I haven't been writing that much lately, but yay! Finally finished the new chapter.

I excuse myself from the table as soon as I've finished my lunch and run upstairs. When I turn on my phone, I see that I have five new messages from Linnea.

1/7/13 1:30 PM

ok, what the heck. where r u? did u go to see teddy? is he ok?

1/12/13 10:01 AM

i was just told the news. when r u gonna b back school?

1/13/13 12:59 PM

siriusly, not cool. u can at least text me back…

1/21/13 6:04 PM

what the hell?!

i miss u.

1/28/13 8:23 PM

WHEN R U COMING BACK TO SCHOOL?

I think of a response, but I have too many things to tell her. Finally, I write:

srry ive been really busy. i'll tell u everything once i get back 2 hgwts next week.

Just as I put my phone back on the nightstand, it dings with a new message. It's from Linnea. I chuckle. She must be sleeping with the dang phone under her pillow.

WHAT HAPPENED?! ARE YOU ILL? OMG, MARY I CAN'T LOSE YOU! YOU'RE TOO YOUNG TO DIE!

relax. im fine.

There is a knock on the door.

"Come in," I say.

Teddy's hair is purple again. Not the obnoxiously neon kind, nor the drab color just one shade off from black. It's the color of freshly-grown lavender, light and happy. He has hazel eyes and a splash of freckles across his nose. They make him look younger, more playful. Cute.

Noticing my stare, he winks playfully, then strides into the room and takes a seat on the bed next to me.

I laugh and punch his shoulder. I can tell from the way he winces that I did it too hard. "You look nice," I tell him, to make up for the punch.

"Are you sure? I've never had freckles before. Are they a bit much?"

Before I can answer the question, I hear the muffled sound of glass breaking, then swearing. Teddy and I exchange glances, then run downstairs to make sure Andromeda's okay.

She's sitting on the couch and shaking her head in disgust.

"What is it, Grandma?" Teddy's voice is full of concern.

Andromeda gestures to the kitchen. "I'm sick of him."

There's no need to ask who "him" is, for at that moment, Rodolphus walks into the room. Correction: staggers. His eyes narrow when he sees me, and his face turns red with anger.

"Fuck off, Bellatrix!" he yells, throwing his empty bottle of firewhiskey at my head. Teddy pulls me to the side at the last moment, and it explodes in a shower of glass on the wall behind me. "I told you to get out of my life! I don't need you! Ci- " he cuts himself off and lurches toward me, hands outstretched.

"Dude, what the hell is your problem?!" Teddy moves in front of me, his wand out. "Your wife is DEAD!"

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU, BELLATRIX!" Rodolphus yells, trying to push Teddy out of the way.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH MY GIRLFRIEND!" Teddy replies.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOUR GIRLFRIEND? THAT'S MY WIFE!"

"THIS- IS- NOT- BELLATRIX- IT'S AQUILA."

"WHO THE HELL IS AQUILA?!"

"MY GIRLFRIEND!"

"THAT'S IT!" Andromeda hollers, and everybody freezes. "SHUT UP ALL OF YOU! RODOLPHUS, IF YOU LAY A HAND ON HER, YOU'LL WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN!"

He gives her a very rude hand gesture.

"Out of my house. NOW!" On the "now", a jet of purple light frees itself from the tip of Auntie Andie's wand, and grazes Rodolphus's cheek. He jumps backward, as if burned.

"Why are the women in this family all so crazy?!" But that's all Rodolphus dares to say. He's clearly very frightened. With that, he totter-marches through the room and bangs the front door closed behind him.

A long silence follows his departure. I finally speak."What was he talking about when he yelled at me?" I ask, more to myself than to Teddy and Auntie Andie.

"Nothing. He was just really drunk." Andromeda replies.

"You're probably right," I say, but I can't help but wonder what he was about to say when he cut himself off.

Hope you liked it. Please review :)