It was the next morning and Harry had just finished explaining to Leona all that happened last night.
How Peter Pettigrew, the one who killed her mother, who sold out Harry's parents and framed her father, had been living under her nose all along.
Scabbers.
Ron's stupid rat that Leona never liked had been Peter Pettigrew all along.
They were going to take him to the castle to hand over to the dementors when Lupin had transformed into a werewolf, allowing Pettigrew time to escape, which was why her father was still a fugitive.
Harry also told her about how he and Hermione travelled back in time to save Buckbeak from execution and Sirius from receiving the Dementor's Kiss.
And she'd hugged him.
She'd hugged the smaller boy and thanked him and forgave him instantly.
He'd saved her father.
He'd help set him free.
A mission Leona had been working on for almost five years.
And she'd never been happier when she burst into the twin's dorm that night, dragging Ginny behind her as she explained how she'd reunited with her father.
And the four of them were sitting together at breakfast the next morning, Leona having already said goodbye to her uncle who'd resigned from his post as DADA teacher, when an owl landed in front of her with a letter held in its beak.
"Thank you," Leona said before feeding it a piece of toast that it nipped at gratefully.
My darling Rose,
I am pleased to say that this is the first of many letters that I'll be sending to you. Buckbeak and I are currently safely hidden away, though I cannot tell you where.
I know I have a few years to make up for, but I'd hoped that this would be a good start. I couldn't help but notice that you didn't have an owl. So please accept the one that delivered this letter. I took the liberty of naming him Moony, after your uncle. Do its eyes not look like the full moon he transforms under?
Leona giggled as she looked from the letter to the owl.
"Hi Moony," she smiled as she stroked the bird, the creature leaning into her touch, eyes indeed white like orbs, as she looked back down at the letter.
He also knows where I am. Ask him to take a letter to me and he'll find me. Harry's present should be arriving soon, and though I have not written him a letter and he'll know who it's from, still tell him for me would you?
I love you so much, my daughter. And I look forward to your reply, which is non-negotiable.
I know you'll reply, but I haven't played the dad card in a while, even though you are a Black and unlikely to listen to me with how stubborn you are.
Oh, but please, send me pictures if you can. I'd like to be able to see you.
And I will see you, one day soon.
Enjoy your life my Rose.
All my love,
Your father.
"Who's the letter from?" Fred asked as he kept feeding Moony more toast, the bird instantly taking a liking to him.
"My father," Leona answered with a smile.
"What?!" they all asked as Leona handed the letter to Fred, George and Ginny reading over his shoulder as Leona stroked her owl, a truly happy smile on her face.
"Lena, that's so good! I'm so happy for you!" Ginny squealed as the brunette smiled at her before her stormy eyes landed on her boyfriend.
"You do realise that he'll want to meet you right?"
Fred paled slightly as George and Ginny laughed.
"Oh, you're so dead," George said as he wiped his eyes.
"Sod off the both of you!" he grumbled as he stood, swinging his bag over his shoulder as he grabbed Leona's arm, pulling her from the table. "You're coming with me," he announced as she barely managed to grab the strap of her bag as he held her hand and pulled her out of the Great Hall, Moony heading off to the Owlery.
Fred led her to the Gryffindor common room where he sat her on the sofa in front of the fire and told her to wait there.
Confused, Leona did as he'd asked, slipping her bag off her shoulders and resting back before Fred walked back down the stairs, a book held in his hands.
"Are you alright Freddy?" she asked, concerned.
"I'm fine, I'm just...nervous. Nervous about giving this to you," he said, fingers drumming on the hard cover that she couldn't see.
"That's for me?" she asked, surprised.
"Professor Lupin helped me put it together. Think of it as an early birthday present. I wanted to give it to you after your whole fight with Harry but I don't know, it didn't feel like the right time."
"That's alright Freddy, you didn't have to get me anything in the first place."
"Here," was all he said as he passed her the book and sat next to her.
Leona ran her hand over the designs printed on the leather cover before opening it.
There was a little moving photo of the two of them in the bottom corner. Leona was kissing Fred on the cheek, both of them still in their Quidditch robes after they'd won the Quidditch cup in their third year.
And then written in Fred's cursive scrawl were the words:
Lena,
I've been working on this since I met your godfather at the start of the year. I could see you were hurt by everyone talking about your father and I wanted to do something to make you feel better.
Harry has a little something like this from Hagrid and I figured you deserved one.
I love you, Lena. And I hope that this gift makes your world a little bit brighter.
All my love,
Freddy
Pressing a quick kiss to his lips, Leona turned the page.
And her eyes welled with tears.
The first photo was of her as a baby, being held by her smiling parents, her father, in particular, beaming as he held his daughter proudly.
And she looked from the photo to Fred in disbelief, Fred you just looked at her with a sheepish smile.
And as she flipped through all the photos, her with her mother, her father, her godfather, her Uncle James and Aunt Lily, and even a baby Harry. And as she neared the end, the photos became more current.
Her with the Weasleys, her surfing on her broom, her with Harry, Ron and Hermione, and her with the twins.
And when she finally closed the book, face stained with tears, she pulled Fred into a long kiss.
She couldn't believe he'd done something like this for her.
"I don't know how I could ever thank you, Freddy," she cried as she pulled away.
"You don't have to," he smiled as he wiped her face. "You don't have to. So long as there's a smile on your face, I'm happy," he said as he pressed his forehead to hers, pushing her hair behind her ear.
"What did I do to deserve you?" she wondered aloud, tears still streaming as she pressed another chaste kiss to his lips.
"It's what did I do to deserve you, Lena," Fred chuckled.
"Rosalee."
"What?" he asked as he sat back.
"I want you to call me Rosalee."
Fred furrowed his brows. "But I thought you didn't want anyone but your father to call you that?"
She shook her head.
"My dad calls me Rose. It's always Rose. Everyone else calls me Leona or Lena. No one calls me Rosalee. I want you to call me Rosalee. Only you."
Fred chuckled again, a smile on his face.
"In that case," he said as he leaned in, Leona placing the photo album onto the coffee table as she laid back on the couch, Fred hovering over her. "I love you, Rosalee."
And that was all it took for Leona to be in love with her first name again. But only when it came from Fred's lips.
"I love you too."
And he brought his lips down on hers, but she pulled away abruptly.
"What's wrong?" Fred asked and Leona frowned.
"I feel bad. I mean, here you are doing extravagant gestures for me, and I feel like I've done nothing for you."
Fred only chuckled as he cupped her cheek.
"That is nothing to feel bad about. Being in a relationship means supporting each other, it just so happens that you occasionally need more support than I do."
He stopped as he pecked her lips.
"Support which I am more than happy to provide."
Her head rested on his shoulder as she pulled him into a hug, not really knowing how to express what his words meant to her, because they meant a lot. A hell of a lot.
She really didn't know what she would do without him.