Lupin and Tonks were frequent visitors to the Room of Requirement, sometimes bringing Teddy, but mostly they kept him safely at home with Tonk's mother.

They would help teach defensive spells, getting us all prepared for when the time came to fight.

I constantly asked for news on Gran and Draco, but every time they regretfully shook their heads. When they came to us with the news that Tonks's father had been killed, both Colin and I hugged her as she let out her grief.

But despite the misery of the war, there was also laughter.

"I love coming here," Tonks sighed wistfully as she played a game of chess against Colin. "It's almost as though the war is in another place entirely. It feels happy."

"We get by," Colin shrugged, languidly draping a friendly arm over my shoulders. "We're our own little family in here."

My heart swelled as I beamed at him. He had become my best friend in this room and I promised him, that when we got to the other side of the war, I would help him get back his brother.

He frowned, studying the chess board before him. I whispered the next move in his ear and he took it, winning the game.

"You little-" Tonks started, laughter creasing her features. "Neve, how on earth do you know how to play chess?!"

"Too much time in here," I grinned.

"Ah well, next time I'll have you," Tonks chuckled as Lupin approached smiling down at the three of us.

"I think it's time we should get back to little Teddy, darling," he said, placing his hands lovingly on her shoulders. "We'll come back soon."

"Give him a big kiss from me," I said, my heart fluttering with love when I thought of the little guy.

"We always do, Neve," Tonks said, affectionately ruffling my hair.

I watched them as they left, and despite my heavy heart, I realised I had never felt so much love in my life before. If there was anything good to say about the war, then it was that it had a way of bringing people together.

But it didn't stop me worrying about Draco, Gran and Trevor.

And even though I wasn't religious, I prayed for them everyday, and I prayed too that Harry would find his way here to save us all.

*****

On the second day of May in nineteen ninety eight, life in the Room of Requirement came to an end.

And it all started with a special visit.

"Neve," Colin hissed, yanking my earphones out of my ears.

"Hey-" I began, feeling slightly bewildered by the interruption; I had been listening to music with my eyes closed and remembering the times when I used to dance with Trevor.

But then I saw the look on Colin's face and I knew he had good reason to tear me away from my daydreams.

"What is it?" I asked, abruptly sitting up.

"Ariana keeps pointing over to you." Colin said breathlessly. "I think she wants you to go through to Ab's."

"Oh," I said, feeling apprehensive. Aberforth never summoned for us unless it was really important.

"Would you like me to come with you?" Colin asked as I put aside my Walkman and climbed out of my hammock.

"No, it's okay," I assured him. "You stay and finish your yoga session."

I went along the passageway and when I dropped into Aberforth's living room, I could have screamed with joy.

For there stood Harry, Ron and Hermione.

*****

"I knew you'd come! I knew it, Harry!"

I jumped into his arms, relief flooding me that the time was finally here.

"Neve - what the - how -?"

But I was too busy hugging Ron and Hermione to acknowledge Harry's splutterings.

"I knew you'd come!" I yelled, letting go of Hermione. "Kept telling the others it was a matter of time!"

"Neve," Harry gasped, looking at me as if for the first time ever. "What's happened to you?"

"What? This?" I asked, touching my face where I knew my scars lay from not only the Carrow's inflictions but from Draco's frenzied sexual attacks too. "This is nothing. Seamus is worse. You'll see. Shall we get going, then? Oh," I added, turning to Aberforth, "Ab, I guess this means there might be a couple more people on the way."

"Couple more?" repeated Aberforth ominously. "What d'you mean, a couple more, Longbottom? There's a curfew and a Caterwauling Charm on the whole village!"

"The Order," I explained. "They're going to come now Harry's finally here. I'm calling them."

And I led the way back into Hogwarts, beaming with pride when I showed Harry the ready made army both Draco and I had created for him.

*****

I'm not going to lie but I was pissed off at Harry's attitude.

"What the fuck do we think we've been doing all these past months?" I roared when he told me he didn't need us, and that he was just there to find a fucking tiara before he was on his merry way again.

"Woah, Neve," Ron said, looking at me with a flicker of pride. "I love your new energy."

"WE'RE READY TO FIGHT!" I roared as Colin slapped me encouragingly on my back. "WE'RE READY TO DO THIS!"

Harry, in the end, reluctantly agreed, so when Snape called the whole school to the Great Hall for an impromptu assembly, we made our break out of the Room of Requirement and joined them.

"How dare you stand where he stood!" Harry bellowed to Snape right before McGonagall blasted him out of there.

"Where was he supposed to stand?" Colin breathed in my ear, afterwards.

It was a good question.

His last question.

*****

Draco felt his mother's fingers clutch his arm as they faced the now protected castle; Voldemort standing smugly before them.

"The fools!" Voldemort chuckled. "They think they can protect that boy forever? They think we won't be able to penetrate their shields?"

Draco swallowed, looking longingly at his old school, desperate to get inside and find Neve. Get to her before the surrounding mass of murderous Death Eaters do.

"Ah, Draco," Voldemort smiled, making Draco's blood run cold; he had not being closing his mind. "I see you are keen to rejoin your old school chums. In that case, I have a special mission for you."

Fuck. How could he have been so stupid? He exchanged a frightened glance with his mother, who tightened her grip on him. "Do it," she hissed out of the very corner of her mouth so that only he could hear. "Just do whatever he asks, Draco."

"I want you to be the one to bring Potter to me," Voldemort smiled as if he were simply offering Draco a yummy treat. "Go and find him and make sure he comes to me alive. Something tells me he trusts you more than he should. You do this for me Draco, then your family will be rewarded with treasures beyond your dreams, and all your school friends will remain unharmed. All you have to do is find the boy and bring him to me."

It was with great reluctance that Draco nodded.

He'd do anything if it meant Neve would remain unharmed.

*****