Summary of Last Chapter: Prologue. Lydia's family was explained.

Disclaimer: If you recognize any of these characters, then they belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm not making money off of them; I just enjoy writing their stories because it amuses me terribly.

A/N: This might be confusing. I tried to explain things as well as I could, but if you have any questions, just ask me. Read now!

In A Place Beyond Evil, Chapter One

"Lucas, Edward, Lydia. Get up. Get up right now. We're going to town today. You all know very well that you're not allowed to sleep past nine o'clock! Get up!" The old witch proceeded to knock three times on each of her responsibilities' doors. She regretted being so harsh with them almost instantly, dreading their reactions.

"Hush up, Auntie," Eddie shouted, annoyed with the knocking sound. "We'll sleep as long as we damn well please."

"Yeah, go away," another voice- the voice of Luke- agreed. "We'd rather stick our heads in acid than go to town with you."

"Lyddie?" Francesca asked. "You'll come, won't you, dear? You… you said something about needing… socks, didn't you?"

Lyddie stifled laughter. That was only a lie to get out of going outside, after all. She couldn't collect herself in time to say something before Luke did.

"She doesn't need any socks, you old hag," he snapped. "And if she did, she'd have you get them. Without her."

"Yes, yes…" Lyddie said. "Going to town with you sounds positively dreadful, after all."

"But I… I need your help!" Francesca pleaded. "How am I supposed to carry the bags?"

"You wimp!" Eddie yelled. "You're a witch! Do a feather-light charm!"

"Well, I would do that, but…" Francesca trailed off helplessly.

"But what? Your wand hand get caught in your knickers?"

"No, it's just that… it's just that Lyddie took my wand!"

"Yes, go ahead and whine about it," Lyddie mocked, as Luke and Eddie snickered at their aunt's vulnerability. "If you were half the witch I was, you would've had it back by now. However, as it seems…"

"As it seems…" Luke prompted, barely able to talk properly.

"As it seems, you're not. So I threw it in the fish pond."

The old witch let out a wail of defeat.

xxx

"Did you really throw her wand in the fish pond, Lyddie?" asked Luke. They walked across the huge lawn of Francesca's estate, not quite holding hands. "'Cause if you did, you're my hero."

"I'm your hero anyway," she whispered. "But yes, I did."

They were silent for awhile. Then,

"What's going to happen when the summer's over?" Luke stopped walking and stared at Lyddie. "D'you think that beast was serious? Will she really send you away?"

Lyddie sighed. "I s'pose so," she answered. "I don't think it would be too bad. Not if she sent me to Durmstrang."

Luke looked away. "I don't understand why you have to be so evil all the time," he told her dejectedly.

"And I don't see why you have to be such a saint." Lyddie poked Luke in the middle of the forehead. "I wish you would be the old Luke. Why can't you be as bad as Eddie and I?"

He turned away from her completely and started walking again. Lyddie followed, trying to catch up. He was walking awfully fast.

"Slow down…" she grabbed Luke's arm, and he jumped at her touch. He hadn't felt it in awhile. "I didn't mean to insult you. I just don't understand. After those memory charms, Eddie bounced back. Why couldn't you?"

"Because you made him," Luke answered angrily. "You made him that way. And I can't be that way because of my mother. I respect her too much. You can't take her away from me, Lyddie. You can't."

"Shh." Lyddie sat down in the middle of the yard, and pulled Luke down with her. "I didn't make him do anything! He just is that way. And so are you. This isn't you. This… this… goody-goody. You're acting so normal. So… Pro-Dumbledore."

"You know I hate that codger," Luke said after awhile. "I don't know. I guess it's because you never teased me the way you teased Eddie. It's all you, you know. It's all your influence."

"I guess it is. But you two are just so easily influenced. It's not my fault."

"Yes it is!" Luke said, grinning finally. "If you wouldn't… if you wouldn't tie him to bedposts and pour… stuff on him, then he wouldn't be so evil! He wouldn't be like you!"

Lyddie shook her head. "He would too, Luke. He would never be like you. You're such a mystery. I could never tease you like that. That's not your style. If I wanted you evil, I would do it in other ways."

"Like what?" Luke asked defensively. "You can't influence me. I have a mind of my own." He knew it wasn't true, though, and so did Lyddie.

"There are just ways, darling."

"Then… why haven't you? If you want me back the way I was, why didn't you just go ahead and do it?" he stared at her, looked right into her crystal blue eyes; his weakness. It was dangerous to look into those eyes… they flashed, suddenly, and Luke looked up at her furiously.

"Sorry," Lyddie whispered. "I couldn't help myself."

Luke tried to stand up, but Lyddie grabbed him for the second time. "Don't, don't go."

"Why?" he snapped. "So you can sit here and manipulate me some more?"

"No!" Lyddie protested. "I didn't mean to try and… well… hypnotize you. You stared into my eyes; I did not stare into yours. So it's your fault. You know I don't do well with people staring at me!" She hyperventilated for a minute, and Luke sighed.

"Sorry," he said. "You just always make me feel like you're taking advantage of me. Because I'm the weak one, or something."

"You're not the weak one, trust me," Lyddie said, smiling. "And I would never take advantage of you."

"You know, I miss it too," he admitted. "I miss being myself."

"Then why won't you just give in to it?" Lyddie asked him softly. "It's not hard…"

"I know." Luke said, shaking his head. "It's just that if I did, there's no telling what I'd do to my mother. What we'd do to my mother."

