Andrew Bagnold

by Junkets

Andrew Bagnold has a double life, a Muggle family and a Wizard family.

"Her eyeballs fell down onto the street; I knew then that she would be blind forever." There was a long pause of complete silence. Andrew Bagnold clicked off the flashlight he held in front of his face.

"Ahh!" Screamed a group of six year olds in pajamas and pigtails.

"Did...did that really happen?" One of them spoke up.

"I'll let you be the judge of that." Andrew replied as he walked out of the door, leaving them in an eerie darkness.

His daughter, Julie, scampered up as soon as the door closed, to turn on a nightlight.

Andrew walked downstairs where his wife sat watching a movie. She noticed the mischievous look he wore on his face.

"Andy, you didn't tell them a scary story again, did you?"

He shrugged his shoulders as he sat down beside her and put his arm around her. She glared at him; he smiled and pulled her closer.

She sighed. "You know they give Julie nightmares."

"At least she dreams about something." Andrew said, yawning.

To Andrew, Susan was the perfect wife. She was stunningly beautiful with shimmering blonde wavy hair and golden brown expressive eyes. She was intelligent and persuasive. He had a perfect and normal life with her and his beautiful daughter. But, though he hated to admit it, there was one flaw in Susan. She had no imagination. She went on with her everyday life never knowing there could be an opposite of normal, or that there could be a world other than her own. She was oblivious to the fact that her husband was a part of a world she didn't believe existed.

The following morning Andrew woke to the familiar sounds of his wife scurrying around the kitchen making breakfast. He shuffled sleepily into the kitchen and saw Julie and her friends eating pancakes.

"Did you girls sleep well?" He asked.

They all nodded with their mouths full of pancakes. He noticed the dark circles underneath their eyes and wondered if they got any sleep at all.

"You have a big day today, Andy." Susan sighed, sounding disappointed as she placed a plate full of pancakes filled with M&M's in front of him.

Susan was used to her husband's oddness. After all, she'd known him for thirteen years and been married to him for seven. Every morning she reluctantly added M&M's to his pancakes because she knew that was what he liked. She ignored the weird things that went on around him. She figured his weird sense of style was acceptable because he was a guy. Even through what she called "his imperfections" she adored him; and for once she didn't care what the neighbors said, because she loved him.

Later in the afternoon after Julie's friends left Andrew started preparing himself to leave also.

"Did you have a good slumber party?" Susan asked her daughter in the living room.

"Yea! Daddy told us scary stories until 11:30!" Julie said excitedly.

Susan let out a forced laugh and shook her head.

"I can't wait for tonight's story!" Julie said excitedly

"Sweetie, Daddy has to work." Susan said while delicately pushing her daughter's curly blonde ringlets out of her face.

She looked up to see her husband coming down the stairs carrying his worn out trunk. When he reached the bottom of the stairs Julie ran up to him and grabbed his leg.

"How long will you be gone?" She looked up at him frowning.

"I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. Is that okay?"

She nodded her head.

"Why don't you give Daddy a hug goodbye and go start cleaning up your room from last night." Susan said while walking towards them.

Andrew picked Julie up and hugged her tightly. When he set her back down she walked up the stairs to do as she was told.

He kissed Susan goodbye and started towards the door, he stopped abruptly when he reached it and turned back to his wife.

"I forgot something."

"What?" Susan asked.

"I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too."

He opened the door and left. Sprinkles of rain spotted his clothes. He sighed as he walked down the street. He hated leaving his family, but he had to. When he reached a bus stop at the end of the street he stepped behind it, glanced around, and apparated.

He soon found himself in front of a grey stone mansion that was completely dark. Andrew looked up to see that a mixture of vines and dark tree branches blocked all incoming sunlight. The vines almost engulfed the place entirely; they twisted through the coiled branches of the yew trees and climbed up the cracked stone of the mansion. Andrew shivered as he reached the grey stone steps that led to the front door.

He walked slowly up the steps until he reached a large wooden door that didn't look very welcome. Nevertheless, he opened it and entered the mansion. The feeling he felt upon entering was the complete opposite of the warmth and cheeriness that he felt at the home he just left.

He heard no sign of life, he would have thought the place was deserted, but he knew better. He gazed up at the dark marble staircase and soon he heard a low whisper.

"Andrew."

He turned around to see a pale, plain looking brunette woman wearing black robes with grey lace trim.

"Sable...I see you've brightened the place up." He said sarcastically.

Sable glided towards him and forcefully kissed him on the cheek.

"Get out of those Muggle clothes, they disgust me. "Sable said, staring at him without any expression.

