Author's note: Hello everyone! I hope you're all keeping safe and well. New chapter, this is the last one set in Italy and it's a bit of a filler, just some snapshots of Allegra and her friends and family whilst they're away during the summer. As always, I own only my OCs and plot - any reviews or constructive criticism are most welcome, enjoy!

Chapter 18

Allegra and Lily awoke early the next day, even though Phoebe and Marlene wouldn't be arriving to midday. They helped Noni cook a grilled chicken salad for everyone for lunch, set the table and tidied up the spare bedrooms.

Athena had done some grocery shopping in the village and was planning on cooking a pasta dish that evening.

When Phoebe and Marlene did eventually arrive with Conleth that afternoon, Allegra and Lily grabbed each of them into a tight hug.

'What am I then, a ghost?' Conleth teased before Allegra let go of Phoebe and hugged him as well.

Just thirty seconds later and Allegra's mother seemed to glide out the back door, a wide smile on her face.

'Hello girls,' Athena smiled at Phoebe and Marlene, 'I hope my husband wasn't too annoying.'

'There she is,' Conleth beamed, pulling Athena into a hug before kissing her.

'Oh Merlin, dad! That's enough!' Allegra gagged.

Conleth let go of Athena and winked at his daughter.

'So, how've you been? Enjoying yourselves? Looks like even Lily's managed to get herself a tan,' Conleth joked.

Lily laughed in return.

'Don't joke, I've worked through blood, sweat and tears to turn a darker shade of white.'

Conleth roared with laughter, sliding an arm around his wife's waist and led her into the kitchen.

'How was the journey?' Allegra asked.

'Fine, although we almost missed the first portkey,' Phoebe paused, 'guess who was late?'

Allegra and Lily looked at Marlene, who at least had the grace to look sheepish.

'Honestly Marlene, you'll be late to your own funeral,' Allegra grinned.

'I really do try!' Marlene insisted, her three friends laughing at her pout.

'C'mon, I'll show you to your rooms.'

/

For dinner that night Athena had cooked a beautiful pasta with pesto sauce and homemade garlic bread. Afterwards, Noni produced lemon gelato which they happily tucked into. Full, there was a lull in conversation as the adults poured and drank wine – Conleth was teasing Noni, Athena laughing at something her father was describing.

Allegra turned to her friends, Phoebe still finishing her gelato, Lily looked sleepy.

'So, Marlene, what happened?' Allegra asked softly, so as not to draw the attention of the adults.

Marlene, who had been lounging back in her chair, nursing a glass of water, sat up.

'Do you want to hear it from the beginning?'

Lily now sat up straight, fully alert, as Phoebe put her spoon down.

'As long as you don't mind,' replied Allegra.

Marlene sighed.

'Mandy had written them a letter. But she was worried they might react badly if she told them everything like that instead of face to face. A couple of days into the holidays she came round to the house, obviously mum and dad knew she and Trevor had broken up, but they didn't really know why. I was planning on going out for a walk, to give them some time to talk, but Mandy asked me to stay.

Mum asked why she seemed so sad, suddenly she started crying – I mean really crying, I'd never seen Mandy in that type of state before. She kept apologising and apologising but mum and dad had no idea what she was apologising for, I think they thought she was having some type of breakdown. Eventually she got it out – she'd fallen in love with a colleague in work, a woman called Dawn who's three years older. Mum thought she was saying Darren instead of Dawn so didn't think there was a problem – then Mandy had to say, 'I'm in love with a woman,'. They were shocked, obviously. Dad was alright, surprised, but when Mandy actually spoke to him, he said he supported her. Mum on the other hand...'

Marlene paused, sighing.

'Put it this way, her and Mandy aren't talking, they haven't spoken since she told them.' Marlene finished.

'Oh Marlene…' Lily gave her a hug.

Marlene shook her head.

'I've tried talking to her – mum – but she just won't listen, so now dad and I are caught in the middle. I went for dinner in Mandy's new flat the other night and had to lie to mum about where I was going,' Marlene sighed again.

'I'm not condoning her – your mum I mean – but she's probably still in shock. Maybe they need a couple of weeks break from each other and she'll come round,' said Phoebe sympathetically.

'Your grandmother didn't come round about your dad marrying your mum though, did she?' Marlene said in a quiet voice.

'I know, but your mum isn't my grandmother. She'll come around; I know it.'

'I agree with Phoebe,' interjected Allegra, 'you, your mum and Mandy are close. She's going to miss her eventually and they'll make up. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but they will Marlene.'

Marlene looked up, her three friends smiling gently at her.

