AN: Once, again any recognizable content belongs to JK Rowling, and all OC's are mine! As a side note Phe is pronounced Fe or Fi. All reviews are welcome, I hope you enjoy!

The rest of the year changed nothing. Since Minerva's accusations towards Tom, Ophelia had refrained from speaking to her or Dumbledore, unless absolutely necessary. She hung out with Tom and his friends more than she did with her own. As she began to pack up her things at the end of term, Ophelia took time to reflect on her conversation with Malcolm about her situation.

The brother and sister had met in Hogsmeade after Ophelia begged him to come visit her.

"Malcolm!" Ophelia called out from the table she and Riddle were sitting at.

He walked over and was greeted with a handshake by Tom and a kiss on the cheek from Ophelia. A few minutes into their conversation Tom announced his departure giving Phe and Malcolm time to talk alone.

"Well? What do you think?" Ophelia asked. Malcolm shrugged and answered "he seems kind and it's obvious he cares for you. I will say he didn't meet mom's description of him."

"I told you! I keep telling everyone, but no one listens." Ophelia said, rolling her eyes and taking another sip of her butterbeer.

"Slow down Phe, I don't know him well enough to make a true opinion, mum and dad have known him longer." Malcolm argued back.

"But you can see why I need to live somewhere else for the summer. After that atrocious dinner I can't spend the whole summer at home unable to see Tom."The only thing Ophelia wanted from this meeting was for Malcolm to let her stay with him.

"I know why you want to leave, but I don't know if I'm the right person to take you in. With my job, I'm not even home half of the time." Malcolm explained.

"Malc, I'm not a child that needs to be watched over all the time, I'm almost seventeen. Please I wouldn't ask if it truly wasn't that bad. I need this." Ophelia was now on the verge of tears.

Malcolm looked at Ophelia and seemed to be contemplating what he should do. On one hand he knew how his parents could be and empathized with his sister, but on the other he didn't want to strain his relationship with Albus and Minerva. "Okay." he finally said.

"What?" Ophelia nearly choked on her pastry. "I said okay, Phe, but I have conditions too. It's a risk for me to take you in." he replied.

"Whatever you say, I'll agree, thank you so much Malcolm." Ophelia said, hugging her brother. Malcolm laughed seeing his sister act like a child again. "Phe listen to my conditions first, you may not like them." he laughed.

"Impossible, but go ahead." Ophelia replied. "Well, first mum and dad can't know how often i'm out of the house and please no bragging about what I do let you do. I don't need them more angry with me. 2nd, please no sleepovers in the apartment, and if you are having one somewhere else, lie to me. 3rd, you don't have a curfew, but I need to know where you are at all times. And the last thing, you have to come visit mum and dad with me at least twice. They'll have my head otherwise."

Ophelia smiled hearing his conditions. They would give her and Tom more agency to live their lives and besides the visiting their parents, everything was certainly livable. "Deal," she said, shaking her brother's hand "should I be the one to tell them when I get back to Hogwarts?" she asked.

"I guess since you'll see them first, and I have to get back and tell Rebekah we'll be having a guest." Malcolm winked, as his sister's eyes went wide. "Yes Phe, I have a girlfriend, it's sort of the reason why I'm not talking to mum and dad as well. She's American and they don't exactly trust Americans."

"So it looks like I'm not the only one in a relationship dilemma, am I." Ophelia smirked. "Oh shut it." Malcolm rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, tell me ALLL about her."

The rest of their conversation was spent explaining their relationships to each other.

Ophelia felt so relieved as she pulled her trunk off her bed fully packed. After her conversation with Malcolm she had gone straight to her father to explain. Although he hadn't been too keen on the idea, Albus understood time apart was what both mother and daughter needed and with further conversation, Malcolm had assured him that Ophelia would come to visit.

Tom was waiting for Ophelia at the great hall entrance as promised and as always, she was on time.

"Hi," she said, locking her arms around his neck, "are you ready to go?" Tom smiled at her and put his arms around her waist.

"I don't have a choice do I?" he replied. Going back to the orphanage during the summer was always dreadful for Tom, but he hoped this time would be different because he would get to spend some time with Ophelia. However, his magical ambitions would have to be restricted to reading.

"Oh come off it, you can't be sour all the time, plus I'll be around,'' she grinned from ear to ear and gave him a peck on the lips.

"Ahem," Ophelia pulled back to find the source of the noise and saw her father standing there. "May I have a word with Ophelia,Tom?"

"Of course Professor," Tom replied before turning to face Ophelia once again, "I'll see you on the train then?" he asked. Ophelia simply nodded her head and turned to follow her father.

They walked until they found a classroom to speak in. "Ophelia, I know things have been difficult between you and your mother, and I haven't done much to help. But, you must understand that everything she does is because she loves you." Dumbledore tried to explain

.

"Dad, YOU have to understand that there is only so much one person can take and I've hit my own limit. You both clearly have priorities that are not me and that's okay, I'm okay." Ophelia responded, not taking her eyes off the floor.

"My dear I-" he was cut off before he could refute anything she had said. "Dad, it's okay, I have to go or I'll miss the train." Ophelia replied and ran out of the room before he was able to stop her.

She had almost made it out the entrance hall when she ran straight into her mother, "Shit, watch where you're going" Ophelia let out before realizing who it was.

"Excuse me, that language is not permitted inside the castle walls, and certainly not towards a teacher." Minerva chided.

"Well lucky for me we're not inside" Ophelia said pointing to the sky and rolling her eyes. She saw the anger form in her mother's eyes, so before Minerva could respond she ran off to the train.

AN: Longer update, since it took me longer to update! Let me know in the reviews what you think!