Backfire

September 1995 rolled by quicker than Harry on his Firebolt could circle the entire Quidditch Pitch. Much like she had when she was preparing herself for her fourth year, Holland Avery woke up with a beaming smile, appreciating the tidiness of her room one last time before grabbing her trunk and heading down the stairs. Her room was a lot different than it had been a year ago, plain lavender walls were now covered in moving pictures, some pictures were of her with Draco and Pansy, staring broodily into the camera with expressions that screamed, "Don't cross us,". They were all in their black and green school robes, positioned at the entrance hall. As the picture moved, Holland could be easily spotted quickly changing from her fierce stare and breaking into a wink, Draco, Aurora, and Pansy trying not to smirk when they snuck a glance at her from the corners of their eyes. Other pictures were of her with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. It was them sitting on the rock they've always perched themselves on by the lake. They were all sporting the toothiest grins, Holland immediately tussling Harry's on Ron's heads, Hermione laughing from where she sat. Some pictures were even with Fred and George, her most favorite tricksters in the world. Their pictures were taken mostly in random corridors, the three peering from corners, wands at the ready as they were levitating what was obviously a toilet seat as they waited for their next victim. And of course, majority of her pictures were of her and her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory. As a joke, Draco Malfoy gifted her a moving image of herself on the windowsill with none other than the boy himself, but it was when he was completely taken with the love potion, trying to break through the outstretched hands of Holland as she did what she could to keep him away from her. Of course other pictures were of Cedric and Holland completely sober and not at all bewitched to like another. Holland's favorite was a picture of Cedric teaching her how to mount a broomstick, the girl shaking in hesitance and accidentally carrying Cedric with her as the broomstick carried her away from the ground. There wasn't a day where Holland didn't look at any of these pictures without laughing to herself. Most of her summer consisted of writing all of her friends, inviting some over for dinner as well. The only person who was ever over almost every week, though, was Cedric as he was eighteen and allowed to do magic out of school.

Holland rued the day Cedric apparated in her room for the first time. It was her third day of her period, the television in her room playing Breakfast at Tiffany's, she'd just entered her room balancing a tall glass of a cookies and cream milkshake, a big bowl of salt and vinegar chips mixed with popcorn, and a box of tissues as it seemed she was ready to cry her eyes out. Just then, as she'd very much fortunately placed her food down, a loud crack echoed through the room, Holland crying out but the sound being muffled by a single hand over her mouth.

"It's me, I'm sorry! You said you were feeling ill and I thought I could stop by," Cedric explained hastily, not wanting Holland's parents to think they were doing something teenagers who had their parents in the same building shouldn't be doing. Holland breathed out in relief once Cedric's hand left her mouth. She eyed his glorious appearance. Not that he needed it, but it seemed that Cedric had grown even more handsome in the summer holidays. He looked taller, his hair flowed longer, and Holland couldn't even dare to talk about how his clothes seemed to be more and more fit around the arms, outlining how much more firm his biceps had gotten. Once she'd finished checking her boyfriend out, she realized that the hand he hadn't used to cover her mouth was occupied with a basket. From what she could see, it had a handful of assorted sweets from Honeydukes accompanied by muggle care products such as a heat compress, and a stuffed dog, a Basset Hound to be exact. Holland smiled at the gesture of her boyfriend coming over to hand her such a wonderful surprise, but she took the Basset Hound from the basket and sent him a questioning look.

"Outgoing and persistent creatures, they are. It's my patronus," Cedric explained as he took the Basset Hound from his girlfriend and began to spin it on his index finger. Holland mentally swooned at how talented Cedric was. To conjure a patronus was no easy task, Harry and Professor Lupin took ages to have Harry conjure his, and when he did, Professor Lupin was surprised, himself. He smiled at Holland before setting the basket down where her desk was before engulfing his girlfriend in a hug. "I'd say I missed you but I know you'll hit me with a pillow if I did," He mumbled through her hair. It was true, there was not a week that went by that Cedric hadn't stopped by, and him jokingly telling Holland he missed her was getting tiring despite the fact that Cedric seemed to find it funnier the more he said it. Once they'd broken apart from the hug, Cedric realized he heard people talking. He turned to eye Audrey Hepburn curiously before looking back at Holland. "What's she doing in there?" Holland chuckled softly to herself before grabbing her chips and milkshake and putting it on a tray that was situated on her bed. She positioned herself comfortably on one side of the bed, patting the free space for Cedric to join her. Once he did, she explained to him how the muggle television and filming worked.

