" Is it alright like that?" Barnaby asked.
He had tied a small ribbon around one of the baby Puffskein.
Well, it wasn't a baby anymore, it was almost all grown.
A few months had passed, it was almost Christmas.
Nobody had heard from Rakepick... there were no news of R...
Slowly Rowan wondered if Nonie had been right, if Rakepick was really going to leave them alone... but she remained wary for the time being. After all, coming out of nowhere was Rakepick's speciality...

Rowan nodded. " It's perfect... oh, I'm sure Hazel will be happy. She wanted a Puffskein for... I don't even remember how long she has been asking for one."
The little ones were old enough to give away now, but Barnaby was keen on only giving them to people they knew. He wanted to be sure the little ones were safe.
Luckily their friend group was rather large, so there were some people that wanted them.
Nonie for example had adopted one. A yellow one specifically. She had named it Bert, to go along with her orange one called Ernie.
Neither Rowan nor Barnaby got the joke, and Merula had also needed Nonie to explain.
" Oh right, you guys haven't watched Sesame street..." she had said.
With a smile Rowan picked up the Puffskein. " I should go see Hazel now... I'll see you in the evening." Barnaby nodded, and told her to tell Hazel that he was sorry he couldn't come, but he was too busy.
" She'll understand, don't worry. You can visit her some other time. She will probably be in hospital for quite a while..." Rowan said.
Yes, Hazel had landed herself in St. Mungo once more. She had been getting worse and worse, but it being Hazel, had tried to hide it. She had done a good job of t too, her parents had only realised after they had found her passed out on the kitchen floor.
Now she was in hospital to have the doctors run some tests.
Barnaby gave Rowan a hug. " Don't worry so much, she'll be fine! She's strong, just like her big sister."
She laughed. " You are right..." then she kissed him. " I'll see you later. Love you."
He smiled at her, giving her another hug. " I love you too!"

When Rowan entered Hazels hospital room, she was laying on her bed, playing with a game boy that she had probably gotten from a friend.
" Hey Haze, how are you?" Rowan asked, sitting down at her bedside.
Hazel shrugged. " Fine. Tired. Bored."
Rowan looked around. " Where are Mum and Dad? I expected them not to leave your side, like they usually do."
Hazel explained that their Dad had gone to eat lunch, and their Mum had went home to find a stuffed animal she had asked for. " To be honest, I just wanted some alone time. They are watching me like hawks."
Rowan laughed. She could imagine. Her parents always did when Hazel was in hospital. When she was younger it had helped Hazel stay calm, but by now she was just annoyed.
" Why didn't you say anything Haze?" she then asked. " This could have been prevented. You know that your chest pains don't just go away- you know that it's dangerous. You passed out!"
Hazel sighed. " I just... it started at Hogwarts, and I was scared that I wouldn't be allowed to play Quidditch anymore if someone knew. Then I got home, and I just... I didn't know how to tell Mum and Dad. They still seem so stressed about the fact that R might come back for them... Us... I didn't know how to tell them that there is something wrong with me again..."
Rowan gave her sister a hug. " There is nothing wrong with you Haze... but Mum and Dad need to know these things. I know how you feel, back when I was involved with R, I kept many things from them too when I shouldn't have..."
Hazel nodded. " I-I remember... and I know... Can you... not tell them that I did it because I didn't want to worry them? I'd like it better if they thought I was irresponsible and reckless, than them feeling bad..."
Rowan looked at her, and promised her to do so, if she in turn promised that she wouldn't do it again. Hazel promised.

" Rowie... Is your purse squeaking..?" Hazel then asked.
Rowan smiled. " Right, right. I have something for you."
She handed her the Puffskein that she had previously hidden in her purse. She had left the zipper open so it would have enough air.
Hazels eyes lit up, just like they always had when she was a child and excited about something.
" Is it for me???" she asked.
With a laugh, Rowan said that yes, it was all hers. Then she asked what she would name it.
Hazel looked at the small Puffskein in her hand, and gave it a cuddle. " Harpie."
" After the Holyhead Harpies?" Rowan asked.
Her sister nodded, absolutely smitten with her new pet.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Hazel groaned.
" Oh no, either Mum or Dad must be back..."
Rowan had to laugh. " Come in!" she said in her sisters place.
But it wasn't one of their parents, it was a girl with curly brown hair that looked about Hazels age.
Hazel immediately sat up straight.
" What did you do this time, Beater? You had me worried." the girl asked.
Rowan watched as her sister stuttered that she was just a bit overworked.
Hazel looked at Rowan. " Oh, right. Rowi- Rowan, this is Maggie, from school. She is a chaser for Slytherin."
Maggie smiled and shook Rowans hand. " Hello! It's nice to meet you."
" I'm going to... get something to drink." Rowan said, deciding to give her sister some alone time with her friend. " Does anyone want something?"
Hazel asked for some hot chocolate, but Maggie didn't want anything.

