Author's Note: I'm sorry, but I have had zero motivation to write. I guess you could call it a writer's block. Enjoy this chapter!

The news of Nolan's new girlfriend brought down AJ's mood going into the Christmas holiday. He moped around the house all day on his first day home before deciding that Hope would be the best person to get advice from for this. He walked down to her room, her door was wide open and she wasn't there. While on his way downstairs, AJ was stopped in the hallway by Sirius.

"Are you okay," he asked.

"I'm fine," said AJ, annoyed. "Move. I have to talk to Hope."

Sirius stepped to the side, allowing AJ access to the stairs which led him to the living room. Hope wasn't there either, but Tonks was sitting alone on the sofa.

"Do you know where Hope is," AJ asked her.

"She went out," Tonks told him, still facing the book she was reading, "did you need something?" She looked him, "Is everything okay? You've seemed upset since you've come home."

Every emotion that AJ had been holding in came spilling down his face. Tonks put her book down on the coffee table before holding her arms out to him. He sat down and leaned into her embrace, crying into her shoulder as he had done when he was little and gotten hurt outside.

"Tell me what's been bothering you," said Tonks, moving her hand up and down AJ's back. He explained everything, from Oliver to Nolan and Jasmine.

Tonks sighed, "I was really looking forward to the teenage boy drama ending with Hope."

"Sorry," sniffled AJ.

"I wasn't asking you to apologize," said Tonks, "I was just saying that teenage boys have always sucked. They sucked in the 90s, and they suck now."

"They do suck," sighed AJ. "Do they ever get better?"

"In my experience, no."

"What about dad?"

Tonks chuckled, "you know the story, your father wasn't the best partner to be with at first."

"Then why did you stay together with him?"

"Because I loved him," said Tonks, "still do actually."

"So Nolan doesn't love me?"

"I'm not saying that," said Tonks, "I'm sure he loves you as a friend if not anything else. He just felt hurt about you and Oliver, so he did the same thing to you with Jasmine."

"Why would he do that if he knew it would hurt?"

"Love makes people do some stupid things sometimes, I mean, your dad walked out several times because he thought it would be better for me, but he just made both of us miserable in the meantime."

"It just sucks," groaned AJ.

"It does, and I wish I could fix it for you because, trust me when I tell you, that love can really sting sometimes," said Tonks after placing a kiss into his hair, "but it's one of those things that needs to be fixed overtime. The only people who can fix it are you and Nolan."

"This is all my fault," AJ cried, more tears spilling down his face which he buried further into Tonks's shoulder.

"No it isn't," said Tonks, "none of this is your fault. You wanted to date Oliver and there was no reason why you shouldn't have. Dating as a teenager is messy, it always has been and it always will be. But, the relationships you have will most likely not mean anything in ten years. However, your friendships will, so I think you should try and talk to Nolan, try and mend your friendship. If a boy is going to break up your friendship, then he wasn't a good friend to have. Whatever happens, happens. There's nothing you can do about it, you just have to make the most of your situation."

AJ sat up and nodded, "thanks mum."

"Of course," said Tonks, "that's what I'm here for."

AJ went back upstairs and hid himself in his room for a while, reading through whichever one of his dad's old defense books he had taken off of the shelf. He was fairly certain he had read it before, but he did not know when or where. There was a knock at the door before Hope opened it. She was wearing a short, black body-con dress with a light gray cardigan over her shoulders. Her hair was black as well, a color she didn't war very often, "mum said you were looking for me earlier."

"Yeah," said AJ, "but I'm all good now."

"Yeah," asked Hope.

"Yeah," AJ assured her. "Where did you go tonight?"

"Just out to dinner with some friends," replied Hope.

She was a little too dressed up from what she normally was for dinner with friends, but AJ just shrugged it off. "Oh nice."

"It was," said Hope. "I'm going to head to bed, but come get me if you still want to talk."

"Okay," said AJ as he watched her shut his bedroom door.

XXXXXXXX

"How's the new flat, Teddy," Andromeda asked her grandson as they all sat around the living room on Christmas morning. Teddy stayed the night and brought Michael with him. Michael's family normally goes away for the holidays, but he could not get off from work long enough to join them, so the Lupins invited him to stay the night and for Christmas Day.

"It's really great," said Teddy, "I'm really enjoying having my own place with my own freedoms."

"I see," said Andromeda before turning to her daughter next to her, "and how are you doing now that you have a son that doesn't live with you anymore?"

Tonks glared at her, "I just want to climb on top of a unicorn and gallop over a rainbow because I'm so overjoyed," she replied sarcastically. "It makes me feel old."

"How do you think I feel," asked Remus with a laugh. "I'm turning fifty-nine this year, Dora. It's my last birthday before I hit sixty."