"Holland, sweetie, breakfast's ready!" Imelda Avery's voice called from downstairs. Holland turned the lights off before closing her door as she made her way down the stairs. Her father was home and a lot more secure and rested since the last time she's seen him. Dumbledore had dropped by one day to seal the house with various enchantments that were sure could conceal the place from any death eater or even Lord Voldemort himself. Though it was not permanent, Dumbledore seemed to imply that he did not mind going through frequent visits to see if the Fidelius charm needed touching up. Dumbledore casted the Fidelius Charm flawlessly, making himself the secret-keeper. Any other person who was not informed of the said secret were not able to see their house with a blind eye for as long as Dumbledore does not share where the location is. And to everyone's knowledge, they were sure no trespasser could ever get word from Dumbledore. Of course, the charm being cast in the house was tricky as Holland still wanted to write to her friends. It was agreed in the family that Holland was allowed to write, but her mother would be the one to have her letters delivered. Imelda had to go out and borrow a trustee neighbor's owl. The trouble made Holland feel guilty, so she always had letters delivered in batches and made sure she could also have Imelda give the owl special treats she'd made for it as flying to a handful of different locations were no easy task for one bird. Having the house almost invisible seemed impossible to have Cedric over, of course. Holland was sure that her parents would have told her that the less people who knew about the house, the better. But only the second day after the charm had been cast, Holland walked down the stairs with slightly matted and disheveled hair to be met with the sight of her parents shoving plates of breakfast and cookies down her boyfriend's nose.

"What are you two doing!" Holland said in horror at the sight of her parents smothering her boyfriend. She ran and hugged her Cedric.

"It's nice seeing him standing and breathing," Rufus joked darkly, referring to the time he was in the graveyard and under the impression that Cedric was dead. Before Holland or Imelda could point out how terrible and unfunny his joke was, he spoke once more. "Now, son, you let Amos and Dahlia know they're welcome anytime. Be very careful when you tell them about the location, never say it aloud, write it down if you have to and burn it as soon as possible," Rufus told Cedric.

"We take your word for it. If Lucius's son is loyal enough to you to guarantee that his friends don't tell his parents about you and Cedric, then we trust your judgement." Rufus said gently with a smile on his face. But of course the thought that Cedric could be interrogated for the information of her father's whereabouts was terrifying for Holland.

"As long as you two are with Harry Potter and Dumbledore, you two will be safe. Don't go wandering on elsewhere, and don't believe anything the ministry says," Imelda followed. Though she didn't need to say the last sentence, Holland and Cedric were very much aware that the Ministry of Magic was slowly losing their marbles. Cornelius Fudge, the minister of magic, seems to have no intentions of informing the wizarding world of Voldemort's return. And though Cedric had a few honorable mentions in the paper, of course it was Harry who had large moving photograph in the headlines, being called someone who craved attention. It didn't help his situation when a few days ago, news spread that he'd been attacked in Little Winging by dementors, and was forced to conjure a Patronus charm in front of his muggle cousin. Being younger than seventeen, the ministry immediately found the opportunity to expel him. Dumbledore was quick to act, and Harry was scheduled a hearing instead. Holland wished she could drop by Grimmauld Place, her parents were members of the Order of the Phoenix, a group of wizards who fought for Dumbledore in the first wizarding war. Majority had died in battle, but all fought wonderfully. Imelda and Rufus were told of Grimmauld's Place location by Dumbledore, as he was secret-keeper for it as well. They were told that they could drop by anytime, but the family never found the time to do so.

Back to present day, Holland walked in her house's bright kitchen, basking in the scent of sweet maple mixed with the savory smell of bacon. It was pure heaven to Holland as it was her favorite.

"Where is Cedric, darling?" Rufus asked as he swallowed a piece of his pancake. He seemed to have been reading The Daily Prophet, but had evidently given up by the looks of a crumpled up first page, Harry's image distorted as another codswallop of a headline had angered Rufus.

"No idea. He hadn't really told me if we were meeting here or at King's Cross," Holland answered, looking out the window as she pondered.

