The Ultimate Power

A/N: The tune Holli hums below is supposed to be the "Batman to the rescue" theme. You know, Duh dun nun da, Batman! Just so you know.

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

Oh I can't believe I finally found you baby,
Happy ever after, after all this time.
Oh there's going to be some ups and downs,
But with you to wrap my arms around, I'm fine.

So baby hold on tight, and don't let go.
Hold on to the love we're making,
Cause baby when the ground starts shaking you got to know,
When you got a good thing.

You know you keep on bringing out the best in me,
And I need you now even more than the air I breathe.

You can make me laugh when I want to cry,
This will last forever I just know. I know.

So baby hold on tight, and don't let go.
Hold on to the love we're making,
Cause baby when the ground starts shaking you got to know,
When you got a good thing.

-Lady Antebellum (When You Got a Good Thing)

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

When You Got a Good Thing

Late December, 1997

"Look at yourself. You're pathetic!"

"No, I'm not," she barely whimpered. "I'm strong and not even you can take that from me. I know that now."

A cruel smile. "Watch me."

"No," she moaned. "No, you can't. I won't let you."

"Yes, I can." One step forward, then there, kneeling to her level. "And do you want to know why?"

She wanted to move away, maybe jerk her head back slightly, even flinch a little at least. Yet she couldn't find the energy to do so; she didn't even have the strength to care, not anymore.

"Answer me, love. It isn't polite to ignore someone who is speaking directly to you." The eyes sparked maliciously. She closed hers, trying to ignore everything. "No? All right then. It's really a pity."

Pain. Pain like she wished she'd never felt before, but had done so too many times to count. That did not mean that it didn't still hurt; physically as well as on a much deeper level.

Rough fingers gripped her chin, forcing her to open her eyes. "You are mine," came the hissed reply.

"No."

"For forever - "

"Holli - "

"- and for always."

"Please, no," she whispered.

"You -"

"Holli, come - "

"- are - "

She was shaking, but she didn't understand why.

"Holli, please - "

"- MINE!"

"Never again!" she screamed as she thrashed awake, clawing at the hands shaking her shoulders.

"Merlin, Holli, it's okay," Remus yelled over her screams. He reached out a hand to run a finger over her cheek.

Holli jerked back. "Don't touch me!" she snarled at him.

He pulled back, holding his hands in the air. "Calm down, Holli. It was only a dream."

Her eyes flicked wildly around the room, not really seeing anything. Finally, she settled them on Remus and realised what he was trying to tell her as she tried to control her erratic breathing. Holli sighed in relief. It had just been a dream. But, she thought to herself, why now? It's been three months since I've had a nightmare like that. Holli had been plagued with horrible dreams for over a year. Shortly after coming to Hogwarts, however, they had become less frequent and had eventually tapered off into nothing.

"A dream?" she asked Remus softly.

"Yes," he answered as he cautiously shifted closer to her.

She did not pull back this time, though she desperately wanted to. Remus ran a tentative hand along her jaw, trying to catch a glimpse of her eyes. Holli tried to force the fear she could feel there to abate quickly, but her heart was still trying to pound out of her chest and she knew Remus could hear it.

"It's all right, Holli. It's simply a dream and nothing can touch you here." He paused as though considering his next words. "Do you want to talk about it? What was it about?"

Holli tensed slightly. "I - I really don't remember much about it anymore," she lied. "It's all a blur now. All I really remember is being terrified."

Remus studied her for a few silent moments before wrapping his arms around her shoulders and chest and pulling her close, pushing her head into the crook of his neck. "I won't let anything hurt you, Holli. Not even dreams."

Even Holli knew that was an impossible promise to keep.

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

Early the next afternoon, Holli and the trio were all heaving their trunks down to Hogsmeade station where the Hogwarts' Express awaited. Holli had never thought it was possible to feel as excited and nervous as she did at the same time. Not only would she be meeting almost the entire Weasley family, but numerous members of the Order of the Phoenix as well. Like Ron, Harry, and Hermione, Holli fully intended on joining the Order when she left Hogwarts, but what if the members did not like her or approve of her for some reason? What happened then? Holli wasn't positive that she wanted to find out.

