AN: Here's another long chapter. Enjoy!

Summer Vacation

Chris' POV

Double checking the last protective charms downstairs, I let out a sigh before heading upstairs.

I was exhausted, mostly because it's been long hours at the Ministry on top of the long hours with the Order, but even that wasn't as tiring as being home to deal with my wife's pretense of our perfect life.

Stopping outside my daughter's door, I leaned against the door frame, quietly watching her as she wrote in her journal. She was the reason why I pretended –she deserved to believe her parents had learned to love each other.

The brief memory of gray eyes and curly hair brought along that pang of regret for not having the courage to go after what I really had wanted –after the one I had really loved…sometimes I envied Matt for having broken away from his family's expectations when I couldn't do the same. I watched as she wiped a hand across her cheek before going back to writing, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

She alone could banish that regret, "You okay, baby?"

Hollie gasped, closing her journal as she gave him a wide eyed stare, "You scared me, Daddy."

"That wouldn't have happened," I pushed away from the door, moving across the large bedroom to nudge her dog Zeus to the side so I could sit at the foot of her bed, "If you were vigilant."

Hollie's nose wrinkled, smiling as she rolled her eyes, "I know…constant vigilance."

"Exactly," I squeezed her toes as she tucked the Muggle pen into her journal before placing it in her bedside table drawer, "Now tell me what's wrong."

I watched her face as she debated with herself, her entire thought process reflected in her dark eyes, the soft light from her bedside lamp allowing me to see all of this.

"Mum isn't going to let me go to Texas for extreme sports week."

I saw the disappointment in her eyes as I leaned back against the footboard, "Why not?"

Again, I watched her debate with herself but I knew she would tell me the truth –she had been young the one and only time I had to teach her the consequences of lying. It had hurt me more than her but in the end, she had learned never to lie –especially to me.

"I got in some trouble at school," she dropped her eyes, plucking at the flowered comforter spread over her legs, "Aunt Minnie wrote mum a letter and now she won't let me go to Texas."

Looking up at me, she didn't see the anger growing inside me, only the assurance that I would understand, "What did you do?"

She bit her lip before answering, "I punched James' in the stomach and broke Black's nose."

I held back the smile that threatened –it wasn't good to encourage violent behavior but that didn't mean I couldn't privately be proud of my little girl, "Why?"

"They messed with my hair! Somehow, they got my shampoo bottle and put in peroxide. I had bright orange hair for a whole day!"

"Hollie," I quirked an eyebrow at her, "You have the ability to fix that so why react so violently?"

"Honestly? I kinda forgot."

She lowered her eyes at the look of displeasure that crossed my face, "That means you haven't been exercising the way I told you too."

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she gave me that wide eyed look that always got her out of trouble with me, "It's just that with lectures and homework and everything else, it slipped my mind."

"I guess I'm going to have to send you daily reminders this coming school year, hmm?"

I chuckled at the look on her face, finally standing and leaning down to press a kiss against her forehead, cupping her chin to tilt her face up –she knew I would come through for her, "I'll talk to your mum."

"Thanks Daddy," she threw her arms around my neck with exuberance –there was no point in telling her not to get her hopes up, "Now go to sleep."

"I love you Daddy."

I smiled as she snuggled under her blankets, her long hair in one thick braid over one of her shoulder, "I love you more."

Her response, as always, was that beautiful smile she had inherited from my mother and younger sister.

I turned the lamp off with a wave of my hand, closing the door behind me. Pressing my hand against the middle of the cherry wood door, I put up the charms, throwing in the extra ones I've always used since she had been born –these, no one knew so if somehow, someone was able to get passed my wards and into my home, they would never get my daughter.

Turning to walk down the hall, I bypassed Dominic's room –there was no point, the boy was still sore at me for not allowing him to play Quidditch. The very idea of a Belledrex playing for a career…I wasn't going to allow it.

Opening the door to the bedroom I shared with Jess, I stood just inside the threshold, watching her as she brushed out her long blond hair, back to the door as she stared out the window.

She was beautiful –I couldn't deny that with her eyes the color of sapphires and that angelic face, she could steal the breath of any man, including myself.

I tilted my head, watching as the thin strap of her ice blue nightgown slipped off her shoulder. She indeed captivated many with that ethereal look and a body meant for a man's pleasure but I myself knew what lurked inside her.

"Why didn't you show me the letter?"

Stopping mid-stroke, she slowly turned to look over her shoulder, full lips tight as she studied me with those cat shaped eyes of her, "What letter?"

And that right there was why I struggled to keep the façade behind closed doors –she was a lying bitch, "You know what letter."

Her eyes dropped, a faint blush stealing across her face as she turned to look out the window, resuming her grooming, "Minerva addressed it to me."

"Yet, the topic addressed in the letter was my daughter."

"She's my daughter too."

I ignored the tightness in her voice, moving towards the en suite, "You carried her for nine months, birthed her but we both agreed she's mine. You have your son and I have my daughter."

"He's yours too."

I finished removing my shirt, stepping out as I gave her a dark look, "Is he?"

As always, I could see it in her blue eyes –the truth that she knew I knew of her lies. Cutting her eyes to the side, she ran her finger through the bristles of her brush, her voice soft with shame, "Of course."

Her insistence on holding onto that lie made it impossible for me to feel anything but anger. There was once a time when I thought I could learn to care for this woman despite us being strangers, and I had told her so –along with giving her fair warning of my only demand from her.

