Bellissia woke up feeling better rested than she had felt in weeks. For a brief moment, she thought it was a dream. She was just at Grandmama's for the week-end; but, no. She was not with that kindly old lady and her equally ancient husband. It was better. She was with her cousin Remus and the Lupins. Already she felt more than at home. They were her new family. The holes her mother's death and her father's arrest had made were slowly being filled in, but she would never be completely the same. However, Bellissia was not thinking about her mother and father, but she was thinking about the delicious smells of breakfast washing through her room. She got up and walked downstairs, re-tying her pajama pants and adjusting her tank top. She was a rough sleeper.

With a last tighten of her ponytail, she emerged, yawning, into the kitchen. She found Remus and Antonia deep in conversation. Remus looked up and smiled at her when he stepped in the door.

"Well, good morning Bellissia!" Antonia started. "I had no idea you were an early riser as well! Finny, Sirius, and James probably won't be up for another hour or so. Coome, sit down. I've made hotcakes!"

Remus chuckled. "Mom, you talk so fast I doubt she caught any of that!"

"I understand perfectly, thank you Antonia. I will have some breakfast." She pulled out the chair next to Remus and sat down. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm wonderful, thank you Bella. Do you mind if I call you Bella? Bellissia is kind of long."

"I don't mind one bit, Remmy." They smiled at each other as Antonia banged around, reheating hotcakes and pouring milk. At last, Remus spoke.

"Bella, I'm really glad you came here. Did you know I always wanted a little sister?"

"Aww, that's sweet Remmy, but I'm only six months younger than you!"

"You know what I mean!"

"I do know what you mean, I'm just joshing you. Actually, I always wanted a big brother." Remus smiled. "And a mother," Antonia looked up, tears rimming her dark eyes.

"As long as the sun rises at dawn, so you are welcome here, mio dolce." She then swooped on Bellissia and before either knew what was going on, Antonia had caught Bella in a big, warm, motherly hug. Bella, a little startled, wasn't sure how to react. She then hugged back, with one arm and with the other pulled an amused Remus into the hug as well. Antonia welcomed him in. The Hug bound the three of them closer than ever. They all stood there for some time until they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. They broke apart and was Finny wearing a bemused expression.

"Antonia," he said, with mock anger. "Why wasn't I invited to the Lupin family hug?"

"Mr. Lupin, you mean the Angenelo and Lupin hug?" Bellissia said, wiping a tear from the corner of her right eye.

"No, Bella, you are a Lupin now."

Later that day, after James and Sirius finally surfaced, the kids were shooed to the backyard because Mrs. Angenelo-Lupin had friends coming for luncheon and wanted them out of the way whilst she cooked. Mr. Lupin had left for work quickly after The Hug.

So, the four of hem went outside into the sunshine. James and Sirius brought their matching Nimbus '76s. Remus and Bellissia brought a tray of lemonade and a plate of cookies. The first two immediately kicked off the ground and began tossing an orange back and forth, practicing chasing. Remus dragged two lawn chairs off the porch and into the sun. As soon as Bella realized how nice it was outside, she ran indoors and came back a moment later wearing sunglasses and a striped bikini. She planned on taking full advantage of the sunny day. When he saw her, Remus cracked up.

"Laugh all you want, Remmy, but we'll see who's laughing when I get tanner and you get mistaken for a ghost!"

"Oh, and who will be laughing when you get sunburned beyond recognition?" he snorted.

Bella jokingly pushed him, but a little harder than she would have normally. When he realized his chair was tipping, he grabbed both of her arms and pulled her down as well. She fell, laughing, on top of him. They laid there, sprawled out and laughing, until Bella stood up and helped Remus, too.

Sirius had watched the scene unfold from high above on his broomstick. He couldn't help but feel more than a little jealous of Remus. He always knew Bella was attractive, based on his discreet studies at the airport and during the pillow fight, but now that she was strutting around in a pink and green bikini, his suspicions had been confirmed: Bella had the most perfect body of any girl he had ever seen. It's not that she was especially skinny, or really hippy, she was well-proportioned and just beautiful. He knew the love between Remus and his perfect cousin was platonic-they were cousins after all!-but it nagged at him that he didn't really have a female friend to talk about things with or to feel protective about. He soon came to the conclusion that he wanted nothing more in the world than to have been Remus right then, but instead of allowing her to help him up, he would have caught her up and kissed her forever.

"Hey, HEY! Padfoot? Are you there? Heads up!" James shouted.

"Huh?" but he was too late before he knew it, the orange was headed his way at about a hundred miles per hour.

SCHMACK!

Sirius was socked right in the stomach with the speeding fruit. He gripped his broom for dear life and managed to make it to the ground. He couldn't breathe! He was going to die! Was this some higher power punishing him for lusting after his friend's cousin? Things were getting kind of fuzzyâ€can't hold on much

"Sirius oh my God are you alright?" her harmonious voice snapped him back to. He opened his eyes and discovered to his delight his head was laying in Bella's lap. She was sitting on the ground, messing with his dark hair and fussing over him. He could get used to this!

"Where is everyone?" he questioned, groggily.

She pushed back her own hair and smiled down on him. "They went to find Antonia. What happened Siri?"

Sirius smiled. He had always hated it when his own cousin, Tonks, had called him that, but Bella could call him anything she wanted. "I'm not entirely sure. I just remember zoning out and then being pounded in the stomach with an orange."

"Well I saw you fall off your broom. It was so high up! When you started falling, my heart stopped! I'm glad you're not hurt worse. Just a few scrapes and bruises. This should teach you to keep focused on the game at all times. Let your mind wander for one second and someone could get hurt. Oh good, here they are with ice!"

Sirius mentally cursed James and Remus for returning so soon, but the look Remus gave him was enough to humble his attitude.

"Bella, why don't you let us take it from here? See Mum coming, she's got some stuff to put on Sirius."

"Wait, Remus, I'm not letting your mom put muggle medicine on me! That stuff never works! Can't someone just heal me with magic? Please?" He looked around desperately, but to no avail. James and Bella were too busy giggling to pay him any mind and Remus just looked at him and told him none of them were allowed to do magic outside of school.

"Don't worry Sirius, this shouldn't hurt much," Antonia began. "But I must warn you this one will sting the cuts, but we have to use it to keep them clean."

"What do you mean-OWW!"