Bryan collapsed on his bed, exhaling loudly. He had spent the whole morning cleaning up the lawn and mucking out the chicken coop. Apparently, according to A Modern Wizarding History, his house looked similar to a place called the burrow, where many years ago, Harry Potter and his friends had taken refuge.

The size of his family was similar, too. Bryan had two older sisters, and four brothers, three older and one younger. Both of his sisters and three of his brothers were moved out and married. One even had her own kids. But at the moment, his youngest older brother, Turner, was still living at home, and rather than look for a job, he played violent muggle video games. Somehow, he had slept two p.m., past his mother yelling for him to come down and help clean up.

Bryan's younger brother, Zach, was only twelve, but didn't go to Hogwarts. He wwnt to an all boys boarding school for brilliant and talented young wizards. Few people passed the series of entrance exams, so it was a small school. Their term didn't end for another week, around the time Bryan's friends arrived.

Deciding to go back downstairs and see if his mother needed him for anything still, Bryan made his way down the creaking stairs.

Sitting on the couch next to his mother was John's mother, and at the kitchen table was his sister, Cassie, holding a mug of coffee. She had graduated the same year as Turner, two years earlier, but had been in Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor. She was also very pretty with the same tan, flawless skin as her brother, long, straight, dark hair, and dark eyes.

"Hi," She smiled at him, patting the seat beside her.

"How are you?"

She sighed. "Better now. It's still so weird though. I'm used to him coming home every day at dinner, covered in who knows what, telling the most outrageous stories. It's been that way since he discovered you live just over the hill. And now, I don't have to clean any mud out of the hallway. All that's left are pictures, and the cardboard boxes I haven't taken to the attic yet," She turned to look at him, giving Bryan a shock. While she looked sad, the tears he had expected were absent. He'd become so accustomed to it over the past few months and to be missing here was odd.

But hadn't Cassie always been tough? She had been knocked in the head with a bludger when she was on the Quidditch team and come up laughing. she'd always beat Turner and John when they had fought in the mud when they were all little, and he couldn't remember a time he'd heard a story she had fallen out of a relationship when he hadn't caught her smiling or laughing.

"Aren't you sad?"

"Of course,"

"Why are't you crying?"

"I did cry originally," she confessed. "But I'm more scared than sad,"

"Scared?"

"They killed John because he was Muggle born,"

"What?"

"They're restarting the whole organization,"

"What organization?"

"You really don't pay attention in History of Magic, do you?" She smiled and shook her head. "Does the name Voldemort mean anything to you?"

Bryan flinched at the name.

"I'll take that as a yes,"

"That's whats happening?"

She nodded gravely. they were silent for a minute, listening to the adults conversation, then Bryan remembered something.

"Hey, didn't you take a class in muggle disguises and behaviors?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, you remember Eric right?"

"Yeah?"

"He's under the impression he needs to change. Be less boring,"

"Does he know what peroxide is?"

"No,"

"Then I'm in," a devious smile had crept across her pretty face.

*.*.*.*.*

"I'M BLONDE!" Eric yelled, catching sight of his new haircut and color.

"It's perfect, right? No spell workss like peroxide," Cassie said happily. "Oh one more thing!" She waved her wand and a diamond stud appeared on his ear.

She opened the door, and Bryan stood smiling at his friends new appearance.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!"

"It's hot!" Cassie said.

"I have to agree with her on that one, no way Beth can call you boring now,"

Turner came running into sight, halting in the door frame.

"What happened? Someone yelled?" Turner was one of the tallest people you'd ever meet. He had trouble fitting through the front door, and had to get a custom bed due to his height. He had his brother's same clear blue eyes and the same dark hair, yet he seemed not to have combed it, washed it, or cut it in quite some time.

"MY HAIR'S BLONDE!" Eric yelled.

"Oh my god! EVACUATE!" Cassie laughed; at least he still had his sense of humor.

Eric stormed from the room and down the stairs.

"Nice to see you again," Cassie smiled up at Turner.

"You too, Cass. How have you been?"

"Alright," she answered, still smiling.

"Hey," he glanced at the scissors. "I haven't had a haircut in awhile,"

"I'll cut it if you want,"

"As long as it doesn't turn blonde," She laughed again.

Bryan left then, searching for Eric, who he found, on the couch, head in his hands.

"It's not bad," Bryan tried.

"Fine, you do it then!"

Someone knocked on the door, and Eric dived under a blanket. Shaking his head and laughing, Bryan let Andrew and Max in.

"It's not her," Bryan called, and Eric resurfaced.

"Natural blonde," Andrew smiled.

"Why didn't you go blonde before?" Max teased.

"Shut up," Eric growled.

"Here," Andrew tossed him a black slouchy beanie. "This'll make it better,"

Eric quickly snagged the hat and put it on. Surprisingly, it did make it better.