"Why couldn't we have just Apparated to the Burrow from Hogsmeade instead?" Ron grumbled. "Remus is."

"Honestly, Ron," Hermione sighed in exasperation. "This is one of your last chances to ride the train. After we leave Hogwarts you'll probably never get another opportunity. And Remus is a professor. He has things to attend to before he can leave."

"I know that. It just seems ridiculous. We're Disapparating from King's Cross anyway."

"Well," Holli spoke up, forestalling an argument between her two friends, "I'm excited."

"Oh, yeah," Harry said in surprise, "you've never been on the train before."

"Yeah. That's why I was happy when you three decided to take it instead of Apparating."

Ron scoffed. "It's not that thrilling. The most momentous thing that ever happens is when the lady with the sweets trolley comes round." His eyes took on a glazed look as though contemplating the possibilities. "Though I do enjoy those Cauldron Cakes."

Holli snickered as Harry said, "That's actually not true, Ron. What about third year when the Dementors came on board?"

"Or first year when we all met?" Hermione picked up.

"Or last year when I spied on Malfoy?" Harry continued.

"Or - " Hermione began, but Ron cut her off.

"All right! I get it; the train ride is anything but boring." Ron rolled his eyes. "And first year doesn't count, Hermione. The ride is supposed to be exciting then."

"Exactly," Holli said to him with an innocent smile, "and this technically is my first year. You just proved my point."

Ron gaped as he thought over what he had said. "I - you just - oh, just get on the bloody train!" he stuttered out as Holli slung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him on board with her.

"Happily," she chirped.

Of course, Ron had been right. The train ride was incredibly dull for the foursome, but Holli thought she could never grow tired of the passing scenery. Every time she glanced up from her friends, there was always something new to see. First mountains and great lakes, then rolling hills and flowing creeks and river beds. It was stunning.

For the first half of the trip, Ron and Hermione had to meet with the other Prefects and patrol the corridors so Harry and Holli found a compartment with Luna and Neville. While Holli saw Neville often and had even talked with him a bit, she had never really had an opportunity to talk with Luna.

"Hello, Luna," she greeted the girl who peered at her with protuberant eyes. "I'm Holli."

"Oh, yes, I've seen you around the school. Your head is full of Wrackspurts; I can tell because your eyes always look as though your brain has fuzzed out."

"Er..." Holli began hesitantly as she turned to Harry. "Well, that does explain quite a bit, doesn't it?"

Harry tried to choke back a burst of laughter unsuccessfully. "Yes, it does."

"Don't worry," Luna reassured dreamily, "it happens to the best of us. Harry's head is almost as badly infested as yours is. I do worry about him at times."

Holli grinned at Harry before turning back to Luna. "So, what's new in The Quibbler, Luna?"

Luna reached to the seat beside her and picked up the newest edition of her father's magazine and showed the front cover to Holli. You-Know-Who: Evil Villain or Attacked by Snorglumps?

"What's a Snorglump?" Harry asked as Holli stared at the headline in bewilderment.

"Snorglumps are incredibly small creatures that like to travel in swarms. They have tiny teeth and when they bite you, it feels like an itch. If you don't scratch and bat them away, they will infect you and cause you to go mad. Daddy figures that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would have been much too proud to scratch his itches and now has Lunatitis."

Holli shook her head to clear it. "Lunatitis?"

"The disease that causes madness," Luna answered while providing Holli with an exasperated look. "It's how lunatics come about."

"Ah," Holli said simply. "Well, that explains a lot."

"Yes," Luna agreed. "Daddy is working out a way to prove it now. He'll be able to test it soon."

"Your dad is going to test You-Know-Who for Lunatitis?" Neville questioned suddenly, looking fearful.

"Oh, not immediately, no. He'll find someone else that has the disease and try the test out on them first to see if it works or not."

All three breathed a slight sigh of relief. Obviously, Luna's dad would not be able to test Voldemort anytime soon.

They moved on to other areas of conversation that were less baffling to Holli than the previous had been and soon enough, Ron and Hermione walked through the compartment door.