"Will do, angel." Andrew said, looking around the room.

"Where's Gavin?" He asked.

"Your son is outside with his new Firebolt."

"Delightful." Andrew said as he started walking towards the door.

"That's it...did nothing happen at the Ministry?"

"If something did happen at the Ministry do you think I could tell you?" Andrew said in a serious tone.

He walked out the door without waiting for her to reply. As he walked down the steps his eyes caught a rusted old bench under the trees that, over the years, had been a victim of the ravenous vines. Andrew remembered when the bench wasn't hidden in the darkness, when it was actually an enjoyable summer spot...

Andrew sat on the bench, completely content, it was the summer after his seventh year at Hogwarts. Sunlight shot past the treetops and beamed onto his face. Just as he started to doze off for an afternoon nap he heard his name. He shot up and turned around to see his mother, Millicent Bagnold, standing at the top of the stairs that led to his home. He shuffled towards his mother, yawning and stretching as he went.

"Andrew, could I ask you to do a bit of Ministry work?"

"Certainly." Andrew replied.

"You know we have a shortage at the Ministry because of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and we don't have anyone to do the little jobs"

Andrew nodded his head, Millicent continued.

"There has been a report of a biting fork at a Muggle antique shop."

Andrew tried to maintain his laughter, but a snort escaped.

"This is a serious matter, As Minister of Magic its part of my job to make sure that Muggles don't find out about our world."

"Yes, Mother."

"You will have to buy the fork just like an ordinary Muggle. So, you must use Muggle money."

Andrew sighed; he remembered his Muggle Studies class at Hogwarts and how much trouble he had with learning Muggle currencies.

"Since I know you have no idea how to deal with Muggle money I've asked your father to explain it to you. I would, but I have to head to the Ministry. If you do well on this job, Andrew, it will be a lot easier for me to get you a permanent position at the Ministry. So, good luck."

She apparated. Arthur headed towards the library where he knew his father would be. Paul Bagnold was an Auror, and before that day he had been away from home for a while. It was an Aurors job to make sure that anyone doing Dark Magic was put into Azkaban. Paul was not only one of the wizarding worlds greatest Aurors, he was also excellent at apparition. Unlike other wizards he could apparate in any situation, which took great concentration.

Paul had been away from home for months because of an evil wizard whose name witches and wizards feared to speak. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was quickly gaining power. He pulled whoever he could onto his side, and killed those who opposed him. Most Aurors who came face to face with He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named never returned home.

Paul had been staying with some of the wizarding worlds best Aurors for months in a house near Hogsmeade. Whenever they were told that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had been spotted one of them rushed off to try and defeat him. One evening Paul counted how many of his fellow Aurors there were at dinner. He counted fifteen; half of what there were when he first came to live there. He knew exactly what happened to them, and he feared that the same thing would happen to him.

That night, after dinner, Paul walked down to Hogsmeade to the Three Broomsticks. He sat down at the bar.

"What can I get you?" asked a young female bartender with light brown ringlets.

"Firewhisky, please." Paul said while staring down at a chip in one of the wooden panels of the floor.

"Rough day at work?" The bartender asked as she plopped down a full mug of firewhisky.

"Yea." He said absentmindedly.

After taking a large gulp of his firewhisky he heard footsteps behind him heading towards the upper level of the Three Broomsticks. A tingle went up his spine; he turned around, knowing that he had to follow those steps. When he got to the stairs he looked up to see a black robed figure turn the corner of the hallway. Paul quietly crept up the steps to follow him. The figure stopped at a door at the end of the hallway. Paul stayed hidden behind the banister of the stairs and observed the figure. His face was concealed behind the hood of his black robe. Paul could only see the figures long bony fingers curled around a black wand with twisted wood. The figure slowly started taking off his hood revealing a pale, lifeless face, and dark hair. Paul gasped as he realized who he was looking at. The figure turned his dark terrible eyes towards Paul.

A wicked half smile appeared on Voldemort's face as he walked closer towards another one of his soon to be victims. He raised his wand up and pointed it straight at Paul.

"Crucio"

Paul fell with a hard thud onto the wooden floor. A shock of pain started at his fingertips and spread through the rest of his body, leaving him shaking on the floor.

Paul heaved himself up and stared into the eyes of the Dark Wizard that had already killed half of Wizarding worlds best Aurors. Paul's bravery flickered away when he realized that if he fought, he would be killed too. Voldemort raised his wand again.

"Avada…"

A crack echoed throughout the wooden hallway.

Paul had apparated. He collapsed onto his bed, breathing heavily.

