Spring seemed to come quite late this year, though usually by now the sun would be out and the snow would be melted, the cold still prevailed and the snow stayed blanketed in most of London. It was unusual for it to last this long, but by April it had finally begun to melt.
Tonks had seemed to recover pretty well after their last ordeal and was up and moving, asking for more work in no time. Milena had no idea how she managed it, but Tonks was adamant that she needed to get right back to work. Milena thought it might have something to do with Remus who had been acting as a spy with the werewolves. Tonks had barely seen him, nor had Milena and both of them were against the idea, but it didn't seem to matter to anyone else.
Milena had taken a break from missions, but was still going to meetings and providing what help she could, but after everything, she was still unsure whether or not going back out was a good idea, even if she was starting to miss it.
Fred was probably the least excited about what had happened to Milena. He had gone into hysterics when Milena explained what had happened in the forest, screaming and shouting that he'd kill anyone who tried to take her. George was a little more level headed, though clearly just as angry, and he was the one to suggest that Milena hold off on missions for a little while. So she did.
Instead, she stayed back with the Order, now Fred and George were going out more often and Milena was helping Lee with a little project of his.
"It's just an idea I had..." Lee rubbed his eyes. "I have no idea how long it'll take me to figure this out, but it might help."
"Well, what is it then?" Milena asked, sitting down at the now empty table. Another meeting had just disbanded.
"Alright so," he started, "it's sort of like... a radio show... of sorts..."
"A radio show?"
"Yeah, but like a secret wizard one... one that you would have to know the password to to even be able to access it. It would be for the Order, ya know?" Lee explained.
"What would this radio show be?" Milena leaned back in her seat.
"Well, first of all, anyone who spoke on it would have a code name, just in case."
Milena nodded.
"And second of all, it would be like a way for the Order to share information... news that's not being put out. I've just noticed less and less information has been getting put out and I don't like it." Lee finished.
Milena didn't say anything, thinking over all of the possibilities.
"It's a stupid idea, isn't it? It would never work." Lee said, rubbing his face again and falling back in his seat.
"No! Not at all!" Milena assured him. "Actually, I think it's a brilliant idea."
"Really?" Lee looked up, a little more hopeful now.
"Absolutely!" Milena smiled. "It'll definitely need some work and a lot of planning because if the wrong person got a listen, we'd be screwed, but it could actually be really useful."
After their chat, Lee was much more excitable, but this wasn't too different from any other day. Every time a meeting would end, he would pull Milena aside again with new ideas for this radio project. Milena, herself, had come up with a few ideas of her own for it too. Whenever they'd get a chance after a meeting, they'd discuss their ideas while Milena waited for anyone to return who needed healing.
Her healing magic had come along even more with all of the practice she was getting. She still wasn't completely confident with her potion making just yet, but she could usually have some prepared ahead of time. It was her spells and incantations that had really improved. Often being able to figure out the injury quite quickly and knowing what to do to help the healing.
After every meeting, she would not only stay back to talk to Lee about his idea, but to help Order members who would inevitably return with some sort of injury. It was becoming more and more common for someone to return, injured by another Death Eater or dementor that had gotten the better of them. Most injuries were often small and they were still able to get the job done. However, that didn't prevent them from returning with a broken nose or bruised rib cage.
Milena was starting to understand Madame Pomfrey a little bit better now whenever Fred would return with a puffy, black eye, a broken nose and a grin.
"Ah, you've got me looking as handsome as ever." Fred said, checking his now healed broken nose in the mirror.
"How did that happen anyways?" Milena asked, wiping the last of the dried blood from under his nose with a wet rag.
"Some guy tried attacking me. No magic or wand, just swung his arm, broke my nose." Fred answered. "George reckons he may have been imperioed. He had a glossy sorta look over his eyes."
"Well it was certainly quite a hit."
"He got me pretty good, yeah." Fred laughed.
~~~
The rest of spring seemed to be a never ending trail of Order members coming and going. The meetings kept growing shorter as most of the members had one assignment or another. It often left Headquarters rather quiet except for when Mrs. Black would be woken up by some loose creature and would shout obscenities which Milena elected to ignore as she slammed the curtains closed again.
Summer was slowly approaching as June went by and Milena was starting to grow restless not being able to go on missions anymore. She had started to consider going out again. Nothing was exactly stopping her from going out again but her own fear. But when had her own fear ever really gotten in her way?
Her and Lee had come up with more plans for the radio show, which they had begun to call "the idea" as they were still working on names for it. There wasn't much left for them to plan really. It was now just waiting for the right time to launch it. They weren't entirely sure when that would be though.
One night, after they had finished with their plans, they fell into a conversation by the fire as they waited for the twins to return.
"So, how are things with you and George?" Milena suddenly asked, sure they were alone this time.
"Oh, um actually pretty good I think." Lee said, trying to maintain his grin. "I think George might be ready to tell people soon... Maybe not everyone, but definitely Fred and you."
Milena nodded and smiled a little.
"Why are you smiling?" Lee asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
Milena, not being able to contain it, broke into a full smile. "Fred kinda already knows."