"Has the snack trolley been by yet?" Ron immediately asked after dropping down beside Holli.

"No, not yet," Neville answered. "Should be here soon, though."

"Oh, good. I don't relish the idea of tracking it down. "

Hours later, the train pulled into King's Cross and the foursome departed the Express as they waved goodbyes to Neville and Luna. Once they had lugged their belongings onto Platform 9 ¾, they each Disapparated with a loud crack, Hermione pulling Ginny along with her.

They reappeared on the outskirts of the Burrow and trudged through the gate and up the path to the house, tugging their trunks along behind them. There was a shriek from just inside the door as it was flung open and a woman with red hair rushed out to greet them.

"There you are," Molly Weasley cried as she gathered the five of them in her arms, which was no mean feat. "I was beginning to worry."

"Mum," Ron groused, "we left as soon as the train pulled into the station."

"Yes, well, I can never be certain," she complained. "I've been watching the clock since I woke this morning. I wanted to be positive nothing happened."

"We're fine, Mum," Ginny assured her mother. "Nothing happened."

"I know that now, but I didn't two minutes ago, now did I?"

"You should have if you were watching the clock," Ron mumbled under his breath.

Mrs. Weasley's sharp eyes trained on her son. "What was that, Ron?"

"Nothing," he replied quickly before reaching back and dragging Holli forward as a distraction. "Mum, this is Holli."

"Oh, hello dear. It's lovely to meet you. I've heard a good deal about you."

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Holli said nervously. "It's wonderful to meet you as well. Thank you for letting me stay. I hope it isn't too much of a bother."

"Oh, not at all, love. Arthur and I are happy to have you," she gushed. "Now go on, you five, and put your things away. Holli, you'll be staying in Ginny's room with her and Hermione. The camp beds are already set up for you two and Harry."

They settled in quickly and then journeyed back downstairs. Holli was just as amazed with the house as Harry had been during his first visit. Everywhere she looked there was something new to discover and the other three let her have a few moments to study what she found. Finally, they dragged her outside and through the snow covered garden.

"Just wait 'til you see the gnomes," Harry whispered to her. "Just don't let them bite you. You won't like them much after that."

Holli grinned. "Ron, your house is amazing!"

Ron rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "It's all right, I suppose. Nothing special."

"Well, it is to us," the other three chorused and a small smile broke out on his face.

Shortly after, Ron managed to talk Harry into throwing a Quaffle to him while he practised his Keeper moves. They traveled up to the orchard and climbed over the fence into the small paddock. Holli and Hermione rested on the posts while they watched Harry and Ron fly around the center of the field. They weren't much for Quidditch, so Holli entertained herself and Hermione by creating figures and characters out of the snow at their feet with various waves of her hands.

Holli was halfway through making an army of snow birds to attack Hermione's army of snow cats when a stray Quaffle came tearing through the figures and destroyed everything they had created. Snow soared up onto the fence and over their heads. Hermione tried to block the frozen water from her face with her hands, but lost her balance and tumbled backwards off the post. Holli reached out to catch her but missed as she continued to fall. Suddenly, Hermione's free fall stopped in mid-air as a pair of arms caught her just before she hit the cold, hard ground.

"Oh," Hermione said breathlessly as the arms righted her. Holli glanced up and grinned when she saw who Hermione's savior was. "Thank you."

"Aren't you just the fitting picture of a muggle superhero, Remus?" Holli teased the man as he snorted.

"Muggle superhero, my arse," he replied with a sniff of disdain.

"I don't know," Holli mused as she raised her hand and began to tick off fingers. "Super hearing, super sense of smell, super strength, lightning fast reflexes, and...I'm missing something, aren't I?" Holli scratched her head in mock puzzlement as Hermione giggled. "What is it? What is it? Oh, yes, I know." She grinned deviously. "The ability to transform into something else. Does that sound like a superhero to you, Hermione?"

"Oh, yes," she answered seriously. "You also forgot to mention the habit of saving poor, helpless damsels in distress."

"Oh, of course. Thank you, Hermione." She turned back to Remus and smiled innocently. "There's that as well."