When Rowan returned with their drinks, Maggie was already getting ready to leave.
" You better be well when Hogwarts starts again. It won't be nearly as fun to kick your butt in Quidditch otherwise."
Hazel laughed, seeming nervous. " I... I'll be just fine. Just don't worry, okay? You'll see, I will be back on my feet in no time. I can't just give Slytherin the win now, can't I?"

Soon after the sisters parents returned. Rowan stuck around a little longer, letting her Mum show her a magazine with wedding dresses.
Rowan didn't really see anything she truly liked, but she was happy to see her mother so excited about her getting married. As Hazel had said earlier, her parents too did not have an easy time now that Rakepick was free again.
Maybe this really was just what they needed at the moment.
Planning the wedding, it helped everyone to take their mind off things. Rowan looked at her wedding ring and smiled. She couldn't wait to marry Barnaby. He was just such a sweetheart, and over the last few months she felt that they had grown even closer...
" How about this one?" Hazel suggested, sitting up to point out a dress from the magazines.
It was a simple white wedding dress with a flowy skirt, long sleeves and a low neckline.
It was actually quite nice...
There had been plans to go look for a dress with her friends, mother and sister, but so many things had come up. First Hazel was in hospital, and there was also the problem that her friends and she herself were incredibly busy with both work and also volunteering at the Order of the Phoenix. It was now needed more than ever before.
To protect people from death eaters of course, but also to track those witches and wizards that escaped from Azkaban.
Rowan had a queasy feeling in her stomach whenever she helped with it. She wasn't much of a fighter anyway, but she still attended the meetings. Though she rarely went on observations.
Usually she played more of a supporting role, helping Penny with making potions for the order to use, or assisting Chiara with the healing of injured members.

Soon after, Rowan got ready to leave. It was almost evening, and she had an early morning tomorrow.
" As soon as you know something new about Hazel's condition, tell me." she told her Dad.
They had stepped outside, because Hazel had fallen asleep.
He pulled her into a hug, promising her that he would. " Don't worry Ashi, Hazel will be fine... I'm sure she will... And in the meantime, please watch out for yourself. Rakepick is still out there, I don't want you to get hurt again."
Rowan assured him that she would be careful and told him to do the same.
" Tell Hazel goodbye from me, okay? And that I love her." she then said.
After, she left.
Even not wanting to admit it, especially not to her little sister, Hazel's health worried her a lot, especially because she was always so stubborn...

The next day, both Barnaby and Rowan got up really early to attend an order meeting.
After they lost the Grimmauldplace to Bellatrix, after Sirius' death... they didn't have a hideout for a long time. Finding a place that was safe, that was hidden... it hadn't been easy.
But eventually, Nonie had an idea.
Or more so, it had been her parents.
They had offered that the order could use their house for their meetings.
It wasn't exactly hidden like the Grimmauldplace had been, but it was in Germany, in a small Muggle village far away from any other witches and wizards...
They were safe there for now, at least they hoped so.
Getting there wasn't always easy, not all members were capable of performing cross-country apparations... but they managed, the ones that could do it did their best to transport the others.

" Your tie isn't straight." Rowan said, lovingly putting her hand on Barnaby's cheek. " Let me fix it..."
Barnaby was barely awake, his eyes were still half closed.
He hated getting up this early, it was even earlier than he got up for work! And on a Sunday of all days...
With a smile, Rowan straightened his tie. She was better at waking up early, for some reason.
" Come on, let's get you some breakfast..." she said, walking to the kitchen.
Yawning, Barnaby meandered after her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his head on her shoulder.
She laughed, allowing him. He was too adorable.
" Can't we just go back to sleep..? We could cuddle, and later I could make us a big breakfast..." he tried to bribe her.
But Rowan stayed firm, telling him that they had already promised to be there. " Can you please feed the creatures?" she then asked.
Defeated, he nodded. " Okay..."