"Oh, sweetheart, eat your breakfast, you have to move quickly. Alastor will be bringing you to the station, alright?" Imelda said sadly. Holland was to live the rest of her life guarded by members of the Order and Dumbledore, but this was nothing to be sad about, to be honest. Holland had always lived a strictly protected life, the idea of being with members of the Order actually made her heart leap with joy as she was assured she and her parents would be safe. No wizard in their right mind would try to ask Mad-Eye Moody where a certain location was. And if they did, there'd be some kind of skullduggery if he'd even answer. Just as Imelda was pouring orange juice in Rufus's glass, a crack startles everyone, nearly causing an orange explosion upon everyone in the kitchen.

"Goodness gracious, my boy!" Rufus laughed as he clapped Cedric's back. Imelda recovered from her previous state of startlement, shaking her head and smiling at the boy.

"Good morning, dear," She said as she hugged her daughter's boyfriend. "How are Amos and Dahlia?"

"They're wonderful, they let me drop by. Holland and I will be meeting them at the station." Cedric said politely.

"Well, sit down now, boy. Put some food in you!" Rufus insisted, standing up from his chair and offering it to Cedric.

"Oh, no thank you, Mister Avery. Already ate with mum and dad before leaving," He grinned, an expression which Rufus returned. While everyone was basking in the glory of Holland's perfect boyfriend, Holland was scarfing down her breakfast, looking like she was trying to inhale the entire plate.

"Sweetheart, you might want to slow down and not look like a sow in front of Cedric," Imelda scolds, Cedric not minding and laughing at how silly Holland was.

"I think she's wonderful," Cedric says, watching Holland gulp her glass of orange juice as if she hadn't gotten the chance to drink anything the entire summer.

"And we have no idea why," Imelda joked, earning a strangled whine of a grunt from her daughter. "Please don't ever leave her, you've made her tolerable," She joked once more, everyone except Holland laughing.

"I didn't wake up today just to be insulted by my family," Holland grumbled, crossing her arms as she wiped her mouth.

"Oh, you know we're just taking the mickey, Holly Polly." Rufus cooed, Holland's eyes widening in horror as she realized Cedric had never heard Rufus ever call her that before. Holland courageously snuck a glance at Cedric. He was pretending to be smiling at Rufus, but Holland knew just why he was smiling like a cheshire cat.

Just then, Imelda glanced at the clock in their kitchen. "Better get a move on and finish up, dears. Where on earth is Alastor?" Imelda wondered aloud. As if she'd summoned him, the real-life Alastor Moody had apparated in the house.

"There you are. You better look after my children!" Rufus roared, smiling as if he hadn't been this happy for the longest time. His remark made Cedric blush as Cedric began to hug Rufus and Imelda goodbye.

"Be good, darling. No more funny business, please." Imelda pleaded in a half grin.

"No promises," Holland winked at her mom before kissing her mum's cheek and turning to kiss her dad's.

"After what these two have done for me? I'd like to see those death eaters try me," Mad-Eye responded nodding in greeting to Holland and Cedric. "We better get going, we still have Potter to go to." Alastor told the pair.

"We're going to Grimmauld?" Holland asked excitedly, bouncing where she stood.

"Yes, should have given you two a heads up," He looked at Rufus and Imelda. "We're escorting him as well."

"Well the more, the merrier." Imelda said softly with a smile as she handed Holland her trunk. Mad-Eye handed out his arm for Holland grab onto. "Rufus, Imelda." He gives a curt nod of goodbye before turning on the spot, Cedric following suit and turning on the spot as well. Holland was greeted with the most unusual sensation, feeling like she'd been forced in a tube. The three land on their feet, Holland's eyes were greeted with an unfamiliar street, but before she could look around some more, she doubled over trying not to vomit.

"Blimey, was that your first time?" Cedric asked, immediately holding onto Holland.

"Handled it better than others, I must say." Alastor said. Once Holland had recovered, she let go of her abdomen and held on to Cedric for support as she stood up straighter, now examining the peaceful street they were in. In front of her was a normal, unsuspecting line of apartments. This made Holland frown.

"How are we going to where we're going?" She asked, knowing better than to announce the exact location once she'd realized that after apartment 11 was apartment 13 and was probably not a funny accident.

