"Hello," Mrs. Boyle said patiently.

Adam blanched before Mrs. Boyle, but then quickly masked the face of horror with a pleasant smile. "Hello, Mrs. Boyle. What can I do for you?"

Mrs. Boyle smiled up at Adam cheerfully. She had just arrived at the Aldaine's house. She wore a slightly determined expression. "Is your mother home?"

"No, actually," Adam said, smiling. "She had to go meet with some friends of ours over some legal issues of our money in France."

"Oh." It sounded true. "When will she get back?"

"Well, whenever she gets back. She's been gone for about two days," Adam shrugged.

"You wouldn't happen to have seen my two sons, Hayden or Amanda, have you?" Mrs. Boyle asked suspiciously.

"I haven't," Adam replied shaking his head. "Not for a while. They stopped coming over once those Ministry blokes started skulking around here."

Mrs. Boyle frowned. "They've been missing for about two months, and I've been posting signs and everything...I have no idea where they could be. Did they ever talk about going somewhere...?"

"They were saying something about the Leaky Cauldron..." Adam offered hopefully.

"The Leaky Cauldron is closed," Mrs. Boyle said shortly. "It's been closed for a month."

"Pardon me, Mrs. Boyle, but I haven't been out of this house for three months. I didn't know," Adam said politely.

"It's quiet alright," Mrs. Boyle replied. She slumped. "I just don't understand why they would leave. It's so...unlike them all. I know that Damien said that he didn't want to stay here...but I didn't think he was being literal..."

She sighed. "Thanks for your help, anyway."

"You're welcome. Bye, Mrs. Boyle." She smiled weakly. She turned and started to walk away. Adam shut the door behind her quietly, and turned around. Bella was standing there, her arms crossed. His heart thumped.

"Why didn't you just tell them they were all in Scotland!" she hissed. "I'll do it myself!"

She stormed to the door. Adam grabbed her by the waist and pinned her against the wall. She tried to speak, but he clamped his hand over her mouth. She glared at him silently.

Adam removed his hand slowly.

"Can't you see that it's causing her grief! Just tell her!" Bella hissed.

"I can't! I promised Aly!" Adam hissed back, dragging her into the living room.

"Who's more important: a friend, or a mother who's suffering over the loss of her children?" Bella asked angrily.

"Bells, they willingly went. I didn't convince them to do anything. Besides, they were miserable without her. They just went to see her."

"Yeah. For two whole months!" Bella snapped. "I bet you anything they're staying up in Scotland! She has to know!"

Adam looked away from Bella's angry face.

"Adam, you know that it makes sense that she know!" Bella persisted.

"Are you aware that if I tell, or that if you tell her that they're up in Scotland, Aly will never forgive us?"

It was Bella's turn to look away.

"She loves that little group of friends like they were her family. If we tell her, she'll pull them out of Scotland quicker than you think. And then Aly will be all by herself, back to where she started, alone in Scotland. Do you want that? Or do you even care for Aly's well being?"

Bella still didn't look at him.

Adam smiled sadly. "We can't. Not yet. Maybe the others will come to her."

"I doubt that," Bella snorted. "I'm sure they're having a good old time there. They've completely gone, and they've left a grieving family behind. What about Hayden and Amanda's parents?"

"They're out of the country with Joy," Adam explained quickly. "I talked with her before they left. They're all safe. The only ones that aren't are the Boyles."

Adam sighed and looked out the window. "Give it some time, Bells. But don't. Not yet."

Bella sighed angrily and looked up at him. "I want your word that you will tell her. Sometime within the next year. Don't try any squeeze out of it. I absolutely will not have Mrs. Boyle in pain like that, understand?"

Adam looked away.

"Do you understand, Adam? I want your word."

Adam looked down at her angrily. "Fine. You have my word. I'm going upstairs." He turned on his heel.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be around you," he answered plainly, and disappeared up the stairs.

He went up to his room and shut the door. Adam sat down in his chair and sighed. He took out a piece of paper and a pen. He smirked.

Those bloody death eaters think that they can intercept my mail...I doubt it. Let's see if they know how to intercept mail...Muggle style.

He bent over his paper, writing.

Dear Aly...