Remember I update by the year but it has multiple parts, so be checking what chapter you're on so you don't lose your place. Please, please , please drop a comment on what you think. Thanks guys!

The next few weeks brought more harrowing coursework. In Transfiguration once we finished learning the basics of Animagi we were learning how to turn inanimate objects into animate ones, which was insanely more difficult than the other way around. There were lots of creatures being introduced in both DADA and Care of Magical Creatures and for once Cad was pretty attentive in class. Charms was a nightmare as usual with us learning both the Seize and Pull Charm as well as Depulso which did exactly the opposite. Ancient Runes continued to be both fascinating and frustrating in equal parts. Cad and I had to meet multiple times a week just to get through all the work but I was engaged the entire time. We were starting to look at real world applications around England like ancient monuments and the like.

As October neared the first Hogsmeade visit was announced and we were hyped. The night before Keeli and I set our permission slips on our nightstands next to our good set of robes. We talked about all the places we wanted to go instead of going to sleep, making us almost late in meeting the others the next morning.

We joined the herd of students milling in the foyer to show Filch their slips. He was meticulously picking over each one for some reason and it was really cutting into the time we were being given. Finally he got done comparing the signatures on Molly and Matt's permission slips and we were set out into the cold wind. It was blissful and Keeli spun around a little. Even though it was completely sanctioned it still felt a little bit like breaking the rules since we were without supervision.

Our first stop was, of course, Honeydukes for a mountain of candy and sweets to tide us over until we could visit Sugarplum's in Diagon Alley again. From there we split up because we couldn't agree on where to go. I lucked out by getting to go to Dogweed and Deathcap alone, meaning I could meander through the shop as long as I wanted to pick out interesting Potion ingredients or things I needed restock on. My peace only lasted a little over an hour when Keeli and Amber finally found me and drug me to the Three Broomsticks to have a drink with everyone else. The Butterbeer was exactly what I needed after being in the dusty shop so long, and we all chipped in to get a cottage pie to split between the eight of us. Once we were fed and refreshed Keeli and I convinced the others to stop at Tomes and Scrolls to take a look at their store of books. They only agreed because it was the only place in town to get parchment, but after they'd made their purchases they were pretty impatient about our browsing. Finally all of them but Matt went to the Quidditch shop called Spintwitches Sporting Needs to look at equipment.

We all met up once again at The Three Broomsticks about an hour later, talking over another Butteerbeer and showing off our purchases before resigning to the walk back. It was no easier hauling ten pounds of shopping bags and it took us a good bit of time to finally return to the castle. We split up to go to our separate common rooms but after dinner we sat in the second floor corridor to either work on homework or fiddle with our new stuff.

We worked until it was too dark to see without torches anymore, so we moved to the library about two hours before dinner. Our usual table near the back was free so we all sprawled out and got back to work. Lots of students were working near us or walking around but they mostly left us alone. I was trying to drag my brain through a frustrating Transfiguration essay on turning a teapot into a tortoise and I felt my annoyance mounting by the paragraph. Out of the corner of my vision a Ravenclaw crest edged into view and I just knew who it was.

"Keeli, Amelia, so good to see you two." Eleanor smiled. "We're studying just over here, so you guys can join us."

I inwardly groaned. "Thanks, but I'm in the middle of an essay. I might swing by later if I get done before dinner."

"Amelia, you know what we talked about." she scolded me like my Mom. "It's important to show house spirit!"

"I appreciate it Eleanor, but Keeli and I are kinda busy." I tried not to stab my quill through my parchment.

"And we can help you! It's important we help each oth-"

"She said no." Louk snapped.

We all kind of stared at him before slowly looking over to see how Eleanor would react. Her mouth was slightly open like she couldn't believe a third year Slytherin had sassed her. "Excuse me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Look, she's doing her homework. You can't make her go study with you, and she said she's busy. So leave her alone."

I could see the wheels in her brain trying to come to terms with what he said. "You can't talk to me like that. I'm Head Girl."

