Hi, all! So here's my new story. It's going to be mainly based on the movie, but the plot is going to be more focused around Darcy and Lupin in this story. After this, only one more story for Darcy and that's it. Enjoy!

HORACE SLUGHORN.

"See here," Harry said, putting the Daily Prophet on the table and turning it so I could read it. "Malfoy's in Azkaban."

I looked over the picture of Lucius Malfoy and sneered. My blood boiled with hatred and my eyes flicked over a picture of Draco Malfoy and his mother, Narcissa. I looked away, sipping at my hot chocolate again. "Good," I said after a small silence. Harry looked up at me over the paper. "Hopefully he'll be in there for the rest of his life."

"He's not as dangerous as the others, though," Harry replied, flipping the page of the newspaper. "Bellatrix?"

I swallowed the basketball sized lump in my throat. Talking about Sirius or his death – or in this case, who caused his death – made me choke up and want to cry. "You're right," I said hoarsely, drinking another sip.

"Have you thought about seeing Lupin again?" Harry asked and I looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I have," I lied. I had sent him a letter at the beginning of the summer, but when his reply reached our home, Vernon caught my owl before I could and ripped the letter, throwing it in the fire. I hadn't talked to Lupin since.

"You think he'll be back at Hogwarts?"

"I think so." I hesitated, tracing the lip of the cup I was holding with my index finger. "Dumbledore would ask him, wouldn't he?"

"I suppose."

"Don't lie," I frowned. "You think he won't be at Hogwarts this year, right?"

"He could be…" Harry looked away, back at his paper. "He could be, but it's not very likely, is it? I mean, be realistic."

"I am being realistic," I snapped. "I do think he'll be back this year."

"Do you think Dumbledore will bring Tonks back, too?"

"What does it matter?" I asked, swallowing loudly. "We're friends. I've got nothing to worry about."

"I never said you had anything to worry about in the first place," Harry protested. "I just thought – I just think that maybe dealing with Voldemort and all the Death Eaters would be more important than having a boyfriend."

It broke my heart when Harry said that. All along, I thought that Harry had approved of our relationship, but then I began thinking that maybe he only put up with it because it made me happy. "What do you think of me and Lupin?" I whispered, sighing. "Are you really okay with us?"

"Yeah," Harry said after a few seconds. "I'm okay with it."

"You know you come first before anybody, right?" I said and my voice was beginning to grow a bit louder. "I'm always doing what I can to protect you and you know that!"

"Yeah, but in the end, it's Lupin you're worried about. It's always been him."

"That's not true," I argued, leaning back in my seat. "You know it's not true. I'm constantly worried about you."

"Just let it go, okay? I don't mind it. I don't mind at all." He looked at me and breathed in. "He makes you happy – why would I mind? In times like these, we all deserve a little happiness."

As a light suddenly went out in the subway, I stood up and looked around. I stepped towards the window. "Harry…"

Harry closed the paper and stood up with me. A train sped by, rattling the windows and I left the rest of the Muggle money I had on the table. Harry followed me outside and as the train blew past us, my eyes widened.

Standing before the both of us, a tall man with a long, silvery beard stood staring at a billboard. His faded purple robes hung loosely and he turned to see us staring, a little confused. "Ah," he said, smiling sweetly. "Thought I'd find you two here."

"Sir –" I began, but he cut me off.

"I'm here to take you to the Burrow for the rest of the summer," Dumbledore informed us both and Harry and I shrugged at each other. "And then, Darcy, I would like you to accompany me to an old colleague's home. I insist you come – I think you could help me."

"Yes, sir," I said quietly.

"What about our stuff?" Harry said suddenly and I looked at Dumbledore.

"Don't worry," he said. "It's already at the Burrow waiting for you. Now, hold onto my arm, if you will."

He held out his arm and both Harry and I grabbed onto it. Suddenly, everything went black. I had Apparated before, but I still hadn't gotten used to the awful feeling. My throat went dry and I felt as if I was choking. My face was being pushed farther into my head and all of a sudden, we were in front of the Burrow.

Dumbledore pushed Harry towards the tall, thin, lit up house. I gripped Dumbledore's arm tightly again and after the same, uncomfortable sensation, we found ourselves in the middle of a pitch dark neighborhood, surrounded by a church, an inn, and lots of similar looking houses. I let go of Dumbledore and followed him down the street.

"Er – professor?" I asked and he hummed cheerfully. "Will I be returning to Hogwarts this year? With Professor Snape?"