Complete and total honesty…that was the reason why it didn't eat at me –my behavior towards her, that is.

Moving around to her side of the bed, I pulled her head back to look into her deceiving blue eyes, my hand a tight fist in that thick golden mane of hers, "You will not make decisions about my daughter without consulting me first. Is that understood?"

I could see the warring emotions in those crystalline eyes of hers, could feel the heat coming from her body as she tried to breathe evenly without success.

Merlin, how I hated her…her insistence on holding on to that lie had ruined every chance for us to find happiness, but at times I hated myself even more because despite my heart being closed off to her, my body still desired hers.

"Answer me."

She swallowed with some difficulty, dropping her eyes as she softly answered, "I understand."

I slowly pushed her back onto the bed, pushing her thighs apart with one knee as I dragged my hand up her smooth leg, the silk gown coming along for the ride, "Good."

She closed her eyes as I dipped my head to press an open mouthed kiss against her throat, the clean smell of her skin setting my blood on fire.

She was my wife so I had no qualms taking what was mine and she never resisted, silently enduring my treatment of her as an object of lust and contempt…as if she were taking it as punishment for her lie.

How I hated us.

Remus' POV

I sat at the kitchen table working on my homework. The sooner I got it done, the better. Besides, Hollie wasn't here to distract me. She was with her cousins for extreme sports week and I idly wondered if she'd run into my cousin Gabriel. He often participated in some of those events.

I looked up from my homework and saw Zeus in the living room –we were dog sitting while Hollie was gone. This was as close as he got to me. He used to be my dog. We used to be inseparable. He would sleep on my bed...although Mum never knew that one. If Dad did, he didn't care. Then came the summer we went to Switzerland and Zeus went to Hollie's while we were gone but we never came back. Not until right before this past school year anyway.

At least Zeus' reaction to me was better than Mum's cat. Zeus mainly just avoided me, keeping as much distance as possible. The few times I got too close, he growled while quickly retreating from the room. The cat, however, never left the room without making a huge fuss. Whenever we were in the same room, she would hiss at me before escaping. If I was too close, she would take a swipe at me. Mum gave her away while we were still in Switzerland. I kind of felt sorry for Mum because she had that cat since she was eleven but I sure did not miss it.

"Morning Remus," Dad walked into the room, opening the fridge to get something to eat.

"Morning, Dad. I thought you would be at the ministry by now. It's almost noon."

"I worked most of the night so I'm going in later. I thought of staying there but your Uncle Chris ordered me to get some sleep," he walked over to sit down next to me, "What are you working on? Or should I say trying to work on?"

I looked down at the blank page, "Transfiguration. I have to write an essay." At least my book was opened to the right page.

Instead of starting my homework, I looked over at Zeus. He hadn't moved much but his demeanor had changed. His head was no longer resting on the floor and fear no longer the primary emotion showing –Dad made all the difference. Zeus liked him but even more importantly, he trusted him. I was willing to bet that as soon as Dad left the kitchen, Zeus would follow him with his tail wagging.

"Huh," Dad got up, grabbed a box from the cupboard and then sat back down, "I have an idea."

I looked at the box, "Dog treats for transfiguration?" I looked down at my book again –was I missing something?

"What?" Confusion covered my dad's face for a moment, "Oh, not that. For Zeus."

I couldn't help but glance back at Zeus, not only had he sat up but he had moved closer as well. He had noticed the treats, "What about him?"

"Well," Dad briefly paused as he reached into the box and pulled out a handful of the dog biscuits, "I was thinking if you started to give him treats, he might start associating you with them and stop being so afraid of you. It's worth a shot, don't you think?"

I nodded my head. The idea did make sense because Zeus loved those things. Dad had used them, along with toys, for training when he was a puppy and Hollie spoiled him with them.

Dad looked at his watch and slightly groaned, "I need to leave soon. Remus, when I get home –"

"You want my transfiguration homework done?" I interrupted with an answer to his question.

"No," Dad gave me a look that implied he thought I was crazy, "You have the rest of the summer to do your homework. There's probably a reason why the page is blank –your brain needs a break."

"If I finish it now, I won't have to worry about it."

Dad sighed and shook his head with a small smile on his face, "You are so much like your mother. Seriously Remus –take a break from the work and relax."

"Okay." I nodded my head in agreement and closed my textbook.

Of course I couldn't say no even if I really wanted too –not when he said it like a command. Sometimes he didn't mean too but the small smile on his face confirmed that this time was on purpose. I looked down at my notebook and closed it as well. He probably was right on this one.

Hollie's POV

It was cold up in the Alps but thanks to Uncle Jack's charm, none of us felt it.

Cade worked on buffing his snowboard, wanting the bottom as slick as possible so it'll glide over the snow faster.

"So how was your first year at Hogwarts," Reba, Cade's twin sister, asked as she tightened her snow boots, the red and black snowboard she used standing next to her in the snow.

"Great," I made sure the foot bindings on my own board were tight–a silver and blue pattern meant to honor my Ravenclaw ancestry, "Remus moved back and we're in the same house."

"That's good," she nodded, her long dark hair in braids down the sides of her face, "You've missed him something fierce, huh?"

"Yep," I nodded, the gold and maroon beanie I had pulled over my head a perfect match to the scarf wrapped around my neck, "We've caught up –it's like he never left."

"Now that's a true best friend," Cade stood up, stuffing the rag into his coat's pocket as the overhead system announced the beginning of the race.