"And you're harassing a student." Amber cut in.

"I-I-" she opened and closed her mouth a few times before stomping off.

"I'm going to pay for that later." I thunked my head on the table.

"If you didn't want to pay for it later, you should have gone over when she asked." Louk shrugged and turned back to his work.

Despite my initial thoughts Eleanor seemed to leave Keeli and I alone when we entered the tower after dinner that night, but something in the way the other seventh years looked at us didn't instill confidence in me.

It started snowing heavier as we made our way through November. Professor Slughorn held another dinner Damian and I attended together even though it was just as boring as the first. Our suffering paid off in my opinion as Professor Slughorn was much more inclined to stop by Potions Club and take a look at my work if I showed up to one of his last Hogsmeade visit of the year fell in the first week of December and the girls and I made a trip of it to do some Christmas shopping.

Finally it was the night before Christmas break and I was so ready. The train ride seemed to be taking forever and I stared out the window most of the time. Louk was sitting across from me reading a book and Keeli was next to me going on about our Transfiguration unit we would be starting when we went back.

"No talk of work." Amber threw a Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean at her head. "Let me enjoy my break without the dread please."

"How can you dread Transfiguration?" Keeli asked incredulously.

"How can you dread Charms?" Damian shot back and she sighed.

"Fine, I'll lay off. Everyone know what they're getting everyone else for Christmas? I already have all your gifts picked out." she bounced a little in her seat.

"Like I'd tell you." I rolled my eyes. "You'll have to wait and see."

"No fun." she pouted.

Amber threw another jelly bean at her. "You have to wait like a week, I think you'll be fine."

We pulled into the station in London, jumping up and wrangling our things out into the crowded corridor with everyone else. We hugged goodbye before splitting our separate ways on the platform. My Mom gave me a big hug before asking me how my semester was despite the letters I'd been sending her every week telling her. We waited for my two sisters before rounding up our things to leave. My house was warm and smelled like cinnamon, but I was given little time to revel in the familiarity as there was work to do around the house. My Mom had me and my two oldest sisters degnome the garden while she made dinner. The Christmas decorations went up as fast as I'd ever seen them and we were all laying across the living room exhausted when we heard a crack out in the front lawn.

My sisters and I bolted up and raced out the door, piling up at the doorway as we tried to wrench it open. Snow was two feet thick on each side of the sidewalk and we were all barefoot but we skipped out anyway and tackled my brother in a heap. He chuckled and rustled our hair as we talked over each other. After a few seconds we felt the cold and dashed back inside, slamming the door to keep the wind out. We were halfway back to the sitting room when a knock on the door told us we'd shut him out. He roared in laughter as we pried it open, yanked him in, and slammed it again.

The house felt perfect now with everyone laughing and talking inside over coffee or hot chocolate. Despite how late it was my parents didn't urge anyone to go to bed, so we bombarded both of them and my brother with questions so they didn't remember. It worked until the clock chimed one in the morning.

"Merlin's pants! Girls it's way past your bedtime. Off you go." My Mom's shooed us out with her hand.

"But Moooooom." the two younger ones groaned. "We're not tired."

"Don't care. Up." she pointed again.

"What about me?" I gave her a sweet smile but she seemed unphased.

"If you want to go with your Father in the morning like you asked, then you'll go to bed now."

"Oh alright." I sighed and leaned in to give my brother a hug. "You should come with me tomorrow! You can meet my friend Cad."

He shrugged. "I have to go to Diagon Alley anyway. Sure, why not."

"Yay!" I hugged him again before following my sisters upstairs.

I was getting into bed when I realized I'd left my wand on the coffee table downstairs. Not wanting my Mother to go on the warpath again and confiscate my wand for the rest of the break, I quickly hopped up and headed down the stairs. I was just about to the living room when I heard a name I didn't want to hear.

"So did Mike get in touch with you?" my brother asked.

I stopped dead in my tracks to hear my Mother's response. "No, why?"