"Memorize this, don't read it aloud." He handed Cedric a piece of ripped paper before subtly pointing his wand at the area where apartment 11 and 13 joined. Just then, the two apartments were separating. More and more, an entrance identical to apartments 11 and 13 was making its way out of nowhere, the residents of the shaking apartments continuing on with their lives and activities as if nothing was going on at all. Of course as they were muggles, that's probably what they knew, not knowing that there was indeed a 12th apartment, just not visible to their eye. And there it was in its full glory. Mad-Eye took the parchment from Holland and Cedric and led them to the building. Once they'd entered, Holland and Cedric were immediately greeted by cheers and hugs. The first to have hugged Holland was George, telling her how much he's missed her and how excited he was to show her the new products they've concocted over the holidays. Holland found herself in a very emerald-clad house after hugging the twins. Everything was the color green, and before Holland could greet anyone else back, her and Cedric jumped at the booming voice of a woman.

"FILTHY, FILTHY PEOPLE! MINGLING WITH THE LIKES OF MUDBLOODS—" Holland's eyes widen at the intensity of the hatred, wondering how they could ever live with such a woman.

"My mother. Quite the charmer, isn't she?" Sirius Black asked from upstairs, a smile on his face as he and Remus Lupin struggled to close the curtains of the portrait. Holland found herself relieved at the fact that the voice belonged to a portrait and not an actual living resident of the place. After she'd let out a breath of relief, she found herself flushing as her eyes landed on her former professor. She'd always had the most baffling crush on the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Hogwarts ever had. Sirius and Remus both made their way downstairs and each hugged Holland, the girl feeling buck-kneed once she was in the arms of the werewolf. From behind her were Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins, all laughing as they knew just how much she fancied him. They all now walked to the kitchen, all trunks and bags lined up before the front door. Once people had settled, Remus turned to Holland again.

"Glad to see you're doing well. I've heard about your father," He said quietly, despite the seriousness of the situation, Holland's cheeks were burning.

"We're all doing well. Dumbledore's been an enormous help." She answered, cheeks hurting not only from the blushing, but also because of how much she'd been smiling.

"You're going to have to keep this girl close to you, mate." Fred joked to Cedric who didn't seem to catch on. Holland wanted to turn around and hit Fred, but knowing that doing so would just make matters worse.

"Good to see you, Holland." Sirius winked as before letting his eyes fall on Cedric. "I don't believe we've met?"

"This is my boyfriend, Cedric Diggory. Cedric, this is—" Holland was cut off by an amazed Cedric.

"Sirius Black?" He asked in confusion. He had surely recognized him when he was in every cover of The Daily Prophet two years ago. How could have Dumbledore permitted the headquarters of his best wizards to be in the residence of a mass murderer and prison escapee?

"The only," Sirius bowed his head jokingly.

"Long story, I'll tell you on the train." Holland told Cedric as he greeted his former professor.

"Good to see you, sir." Cedric smiles politely, the man smiling back. Seeing two of the most attractive people communicate that way had Holland feeling some type of way, she didn't know how to handle the situation, coughing quietly and playing with the collar of her shirt in discomfort. Just then, a woman emerges from the farthest door of the hall that was before them, Holland could recognize that violently purple hair anywhere.

"Dora!" Holland shrieked, running to hug her friend. "You could have told me!"

"I didn't know, either. Someone just happened to let it slip that he was going to escort one of my closest friends to King's Cross," She shot a pointed look at Alastor. Once Tonks had been accepted as an auror, she was taken under Mad-Eye's wing and had become his apprentice, the two were always bickering, but they seem too have become very close with one another. In that moment, Tonks's eyes landed on Cedric.

"Hold on a second, I know this boy," She said, coming up to hug her former housemate. Cedric was politely watching Tonks and Holland talk, waiting for a chance to talk as well.

"Yeah, you do. Quidditch has never been the same since you left," Cedric admitted with a smile as he and Tonks hugged each other. It seemed people were surprised that they knew each other, but put two and two together and just smiled at the scene. What caught Holland's attention though was the expression that was formed in Remus Lupin's face. Once Tonks and Cedric had broken apart, Tonks and Remus eyes met, and both blushed before averting their eyes. Holland had to bite her cheek to prevent herself from smirking. So she's into the older ones, she thought to herself.

"What's that on your neck, Holly?" Fred's mischievous voice echoed through the entrance of Grimmauld Place. Holland's eyes widen for a moment before clearing her throat.

"There's nothing on my neck, Freddie." She said with burning cheeks, hoping Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were too preoccupied smothering the new prefect of the family to have heard.

