Chapter Three
Brother's Arms
Hours later they pulled into the train station and Lex climbed off the train, Breena shortly behind her. They didn't say anything, but that said it all. They stood there, Lex sitting on her suitcase and Breena just looking around. She waved hello to different students as they walked past, and they said hi to both of them but Lex didn't respond. She felt miserable.
Just as the platform was about to empty two of her friends, who were going to be 7th years next year came over. Hari Granger and Linnea Huse greeted them both. They seemed very happy, which led Lex to believe none of the students had heard the news.
"We'll see you both this next year!" they yelled, walking off to find their parents.
Lex looked down one last time and sighed. She picked up her bag and without a sound walked off the platform and out into the Muggle world. Breena ran after her, yelling loudly.
"Lex, Lex come back!" she shouted, "For god's sake, Lex, please!"
But she didn't turn back; she just kept on walking. She didn't belong in the wizarding world anymore at least she didn't feel like she did. A part of her was gone; it could never come back.
Outside it was down pouring and Lex looked around blindly. Her jeans and T- shirt were getting soaked. She looked for her brother, Gavin, who was supposed to be picking her up. She looked around, praying to god that she would find him.
"Lex! Lex!" yelled a female voice.
Breena, just leave me alone. She thought.
When she turned around instead she saw a woman with very short black hair looking up at her. It was her brother's wife, Jillian.
She was a short woman, about 5' 4" and she was about 25 years old. She had gray eyes and a kind smile. Lex really liked her, but sometimes she could be a real bitch.
"What the hell are you doing out here?" she asked, grabbing Lex by the arm and taking her to the car, "Gavin said you'd be on the platform."
"I had to leave," muttered Lex, as she climbed inside the car and slammed the door.
Jillian shoved the luggage in back and climbed in the driver's seat. The car started and they began to drive home.
"Where's Gavin?" Lex said, sounding more demanding than she wanted.
"He's at home taking care of Griffen," Jillian explained, "He's coming down with something."
"Who is?" asked Lex.
"Gavin," she said, "Was out late with just muggle clothes on. I swear he'll catch a death of cold if he doesn't watch it."
Lex smiled to herself. Jillian liked to piss and moan about things, and it was interesting to hear.
Griffen was Jillian and Gavin's only child. Now five years old the little boy had already shown some magic potential. He was strangely quiet and for being five liked to read books. He was very cute though. His red brown hair and large gray eyes made him the cutest little kid on the block.
They reached the house and the rain was still come down. The house was two stories and very large with brick exterior. It had a large green lawn in the front and a beautiful blooming garden in the back. When the car stopped instead of taking the bags from the car, Lex waved her wand and transported them inside. Jillian rolled her eyes.
"You are so lazy," she sighed, getting out of the car.
"True," said Lex, scrambling from the car.
They dashed inside and into the house. The bags were sitting in the living room and Griffen was already climbing on them.
"Griff, no!" cried Jillian as Griffen began jumping on the suitcase.
Lex smiled and saw Gavin sitting on the couch, looking sick. He had large rings under his normally cheerful brown eyes, which now looked very tried. She smiled and he grinned back and proceeded to sneeze all over himself.
"Excuse me," he said, snatching a tissue and blowing his nose, "Come down with something nasty, so don't get too close."
Lex touched his hand and smiled. At that moment, Griffen seemed to have been alerted to her presence.
"Lex?" he asked, "Auntie Lex it is you!"
He escaped from his mother's arms and clamped his arms around Lex's legs. He was such a cute little bugger, not wonder Lex loved him so much. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Look, look I learned a trick!" he said.
He closed his eyes and had a pained look on his face and suddenly his short hair became long and blue and his cute little nose was massive. He began to giggle and Lex smiled.
"That's a cool trick," she said, kneeling down, and hugging him.
It was a few minutes and Jillian sent Griffen off to clean up and get ready for dinner, his face finally back to normal. He did and Lex turned to them.
"I never knew he was a Metamorphmagus," she said, looking at Gavin under a critical glare.
"We didn't either," he said, "The other day he walked over and suddenly he had green hair down to his knees."
"Gave us quite a fright," Jillian muttered and then turned to Lex, "What sounds good for dinner?"
Lex shrugged and Jillian grinned.
"I'll just throw something together," she said, leaving the room.
Lex turned back to Gavin.
"The ministry is going to want him," she said, "You realize that don't you?"
