Disclaimer: I do not own the Characters from the Harry Potter world they belong to J.K. Rowling. How ever I do take credit for all the other characters in this story.

For all of you who have read this story before, I'm really sorry for all the confusions about the names and anything else that was a little off. I was editing this story and had put the wrong version up… the names that were there before were the names I use when I'm writing and don't know the character's official name yet. Again, I'm sorry for the mix up, and I hope you like the changes. Enjoy the edited version.

Ledged

(" ") speech

(' ') thoughts

() beginning or end of flash back.

A big thanks to my editor you know who you are.

Chapter 1--Brats and Jocks

A seventeen-year-old girl sat on a plane heading for Scotland. She wished desperately that she was only going on a vacation, but for her the trip held something much more sinister. The reason for her presence on the plane in the first place was her parents decision to enforce her betrothal and marriage to a guy she had never met.

She was tall for a girl, standing at about 5'8, taller than all of her friends. She had shoulder length brown hair, layered and with subtle blond highlights. Her skin was a light brown, almost cinnamon in its tone. Her darker skin was a proud statement of her Canadian aboriginal heritage. Her eyes, her most unique feature were a bright blue-green. At the moment, her light eyes were darkened in anger. She stared out through the small porthole window of the aircraft and scowled resentfully at the ground below her. She was almost to the airport now, an arrival her heart ached to delay.

She sat back and sighed, disheartened, unable to take the sight of the land any longer. She closed her eyes and the confrontation with her parents played over in her mind.

"Lilianna, could you come down here? Your mother and I would like to speak to you." her father called from the entrance of their family's opulent mansion. Decorated in Victorian style décor, the ancient mansion had been in the May family since they had first arrived in Canada from Scotland. It still retained the acreage of land that it had originally been sold with despite the pressure to divide and develop the space. The family had resisted the common opinion, seeing promise in the wide space and the grandeur of the building. Now the private dwelling was being used in a more humanitarian fashion. Lilianna's mother had converted the cold and formal estate into a boarding school for children and youth in need of special assistance. The estate functioned somewhat like an orphanage but with a more home-like atmosphere. And unlike its former purposes… being merely shelter and grandeur, the manor was now a place of learning and entertainment; however, its once-chilling walls still contained many secrets.

"I'm coming, Daddy," Lilianna called cheerfully as she clomped into the house, fully dressed in riding gear and smelling slightly of horses. Her father frowned at her un-lady-like entrance. He opened his mouth to chide his tomboyish daughter but she spoke before he could begin his lecture.

"What did you want to see me about? I was just about to go give Chase his first riding lesson." Lilianna said quickly, hoping to shorten the length of the discussion and join her brother outside in the sun.

"Is Lindsay outside?" her father asked, implying that the other girl would probably jump at the chance to teach Chase how to ride if given the opportunity, which, of course, would make Lilianna's father happier than should Lilianna do it. Lilianna frowned, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Y-yes, but she's helping Alicia groom." she stuttered, hoping that her friend was indeed helping Alicia in her absence.

"Send Chase over to see her, would you? I'm sure he wouldn't mind learning to care for a horse. Grooming is, after all, an important part of horsemanship." Her father looked at her sternly as she opened her mouth to protest.

"But…" Lilianna tried anyway, attempting to ignore the look.

"Move quickly, we have lots to talk about." Lilianna frowned at her father's firm and anxious tone. He must have something on his mind, she thought. He was usually so light and humorous in his manner.

"All right," she nodded, turning back to the door and quickly making her way to the stable where she had left the others. Something was not right with this situation, she thought worriedly.

By the time she got back to the parlor, her parents where sitting on the delicately upholstered couch which dominated the room. Lilianna swallowed, trying to banish her apprehension. Her parents only sat on that particular piece of furniture when they were about to enforce a particularly harsh rule or discipline someone for their disobedience.

"Sit down, Lilianna. We might be here for a while." Lilianna's mother said. Lilianna sat down reluctantly, eyeing her mother suspiciously. The older woman smoothed her light curly hair in a nervous gesture, looking to her husband for support.

"I know that you won't want to hear what we are about to say, but you must listen to us." she stared almost pleadingly at her daughter. Lilianna frowned again. Why were they stalling?

"This is a tradition that has been carried on in both your mother's family and in mine…" Her father began sullenly. "There is no way out of this." He took a deep breath and seemed to steel himself for his daughter's undoubtedly violent reaction.

"We have never told you this, but just remember that your mother and I are very happy together." Lilianna stared at her parents, her confusion clearly etched on her face. She already knew that her parents were happy with one another.

"We were betrothed to one another by our parents." Her mother revealed in a soft voice, looking directly into her daughter's eyes. Lilianna continued to stare at her parents, this time from shock and surprise. "We are the product of an arranged marriage." Her father smiled gently, looking into his wife's eyes and enclosing her light hand in his darker one before he turned to look at his daughter once more.

