As the school year progressed, everyone at Hogwarts became considerably busier. The O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s were fast approaching, so the fifth and seventh years poured all their time and effort into preparing for them. Analeigh was one of those students who spent as much time in the library as she could — with Hermione, of course, and they would occasionally drag the boys to join them, too. Meanwhile, Cedric also had his Head Boy duties to fulfill, so he was even busier. And then there was Harry who had no choice but to spend his evenings with Snape as he attempted to master Occlumency — unfortunately, there didn't seem to be much improvement, because he always returned to the common room in a bad mood.

The D.A. also decided to push through with their added sessions. A couple of students couldn't make it to some of them for personal reasons — Cedric was one of them, claiming that he had other responsibilities to attend to. Ever since their slight disagreement, Analeigh decided not to pester him about his stance on the D.A. anymore. She still wished he was more worried about the brewing war happening outside rather than what Umbridge might do if she found out about them, but in the end, she knew he was just trying to be careful. She didn't want to make a big deal out of it, and he still tried to attend the meetings when he could.

Aside from that, Analeigh had other things to think about, like the mass breakout from Azkaban. None of her friends, not even Cedric, knew about her father's history with Death Eaters. All they knew was that he was a part of the Black family. Part of her wished she could just tell them because she needed to vent her concerns, but the more logical side of her reminded her that she had to keep it in the dark as long as possible for her family's safety.

It was a warm morning as winter had finally come to an end when Analeigh found herself in hers and Cedric's "secret room." With Umbridge lurking in every corner and literally separating girls and boys if they were too close, this was the only place in the castle where they could actually spend time with one another. She had just settled in on the cushioned seats by the window when she heard a tapping sound. She looked over her shoulder to find an owl flapping its wings outside the window, a letter strapped to its leg.

Slightly taken aback since owls usually delivered letters at the Great Hall, Analeigh hurried to open the window. The owl hopped inside and stuck its leg out to her. Analeigh felt bad that she didn't have any treats to give it, so she hoped a small pat to its head would be enough for now. After taking the letter from the owl, it hopped back out and flew away.

It was from her father. Without missing a beat, she broke the seal and opened the envelope. She retrieved the letter, unfolded it, and began to read:

Dear Analeigh,

How are you? You've been staying out of trouble, haven't you? Your mother and I miss you a lot — she's been wanting to send some more pastries to you and your friends, but I reminded her that Hogwarts has more than enough food for you to indulge in.

I didn't want this letter to be so serious, but I'll get straight to the point: I'm resigning from the Ministry. With You-Know-Who's return, it isn't safe for our family anymore. It doesn't help that my former "colleagues" (for lack of a better term in case this letter gets in the wrong hands) have been visiting the Ministry quite a lot recently, and I can't avoid them forever. It's been difficult to tell if they're aware that You-Know-Who's back... if they are, it's also hard to figure out if they're on his side again this time around.

I'm know you've heard about the mass breakout from Azkaban. It disgusts me (and Padfoot) that our cousin (unfortunately) is one of those escapees. With so many Death Eaters roaming free, it's better for me to keep a low profile. In the meantime, Dumbledore has assigned me to more undercover work for the Order.

Please don't worry. Your mother and I are doing everything we can to keep you safe. We've come this far, after all.

Dad

"Analeigh? Analeigh, are you alright?"

Analeigh jumped, startled. She blinked in confusion before realizing that Cedric was right in front of her. She had been so engrossed in her father's letter that she didn't even notice him enter the room.

"Oh, Cedric," she let out a breath. "I-I'm fine. Um, how was that Transfiguration test you just had?"

But Cedric wasn't daft; he knew she was trying to change the subject. Her voice sounded off, and there was a small frown etched on her face. He sat down next to her and grasped her free hand that wasn't clutching the letter.

Ignoring her question, he said, "You don't look alright. What's wrong?"

Analeigh glanced at her letter and folded it back up as calmly as possible — she didn't want Cedric to see it. With a sigh, she said in a small voice, "My dad's resigning from the Ministry."

"Why? What happened? Is it going to be a problem financially? Because I can —"

"No, don't worry, that's not it," Analeigh reassured, smiling slightly at his concern. "It's just... well, he's doing it to protect me and mum. You know how he's a Black, so it's not exactly safe now that some of the Azkaban escapees are, er, his relatives."

It's not the complete truth, but it's close enough, Analeigh thought guiltily.