Pulling his snow goggles down to adjust them over his eyes, he looked over at us, "Alright, girls. We're a team of three. Keep it smooth, keep it fast and remember to keep it close."

Reba rolled her eyes as I giggled, both of us taking our snowboards and following after him towards the start up line, "Who died and made you coach?"

I laughed, dropping my board unto the powdery snow and stepping into the bindings, Cade leaning down to snap them into place before doing the same thing for Reba, "I'm the oldest so –"

"By three minutes," Reba interrupted, pulling her tinted goggles down from her head, "That doesn't give you automatic leadership."

The overhead system boomed out, "In your places, everyone!"

"Alphabetically, it does," Cade snapped himself in place, his board several inches longer than ours due to his height –at thirteen, he was a couple of inches away from six feet, "'C' before 'R', sis."

"Ready?"

"And 'R' after 'H'," I joked, sliding myself between my cousins, both taller and older than myself.

"Set?"

"You two are butt monkeys," Reba tossed out as I lowered my goggles, getting them right where I liked them just as the announcer yelled, "Go!"

The rush was instantaneous, the cold air whipping across my face without its usual bite thanks to Uncle Jack. As I maneuvered down the steep hills, keeping my knees bent and body slightly forward to maintain my balance, I slid past several of the other competitors, Cade a few feet before me and Reba close beside me.

The snow flew at the other side of my board as I hit a jump just at the right angle, my stomach suspended in air until I landed on solid ground, managing to keep myself upright as I flew right past Cade.

I knew the advantage wasn't going to last –my cousins were the superior snowboarders after all but I was going to hang onto the lead as long as I could.

Just a few yards from the finish line, Cade whizzed right by me, Reba flanking him on the left. Now, all I had to do was stay right at their heels so we could finish together.

Crossing the finish line mere seconds behind Reba, I couldn't hear the cheering crowd over the roaring in my ears –my blood was flowing fast and my heart beating furiously. The only thing that could surpass competing in X-treme Sports Week was flying.

Turning my hips, I slid to a stop, sending a wave of snow flying, laughing as it sprayed Cade, "That was awesome!"

"We came in second," Reba removed her goggles as the times were announced, reaching up to pull off her black and red beanie.

"That's alright," Cade ran his hands over his shaggy hair, the color so dark it looked blue in the bright sunlight, "We get to race again tomorrow."

"The solo competition is after lunch," Reba crouched down to remove her boots from their binding, sinking into the snow as soon as she stepped out of them, "Let's go get something to eat."

I nodded, still feeling the adrenaline rushing through me as I stepped out of my board, "I need to go shopping after that. My friends are expecting souvenirs."

"Even that Sam girl," Reba grinned at me, knowing all about my prank war with Sam –she had enough letters from me to get an inkling as to the situation.

Wrinkling my nose, I kept my board under my right arm, "Mum's not here to force me into buying her anything."

"I think I've got the perfect prank for her," Reba hopped in excitement as we reached the cable cars that would take us down to the base of the mountain where the small town hosting the events was, "If she doesn't cave at this one then she's one tough chickie."

I laughed, always finding it amusing when my cousin –with her Texas accent as thick as molasses (her saying, not mine) –tried to use English slang.

"So are you interested," Reba stepped into the car behind Cade, several more snow boarders stepping in behind me.

"Oh yeah," I nodded, the thick braid down my back swishing against the fabric of my blue and silver coat, "Keen as mustard."

"Uh?"

Laughing again, I pushed my goggles up to the top of my head, "It means I'm interested."

Sam's POV

I was lying on the bed in Lily's room, flipping through a magazine but it wasn't really holding my attention, "I can't believe they never responded. It just doesn't make sense. The only thing I can think of is they never got them."

"Why would they never get them?" Lily asked but she was already suspicious of the answer.

"My mother probably saw the owl and intercepted it. Stupid school owls. You'd think they'd learn to avoid her."

"There's one way to find out for sure." Lily responded.

"How?"

"Mail them a letter through the post while you're here. Your mother can't intercept a letter that way."

"I thought about that but she'll see my name on the return address if she's the one to get the post."

"I didn't think about that." Lily frowned, obvious disappointment on my behalf showing in her bright green eyes.

Looking at my friend, an idea came to me, "Unless I use your name!"

"Sam, that's brilliant! I can address the envelope just in case your mother can recognize your handwriting."

"Fantastic! Address it to Billy. She'll probably think it's from a girlfriend."

"Would he still open it since I'm not?"

I thought about it for a second as I grabbed paper and a pen for the letter, "Probably. Curiosity always gets the best of him."

Lily went to get an envelope and I started writing the letter, although I wasn't quite sure what to write since I didn't know what had happened. I assumed my mother intercepted my letters but what if I was wrong? I sighed, staring at the paper before making a decision. Short and sweet because what was the point if they weren't going to read it?

Dear Billy, E.J., and Nate,

I hope you get this letter. I'm assuming you haven't received the ones I sent during the year because I never got a response.

The address on the envelope is where I'm staying this summer. Lily is a friend of mine from school and her parents were nice enough to let me stay during the summer.

I paused before signing my name and folding the paper. I'll tell them more depending on the response.

"Finished already?" Lily asked as she walked back into the room and towards her desk. Sitting down, she neatly wrote down her name and address on the back of the envelope.

"Yes. I really just wanted to tell them where I was staying this summer…that way they won't worry about me," I handed her the letter but she didn't take it.