"You will be returning, yes," Dumbledore answered, leading me up a rickety staircase to a front door.

"And why couldn't we Apparate right into your colleague's house, sir?"

"Because it would be as rude as kicking down the door," he told me. "Courtesy dictates that we offer fellow wizards the opportunity of denying us entry. In any case, most Wizarding dwellings are magically protected from unwanted Apparators. At Hogwarts, for instance –"

"You can't Apparate anywhere inside the school grounds," I finished for him.

"Correct, Miss Potter."

I heard a clock chime somewhere and jumped. It was midnight.

"Oh dear…"

I felt my heart sink. The front door was hanging off its hinges. Dumbledore told me firmly to take my wand out and I did quickly, lighting it and holding it in front of me. With our wands the only source of light, Dumbledore pushed open the door and walked directly into a sitting room.

A grandfather clock was on the ground, the glass all over the floor; a piano lay on its side, keys strewn everywhere; the large, gold chandelier was on the ground, shattered and completely broken; cushions were everywhere, feathers littering the floor. Dumbledore raised his wand to the walls and I gasped. There was something red splattered all over the wallpaper. "Not pretty, is it?" he said quietly. "Yes, something horrible has happened here."

"They haven't… taken him, have they?" I whispered. "I mean, there was no Dark Mark above the house."

"No, I don't think so. You're quite right about that last part," Dumbledore nodded. He stepped carefully towards a large, armchair that was lying on its side.

"You mean he's still here somewhere?" I asked.

Dumbledore froze and smirked, and then he turned quickly and prodded the armchair with the tip of his wand, which then yelled, "Ouch!" I jumped backwards and pointed my wand at the armchair.

"Evening, Horace," said Dumbledore.

I gasped and my jaw dropped. The armchair suddenly began to transform into a short, plump, balding man who was massaging his stomach where Dumbledore had just poked him. "No need to stick the wand in that hard," he growled. "That hurt." He got to his feet and I just stared at him. "What gave it away?"

"Like my good friend Miss Potter said, there would have been a Dark Mark set over the house if Death Eaters had really come."

"The Dark Mark," the man muttered. "Knew I was missing – wait, what did you say? You said Miss Potter?"

"Before any formal introductions," Dumbledore said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Perhaps you'd like assistance cleaning up, Horace?"

"Please," said the man called 'Horace'.

They both waved their wands in circular motions and the furniture flew back to their original potions. Torn books repaired themselves and put themselves back on the shelves. Lights lit up the room and the giant chandelier put itself back together and hung itself up on the ceiling. I put my wand back in my pocket and crossed my arms, looking around.

"What kind of blood was that, incidentally?" Dumbledore asked.

"On the walls? Dragon," Horace said. "Yes, dragon. My last bottle and prices are sky high at the moment. Still, it may be reusable…" Horace's eyes flicked to me and his eyes widened. They gave me a sad look and then he smiled. "Oho! Oho! This is her – now I see it in the light…"

"This," said Dumbledore, pushing me in front of him towards Horace. "Is Darcy Potter. Darcy, this is an old friend of mine, Horace Slughorn."

Slughorn shook my hand and then frowned at Dumbledore. "So this is how you persuade me, is it?" he asked angrily. "Well, the answer's no, Albus."

"I suppose you've heard of her, then?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and he held his hands in front of him. I gasped quietly as I saw that his one hand looked burnt to a crisp and black. "She's a very talented young witch and great at potions. Even Severus has put in a few good words about her."

Slughorn hummed and looked me over. "Just like your mother, yes?"

"Yes, sir," I said quietly.

"Horace," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "You don't mind if I use the loo, do you?"

"Oh," Slughorn shook his head. "Second on the left down the hall."

Dumbledore smiled and walked into the hallway, following Slughorn's directions and left me and the man alone. I looked at my feet and avoided eye contact with him.

"Don't think I don't know why he's brought you," he told me abruptly. "I heard all about your internship last year. Although the Ministry wasn't very fond of you, Dumbledore told me you were a great addition and you were loved by all."

I was silent. I stared up at him.

"You look just like your mother."

"I know."

"Hmpf," he said. "You shouldn't have favorites as a teacher, but she was one of mine. Lily Evans. Charming girl and always gave me cheeky answers. I used to tell her she ought to have been in my house."

"Which was your House?" I asked.

