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Epilogue







Remus Lupin lifted his head and frowned; had he heard something? Putting down his paperwork, he pulled out his wand and walked silently to the door of the office. The hallway in the lower level of Anna's townhouse was empty, except...the sound of footsteps descending the stairs. Moving to reposition himself for a better view, he heard his name being called.



"Remus, are you here?" It was Albus Dumbledore.



"Headmaster?" Lowering his wand, Remus came forward, surprise evident on his face. "What are you...what's wrong?"



"We need to talk. I have some news."



"Anna? Is she alright?"



"She's fine," responded Dumbledore reassuringly, "in fact, more than fine. However, there have been some developments of which you need to be informed. Could we sit down, perhaps?"



"Oh, I'm so sorry, of course! It's just a bit of a shock to see you here at this early hour. Come on through to the terrace. Could I get you some tea?



"That would be lovely, thank you."



X # X # X



Remus busied himself in the kitchen for the next few minutes as Dumbledore enjoyed the early morning sunshine flooding the small terrace.



"I miss Winky's expert skills at making a good cup of tea more than I care to admit. I'll be glad when she and Anna get here tonight."



"Ah, as to that," Dumbledore accepted the cup and saucer Remus brought out to him and settled into a wicker rocker, "Anna and Winky won't be coming tonight. They have gone into hiding."



"WHAT! WHY?" Remus grabbed the back of a chair, steadying himself. "When did this happen?



"Last night. We learned Anna had been put on Voldemort's death list about two weeks ago. Only she and I knew about her going into hiding and she planned and executed all of the preparations and details herself. The 'Fidelious' charm was performed last night, after dinner. She and Winky left about 10:15."



"Someone at Hogwarts is the Secret Keeper?"



"That, I cannot say," Dumbledore smiled, "as I do not know myself. I had a memory charm performed so I would not be a danger to them. It could be someone at Hogwarts, but I doubt it."



"Could it be Gwen? Voldemort wouldn't suspect Anna of using a Muggle for her Secret Keeper."



"That is why I came to see you, Remus. It is not Gwen, as she has joined Anna in hiding."



Remus sat down on the chair, hard, his face drained of color. "NO.../Why/?"



"For two very logical reasons; first, Anna and I believe your Dr. Jones would be in danger of kidnapping by Voldemort, to be used to force Anna out into the open. After explaining everything to her, Gwen understood and agreed that the safest thing to do, for all concerned, was to go with Anna."



"She was safe here. I would have..."



"Remus," interrupted Dumbledore, as he held up his hand, "we discussed all of this at great length and Gwen understands how bad this war might become and believes you will be of more help if you are available to the Order, rather than 'babysitting' her. She feels she can do her part to help the Wizarding community by staying with Anna. Specifically, and especially, for the second reason; Anna is pregnant."



X # X # X



"Anna's /pregnant/! Who?...Good Lord...Severus?"



Dumbledore nodded.



Remus leaned back, hand to his forehead. "Gwen and I had wondered, but couldn't believe they were actually serious, given their history and their behavior toward each other, excepting, of course, at the New Year's party. But after the incident with Lucius, I've heard he and the members of Slytherin House have been absolutely vile to Anna. False face, eh?"



"Correct, as he had to maintain his 'attitude', for everyone's sake. They were married late yesterday afternoon, in my office."



"Oh, now I am in shock, total shock! Married, too! This is a lot is absorb at once, Professor. "



"As to that, I'll do a Memory Charm on you before I leave, if you don't mind, as much for your safety as for theirs. You'll only know that Gwen is with Anna, the complete details are not necessary, just that they are away and safe."



"Of course. That makes good sense, I think. If any of this does," he sighed, shaking his head. "Does Severus know about Gwen being with Anna?"



"No, I'll tell him when I go back to Hogwarts. To his credit, when he was told by Anna that she was pregnant, he came to me straight-away, literally dragging her behind him, to ask me to arrange for them to be married. I was happy to oblige, with the help of a vicar I know.