"I don't think my parents would mind if you gave them our phone number –that way you don't have to wait for a response."

"Are you sure?" I asked, not sure myself if I wanted to add a number although I wasn't sure why I was being so hesitant. If I gave them a number, I wouldn't have to wait as long for a response.

Lily nodded her head, "Add it on there. You'll hear from them sooner."

"Right," I opened the letter and added the number at the bottom.

Remus' POV

I tossed a dog treat into the living room near Zeus, the big dog snatching it up before it even touched the floor. Before leaving, Dad had suggested that at some point, possibly in a day or two, I should start throwing the treats shorter distances. In other words, closer and closer to me and hopefully he'd eventually take one from my hand. At the moment, my hopes weren't that high. After Dad left, Zeus went back to his spot in the living room, as far as possible from me and had kept that distance from me all day. He would move closer for the treat but then move right back. I threw one more and then closed the box, not wanting to overdo it.

I sighed not knowing what to do next. During the course of the day I had read, watched TV and thrown dog treats. I was at a loss on what to do now. I'd ask mum if she wanted to play chess but she was busy working on something for that group they had joined. Dad was working long hours, Alex was in Switzerland and the dog wouldn't come near me. Why was I looking forward to coming home? I was going to die of boredom before Hollie came back.

During the school year I had forgotten how bored I had been in Switzerland without Hollie. Granted, Dad was there practically the whole time and I spent a great deal of time with Opa, Oma and other relatives once it was decided I could handle it…I missed them. Opa was always willing to play chess. He loved the game and spending the time with me. Several Christmases ago, the one after the summer that changed my life, he had given me my own set and we had fun breaking it in even though the pieces annoyed him. Opa wasn't used to pieces questioning his orders. It didn't bother me because I was nine so they still talked back most of the time. Sure, I enjoyed playing with Hollie when we were little but Opa was the reason why I loved the game.

I walked into the living room, trying not to notice Zeus leaving the room. Lying down on the couch, I stared up at the ceiling –I was so bored I was watching the ceiling fan slowly spin in circles. This was going to be a long summer. Correction, a long couple of weeks till Hollie got back. I wouldn't be bored then.

It wouldn't be so bad if Alex was here but he was in Switzerland because of tryouts. It had always seemed odd to me that the tryouts were during the Quidditch season. The process was drawn out what with teams having scheduled games. Alex had explained once that they did it this way because the off season was so short. It was only four months with the teams needing most of that time to break in their new players.

I turned slightly, hanging my head off the side of the couch, able to feel my blood succumb to the laws of gravity. Switzerland wasn't a bad idea. Maybe Mum and Dad would let me go there for the time Hollie was gone. I missed my grandparents. I hadn't seen them since last summer. We had planned to go there during Christmas but plans changed due to the psycho. I suppose things could have been worse but Dad had to stay in the country. Thank Merlin Aunt Ana, Uncle Liam and Gabriel had come to visit for a few days.

Matt's POV

Trying to get home, I made my way through the crowded street, looking for a place to Apparate. I was in London so I could go home the muggle way but it would take too long. I only had enough time to eat, and even leftovers of Katie's home cooked meals were better than food I could buy. Besides, spending time with my wife and son appealed more to me than being in a crowded restaurant somewhere. I hadn't seen enough of them lately since I've been spending less time at home, what with Katie and I joining the Order of the Phoenix.

Albus Dumbledore had asked us –along with the Belledrexs, the Potters, and Alastor Moody –to help him fight Voldemort and his followers. Katie had agreed to join the effort but later asked if things were really getting that bad –it was my own fault she had to ask.

She knew the things going on from reading the Prophet but I hadn't told her about the difficulty the Aurors were having trying to get ahead of the lunatic and his followers. I was trying to protect her from the madness slowly taking over the wizarding world which, in retrospect, was completely idiotic. How could she stay safe if she didn't know what was going on?

With being an Auror and helping with the Order, Katie was worried I wasn't getting enough sleep despite my assurance that I was fine –sleep was overrated anyway. I was getting pretty good at taking short naps but what wasn't overrated was seeing my wife. Lately, it seemed we spent the most time together at night…when we were sleeping. I missed her and I had a sinking feeling it was only going to get worse.

I grumbled to myself as I slipped into an empty alley, quickly glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one noticed or followed me. Walking further into the alley, I Apparated home, appearing on our front porch and walking into the house.

Remus' flushed face was the sight that greeted me first, "Remus, why is your face red? What have you been doing?"

He looked at me in confusion for a few seconds before answering,"I was just hanging my head over the side of the couch."

"Why?" I cocked an eyebrow –could he actually be that bored?

He shrugged, "There's nothing else to do."

Yes, apparently he was that bored. Maybe I should have let him work on his homework after all.

"Dad, can I go to Opa and Oma's for a couple of weeks? At least until Hollie comes back."

Spending time with his grandparents would be good for him and they'd be thrilled to have him. Some time ago, my mother had written, wondering if we were planning to visit during the summer.

After a few seconds of thinking it over, I nodded my head, "I don't see why not but I'll run it by your mother first. Is she in the kitchen?"

Remus shook his head, "No, she's still upstairs working. Why are you home so early?"

"I was in the area so I decided to stop in for dinner but I'll talk to your mum first."

Heading upstairs, I knew Katie was in the guest bedroom which was quickly turning into her office. She had been spending most of her time there since we joined the Order.