"Thanks for the math lesson, dad," said Hope.

Remus ignored her comment, "did you hear from your parents yet, Michael?"

"No, but it's still the middle of the night in the Bahamas, so I'll give them time," said Michael. "My brothers did call me at midnight last night, so that was nice."

Michael had two older twin brothers, both of whom were married with children. They both worked together in the auror department along with their younger brother.

"Don't you mean midnight today," asked Sirius with a smug look on his face.

"Ugh, I hate when you do that," complained Hope.

"Make that joke one more time, and I'm handing you your epipen and throwing you out of the house," said AJ.

"Don't bring my peanut allergy into this," scoffed Sirius.

"No, I will since you will be learning how to set stuff on fire with nothing but a fancy stick in a few years, but a small peanut can kill you," said AJ.

"Stop," whined Sirius.

"Imagine making all of us change things we eat because you can die from something no larger than my fingertip," said AJ, holding up his index finger to his brother's face. Sirius pushed AJ's hand away, so AJ hit him in the forehead with his other hand.

"Ouch," whined Sirius.

"I only tapped you," said AJ with an eye-roll. "Stop being such a baby."

"I'm not a baby," argued Sirius.

"Mhm, sure you aren't," said AJ.

"Mum, tell him I'm not-"

"Enough. The both of you, that's enough," said Tonks. "It's Christmas for Merlin's sake."

"Sorry mum," mumbled AJ. "What time are we going to the Burrow?"

"Around two," replied Remus.

"Do you want to start getting ready now then," Michael asked Hope.

"It's ten o'clock," Hope replied with a laugh.

"Yes, but you typically take like ten thousand years to get ready," said Michael.

"Why do you do you know that," Teddy asked with an eyebrow arched.

"Well it's not like we haven't been friends for almost ten years," said Michael. "I also work with her everyday."

Ted nodded, but he continued to eye his friend suspiciously. Then, he looked as though a wave of realization washed over him, but breakfast had finished cooking, so they all moved to the kitchen.

Teddy never brought up what he was thinking again, not even through dinner at the Burrow. Once he had spotted his girlfriend, the pair went upstairs to hang out alone. They have disappeared a lot during family gatherings recently, a disappearance that their parents made a point to try and ignore.

They did reemerge from their hiding for dinner and the opening of gifts.

AJ was gifted a few jumpers and a pair of black converse from Bill and Fleur, but what really caught his eye was a set of earrings at the bottom of the bag. One was a shark tooth earring, much like the one Bill had sported so often.

"Your parents told me that you pierced your nose over the summer. While a nose piercing may not be the best thing just yet because of school and all, I'll take you to get your ears pierced before you go back after the holiday," Bill told AJ with a smile."

"Really," asked AJ, astonished.

"Really," confirmed Bill. "I talked to your parents and they're cool with it."

"Thank you," said AJ with a wide grin.

Hope came and sat down next to AJ, she was already wearing her light purple Christmas sweater. They both watched Vic open her gift from Teddy. It was some kind of necklace that made her squeal with delight and throw her arms around Ted's neck and kiss him full on the lips. AJ noticed Bill quickly look away from the scene. He had expected Hope to do the same thing, bust she just smiled at them. Apparently, she had calmed down about it after all.

"I thought you'd be mad still," AJ whispered to her, "since your older brother is totally doing your best friend."

"Well I'm totally doing his, so it all evens out really," Hope casually whispered back.

It took AJ a moment to realize who she was referring to, Michael. Which explained both Teddy's suspicion, and Michael's knowledge into Hope's personal life. AJ felt his eyes go wide as he looked back to his sister.

She then brought her index finger to her lips, "shh," before breaking out into a huge grin.

"Since when," AJ asked, still whispering.

"Since he passed his auror exams in October," said Hope.

"So are you guys like...together," asked AJ. "Like...is he your..."

Hope playfully rolled her eyes, "yes, he's my boyfriend if that's what you were attempting to ask me."

"Bloody hell," said AJ, "do mum and dad know?"

Hope shook her head, "we only officially started dating a few weeks ago, so it's not like I've been keeping this from them for ages."

AJ nodded, "but when are you going to tell them?"

"Great question," replied Hope. "Teddy should be pretty easy, he can't get too mad since he's been doing the same thing to me."

"Uh huh," said AJ, "good luck with that."

"Thanks. I'm probably going to need it," laughed Hope.

XXXXXXXX

With in a few days back at the castle, AJ had Lucas running up to he, James, and Fred one night as they were returning from their first quidditch practice of the term. Lucas had a huge smile plastered onto his face, "you guys are never going to believe this."

"Monica finally acknowledged that you exist," said Fred.

"That was cold and considering that Jasmine is dating someone else, you shouldn't be talking," said Lucas.

