A/N: This story takes place 7 years later after Cilwenu and Althea have left Hogwarts. I do not own Harry Potter, obviously and I do not own Cilwenu Snape even though sadly she will not make an appearance in this chapter. This will deal heavily with Althea x Snape and Althea x Seamus. If you are not a fan of OCs it probably won't be something you like. If you want to know more about Althea you should read Kagschann's Slytherin Princess as she is in that story quiet a bit. I do intend on one day finishing this.

Knock, knock, knock. The hammering that pulsed from the front door stirred Althea Mirna from her slumber. In a sleepy state she pulled the covers off and slipped on her house robe. Passing-by a mirror in the hall she almost didn't recognize herself. The past week had aged her a decade. Her mascara was smudged on her eyelids and beneath her eyes making the dark circles more prominent. She looked like hell. The knocking didn't stop though so she was forced to walk on.

Behind the door was her brother, Thomas, now twenty-one years old. On his hip was his newlywed wife, Ana, who wore a particularly beautiful dress. Althea noted that it showed off her baby bump in the most adorable manner. "Were you asleep?" He raised a dark brow at his sister and looked her up and down. She didn't even know what time it was. She knew the day though, November 12th, because yesterday had been November 11th. November 11th was her mother's funeral and upon remembering that her stomach knotted.

"Come in." She didn't feel a need to answer his question considering her mess of blonde hair was evidence enough. Once inside her living room they all sat in silence. Ana rubbed her stomach and looked at it with a faint smile. Even in the midst of death she had that new mother glow and for a second Althea envied her. Thomas was bent down with his elbows on his knees and his eyes staring hard at the ground. She couldn't help but wonder if was thinking about his unborn child too. Would it possess magical abilities like it's grandfather and aunt? Ana still thought witches and wizards were a myth and since Althea's return to Greece she had almost started to believe the same thing.

"Are you two hungry?" Althea stood, feeling suddenly very under dressed in her own home. She pulled the robe more snug over her stomach and looked towards the kitchen that seemed to free of awkward tension.

"Did you open it yet?" Thomas cut his eyes over to his older sister who stood fiddling with the tie on her robe. He hadn't been thinking about his unborn child after all.

"I don't have a key, you know this." The 'it' he was referring to was a box given to her in her mother's will. It was a small red velvet box that was no bigger than the palm of her hand. The only problem was that it was locked. Althea left the conversation and entered the kitchen where she fetched a cup of water. It wasn't much longer until Thomas followed. In his face Althea saw so much of their father that it was almost like speaking to him once again. He was gone though and now so was their mother.

"You know you can open it, Althea," his voice was low and almost a whisper. She knew it too, it had just been so long. Althea bit her bottom lip and nodded her head and walked out of the kitchen with Thomas trailing behind her. Ana didn't get off the couch to follow and for that she was glad.

On the dresser was the beautiful velvet box taunting her. She looked at her brother nervously and then opened the top drawer to draw her wand. 7 inches, oak, harpy hair. It looked so old and neglected and as soon her her fingers wrapped around it a surge of energy that she had forgot pumped through her. She missed her wand and her wand had missed her. "Alohomora," she whispered and a click gave on the lock. The word felt foreign on her tongue and she was briefly taken back to a memory in her first year when her professor taught it to her.

Thomas gave a smile for the first time of his arrival. "Brilliant."

Althea couldn't help but give a chuckle but even through that she felt tear pool in the creases of her eyes. Her fingers trembled as they fingered the box and eventually opened the box to reveal a piece of paper folded up. "What is this?" She looked to Thomas who looked just as confused as her. The paper folded out to reveal a letter in her mother's familiar slanted penmanship.

Althea,
If you are reading this I am gone and I am so sorry to leave you and Thomas behind. Know that I love you very much. When I became sick I wondered a long time what I should leave you both with and I hope that my decision didn't upset you. I left the home to Thomas and Ana and their amazing child that I was not able to meet. I left you with the larger portion of my life savings with certain intentions. I want you to return to England and I want you to remember who you really are. You are an amazing witch and I fear that you have forgotten that. I want you to know that I wish I could have changed the way things panned out. I never wanted you to leave behind the things you loved. Please return home. I have a lot more that I want to say but I'm afraid I can't. I love you with all of my heart.
Love,
Mom

Althea wasn't sure when the tears started spilling but her face was wet and hot and Thomas had his arm around her. She heaved large breaths and struggled to catch her breath between sobs. There were many nights when she laid in bed dreaming of returning to London. To see her friends waiting for her with open arms and the world being the way it was before her father's death. That wasn't the case and she knew it. She was twenty-five now and that world seemed like a dream now.

"You're going, right?"

"I don't know, Thomas...that's a big decision." Althea stared at the note and read it over and over again as if they were going to suddenly turn into something else.

Thomas didn't say anything for several minutes and Althea continued to stare straight down. "I'm sorry, mom and I never wanted things to turn out this way. We never wanted you to leave behind your life." His voice sounded shaky- but strong. "There were times, growing up, where I was jealous of you and father. What kid doesn't want to do magic? You shouldn't of had to make the decision that was forced on you and I'm sorry." He placed his hands on his sister's shoulders who was sobbing uncontroably. "I want you to go back, please. If not for me...do it for mom and dad. Like she said, you are an amazing witch."