It was the first room at the top of the stairs, so it wasn't long before I saw her working. Her concentration was absolute so she had yet to notice me. Leaning against the doorframe, I simply watched her. I don't know how Katie did it but no matter what she was wearing or what she was doing, she always looked beautiful.

I asked her once what her secret was but all I got for an answer was a blush across her face and being told that I was ridiculous because she looked horrible –I disagreed. Hell, even being covered in dirt and her hair a mess from working in the garden didn't detract from her beauty.

Although, I supposed I was a bit biased, something Alex had told me after I shared my observations with him. I had assured him he wouldn't have a problem getting on a Quidditch team because he was the best player at tryouts despite not having been there to watch him play. It was the same with Remus. I didn't need to see the grades of the entire class to know he was brilliantly intelligent. I continued to watch Katie –no, I decided –I was not being biased. My wife was the most beautiful woman in the world. I sighed contently. I could watch her all day.

She turned in my direction, finally noticing that I was there, "Matt? What are you doing home? How long have you been there? What time is it?"

I couldn't help smiling as I walked towards her, "A little after six. I just came home to get something to eat."

Her face fell as she looked back at the work in front of her, "I'm sorry I haven't cooked anything. I've been so busy."

"Oh Katie, that's all right. I wasn't expecting you too. Leftovers are just fine."

When I reached her, I ran a hand gently through her hair while the other caressed her cheek. She leaned into the touch as she looked up at me.

"Besides," my voice lowered as I leaned down towards her, "I really came home to see you."

Knowing my intent, Katie stood up on her toes, kissing me back as soon as my lips touched hers. I wound my arms around her, pulling her closer. Been given the opportunity to properly kiss my wife, I had no intention of wasting it.

Remus' POV

A minute or so after Dad went upstairs, I followed. There was no foreseeable reason why Mum would say no so I might as well pack. This way, I'd be ready to leave as soon as they told me I could go. I couldn't keep the smile from my face as I dashed up the stairs. Suddenly, the next two weeks were looking promising.

Once upstairs, I turned in the direction of my room, suddenly wishing I had stayed downstairs…or at least noticed the lack of voices. My parents were in the guest bedroom, arms around each other and in a total lip lock –so gross.

It wasn't uncommon to see them holding hands or giving each other pecks on the cheek but if they were going to do something like that, they should close the door. Well, I assured myself as I continued on to my bedroom, I never had to worry about my parents splitting up.

Walking into my room, I closed the door to make sure I didn't unknowingly witness anything else. Instead of packing, I picked up the book on my dresser. It was going to be a longer wait than expected. What was the point?

Matt's POV

After we pulled apart, I kept my arms around her, not letting her move away. Resting my head on top of hers, I closed my eyes to enjoy the moment. They seemed to be getting fewer these days and I didn't like it. Definitely needed to make the effort to be home more often, otherwise I might forget what was worth fighting for.

"Matt?" Katie interrupted my thoughts, her voice partially muffled due to her head resting against my chest.

"Yes Katie," I responded softly, not wanting to break the quiet peace surrounding us.

She pulled away slightly so she could look up at me, "Did you see Remus when you came in? I haven't talked much to him today. He must be bored out of his mind."

I could tell she was worried about him so I kissed her forehead and started rubbing her back, "I talked to him and he's fine, although he did ask me if he could spend the next couple of weeks at my parents. I told him I'd run it by you first."

She nodded her head, "That's a good idea. They'll be happy to see him."

I couldn't help chuckle being my parents were crazy about both my sons, "That's an understatement. My mother has been sending letters asking when we were coming to visit."

"How many letters has she sent?"

"Well, just one actually but considering how long it was and how many times she mentioned it, I count it as two. Anyway, I was thinking after Remus packs, Dirk could take him." At times like this, having a house elf was nice, besides Dirk went back to my childhood. Heck he went back for as long as I could remember so I had no qualms in trusting him with my son.

Katie took a couple of steps back, moving out of from my arms. This could not be good.

"Dirk's not here."

"What?"

She pointed to the stack of papers on the desk, "I asked him to do a few things to help me out. He's going to be gone for awhile. You'll have to take Remus."

"Me? I have to get back to the ministry. I don't have the time."

Katie put her hands on her hips, looking at me with an unbelieving expression, "You don't have the time? With the wards around your parents' house, I have to Apparate outside the wards and then walk to the house. You can Apparate right at the front door."

I shook my head, frustrated she didn't understand, "At dinner time? You know my mother. I'll be dragged into a family dinner and I really don't have time for that."

"So will I and I'll be gone twice as long as you."

She was not happy. Her hands were still on her hips. If I wasn't careful, she'll move from not being happy to being mad at me.

"We wouldn't be having this discussion if you hadn't limited our floo access. Remus could have flooed over there himself."

Scratch that… she was already mad at me. I should have known she was still upset about that. What she saw as annoying and pointless, I saw as a preemptive strike in protecting my family. So we couldn't floo international right now, sooner or later she'll appreciate the safety it provides us.

"One day you're going to thank me for that," the words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I should not have said that –I knew it was the wrong thing to say and it was just going to make her mad.

Katie scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, "That will be a cold day in hell."

Somehow, the woman managed to look beautiful even when she was glaring at me. I told her that one time, years ago but that only got her angrier, yelling at me for trying to get out of trouble. I can't honestly say that I didn't deserve that even though what I said had been true –still was.