A little later, they apparated to the new hideout.
Rowan took Barnaby along with her, because he couldn't do cross-country apparations himself. The last time he had attempted it, he had landed in Germany- but with one of his legs missing. So, they had decided it would be safer this way.
They landed in the backyard of the house, quickly going inside to not get spotted.
There weren't any other gardens or houses on this side of the house, but they still needed to be careful.
Many people were already sitting in the dining room, around the big table.
Rowan sat next to Tonks, that was staring into nothingness. She still wasn't much better, and the talk with Lupin had just made everything so much worse...
At first, it had apparently went great, they had talked about what happened, shared some memories about Sirius... but then, in a moment of weakness, Tonks had attempted to kiss him.
And Lupin hadn't taken it well. He had quickly moved away, telling her that it couldn't be, that they could never be together...
And ever since, Tonks seemed even more broken than she had before.
" How are you doing?" Rowan asked, quietly.
Tonks shrugged, looking down on her feet. " Fine... I... I just got off night shift, that's why I'm so... tired..."
It didn't look like it... Tonks really didn't look okay...

Soon after, the meeting began. Barnaby still snuggled against Rowan.
She ran her fingers through his hair, but then went back to listening to the others.
There were still no news of R reforming, which was a good thing... and Rakepick seemed to have disappeared into thin air, which did make Rowan very uneasy... she would prefer to know her location...
Anxious, she squeezed Barnaby Jr. that she had brought along for exactly that reason.
Barnaby noticed, and grabbed her hand. He knew what it looked like when she got scared.

They were in the middle of a meeting when suddenly the doorbell rang.
Everyone flinched. Even being in a different country, they didn't feel completely safe. They always kept the curtains drawn when they were meeting, put a silencing spell on the entire house, took care to have no one see them...
Tense, Nonie got up to see who was at the door.
" Probably just a nosy neighbour..." she cursed.
Still, she closed the door to the dining room to hide everyone.
The others held their breaths as they heard the door open.
" Oh jeez Lupin, you scared the crap out of us!!" Nonie said, and a few moments later walked in with Lupin.
Tonks still looked terrified, her face turning red.
Lupin was greeted by everyone.
He had just returned from infiltrating a group of werewolf death eaters, this was the first time many of them had seen him again...
Tonks got up. " I need some coffee..." And with that she walked to the kitchen.
Concerned, Rowan and Nonie looked at each other and quietly decided to go after her.

" Are you alright?" Nonie asked Tonks, that was sitting at the kitchen table, her head buried in her hands.
Rowan didn't even wait for her to answer, and pulled her friend into a big hug. " It's okay... just breathe. Everything will be alright."
Tonks sat up, taking a deep breath.
Nonie handed her a glass of water.
" It's the first time I've seen him since... that night..." Tonks confessed. " And I guess I kind of freaked out.... I'm sorry..."
Of course Rowan and Nonie told her that it was okay.
" Being lovesick sucks, I get it. Merula put me through a fair share of it..." Nonie reminisced. " But
it will be just fine. Lupin does like you, everyone knows that. He just needs time to come around."
The door opened again and Chiara walked in. " I'm sorry, I heard you talking from the dining room, and she's right. Remember how I was with Jae? I was... oh man, I made so many bad decisions... It's not easy to date as a werewolf, and I'm certain it also isn't easy to date one..."
Another person came in. It was Penny.
She too had some insight to offer. " You were always the one that told me not to worry about guys so much. Come on Tonks. If he's acting like this he doesn't deserve you..."
Tonks nodded. " I know... but it hurts..."
Rowan handed her Barnaby Jr, hoping that maybe it would help her calm down.
And it kind of did. The little one was used to being used to calm someone, so it immediately snuggled against her hand, making little squeaking noises.
Tonks pet his fur. " Do you think Remus heard our conversation too..?" she whispered. " Chiara did, and his ears are just as good as hers, aren't they..?"
Yes, being a werewolf came with the advantage of having better eyes and ears. Pretty much the only advantage, Chiara said.
Penny shook her head. " I don't think so, don't worry. When I came in here, he was preoccupied with talking to Mrs. Weasley."
With a relived sigh, Tonks wiped the tears out of her eyes. " Okay..."
The others tried to convince her to go home, but she just shook her head. The order needed every member they could get right now.
So Tonks walked back out, head held high. When Lupin asked her if she was alright, she just replied with a solemn " Yes.".

