**The chapter is below but this is a family tree I think will be helpful…**

Osiris Galen Avery married Sophronia N. Selwyn - they had Simeon and Orpheus

Simeon Orion Avery married Veronique M. St. Claire ( Avery) they adopted

Seriphina Veronique Prince-Avery m. Regulus A. Black her child is Verina Rhea Simeona Avery-Black

Orpheus Stavros Avery married Chloe Z. Rookwood (Avery) their son is

Octavious Christos Avery he married Brisies H. Macnair their daughter is

Bryony Ophira Avery

Other families involved:

Tobias Snape m. Eileen Prince

Severus T. Snape

I never thought I could pack up my life and bury my mother in seven days but somehow I did. I always thought she would be here forever such a fool I am. I moved in between the boxes that littered the foyer with of my Uncle Severus' wand they disappeared no doubt to my bedroom in the Malfoy's. " Are you ready to go?" I nodded yes even though the answer was truly no I would never be ready.

I hated leaving the quaint beach cottage almost as much as I had once hated leaving the Chateau in Paris. I remember when my mother sold it to the young muggle couple. My grandfather would have been fighting mad but he had died the just months before so what did it matter? It certainly didn't make a difference to my mother she sold the old Chateau and moved us to our annual vacation home on a permanent basis when I was fourteen. She said it didn't but I knew it had something to do with the Dark Lord she tried to hide it but I had seen the mark on her arm. walked out of the house looking one last time at the now empty living area with its covered furniture and shut the door. I would allow myself just one tear but that one tear would not be wasted now. I wrapped my black sweater around my shoulders tightly. The wind was blowing of the ocean and it was chilly even in June. My Uncle squeezed my shoulder and smiled slightly. " We will be taking the boat it is not best for you to apparate at the present." I nodded I knew he was talking about my safety. Both my mother and grandfather had been killed. My mother had been found on the edge of the cliffs just below Aurors determined she had in fact been murdered. These were dark times according to Rufus Scrimegour. My mothers death had covered the papers. Who would kill the beautiful witch who had ridden on her broom straight into their hearts. The articles were almost insulting the media fed on the death of a Tri-Wizard tournament winner and ex Holyhead Harpie seeker. I had long ago quit reading the papers. I walked to the dock where the boat was waiting for us.

"Come now Verina before the storm hits. Looks like Im going to have to stay in England for the night." my elderly neighbor Alfred Carrow said Henrietta his wife ran to the boat just then over the years I had grown incredibly close to them. She was getting to old to run so it was more of a fast paced walk. She was winded half way there and had to stop. I knew she didn't have long. They were constantly making visits to St. Mungos these days. I ran to meet her hugging her tightly.

" I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to you Henri."

She smiled a tearful smiled. " I know you wouldn't my love. I just baked you these cookies to take with you I know their your favorite. Ill be missing you I will. While Im in my garden and a snake comes my way Ill be missing you talking it away and then telling me all about your school adventures. Your dear maman too."

I kissed her cheek. " I will be writing Henri."

" You tell Minni I said Bonjure and you take care sweetie." she said handing me the basket and before she lost it walked away. I closed my eyes and remembered our goodbye. I turned and basket in hand I boarded the boat. It would take half a day to get to England. I wouldn't arrive at my godmothers until late in the evening. My house elf along with my things would be waiting for me along with my cousins when I got there. I walked shakily onto the large boat my mother bought it for travel. It had a lower cabin with a few bunks and a sofa and of course a small kitchen my mother never used. The upper deck had a bench or two. I sat down and waited for my Uncle to board a tad unsteady. " Are you sure you don't want to just apparate or floo?"

" No you still have the trace and we don't want anyone to know where you are."

" People will find out soon enough and the Manor is heavily protected." I argued I didn't mind the water but my poor uncle was turning green.

" We don't want your travels interrupted we have our reasons Verina do not ask questions." he snapped sitting down on the bench. I nodded and walked below deck. I laid down on a bunk and sighed. Living in England was not something I wanted to do. I hadn't been to England since my fourth year at Beauxbatons. My mother trained Fleur Delacour and I followed the older girls to Hogwarts.

I hadn't even seen my godparents and brother since the summer the Dark Lord returned. It would be hard for me going there and starting what felt like a whole new life. Draco and I got along rarely and my godfather was now locked up in Azkaban and my fugitive cousin Bella was hiding out at the manor. No it wasn't going to be easy. The only thought that comforted me was that I was going to be close to the three people I had left : my Uncle Severus , my cousin Bryony , and my best friend Blaise.

Blaise, Bryony, Draco and I had grown up together because our mothers were best friends. My mother met them when she went to Hogwarts her 7th year to compete in the Tri-Wizard tournament she met her husband there as well. Blaise Zabini was the only person on this planet that had ever full understood me. Not even my own mother got me as well as Blaise did. My cousin Bryony was my polar opposite she was outgoing and beautiful with long straight brown hair , the Avery blue almond shaped eyes and her mothers tan skin she was slightly taller than I was and curvier than me. She played quidditch like my mother and was every blokes dream.

Draco hated me. End of story. He tormented me every chance he got. He teased me endlessly about any and every thing. We had our moments that we got along and in those moments I absolutely loved him he was an amazing friend but we never could hold on to those moments long. He was at the memorial service with his mother but I only saw them briefly and her more than anyone he left immediately after services but it had been a year since I talked to him. I wrote the other two often and they had visited over the winter holiday. We each had our roles in the group.

Blaise was the calm , logical and cool headed he was cold when he wanted to be but he was compassionate.

Bryony was the fun sporty one who kept things lively. She was the bright smile and the " Everything is going to be alright." she was the jokester and the trouble maker.

Draco was the big brother of the group he was the oldest and cared for all of us as best as he could. He was immensely protective and cunning. He would do anything to get what he wanted and protect his family.

I was the caretaker , the future healer, the baby. The warm smile and the hug. I was the one who wiped tears and healed scrapes and bruises.

We all had our roles and we all needed each other. Even Draco and I.

I fingered the locket on my chest. My mother didn't have it on when she fell which was unusual I had bought her this locket when I left for school. I opened it up and looked at our pictures. She was all I had. I would miss her dearly. She always smelled like lilac and powder. She was the most beautiful person I had ever know. She had straight black hair with a silver streak in the bang. Her eyes were a dark blue that bordered violet much like mine. She was so full of life now that I thought about it I couldn't see her getting old. She still flew her broom over the channel in her late forties. She hated to apparate. She always flew. Had she gotten old she would have lost one of the things she loved most. She had already lost so much she loved my father.

When I was little I would beg her to tell me the story of how I was born and about how she met my dad. She would laugh and say " Again Verina Rhea alright I will tell you."

Well when I met your daddy he was one year younger than me but I just knew he was the one well 3 years later he asked me to marry him. I loved your daddy so I married him straight away and for 3 years we lived in a small little cottage on the beach. " Like the one we live in during the summer maman?"

" Oh yes but it was next door it was much tinier." she chuckled. Now 3 years later your daddy and I decided to have a baby. Pretty soon though Daddy had to go to heaven and I had you. I named you Verina after grandmamma Vivienne and Rhea after daddy because his name was Regulus and Simeona after grandpa and I gave you my eyes so you could have a little piece of me."

I closed the locket and realized for the first time here that my mother was gone.

Never again would I hear her throaty voice or smell the lilac scent of her hair.

She wouldn't be there when I graduated and she wouldn't be there when I got married or had children. She was gone and I would miss her. A tear slipped down my cheek my one tear.