"Paul!" Millicent woke up, startled to see her husband home.

She stared into his terrified eyes and knew something was horribly wrong.

"Paul, what happened?" She demanded.

After catching his breath he explained everything to his wife. Explaining what happened didn't help Paul understand why he ran away instead of getting rid of Lord Voldemort when he had the chance.

The next day Paul spent in the library. He read any book that might help him if he ever saw Voldemort again. Early that morning Millicent walked in.

"Paul, I've asked Andrew to do a little job for me. Something the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department would normally handle if they weren't swamped trying to hide Voldemort's rampage from the Muggles. But you know how Andrew is; he doesn't know the first thing about Muggles."

"What does he need to know?"

"Which type of Muggle money to use." Millicent replied.

"I can teach him."

"I was hoping you would because I have to get to work. The Ministry is out of control, there are not enough people to handle what our world is going through right now.

Paul distractedly gazed out of the tall windows of the library.

Millicent sighed. "Paul, you know what you did last night was the right thing to do. He would have killed you. Your family needs you."

Paul knew that was untrue. His wife made more money than he could ever dream of making as an Auror.

"You aren't going back…are you?" Millicent added.

"I have to."

"No, you don't. You told me last night, half of them are already gone. There's nothing you can do that they haven't tried. I won't let you go back. I'm not letting you leave me to die."

He stared at her as her eyes started to fill with tears.

"Please…Paul…say you will stay."

"I'll stay."

Later that afternoon Andrew walked into the library. His father's desk was cluttered with books on Dark Magic and evil wizards. He sat behind his desk buried in a book titled "The Dark Wizard's Wand".

"Father..." Andrew said, his voice sounding weak in the vastness of the library.

Paul looked up and smiled at his son.

"Ah, yes. I'm supposed to teach you about Muggle money."

He reached into a drawer of his desk and pulled out a few odd coins and a folded piece of paper. Andrew pulled up a seat in front of the desk.

"First things first…this is one pound" He held up one of the coins. "It's equal to…" His voice drifted off. Andrew couldn't concentrate, he was too busy wondering why his father was home, and why he looked so tired.

When Paul had held up all of the coins and the piece of paper Andrew cleared his throat.

"Are you going back to work?"

"Not anytime soon, Andrew." Paul replied. "Your mother and I both decided that I should take a break…you know spend more time with the family.

"But, she's always at the Ministry."

"Well then, I'll spend more time with you. Do you understand Muggle money a bit better now?"

Andrew nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome son. My wallet is on the kitchen table. You can take as much Muggle money as you think you'll need. "

Andrew left the library, took a handful of the money from his father's wallet, then walked towards to his room. He searched in the back of his closet where he kept a dresser full of Muggle clothes. He grabbed the first things he saw and put them on. He found an odd pair of glasses and put those on too. When he was all dressed he looked in the mirror.

"I can't believe Muggles wear these types of things." He laughed.

Soon Andrew had apparated outside of a small Muggle town in a grassy area (so no Muggles would spot him). There was quite a distance to walk before he reached the stores of the town.

After about thirty minutes of walking Andrew saw someone. It was a girl about his age. She was sitting underneath a tree reading while the summer sun set. Her golden blonde curly hair fell beyond the middle of her back, where it gently touched the lace of her white sundress. Streaks of gold and pink from the sunset fell upon the soft light skin of her face. Andrew was instantly intrigued by this girl's beauty. He stood still, staring at her, unable to tear himself away. Her small white hand turned the page of her book.

Andrew cleared his throat. "Um, Excuse me, do you know where the Antique shop is?"

She looked up from her book at Andrew and answered him with a confused look on her face. "Yes, I do..." She laughed. "What are you wearing?"

Andrew had dressed himself in swimming trunks and a suit jacket. He had no idea that what he was wearing wasn't normal.

"Oh, just a little outfit I put together." He said, smiling foolishly.

"And the goggles on your head are for what exactly?"

Andrew felt his head for the odd glasses he'd thrown on. He wondered what Muggles could possibly use them for if they weren't for everyday use like he thought.

"I uh…I just got out of the tub."

She laughed

"What? You don't wear goggles in the tub?"

"No, I don't." She glanced around; worried that someone would see her with a guy who wore goggles in the bath, and even worse, in public.

"I'm Andrew."

She looked back towards him. "Hi Andrew. I'm Suzie."

She said his name so delicately and slowly, her gentle voice was the sweetest thing that Andrew had ever heard. She stuck out her hand to shake his. Andrew took her hand; his hand almost swallowed hers whole. He savored the softness of her skin until he realized that holding on any longer would be creepy.