"Yes, there i—"

"No, I don't." Holland pointed her wand at Fred, who knew she couldn't actually do anything, but decided to put his hands up in surrender anyway. Much fortunately for Holland, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley having been talking to Mad-Eye about how they were all traveling to the station. But other than the three, it seemed that the entire room had heard what Fred had said.

"Alright, alright. I won't talk about the giant hickey on your neck anymore!" Mr. and Mrs. Weasley snapped their heads towards the children and Tonks who were howling in laughter, Sirius and Lupin smirking at the refreshingly entertaining youth before them. "They're even bigger than the ones you used to give her, Georgie!" It was now both George and Holland who buried their face in her hands, the lot were all laughing and nudging her, Cedric not helping at all with the situation but instead looking as if he could be mistaken as someone who'd just won his team the Quidditch cup.

"Enough with the pleasantries. The train leaves in 15 minutes," Alastor had miraculously saved Holland and grumbled the need for their departure. At this point, Molly and the others were handing out packed lunches and telling everyone to take care. Since the station was close enough, everyone would be traveling by foot. Cedric seemed to be pleasantly surprised by the entire group, Holland didn't think it was possible to see him even more pleased, not until Sirius transformed into a dog in front of Cedric.

"Brilliant! He's an animagus, Holly!" He said, watching Sirius push the already open door of 12 Grimmauld and chasing around the birds outside.

"Don't let him hear you, he shows off enough." Remus told Cedric, making him and Holland chuckle.

"Call him Snuffles," Holland told him gently as everyone walked outside. The lot were now walking, Sirius prancing with them. Holland leaned down to pet him, scratching behind his ear. Holland let out a surprised yelp when Sirius decided to jump on her and lick her face.

"Down, Padfoot!" Alastor scolds as they climbed up the stairs of an overpass. The weather was the usual London gloom, clouds almost taking up the entire sky, and the winds calm. Holland always found the weather in Hogwarts better, the winds were almost never-ending, but there was still sun that made it perfect to stay outside. Holland's eyes then fell on Harry, he seemed quite out of it. But then again, if Holland went through what Harry was going through, she wouldn't feel overjoyed either. So when Holland saw Harry laughing and playing with his godfather who was now a dog, it made Holland smile.

-

The group were now all in front of the boarding train, each student giving hugs and waves of goodbyes to the members of the Order.

"It was so nice to meet you lot," Tonks were holding Ginny's and Hermione's hands before hugging them. She then turned to face Holland. "You better write to me, you sneaky girl. You have a lot to explain," She shot a knowing glance at Cedric who was saying goodbye to his parents.

"Oh, that's a bit rich coming from you, innit?" Holland teased, and to Tonks's horror, shooting the same knowing glance at Remus, who had fortunately been talking to Sirius to notice that he was the topic of discussion.

"That...No, I—"

"Mmhm," Holland smirked, knowing that Tonks had to escape from the confrontation. Sirius and Remus were no longer talking, now watching the pair talk. Cedric had said his goodbye to his parents, walking over to Holland so she could say goodbye to them as well.

"It's complicated," Tonks muttered through gritted teeth, looking left and right to see if anyone could be within earshot of their conversation. "Now get on that train before I blast your arse, pretty girl." Tonks winked before smacking Holland's rear, the gesture making Cedric, Sirius, and Remus awkwardly look away and pretend they hadn't seen what they had. (Sirius suddenly interested in his tail and chasing it)

"Holly, come on. Mum and dad want to see you off, too." He grabbed her wrist and led her to his parents after politely nodding to group.

-

Holland landed on the plush seats with a sigh. "Aren't you a prefect? What are you doing here?" She asked her boyfriend who was seated across her, looking like he wasn't going to leave anytime soon. The two were lucky enough to find a cabin that was just for the two of them, all of the others in their own cabins. Ron and Hermione were also prefects, meaning they were to be roaming the train and making sure everyone behaved. Holland was supposed to call after Harry once she saw the disappointment in his face when he realized his two best friends wouldn't be able to sit with him, but he stormed off with Ginny without another word.

"Well, I did almost die. Maybe I can use that as an excuse," He shrugged before opening the knapsack that was next to him and rummaged through it, bringing out a chocolate frog and opening the package. Holland gasped.

"Cedric Amos Diggory, don't tell me I'm rubbing off on you," Holland teased.

"Well you have done that a lot this summer," Holland gasped once more.

