Chapter 20

Family

Naomi's P.O.V.

To tell the truth, I never expected to be this excited about the next few weeks. Everyone's been running around the house looking for stuff; mother's been having a fit over what Grandmother planned for us to wear this year; father's been really stressed about Rome and Shade and I… well, we've been talking. He decided that it was high time I double checked all of my summer plans as well; I'm sixteen, turning seventeen soon, and my brother thinks I'm incapable of organizing myself! I was so insulted… but on the other hand, he's sort of right.

I owled everyone, meaning Lily, Sirius and them and Mel; I had to send all of the confirmation letters out to the family about the reunion as well. James and Lily got back to me real quick, Sirius took awhile, but he answered as well. Mel's and Remus' letter came back yesterday so I'm now officially scheduled all summer.

I'll be visiting all of everyone throughout the summer; I'll be going to Rome for about a week. July is probably my busy month though. Unfortunately, I poked around and found out that the portrait day and the pureblood thing are on the same day. Now I just have to talk grand-mere into making wear that ridiculously huge outfit. Maybe I can even talk her into a different day seeing as grand-mere insist on having a family portrait this year. What am I going to do?

Authors P.o.v

The house of DuBois seemed to be in serious disorder and the amount of stress was immense. Although none of them had expected it, they were thrown into a family vacation full of acks and sores. For days on end they were preparing for the first of the many events that summer. That very weekend there was to be a family reunion held at their house. They were running around pre-paring menus, rooms, beds, the outside was redone so that the boys could play Quidditch while the others would be able to sit and relax on the houses new and extremely large patio. The chairs, shelves, floors… everything was in need of a cleaning and seeing as Sweetie, their poor house elf wouldn't be able to do it all alone, they had called in for some other elves and had even done some of the work themselves. In time, they were ready; that time being the day before the reunion…

Saturday July 1975

The family came poring in, more and more each and every second. There was Aunt Marie with the over done make-up, all the annoyingly young children girls and boys a like. There were the teenage snobs; the overly old grey one's that needed help taking baby steps. There was the few nice family members that Nia actually got along with as well; Leo being on of the few. He was from his the house of LaDuke. Surprisingly, his small but strongly opinionated family was the only other one's that actually lived in France. The other 3 families came from Spain, Italy and London.

Auntie Marie-Mai suddenly walked threw the door and all you could see were all of the children, teens included, and run for their lives. Marie-Mai LeDuke was quiet an eccentric person. She walked in as done up as per usual. That's why the non adults ran for their lives. Nia, unfortunately had not been in room during her dearest aunts entry.

"Nia dear!" Marie-Mai ran toward Nai when she saw her freeze at the hallway entrance. "Naomi, sweet heart! I haven't seen you in so long! How are you!" Marie-Mai dragged her niece into a strangling hug. Nia eventually made her way out of the hug, only to have her head straddled and stared at.

"You've grown Naomi," Leo said.

"I 'ow," she responded awkwardly. Trying to say I know while having your face pushed in wasn't exactly easy.

"Mother, I think you can let go of her now." Leo looked at his mother amused.

"Yes, well, you're right dear," the older women finally let go. Leaving Nia to rub her face of the pain.

"How've you been?" Leo asked, staring at Nia.

"Fine... up till 10 seconds ago that is." She joked; Leo only smiled and they headed for the back porch.

"I'm serious Leo! You've grown... I'm not sure but you're certainly taller then when I last saw you." Nia stated.

"Does the fact that i have to look down on you bother you?" Leo snickered only to be smacked on the shoulder.

"That wasn't very nice! It's not like I'm not tall though. 5.6 is more then most people get to be," she added smiling.

"Yes but 6 feet is more then most get to be."

"Oh, shut up!" Her smile grew. At that very second Juan ran over.

"Naomi!"

"On Merlin's name," Nia said surprised. "How old are you now Juan? You're so much taller now as well."

"So are you Nia! I'm 9 now, and I'm tall!" He yelled happily, twirling amused.

"Juan Torres! Slow down before you hurt yourself!" She laughed.

"Oh alright," he responded, smiling as well.

The day went by well, with the children playing while the teens watched. The adults stayed inside, basking in the luck of not having to deal with the annoyance of their children for once. Two days was all the had, and they weren't about to give that up of all things.

Nia got to meet many of her new family members. The house of Torres had a new daughter named Carmen; the house of Mancini had just recently given birth to twins. A boy and a girl to be exact; their names were Isabella and Emilio. Mr. and Mrs. Moore now had two sons and two daughters; Danielle, Matthew, Drake and Alana were their names. Danielle was 21 now and she was engaged to a man named Charles; Matthew was nineteen and he had brought his soon to be fiancé to the reunion. They had been dating since second year at Hogwarts. Leo and his little sister Marie had no change in the family except the fact that their aunt Mildred, Marie-Mai's sister, was getting married again. It would be her fourth marriage in seven years...

As expected, the DuBois family hadn't gotten bigger. Though, some expected Mark to fall madly in love with some Italian while he had been in Rome. When people had said this to Nia she got to thinking; Mark was the one who suggested they go to Rome this summer.