"Could you…show me where the Antique shop is, Suzie?

Suzie looked surprised. "I…um." She looked at her watch. "Actually, I have to…" She looked around hopelessly and then glanced back at Andrew.

He smiled, and two deep dimples appeared on his tan cheeks.

"Alright, but one thing…" She stood up, on the tips of her toes, and snatched the goggles off of his head.

Andrew half-smiled and brushed his hand through his hair where the goggles were. She stuffed them in her off-white purse.

"Don't worry; you'll have them back before your next bath. Now let's go before the Antique shop closes."

She walked close beside him until they reached the drop of a grassy hill. She ran ahead, down the hill, letting the wind tousle her curls. When Andrew caught up with her she was laughing and out of breath.

"I love running down that hill." She said, smiling.

Andrew had never seen a girl as beautiful as her.

Soon they could see all the Muggle stores of the town. While they were walking down the street Suzie caught Andrew staring into the candy shop with an amazed expression.

"What? You've never seen a candy shop before?" She asked.

"Yea, I have." He said, still staring into the shop.

"I wonder how Muggles make acid pops without magic…" he said to himself.

"What pops?" Suzie asked.

"Oh, er…nothing."

Suzie started at him with a confused look on her face. She wondered if he was trying to be weird or if it came naturally.

A few minutes later they reached the Antique shop, by that time it was starting to get dark outside.

"Here it is. Mrs.Werdna's Antique shop." Suzie said.

Andrew started to walk in.

"What are you looking for anyway?" Suzie asked curiously as she followed him into the shop.

"A fork."

"A fork?" She repeated "Why on earth do you need one fork? Don't tell me you're going to bathe with it."

"It's a gift for my father." Andrew said as he started searching the cluttered shelves for the fork.

"A gift for your father!" Suzie stared at him in disbelief. Right when she thought he couldn't get any stranger he proved her wrong.

Andrew nodded. He looked on one of the lower shelves and spotted it. He reached out his hand to pick it up. It snapped at him. He glanced behind to see if Suzie saw, but luckily she was busy admiring a miniature tea set.

It was small and tarnished, with what looked like tiny little fangs on the tines. He knew most Muggles were stupid enough to mistake the dangerous item for an antique that was tastefully decorated.

He grabbed it carefully by the tip and walked towards the register. Behind the register was a very large woman (both tall and plump). She looked to be in her early fifties. The wrinkles and droopy skin on her face gave her an expression somewhere between anger and constipation. She stared at his swimming trunks.

"Ya been swimmin' boy?" She asked. Her voice was loud and obnoxious.

Suzie stepped up beside Andrew and gave Mrs. Werdna a fake smile.

"We've been to a costume party; this is my friend Andrew from out of town." She fiddled with the ribbons on the waist of her dress as she spoke with her innocent voice.

"Isn't that nice, I expect you're dressed as an angel then?"

Suzie smiled and nodded. "And Andrew is a uh…um…scuba diver groom."

Mrs. Werdna let out a deep chuckle.

"You kids…so clever. This all?" She said, pointing to the viscous fork.

"Yes."

"That'll be two pounds."

Andrew's heart skipped a beat when he remembered that he had to use Muggle money. He pulled out two wrinkled bills from his pocket and set them on the counter.

Mrs. Werdna stared at him with one of her eyebrows raised.

"Where are ya from? America? This is two hundred pounds, not two."

Suzie roared with fake laughter.

"Don't mind him; it's his idea of a joke." She said while patting him extra hard on the back.

She pulled two coins out of her purse and set them on the counter. Mrs. Werdna put the fork in a bag and handed it to Suzie.

"Thanks Mrs. Werdna!" Suzie exclaimed.

"You're welcome. You kids don't stay out too late!" She yelled as they walked out the door.

When they got past the windows of the Antique shop Suzie shoved the bag at Andrew.

"Thank…you." He said in a scared voice.

"For what? Lying to save my reputation! Please tell me that the way you act is just an…act. Honestly, nobody could really be that weird, right?"

Andrew looked at the ground. He didn't know what to say. He could never tell her what really made him so much different from her, that he was a wizard.

"Thank you for showing me where the shop was." He said, still staring at the ground.

He took one last look at her and turned towards the grassy hill.

When he reached the tree where he first saw Suzie he leaned against it and, without knowing, his back slid down the tree. Soon he was sitting, staring over the hill into the darkness that was disturbed by the blinking lights of the stores. He wished he were normal, that he wasn't a wizard.