"He wrote me, the Muggle way, and said he might drop by around Christmas. He wants you all to meet his new girlfriend."

"When?" the worry in my Mother's voice was plain.

"I'm not sure. I just didn't want him to take anyone by surprise."

"I appreciate it. We're going to be heading up to bed, alright? Do you need anything?"

"No Mom, I'm fine." the gentle note was back in his voice and I smiled just hearing it. "Night."

"Night." I heard my parents get up, jerking into action to make it up the stairs as silently as possible before they saw me.

I barely slept that night, hoping beyond hope what he said wasn't true. I was groggy walking down the stairs the next morning and my Mom took one look at me before delving into her speech.

"I told you you should have gone to be earlier."

"I'm fine, Mom." I yawned as I started putting on my shoes.

"You'll never guess what I found lying around this morning." she was twirling my beautiful wand between her fingers.

"I'm sorry I was irresponsible, Mom." I said seriously, my mind still on what had been talked about the night before. "I'll be more careful in the future."

"Oh, well, thank you." she handed it to me with an odd look. "Are you alright, honey?"

"Yeah. Love you." I kissed her cheek before running to catch up to my Dad who was walking out the door.

My brother disappeared with a crack next to us before my Dad made sure I was holding him firmly and did the same. We landed on a side street of Diagon Alley, my Father taking off the second we landed to go to work. My brother and I went to eat breakfast at the cafe on the corner, drinking cups of tea to stave off the cold. The inside of the cafe was nice and warm, smelling of baking dough, but I was slow to be as cheery as he was.

"What's wrong?" he nudged my arm.

"I might have...heard something I wasn't supposed to." I said slowly.

"Okay."

I bit my lip. "Is Mike really coming over this year?"

He paused for a second. "I didn't think you were the eavesdropping sort, Amelia."

"I didn't mean to. I realized I'd left my wand but I heard his name as I was coming down the stairs and kinda froze."

"You haven't told any of the other girls, have you?"

"No, I didn't want to worry them."

"Good. I'm not sure. He wrote me in Japan but we both know he says a lot of things he doesn't follow through with. I didn't bring it up in front of you girls because I didn't want to ruin your Christmas."

"It might be worse if we see him barging in with no forewarning." I pointed out, taking a sip of my new favorite, black tea.

"That's for Mom to decide, not me. If she doesn't want to tell the others then you shouldn't either. We need to respect her decision."

"I know I'd want to know if I was in their position."

He sighed and turned to face me fully in his chair instead of the sideways conversation we'd been having. "I know, and I'm sorry. But think of this from Mom's standpoint. She doesn't get all of us in the house very often. I have to leave tomorrow and can only come back for a few hours Christmas Day. She probably just doesn't want it hanging over us and spoiling our good time."

"I didn't think of it like that."

"Some Ravenclaw you are." he chuckled.

"Weren't you sorted into Ravenclaw?"

"Yup."

I took a second to gather my courage. "Why did you leave?"

He swirled his drink a little and took a bite of his pig in a blanket, seemingly getting his thoughts together. "I was born two years before the war started, so I don't remember much. By the time it was over I was barely five so what I do remember is pretty blurry and mostly constructed from what people have told me.

"Mom and Dad were worried about us, so they sent Mike and I off to live with Nan up in Scarborough. I barely remember being there, but for Mike that was a few crucial years of his childhood. We didn't leave there until he was almost eight and by then he felt more at home with Nan than with Mom. You probably don't remember much."

"I remember he lived with Nan and not us, and sometimes Mum would cry about it. I remember them yelling a lot and him saying a lot of hurtful things."

"Well you know how Muggle-centric Nan is. She wanted him to go to a Muggle school but Mom wanted him to go to Hogwarts. When he picked Nan over Mum it kind of drew a line in the sand. He went to school in Scarborough so he lived with her to be closer. When I was turning eleven they tried to convince me as well but I really wanted to go to Hogwarts. Mike didn't take it well and said I was betraying him."

