The large Willow trees around Avalon Manor created almost a shield around the manor. Right now instead of leaves hanging from the branches, there where icicles dangling from them. It almost liked like muggle icicle lights that where hung during the holidays. The manor on the outside was a Victorian style home with a unique tower in the back left of the home, with a wrap around balcony to sit out side to read on. There where many stained glass windows decorating the home, and they where all enchanted to move. It reminded Theo of the prefects bathroom on the fifth floor of Hogwarts.

Its been a month since Theo snuck off from the platform at Hogwarts into Hogsmead. He wasn't going to take the mark of the man that he didn't agree with. Nor turn to be like his father, the man that got away with murdering his mother. Theo never believed that muggleborns where below them or that the where magic steeling freaks. He never used that word towards any of the muggleborns at school, but he never stopped any of his classmates from using it as well. Knowing that his mother gifted this home to his brother Zander amazed him.

The woman always treated them as equals, that they where both her sons. After Zander went to Hogwarts, and came home for the holidays, Theo thought Zander would be named the Heir of the Nott family. But finding out that Zander was just his half brother through their father was a small shock. It never changed how Theo thought of him as his older brother. Then when their mother died, Theo knew it was their father that did it. The man was an angry dark person who loved to use his hands then magic to inflict pain. The man even smacked Theo around when he said that Zander should be heir since he was the eldest. Once Zander left for his friends house after being pushed around, Theo never held any resentment towards his actions. Theo too wanted to get as far away from Nott manor as he could. Difficult thing was that all his so called friends where sons of his fathers friends. So even if he ran he would be brought back to the manor.

Theo thought about everything as he stood on the balcony that wrapped around the tower library. Even though it was cold out he didn't care. When he snuck away from the Express and into Hogsmead, he met Zander at Hogshead, a pub off the beaten track and furthest from the main area of town. Zander didn't explain why he wouldn't give the younger the flue address, but once at Avalon Manor, Zander explained that the home was under the Fidelius charm. He didn't tell Theo who the secret keeper was. But Zander had explained that Clairi Black, Fred and George Weasley where ones that Zander had planned on hiding here with if things turned bad for them.

Theo was grounded, or confined to the manor so that no one would find him since he ran way from his home to avoid taking the mark. Theo knew that this was for his own protection and now that he no longer had the to worry about becoming a death eater he felt…. He wasn't sure how he felt at the moment. But it wasn't anxious or worry he was feeling.

"I see you found one of my favorite places." A voice called from the French doors of the second floor of the library.

"It's a nice view." Theo agreed turning to look at his brother.

"Yeah it is, I stood up here for hours after I came here." He explained walking over and leaning on the railing.

"It's a great spot to think."

Theo regarded his brother, the man before him had dark hair compared to Theo's dirty blond. But the two of them shared their fathers eyes, deep blue that reminded Theo of the deepest area of the lake on the Nott Manor property. They were both tall and wall built, not as built as Goyle or as skinny and lanky as Malfoy.

"I'm not confiding you here with out reason Teddy." Zander sighed as he took a drag of the cigarette he was smoking.

"When did you start smoking?" Theo looked at his brother changing the subject.

"Not long ago." He chuckled.

"When do the others plan to be here?" Theo asked wondering.

"They aren't planning to be here unless their homes are attacked. Clairi's home is guarded by many wards and spells that she had found in the archive of the Black manor Library. Fred lives there with her, George's flat is also well warded. But we aren't sure how long that will last." Zander breathed out the smoke from his lungs.

"I see, how's training?" Theo asked.

Zander joined the aurar department of the ministry after he got out of school. Theo knew that his brother always wanted to be an aurar since they where little. He was strong, brave and loyal to the point of extremes at times. There was one time that Zander stood between their father and Theo when Zander was 14. He wouldn't let their father near Theo, their father was furious that Theo was speaking to Hermione at the book store in Diagon Ally earlier.

"It's long and tiring, but it's going great." He said.

"I see." Theo nodded still looking out at the view.

"Well, we better head in or Mimms is goanna have our heads for catching our death out hear."

Mimms was the house elf that lived here and served them. She was a devil in desguise, she always lectured Zander on his horrid habits, lectured Theo on not fallowing Zander and developing his horrid habits. The little 2'1/2" foot creature was a force to be reckoned with, never let Theo sleep pasted 8 in the morning, he had to beg and beg to get a bottle of Fire Whiskey, then to get a sober up potion the next morning.

"Mimms was just bout to call u's Masters." Mimms tutted as they entered the kitchen.

"Masters must have theirs dinner."

Theo sat down at the table and he was glad that he made the decision to run away. School was becoming unbearable, his father causing the commotion at the manor and everything else. Just as he was about to ask Zander a question a white mist of a Fox came rushing in.

"Zander, is it alright if I come over?" Clairi's voice asked through the Fox.

Once the fox disappeared, Zander waved his wand and a falcon few off with his answer. Soon an Artic Fox came through the small familiar door that was built into the back kitchen door. The fox shook off the snow and transformed. There stood an upset Clairi Black. Sure Theo knew her, but wasn't close enough to know why she was upset.