"What does this have to do with me?" Lilianna asked, her mind spinning. Her parents…. they seemed to love one another. Was it truly possible that their happiness could be the product of an arranged marriage?

"You are the same age as we were when we married." After a pause he continued softly. "It is finally time for you to carry on the family tradition. You must be married."

Lilianna's mouth fell open in surprise and she felt herself lose her breath, feeling rather faint. They couldn't do that to her, she thought, it was far too archaic to even consider!

"WHAT? You must be joking!" she yelled hoarsely when she had found her voice at last.

"No, sweetheart, we're quite serious. Please calm down," her mother pleaded. "Look at your father and me. We couldn't be happier." She took a deep breath to gage her daughter's reaction before she pressed on in her speech. "The man we have selected for you is a very nice young man." Her voice lowered in volume. "He is unique, like our own family and everyone else at this school." She hinted subtly. "He is a wizard from a reputable family, and we expect you, despite your unconventional upbringing, to recognize the importance of this union." Her mother attempted to sooth her daughter's growing anger at being overlooked in one of the major decisions of her life. "He is also a growing influence in England's national Quidditch league." Her mother smiled humorously, knowing her daughter's fondness for the unique wizarding sport.

"Great. Just great. I have to marry a stuck up jock who's only defining characteristic is being a 'nice boy'… that makes it a hell of a lot better, Mom!" Lilianna sneered, angry and hurt that her parents could mastermind such a devious plot against their only daughter.

"Don't use that tone of voice with your mother, young lady!" her father scolded. Lilianna glared at him, feeling betrayed and hurt. Her father had always understood her. Why couldn't he see that she could not, and would never willingly go through with a marriage, to a man she didn't even know… not to mention, love.

"Oh, I'm not old enough to speak my mind but I'm old enough to get married?" She yelled bitterly, her blue-green eyes flashing dangerously. "That makes a lot of sense, Dad." She finished quietly, tears coming to her eyes in anger.

"There will be no argument about this." he said coolly. Lilianna's heart plummeted. Her father never budged in his decisions.

"I'm too young. I have my whole life ahead of me. I haven't even graduated! I want to go to college! I want to get a good job and live my life! I want to have fun and be young! I -I want to live my own life." She rambled on hysterically, finishing quietly, as the tears that were threatening to fall were making her vocal chords tighten painfully.

"You will marry this man. We are sending you to Scotland to meet him. See if you like him before you condemn this marriage." Her mother put extra emphasis on her comment concerning Scotland. She was fully aware that Lilianna had always dreamed of traveling to her mother's homeland. Her mother prayed she had given her daughter a glimpse of hope in an otherwise dark situation. "If you really hate the boy, I suppose we will just have to choose another man for you. You must marry a man of our choice. There will be no debate on this matter." Lilianna's mother insisted. It broke her heart to see her daughter so distraught.

"Exactly how old is this 'man'?" Lilianna asked, thinking of the possible age that her suitor might be, "You haven't given me one shred of decent information about him yet!" Lilianna seethed, running a hand through her hair.

"Well I believe he's eighteen."

"You BELIEVE he's eighteen? Do you even KNOW?" she yelled, jumping to her feet, her leather riding boots grating on the polished wooden floor. "Well, I guess IF he's only eighteen he's not some old man looking for a nice young wife." Lilianna sneered, setting her jaw and glaring at her parents. "What does HE think of all of this?" she demanded, her turquoise eyes silently challenging her father's calm brown.

"Well, I imagine the same way you do." Lilianna's mother admitted.

"But we're too young! We have too much ahead of us to just sacrifice our independent lives."

"You're not going to marry him the minute you lay eyes on him. You're going to get to know one another first. Then we will discuss when the wedding should take place." Lilianna stared at her mother, weighing her words and searching desperately for a way out of the situation.

"Gee, thanks," Lilianna responded in a flat tone. Her eyebrow twitched.

"Now, you have to go upstairs and pack quickly. You must be ready to leave in three hours. The plane leaves for Scotland…"

"3 hours! Are you insane? I don't even have time to tell my friends I'm leaving, let alone pack for Scotland!" Lilianna cried her eyes wide and her head beginning to pound from the sheer absurdity of the situation. An hour ago she had been happily outside in the sun, laughing with her friends as if she had't a care in the world. Now, she was being pawned off by her parents to some guy she didn't even know.

"I'm sorry dear, but the Woods want you to attend a party this evening. I suspect that they want to introduce you to their society friends." her mother said, her eyes sparkling proudly. She suspected that the Woods wanted to show off her daughter and introduce her to some of the most influential Wizarding families in the world that very night.

"The Woods?" Lilianna questioned, her mind trying unsuccessfully to grasp at something vaguely familiar. She had heard that name before somewhere…

"Yes, you remember Kevin?"