He dragged his feet as he walked towards his home, staring at the ground. He was still thinking about Suzie. He couldn't stop himself; he'd never had a feeling that strong. As he stepped up the white marble stairs he noticed a green glow in them. Confused, he glanced up towards the sky above his house.

His heart stopped. There, glowing violently above his house was the Dark Mark, Voldemort's sign.

He stood there, frozen. Voldemort could still be in his house, and he knew that no seventeen year old stood a chance against the Dark Lord. Yet, he also knew that he would give his life for his family.

"Accio wand" He whispered.

Soon his wand came flying towards him. He clutched it tightly in his right hand; his left slowly opened the door. He walked towards his parent's bedroom, making no noise as he went. He opened the door to see the bed still neatly made. A feeling of relief came over him. Maybe both of his parents were away from home and safe.

"But where could they be?" Andrew whispered to himself. "Mom…at the Ministry, and Dad would be…"

He walked, still quietly, towards the library; hoping that he wasn't right. One of the large double doors was cracked open. He could feel his heart beating in his throat as he pushed it forward. The room was empty and silent; there was no sign of life. He looked at the books cluttered on his father's desk and wondered where he could be. He spotted one book lying open on the ground near the desk. When he reached down to pick it up he saw a white hand gleaming in the dark.

There was his father, lying on the ground. His eyes and mouth were still open. Andrew grabbed his hand. His skin was cold and his body was stiff.

"Enervate." He said desperately. He lay down on the floor next to his father, overcome by sobs, unable to breathe.

Andrew woke to footsteps in the hallway hours later. He wasn't sure if he had fainted or fallen asleep. Millicent Bagnold came running through the door of the library.

"Andrew!" She cried out. Andrew lifted his head.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been here! Father is…"

Millicent ran towards her son. Behind the desk she saw her husband. Her hand covered her mouth.

"Andrew, you've been sitting inside all summer. Your father would want you to get on with your life." Millicent Bagnold said, a month after her husbands death.

Andrew absentmindedly twirled his wand around his fingers as he stared at the blank walls of his bedroom.

"I miss him too, but I still get up everyday and go to work. You can't stop living your life, Andrew. What happened to the dreams you had of working at the Ministry, and becoming an Auror like your father?

Andrew glanced up at her. He rarely saw her anymore, she spent more time at the Ministry then she did before the death of her husband, trying harder than ever to catch He-Who Must-Not-Be-Named. But, when he did see her she gave him the same worn out speech about getting his life together.

"I know how to get you out of the house. I was going to go over to the summer house later this afternoon to clean it up and make sure Boggarts aren't taking over. Do you realize how long it's been since we've spent the weekend there?"

Andrew shrugged his shoulders.

"A long time. So, will you go and clean it out for me?"

"Sure."

"I know I've been at the Ministry a lot lately. So, as soon as you get back we are going to have a talk and spend the weekend together."

When his mother left the room Andrew got up and dragged his feet to the closet. He had to put on Muggle clothes because his family's summer house was near a Muggle beach. Andrew had read a few books on Muggle fashion since the last time he had pretended to be one. He put on a blue collared shirt with a grey sweater over it and a pair of khakis.

Andrew was too tired to concentrate on the three D's (destination, determination, and deliberation), and was afraid he might splinch himself if he tried apparating. So he decided to travel using Floo powder. He walked down the marble stairs to the fireplace, grabbed at handful of Floo powder and put it in his pocket. He took another handful and stepped into the fireplace.

"Bagnold Summer home." He said as he threw the handful of Floo powder down into the ashes of the fireplace.

His mother was right, the place was a mess. Dust and cobwebs took over the normally light colored furniture. He opened the tan curtains and dust particles filled the air. He peeked out the window and saw that the beach was under an overcast sky. It wasn't crowded like it usually was. Half buried in the sand past the porch he saw a pair of goggles.

He thought about Suzie everyday since the day he met her. He thought about going back to see her, but he knew that she could never like him. They were from two different worlds. But, he couldn't help thinking about her, and wishing that they could be together.

He went to the couch and sat down, wondering where he would begin. He jumped when he heard a crash in the kitchen. He ran in the kitchen and saw the refrigerator shaking.

"A Boggart." He said out loud as he reached for his wand.

He took a deep breath and opened the refrigerator. He never expected what he saw next. Underneath a black hood he saw dark evil eyes. He fell backwards. He lay there, hopeless as the figure came nearer. His wand shook in his hand.

"Ridikkulus!" He screamed.

The black robes turned pink, and shortened. Soon He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name was wearing a tutu. Andrew laughed. The Boggart did a ballerina spin back into the refrigerator.