"Oh my goodness, get out of here!" Holland laughed through the fire that was burning in her cheeks, throwing a book at the boy who had a random surge of such confidence and suggestiveness. Cedric dodged the book and stood up, his robes now in his hands.

"I'll be back, Holly Polly." Cedric leaned down to kiss Holland's cheek and leaving the room. Holland smiled as she watched Cedric leave, reaching in front of her and grabbing the chocolate frog Cedric never ate and taking a bite out of it.

It had been a few minutes of silence before the door of Holland's cabin opened.

"Misbehaving, are you? You're lucky I would rather not take points away from my own house," Having been a second away from a deep slumber, Holland had to blink multiple times to adjust to her surroundings, finally recognizing who had opened the door once the blurriness had gone. She yelped in delight at the sight of Draco. She jumped to her feet and hugged him, the boy staggering back at the abrupt contact and laughing as he hugged Holland back.

"How are you?" Draco asked seriously once the initial shock of them seeing each other for the first time in months had vanished. Draco tried to talk about Holland's parents and their house as little as he could, not wanting to let his father know how close he was to an Avery. After Rufus Avery, the second Death Eater that's disappointed Voldemort the most was Lucius Malfoy, and Draco knew just to what extremes his father would go to just to clear his name. Now that Rufus Avery was on the hide, Lucius has made it his life to track him down and bring him to the Dark Lord himself. Draco knew that Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott would blab on to their parents, but for some reason, he found away to keep them quiet and Holland was more than grateful.

"Hidden... Well," Holland smiled. "And you?"

"Home's gotten a bit quieter, father's always out, and mum's always trying to be supportive even though we all know she'd rather have him stay home," Draco said, avoiding Holland's eyes.

"But how are you, Draco?" Holland shook her head.

"I'm breathing, alright? That should be enough," He dismissed. There was a second of uncomfortable silence before Draco peered through the sliding door and spoke up again. "I have to do my rounds. I'm getting a head start on the Gryffindors so we can win our cup back," He smirked as if he and Holland weren't just talking about how damaged their lives have been because of Voldemort. He gave her a quick nod before leaving, an unrecognizable figure of a girl following close behind him. Holland frowned in thought, but chose not to think too much of it as Draco was a popular boy, after all. A moment after Holland decided to move on from her never-ending curiosity, Pansy Parkinson was right outside her door, walking forward and peering through cabins before stopping in her tracks as she saw Holland. She excitedly opened the sliding door and jumped excitedly at the sight of Holland.

"I've missed you too much!" Pansy said, holding both of Holland's hands and swaying them giddily.

"I missed you, too!" Holland whined, pulling on Pansy's hands, making the girl lunge forward as Holland enclosed her arms around the newly-appointed prefect.

"Word has it that you and little Diggory spent majority of the summer in your room," Pansy smirked at her friend, clearly impressed. Holland cleared her throat nervously, the thought that Cedric could once again be used for interrogation by You-Know-Who. But remembered only secret keepers would be able to let out the truth. "You're going to have to tell me everything!"

"Of course, I will." Holland said as the two giggle before a zapping sound echoed from outside. Pansy smiled sinisterly, probably knowing who caused such a ruckus was a student worth taking points away from.

"I'll have to get going now, lot of points to take. But you best believe that I have loads to tell you tonight at the banquet, too." She winked before leaving and searching for the source of the loud sound.

-

It had only been an hour but Holland was bored out of her mind waiting for Cedric. She had given up killing time with the book she's grabbed from her knapsack. It was an idea to go out and search through the rooms, but the luxury of having one to yourself was too much to give up. Holland knew that if she left that cabin unoccupied, she wouldn't be able to come back to it. Every now and then, Holland would hear sounds of laughter and more explosions. Holland smiled to herself, knowing it was probably the twins finally being able to sell the products Mrs. Weasley had basically forbidden them to even create in the first place. Wanting to see if her theory was true, she stood up and opened the sliding door, sticking her head out to look around. Almost immediately, Holland was greeted by darkness, the same cloudy, glittery darkness that had surrounded her when none other than George Weasley had asked her to go to the Yule Ball with him. Like the first time, Holland was coughing and fanning away what was left of the clouds, suddenly met with two redheads and a tall, dark skinned boy who everyone knew as a legend Quidditch commentator once her vision cleared.