'Thanks guys,' Marlene mumbled.

/

After a day of relaxing at home, Athena and Conleth decided to take the girls to Cinque Terre by portkey. They arrived early in the morning after breakfast and headed straight to the beach which was filled with Italian muggles and different coloured parasols.

Athena managed to covertly retrieve six sunbeds and two parasols – Allegra was convinced her mother indulged in some magic and not 'the authentic muggle way' she had claimed.

The beach was warm with a cool breeze. Phoebe and Lily were burying themselves in sand whilst Marlene painted her toenails under a parasol and Allegra read one of the books she'd purchased in Consimi.

'Oi, you lot,' Allegra called to her friends.

Marlene lifted her sunglasses up as Phoebe and Lily turned round.

'Ice cream,' Allegra grinned, looking at a boy, no older than seventeen, carrying ice creams on a large wooden tray with a leather strap around his neck.

'Oh, he's handsome,' Phoebe had raised an eyebrow.

'You have a boyfriend Phoebe, you're out,' said Marlene quickly.

'Doesn't mean I'm a nun!'

'I should go, I understand muggle money,' enthused Lily, scrambling to get up from the sand.

'Marlene you go,' Allegra interjected, 'bit of excitement for the afternoon, no?'

Marlene stood from her sunbed and smiled, putting her flip flops on she grabbed her purse and headed towards the ice cream seller.

'Well she didn't take much persuasion,' quipped Phoebe.

The girls sat and watched as Marlene flirted with the ice cream seller, after five minutes they returned to what they were doing.

'It was fun at the start, but now I just want some ice cream,' grumbled Lily.

Not long after Marlene returned holding four ice cream cones and wearing a big smile on her face.

'Got them for free,' she grinned, handing out each cone.

'Nicely done Marlene,' said Allegra, eagerly unwrapping her ice cream.

'So?' Lily asked.

Marlene grinned again.

'His name is Luca, he's gorgeous. Although he doesn't speak a word of English – think he only gave me them for free because we couldn't understand each other.'

'Then how did you get his name?' Phoebe queried, frowning.

'Oh, he was wearing a name badge,' said Marlene, matter of fact.

Allegra, Phoebe and Lily burst out laughing.

'Never change Marlene, never change.'

Later in the afternoon, Athena and Conleth took the girls to a seafood restaurant along the beach for dinner where they talked about the day. Allegra managed to persuade her parents to allow them a glass of wine each and Lily was trying to find out how they'd met.

Although Athena had had three glasses of wine, she was unwilling to indulge. Conleth had no such qualms.

'Well I knew her from Hogwarts, she was the year below me, but by the time I'd got to sixth year there was no missing her. The most beautiful girl in school,' Conleth took Athena's hand and kissed her knuckles, she giggled in return.

Allegra thought she was going to throw up her shellfish linguini.

'I tried to ask her out a year later, but she wasn't having it. I told her she was beautiful, and she laughed at me, "so that's all you're interested in, beauty? Men!" She put me firmly in my place. So, I left Hogwarts, dated a few women, but I couldn't get her out of my head. Three years later I was working at the Ministry, I'd flooed in late, which was unlike me, but boy was I glad I did – because there, coming in from the fireplace opposite me was Athena. She was wearing robes of midnight blue silk, hair up in a bun with little wisps coming down the side, bright red lipstick. I couldn't believe my luck. I chased after her, turns out she was late as well, begged her for a date, and the rest is history,' Conleth finished, his eyes glowing at Athena who'd turned red under his gaze.

'You remembered what she was wearing?' Lily asked in a tone Allegra had never heard her speak in before.

'That's so romantic,' chimed in Phoebe.

Marlene nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

'My advice girls? When you know, you know,' Conleth lifted his wineglass in a toast and the rest of the table followed.

/

The next day, Allegra, Lily, Phoebe and Marlene went to Pavia town to do some shopping. Allegra took them to her favourite gelato shop and then they visited a muggle souvenir shop where Phoebe and Lily bought tea towels imprinted with the name and town.

'My mum loves muggle stuff like this!' Phoebe whispered enthusiastically as she waited to pay.

Then they went to the open-air market where Allegra purchased fancy cheese for her grandparents and some groceries for the rest of the week.

They took some photographs which Phoebe promised her older brother could develop and wandered through the park with more ice cream.

'Would you rather be able to only eat Honeydukes chocolate for every meal for the rest of your life, or never be able to eat it again?' Lily asked.

'Honeydukes for every meal!' Allegra and Marlene chimed.

'Is it just the Honeydukes chocolate bar we're talking about?' Phoebe asked.