Remus' mouth worked silently for a long moment before he began, "I don't -" but was cut off as Harry and Ron landed on the other side of the fence. "Oh, thank Merlin," he sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry said quickly. "I lost my grip at the last second and the Quaffle went out of control."

"This discussion isn't over," Holli told Remus pointedly as Hermione turned to the two windswept boys. Remus raised an eyebrow in silent question and Holli tried to conceal her sudden grin as she turned away as well.

"It's all right, I'm fine," Hermione sighed to Harry. "You really should watch yourself, though. If it hadn't been for Remus, I very well might have broken my neck."

"Duh dun nun da," Holli hummed under her breath. Ron and Harry gave her confused looks as Hermione choked on a burst of giggles and Remus exclaimed, "Holli!"

Holli turned large, innocent eyes on him and asked bemusedly, "What did I do?"

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

Three nights later, chaos ran rampant in the Burrow. Order members had been in and out constantly and even more Weasleys were beginning to arrive. The night before Christmas Eve and the house was full to bursting with all the occupants. Fred and George arrived just before dark fell and Holli began to wonder if she would survive until she and Remus departed for Hogwarts the day after Christmas.

"Well, hello, hello," one twin greeted when they saw her.

"I'm George," the other said.

"And I'm Fred."

"Uh...Holli," she replied hesitantly. They had a gleam in their eyes that worried her.

"A pleasure, really," Fred said with a graceful bow.

"Truly," George continued.

"Completely."

"Absolutely."

"Er, thanks," she mumbled. "Well, if you'll ex--"

"So tell us," George began as each twin grabbed an arm and led her away from the others, "how have you been enjoying your stay?"

"Just fine, thank you," Holli said as she attempted to wrestle her arms back.

"Well, that's peachy, isn't it, George?" Fred directed at his twin.

"Oh, yes. Quite plum."

"You know, you are a rather lovely specimen of a woman, wouldn't you agree, dear brother?"

"Simply ravishing. How are you finding the young boys at Hogwarts? Or do you prefer those who are slightly older, by chance?"

Holli gaped at them in disbelief. "You can't be serious," she eventually stated.

"Oh, us? We're always serious," George replied promptly.

"You know, we own our own business. Choosing one of us would make you quite popular," Fred said. "And having you on one of our arms would definitely improve our standing a great deal."

Holli's eyes blazed. "How dare -"

"I'm sorry, Fred, George," a voice interjected from behind her before she could continue any further, "but I must steal Holli away from you for a while. I hope you understand."

"Of course," Fred said.

George winked at Holli. "We'll continue this discussion later, pet."

Holli rounded on Remus as the twins walked away. "What did you do that for?"

"You looked as though you were in need of saving," Remus replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, yes, I did," Holli fairly growled, "but if you hadn't have stepped in when you did, I would have never needed saving again. Now they'll be back."

"Yes, well, that's what I was trying to avoid if you must know. If you ever find yourself on the wrong side of the Weasley twins, you will pay for it your entire life," Remus replied knowingly.

Holli huffed in frustration. "As though I couldn't deal with those two."

Remus smiled and said softly, "I know you could, love, but we have other matters to attend to at the moment."

"What matters?" Holli asked suspiciously.

Remus smiled deviously before saying as he turned away, "Grab your cloak and meet me out in the garden."

"Wait, Remus -" Holli began to call, but he had already disappeared around the corner.

Five minutes later, Holli arrived behind the Burrow donned in all out winter wear.

Remus chuckled when he saw her. "Are you expecting me to bury you beneath the snow for three days, Holli?"

"Well," Holli responded coolly, trying to ignore the flush staining her cheeks, "you were incredibly cryptic as to where we were going. I wanted to be prepared."

Remus grabbed her hand as they began to walk down the path and wrapped a warm arm around her waist once they were out of direct site of the Burrow. "I'm just taking you to meet a couple of people," he said with a playful smile. "But I like that you're prepared."

She was about to ask about the people they were meeting when Remus pulled her through the gate and suddenly Apparated them away from Ottery St. Catchpole. The two reappeared atop a snowy hill overlooking a small village. They trudged down the hill slowly and made their way up the main street, Holli still held snug against Remus' side.

