Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today

-Pink Floyd. Song: Time

Blue Roses.

Chapter eight: I won't be home for Christmas.

Travis woke up, lying on his back on a hard surface. He thought he must have fallen, for his back hurt a lot. All he saw above him were wooden rafters, and felt something wet on his back. He had no idea where he was.

"Where am I?" he asked, apparently to himself.

"My office," Professor Dumbledore replied, making Travis jump. "You were serving detention."

"I...was?"

Travis jerked his head when he began to see visions. Visions of Brayden standing there, visions of himself hurting Brayden, and Brayden hitting his head off the wall. He felt a shiver go through him as, in the vision, he cackled...

"I hurt someone. I didn't mean to, I wasn't under my control, I..."

He heard footsteps and sat up, to see Dumbledore beside him.

"What happened?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

Travis twitched. "Someone came beside me...I felt good, happy, yet under their control. Then, I blacked out...all I remember is Brayden...I hurt Brayden. I HURT HIM! Is he ok? I didn't mean to...I...I..."

"Yes..." Dumbledore began. "The Imperius Curse. That would explain your petty attempt to attack me," Dumbledore chuckled. "Do you remember who put you under the Imperius Curse?"

Travis shook his head. "In fact, I don't remember much at all, including why my back hurts."

"You fell off of a ladder, you were cleaning my office rafters. I've always found them rather dusty, the house elves can never quite reach them...ah, yes. You should be off to the hospital wing," Dumbledore said, when Travis began rubbing his back. "Go on, you are dismissed. You should apologize to Brayden, as well, when you are in the hospital wing."

Travis nodded, stood up and headed out the door. He was so confused. His head hurt, his back hurt. What was the Imperius Curse? And was it true he had attacked Dumbledore, and why was he not in trouble?

He walked into the hospital wing, and explained his pains to Madam Pomfrey. She gave him a potion, and instructed him to rest in a bed that was beside a bed containing a sleeping form, with a wrap around his head.

"Brayden!" Travis said, after he had lied down. "Brayden?"

The sleeping form rolled over, opened his eyes, and gave a yell when he saw Travis.

"What in Merlin's name do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize? For using an Unforgivable Curse on me? What was it, an accident?"

"No! No, that's not it! It wasn't me who did that...it was someone who was controlling me. Professor Dumbledore says I was under the Imperio Curse or something..."

"The Imperius Curse..." Brayden nodded. "I understand. You're forgiven. Just don't do it again, ok?" Brayden laughed lightly, and Travis laughed nervously.

"Right," he said. "This potion's making me sleepy, I'm going to go to...sleep. Yeah."

Travis rolled over, and Brayden gave him a curious look before rolling over himself, back into swimming in his own thoughts.

- - -

Late November rolled into mid-December, bringing with it snow and the constant reminder that Christmas break was almost upon them. Skye never talked to Cedric about the kiss. She had odd feelings about it, knowing that though she liked Cedric, she wasn't attracted to him the way she was attracted to Brayden. Alas, she tried to pretend the kiss just never happened.

Skye's lessons with Snape became gradually worse and worse, with less and less words being exchanged. In fact, by mid-December, the lessons became Skye walking in, Snape ushering to the board which would have instructions on it, and his mark to her, which was most often a 'Zero'. Skye did not see the point of the lessons, he gave her a 'zero' for almost every assignment. She decided to keep her mouth shut and just do the work, she did not want to know the consequences if she decided to retaliate.

Brayden was let out of the hospital wing in early December, and the need for a break began to show on him. He got less and less sleep every night, and would often appear in the common room at night with dark bags under his eyes, his skin pale, and piles of homework before him. He barely spoke, and usually just sat down, sighed, and would mutter to himself as he wrote essay upon essay. "OWLs," was all Skye would hear him say.

Classes had their attention waning the week before break began. Skye would often abandon her work and barricade Cedric with questions about his house and his family, which would often result in a harsh retaliation from the teachers.

Finally, it was the Friday before they left. Skye decided on this day to abandon walking down the halls, and rather, she skipped. A whole two weeks off, alone with Brayden and Cedric and their family...how could one NOT be happy?

That night, they would travel to the Diggory's house using Floo powder. They were instructed to go to Professor McGonagall's office.

"Ced, I'm nervous," Skye said, as they waited in line in front of the fireplace.

"Why?"

"Well, for one, I've never traveled using Floo powder before, and I want to make a good impression on your parents."

"I'm sure you'll do fine traveling, and why are you worrying about making a good impression upon my parents? I'm sure they'll love you..."

Skye gave Cedric a curious look. "Did Professor Dumbledore not tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Well...he gave me permission to stay at your house this summer."

Cedric grinned broadly. "He...he did?"

Skye nodded, and Cedric gave her a large hug.

"That's great! That's really, really great!"

"Cedric, Skye, you two go ahead," Professor McGonagall interrupted.

Skye, never having used Floo powder and being clueless of the Diggory's address, was traveling beside Cedric.

