fat Lady said you were with someone and you never did deny it."

"You heard that?" Holli asked in a whisper. She looked almost frightened.

"Yes, I did," Harry answered before adding, "Rather large mouth, the Fat Lady."

"Yeah," Holli agreed as she gnawed on a thumbnail in distracted nervousness.

Harry let her think for a few long moments, allowing himself time to contemplate her reaction. He couldn't imagine what could be so horrible about Holli seeing someone. Even if she had managed to find a somewhat decent Slytherin, he couldn't see her acting this worried. Unless she hadn't been meeting anyone romantically at all. It could be something worse, he mused. Looking at her, though, Harry really didn't think that was the case. The look on Holli's face was that of someone who was fearful of how a decision would be judged and of what consequences would come of that judging.

Finally, Holli turned her shadowed eyes upon him. "Harry," she whispered, "you have to promise me that you will tell no one, not even Hermione or Ron. No one's supposed to know, Harry, and if they do, it could be disastrous to both him and me." Holli sighed before continuing. "I don't really care what happens to me, but nothing - and I do mean nothing - is going to happen to him if I have anything to say about it."

Harry swallowed. "Does this," he asked quietly after a short silence, "have anything to do with what we talked about down by the lake?"

Holli's hazel-green eyes bored into his. "It has everything to do with that," she said pointedly.

Harry nodded slowly. "I promise," he said. "I won't say a word."

Holli stared at him for a moment longer before the power swirling in her eyes collapsed and gave way to the fear she was truly feeling. Finally, in a voice that was barely a whisper, she said, "I was with Remus, Harry."

Harry started when he heard the name and said, "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right."

Holli looked at him and said softly, "Remus," before moving her gaze back to the fire.

Harry was shocked. There was no other way to describe it. He sat frozen in his chair, staring at Holli unblinkingly, trying to comprehend what she was telling him. Remus? his mind screamed at him. It wasn't right, wasn't possible.

Yet the more he thought about it, the more the pieces fell into place. It was easy enough to see that Remus and Holli trusted each other with almost everything; trusted one another above almost anyone else. When given the choice, Holli would readily choose Remus over the trio to study with every time. And Holli and Remus had always seemed a bit too comfortable with one another. It made sense, he finally realised. It all made complete and horrible sense.

"How long?" he finally managed to choke out.

Holli sighed. "A little over a month."

"That's all?" Harry asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes," Holli answered with a glance in his direction. "Did you think it started when we were still in London?"

"I - well," Harry stuttered as Holli chuckled without humour.

"We didn't mean for this to turn out like it has," Holli told him as she stared into the fire. "It just happened one day without either one of use really intending for it to. It's been going ever since."

"So," Harry said slowly, trying to force his sluggish mind to catch up to what Holli was saying, "every night you stay with Remus until early morning then sneak back up to your dorm. How do you get any sleep if you're - well -" Harry broke off as he blushed furiously and Holli took pity on him.

"I don't stay every night," she said. "Four nights a week or so, and most nights we just study and then fall asleep together." Holli rolled her eyes at him as she snorted. "We don't spend every minute of every night having sex, Harry."

Harry's cheeks reddened once more as Holli laughed uproariously. "Well," Harry said courageously, "how was I supposed to know, eh? I'm certainly not present when the two of you are together."

"Nor will you ever be," Holli told him promptly.

"Thank Merlin," Harry sighed as Holli kicked at his foot. "Ow! Stop that!"

Holli chuckled before she sobered and asked, "So, are we okay? And you with Remus?"

Harry glanced at her as he nodded and said, "I won't say anything to anyone, but you and Remus, Holli, I promise."

Holli smiled her thanks through bloodless lips as she tried to figure out just how to tell Remus that someone had found out so quickly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I would like to give a huge thanks to my new brit-picker, easleyweasley. Now those pesky little cultural issues and mistakes shall no longer be a problem. As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I should have the next one up soon!