AJ felt his body tense, "what are we never going to believe?" He reached a hand to his ear before pulling off the bandages that he had covered his new piercings with during practice.

"Okay so Stephanie heard from Roxanne, who heard from Jasmine, who heard from Alice that Elroy had a meeting with McGonagall over holiday that he is on his last warning before he gets sacked. One more slip up from him and he's gone."

"What did he do this time," asked James.

"He got into a pretty heated argument with another professor," explained Lucas. He turned to AJ, "it wasn't your dad if that's what you were wondering."

"It wasn't? Then who was it," asked AJ.

"I've heard it was Professor Malfoy, but I'm not totally sure," said Lucas. as they began to walk into the common room and up towards their dorm. "You think Malfoy could take him in a fight?"

"It depends on which Malfoy you're talking about," said AJ, "Draco probably could, Lucius is a hard no, but Narcissa wouldn't even have to draw her wand. She grew up a Black, and after being on the receiving end of a lot of lectures, she knows how to dig into where it hurts with just with her words. Both her and my gran can do it, my mum can too, but that's more so because she's been interrogating people they bring into the Ministry for over twenty years. She's terrifying when she's like that, I couldn't get away with anything when I was younger."

"I can't get away with anything now, my dad can dig you down until you give him the information that he needs," said James. "I suppose it's an auror thing, but he was also brought up by his aunt and uncle who were nasty to him. I really hope Daisy gets in here when she's old enough, it would be a nice kick in the balls for my o' so great Uncle Vernon."

"Wasn't Dudley also a dick to your dad," asked Fred.

"Yeah, but it was because he saw his parents doing it," explained James. "He's apologized, and he and my dad are somewhat close now, but he doesn't talk to his parents much anymore. He cleaned up a lot too, lost all of the weight and went into construction, so he's doing pretty well for himself."

"My dad would help me get away with things when I was younger...well...that was until my mum got home and then I was lectured," said Fred. "Bringing the conversation back to Elroy, what was the argument about exactly?"

Lucas shrugged. "I heard they fought because Elroy made a comment about one of Malfoy's relatives," a voice said from behind them. The group turned to see one of the fifth year girls who sported long, dark brown hair that stretched to her lower back. AJ racked his brain to try and remember her name, he had never spoken to her before but he had seen her in the common room, was it Maria? Or maybe Maggie?

"Where did you hear that," James asked her.

"Just around places," said the girl, "everyone has been talking about it since classes ended. It was just the story that I heard the most."

AJ turned back to his friends, "of course it would be about a family member, Elroy has been talking about my mother ages."

"That would make a lot of sense," agreed Lucas.

"I going to find Professor Malfoy," said AJ as he ran towards the portrait hole and into the corridor. He made his way through the halls and down the stairs to the dungeons before knocking on the door to Malfoy's office.

"Come in," Malfoy called out, so AJ proceeded to open the door.

"Good evening, AJ," said Malfoy. He was wearing his traveling cloak and his bag in his hand, clearly ready to leave for the night. "What can I help you with?"

"I have a question for you," said AJ.

"A question as in for me as your professor or as your cousin," asked Malfoy.

"Cousin...well- both I suppose," said AJ, "but mostly my cousin."

"Does your question have anything to do with the quarrel between Professor Elroy and myself," asked Malfoy.

"How did you-"

"I heard it being talked about," said Malfoy. "I know what you're going to ask, no, it wasn't about either of your parents. It was about my mother actually."

"What did he say," asked AJ.

"His uncle was one of my father's sleazy Ministry mates, and my mother had been trying to remove him from the Christmas Party guest list for years. She finally convinced my father to stop inviting him, and both Elroy and his uncle took that personally. I was told that my family was becoming a disgrace to the world, and words that I will not repeat to a student of mine, cousin or not, were used to describe my mother. It escalated quite quickly from there."

"But why did Elroy get involved if he wasn't on the guest list to begin with," asked AJ.

"That is a great question that I still don't know the answer to," said Malfoy. "I'll get back to you on that, but I must get back home. I don't know if you've heard, but Astoria fell quite ill over the Christmas holiday."

"My gran mentioned it," said AJ. "I hope she gets better quickly."

"I do too," said Malfoy with a small smile. "Goodnight AJ."

"Night Professor."

I uploaded the first chapter of a new story a few days ago if you would like to check it out. It's the books, only Lily and James survived that night at Godric's Hollow. Also, I may take a short break from this story, I would like to finish my story Up to No Good, so I can focus more on this story and my new one.

The new story is called Harry Potter: The Boy Who Conquered for those who are interested!

Also I sincerely apologize for offending anyone who suffers from a peanut allergy, I just wanted to quote John Mulaney but I needed to add more to that conversation.