Lee shot up in his seat, eyes wide. "Did George tell him?"
"No, he figured it out himself a while ago, but he doesn't want to push George." Milena said. "Said he wanted to let George do it in his own time."
"Bloody hell..."
"I told you you guys weren't the best at hiding it." Milena laughed.
"Well, I reckon he wants to tell him soon because of everything recently." Lee said, resting back in his seat. "Doesn't wanna leave any loose ends, ya know?"
Milena nodded a little more solemnly. The idea of a war breaking out had been hovering over everyone's heads, though it felt as though they had never really stopped being at war. Just picking up what the first Order started.
"What about you?" Lee asked.
"What about me?" Milena repeated.
"How are you doing? Ya know, not being in all of the action and all."
"It's fine."
"That's a lie and you know it."
Milena sighed, rubbing her eyes for a moment.
"I guess I miss it, but it's probably safer for me this way, right now."
"Maybe, yeah... but I think you and I both know you can kick some arse." Lee smirked. Milena let out a huff. "I mean it. You've got some power, Milly. I've seen it enough times."
She never knew how he did it, but somehow Lee always seemed to know just the thing to say to Milena. Sometimes she wondered if he had learned legilimency and never told her. It was like he could read her every thought and know exactly what would make her feel right again.
Fred and George soon came barrelling into the kitchen, laughing with one another and looking about as banged and bruised up as they usually did. Fred was drenched in mud from head to toe as was George.
"Have a good time, did you?" Milena asked, raising an eyebrow at the two.
"Oh yeah, loads of fun!" Fred laughed. "Not a single thing happened all night, then as we're getting ready to leave, George stumbles on some Death Eaters lurking around the Three Broomsticks. Next thing I know, George takes a tumble, knocks me down with him."
"What about the Death Eaters?"
"Oh, don't worry about them, the tumble was after we knocked them both out. George just managed to trip over some old crates in an alley."
George's face was red under all the mud he had been covered in, but was still fighting back more laughing.
"It's a wonder how you two have survived this long..." Milena said.
"Aw it's all thanks to you Mills!" Fred cheered as he marched towards Milena, his arms wide open.
"Fred Weasley! Don't you dare- AGH!"
Fred had grabbed her and pulled her into a tight bear hug, smothering her in mud and not letting go until she was sufficiently covered. She managed to finally break free of his grasp, and half the mud he had been covered in was now transferred onto her. She looked up at Fred and narrowed her eyes at him. Fred grinned at her for a moment. She crossed her arms, still staring at him with a look that could kill. Then she reached for her wand and pulled it out.
"Scourgify." She said as she pointed her wand at herself. All of the mud on her disappeared and she did a quick look over to be sure it was all clean before she put her wand away.
"Not gonna help us out?" Fred asked.
"Nope."
"You did that one to yourself, mate." Lee snickered.
Fred pulled out his own wand and attempted the spell himself. He managed to clear all of the mud off of himself, George doing the same, and when he looked back to them, Milena noticed yet another large bruise trailing from his right eye all the way down to his chin.
"Jeez Fred!" Milena said, startled by the sudden reveal of the bruise. She hurried over to him and grabbed his chin to get a better look, making him wince.
"I thought my face seemed a bit sore." Fred said, wincing again as Milena turned his head. "How bad is it?"
"Nothing I can't heal, but it's not great."
Milena drew out her wand again and began her routine, healing the large bruise across his face. She had managed to heal most of it, but it was still a little red along his face. Either way, it was still far less worse than it had been before.
"Are you sure it was a quiet night?" Milena asked as she looked over his face again. "That was a nasty bruise."
"If you think that was bad, you should see the other guy." Fred smirked.
"Oh ha ha..." Milena rolled her eyes.
The four of them gathered by the fire again, letting Fred and George rest as Lee brought over a couple of drinks for everyone.
"I reckon we won't be able to stay here long." George said, taking a gulp of his drink. "It was odd that two Death Eaters were just out in the street like that and in Hogsmeade of all places. I mean, that close to Hogwarts?"
"Yeah... Now that you mention it, it was rather odd." Fred agreed.
Suddenly, as if a tsunami had just crashed over Milena, she was filled with a nauseous burn in her stomach making her double over. She thought she could hear the murmuring of a voice in the back of her head, but she could barely focus on it.
"Mills? What's wrong?" Fred asked, putting his arms around her back.
Milena couldn't get a word out at first, just a muffled groan of pain.
"I think... I think I'm gonna... gonna be sick." Milena groaned out. She stood up, releasing herself from Fred's grasp and stumbled up the kitchen stairs to the nearest toilet. Fred followed right behind her as she slammed the door open and immediately fell to her knees at the toilet and let everything out.
When she was done, she took a few deep breaths and sat on the floor, leaning against the wall with her face resting in her hands. The feeling hadn't left her body and she was still incredibly nauseous, but she was pretty sure she could hold the rest down. As her mind began to clear a little and her thoughts regained some order, she started to hear the voice in her head become more clear.