"But you did go for your first year."

He shrugged. "I didn't make it through the first semester. Mike kept writing me at school and I got too stressed to stay. I finally agreed to go live with him and Nan and go to Muggle school."

"I didn't know that."

"Mike felt like I was abandoning him, and I knew he was sensitive about it since he felt like Mom and Dad abandoned him during the war. I explained everything to Mom and she took it well enough. I didn't mind it there but Mike kept wanting to tell me what to do. He wanted me to hang out with him at school, do what he did, work where he did. I got tired of it so I enlisted as soon as I could just to get away from everything." he took a sip. "It was so nice being a part of something bigger than myself. It felt good to have a little structure."

"I remember Mom cried when you left too." I said softly.

He nodded slowly. "I know it hurt her, but I didn't want to be caught between them anymore. It was easy for Mike, but I hated having to constantly choose between the two of them. How can you pick between your Mum or your brother? I've tried to stay in touch and show her I'm nothing like him."

"Is that why he is...like he is?" I recalled the other times he'd spent time at the house throughout the years. He always bossed us girls around like we were his maids, and brought a new girlfriend through every time he stopped by. He always thought he was right no matter what the evidence to the contrary, and it was probably the reason I'd grown to love to know everything just so I could prove him wrong.

"Who knows? Mike was around for some things I wasn't, and he experienced the war in ways I didn't. All we can do is be on our best behavior for Mom's sake."

"Fine." I pouted. "I still don't like him."

He chuckled. "I know."

We finished breakfast and by that time Diagon Alley was pretty busy with everyone flitting around for Christmas shopping. I dragged him to Ollivander's first and Mrs. Mervin waved me towards the back of the shop. Cad was on a ladder almost fifteen feet in the air but I called his name and smiled up at him.

"Cad! Come down here!"

"So bossy." he rolled his eyes but started climbing down.

"Cad, this is my brother."

"Nice to meet you." they shook hands and I saw Cad get the once over.

"You're in the military right?"

"Sure am."

"Well thank you for your service." Cad gave him a smile. "Not many wizards are in the military, so I think it's cool you are."

"You're quite welcome." I saw my brother give Cad an odd look but the younger boy was already rambling off to me.

"So are you going to the Grey's New Year's party?"

"The what?"

"Didn't Damian owl you?"

I shook my head, causing him to shoot up the stairs in the back towards their flat.

"So is that your boyfriend?"

"What? No! Gross, that's Cad."

He elbowed me. "You seem to like him a lot."

"He's my friend. See if I introduce you to anyone else if you're going to be stupid."

"Just doing my job." he chuckled as Cad came whizzing down the stairs again with a piece of parchment in his hand.

He shoved the expensive parchment in my hand that was an invitation and not the personal letter I'd been expecting. "You've been formally invited to the Grey estate to join us in a holiday celebration?" I read aloud.

"Yeah, Damian said he invited all of us."

"When did you get yours?"

"This morning."

"Maybe I left before it got there." I shrugged and handed it back. "I don't have anything else going on then, so maybe."

"Well let me know. It sounds like fun, and it'll be something to do besides stacking wands." he shot the little boxes a heated glare.

"Do you make any of them?" my brother asked.

"Sometimes I practice, but wands are tricky and I've never really been too interested in them. Mine would be dangerous if someone used them."

"I got my wand here a long time ago." he smiled and glanced around.

"Most English do." Cad shrugged.

"Well, we best be going. We have some Christmas shopping to do." I took my brother's arm and started shoving him towards the exit. "I'll owl you about the party. See you around!"

"Why the rush?" my brother chuckled as I thrusted him on the street and closed the shop door behind me.

"I didn't want you embarrassing me. Alright, what all do you have to get?"

"Let's just start on this end and work our way around, yeah?"