I gave up with a sigh. There really wasn't a point in arguing about this any further, besides, I didn't want her mad at me. No good came from having your wife yelling at you…except maybe for making up. That was always fun.

There was only one way to smooth things over, "Alright. I'll take Remus. I have one condition though."

She looked at me with mild curiosity, "Which is?"

I smiled at her, "Go with me."

"Matt…"

"Katie, the reason I came home for dinner was so I could see you and Remus. I'm not going to Switzerland and have dinner with my parents while you stay here."

Her face softened, telling me her answer before she spoke, "Okay."

I smiled at her, thinking things were better already. Maybe she hadn't been as mad as I thought.

She took a couple of steps toward me, "I'll go tell Remus to pack while you can figure out a way to let your parents know we're coming," she smirked before walking out of the room.

Wrong again –still at square one. Frustrated, I ran a hand through my hair. It was getting longer –I should probably look into a haircut. I shook my head. That was the least of my worries at the moment.

How was I going to contact my parents? The last number of months we'd simply used our owl but that wouldn't work today. We'd get there before the owl. I suppose I could use my two-way mirror with Ana and ask her to floo them but she might not be close to a floo.

Hey! Two-way mirrors! I should buy another set and give one to my parents. What a brilliant idea. Why didn't I think of it sooner?

Oh. Right. I'd have two mirrors, one for Ana and one for my parents and giving the one for my parents to Katie was not an option. Besides, it wasn't going to help with my problem today.

I drummed my fingers against the desk in thought. There had to be way to do this…wait a second…a smile spread across my face as I realized the answer. When I changed the floo, Chris told me I could use his if I needed too.

I walked towards the door whistling, very pleased with myself. Katie thought she had me stuck. Ha! I shouldn't brag about it though. It would get me in more trouble. I stopped whistling as I stepped out into the hallway. Rule one when your wife was upset or mad at you –don't do or say anything that would make it worse. I didn't always follow that very well what with lacking a mind to mouth filter. Words would go flying out of my mouth before I could stop them. Not sure how many times I got myself into trouble because I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

Stopping at the stairs, I remembered Chris wasn't home. He was still at the ministry although Jess was at home. I made a face as I sat down on the top step. There went that idea. Chris wouldn't have a problem with me using the floo but Jess probably would. She might not mind if Katie was the one asking but I was different. I didn't know what it was but I always seemed to be on her bad side –not that I minded much. The feelings were mutual.

I didn't know what to think about that woman. She was Chris' wife, Katie's best friend and god-mother to my children. A part of me knew things were supposed to be different. We were supposed to be a family but having a family member who lied wasn't something I easily accepted or lived with. She just couldn't tell the truth to Chris or any of us, for that matter. She had to know Chris knew –he had given her chance after chance to tell him the truth but she never did. Jess had been lying for eighteen years and would probably never stop.

Neither Katie nor any of the kids knew about it because I never saw it as my place to say anything. The only person I had told was Chris –he needed to know his wife was lying, not only to him but to everyone. Chris made his own decision on how to handle it and I followed his lead. At the time, he was hoping Jess would trust him enough to tell him the truth but she never did, the chasm between them widening as a direct result of her continuous lie.

I stood up and headed down the stairs. If I didn't hurry, Remus would be done packing before I told my parents we were coming. Although it did sound like they were talking more than packing –that would probably work to my advantage since my only option now was calling Ana. I sure hoped she was by a floo.

I sat down on the floor in front of the couch, Zeus lying down next to me and promptly rolling over so I could rub his tummy, which I willingly obliged. He was such a good dog –a beautiful German Shepherd. Why Jess didn't like him around her was beyond me. Even Katie liked him and she was more of a cat person.

I pulled the mirror out of the pockets of my robes, "Ana."

There wasn't a response and I had to refrain from whistling. I used to do that sometimes until Ana complained it made her feel like a dog. It was understandable since I used the same whistle to call a dog but I suppose it wasn't very brotherly to call your sister like you did a dog. It was fun though, until she had enough of it and yelled at me.

"Aanaa…helloo."

Suddenly a face filled the mirror but it wasn't Ana's, "Hey Dad."

"Alex, what…where are you?" Alex picking up was the last thing I expected.

"At Oma and Opa's. Aunt Ana came by and apparently, she's staying for dinner. She's around here somewhere. I can go find her for you."

This was perfect, "No, it's okay. I just need you to give a message to your grandparents for me."

Alex nodded his head in agreement, "Sure, I can do that. What –"

Alex was interrupted by someone who sounded exactly like my mother, "Alex, who are you talking too?"

" Dad."

My mother's face quickly replaced Alex's as she took the mirror from him, "Matthew!"

"Hi Mutti."

"How's everything going? How are you?"

"Katie and I have been really busy."

She nodded her head in understanding although there was a slight sadness in her eyes. She knew that meant a visit wouldn't be likely to happen.

Good thing I knew just the thing to cheer her up so I continued, "With Hollie gone, Remus is extremely bored. He was wondering if he could spend the next couple of weeks with you."

My mother's face lit up, "Of course he can! How soon can he be here?"

I couldn't help laughing, "As soon as he's done packing, both Katie and I will bring him over."

"So will you be staying for dinner?"

There was only one response to that question, "Yes Mutti."

"Wonderful! See you soon Matthew."

"Bye, Mutti."

She handed the mirror back to Alex and I could hear her telling my father we were coming over for a visit.

"When did you find this out? Just now?"

"Yes."

"Well, that is short notice."