"Where are we, Remus?" Holli asked softly as she looked around the quiet town.

"Painswick," he replied distractedly. "It's a bit south of Gloucester. This is where I grew up."

Holli started against his side. "Where you -?"

Remus nodded and hummed in reply before he steered them left and through a small wrought iron gate. Holli glanced around at the mounds of snow piled intermittently around the square they had stepped into. She spied another gate on the other side of the enclosure and figured Remus was leading her through a shortcut when he began to make his way across.

He maneuvered through the mounds for quite some time as though walking through a memorized maze. Finally, he stopped before two snow piles and knelt down before them, swiping a gentle hand over the frozen dust. Holli gasped quietly when she realised what was beneath the snow. These weren't simple mounds of snow. They were in a cemetery.

"Holli," Remus whispered from his perch on the ground as he began to wipe clean the other headstone, "I'd like you to meet my parents: John and Cira Lupin."

Holli slowly knelt down beside Remus and laid a gentle hand on his arm. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know." She took a deep breath. "What happened to them?"

Remus lightly brushed his fingers over the carved work of the stones as he replied, "It was about a year after I left Hogwarts. My father became ill suddenly and he did not last very long. Two months, six days. When he died, my mother simply gave up. They had loved one another with a passion that could never be rivaled and I had realised that at a young age. It wasn't much of a surprise when she followed him soon after. Two months, six days to be exact. I've always thought there may have been something in that. Maybe Love really does contain some sort of power that no one ever realises is there."

Holli huffed out a soft breath of laughter, her breath freezing before her lips. "Of course there is, Remus. Love is the greatest power of all."

Remus turned his gaze to hers and studied her eyes for a long moment before nodding. "The ultimate power."

"Yes," she agreed as she wove her arm through his, "nothing in this world can stop it. Not even death."

Remus continued to stare at her as though he were attempting to solve a difficult puzzle. Holli turned her attention back to the markers so as to avoid his piercing eyes.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin," she greeted softly. "I truly wish that I could have known you. If you son is any indication, you must have been marvelous people. He's doing well, just so you know, and I'm pretty sure that he's happy. I hope he is, at least, and I'll do everything I can to make sure he stays that way. I know you already know this, but Remus is strong, so you don't have to worry about him. Your son fights whatever life throws at him head on with nary a complaint even if he does deserve to have them." Holli turned to Remus and smiled at him before bending closer to the stones and whispering something so softly that even Remus couldn't hear what she said.

Remus settled himself back upon the snow and waited until she was finished. When she raised herself from the graves, he reached up and wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her between his legs and pinned her snugly against his chest. Holli leaned her head back against his shoulder and looked up at him to see him smiling questioningly down at her.

"What?" she asked.

"What were you whispering on about?"

Holli turned her eyes back to the stones and replied innocently, "I'm positive I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

Remus hummed suspiciously. "Obviously it's something well worth hiding, hm? What secrets are you keeping in that mind of yours, love?"

"Not a thing," she directed at him with a sly smile working its way on her lips. She tried to ignore it when her heart palpitated in her chest while his eyes studied hers intensely.

Remus chuckled softly. "You're lying, Holli," he said as he leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss.

Holli hummed in the back of her throat to show her approval. It may have sounded cliché even to her own mind, but she felt as though she was melting right there in middle of the snow. How one simple man could cause her to lose every bit of reason and sense she possessed, Holli wasn't sure. Then again, however, Remus Lupin really was no ordinary man.

Eventually, Remus reluctantly pulled away as Holli grunted in protest.

"As much as I'd like to continue this, Holli," he said in a huff of laughter at her disgruntled expression, "a graveyard really is not the place."

"If you say so," Holli grumbled, but quirked her lips in a small smile to show she was teasing.

Remus tightened his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. "Would you mind if we stayed here for a while?" he asked her.

"Not at all," she answered, reaching up to brush a hand over his cheek.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I don't have much of a chance to come anymore. It's nice to sit and pretend that I can still feel them like they're here."