Lily nodded.

'Right, well I'd never eat Honeydukes chocolate again.'

'What?!' Allegra was scandalised.

'Lily only specified the chocolate bar, if you opt out of it you can still eat any other type of food and every other type of sweet at Honeydukes,' replied Phoebe shrewdly.

Allegra felt her jaw drop.

'Well played Phoebe – but we're not working off logic – just gut reaction,' argued Marlene.

Phoebe shrugged her shoulders, 'I think you're annoyed I thought of that first.'

Marlene stuck her tongue out at her and Lily laughed.

'Alright I have one,' said Allegra, 'would you rather be sorted into Slytherin for seven years, or have to marry a Slytherin and spend the rest of your life with them?'

'Allegra!' exclaimed Marlene.

'You're a monster,' intoned Phoebe.

'You have to answer,' replied Allegra in a sing song voice, 'gut reaction, remember.'

'I have to say marry one,' Phoebe grumbled, 'I couldn't live with the stigma of having actually been a Slytherin.'

'I agree with Phoebe,' Marlene shivered, 'it's the lesser of two evils.'

Lily, who had been silent, finally spoke.

'Sorted for sure, I wouldn't want to be with one for the rest of my life.'

Allegra, Phoebe and Marlene exchanged quick glances before moving the conversation onto something else.

/

The day before Lily, Phoebe and Marlene were due to leave with Conleth, Allegra and Athena had the afternoon to themselves to shop for a birthday present for Allegra's father.

Lily and Phoebe had decided to try and make the most of their last day to sunbathe, whereas Marlene was getting an introductory lesson from Noni on how to make pasta from scratch. While Conleth, and Allegra's grandfather, Laurent, were fishing, Allegra and Athena stopped off for lunch in Pavia.

'Have you enjoyed your holiday?' Athena asked.

They were in Allegra's favourite restaurant and had just ordered their food.

'Yes, it's been great having the girls here as well. However, it will be nice just the four of us for another week,' grinned Allegra.

'How are you feeling about school next year? I know you're be worried about your OWLs.'

Allegra sighed.

'I'm nervous, definitely. I'm just going to try and work hard – didn't you always say I should enjoy my time at school because it's over far too quickly?'

The waiter arrived at their table to serve lunch. Athena had ordered a shellfish risotto, whilst Allegra had ordered fettuccine.

'Yes darling, work hard, but not too hard that you'll kill yourself,' said Athena with a soft smile, 'and Quidditch?'

Allegra twirled the pasta round her fork and ate before answering.

'I'm concerned it's going to take up so much time. And if I'm stuck worrying about the team I mightn't do as well with my schoolwork. Or vice versa.'

It was Athena's turn to sigh.

'Do you enjoy it? Quidditch – being part of the team?'

Allegra nodded.

'Then why should you give it up? If you stop doing something that makes you happy to focus solely on exams, you'll make yourself miserable sweetheart.'

Allegra knew her mother was right but didn't want her commitment to the Quidditch team to damage her prospects for OWLs.

'Well I haven't decided for definite yet. It's just something I'm considering,' answered Allegra, hoping that would appease her mother.

Athena considered her for a second before leaning forward and taking Allegra's hand in her own.

'Life is for living. These exams are important, of course they are. But there is more to life than just exams and school – there's a whole wide world out there for you – I don't want you to spend every waking moment of your childhood only worried about and focused on exam results. They won't determine what type of witch you are, or more importantly, what type of person you are,' Athena squeezed her hand and sat back on her chair, 'I'll be proud of you no matter what darling.'

It was on the tip of Allegra's tongue to ask her mother about whatever resistance activities she might be involved in, but she felt such a rush of affection for her in that moment – she couldn't ruin it.

'If it ever comes to it, I'll fight mum,' said Allegra in a quiet voice.

Athena looked momentarily taken aback before giving Allegra a small smile.

'Let us hope it never comes to that.'

/

That night the girls, Athena and Conleth and Allegra's grandparents, decamped outside onto the terrace for their last meal together. Fireworks from a few miles away were set off and they watched as the girls were allowed to indulge in a small glass of wine each. They ooohed and ahhhed every so often at the fireworks – Athena and Conleth, arms around each other, were whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears, Allegra had never seen her parents more content.

Whilst Lily, Phoebe and Marlene ate some of Grimaldi's famous Italian chocolate, Allegra's grandparents where dancing slowly together. Allegra left her friends to it and walked over to her parents – Athena slung her free arm around her daughter's shoulders and pulled her close – Allegra pressed into her mother, inhaling her rose scent as fireworks exploded around them.