"Clairi, what wrong?" Zander asked worried as he pulled her into a hug.

"Fred got mad." She said with a sob.

"Why did he get mad?"

"Marcus Flint."

"What does he have to do with our Fred getting upset?" Zander asked as he tried to calm the girl down.

Clairi was sodding and extremely upset at everything. Sure she told Fred about all the men trying to gain her suit. That she rebuffed them and told them to go suck an egg or something along those lines. She never excepted any gifts from them. He let her fight her own battles when it came to refusing suits of others. She was happy and loved the stupid redheaded git.

But that night they where walking around the Ally after going to get dinner at a muggle restaurant that Hermione recommended when Flint walked up to her and ignored Fred standing there with his arm around her waist. Flint conjured up a bouquet of flowers and tried to offer them to her. She refused and urged Fred to walk around the other man. She could already tell that Fred was pissed at the other man. She hadn't excepted and refused the gift once again. But Flint and Avery had been relentless to stop. They were very persisted even with her dating or being courted by another.

"How often has that happened Clairi?" Fred asked when they got back home.

"A lot, but no matter how many times I refuse they keep trying." Clairi said looking away from him.

"Your Serious!" He turned to look at her.

"Yes, Flint's cornered me a few times but I have always told him no or to bugger off."

That's when everything turned into a major fight between them. Fred's Weasley temper getting the better of him and saying offal things. The Black temper causing Clairi to tell him to get out of her house and when he was able to pull the massive stick out of his arse she didn't want to speak to him. He knew about every occurrence and she never lied to him about it all. When Zander gently exited her mind with the same gentleness as he entered her mind, he was furious at their friend. Fred had promised never to hurt her or cause her to cry. Once Clairi's sobs and uneven breaths subsided he picked her up and took her to the bed room he had made up for her incases she came to hide there with them. By the time he gently laid her on the bed she was asleep. For her to travel in her anamegise form to his home meant that Fred had really hurt her. He tucked her in and walked out of the room to find that Theo had fallowed.

"Is she alright?" Theo asked.

"She will be, I need to step out for a while. Can you make sure she sleeps?" Zander asked.

"Yeah I'll watch her." Theo nodded as Zander walked away to head to find a pissed off redhead.

Zander changed into his falcon form and flew off, flying far enough away that he could apperate with out giving his home away. Apparating to the outside of the shop, he walked through the front door and up the stairs in the shop to the top and opened the door. George was trying to talk some since in to Fred who was going on and on about Clairi lying.

Zander walked right up to him when he stopped because he saw his friend and decked Fred in the nose. There was a satisfying crunch as his fist made contact with Fred's nose. The force behind the punch was enough to cause Fred to land on his arse holding his bloody nose.

"She's a liar huh? If I'm correct she told use all about every single time Flint approached her. Clairi is Bloody in Love with your Fucking Arse Weasley!" Zander said flicking his hand that stung from punching the ever loving daylights out of Fred.

"That girl has been since 3rd year your moronic idiot. And you promised to never hurt her!" Zander yelled grabbing Fred by his bloody shirt.

"Clairissa is now at my home sleeping after she showed up there hurting because of you."

George just watched, Zander was right. Clairi had told them about the men approaching her. Hell she even told Bill who started to walk her to the shop after work so she could flue home from there then at the public flue. He had never seen Zander lose his temper ever or physically assault anyone. Hell he wasn't as one to even push someone off there broom at quidditch either. So punching Fred had been something neither had expected.

"Fredrick until you decided to apologize to her stay away from her." Zander sneered before letting him go and walking away. But at the door he stopped.

"Now isn't a time to be fighting amongst ourselves. She also didn't deserve what you said because your jealousy got the better of you. I thought you never let that sin rule your emotions." Zander looked at them both then walked away. George got up and pulled a bottle of fire whiskey from the cabinet and sat down infront of his twin.

"Man, you really know how to piss off Zander. Clairi is probably going to make you grovel to hell and back. I'll get to watch and hope that she'll take your sorry arse back. She is a Black though, so not sure what she'll make you do." George said pulling his wand out and pointed it at his face.

"Episkey."

"Oh, Bloody Hell that hurts." Fred exclaimed.

"Probably hurts less then what Clairi is going through." George took a shot.

"Never expected her to go to Zanders." Fred put his hand out for the bottle.

"What do you expect? He is like her brother, he would defend her to the end of this earth and back. I'm surprised that he only punched you once." George handed him the bottle.

"I over reacted didn't I?"

"You let the Weasley temper get the better of you." George agreed.

"I'm an arse."

"Yep."

"She'll hate me now."

"No she wont."

"What should I do?" Fred asked.

"That my dear brother is for you to figure out. You messed up big time with Clairi and now you have to grovel to a Black." George smirked as the last name doned on his brother.

"Bloody Hell."

"My settlements exactly."

***Ello My Lovely Readers!******

I hope you all have been enjoying the last few chapters. I decided to keep to Clairi's POV of the war and add in bits and pieces of the group at Hogwarts. So we get a bit of Theo and Zander Nott in this chapter. Well I hope you all continue to enjoy this story as it continues. (I do not own Harry Potter that honor belongs to J. )**********************