"Are you complaining?"

"Of course not. Just stating the obvious."

I said goodbye to Alex, telling him we'd see him shortly.

I continued sitting on the floor, petting Zeus, the dog a puddle of contentment. Part of my brain told me I didn't have the time for a family dinner but the truth was, I wanted to go. I hadn't seen my parents since we moved back to England and to be honest, I missed them…and the mountains. This part of England was too flat and even the Highlands of Scotland couldn't compare with the Swiss Alps surrounding my childhood home.

Neither Chris nor Moody would complain if I was a little late. Both of them had told me I was working too much, plus them knowing my mother meant they would understand the impossibility of saying no to her.

I did miss my family. It made me a little sad both of my sons would be out of the country but I wouldn't be here to spend the time with Remus, not the way I wanted to. He might as well see his grandparents and brother.

I heard Remus talking excitedly behind me. Turning my head, I watched as he and Katie came down the stairs and walking into the living room.

Katie looked at me, trying to hide a smile, "Did you tell your parents we're coming?"

I nodded my head, "I talked to my mother."

Katie couldn't hide her look of astonishment, "How did you manage that?"

I help up the mirror, which was still in my hand, "I lucked out. Ana's currently over there."

"Aunt Ana's there? Awesome! Let's go!"

Without waiting for his parents, he turned and hurried towards the front door, practically running.

"Remus, wait for us," Katie admonished him as I slowly stood up and followed after them.

Oh, to be twelve with limitless energy. Up until we moved back to England, my mother had accused me of the same thing, basically claiming I couldn't sit still long enough for a cup of tea, although at the moment, laying on the couch and doing nothing sounded wonderful…a nap also sounded like a good idea. Huh…I was tired…maybe sleep wasn't so overrated after all.

Hollie's POV

Dear Remus,

I wasn't sure about writing you a letter since I've only been gone for four days but so much has happened and I just have to share!

Our first snowboarding competition was two days ago –my team came in second at eight minutes and thirty-three seconds.

I came in third in the individuals –I don't mind, though, 'cause the snowmobile races are in two days and I know I can totally win that one.

I wish you were here –I ran into your cousin, Gabriel –he won first place in the individuals with my cousin Cade coming in second –he wasn't happy about it and whined so much, Reba finally told him to stop being such a baby about it.

The Alps are cold and I suppose it's unfair to the Muggle competitors but I'm sure glad Uncle Jack put a warming charm on us –kept me from getting frostbite, it's so cold!

I'm having a hard time staying awake right now, I'm so tired. It must be all that fresh, clean air. Okanawa's anxious to spread her wings so I'll send this letter out now.

Oh, thought you'd like some good Swiss chocolate so enjoy!

Signing my name at the bottom, I yawned, folding the paper and tying it around the giant chocolate bar with a piece of twine.

Climbing out of my bed, I moved across the cozy room I was sharing with Reba, Oka preening her wings as she perched on the windowsill. Scratching her forehead with a single finger, I smiled as she blinked big yellow eyes at me, letting out a soft hoo as she stretched out her wings, the shiny black and silver feathers rippling with the movement.

She had just finished her first mould and was now able to fly long distances again so I had no problem sending her out, "Get this to Remus, girl. He should be back home but if he isn't, you can find him, right?"

She bobbed her head, taking the twined knot in her beak before turning on the windowsill, dropping out the window as soon as I opened it. She melted into the darkness of the night like a shadow, the moon glinting off her silver markings, making them seem like blinking stars.

Closing the window, I climbed back into bed, turning the lamp off as I pulled the down comforter over my head, Reba stirring slightly beside me before settling back in place.

Letting out a yawn, I closed my eyes, the pillow comfortable under my head. It wasn't long before sleep came, dreams following soon after.

3rd Person

E.J. looked over Billy's shoulder as he came into the room they shared to see who had sent him the letter in his hand but failed to recognize the name, "who's Lily?"

Billy shrugged, turning the envelope to make sure it was addressed to him, "Don't know."

"Oh," E.J. was slightly surprised, "I thought she was one of your girlfriends."

Billy shook his head, sticking his finger into the corner to tear along the side, "I've never gone out with a Lily."

"Oh. Sorry mate. After awhile, I just lost track," E.J. admitted without guilt as he sat down at his desk.

Billy shrugged it off, opening the letter. He immediately recognized the handwriting, his eyes jumping to the bottom to see his sister's name, "It's from Sam!"

"What?!" E.J. jumped out of the chair and grabbed the letter from his twin, quickly scanning the couple of penned sentences.

"Come on, put your shoes on and let's go!"

"Go? Where?" E.J. looked up from the letter, watching in surprise as his brother scrounged around in the closet in search of his own shoes.

"Lily is a friend Sam's staying with and her address is on the envelope. She doesn't live very far –just twenty minutes on the train," Billy answered, not understanding why E.J. was just standing there.

"Sam gave us a phone number. We could just call and talk to her in less than a minute." E.J. countered with his own suggestion.

"Talking to her now or seeing her face to face in thirty minutes," Billy insisted, holding out his hands to weigh the two options in a mocking manner.

"What if they're not home?"

"Uh…didn't think about that," Billy sank down onto the bed, quickly jumping back up to reach for the phone, "It's a good thing Mum's not home to eavesdrop. We can talk to Sam without worrying about getting caught."

Billy was about to dial when they remembered their younger brother. E.J. headed towards the door and called out for Nate. They couldn't call Sam without having him there. It would be incredibly wrong.