"Slytherin," he replied proudly. He saw the look on my face and continued. "Oh, now don't go holding that against me! You were Gryffindor, too, I expect? It usually goes in families. Not always, though. Ever heard of Sirius Black? You must have done – been in the papers last couple of years – died a few weeks ago…"

My stomach churned and I kept my eye contact with Slughorn. He glanced about the room and then back at me. "I heard," I said quietly.

Slughorn frowned and pointed towards a large dresser, where photographs sat. He walked over and motioned for me to follow. "Your mother," he said, pointing to her. It was a picture of he and her. I felt my heart race. "You're a spitting image of her, you know… Anyway, when I found out she was Muggle-born, I couldn't believe it! She was just too good – I thought she was a pureblood."

"My friend is Muggle-born," I said tensely. "She's the best in her year."

"Funny how that happens sometimes, isn't it?" he asked.

"Not really," I replied coldly.

"Please don't think me prejudiced!" he added quickly. "I've told you she was one of my favorites, yes? I knew lots of them who were very talented…" He pointed to several photographs. There was one of a man named Dirk Cresswell, Head of the Goblin Liaison Office; Barnabas Cuffe from the Daily Prophet – I sneered a bit; I was still bitter about that paper; Gwenog Jones from the Holyhead Harpies.

As he was talking, it suddenly occurred to me – "Sir, do these people know where to find you?" I asked Slughorn and he frowned again, looking at me. "To send you this stuff?"

"I've been out of touch with everyone for a year," he said. "Anyway, Dumbledore wants me to come back to Hogwarts, but that would mean declaring my allegiance to the Order and yes, they're very brave and admirable, but I do not fancy the mortality rate –"

"You don't have to be in the Order to teach at Hogwarts," I said before he could finish. "But one would be safer at Hogwarts. I mean, Dumbledore is the only wizard that Voldemort's afraid of."

Slughorn shuddered. Dumbledore suddenly entered the room, smiling and holding up Muggle knitting magazines. "Thank you for waiting, Darcy, but I do think we have trespassed upon Horace's hospitality long enough. I think it is time for us to leave."

I nodded eagerly.

"You're leaving?" Slughorn said, looking from me to Dumbledore.

"Yes, indeed. I think I know a lost cause when I see one. It's just a little upsetting that Darcy won't be able to return to Hogwarts this year," Dumbledore replied and he winked at me while Slughorn wasn't looking. "Terribly sorry you won't be coming to take the job, Horace, but you're always welcome to visit…"

"Yes, well… very gracious…"

"Goodbye, Horace."

"Bye," I muttered.

We had only reached the front door when we hear Slughorn shout from behind us. "All right, all right, I'll do it!"

Dumbledore turned with a small smile to see Slughorn in the doorway to the sitting room. "You'll come out of retirement?"

"Yes, yes," Slughorn sighed. "I must be mad, but yes."

"Wonderful," Dumbledore grinned. "Then, Horace, we shall be expecting you on the first of September."

"Yes, I daresay you will," grunted Slughorn. As we walked down the broken staircase to the sidewalk, Slughorn's voice floated after us. "I'll want a pay rise, Dumbledore!"

As soon as Slughorn was out of earshot, Dumbledore held out his arm for me to take, but I lowered my eyebrows. "Professor, I thought I was to be returning to Hogwarts for Snape?"

"Professor Snape, Darcy," he replied. "And there's been a change of plan."

"He hasn't been sacked, has he?"

"Oh no," Dumbledore chuckled. "He's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"What?"

"I think he'll do an excellent job at teaching it."

"Couldn't you find another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

"I don't think anyone wanted the job after what happened to Professor Umbridge," he told me. "No one was keen on being threatened by centaurs."

"Oh."

"Why? Don't you like Horace?"

"I – I suppose he's all right." I didn't like him at all. I thought he was quite offensive and the way he gathered up all the famous, talented witches and wizards was a little weird. I knew what Dumbledore had brought me.

"I understand," Dumbledore smiled. "He doesn't think before speaking… I do know what you mean, Miss Potter. I brought you here tonight because he did like your mother and you are a talented witch. He'll want to collect you and I'm sure he's ecstatic that a Potter will be his intern. Now, if you'll just take my arm, I'll bring you back to the Burrow. You're getting much too skinny. Molly will want to feed you before you reach the kitchen. Well, here we go -"

I grabbed his arm and felt all the air being pushed out my body as we Apparated to the Burrow.