Within the next two hours, Tyler, Avery, Delia, and Julia arrived, each with a variety of responses to Eric's hair. But eventually, it didn't even matter what they said, Eric became indifferent.

"Where is she?" Eric whined.

"She'll be here," Avery comforted.

"Yeah, chill out, it's only two o'clock," Bryan said.

"Mickey's not here either!" Eric shouted.

"She also lives in California," Bryan countered, not worried at all.

A knock came on the door.

"That'd be Mickey," He got up, opened the door, and looked down at Beth.

"Hi," she waved enthusiastically.

Eric shoved Bryan away.

"Hey," He smiled.

"Nice hair," She indicated what blonde hair was showing. "The earring was a nice touch,"

"Thanks," He smiled aand moved to the side to let her in.

"Is that an owl?" Andrew opened the kitchen window as a barn owl elegantly flew onto the table.

"I'll take that as a yes, dumb ass," Bryan walked over, unattaching the letter from it's leg, and tearing it open. The smile faltered from his face.

"What?"

"She's not coming today," He turned and looked out the window.

"What happened to her?"

"Caught in airport security for twelve hours, and then she missed her bus, and just managed to find somewhere to stay for the night. The only other bus is leaving at eight o'clock,"

"Why doesn't she just take a late bus?"

"And you could go meet her at the bus station,"

"That's actually a good idea," Bryan flipped the letter over, scribbled something quickly, and sent the owl off.

A little over an hour later, they were still waiting for the reply. Finally, the owl swooped back in. One simple word was scratched on the scrap of paper.

Yes.

Bryan smiled, so wide it threathened the borders of his face.

Cassie and Turner (with a cool, short, haircut) walked through the living room to the kitchen then.

"So, I'll see you tommorrow?"

"Yeah, around ones good?"

"I'd say so, there are a lot of open positions, I could put in a good word for you,"

"Thanks, see you tommorow," He let her out the back door, and a twelve year old dragged his trunk up the stairs a minute later.

"Zach's home!" Turner shouted, and a minute, his mother came in.

"Oh Bryan, when's your girlfriend coming? Your father and I can't wait to meet her!"

"She's coming late, around eight thirty,"

"You'd better go and get her, I would be scared to death out there, especially under the circumstances,"

"Circumstances?"

"You know why Justin was killed?"

Bryan swallowed and nodded.

"She's not a pureblood, therefore she's in danger,"

"I'll leave at eight fifteen to get her,"

"Good boy,"

*.*.*.*.*

Bryan stood on the cold, cloudy, dark hill, watching the glowing headlights draw closer. Finally, they halted, and the doors sprang open. Mickey stepped down, wearing a trench coat, and brown boots with the converse logo on the side.

"Hey," She set the bag on the sidewalk.

"How are you?" He replied, feeling insanely awkward, scratching his neck and watching her facial expression.

She smiled as she watched this bus pull out. "I'm good,"

"Thats, um, good,"

She turned, smiling, to him.

"How far away is it?"

"About ten minutes,"

Mickey picked up her bag, and gestured for Bryan to move.

"Anything new?" He asked when they could see the faint outline of the house.

"We've been gone for a litttle mor than a week," she set the bag down again.

"I know, but-"

"Shut up, please?"

"What? Why? What'd I-?" Mickey had stood up on her toes and placed her hands on his shoulders, kissing him firmly against the lips. He was in total shock for a second, but then he put his arms around her, one resting on the small f her back, the other just above.

A drop of water hit his head, then another, and within a minute, it was pouring rain. Mickey pulled back, her hair was soaked, and clung to her face.

"Glad I shut up," Bryan smiled, picking up the bag.

"You have lipstick on," Mickey laughed, putting her sleeve to his mouth to wipe it off.

"Thanks, now come on, you're going to get cold,"

"Sorry mom," Mickey teased, kissing him one more time, quickly, on the cheek then running to the house, Bryan in fast pursuit.

Author's Note:

I got Mickey's converse boots yesterday. . . SO COOL! I was looking for nike blazers (which I mistakenly called nike glides) but didn't find them :( I realized I might only be able to get them online. CURSE YOU RYAN FENG FOR MAKING ME OBSESSED WITH FINDING THESE SHOES!

I'm sorry! I was watching House while writing and took me twice as long because of it.

I was watching House because I found out Justin Chon was in it and freaked out. I spent a total of three minutes freaking out cuz he had a minor part :(

OH AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WATCH ABDC: HOW DID ICONICBOYZ GET INTO THE TOP TWO WITH IAMME AND PHUNK PHENEMENOM STILL THERE?

I love IaMmE though! Chachi inspires me to try harder cuz she's fifteen and already on ABDC.

Lucky for me, I get to take dance classes this summer XD I spent half my year begging for them!

you read that random tidbit? here's a cookie

ace axel