"Hold on to my hand, and don't let go," Cedric said. Skye held on to his hand. He grabbed some of the green powder from a small rectangular box, and threw some into the fire. He stuck his head into the fire, and shouted something inaudible next to the roar of the fire. Skye felt herself being pulled by Cedric's force, and was pulled into the fire, almost choking on the ash. She felt like she was being squeezed into a tight tube, and she felt herself being pulled away from Cedric, but she never let go. She saw, below her, many fireplaces and tubes in all directions, but she didn't dare move. She finally saw her tube was leading to a fireplace, and Cedric tumbled out, Skye falling on top of him. She realized that she was covered in ash. She began to brush off the ash, when a motherly looking woman with a large mass of blonde hair atop her head scurried towards them.

"Oh dear, you're getting ash all over the floor, look at this..."

Brayden came out of the fireplace and knocked Skye over, sending more ash everywhere.

"Look at this mess!" the motherly woman said, flicking her wand and vanishing the dust. "How many times do I have to tell you, use the kitchen fireplace? Oh, hello, you must be Skye, I'm Maya, pleasure to meet you," Maya shook Skye's hand quickly. "Look at you three! Covered in dust..."

She began vanishing the dust, murmuring to herself as she did so. Skye gasped as she took in the room. It had a cathedral ceiling, and there was a 15 foot high Christmas tree sparkling with pixies, sprites, and a beautiful star on the top. There was a pile of presents at the bottom of the tree. The room seemed to be the main room, and it was lavishly decorated with tinsel, holly, and to Skye's surprise, there was mistletoe at each of the 6 doors surrounding the room. There were two on each length of the room and one each on the shorter sides, and there was a spiral staircase at the far end of the room that lead to an upstairs floor.

"It's not much, but it's home," Brayden said.

Skye recollected her years spent with her grandfather, in a small, dingy, dark room that consisted of a toilet, a couch, a sink, a television set and a small bed.

"Not much?" she said. "Not much?"

Skye began to walk around the room. In between doors there were often surreal paintings, with odd figures and shapes that never made sense to her unless she squinted her eyes. Cedric walked up behind her.

"They're made by my older sister," he said. "You'll get to meet her tonight, she's living with her boyfriend while Auror school right now. Would you like a tour?"

Skye nodded enthusiastically, and Cedric showed her around his beautiful home. There was the door outside, the door that led down into the basement, Cedric's bedroom, the living room, the back door, his parents' bedroom, the kitchen and dining room; upstairs was Brayden's room, Cedric's sister, Kamilah, or Kami's room, the study, and the guest bedroom which Skye was staying in. When they stepped into Skye's bedroom, Skye was surprised to see her small bag of luggage already on the bed. Her room was large, white, with a simple bed and some drawers.

"It's perfect!" she said.

"It is?" Cedric asked, confused.

"Your house is perfect!"

Cedric blushed. "Come on, let's go downstairs and have some supper."

- - -

After supper, which consisted of roast pork, beans, potatoes and pudding, Cedric's father, Amos, arrived after dinner, shaking Skye's hand violently but with kindness when he introduced himself. Behind him, an angel walked into the room. While, not quite an angel, but she looked like one. She had long blonde hair that was set in waves, a beautiful face and stunning blue eyes, alike to Brayden's, played up with some light makeup. She had large lips, and rosy cheeks. She was wearing a dark red cocktail dress, which contrasted heavily against her pale skin. She was wearing black pumps, though she didn't need them, she seemed tall enough already. She waved jovially at her family, and Maya stood up and gave her a hug. The girl went around the table, hugging Brayden and Cedric. She held her hand up for Skye.

"Hey!" she said. "I'm Kami, and you must be Skye. What a pleasure to meet you!"

Skye shook Kami's hand, almost in shock someone as pretty as her was making contact with her. Kami walked off and began chatting to her mother.

"She's so pretty!" Skye whispered to Cedric. Cedric just rolled his eyes.

"Everyone tells me that. I could never have my friends over before, because they would just try to spend all their goggling at her."

Skye laughed lightly. "I can see why."

After dinner, Skye, Cedric and Brayden remained in the study, chatting animatedly to each other. Kami came in shortly after, and began to talk to them about Auror school. Her voice was creamy and soft, and she never repeated herself; never said 'umm' or 'ah', never paused, never said 'whatever'. Everything rolled off her tongue as if it had been rehearsed, but didn't sound that way. She had a light, airy laugh. Skye had never met anyone as perfect as her.

"I'm heading to bed, ok Ced?" Skye said, at about 9 o'clock.

"Night," he said. "Christmas in 3 days!"

Skye smiled, knowing this would be a good Christmas vacation.

- - -

A/N: This is a sucky chapter, I'm sorry. But, it's Christmas break, and I have A LOT that's gonna happen soon. So, pretend this one doesn't exist, and wait for the next few chapters...I couldn't just magically make it Christmas, after all!