AN: This is Lydjah's! Reviews are better than sugar quills :).

Chapter Thirty-One
Christmas; Part Five

There was one undisputable rule in Lydjah's house; and that was never, ever bring anything even remotely resembling a butterfly near Sophia as she was unbelievably terrified of them. Unfortunately for Lydjah, part of her family seemed to have completely forgotten this rule which is why Lydjah's Christmas became unbelievably painful.

It was already pretty stressful; her cousin Tristan had started to lament about being unable to play Quidditch anymore (he was a Beater on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team during his time at Hogwarts and became Quidditch Captain during his final year) to Sophia who had tried to check his temperature. Then Fern had asked if Lydjah liked Charms (her Auntie's favourite subject) just as Sophia had taken their plates from them which had resulted in Lydjah elbowing her Auntie and explaining (lying) that Charms was the short for the etiquette classes they took once a month. Lydjah was so glad Jayna had complained in detail about the etiquette classes of her childhood last year as her Mum plagued her with questions. Richard, her Auntie's boyfriend, had then tried to wash the dishes by magic as Sophia had walked in and Richard had been left pretending to stretch to hide the plates.

In later years Lydjah liked to start the story by the sending off of her Christmas gifts and the letters she received in return during the brief respite she had while hiding from her family.

Lydjah,

Did I mention that I was in love with you? These earrings are amazing! Merlin we know each other well. I had no idea you could make books into earrings! It's prefect- I can just carry my books around on my ears! Well these two anyway. The biography of Harry Potter will be very useful to reference and to shut Potter up. And Clockwork Angel- on my ear! Ahh it's amazing.

I'm sorry I haven't written to you since you left but I've been rather caught up trying to hide from Slughorn. He tracked me down eventually though and I've been forced to go to his ridiculous Christmas party tonight. At least Scorp will be there.

Anyway, how's hiding your magic from Sophia going? I think last year was a record with what, 21 obliviates? Your poor Mum's going to have permanent memory loss if your Dad doesn't tell her soon. I was thinking me and you should devise a load of spells so that we can prove to her it's true in the Easter break. If not we'll just gang up on your Dad in the summer.

I have another piece of interesting news (which I will save for your possibly angry reply asking what the news is). You'll never guess what Potter got me for Christmas. I mean literally, you will never guess.

OWL ME BACK,

Jay-Jay

Dawson,

Merry Christmas!

I've just realised that somehow you know about the map because you mentioned it that day in the Astronomy tower. HOW? Did Sam tell you?

Anyway, here's your present. I hope you like it as much as Blackwood will like hers. Has she told you what it is yet? I sent it early just in case.

I make myself laugh sometimes.

Potter

Dawson,

Merry Christmas! (The amount of times I have written that in the past hour is wearing off the excitement of it). Are you having fun in Alpra? (I know where you live *evil laugh*). Ooh those stars look quite nice don't they? ****

Anyway, I did go to the lengths of buying you a present (sorry in advance by the way because Manchester is literally the worst place to buy presents from if you don't want to get stabbed) even if it is crap.

I'm going to tell James about my girlfriend when we get back. If you'd like to slip me some Felix Felcis it would be much appreciated.

Andrews

Dear Lydjah,

How's your holidays going? It feels so good to be using a pen again; bloody hell but quills are impossible to use. Not to mention the ink splatters *shudders*. I've missed electricity so much. TV! The internet! DVDs! PS6!

Gosh anyway, Merry Christmas! I hope your present arrives safely; I've never used the owl post before. Scorpius said I could borrow his owl over the holidays because he can use the ones in the Owlery. I don't think he likes his owl much if its poor name is anything to go by; who names an owl Gansey the Third?

My arm is tired from writing all these letters now so I'm going to sign off.

From,

Lien

Lydjah answered them all in the order she received them, not quite finishing Lien's letter how she planned to as she heard her Mum coming up the stairs and had to basically throw her owl out the window with the letters.

"Lydjah?" Lydjah turned from her window with a bright smile on her face.

"Yeah?"

"Edie, Shaun, Alfie and Evie have arrived." Lydjah grinned and ran down the stairs, throwing open the door. Alfie and Evie were in Hogwarts with them though she didn't see them that much; Alfie was two years older and in Gryffindor, and Evie, while in their year, was a Slytherin. Jayna had found it ironically hilarious that no-one in Lydjah's family cared what house you were in, whereas in most people's being a Slytherin would either be the only option or the exact opposite of what you'd want.

Her Auntie, Uncle and cousins started to greet her but she cut them off.

"She still doesn't know." The four of them let out a large sigh and Edie's eyes narrowed at Alen who she could see behind Lydjah.

"Hi guys!" Her Mum announced her presence to the room and immediately everyone adopted happy expressions again. "Lydjah aren't you going to let them in?"

"Yes I was just saying hi." Lydjah stepped out of the way and let her family into the house. Lydjah got continually more and more pissed off the longer she spent at home having to hide this huge part of herself from her Mum.

Christmas was the worst though. Her mother's parents were both muggles, and so were both their daughters. Her mother's sister Edie had married a wizard called Shaun, who had told her about his magic once they had got married, and had two children who were also magical. As Sophia and Alen had never got married (although Sophia had changed her last name) Alen wasn't allowed to tell her about his magic unless they had a child. When Lydjah had come along, Alen had decided to wait and see if she showed any display of magic before telling Sophia. Lydjah was such a late developer with her magical skills (she joked that she managed to procrastinate everything) that Alen had gotten used to keeping certain parts of his life secret, and kept putting off telling her.

Sophia's sister, being a muggle herself, wasn't allowed to tell Sophia about Alen or even her own kids and husband. And Shaun, being married to Edie and not Sophia, couldn't tell her either. Lydjah could, but she doubted her mother would believe her, and even if she did, her Dad might just obliviate the memory anyway. His job as an Obliviator meant he was very good at removing unwanted memories without causing her to lose anything more than the exact moment of magic.

And then there was her Dad's side of the family. Lydjah's Grandfather was a muggle but her Grandmother had been a witch. Alen and his sister Fern both ended up magical, and Fern married magical as well, to her Uncle Ned, and after his death she'd got with Richard who was also magical. Her two kids (by Ned not Richard); Tristan and Skye, therefore were also both magical. Tristan was engaged to yet another magical person; Storm.

Sophia's parents (Andy and Emily) and Sophia herself were the only people that didn't know about the magic. According to magical law Andy and Emily would never know, but everyone except from Alen was desperately hoping that Sophia would find out, and soon.

Fern took two steps into the kitchen and took off her jumper complaining of the heat in the kitchen as she came over to say greetings, giving Sophia the first view of Fern's butterfly tattoo. For a second she stood paralysed and then she managed a weak smile, realising it was only a tattoo, and, as long as it was just a tattoo, it was quite pretty.

Unfortunately for Lydjah, it wasn't just a tattoo at all. It was a magical tattoo, which moved just as magical photos did. Out of the corner of her eye Sophia saw the wings shudder and then, to her absolute horror, flutter just like a real butterfly. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed, right on top of her defenceless daughter, who's chin hit the counter in front of her as her mother pulled her down and then smashed her nose into the stone floor, her mother's fall completely cushioned by her daughter.

Dylan, her dog, wandered over to her and nuzzled her cheek with his wet nose. Lydjah let out a pained chuckle and lost consciousness.