He nodded.
"I talked to some of Dad's old friends and they said that once he's of age he is going to be offered a lot of money to be an Auror," he said, "Whether Griffen will take it or not is up to him. But Jill won't want him to go. She hates the idea."
Lex nodded.
"So he's definitely magical?" she asked.
"I've never seen a kid with so much in his blood," said Gavin, "I'll go into his room and he'll be floating blocks and he's always making little things happen. He's going to be something else."
He took a sip of his hot tea and sighed. He was starting to look so old for being just under thirty years old.
"So, how was the year?" he asked setting down his drink.
"Oh, the same old thing," she said.
"Not different with Dumbledore being gone?" he asked.
Lex looked up and nodded.
"The new headmaster. . .well headmistress, is definitely something else," she said.
"Changing everything?" he asked.
Lex nodded and looked down. Gavin sat up more and looked at her.
"Lex, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," she muttered, looking at the floor.
"Don't lie to me," he said, moving next to her, "Something happened, I know it. Now what happened?"
Lex shook her head and stood up.
"Which room am I staying in?" she asked, "The usual?"
Gavin nodded and Lex made her way to the guest room she normally stayed in. Considering this was her home away from Hogwarts, she almost always stayed there. She dropped her suitcases and sighed. Would Gavin even let her stay here when he found out she had gotten sacked? She shook her head. She didn't want to think about that. She walked downstairs but on the way was attacked by Griffen, who sprung from the bathroom and stuck to her leg.
"What are doing?" she asked.
"I'm glue!" he said, holding tightly to her.
Lex smiled and clanked down the stairs, the little boy in toe.
They reached the kitchen and Griffen hopped to his seat and looked at Lex.
"I want you to sit next to me!" he yelled, bouncing slightly in his seat.
"Griffen calm down or there'll be no dessert," Jillian spoke from the other side of the kitchen.
"Yes mom," he said, looking down.
Lex smiled and walked over to Jillian, who was bent over a large pot.
"What cha making?" she asked, "Witches brew?"
Jillian glared at her. Apparently she was in a bad mood.
"It's stew," she spat, "And you didn't say what you wanted so I threw this together."
Lex grinned painfully and took a deep breath.
"Well it smells delightful," she said sincerely.
Jillian smiled and set out the silver by hand.
"Griffen, help me?" she asked, setting the silver on the table.
"Yes," he said, setting each place.
Lex left the kitchen and returned to the living room, where Gavin was climbing off the couch. He looked at her and sighed. He looked a little disappointed.
"What?" asked Lex.
Gavin held out a piece of parchment addressed to her in a scrawl she recognized. Lex snatched it from him and noticed it was already opened. She frowned and pulled out the letter.
Lex,
I understand why you are mad; hell I would be too, but you can't go running from your fate. You need to face the stuff that comes after you instead of pretending it will just go away. I know it shocked you and I tried to talk them out of it but they wouldn't listen. Ashlee doesn't like you, she never has, and she wanted you gone.
I took it up with Silver and we tried to figure if you could fight it and it turns out you couldn't fight it. The headmaster or headmistress of Hogwarts doesn't need to give a reason as to why they fire someone; they can just do it.
It'll be fine. You can get a job in the ministry. They are hiring in your Dad's old department and I'm sure with your record and who your Father was you'd get in easy.
Please write back. I'd like to stop by and talk more. Please let me know when would be convenient.
Your sister,
Breena
Lex looked at Gavin and he was giving her that ashamed look he would often give her.
"So that's what happened," he said, "Ashlee Sully sacked you?"
Lex nodded and flopped down on the couch.
"Lex, it's not the end of the world," he said, "It'll be a breeze to get you into the Ministry."
Lex covered her face and began to cry. The tears were streaming down and were more numeral than he had ever seen someone cry before. She began to shake.
"Oh Lex," he said, sitting next to her and putting his arm around her.
She sobbed like crazy, not stopping and just kept crying. All the pain of the last day was pouring out and she couldn't stop it now. She was finally being open; she was finally being honest. Gavin sat there, and she told him everything. He listened intently and finally spoke.
"This was beyond your control," he said, "You didn't so anything to deserve this and that is why it's not your fault. Believe me, we'll find you another job and you'll be fine."
Just the Jillian called from the kitchen.
"Soup's ready," she said.
Gavin helped Lex off the couch and she hugged him.
"Thank you," she said as they walked into the kitchen.