Luckily that was the only Boggart he found that afternoon. When he encountered a Boggart before his father's death it would turn into a Basilisk. Andrew finished cleaning up just as the sun started to set. He sat down on the couch, exhausted. Before he knew it he was fast asleep.

Sunlight streamed through the window and onto Andrews closed eyelids. He stretched and took a minute to remember where he was. When he did, he grabbed the handful of Floo powder from his pocket and made his way to the fireplace.

Mid-yawn he said "Andrews Room."

But, he didn't end up anywhere near his room. He landed in a dark room and felt warm ashes under his feet. A lump stirred on the bed in front of him. He quietly crawled to the door, hoping that he wouldn't wake whatever was on the bed. The door cracked when he opened it. The lump turned around and let out a snort. He hurried out and shut the door behind him.

"Mrs. Werdna's Antique shop?" He said under his breathe after he closed the door.

He couldn't figure out how he ended up at the Antique shop, and he realized that he'd have to apparate to get home because he had used the last of his Floo powder. He left the shop and walked up the hill to the tree where he first met Suzie. He sat down beside it and the sun came over the hill, brightening the town. He closed his eyes and started trying to clear his mind, so he would be able to concentrate only on apparating.

"Andrew?" He heard a sweet, familiar voice say.

He opened his eyes. She smiled at him. Her blonde curls were pulled up with a white ribbon. She wore a light blue dress with white trim. He couldn't believe Suzie was standing in front of him, it felt like a dream.

"Did I wake you?"

"Oh…uh…yea, but that's okay."

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I was…watching the sunrise."

"Really? I come here to watch the sunrise all the time. It's beautiful coming over the hill."

"Yea, it really is beautiful." Andrew replied. "But, now I have to get going."

He stood up and started walking away from the town.

"Andrew, wait!"

He turned around and Suzie smiled. She reached into her purse, pulled out a pair of goggles, and handed them to him.

"Thanks." Andrew said,embarressed and amused.

"You're welcome. I'm happy I got to see you again."

Andrew wondered if she was only saying that because he was dressed normal this time.

"I want to apologize." She added. "What I said before was really uncalled for. The truth is I'm glad I met you. I've never met anyone like you, and I probably never will again. Everyone else is dull and you're…unique."

"So, you're glad you met me because I'm weird?" Andrew asked, refusing to accept that she was being sincere.

"Well, yea. People here are so busy trying to be someone they're not that they lose who they really are. You don't care what anyone says about you, you do what you want. You wear what you want." She giggled. "And, I respect that."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. So, can you stay a little bit longer? Make my usual boring day interesting?"

He couldn't refuse. "I guess." He said, failing to hold back a huge grin.

He couldn't remember being happier than he was that day. Suzie showed him all around the town. She even took him back to Mrs. Werdna's Antique shop.

Andrew was surprised when Mrs. Werdna didn't stare at him with a confused expression like she did before.

"Mrs. Werdna, you remember Andrew?" Suzie said as they walked towards the counter.

"No, I can't say that I do." She said in a throaty voice.

"You remember? We came in here after our costume party?"

"Oh yea… Andrew. How could I forget? Ya look nice Andrew."

"Thanks Mrs. Werdna."

"What are ya kids lookin' for today?" She asked.

"Oh, I was just showing Andrew around town."

"How nice." Mrs. Werdna said, her face was droopier than normal and she had black circles underneath her eyes.

"Do you need anything Mrs. Werdna?" Suzie asked. "You look exhausted."

"Oh no, I'm fine. I just couldn't get any darn sleep last night. I had this dream that someone came through my fireplace to steal my jewels and antiques. After that I couldn't get back to sleep."

"Santa Claus?" Andrew suggested with a smile.

"No, this person wasn't fat enough to be Santa."

Andrew was turning red trying not to laugh.

"You kids have a good day and stay outta trouble."

"Bye. Get some rest!" Andrew yelled as they walked out the door.

When they left the Antique shop it was already starting to get dark outside.

"I should head home." Andrew said sadly.

"I should too."

"This day has been amazing. Thank you for showing me around."

"It's no problem. Maybe soon you can show me your town? Where do live anyway?"

"Oh…uh…London."

"London! I'd love to see London. We'll have to stay in touch. What's your number?"

"My…number." Andrew pushed his hair out of his face. "I can't remember my number."

"Oh..hm." Suzie bit her lip. "Well then I'll write to you!"

"Not anytime soon, my owls been sick."

"Your owl? Who said anything about an owl?"