"Please come in and keep me company!" Holland said, grabbing two boys by the collar and dragging them in the cabin. Once they all were inside, she realized she had grabbed Fred and Lee Jordan. They were all chuckling at her haste, knowing she was probably bored out of her mind. "How've you all been?" Holland asked happily once the three sat down across her. Some would say staying friends with an ex boyfriend was weird, impossible even. But ever since George and Holland had broken up, the two seemed even closer than ever. The first few months took some getting used to for George of course, but in time he found himself fully accustomed to the idea of Holland and Cedric, finally happy and comfortable hanging out with them.

"We've got an entire list of new products, and we're ready to put up this list in the common room. We need people to test some of them," George explained, grinning as he handed Holland a list of all the new sweets they'd created over the summer. Loads of clever names were written down, from Fever Fudge, Nosebleed Nougat, to Fainting Fancies and Puking Pastilles were scrawled until the bottom of the parchment, the last candy being numbered 110.

"You boys are spectacular," Holland said in amazement, not believing her eyes and how quickly they'd created so many products in just a few month's time.

"And they're about to get more spectacular once they tell you what else they've done over the holidays," Lee said, grinning mischievously.

"What's he talking about?" Holland asked, looking from Fred to George. The twins and Lee all shared a look before all grinning toothily.

"We're going to be selling in Diagon Alley real soon," Fred said calmly, waiting for Holland's reaction. The moment the words left his mouth, Holland thought she'd stopped breathing.

"Is this real?" Holland was fully smiling, her heart beating quick. The trio before her all nodded and began to tell her how they'd even managed to spend such money to land a place in Diagon Alley.

"Cedric never told me about that," Holland mumbled in amazement. The winnings were originally split between Harry and Cedric. The two wanted nothing to do with anything from the Triwizard tournament, and neither wanted the entire winnings. Knowing Harry, taking the money would probably mean that he was celebrating and pretending that Voldemort wasn't back and stronger than ever, much like the Ministry of Magic was, so Harry asked Cedric if he could give the entire lot to the twins. Mrs. Weasley had spent majority of the summer last year upset with the twins, nagging on and on about how they clearly had no plans for their future and always putting their unrealistic candies first. She had them burn their products, not knowing they never stopped making them. It was no secret that the Weasleys weren't as well off as other wizarding families, so Holland could see where Mrs. Weasley was coming from. But Harry seemed to have really wanted to help the twins, and now here they were, the rising tricksters with their careers readily awaiting them in 93 Diagon Alley.

"Speak of the devil," Fred whistles as the sliding door opens. The four of them were now looking at a tired Cedric, probably having been the prefect who was nice enough to take the time to simply warn the lower years instead of take away points from them without warning.

"Well, it looks like you two need your alone time," Lee Jordan abruptly says, standing up and looking at the twins as he waited for them to do the same.

"See you at dinner then, Holls?" Fred asked, the other two waiting for her answer expectantly. Holland snuck a sideward glance at Cedric, who had gone back outside to squat down and talk to a first year who had lost their cat.

"I guess I could drop by for a moment," Holland said in an unconvincing tone, the trio not seeming to notice as they all nodded and waved goodbye to the couple.

"What's got them in a rush? I just got here," Cedric said, sighing in relief as he sat down next to Holland.

"Oh, no rush. They were just staying here to keep me company while you were gone." Holland said and Cedric could only nod, visibly tired having patrolled the entire train for a good two and a half hours. It didn't take much for Cedric's eyes to close, his tiredness getting the best of him. He blinked open one eye to see that his girlfriend was staring at him.

"Ogling me?" He teased with a lazy smile and Holland shook her head.

"You know, you never fail to amaze me." She admits, Cedric frowning in confusion. "I know about the winnings, Ced. And I can't even put into words how much you've done for Fred and George," Cedric's eyes were both open now as what Holland said took him by surprise.

"I didn't think they'd tell you about that," Cedric said shyly.

"How could they not?" Holland asked, half amazed, half incredulous. "It may be a small act, but it's helped them loads."

"Can we talk about something else? You're making me blush," Cedric's muffled voice said, his face hidden in his hands. Holland laughed at the sight, wondering where the confident, suggestive Cedric of that morning went.

-

As a prefect, Cedric had to separate from Holland once more, making sure no first years would get lost and fall in the lake before Hagrid could do anything.

"Don't forget, Potter, I'm dogging after your every move," Holland heard a cold voice sneer, immediately snapping her head to see Draco and Harry.