Hours later they pulled into the train station and Lex climbed off the train, Breena shortly behind her. They didn't say anything, but that said it all. They stood there, Lex sitting on her suitcase and Breena just looking around. She waved hello to different students as they walked past, and they said hi to both of them but Lex didn't respond. She felt miserable.
Just as the platform was about to empty two of her friends, who were going to be 7th years next year came over. Hari Granger and Linnea Huse greeted them both. They seemed very happy, which led Lex to believe none of the students had heard the news.
"We'll see you both this next year!" they yelled, walking off to find their parents.
Lex looked down one last time and sighed. She picked up her bag and without a sound walked off the platform and out into the Muggle world. Breena ran after her, yelling loudly.
"Lex, Lex come back!" she shouted, "For god's sake, Lex, please!"
But she didn't turn back; she just kept on walking. She didn't belong in the wizarding world anymore at least she didn't feel like she did. A part of her was gone; it could never come back.
Outside it was down pouring and Lex looked around blindly. Her jeans and T- shirt were getting soaked. She looked for her brother, Gavin, who was supposed to be picking her up. She looked around, praying to god that she would find him.
"Lex! Lex!" yelled a female voice.
Breena, just leave me alone. She thought.
When she turned around instead she saw a woman with very short black hair looking up at her. It was her brother's wife, Jillian.
She was a short woman, about 5' 4" and she was about 25 years old. She had gray eyes and a kind smile. Lex really liked her, but sometimes she could be a real bitch.
"What the hell are you doing out here?" she asked, grabbing Lex by the arm and taking her to the car, "Gavin said you'd be on the platform."
"I had to leave," muttered Lex, as she climbed inside the car and slammed the door.
Jillian shoved the luggage in back and climbed in the driver's seat. The car started and they began to drive home.
"Where's Gavin?" Lex said, sounding more demanding than she wanted.
"He's at home taking care of Griffen," Jillian explained, "He's coming down with something."
"Who is?" asked Lex.
"Gavin," she said, "Was out late with just muggle clothes on. I swear he'll catch a death of cold if he doesn't watch it."
Lex smiled to herself. Jillian liked to piss and moan about things, and it was interesting to hear.
Griffen was Jillian and Gavin's only child. Now five years old the little boy had already shown some magic potential. He was strangely quiet and for being five liked to read books. He was very cute though. His red brown hair and large gray eyes made him the cutest little kid on the block.
They reached the house and the rain was still come down. The house was two stories and very large with brick exterior. It had a large green lawn in the front and a beautiful blooming garden in the back. When the car stopped instead of taking the bags from the car, Lex waved her wand and transported them inside. Jillian rolled her eyes.
"You are so lazy," she sighed, getting out of the car.
"True," said Lex, scrambling from the car.
They dashed inside and into the house. The bags were sitting in the living room and Griffen was already climbing on them.
"Griff, no!" cried Jillian as Griffen began jumping on the suitcase.
Lex smiled and saw Gavin sitting on the couch, looking sick. He had large rings under his normally cheerful brown eyes, which now looked very tried. She smiled and he grinned back and proceeded to sneeze all over himself.
"Excuse me," he said, snatching a tissue and blowing his nose, "Come down with something nasty, so don't get too close."
Lex touched his hand and smiled. At that moment, Griffen seemed to have been alerted to her presence.
"Lex?" he asked, "Auntie Lex it is you!"
He escaped from his mother's arms and clamped his arms around Lex's legs. He was such a cute little bugger, not wonder Lex loved him so much. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Look, look I learned a trick!" he said.
He closed his eyes and had a pained look on his face and suddenly his short hair became long and blue and his cute little nose was massive. He began to giggle and Lex smiled.
"That's a cool trick," she said, kneeling down, and hugging him.
It was a few minutes and Jillian sent Griffen off to clean up and get ready for dinner, his face finally back to normal. He did and Lex turned to them.
"I never knew he was a Metamorphmagus," she said, looking at Gavin under a critical glare.
"We didn't either," he said, "The other day he walked over and suddenly he had green hair down to his knees."
"Gave us quite a fright," Jillian muttered and then turned to Lex, "What sounds good for dinner?"
Lex shrugged and Jillian grinned.
"I'll just throw something together," she said, leaving the room.
Lex turned back to Gavin.
"The ministry is going to want him," she said, "You realize that don't you?"
He nodded.