"Gwen also insisted on going with Anna when she heard of the pregnancy. That was the /deciding factor to the whole idea, as far as she was concerned. But she was also /adamant that I personally come and tell you about this turn of events as soon as I could. She did not dare tell you herself, as she felt she would wind up wasting time in a big argument with you about not going, and Gwen needed every spare minute to make plans herself. Also, the lie she told you recently...her 'cover' story; she apologizes and sends her love."



"So she didn't have any extra shifts to work last week, after all. Humph! Devious little...Well, I suppose this means I'll have to keep an eye on her houseboat, too," Remus remarked, shaking his head. "Maybe I should just hire myself out as an estate agent."



"That is one detail you will not have to bother with. Gwen arranged to sub-let her boat to a colleague at the hospital where she worked, who was in desperate need of new lodgings. We had the boat moved a few mooring spots further down the canal, just in case there are spies looking for her. They will have a hard time figuring out where she's gone.



"Also, to put your mind at ease, Anna took one of Christopher's paintings with her, so you will be able to send messages back and forth." Dumbledore added.



"Brilliant! That is a relief. My first message to Gwen will be a piece of my mind for not telling me herself! And the same message for Anna!" A sudden thought made Remus knit his brows, and then he smiled, "I just realized something! If Gwen and I get married, and that is a real possibility, I'll be Severus' stepson-in-law! HA! HA! HA! HA!" he dissolved into laughter as did Professor Dumbledore.



"Oh, dear...perhaps we should keep that thought to ourselves for the time being," Dumbledore suggested.



"Agreed."



X # X # X



"Which reminds me; I must do the memory charm on you and then it's off to Gringotts for a brief meeting and then back to Hogwarts. There is a lot to do at school, even during holiday time, so, if you wouldn't mind."



Dumbledore rose from his seat, as did Remus. Pulling out his wand, Albus tapped Lupin lightly on the shoulder and watched carefully as Remus, eyes closed, his face relaxing a bit, stood there for a moment or two. Then shaking his head, he opened his eyes and looked up to focus on Dumbledore.



"Memory charm?"



"Yes"



"When the time is right, please tell me all about what I have just forgotten, won't you?" He smiled, "I know Gwen and Anna are safe, but there must be a lot of important details or you wouldn't have had to do a charm."



"Certainly and you will understand and know all, in time. I did feel, however, that I should be the one to tell you. I'd better take my leave. I will see you soon, Remus."



"Take care, Headmaster, and thank you."



"Thank you for the tea, which was very well made, by the way. Goodbye."



Dumbledore Disapparated and the smile faded from Remus' face as he sank onto his chair and buried his face into his hands.



"Oh, Gwen, Anna, please stay safe and be careful," he muttered.



X # X # X



"Good morning Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Mister Malfoy." Griphook bowed the three into the anti-chamber of the main meeting room and then closed and sealed the door. "Mister Malfoy, your solicitors arrived just a few minutes ago. Shall we join them?"



Draco looked around at the two Wizards, who nodded encouragingly. Straightening his shoulders and lifting his chin, he replied, "Certainly, let's not keep them waiting."



X # X # X



A light breeze fluttered the lace curtains, causing shadow patterns to dance across the walls. It was quiet in the ward at this early hour of the morning. Just one patient was awake, Alice Longbottom, who was walking slowly down the room, humming softly. She stopped at the window and watched the treetops swaying gently.



A robin landed on a top branch and started singing, shattering the peace and quiet. Alice frowned, stepped closer to the window and raising a finger to her lips, shushed the robin. He ignored her.



Turning from the window, she walked back to her bed. Above her nightstand was a mirror. Seeing her own reflection, she leaned toward it, furrowed her brow and then put one finger to her lips.



"/Shush/," she whispered, "/secret/."



Smiling, she turned and started another trip down the ward, humming softly.



XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX



DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.



This story is strictly from my mind and was written down for my own sanity (to get the story out of my head) and the reading pleasure of other Harry Potter fans; with all due respect to JKR for all her hard work and preliminarily research and imagination; God bless her.



It's dedicated to my hubby, Karl, who has been working his magic on me for 36 years.

Holly (ilex)