Holli turned her head and looked up at him. He was smiling slightly, but his eyes were staring at the markers as though he were looking for something hidden beyond them. Holli's breath hitched; it was heartbreaking to see him like that.

"We'll stay as long as you like," she whispered as he placed a gentle kiss atop her head.

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

Christmas came and went, filled with too much talk, food and gifts. Christmas day pushed the Burrow to the breaking points with all the extra guests, both Weasleys and Order members. Holli managed to avoid the twins fairly easily by becoming Mrs. Weasley's new personal shadow under the pretense that she wanted a close look at how magic served to prepare food. Kingsley Shacklebolt arrived early in the afternoon with a pink-haired Tonks, and a scarred and battle worn Mad-Eye Moody in tow. All three had not been quite what Holli had expected.

Kingsley had been both less and more intimidating than she had ever assumed. Holli had expected Tonks and Remus to feel standoffish of one another, but she was surprisingly mistaken. Both chatted amicably with each other about general topics with no sign of discomfort. And Moody was both gruffer and more menacing than the books had ever described. Staring at his scarred face, Holli felt a shiver of trepidation creep down her spine.

Talk of the war abounded during the day, much to the consternation of Mrs. Weasley. More and more Muggles were dying every day and there was nothing the Order could do to stop it. Voldemort had even moved on to attacking pureblooded wizards who denied joining him. With more attacks and less victories, everyone was beginning to feel the strain of the war.

The day after Christmas came, and with it, Remus and Holli's departure. Remus had informed Mrs. Weasley the day of their arrival that they would be leaving for Hogwarts early as Holli had serious studying to accomplish. This wasn't strictly the truth, but not only would it give the two time to themselves to enjoy the holiday, it would also provide the Weasley family with some much needed privacy time as well. Harry had provided her with a knowing smile when he heard the excuse.

"Grab my arm," Remus said as they walked through the gate.

Holli frowned. "I'm perfectly capable of Apparating myself to Hogsmeade, Remus."

Remus smiled cunningly at her disgruntled expression. "Who says we're going to Hogwarts?" He reached out and grabbed her arm before she could do more than open her mouth. They reappeared in a large empty field.

"Er...where are we, Remus?" Holli asked hesitantly.

"Painswick," Remus replied, trying to contain his grin as Holli whipped her head around to stare at him.

"Again?" she asked. "It doesn't look the same."

"Well, no," he said. "We're on the very outskirts of Painswick where there isn't anything for three miles."

"You brought me out here to kill me, didn't you?" Holli asked with a teasing grin. "It sounds like a terrible horror movie. As in no one is close enough to hear me scream."

Remus snorted. "Kill you, indeed." He glanced down at her as an impish grin worked its way upon his lips. "Though I do like the point you made about no one hearing you scream. That'll come in handy."

Holli choked with surprise. "Remus!" she finally gasped out.

He looked at her innocently. "What?"

Holli scoffed as she said, "Now I see how you managed to slide under your professor's noses when you were at school." She shook her head. "I can't believe you said that."

Remus grinned once more as he reached down and took her hand, pulling her forward through the field.

"Remus, where are we going? There's nothing but a load of trees out there."

"No," he said as he waved his wand in the air, "that's just all you can see." He smiled when he heard her gasp as a house appeared before the backdrop of trees. "This is where I've lived my entire life. My parents left it to me after they passed."

It wasn't much, he had to admit. It was a small, two story cottage with miles of land on all sides. Behind the house was a small fenced in garden where his mother had spent most of her time. Beyond the garden was a grove of trees that concealed a flowing creek and then more open fields.

"Welcome to Speranza Cottage," he said with a large sweep of his arm. "It isn't anything special, but..."

"I think it's perfect," Holli told him quietly. "What does the name mean? Speranza?"

"Hope," Remus replied. "It's Italian for hope. Hope Cottage, but my mother was part Italian so she wanted that to show in our home." He led her through the front door and into a small hallway. To the left was a stair way that led up to the second floor where two bedrooms and a bathroom was located. To the right was a large archway leading into the living room. Down the hall and through the swinging door before them was the kitchen which had two doors leading off of it; one to the back garden and one to the basement.

