A/N - The original version of this was annoying me so I've returned to third person, however everything you've read is relevant to the eventual storyline so don't forget it - especially the testimonies...
Oh! And to those who just saw this and decided to give it a read, this is the sequel to "Sand to Snow" kinda doesn't make sense without it but if you really want to be stubborn about it you'll get the gist of things in a few chapters time.
James ran ahead of his sister laughing at her inability to catch him.
"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Lily screamed as she ran after her brother.
"Yeah right after you catch him, which will be around never." Al said laughing as he passed the two of them with Scorpius.
"Scorp my man!" James yelled waving as he ran laps around the house.
"Hey James!" Scorpius laughed waving and then returning to his deep conversation with Al.
"MUM JAMES IS BEING AN ASS!" Lily screamed infuriatedly. Ginny poked her head out the kitchen window laughed and went back to whatever she had previously been doing.
"ARGH!" Lily yelled before stalking off swearing about useless brothers.
Laughing James went inside and ran up the stairs to write a letter to his girlfriend who was currently visiting her mother in .
"James stop teasing your sister." Ginny said as he ran through the kitchen.
"Yes Mum." James replied knowing it was useless to argue with her.
"YEAH JAMES!" Lily yelled from her bedroom.
"Shut up Lily." James called as he walked past her bedroom door and opened his own.
His room had changed somewhat over the last few years. When he started his fifth year at Hogwarts it had been filled with Quiddich posters and pictures of himself on his broomstick.
Now however the Quiddich posters were replaced by a wall of photographs starring a red-haired girl smiling at the camera along with James and their nine other close friends.
Reliable and sarcastic Nate grinned down on the room, Wendy the crazy genius struck a ridiculous pose in every shot, Freddy the ultimate photo-bomber managed to look stupid every time, Delilah's evil smirk described her personality without words and Marie' always managed to look intensely glamorous and confident. Chase held his aura of mystery, which matched the question of why he lived with Freddy, Louis seemed to be trying to charm the pants off every girl who glanced his way – which he was – and Reid stood with his girlfriend Abbey Ravenclaw's golden couple.
James grinned at his photos, especially the ones holding the red haired girl, his girlfriend Ruby Jones.
The James dancing with Ruby at Victorie' and Teddy's wedding winked at his living counterpart before kissing Ruby, he always did that when Ruby was away. Cheeky bastard.
"Oi James, can we borrow your broom?" Al asked poking his head through James' door.
"Go ahead." James said waving his hand at the cupboard his broom was leaned against.
"Thanks." Al said grabbing it and running back downstairs to Scorpius.
Smiling slightly at a photograph of Ruby laughing James went to his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and quill.
Hey Rubes,
What's happening? Not much is going on here, just a blur of sunshine, sleep, Quiddich and Mum's apple cider. Time is pretty much only kept by how long it was since I caught up with the others, that's all I really care about. I see Nate and Lilah most days, Marie' came to stay with them for a few weeks. Apparently she's still having trouble at home. She seemed pretty upset. We told her she was free to stay as long as she wants but she wanted to see the Christian and Aimee' off to her older brother Emilie I suppose. I've seen everyone else every few days at least, its great fun.
I'll tell them hi from you.
Wish you were here to enjoy summer with us; Nadia and John are here as much as Andee and Dean. We would be catching up HEAPS. Oh well you'll be back soon. Hope it's really soon. Tell Will and Matt hi, oh and the Gold Squad flattened Scotland, hope that makes you smile.
Another reason you should be here is that Mum and Dad are going away next week. For a WHOLE WEEK, leaving me completely alone. Al is going to visit Scorp, Lily to Rose and I'm staying here.
Imagine the possibilities. I know you like the idea because the Ruby in that picture we took of you eating peppermint for a dare is even smiling. Which NEVER happens.
*Raises eyebrows suggestively*
But unfortunately we've only got memories for now. Well at least there are lots of those to choose from.
Have fun getting a tan. You look really hot with a tan. Just saying, not that you don't always look gorgeous but its adds to your whole "Sexy Australian" image.
As you can tell I'm missing my beautiful girlfriend, so come home soon as possible.
Love you.
James.
It wasn't a particularly well-written letter but it would do. Sealing it up he whistled to Rufus the family owl. James had trained him to come to a whistle.
Landing on the desk Rufus ruffled his feathers importantly and held out his leg.
Ruby
He wrote on the envelope before attaching it to Rufus' leg.
"Good journey." James said to him opening the window and letting him out into the sunny afternoon. An afternoon he could hardly waste being inside.
BELLATRIXISFRED BELLATRIXISFRED BELLATRIXISFRED
Ruby slept comfortably in her bed, blankets all in a mess on the floor beside her. It wasn't to last however.
"GET UP!" A voice yelled jumping on her bed laughing.
"Go away Saia!" Ruby moaned, rolling over.
"Hardly." Saia said in her thickly accented voice opening the curtains so that sunlight fell on the bed.
"I hate you!"
"No you don't." Saia said rolling her eyes. "You love me because I'm taking you to Australia."
"WHAT?" Ruby demanded sitting up straight away.
"Your Mum and Hugh –" Saia made a face at the name of Julia's hated boyfriend "Are going away for a week on a romantic holiday to somewhere."
Ruby rolled her eyes. Her mother insisted they visit then went away when she had the rest of the year alone with Hugh? Still it meant she got to go home to Australia.
"Awesome! I have to write to Jeannie!" She yelled happily.
"Do I hear the sounds of celebrating?" Will asked walking in wearing only his board shorts, as always.
"Naturally." Ruby said jumping up and down in excitement.
"You are such a kid." He said rolling his eyes.
"You're such a grandpa." Ruby shot back.
