ATHENE {remus lupin}

SIXTY FOUR

Only thirty minutes after Dora Tonks left Shell Cottage, a loud banging startled the remaining people in the house.  Remus Lupin got up immediately with his wand drawn and went to see who was disturbing them. He arrived back into the kitchen with Kingsley, the man looked startled and stressed.

"You alright, Kingsley?" Charlie asked slowly.

"Harry Potter is in Hogwarts." He said quickly.

Athene had been in a daydream, staring out of the window and pondering Tonks' actions. It was dark outside and there was a grey tint to the evening sky which shrouded the stars, she felt miserable. Her head snapped up at Kinglsey's words.

"I-how?" Athene asked in shock.

"We don't know-"

"The passage that we used!" Athene exclaimed.

"We don't think so..."

"But he has the map!"

Remus shook his head, "I don't think Harry knows where that passage leads..."

"How?"

"The Room of Requirement doesn't show up on the map, only the marauders and I, and then Fred and George after they followed the passage from Hogsmeade, actually know where that ends up..."

"And surely he wouldn't risk going to Hogsmeade?" Fleur said, "I mean, there's death eaters everywhere!"

"There's death eaters everywhere anyway," Athene grumbled.

"How Harry Potter has gotten into Hogwarts is not our current problem, he can tell you that if he survives-" Kingsley started.

As he spoke a cat patronus entered the kitchen and everyone went silent, each order member eyeing each other with identical panic.

 Fleur clutched Athene's hand, they had come to learn that an unexpected patronus never meant good news.

Minerva Mcgonagall's voice boomed through the house,

"Harry Potter is in Hogwarts. The staff and students have begun to defend the castle. You-Know-Who is on is way. We need all the defense that we can get, come as soon as you can, go to the Hog's Head. They are waiting there."

Athene jumped up from her seat, wand in hand, Bill and Charlie followed her actions, both grabbing their wands and walking over to where Remus stood ready by the door. Bill kissed his wife's head but the witch looked up at her husband and shook her head, standing up herself. Bill sighed and tried to push his wife back down but the French witch would not be moved.

"I will not stay here, William," she snapped.

"Fleur, sweetheart, please-" He started.

"Non!" She exclaimed, walking away from his grip and standing beside Kingsley. 

"Fleur..." Athene started, "you're pregnant..."

"I'm a couple of months pregnant, I am not an idiot, I can fight."

"Fleur-" Athene begun to protest.

"Non!" The witch exclaimed again, "if my friends, my husband, everyone I know is to die, then I will die too."

"Thanks for the hope, Delacour," Athene muttered to her, gripping her hand. If there was one thing that she had learnt about Fleur Delacour, it was that she always got her own way, and that arguing with her was often pointless.

"Weasley," Fleur whispered back, with a wink.

"We can't argue about this all bloody night," Kingsley groaned. "We need as many people as we can get, so whoever wants to come, is coming."