"I talked to some of Dad's old friends and they said that once he's of age he is going to be offered a lot of money to be an Auror," he said, "Whether Griffen will take it or not is up to him. But Jill won't want him to go. She hates the idea."
Lex nodded.
"So he's definitely magical?" she asked.
"I've never seen a kid with so much in his blood," said Gavin, "I'll go into his room and he'll be floating blocks and he's always making little things happen. He's going to be something else."
He took a sip of his hot tea and sighed. He was starting to look so old for being just under thirty years old.
"So, how was the year?" he asked setting down his drink.
"Oh, the same old thing," she said.
"Not different with Dumbledore being gone?" he asked.
Lex looked up and nodded.
"The new headmaster. . .well headmistress, is definitely something else," she said.
"Changing everything?" he asked.
Lex nodded and looked down. Gavin sat up more and looked at her.
"Lex, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," she muttered, looking at the floor.
"Don't lie to me," he said, moving next to her, "Something happened, I know it. Now what happened?"
Lex shook her head and stood up.
"Which room am I staying in?" she asked, "The usual?"
Gavin nodded and Lex made her way to the guest room she normally stayed in. Considering this was her home away from Hogwarts, she almost always stayed there. She dropped her suitcases and sighed. Would Gavin even let her stay here when he found out she had gotten sacked? She shook her head. She didn't want to think about that. She walked downstairs but on the way was attacked by Griffen, who sprung from the bathroom and stuck to her leg.
"What are doing?" she asked.
"I'm glue!" he said, holding tightly to her.
Lex smiled and clanked down the stairs, the little boy in toe.
They reached the kitchen and Griffen hopped to his seat and looked at Lex.
"I want you to sit next to me!" he yelled, bouncing slightly in his seat.
"Griffen calm down or there'll be no dessert," Jillian spoke from the other side of the kitchen.
"Yes mom," he said, looking down.
Lex smiled and walked over to Jillian, who was bent over a large pot.
"What cha making?" she asked, "Witches brew?"
Jillian glared at her. Apparently she was in a bad mood.
"It's stew," she spat, "And you didn't say what you wanted so I threw this together."
Lex grinned painfully and took a deep breath.
"Well it smells delightful," she said sincerely.
Jillian smiled and set out the silver by hand.
"Griffen, help me?" she asked, setting the silver on the table.
"Yes," he said, setting each place.
Lex left the kitchen and returned to the living room, where Gavin was climbing off the couch. He looked at her and sighed. He looked a little disappointed.
"What?" asked Lex.
Gavin held out a piece of parchment addressed to her in a scrawl she recognized. Lex snatched it from him and noticed it was already opened. She frowned and pulled out the letter.
Lex,
I understand why you are mad; hell I would be too, but you can't go running from your fate. You need to face the stuff that comes after you instead of pretending it will just go away. I know it shocked you and I tried to talk them out of it but they wouldn't listen. Ashlee doesn't like you, she never has, and she wanted you gone.
I took it up with Silver and we tried to figure if you could fight it and it turns out you couldn't fight it. The headmaster or headmistress of Hogwarts doesn't need to give a reason as to why they fire someone; they can just do it.
It'll be fine. You can get a job in the ministry. They are hiring in your Dad's old department and I'm sure with your record and who your Father was you'd get in easy.
Please write back. I'd like to stop by and talk more. Please let me know when would be convenient.
Your sister,
Breena
Lex looked at Gavin and he was giving her that ashamed look he would often give her.
"So that's what happened," he said, "Ashlee Sully sacked you?"
Lex nodded and flopped down on the couch.
"Lex, it's not the end of the world," he said, "It'll be a breeze to get you into the Ministry."
Lex covered her face and began to cry. The tears were streaming down and were more numeral than he had ever seen someone cry before. She began to shake.
"Oh Lex," he said, sitting next to her and putting his arm around her.
She sobbed like crazy, not stopping and just kept crying. All the pain of the last day was pouring out and she couldn't stop it now. She was finally being open; she was finally being honest. Gavin sat there, and she told him everything. He listened intently and finally spoke.
"This was beyond your control," he said, "You didn't so anything to deserve this and that is why it's not your fault. Believe me, we'll find you another job and you'll be fine."
Just the Jillian called from the kitchen.
"Soup's ready," she said.
Gavin helped Lex off the couch and she hugged him.
"Thank you," she said as they walked into the kitchen.