Disclaimer: I'm not gonna repeat it. If you don't get it now, you never will.

"Kevin says that Rufus Srimgeour is the new Minister of Magic."

"I figured," Aly said, bored. "Fudge was such a paranoid little monster."

Joy clucked her tongue.

Aly down up from the couch in her mother's house and walked into the kitchen. "Does he say anything?"

Joy scanned the Daily Prophet for some sort of quote from Srimgeour.

"I'll look. While you're about to get up, why don't you grab me and apple?"

Aly rolled her eyes and walked over to the fruit basket. She smirked and grabbed an apple and turned to her mother. Joy turned around, expectantly. Aly took a huge bite out of the apple and grinned.

"Still want it?"

"You're a terrible child. I guess it's a teenage thing. 16 is the age of change," Joy grinned.

"Thanks, Mum. Like I don't hear that everyday."

"Oh! Here's a quote," Joy said suddenly, opening the paper again. Aly handed her an apple and sat down at the table across from her. "'We, at the Ministry of Magic, have publicly acknowledged that the Dark Lord who was supposedly dead, has now returned.""

Aly exhaled a breath and leaned back into the chair. "This is the worst. I feel like I can't go outside without being attacked by some crazy You-Know-Who obsessed person!"

"Well, that is true," Joy sighed, closing the paper. "You really can't anymore."

Joy set her hands down and tapped them anxiously.

"Hey, Mum?" Aly asked, flipping back a strand of brown hair.

"Did you ever get married to my Dad?" Aly asked, looking at Joy's left ring finger.

"No," Joy sighed. "He got me pregnant and then...whoosh. He was gone."

"What if you had gotten married."

"Then I probably would've been able to keep you, and give you a better life."

"Oh."

Aly leaned back and admired the kitchen. "I really like your new house, Mum. It's really nice. How were you able to afford it?"

Joy grinned. "Well, if you must know, I did in fact get that job from the Ministry, and it paid so much better than that job at the supermarket."

"Cool. I love my room, too."

"I'm glad," Joy smiled, and then she looked at the clock.

She heard the doorbell ring. Joy sighed bitterly. "That's her."

"Who her?"

Joy stood up and walked past Aly to the front door.

"Who, Mum?" Aly whined, following her.

"Now, Aly, you haven't seen her in five years, so you two might not connect instantly..."

"Mum! Not Amelia!" Aly exclaimed.

"Aly, stop whining. I needed to see her, and she needs to see you."

"Oh? And why is that?" Aly demanded. "She hates me!"

"She does not," Joy protested, and then opened the door. She smiled. "Amelia. I'm so glad you came."

"Hello, Joy. It's good to know you're back," a voice said. Joy stepped aside and let Amelia in. To Aly's great surprise, Amelia had some (actually, a lot) of weight, and decided to take off the excess makeup. She was dressed in a simple coat and sweatpants.

Amelia looked at Aly, recognition lighting in her eyes. "Hello, Alyson."

"Amelia," Aly replied, still staring.

"It's good to see you."

"Y-you too," Aly stumbled, still in disbelief. This was her aunt? The fat one, with lots of makeup and an ugly crocodile handbag? The one who always threatened to leave her at school? It can't be.

But it was. Aly could see traces of that same Aunt. Except this one was quieter, more reserved. Amelia sat down with Joy on the couch.

Joy turned to Aly, smiling tightly. "Come, Aly, sit down over here."

Aly's legs finally worked and she walked over to the couch on the opposite side of Joy and Amelia.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a while.

"Well, did you want something, Joy?" Amelia asked suddenly, cutting the silence.

"You weren't in the middle of something, were you?" Joy asked hastily.

"Oh, no," Amelia said, smiling slightly. "I just haven't heard from you in fifteen years, so I wanted to know a few things."

"Go for it."

"Why did you appear now?"

Joy looked at Aly and smiled. "I've been in touch with Mrs. Taylor, one of Aly's friend's mom. She told me everything. I decided that I am now stable, I can now take care of a child, and I found her last year."

Aly's eyes darted warily between the two, waiting for Amelia to snap back to her same old self and threaten to send her upstairs without food.

"And she's staying all summer?"

"No," Aly said suddenly, surprising them all. "I'm staying with Mum till the end of June, and then I'm heading back to my boyfriend's house with all of my friends for the rest of summer."

"Boyfriend?" Amelia asked, her eyebrows rising.

"Yes. His name is Charmont Boyle," Aly said curtly.

"And I'm assuming that she is responsible enough?" Amelia asked turning to Joy.

"Of course, Amelia. I trust her," Joy said, surprised.

"I'm surprised, after everything you went through," Amelia snapped.

Joy's mouth snapped shut and she glared at her sister. "That was out of line."

"That's not the point. How long have you been financially stable?"

"For a while now."

"How long, Joy?"

"A while."

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

Joy glared at her silently.

"You've been stable ever since Aly was born, haven't you?"

"And what if I have?"

"Joy, you gave Aly to me for eleven years when you were stable? Why would you do that?!" Amelia exclaimed.

"I wasn't very stable, Amelia! I had enough to afford me two dinners a month!"

"And how would you do that?"

"After I dropped her off, I got a job at a market."

"And why didn't you say anything for eleven years?"

"Because I wasn't ready, and neither was she."

Amelia's eyes suddenly darted to Aly, and she frowned.

"Alyson, are you listening to this? Your mother dropped you off with me even though she had money! She dropped you off because she didn't care!"

Aly could feel the anger rising.

"Your mother was stable and she never came to get you. I heard you always asking for her, but now you know that she never wanted to. What do you say to that?"

"I say shut up!" Aly exclaimed, standing up. Amelia's eyes widened.

"I don't believe this! How can you just walk into my mother's house like that and speak to her like that? You haven't seen her for eleven years and you just waltz in like that? And I can't believe you're speaking to me like that!"

Aly glared at her aunt angrily. "I haven't seen my Mum in eleven years. I don't care about if she wanted me then. She wants me now. And that's all that matters."

Aly sat down in a huff. Joy stood up and walked over to the door.

"Amelia, you can leave," she said, opening the door. Amelia looked between the two and grimaced, gathered her purse, and stiffly walked out of the door. Joy sighed and looked at Aly sadly.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with it."

"It's fine. I survived eleven years; I can survive twenty minutes."

Joy smiled at Aly.

"Want some ice cream?"

"Sure!"