It was later that day that Rowan went on an observation with Chiara.
They were watching over a small wizarding village, not unsimilar to the one Rowan lived in. The idea of her own community experiencing an attack like this and needing protection... it was horrible.
" So, Rowan..." Chiara said.
They were sitting on a roof near the house that had last gotten attacked... they were watching it like hawks.
" How are you doing? Tonks has been the main focus recently, because of Lupin... but how are you?"
Rowan sighed. She was fine. Worried about Rakepick and R of course, and Hazel too, but otherwise fine. Chiara put a hand on her shoulder.
" All will be fine, I am certain it will. Don't worry, Hazel will get better and everyone will make sure you won't get hurt again."
Rowan gave her a hug. She was so grateful to have a friend like Chiara... they had grown even closer than they had been before, since that day were Chiara had told Rowan how she had gotten past her own trauma, back in their seventh year at Hogwarts...
Oftentimes when Rowan struggled with bad memories, she went to her.
Chiara had started to do the same.
While what they had gone through was wildly different, they still understood each other.
" How about you?" Rowan then asked.
Chiara shrugged, and started to tell her about a guy at work, that always gave her nasty looks. She had suspected that it was because she was a werewolf, and a while ago her suspicion had been confirmed. She shook her head. " You know, he told me that I don't deserve to have a job like this..."
Rowan was about to give her a hug to comfort her, but she just grimaced.
" I don't know, sometimes it feels like people just really want to hate werewolves. If you don't have a job, it's "You are just a deadbeat that is mooching off others to survive, you are a waste of space" and if you do have a job "You are stealing jobs from competent people you imbecile"."
She shook her head again. " So I might as well just do what I want. People will complain either way."
Rowan nodded, telling her that that sounded like the best idea. " And honestly- nice people don't care about it. Just try to ignore that guy, he sounds like an idiot."
Chiara smiled. " Yeah, I know. Thanks Rowan... Don't tell Jae, okay? He's known to be... defensive, when someone says something this hurtful to me."
With a laugh, Rowan promised that she would not.

Barnaby and Rowan only got back home in the evening.
Their creatures were already pretty angry because they hadn't been fed at the usually time.
While Barnaby gave Buttercup her food, she wasn't bottle-fed anymore, Rowan fed the inside creatures.
Newt pushed his snout against her leg. He wanted to go for a walk.
Rowan smiled. " Okay Newty, just a short one."
The Crup wagged it's tails, happily barking.
She could just keep smiling. Newt was too adorable.
So she grabbed his leash, opened the window to tell Barnaby that she was going for a quick walk with the Crup. But he just finished feeding the unicorn and told her that he would come with her.

Barnaby loved these evening walks with Newt and Rowan.
It was so relaxing to stroll through the small village, holding hands...
Newt happily walked along in front of them, wagging his tail and sniffing everything.
He loved these walks too.
After returning home they quickly ate dinner and got ready for bed.
Once Rowan returned from taking a shower, Barnaby was already sleeping. He had been on a much harder observation, so he was incredibly tired now.
Rowan smiled, brushing through his hair. Then she put the blanket over him and cuddled up at his side. Then she gave him a little push so that he would move over a little, because he was sprawled out on the bed so much that she barely had any space.
He grumbled a little bit, but then moved.
Rowan grabbed a book from the nightstand, wanting to read a little bit.
But eventually, she too fell asleep, her glasses still on her nose and book still in hand.
Cuddled against Barnaby, she drifted off to sleep.

She woke up again in the middle of the night from Newts loud barking, and crashing outside.
Rowan sat up, scared. What was that, she thought.
Was it Rakepick?? The thought terrified her.
She carefully shook Barnaby's shoulder, waking him up.
" Hmm..?" he murmured, turning away from her. " Is it time to get up already..?"
" No! I think there might be someone outside!" Rowan said, panicked.
Now Barnaby also sat up. " What?!" Suddenly he seemed wide awake.
He too was terrified that Rakepick would return to be honest. Sometimes he still had nightmares about the state she was in when they had rescued her...
Barnaby didn't want it to happen again. He never wanted her to be so... broken again...
So he quickly grabbed his wand and ran outside.
Rowan did the same, but took care to stay behind him. He was much better at offensive spells then she was...
As they opened the backdoor to the garden, they heard Newt bark again.
Rowan cast Lumos, illuminating the backyard. They couldn't see anyone...
Newt was standing in the middle of the garden, barking at the Appletree. When Rowan aimed her wand upwards to see what was there... she felt quite silly.
It was only a Kneazle...
She sighed. " I... I'm sorry Barnaby... I really thought that-"
He shook his head. " It's okay, I thought it too..."
Then he picked up Newt to calm him down. The Kneazle took that opportunity to jump out of the tree and run away.

Barnaby and Rowan soon went back to bed.
She apologised again, for being so paranoid, for waking him up... but Barnaby just wrapped his arms around her, telling her that it was alright.
At least now they knew that Newt was a great guard dog.
" And I really can't blame you, all this is scary... but I will protect you..." he murmured.
Rowan grabbed his hand. " Thank you... I love you..."
He smiled. " I love you too..."
Then he lent his head against her chest, and fell back asleep. Rowan also smiled, closing her eyes. Barnaby would always be by her side, wouldn't he?