"We can start small," Lyddie offered. "We could kill Francesca."

Luke grinned. "You know, Eddie is about two inches from doing just that. We only tease her… but she really pisses him off."

"Yes…" Lyddie agreed. "We'll let Eddie have her. And when you have your self back… you only do what you think you have to, Luke. Right now you might not feel like the things you may do to people are necessary. But it's only a different viewpoint."

"I know," he said quietly. "I'm afraid my viewpoint of my mother is going to be so different that I'll… hurt her."

"I know you. You won't do anything that isn't rational." Lyddie leaned in and kissed him lightly. "Trust me."

xxx

"I shouldn't have trusted her," Luke said, feeling quite pissed off.

"No, you shouldn't have," Eddie agreed. "Trusting Lyddie is bad. Unless she promises you sex. She always comes through when she promises you sex."

Luke had to restrain himself from punching his cousin right in the stomach. "I don't mean like that! I shouldn't have told her she could make me… me again."

"Having doubts, you raging Pansy?" Eddie rolled his eyes and grabbed a roll from the bowl on Francesca's table. "Let her do it."

"What if I kill someone? What if I kill you?" Luke took a roll as well.

"Bad example, you already want to," Eddie pointed out.

"Shit, well… what if I killed Francesca?"

"Once again, you already want to. Stop trying to find excuses, dumbass."

Lyddie walked into the kitchen, and after listening to the two talk for awhile, she decided that she just had to comment.

"You two are such girls."

Luke and Eddie both whipped their heads around to stare at Lyddie.

"Umm…" said Eddie. "I'm not a girl."

"I beg to differ," Lyddie answered. She joined them at the table. "When's the supervisor coming back? I need to eat."

"Conquer something," Luke told her. "I'm hungry too."

"Nah…" Lyddie grinned. "Eddie? Will you make lunch for us?"

"No!" Eddie said. "I am not cooking."

"I think you will," Luke said, looking at Lyddie. He knew she'd bribe Eddie into making something… and he was right.

"I'll give you the night of your life…" she said, in a sing-songy voice. "Much like laa-ast night…" Luke tensed at this, but didn't bother commenting. He wouldn't put it past Lyddie to go and seduce Eddie the night after her birthday. But he couldn't help wishing it had been him.

Eddie wasted no time, pushing in his chair as fast as he could and pulling his wand out of the pocket of his dark green robe. Lyddie and Luke watched interestedly as he fumbled over himself, trying to make some sort of pasta. Halfway through his cooking rendezvous, Lyddie faked a yawn.

"You know, Eddie, I'm actually not all that hungry anymore. I'd rather take a nap. Thanks anyway." She pushed in her chair and left the kitchen.

Eddie let out a yell of frustration. "The hag'll clean this up when she gets home," he spat. "I'm following Lyddie. She's gonna give me the afternoon of my life, even if I have to molest her."

Luke raised his eyebrows at Eddie. "Are you now? You think she was telling the truth, then?"

"Hell yes," Eddie answered. "I told you already. Lyddie always comes through when it comes to sex."

xxx

"You three, I have an announcement to make," Francesca said nervously. She'd finished making the spaghetti Eddie had started earlier (the Muggle way, due to her lack of a wand), and now she, her nephews, and Lyddie sat at the dining room table eating it.

"Announce away, gremlin," Luke said.

"Yes, well," Francesca said, sounding rather flustered at the latest insult, "I mentioned before that Lyddie would be… going away at the end of the summer."

Lyddie dropped her fork without really meaning to. "I thought you were joking," she said.

"No, I was quite serious…" Francesca avoided the eyes of the three teenagers seated around her. "And I've spoken to Dumbledore."

"You've spoken to who?" Eddie asked incredulously, choking on a bite of spaghetti. "You can't be sending her there."

"You can't be sending her anywhere!" Luke added.

Lyddie stayed silent.

"Well, I…" Francesca fidgeted a little. "Dumbledore said that with Lyddie's intense… ahem… training for the first fourteen years of her life… she could start right away as a sixth year."

"Why are you sending her away?" Luke asked. "You can't take her away, you stupid hag. She's ours."

Eddie nodded. "Besides, what d'you think she'd accomplish at Hogwarts? Expulsion?"

Francesca ate a bite of spaghetti.

"Stop chewing!" Luke yelled. Francesca spit out her food.

"I only wanted her to learn a bit," she said helplessly. "And you two… you two can go later… when Dumbledore's made up his mind."

"Made up his mind?" Lyddie asked, speaking for the first time.

"Made up his mind about whether or not he wants them there…" Francesca was definitely embarrassed now.

"Wants them there? You mean because of them being evil and whatnot? Does he not know who's responsible for their evil behavior? Or, nearly responsible?" Lyddie smiled at Luke before turning back to Francesca. "Is he dumb?"

"Of course he is," Eddie said. "But Lyddie, you cast that memory charm on him. He wouldn't know."

"Right…" Lyddie took a sip of milk. "I'm not going."

"Oh, but you must!" Francesca squealed. "He's… he's coming for you tomorrow!"

"What?" Luke said in alarm. Lyddie just stared.

"Dumbledore?" she asked.

"No, no, not Dumbledore!" Francesca's hand shook. "Him!"

Lyddie blinked. "Him?"

"Yes!" The old woman hissed. "He's coming, Lyddie. That man… the dreadful one! With the hair! The eyes!"

Lyddie still didn't understand, but Luke and Eddie did. They looked at each other, and then they looked at Lyddie.

"Snape."

xxx