Chapter Four: Home

Ness put her face in her hands and ran out of the room in tears. Sebastian, who had shouted and broken the spell on the two lovers, stood with his arms straight at his sides, his chest heaving. He did not see what just happened. He could not have seen that. Xanthus was still in Vinny's arms, the both of them staring at him, not moving. Lith was standing next to him, her hand on his shoulder, whether for support or to hold him back no one knew.

"What the fuck was that?!"

"Bast, calm down." Lith soothed.

"Fuck that! My brother is a fucking faggot!"

"Sebastian!" Dru spoke up.

"Fuck this. You wanna disown me for one little fuck up with Ness? Fine! I'm not gonna stand here and pretend to be okay with a faggot for a brother."

Sebastian tore away from Lith and slammed out of the room. She stood, looking from Xanthus to Vinny, not knowing what to do. Should she follow Sebastian or stay and support her friend?

"Go Lith." Vinny said quietly.

She gave him a small smile and ran after Sebastian. Reign shook his head and left to find his sister, Dru didn't bother to stop him. The three of them turned when they heard the first bubblings of a giggle. Sidra put her hand over her mouth to try and stop them, but they tumbled over her lips. She dropped her hand and let them flow. Xanthus' jaw dropped when she sprang forward and hugged the both of them. She kissed Xanthus' cheek and then Vinny's, her giggles becoming laughs and tears falling from her bright gray eyes.

"I love you both."

Xanthus looked at her like she was crazy but Vinny joined in the laughter.

"I had no idea. I mean, you told me you were in love with a guy, but Xan?" She shook her head. "It's prefect. Honey, I can't marry you."

Vinny furrowed his brow. "What?"

"I'm calling it off. I can't marry the guy who's in love with my brother."

Vinny smiled and Xanthus shook his head. Nothing was going as he had thought it would. And then he remembered the book crushed between him and Vinny.

"Vin, the book!"

"Oh yeah. You and your kisses distracted me."

Xanthus smirked and grabbed the book and handed it to Dru. She looked it over, flipping through a few pages.

"This has to be it." She looked up and smiled at her brother. "I'll go send an owl to father immediately."

Lucius was at the school within the hour, his face flushed with color for the first time in weeks. He was granted permission to take his children home a week early, much to the disappointment of Lith, Vinny and Reign. Lucius told them all to hurry, telling them to leave most of their things as they had plenty of clothes at home. Dru cried into Reign's neck and he kissed her.

"Tell your mother I said hello. I'll see you in a week and write every day." She smiled and sniffled at this.

Vinny had said a quick good bye to Xanthus before they left the castle where no one could see them. At the gate Sidra hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"See ya soon honey." Vinny smiled at her.

The couple who seemed to be having the most trouble was Lith and Sebastian. He was still very angry about what he had seen his brother do, and Lith was trying her best to calm him down. She didn't want the last thing she remembered for a week to be his angry face.

"Bast, just drop it for now. Your mother is coming home. You should be happy."

He pushed her away from him and sulked. Lith got angry. She didn't know how else to deal with him when he was like this. She placed her hands in the middle of his chest and pushed him.

"Stop it!"

He glared at her. "What the hell? You push me and tell me to stop?"

"You're not going to see me for a week and I'm trying to get you to calm down enough to kiss me! You asshole!"

They were at the gates to the castle, everyone was staring at them.

"Fine! You want me to kiss you? FINE!"

He grabbed her head and brought her close, savaging her mouth with his. She bit his tongue and he yelped, jerking his head back from her and glaring. She slowly ran her hands up his chest and pulled him back to her, placing her lips forcefully against his until he kissed her properly. It didn't take more than a couple of seconds before his shoulders sagged in defeat and he wrapped his arms around her, his injured tongue sliding into her mouth. When they pulled apart she smiled at him.

"There we go."

He smirked and shook his head, placing his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"I know. Ass."

Sebastian laughed and kissed her one more time, the small crowd forgotten.

"I love you." He whispered.

"Go see your mother." She whispered back.

Lucius cleared his throat. "Shall we?"

The Malfoy's stepped through the gates and Dru wrapped her arms around her father. In an instant they were gone, the others left to stare after them.

Lucius took the book directly to the Dark Lord as soon as his children were safe at home. As he guessed, he was told that the book would have to be examined before Jezzy would be released. He went home and waited as patiently as he could.

Meanwhile, Jezzy was up in her room oblivious that her husband had briefly been downstairs. She was pacing again, the agitation giving Cain more life than he had shown in the last week.

"Why so restless love?"

"Shut up. I'm not talking to you. You're not here. Go away."

Cain just laughed and continued to watch her pace. "You'll be here forever you know. Pacing and making stupid potions. Talking to ghosts and growing fat and old."

"SHUT UP!"

He laughed again. She continued to pace until she heard footsteps on the stairs. She stopped and looked at the door as the knob turned. The Dark Lord himself walked into her room and smiled at her. She frowned, wondering why he had bothered to use the stairs and why he was smiling.

"It seems your son was not as inept as I was beginning to think he was." He held up a thick old book and Jezzy's eyes widened. "He found it."

Jezzy felt her legs begin to give and her head went light.

"So this means, my dear, that you are free to go home to your family."

Jezzy raised her head and locked her knees. "Thank you , my Lord."

He gestured the she follow him out of the room and she did so with as much poise as she could muster. Once in the receiving room he handed her a cup of floo powder. She took a handful and threw in down in the fire place. He smiled once more at her and gestured towards the green flames. She walked into them and called out, "Malfoy Manor."

She felt as though she was going to be sick, but before she could finish the thought she fell face first into her own house for the first time in months. Her hands stung and she lifted herself off the floor. No one was in the foyer waiting for her, so she assumed she was not expected. She steeled herself and made her way cautiously towards the Study, surprised that she still remembered where is was. Once at the door she paused and took a deep cleansing breath before opening it and stepping inside.

Lucius was in his chair facing the window. He turned at the noise and stood when he saw her. Her hair was a mess and her skin looked pale and waxy. There were dark circles under her eyes and he could swear he saw a smear of dirt on her cheek. He watched her chin tremble and her whole body shake. He rushed to her side, but was too late to catch her as she fell to the ground, the loud sobs wracking her entire frame. She was home. Home at last.