We spent the whole day talking and finishing up our Christmas shopping. I'd sort of forgotten how much I really loved my brother because he'd been gone so long, but it hit me in full force as we joked through our shopping. We met up with Dad at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch before heading back in the early afternoon. We Apparated just outside our yard and drug our things in, shoving my sisters away as they tried to peek. My brother finally managed to lock us in his room so we could wrap them. It took us longer than expected, dragging all the way until my Mom got home from work.

My brother sat at the kitchen table while we cooked, playing wizard's chess with my oldest sister and telling us more stories about his base. The pork chops were almost done when I heard a rapping on the window and saw an unfamiliar owl standing on the sill. My sister gave a squeal and took the letter of it's leg, tearing it open to read it.

"Oh by the way, Amelia, you had a few things come for you today." she mentioned as she left to write a reply.

"What? Where?" I grabbed her arm and yanked her back into the kitchen.

"I put them on the coffee table." she shrugged me off and jogged upstairs.

"Thanks for telling me." I rolled my eyes and darted for the living room. I had three letters in fact: one from Louk, one from Keeli, and one from Amber.

Amber's was first asking for homework help and I tossed it aside quickly, making a mental note to chastise her for not doing her own essays. Louk's was pretty thick so I opened his next.

Amelia,

So Damian and his family are throwing a New Year's party the first. It's probably going to be boring but would you want to go with me? I can Floo over before it starts, or you can Floo here. It's up to you. Let me know.

Louk

I read it twice before soaking in the fact Louk had asked me to a party. I bit my lip in contemplation before opening Keeli's letter just for something to distract myself. She'd received an invitation and sent me a long list of questions about how wizards celebrated parties. I rolled my eyes and put hers at the top of the pile because it would take about an hour to write a reply. I walked back into the kitchen fiddling with the papers in my hands nervously. My Mom raised her eyebrow at my face.

"Everything alright?"

"Well, Damian's family is throwing a party the first and I was wanting to know if I could go."

"I don't see why not." she shrugged. "As long as your Father says yes."

"Alright."

"That's not all. Come on, out with it." my brother had a smug smile as he leaned back in the kitchen chair.

"Well, Louk might have asked me to go with him. He wanted to know if he could Floo over here before it starts so we could go together."

My Mom's smirk wasn't suppressed quickly enough for me not to see it. "Ah, I see. Well let's talk to your Dad after dinner, alright?"

I nodded and set the letters on the counter, returning to help her with the food. I didn't participate much in the conversation they were having, nor in the conversation everyone else had once dinner was served when my Dad came home. A good thing about having a bunch of siblings is it's really easy to just blend into the background. When dinner was over they ran off to do whatever it was everyone did during the breaks and I drug my feet through helping my Mum with the dishes. My Dad sat at the table talking to my brother and my Mom pushed me towards him once the last pot floated into the cabinet.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Well, one of my friends is throwing a New Year's party and Louk has asked me to go with him."

"Like a date?" he gave me a kind of panicked stare.

"I-I think so. I'm not sure. He wants to come over before we leave."

My Mom sat beside him and laid her hand on his arm. "I told her I didn't see any reason why not, especially if he came here first so we can meet him."

"Yeah-yeah I suppose. Sure, you can go."

"Thank you." I kissed his cheek before walking up to my room to wade through my closet.

I had only a handful of dresses and none of them were to my taste, so I wrote the girls asking if we could go dress shopping before New Year's. Keeli's reply took me almost thirty minutes because I tried addressing everything she asked in her letter. Louk's reply took me almost as long but it was mostly me just staring at a blank sheet of paper wondering what to write down. Finally I settled on a short and sweet note that I could go and was looking forward to it.

An owl tapped on my window at three in the morning with a note from Amber asking all of us girls to meet her in Diagon Alley at six sharp so we could go dress shopping. I scrawled a response half asleep and sent the owl back through the window before my sister woke up.

The next morning I went to work with my Dad and tried my best not to fall asleep at a table in the Leaky Cauldron. I nodded off slightly but was jerked awake by someone giving me a crushing hug from behind.