"Grandpa? Grandpa? How dare you!" Will said furiously. He was twenty-seven and well aware that he was approaching thirty. Matt and Ruby who were much younger always mocked him for it.
"I see it." Matt said drawn by the sound of sibling rivalry. Matt was twenty-two so only five years older than Ruby compared to the seven years older Will was.
"Shut up! You kidlets."
"Kidlets? That is an odd term."
"And one we'll be using more often." Saia said happily.
"Come again?" Ruby asked in confusion.
"Saia's pregnant!" Will burst out excitedly.
"Dibs the corrupter!" Matt said instantly turning to Ruby.
"Fine! I'll be the spoiler." Ruby agreed grumbling.
"Corrupter?" Saia demanded with a laugh.
"The one that helps the kid get their first drink, covers for them when they're off on a date." Matt explained.
"A.K.A Uncle Eddie." Ruby added grinning at Will and Matt who laughed.
"What?" Saia asked.
"Uncle Eddie used to give us a crappy present in front of Mum and Dad then later on give us fire whiskey as our real present." Will laughed.
"Note to self, watch Uncle Eddie." Saia said with a grin.
"Definitely."
At that moment Ruby glanced out the window and caught a glance of black and gold feathers.
"Rufus!" Ruby exclaimed running to the window to let the majestic owl.
"Who might this letter be from?" Will asked with an evil grin as Ruby led Rufus to the perch in her room.
"Leave it!" Ruby said panicked. She hadn't told her brothers about James, or her mother. Her Dad knew and that was enough.
"Ohhh." Matt said taking the letter before Ruby could stop him. Opening it Matt smirked at Ruby as he ran his eyes over the letter.
"You look really hot with a tan?" He quoted exchanging a grin with Will who was reading it over his shoulder.
"Raises eyebrows suggestively?" Will demanded.
"Your point?" Ruby asked without so much as a flush. She was friends with Freddy who teased her and James mercilessly.
"You've screwed this boy. It's clear." Matt said with a laugh.
"I repeat, your point?"
"Dirty child!" Will said looking at Ruby in shock. "Every boy who comes your way huh?" He teased.
"No, just my boyfriend James." Ruby said rolling her eyes.
"How come we've never heard of James?" Matt asked with a grin.
"I think the reasons are obvious." Saia said shaking her head. "Now give her the letter and leave her alone."
Matt rolled his eye and passed the letter to Ruby.
"Spoilsport. "He muttered walking out of the room.
"Thanks Saia."
"Welcome." She said leading Will out of the room. "Don't forget to pack, we're going to apparate this afternoon."
"Will do." Ruby said waving as she sat on her bed to read her letter.
It was a fairly typical James letter, but as always it made Ruby smile. The mention of Marie' gave Ruby a little anxiety but she put it out of her mind. There was nothing she could do right now.
"RUBES BREAKFAST!" Will called and Ruby put down James' letter running downstairs.
"Girl, pass me the pineapple." Hugh said with a grunt as Ruby sat down.
"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Matt said angrily.
"I'll talk to her anyway I want! Ungrateful brats." Hugh muttered stalking out of the room.
"He's always like that." Ruby said to Matt softly.
"Asshole."
"You can say that again."
BELLATRIXISFRED BELLATRIXISFRED BELLATRIXISFRED
"NO! YOU ARE NOT GOING!" Ruby's mother yelled when she found out they planned to go visit Australia.
"But Mum –"
"Julia it's perfectly safe –"
"Ruby will stay with Robert and his sons!"
"Why?" Matt demanded.
"It's proper!" Julia screamed.
"Proper? Since when have you cared about proper?" Ruby asked furiously
"Hugh has a good name! We are rich, important citizens! This isn't Australia where your name is made if you throw a good party! Or where sport is better than God! These people are right proper and understand how things are done! Girls get married and boys go to work!"
"What you'll have Ruby be as useless as you will you?" Matt asked his tone angry and bitter.
I have arranged an excellent marriage for her –"
"WHAT?"
"You'll marry Patrick and be quite happy about it! You'll enjoy a proper life and proper comforts, a much better match than some have chosen." Julia stared pointedly at Saia.
"You're kidding." Ruby said.
"I am not, you will do what you're told – "
"The fuck if I'm leaving James." Ruby said angrily.
"Who?"
"My boyfriend, surely Dad mentioned him."
"It's irrelevant, you are marrying Patrick he's much more important –"
"James is Harry fucking Potter's son!"
"A English commoner." Her mother sniffed.
"That's it Mother, you insist we visit yet you are vile when we do, you prance around like your better than your own children, insult my fiancée' and try to force Ruby to marry a random twat. We are leaving." Will said furiously jerking his head at the door
"No you are not!" Hugh yelled pulling out his wand, speaking for the first time.
"Expelliarmus!" Ruby yelled pointing the wand at Hugh.
"Why you little –" Hugh rounded on Ruby furiously.
"Stupefy!" Matt yelled knocking Hugh out.
"How dare you!" Julia yelled at her son brandishing her wand at him.
"You're such a bitch!" Ruby screamed causing her mother to turn on her in anger.
"You're no more my mother than Bellatrix Le-bloody-Strange could be! Nadia is twice the mother you ever were and now I'm leaving."
Ruby turned to walk out the door but hearing the swish of spell on air ducked to see a red jet of light collide with the wall.
"Pertrificus totalus!" It was Saia whose wand cut through the air this time and Julia fell to the ground, limbs frozen.
"In case you hadn't guessed I'm not coming next summer." Ruby said to the still form of her mother who stared at her with shocked eyes.
"Goodbye Mum." Will said, eyes filled with rage, "We'll let you know when the baby's born. But don't bother to visit."
Matt didn't even look at her as they walked out of the house.
"To England?" Ruby asked looking at the others.
Matt nodded his assent.
"Let's go." Will agreed gravely.