"Well if you're going to write to me…I mean I'll need my…" Andrew noticed the confused look Suzie had on her face. "Who did say anything about an owl?" He laughed "I mean…I did." He sighed. "I'm sorry. My owls been sick…I'm worried."

"That's okay. I'd be worried too if I had a… sick pet owl." She said, still confused.

"How about I meet you by the tree tomorrow morning? We'll plan our trip to London out then." Andrew suggested.

"That sounds good. Sunrise?" She smiled.

"Yea."

"Okay."

"Okay. I'll see you then?" Andrew said

"Yea, Okay." Suzie let out a nervous giggle. "Bye."

"Bye."

Andrew started walking up the hill. It was the same place he had left Suzie before, but this time he left with a different feeling. He was so glad that she actually wanted to see him again. But, he knew that if he wanted to keep seeing her he could never let her find out who he really was.

He sat down by the tree and continued what he was doing before Suzie came. It was surprisingly easy for him to clear his head and soon he had apparated into his room. His mother was sitting on his bed waiting.

"Andrew! You've been gone almost two days!"

"I'm sorry; I didn't think you'd even be home."

"I've been home waiting ever since you left. Remember we were going to have a talk?"

"Oh, I completely forgot. What did you want to talk about?"

"You are in trouble! I can't have you just changing the subject! Two days Andrew!" She said, flailing her arms.

"Look, I'm sorry. Punish me however you want. It was worth it. But, the next time you need to spend two days at the Ministry I'll remember this discussion. Oh, and I think you were the one trying to change the subject."

Millicent's nostrils flared, she never thought her son could outsmart her.

"Fine, next time you decide to spend the weekend somewhere would you please let me know?"

"Yes, Mother, I will."

"Thank you. Now, I wanted to talk to you about your inheritance. When I die, which I will…"

Andrew sighed and looked away "Not this discussion…"

"I'm sorry but you need to hear it. In case something occurs unexpectedly, I need you to know what is going to happen. You know your father; he was so against a pureblood marrying anything less. We decided, before he died, that you wouldn't be able to access the money until you married into another pureblood family. A few years ago he bewitched the safe in our house and the vault at Gringotts so that you could only open it when you were married to a pureblood."

Andrew's heart dropped. "I can't marry a pureblood!"

"Why not? I'm sure there are plenty of pureblood girls your age. In fact, Roger Mchammings from the Department for the regulation and Control of Magical Creatures has a lovely girl, Sable, that I'd like you to meet.

"No, I don't want to meet Sable! I don't want to meet any other pureblood girl because I'm not marrying a pureblood!"

"Andrew, honestly. What? Are you going to marry a Muggle?" She laughed.

Andrew stormed out of the room.

The day after Andrew's discussion with his mother he walked in the kitchen to see her setting the table for five.

"Roger Mchammings and his family are coming to dinner. They should be here any minute." Before she could finish the sentence there was a knock on the door.

Millicent rushed towards the door and pulled her son with her. When she opened the door Andrew saw a group of gloomy looking people, all with the same stick straight black hair.

"Welcome." Millicent said cheerily. "This is my son Andrew. Andrew, this is Roger Mchammings, his wife Phoebe, and their daughter, Sable."

"You can call me Mr. Mchammings." Roger said in a deep important sounding voice.

"You four can go sit down. Dinner is almost ready."

Andrew sat down with the Mchamming family. They all sat up straight with their noses in the air. Andrew felt awkward in the silence.

"So, Sable. Did you go to Hogwarts?" He asked.

Sable's father answered him. "It will be her seventh year in September."

"Oh." Andrew turned completely towards Sable this time. "What house are you in?"

"Slytherin." She said, showing no expression.

"Not surprising." Andrew said under his breath.

"What?"

"Uh, nothing. I was in Gryffindor."

"I'd hate to be in a house where they allow mudbloods to play magician." Sable said in a monotone voice.

"Actually, some of the best in our house have Muggle parents. Lily Potter, For example, was three years ahead of me and one of the cleverest Hogwarts has ever seen.

Sable turned her head, like she was too good to face someone who thought mudbloods were clever. Millicent came in with the food. For the rest of the meal Andrew was silent, paying entirely too much attention too his food. He nodded when someone asked him a question and wished that the Mchammings would be out of his house as soon as possible.

After they left Andrew helped his mom clean off the table.

"How did you like Sable?"

"I didn't."

"Come on Andrew, she is a nice girl."

"If by nice you mean nice to purebloods."

Millicent sighed.

"I'm going to Diagon Alley tomorrow morning to pick up a few things." Andrew said.