"Yeah," she said slowly, not following her father's prodding tone.

"Kevin is your fiancé's older brother."

"What?" Lilianna squeaked, her eyes wide. "He's eleven years older than me! His brother couldn't be eighteen!"

"The Woods had their first child, Kevin, early in their marriage. They had given up hope of having more children but eleven years later another boy was born, and then three years after him, a girl." Lilianna's mother explained, grateful that her daughter's temper seemed to be cooling.

"Why didn't anyone tell me that Kevin had siblings?" Lilianna demanded angrily. "He was months away from marrying my sister and I had no idea!"

"Yes, yes. Now hurry, go upstairs and pack. You will not miss the plane for ANY circumstance. Kevin will be waiting for you at the airport in Scotland." Her father ordered, eyeing his daughter sternly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She grumbled turning and leaving the room.

"Oh, Lilianna?" Her mother called after her, "He's rich, you know. I thought you should know."

"So?" She asked scowling at her mother. "And that's supposed to make it better, Mom? Good job at trying to make this easier." She clipped, "That just makes it more probable that he's a snob."

"Flight 483 is now landing in Glasgow, Scotland. Flight 483 is now landing in Glasgow, Scotland." A cheery voice announced over the plane's loudspeakers overhead. Lilianna looked up, startled from her thoughts. She peered through the window to see a crowd of people happily waiting for their loved ones to exit the plane. She took a deep breath to calm herself, trying to talk herself into sparing Kevin's life when she met him outside the plane.

"Well, here goes nothing." She muttered, rising from her seat and walking towards her new life.

A tall man, about eighteen years old, stood silently in the Air Canada waiting area. An older man of about twenty-seven stood beside his younger brother, glancing carefully at him from the corner of his eye. The younger of the two was approaching six feet in height, but was in no way gangly or awkward looking. On the contrary, he was built like any Quidditch Keeper should be. The teenager glared at the floor with whisky brown eyes as he ran a hand through his messy hair. He had dark, tanned skin, most likely from the many hours he spent playing Quidditch… that attracted ladies attention, but he never noticed. His usual smiling face was wearing a deep scowl. Considering the circumstances, his older brother understood his sulking attitude. The older man was slightly taller than his brother, and also possessed his brother's lean frame. With blond hair crowning his head and clear crystal blue eyes, the man confidently searched the crowd for the young girl they were waiting for. The man grinned, sneaking another sidelong glance at his brother.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to what she's like?" He asked, finding this situation oddly amusing. His brother scowled even more deeply.

"No. But I'll find out, won't I?" he asked bitterly.

"Cheer up, she's a real sweetheart. You'll love her." Just as he finished articulating his sentence, a fist materialized in front of him connecting squarely on his jaw. He fell back, sprawled on the floor. Above him towered a very angry young girl. She glanced at Oliver, her eyes narrowing as she glanced between the man on the floor and the young man standing in front of her, staring at her stunned. She hissed through her teeth and sent Oliver a look of pure, undiluted hatred, as if the whole situation was his fault. Oliver, having recovered from the initial shock, turned towards Lilianna… at which point he almost laughed at the look on her face, for he had received far more poisonous glares from opposing Quidditch teams. She continued to glare, but he could tell she was not usually a hateful person so her fierce look was unpracticed. Her eyebrow began to tic in repressed anger and that was the last straw, Oliver couldn't hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing. She stared at him in surprise, the glower slipping momentarily from her face before she opened her mouth.

"And just what the hell are you laughing at, jock boy?" she asked venomously. He stopped laughing.

"What did you call me?"

"You heard me." She stated rolling her eyes. "I suppose you are the dimwitted Quidditch brain I've been sentenced to eternity with?"

"Now wait just a minute, you spoiled brat…" Oliver began incensed at being judged so poorly.

"Hey, who you calling a 'spoiled brat'," she began taking a step towards him, clenching her jaw. Her eyes were the ferocious green of the ocean in a winter storm.

"Do you see any other 'spoiled brats' around?" Oliver questioned snidely, angling his head to one side.

"Yeah. I'm looking at one."

"Now, now, now. Lets all take a deep breath and calm down here, children." A deep voice interrupted the argument that was steadily increasing in volume, and also beginning to draw a crowd.

"WHO YOU CALLING CHILDREN?" Both frustrated youths yelled in unison, bearing down at the man sitting on the airport floor rubbing his jaw gingerly. He shook his head, silently thinking that the two were perfect together already, as he got to his feet. They glared menacingly at one another for a moment, annoyed at seeming to agree with one another on some level.

"Don't get upset, you two." Kevin said calmingly. "Look at the time, we should get going. Mom and Dad can't wait to see Lilianna."

The two teens grumbled as Kevin ushered them through the crowd and towards the car parked outside the airport building. He grinned to himself once more, careful to hide it from the emotionally volatile teens. This was going to be interesting.

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