"What?" Nate asked as he walked into the room, slightly annoyed yet curious to what was going on.

E.J. handed him the letter, "It's from Sam. Came in the post today."

Nate read through the letter, eager to know what had been going on with his sister, hating the year-long lack of news from her.

He was happy to see her familiar handwriting but he couldn't keep the sadness from showing, "She didn't say very much."

Billy held up the phone he had in his hand, "She gave us an address and phone number."

With a grin, Nate jumped onto the bed, landing next to his older brother as he held out the letter so Billy could easily read the number to dial.

E.J. kneeled behind his brothers, placing his head between theirs and above their shoulders. There was no way he was going to let them hog the conversation with their favorite sister.

Sam's POV

We were sitting in the kitchen, having a snack when the phone rang. Reaching for the phone, Lily answered with a cheery voice, "Evans' residence."

Lily's smile grew as she listened and I couldn't help wonder who could be make her smile like that.

"Yes, she's here. Hold on," she handed the phone out to me, her growing smile making me very curious, "It's for you."

"Me?" I couldn't hold back my own smile –I knew who it was, after all.

I slowly reached for the phone, not really sure why I was so nervous. They called which meant they wanted to talk to me. If they didn't, why bother calling, right?

"Hullo?"

The response a chorus of three voices in varying pitches, "Cheers Sam!"

"You owe us a really looong letter," Nate joked, his voice cracking halfway through the sentence.

"No kidding," Billy added, his smile coming through with every word he said, "What was that?"

I couldn't help laugh at Billy's scolding –it was so good to hear their voices.

"Sorry about that but one letter covering the whole school year would have taken more than one envelope," I defended myself once my laughter had died down.

"Sounds like an interesting year," E.J. commented and I was sure his face was lit up with excitement. He always enjoyed a good story, even better if it was true.

"Yeah, you could say that," I agreed, not giving any details because I didn't know where to start. Not to mention it would take too much time. Life at Hogwarts was never boring especially, if my pranks with Hollie were included.

"I wish we could hear about it," Billy's voice was laced with disappointment and I knew without being told he wanted to hear more about magic school than just the obvious.

"Why can't we," Nate was surprised, after all, wasn't the point of the phone call to actually talk with each other?

"The longer the call, the more suspicious Mum will be when she sees the phone bill." E.J., also disappointed, explained to their younger brother.

The smile vanished from my face as dread filled me. I hadn't thought about my brothers getting into trouble because of me. It was the last thing I wanted.

"How are you going to explain this call?"

"Oh, that's easy," Billy really didn't see what the problem was, "I'll just tell Mum I called a girl. It's believable enough. E.J. did think your letter was from a girlfriend."

I laughed at that, "It was kind of the point, Billy. I figured Mum was intercepting my letters, so I thought it would get through if it looked like it was from some girl."

"You're brilliant, Sam," E.J. laughed as he kept talking; "We came to the same conclusion when we didn't get any letters. I suppose we'll have to come up with something for next year so it doesn't happen again."

"Oh, I'm buying an owl at the end of the summer when Lily and I go to Diagon Alley. I'll train her to avoid Mum."

"How do you do that," Nate asked curiously, wondering how an owl could be trained to deliver post to a specific person. How did you train an owl?

"Not sure but I'll figure it out," I was determined to do this –no way was my mother going to win this.

"Might be easier if the owl knew us"

Billy's observation was rife with intent and I was sure there was an idea forming in his mind.

Apparently, E.J. picked up on it too, "You're talking about being there when Sam buys one, aren't you?"

"Of course. Why shouldn't we be there? It would be a lot fun, picking out an owl. You said at the end of summer, right?"

"Yes."

"That's still a long time to wait to see you," Nate supplied, really wanting to see me as much as I wanted to see him –being just two years older than me, we were very close to each other right up to the day I left for Hogwarts.

"Agreed. What are you doing tomorrow?" Billy asked, just as eager to see me as Nate.

"We could always pick you up, go somewhere, then bring you back," E.J. offered, thinking it would be less awkward than being in a stranger's house for several hours.

I covered the mouthpiece to the phone before asking Lily, "We don't have any plans tomorrow, do we?"

Lily shook her head, "Are your brothers coming over?"

I nodded, "They'll pick me up then bring me back."

"Where are you going?"

I shrugged, not caring as long as we got to hang out, "No idea."

"I don't think it really matters."

I bit my lip so as not to laugh at Nate's whispered comment but a chuckle still escaped.

A voice from the other end of the line made my blood run cold, "Boys! I'm home!"

"I'll go distract her," E.J. offered as he jumped off the bed to rush out of their room, "See you tomorrow, Sam."

"Bye," I whispered, wondering if he had heard me.

"We'll pick you up before lunch, that way we have the whole afternoon," Billy didn't want to get caught by their mother so he relayed the plan without consulting me but I understood.

"Okay –just get off the phone. I'll see you tomorrow," I whispered even though I knew she couldn't hear me.

"See you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you, too," I echoed, not sure if they heard me since Billy had hung up the phone so quickly.

"What happened?" Lily's question broke through my thoughts.

"Our mother came home. We had to hang up so she wouldn't find us out."

Lily nodded in sad understanding before changing the subject, "What time are they coming tomorrow?"

"Before lunch, that way we have all afternoon."

I couldn't keep the smile from spreading across my face –it probably reached my ears. I was going to see my brothers tomorrow!