"Now that he's resigning, he'll be focusing on the Order," she went on. "I... I don't think I realized until recently just how dangerous it actually is. And he's obviously going to be in more danger because of those Death Eaters on the run and he'll be doing a lot of undercover work and I'm just... I don't know..."

"Afraid?" Cedric guessed. Analeigh paused. Was she scared? Now that he mentioned it, there was no doubt that she was. She had been feeling nothing but anxiety the entire school year, whether it was about her family, Voldemort, Umbridge, or all of them.

"Yeah," Analeigh replied shakily. Cedric squeezed her hand, making her turn to him.

"You can trust your dad — he's a smart man. Without his help, we wouldn't have survived what happened at the graveyard," said Cedric. "He's strong, too. I wouldn't be intimidated by him if he wasn't."

"To be fair, he was much nicer to you during the holidays," Analeigh said with a hint of humor.

"Just a little bit, but that's easy for you to say. My dad loves you," Cedric chuckled. "As if boasting about me wasn't enough, he's started bragging about my girlfriend, too."

Analeigh managed to let out a small laugh at that.

"Your dad's doing what's best for you and the Order. I'm sure he wouldn't have done this if he couldn't handle it," Cedric continued soothingly. "But if you're still feeling worried, you know you can tell me, right?"

Analeigh felt a sort of warmth spread from her chest and throughout her body. Somehow, Cedric's words — no, even just his mere presence — always seemed to make her feel better.

As if to thank him, she leaned forward to kiss him softly. Cedric's eyes closed as he savored the feeling, immediately missing it when she backed away after a few short seconds. His eyes flew open, and with a cheeky smirk, he placed a hand on her back to roughly pull her towards him. Analeigh let out a surprised squeak at that, only for Cedric to silence her by pressing his lips onto hers again. When Analeigh reacted just as fervently to him, Cedric parted his lips to draw her in even closer than they already were.

It was intoxicating. They wanted to let it last longer. They wanted more of each other, but they eventually had to part for air.

Analeigh felt a blush form on her face. How did Cedric always make her feel like it was the first time for everything — first time seeing him, first time getting butterflies because of him, even first time kissing him?

"Feeling better now?" Cedric asked.

"Much better," Analeigh smiled, cheeks still red and heart still racing. Cedric leaned back with a satisfied grin on his face. Then, he pulled Analeigh closer to his side, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.

★ ★ ★

The D.A. progressed drastically as the days went by. It was almost unbelievable that they struggled with basic spells in the beginning, and now, they were in the middle of learning the Patronus charm. Member attendance was almost always complete the past couple of weeks because everyone was eager to learn how to conjure a Patronus. Analeigh had even managed to persuade Cedric, who still had his reservations about the D.A., to attend a few more of these meetings because there was no better time than then to learn such an advanced spell. He obliged, both to please her and because he was also curious about Patronuses.

The Room of Requirement was filled with silver wisps and the occasional sighs here and there. Most of the students there were struggling to conjure even the slightest sign of a Patronus.

"Make it a powerful memory, the happiest you can remember. Allow it to fill you up," Harry reminded as he paced the room. This was the number one lesson he was genuinely excited to teach his friends. The charm not only defended him from many near-death moments, but it was also such a thrilling experience to find out what form one's corporeal Patronus took.

"Keep trying, Seamus," Harry encouraged the Irish boy, who had since joined the D.A. after apologizing to him and Analeigh. "George, your turn now."

"Expecto Patronum!" said George, but only a small streak of light shot out before evaporating.

"A full-bodied Patronus is the most difficult to produce, but shield forms can also be useful against a variety of opponents," Harry explained. Just then, the glowing shape of a horse galloped out of Ginny's wand. "Fantastic, Ginny!"

Cedric furrowed his eyebrows, glancing at all the forms of animals prancing around the room.

"Blimey, this is hard," Alden said from next to him. "I keep changing my happy memory but nothing's working. Any luck?"

"None," Cedric sighed, dropping his arm to his side. He had been trying to use his memories of getting chosen as prefect and captain — those were the first times he felt really accomplished, but they didn't work. He even tried using the memory of him sneaking out of the Hufflepuff common room to go to the kitchens with his friends after getting picked as Triwizard champion... but after a moment, he remembered that the tournament had been a very stressful time, too.

However, Analeigh was his partner in the Triwizard Tournament, and that certainly made things better back then. He even took her to the Yule Ball... it felt like ages ago, but he could remember it as clear as day. It was that evening that he realized he truly liked Analeigh as more than just a friend. She continuously intrigued him and he always wanted to be next to her, even after all the time they spent working on the tournament as partners. The following day was just as memorable. That was when he took her to the room that now served as their secret spot in Hogwarts. It was the little things they did that day that made it so special — the random conversations about their lives, the inside jokes they made and shared, and the way they ended it with their first kiss.