"Wow," Holli said, "it looks as though you were just here yesterday. There's hardly a speck of dust anywhere."

"Er...well, not yesterday," Remus told her sheepishly. "I came here the day we left Hogwarts, before I went to the Burrow."

Holli turned to him in surprise. "You've been planning this?" she asked in surprise.

"Just a bit," he answered, shoving his hands deep in his pockets. Liar, his mind objected. Truth be told, Remus had planned this out the moment Holli had told him she was going to the Burrow for the holiday. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you first, but I wanted it to be a surprise. We don't have to stay if you don't like. I just figured we'd have a bit more privacy here than at Hogwarts."

A slow smile was creeping onto Holli's face. "Well," Holli replied with a look of exaggerated thoughtfulness upon her face, "since you went through so much trouble, I suppose I can tough it out with you here."

Holli yelped suddenly and dashed halfway up the stairs as Remus swatted at her bum. He shook his head as she peered through the banister at him.

"So," she called, a glint entering her eyes of promises to come, "are you going to show me the rest of the house, or aren't you?" Remus quickly followed after Holli, scooping her into his arms and carrying her over the landing and out of sight, Holli's shocked laughter lingering in the stairwell.

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

The following days were interesting, to say the least. Meals were something of a hindrance. Remus was terrible at Potions, as he had told her many times, which made Holli incredibly wary of his cooking. Remus, however, assured her that his creations were, if not delectable, then at least edible. Holli had conceded to the point, but Remus could still spy the doubt lurking in her eyes, much to his amusement. Unsurprisingly to Remus at least, Holli did not perish of food poisoning during their stay.

Their days were spent wandering through the village and the land surrounding Speranza Cottage, while their nights were spent within the house, talking, reading, or simply curled up with one another before the fire. Holli had become quite fond of the grove and creek behind the cottage and pulled Remus along with her there more often than not. She remarked once that it was the most peaceful place she had ever encountered.

One night, after dinner had been eaten and cleaned up and the sun had set, Remus suggested they take one more walk down by the creek before they went to bed. Holli readily agreed and, once they were tightly bound in cloaks, made their way through the garden and into the wood. They walked silently for quite some time, both held close to the other's side. The moon was just five days shy of being full and provided enough light for them to see by without tripping over tree roots and other stray objects.

They came across a clump of large rocks positioned next to the creek bed and seated themselves upon them. Remus reached over and pulled Holli tightly against his side as she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly.

"It's beautiful out here at night," she said.

"It is," Remus agreed. "My mum used to think so, too. This was her favourite place. She used to tell me she could have spent the rest of her life sitting right here."

Holli smiled. "I can understand what she meant."

Remus hummed and said, "There actually is a reason I dragged you out here, you know?"

"Is there?" she asked bemusedly. "Other than the enjoyment of my company, you mean?"

Remus chuckled. "Other than that, yes. I wanted to give you something. I found it earlier when I was rooting through the attic for that book. They belonged to my mum."

Remus reached inside his cloak pocket and pulled out a small grey box. He handed it to Holli and she opened it tentatively. Inside laid a pair of silver earrings, both adorned with a dangling frog.

"Oh, Remus," Holli sighed explosively. "They're beautiful, but I can't accept these. They were your mother's; you should keep them."

Remus pushed the box back toward Holli when she tried to give it back to him. "No, Holli, I want you to have them. You remind me a lot of my mother at times. Not too much of course, as that would be odd, but in ways. I think she would have liked you." He smiled slightly. "She was as mad about frogs as you are for some odd reason. My dad gave those to her the night before their wedding. There are very few times throughout my life that I can't remember her wearing them."

Holli stretched up and pulled Remus into a deep kiss. "Thank you," she said when they pulled apart. "They really are perfect."

Remus smiled brightly at her. "I'm happy you like them."

"C'mon," Holli prompted at she grabbed his hand and pulled him off the rock. "Let's go play in the snow."

"What are we, ten?" Remus asked rhetorically just before a well aimed snowball exploded across his chest.