"Draco, leave it." Holland said firmly, not at all amused that Draco had been tactless enough to comment on Sirius's appearance at King's Cross that morning. Draco seemed surprised that Holland was there, Harry looked like he was ready to pounce, the only thing stopping him from doing so was Ginny holding onto his arm. Draco didn't look at Holland, he kept his gaze long and cold on Harry before storming off. "Harry, I'm sorry." Holland frowned at the seething boy. Harry simply shook his head. From what Holland could tell, Harry's been ready to burst every time she'd seen him, only seeing him happy when he was with Sirius. Holland was ready to run up to him and tell him how happy she was with what he and Cedric had done, but she knew he was in no mood to be smiling and jumping up and down with her. With that, Holland found herself walking silently with Harry, Hermione, and Ron to the carriages, not knowing what was appropriate to say without angering Harry. Harry seemed to have calmed down, not by much, but had done so significantly when he was examining something in the woods.

"You alright, Harry?" Holland asked in concern, checking to see what was in the woods that had him so enticed.

"What are these exactly?" He asked, eyes still fixed straight ahead.

"I'm sorry, I don't quite know what you're talking about," Holland shook her head. She was staring straight ahead, awaiting any sign of movement or even sound, but to no avail.

"These! Whatever's pulling the carriages," He pointed at an empty space in front of him, Holland frowning even more.

"Nothing's pulling the carriages, Harry." Holland said gently, testing the waters as if Harry was a ticking time-bomb.

"They've always moved on their own," Hermione joined in, Harry seeming to be losing his patience once more.

"I can see them, too." A voice from the carriage said. The group all turned to see Neville next to a witch covered by an upside down copy of The Quibbler. Holland knew no other student or wizard in their right minds actually read that magazine, nobody but Luna Lovegood. Holland was already familiar with Luna, knowing she'd been nice to Aurora when nobody else had been, so her unusual nature didn't faze her much. "Don't worry. You're just as sane as I am," She said pleasantly, Holland smiling at her as she climbed up the carriage to join her. The trio stood still on the ground, looking at Holland as if they were all pleading. Holland scowled at all of them, disappointed with how judgmental they were all being. She made her decision final by planting her rear on the seat right next to Luna, crossing her legs and arms as she raised her eyebrows at them.

"Everywhere else is full," Hermione told the two as she made her way up the carriage as well, saying hello to Neville as she did. The two grumbled to each other before joining everyone in the carriage. Holland smirking at them in satisfaction. As the carriage moved, things seemed to be going well as the tension diffused quickly. At least it was diffused before the group heard Luna laugh at whatever it was Ron had joked. The initial shock of her shriek of a laughter was off-putting as it was, but the fact that she was still laughing for over a minute made the group squirm in their seats.

"Are you taking the mickey?" Ron frowned at Luna.

-

Holland's ears were once again blessed by the sound of the Great Hall's doors opening, skipping happily inside as the first years were finally lined up in the front, waiting to be sorted. Holland's cold fingers met warm ones interlace with hers, without any hesitation squeezing the owner's hand.

"Sorry, by the time I led all the first years to Hagrid, you were gone." Cedric whispered in Holland's ear as he walked her to the Hufflepuff table. Before she could sit down, another hand grabbed onto her unoccupied one. She turned to see George looking hurt that she was going to eat away from their table, as she always sat with the Gryffindors for meals.

"Come on, Holls. You always sit with us," He pouted, Cedric's head turning to look at him.

"Mate, you've had her for years. She's never sat down with me before," Cedric reasoned. Just then a third voice joined the debate.

"Mind youse, I think if you plan on keeping your points kept, you'll let her sit with the house she was actually sorted in," Draco said as he and Pansy crossed their arms at Cedric and George, sporting faces that said they weren't taking no for an answer, behind them was a very shy and uncomfortable looking Aurora, shifting in her feet and looking at the ground.

"Oh, boy. Don't tell me this is how the rest of the year's going to be," Holland said, feeling her outstretched limbs ache as both were being tugged on in opposite directions neither boy planning on letting go with Cedric on the left as Draco, Pansy, and Aurora glared from behind him and George who was the right with Fred, Ron, Harry and Hermione situated next to him as they were waiting for their Holland to finally join them.

- End -

Hello, guys! This is truly the end of this book. I have absolutely no words. I'm grateful and forever in love with how this turned out. If any of you have made it this far, thank you and I hope you enjoyed! All love x