A younger Althea stood on the stone patio of the Mirna mansion. Her mother was by her side looking extremely worn down. Thomas clinging tightly on to her hand and his face expressed more anxiety than she had even seen on a fourteen year old's face. Her own palms were sweating as the light footstep's of Janet Mirna approached the door.

They all sat silently with abnormally good posture in the parlor. Janet and John Mirna sat on the opposite couch of Ghita and her two children. It was strange how different they were. Janet had aged gracefully in her years and her auborn hair laced with silver was piled neatly on her head with no hair out of place. John had gained weight during the aging process and his hair was completely silver and slicked back to give the illusion that it was actually there.

"So, Ghita, may I ask why it was you decided to grace us with your presence?" It was most evident in her voice that their visit wasn't a pleasure at all.

"With Vincent's passing," Althea's mother winced and she noticed that her grandmother did too even if only slightly. "It has been hard to keep up with out finances." Ghita looked down at her son who was still holding tightly to her hand with a fear in his eyes.

Janet gave a chuckled that she tried to hide with the back of her hand and looked to her husband who was just gazing lazily at his daughter-in-law and grandchildren as if their presence didn't even matter. "Please, tell me that you are not implying that you wish us to loan you money. We are not a bank and certainly not a muggle bank."

Althea watched her mother flinch again as if her grandmother's words slapped her directly across the face. She immediately felt a bubble of anger rise in the pit of her stomach. Her nails dug deep into the soft flesh of her palms and she wanted nothing more than to strike her own grandmother.

"Althea only as a little bit of school left. If I don't pay the bills on the house I'm going to lose it and we will have to move back to Greece." There was a worried undertone in her voice now. "Please, I'm begging you, help just this once and I'll do my best to get back on track. Don't make me uproot my family. If not for me- for Vincent? He wouldn't want his daughter not to finish out her schooling here-"

"Do not tell my what my son would have wanted," Janet stood from her chair causing the echo of her chair scrapping across the room to almost ruffle John from his trance-like state. "Go back to Greece, you should have never came here in the first place. You do not belong. You and your squib son."

It was Thomas' turn to flinch and Althea tried not to look at his watery eyes. She felt her own face growing hot with tears threatening to spill out. It was to late for her mom, she was already crying. Althea had to be strong for her. She had to forget that her wand was mere inches away from her finger tips.

"Althea," Janet spoke quietly but with such authority it made Althea extremely nervous. "Althea, you may stay with us until your schooling is finished. You can stay at Hogwarts as long as you are resident in this country. If you move back to Greece you can no longer go, you know this. "

Althea hadn't expected those words to exit her grandmother's mouth. It was no secret to anyone that Janet and John had no attachment to their grandchildren from Vincent. Vincent had tainted the Mirna name when he married the muggle, Ghita. He infected it even more when he reproduced with her.

"R-really?" The words came out in a choke and it felt like the first time she had spoke in ages. There was a wave of relief that crashed down on her and Ghita looked to her daughter with watery, red eyes.

"Under one condition." There were three loud clacks against the floor as Janet moved closer to her granddaughter. "You will cut ties with this muggle and this...squib. You will not have any contact whatsoever. Is that understood?"

Althea sat there in disbelief. There were a million and one things running through her mind and her mouth moved but no words came out. She felt a hot hand clamp over her own. "It's okay, darling. You can stay. It will be best-"

"No," her voice came out hoarse and almost a whisper. "NO!" she repeated louder. Althea looked her grandmother in the eyes for the first time since they arrived and maybe the first time ever. "I will not."

"Then I suspect you will have a safe trip back to Greece."

"Good morning, Ms. Mirna!" A friendly voice perked up from behind a large potted plant. A plump young man around the same age as Althea peeked his head around the plant he was carrying. Ian Gustav was the shopkeeper of the flourist next to the shop Althea had rented in Diagon Alley and quickly became her first friend since her return.

"Morning to you too!" Althea gave a warm smile and flipped the sign on the front door to expose the bold word open. She stood with much confidence and admiration in from of her shop. The windows were still slightly dusty but she had done her best to scourgify them clean. Across the window, in simple font, was the word apothecary.

"Looks brilliant! With Hogwarts coming to session I'm sure your business will do magnificent!" Ian looked over-eager as always as he pushed his glasses up his face with his index finger. "Wish I could say the same for me'self. Students don't fancy a man-eating plant quiet like a potion brew that'll make'um blow up like a balloon!"

Althea gave a slight laugh before turning to the flourist. "I do hope that you are right. Though, I hate to admit I don't have any of those brews in stock." She gave a wink and opened the door.

After a month things had started to look up and Althea had finally began to feel like her old self. She sat lazily at the front desk admiring her handywork. Her mother didn't leave her much so she had to make due with a older and less updated shop. It was fine by her- it had character. The walls were lined with shelves of different viles and bottles and a plethora of different ingredients both common and exotic.

In the midst of her thoughts and silence a small jingle came from the door.

Her first customer.

"Good morning, sir-"

"Alth...Althea?"

It took Althea a moment to register that the male knew her. His voice was caked in a heavy accent that seem very familiar to her. He was short, but still taller than her and his face was powdered in light- almost non-existant freckles. Her heart dropped when she recognized the familiar face at last.

"Seamus?"