"Of course we are, silly. Didn't you know?" Holli cried between bursts of laughter. "I received a call from your inner child the other day. Apparently, you no longer allow him to come out and play. I'm here to rectify the situation." She yelped as snow flew over her head. "Remus!" she growled as she ducked behind a tree trunk just in time to avoid another hurtling ball of snow.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I'm only doing what you wanted me to."

"And at my expense!" she shrieked as she dove behind another tree before sending her own ammunition flying.

Remus laughed uproariously as he dodged the compacted snow and then made a dive at Holli, tackling her to the frozen ground.

"Ooff," Holli exhaled on a breath of air as her back hit the snow. They looked at each other for a long moment as they lay chest against chest before they both broke out into gales of laughter.

As they both sobered a bit, Holli chuckled out, "Well, at least now we can try our hand at making a double snow angel." She glanced around at their sprawled limbs and frowned slightly. "Though it may come out looking a bit mutated."

Remus snorted as he grabbed Holli's hands in both of his and stretched their arms out from their sides. He pushed them deep into the snow before pulling her arms parallel to her side and then swinging them back up and over her head. He repeated the motion a few more times, all the while keeping his eyes trained on hers. When he was finished, he lifted her snow covered hands to his lips and placed gentle kisses upon each.

"See," he told her softly. "You make a beautiful angel."

Holli chuckled. "Only when you have a hand in it. Without you, my angel wouldn't be worth looking at."

Remus reached up and ran his fingers through her fanned out hair before cupping her face with his hands.

"You are beautiful, Holli," he told her reverently. "Everything you say or do; everything you make and create; everything you are is the most magnificent thing I have ever seen or heard or felt before. If given the chance I would not change one single thing about you, because without one small piece you wouldn't be you." Suddenly, Remus felt as though his heart was going to beat straight out of his chest and he could contain the words he had wanted to say so many times no longer. "I love you, Holli," he whispered in a voice strangled with suppressed emotion.

Holli sucked in a surprised breath of air. "You -" she began before stuttering to a stop.

"Yes," he answered without taking his eyes off of hers, "I do. I have for quite some time, actually, though I do believe that I'm only beginning to realise just how much."

Holli reached a tentative hand up and began to brush her fingertips along the contours of his face. The last piece of skin she touched was his eyelids, sliding them closed a fraction of a second after he spied the tears entering her eyes. Next thing he felt was her lips pressed passionately against his and he could feel something sparking to life inside of him.

"That's what I told your parents. I love you, too," she whispered against his lips and the gentle spark became a roaring blaze of burning fire coursing all through his body. He reached his hands back and threaded his fingers through her hair as he deepened the kiss once more. His mouth moved and traced the line of her jaw, journeying to the sensitive point behind her ear, and traveling down her neck as Holli's fingers grappled with his cloak.

They made love on the bed of the frozen creek. It would not be to say that this time was strictly better or superior to previous encounters. There was, however, something slightly more fierce and savage within knowing that both contained the same burning passion inside their souls. Neither noticed the cold of the air and ground or the wet snow beneath their skin. All they were aware of was the feel of the other's body pressed tightly against theirs.

Holli's fingers dug into the skin of Remus' back as they screamed their pleasure into the night. They rolled and heaved and thrust to the rhythm of the other's moans and gasps and from a distance, it would look like a sort of beautiful and tragic dance. A raven croaked somewhere within the night at the last strangled cry of release and flew away with an almost silent flap of wings as the pale figures below collapsed into one another and the larger of the two gathered the smaller into their arms tightly.

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

A/N: Once again, thanks to my beta, easleyweasley! Also, we are about halfway through this story. Not chapter wise, of course, but according to the school year at Hogwarts, yes we are. This entire fic will be split into two (three?) parts so I'm beginning consider the sequel. I already have my entire plot line planned out, but the only thing I need to decide on is the sequels title. I am going to leave this up to you guys to decide! On my profile (which can be found by clicking here: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2002223/Heart_of_Spellz), I have a poll going with different pre-selected options. The choice with the highest votes by the time I'm ready to start the next part will be the title. So, drop by and make your choice! Every vote counts! :-D