"Just remember, your Patronus can only protect you for as long as you stay focused," Harry's voice echoed throughout the room yet again. Cedric gripped his wand tighter — he now knew what memories to use.

Meanwhile, Analeigh huffed to herself in frustration, feeling as if she was getting nowhere despite all of Harry's advice. Hermione, who was right beside her, had conjured an otter Patronus that swam in circles around her. Shortly after, even Ron managed to do it. His Patronus took the form of a Jack Russell Terrier that ran across the floor — tripping Neville in the process — and then began chasing Hermione's otter.

Analeigh was happy for their success, but she was feeling stumped. Getting selected as one of the Triwizard champions apparently wasn't a strong enough memory for her — nothing happened. She also tried thinking about placing first in the First Task... still, nothing happened.

And then she thought about the Christmas break not too long ago. She was surrounded by family and friends who made her feel safe and secure. She uttered the incantation, and a tiny wisp came out. That sent a surge of excitement through her — she was getting closer to succeeding. She focused harder on those memories but kept on producing mere wisps. Some were brighter and bigger than the others, but they still didn't come close to even a shield form.

Perhaps what she was thinking of was too general. She tried to dig deeper into the holidays and ended up thinking about Cedric. After all, how could she not? He was in Grimmauld Place with her as well, so of course he was a part of all the festivities. And then she remembered that stroll they took on Christmas Day — how it was freezing outside, but it didn't matter because Cedric was by her side the entire time. How, during that walk, they reminisced their year together. And finally, how he produced an enchanted mistletoe and kissed her so lovingly in the middle of a heavily snowing London.

Analeigh focused hard on that image. She let it replay in her mind and recalled everything she felt when that happened.

"Expecto Patronum!" she waved her wand. She gasped when finally, a silver-white ray of light took shape. From the tip of her wand, a Fox Terrier came running out and barking excitedly. She laughed as it weaved through the students while yapping.

"Brilliant, Leigh!" Harry exclaimed. "This is really advanced stuff, guys. You're doing so well."

Another dog came bounding up to Analeigh's; it was a Basset Hound. The two animals barked and played with each other rowdily. Analeigh's eyes darted around the room to search for its owner.

"Looking for me?" said a voice from behind. She spun around to find Cedric there with a knowing smile.

"That's — that's your Patronus?" Analeigh said, mildly surprised.

"Yes. I was expecting a badger, but that would've been too obvious," he shrugged playfully. "But I'm quite happy with our Patronuses."

"Me too," Analeigh beamed, watching as the two dogs continued to race one another.

Suddenly, the ground shook and the lights above them flickered. The room darkened as the various Patronuses diminished, and the D.A. went quiet. The room shook again — the source seemed to be coming from the main entrance. Slowly, everyone began approaching the mirrored door with Harry and Nigel at the front.

What in Merlin's name was happening outside? Did someone else finally figure out what and where the Room of Requirement was?

One of the mirrored panels cracked and cracked until it completely shattered into pieces, leaving a tiny hole on the wall. Harry and Nigel cautiously moved closer to see who or what was on the other side. And then, Analeigh's heart dropped when she heard the voice of the worst possible person to discover the D.A.

"I'll make short work of this," Umbridge said firmly. She raised her wand, and Harry quickly pulled Nigel away. "Bombarda Maxima."

The wall exploded. The D.A. members dove to the ground to take cover as debris rained on them and smoke and dust took over. When it cleared, they were met with the sight of Umbridge, Filch, and the Inquisitorial Squad all nastily grinning at them. However, what really topped it all off was when Draco Malfoy and Crabbe pulled Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe into view. Cho was looking down at the ground in shame, and Marietta was desperately trying to cover her face, but it was no use — they could all see the boils on her face that spelled SNEAK.

"Get them."

A/N: Would you read a sequel to this book? I've always planned on making one (and I still want to), but I'm having doubts bc I'm honestly not sure how y'all feel about this story bc I don't think it's been doing that well rn compared to the start :< Please don't hesitate to comment or give feedback bc it really helps me to know what my readers think of my writing! We only have 5 more chapters left after this :')

P.S. Did anyone know what the fox terrier and basset hound patronuses meant? ;) They aren't directly related to each other, but I think they fit Analeigh's and Cedric's respective personalities and they're both dog breeds that are loyal and enjoy companionship <3