"Good morning, sleepy head!" Amber said loudly in my ear.

"Someone's in a good mood." I growled, trying my best not to shove her off.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's almost Christmas, and we have a party!" she cooed, waving to Molly as she walked in the wizard's entrance from Diagon Alley. "We should all sleep over and help each other get ready!"

"I can't. Louk is coming over before the dance to meet my parents."

"What?" Molly clued in, sitting next to me. "Why? What did I miss?"

"Louk and I are going together." I shrugged.

"Oh good, it's not just me." Amber breathed, slumping into another chair. "Damian asked me to go with him."

"What?!" Molly looked between the two of us.

"What what?" Keeli slid in next to Amber, stealing my mug of tea and taking a sip before grimacing and handing it back. "I forgot you like black tea now."

"You don't?" I giggled, taking a gulp and smacking my lips.

"Amber and Amelia have dates to the Grey's New Year's party." Molly groaned.

"Oh, really? Splendid! Matt's asked me." Keeli beamed.

"WHAT?!" Molly shouted.

Amber rolled her eyes. "Honestly it's not a big deal."

"Well now I feel like the odd one out." Molly pouted, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

"Well why? Why don't you ask someone to go?" I shrugged and took another sip.

"You know what...I just might." she drummed her fingers against the table.

"Well now that we've settled that, why don't we start the day? I feel like it might be a long one." Amber stood up and we all followed her lead.

There were only two dress shops in Diagon Alley and we all decided we wanted dresses instead of dress robes, so after a quick talk with my Dad and a stop at Gringotts we passed through the Leaky Cauldron to Muggle London. There was an almost overwhelming choice of Muggle shops but Keeli and Amber led the pack around the crowded streets to a few select places.

"I don't know. None of these will look good on me." I thumbed through a rack of green dresses with little interest.

"Well, it might be better if you stick to your comfort zone." Amber rolled her eyes and pushed me towards the blue dresses. "You Ravenclaws always prefer your sapphire, don't you?"

"Yes but I always wear blue. I was thinking I try something more….Louk's style."

"Well then stick with a style you like. Don't just throw the whole book out. Honestly." she shoved two garments at me.

That was a theme over the day and I didn't find a single thing I liked in the first five stores. Keeli picked a pink one pretty quickly and Amber settled on a red one she liked but both Molly and I were being slightly pickier. Finally in the sixth place we went to I saw a floor length dress in a nude color with small gemstones dotted all over it. I loved it and quickly snatched it up.

"That's riding the fence." Amber teased as Keeli handled the money for the Muggle transaction. "That's technically not picking a color at all."

I shrugged. "What can I say? I like it."

"Well, you'll at least match him." she shrugged as we walked out.

Molly accepted she wouldn't find anything so we headed back to Diagon Alley for lunch at the cafe I usually did my homework at. I popped in to say hello to the Mervin's before going to my Dad's work so he could take me home on his lunch break.

The second I walked through the door I could tell something was off, and that something was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace like he owned the place.

"Michael, good to see you son." my Dad walked forward and took his hand.

Mike didn't even get up, just extended his hand for my Dad to shake. "I told Mom I was coming. this morning."

"That's alright. We'll be home in a little while. I'm making some sandwiches for dinner, would you care for one?"

"Candy is in there making me something. She'll put something together for you I'm sure."

"It's alright. I can make it." my Dad walked into the kitchen, leaving me alone with my oldest sibling.

He didn't make an effort for conversation so neither did I, instead going right up the stairs to find all my sisters hiding in their respective rooms. My Mum would make us socialize when she got home but while she was gone we could be as reclusive as we wanted. I hung up my new dress in the closet and my sisters all came around to look at it. They asked me all kinds of questions about what the party would be like which I didn't have the answers to, so I made the excuse of having to get a head start on my homework and cocooned myself on my bed to delve into my miscellaneous essays. My two sisters who were in Hogwarts with me came by a few times to ask questions on their own work.