Someone will die tonight... Someone will die tonight... Someone will die tonight...
"Are you alright, Mills?" Fred quietly asked, handing her a glass of water.
"Something's... wrong... I think someone in the Order... is in danger." Milena said between deep breaths. "I think I'm okay now..." She stood up from the floor, using Fred to steady her and they both left back down to the kitchen where George and Lee were nervously waiting.
"We have to go to Hogwarts, now." Lee stated.
"Why? What for?" Fred asked, but Milena already knew.
"They've broken in, haven't they?" Milena asked.
"Yeah, Kingsley just sent a message now. It's all hands on deck." George explained. "We have to leave right now."
"Well then, let's get going!" Milena urgently said, trying to shake off the remaining nausea.
"Are you sure you should be going, Mills?" Fred asked, chasing after her as she turned back for the stairs and climbed them. She stopped at the top of the stairs and turned, Fred nearly bumping into her.
"Of course I'm sure!" She spat. "I'm an Order member too and they need everyone!"
"Yeah, but you don't seem well. You were just sick in the toilet... and what if... what if they try to take you?"
"I'm fine now." That was a lie. "And I won't let that happen."
"But what if they try?"
"Then stick with me. We don't have time to argue. There are students at Hogwarts now and if Death Eaters broke in, we need to be there helping."
Milena turned from him, still a little queasy but trying to hide it and continued her march towards the front door. Fred said nothing more, but his jaw quivered a little as if he had more to say. Instead, he followed George and Lee who scooted past him on the stairs to follow Milena.
"We'll all meet in Hogsmeade and find the other Order members." Milena commanded. "No splitting up until we've found them."
Everyone nodded in agreement as they all apparated from the steps of Grimmauld Place. Milena landed in the centre of the village and the moment her feet hit the ground, a hand grabbed at her collar and yanked her back into the shadows.
"Hey! What are you-"
"Shh!"
Milena hushed at once as she realized it had been George who had grabbed her and pulled her back. Looking back out, she saw the Death Eaters who seemed to be guarding the paths to the school. In a moment, Milena watched as Lee and Fred snuck up on each side of them and hit them each with a spell that made the guards' bodies freeze and topple over.
"Okay, come on." George said, standing up and running towards the others.
"I think they're already inside." Lee said.
The four of them sprinted into the school grounds, hearing the sounds of shouting and blasts from the entrance. Inside the school was utter mayhem. People were shooting spells at each other, others were sprinting in different directions, but overall, it seemed as though the Death Eaters may have been losing. Milena very quickly found out why when she bumped into Hermione (or rather Hermione ran into her) and she completely skipped her greeting.
"Oh great you're here! Drink this and pass it along!" Hermione quickly passed her a small vial with a shimmering gold liquid in it. The liquid was almost gone, but there was just enough for the four of them to get a sip.
Milena took a sip and passed it to Fred. A warm feeling spread through her body and suddenly she felt like she could take on an army on her own if she wanted to. Nothing would get in her way, how could it? She felt fantastic.
"Is this-"
"Liquid luck? Yep! Now help us!" Hermione took the now empty vial and shoved it back into a pocket before running off again and sending a few more spells flying at a Death Eater who slammed into a wall.
"Worried about me now?" Milena asked.
"Not as much." Fred responded.
"Good, now you heard Hermione, get moving!"
Milena broke into a sprint towards where the most noise was coming from and saw a full on battle between the Death Eaters and the Order members, plus a few students. As if it were second nature to her, she sent curses and hexes flying at the Death Eaters, hitting them almost every time. One attempted to deflect her curse, but that only made it bounce off of the wall and hit a different Death Eater from behind.
From the corner of her eye, she saw a few people sprint past her, but she had no time to look as she heard a familiar voice shout a curse at her, which she managed to deflect onto another Death Eater.
"Back again, eh?" The man said through a Scottish accent. "Must reeeally want the Dark Lord to have you?"
"The dark lord," Milena started in a mocking tone, "can bite me!" She sent hex after hex at him, her fury and new found luck having built up and eventually he realized there was no stopping her. He snarled at her, doing everything he could to stop her hexes, trying to get a curse shot at her, but she was moving with so much determination, that it was all just sent back at him.
Eventually, she had him backed into a corner with nowhere to go, her wand pointed directly at his throat.
"You would do so well with us, sweetheart." He hissed. "Dark Lord needs someone like you, Milena..."
The sound of her name falling out of his mouth sent what felt like a shock down her back. Milena jabbed her wand a little harder into his throat, trying to keep her face as stern as possible. How the hell did he know her name? If he knew so much about her, what else did they possibly know? She knew nothing of this man, but quite frankly, she didn't think she wanted to.
"The Dark Lord will have to take me down himself, if he wants that." She snarled back. "I would rather die than be one of you."
The Death Eater just laughed at her, but then to her surprise, he stopped. He smiled at her once more and the nausea she had felt early flooded back into her worse than before. Then, in an instant, he vanished into black smoke that knocked her back.
Everything had gone quiet.