"Alright, have fun, and be home before it gets dark.

The next morning Andrew woke up a half hour before sunrise, got dressed, and apparated to the tree where he was supposed to meet Suzie. He sat down and waited for her. A few minutes later Suzie showed up, just as bits of pink were beginning to add color to the grey sky. She sat down beside him.

"Are you going to show me around London today?" She asked.

"Actually, I feel like being as away from London as possible today." He replied, in reality he had no idea how to get to London.

"Okay, we could just stay here." She said, scooting closer to him.

They spent hours just like that, talking. Then Suzie decided that Andrew had to have tea at her favorite café. As they were leaving Andrew realized that it was almost 5.

"I have to get going. I'm supposed to be home before dark."

Suzie frowned.

"Don't worry; I'll see you again soon. I mean, I'd like to…see you again soon." Andrew said.

"I'll walk you to the hill; it seems that's always where we say goodbye."

They both laughed.

"How long does it take you to get home?" She asked.

"Uh…like an hour."

"Really? An hour? I thought it would take a lot longer to get to London from here."

Andrew laughed nervously. "I guess I am a fast walker."

"I guess so." She looked at him and smiled.

"Well, here we are at the hill." Andrew said looking around.

"Yea."

"I guess…goodbye then." Andrew said awkwardly.

Suzie moved closer to him and kissed him.

"Bye." She said softly.

"Bye."

He smiled the whole way to the tree, where he apparated.

He got home just as it was getting dark.

"I'm home on time!" He boasted when he walked through the door.

"I see that." Millicent said. "And you seem to be in much higher spirits."

"I had a good day."

"Great. Then I can give you the news."

"What news?"

"Mr. Mchammings agreed to let you marry his daughter."

"That would be great…if I wanted to marry his daughter."

"You and Sable are perfect for each other."

"No, we aren't. Not at all. And I've found someone else."

"You've found someone else? Who is it?"

"A Muggle."

"A Muggle? You can't be serious? You know you can't marry a Muggle."

"Yes I can. I can marry whoever I want." Andrew said, starting to get angry.

"No, you can't. You're marrying Sable. I've already told her family you agreed to it. You'll marry her as soon as she finishes her last year at Hogwarts. By then you'll be over that…Muggle."

Andrew stood up from the bench and stretched. He decided to get up and start looking for his son, Gavin. He found Gavin behind the house riding his new Firebolt. He stepped off when he saw Andrew walking towards him.

"Gavin!" Andrew said with his arms outstretched.

"Hello Father." Gavin replied, standing a few feet away.

"Back from the Ministry?" He asked.

"Yes" Andrew replied. His hands were back at his sides.

Gavin's nose and chin were tilted upwards and his hands were folded across his chest. He acted like an adult; his personality was exactly like Sables, but he was only seven years old.

"So…how does the new broomstick ride?"

"Fine."

"Great. Well, I'm here only for tonight. I have to head back to the Ministry in the morning."

Gavin nodded his head and got back on his new broomstick.

Andrew went back inside to his room. As he made his way towards the closet he heard Sable's dull voice.

"Franklin almost has dinner ready." She said.

"Who is Franklin?"

"The Chef."

"Oh, silly me. I'll be down in a second. I can't wait to catch up with you and Gavin."

Andrew was dreading the monthly chit-chat with his family. He was only there for his Muggle family, and they were the only reason he continued to return every month.

As soon as his wife, Sable, left the room. Andrew made his way to the closet where the safe was. He unlocked it and grabbed enough Muggle money to last him and his family a month. He stuffed the money into his wallet and went downstairs to have dinner.

When he got to the dining room Sable and Gavin were already sitting at the long wooden table, he sat down with them.

"It's nice to have you eating dinner with us, Andrew." Sable said..

"Yes. I wish I could do it more often but you know, being an Auror isn't easy work these days."

"Of course not. When do you think he'll be stopped?"

"As soon as I get my hands on him." Andrew laughed. The rest of the room was silent except for the clanking of forks.

After dinner Andrew went to bed to try and avoid them. It depressed him just looking at them, and he knew the sooner he went to bed the sooner he would wake up and leave.

He woke up early the next morning hoping that he could leave before the others woke up. But, when he got downstairs Sable was waiting for him in the entryway.

"Good morning." She said when she saw him rushing down the marble stairs. "You are in a hurry."

"Yea, I got an owl from the Ministry and I need to get there as soon as possible."

"I see. You could at least try to spend some time with your son instead of working all the time."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to work all the time if you got a job yourself." He stormed past her and slammed the door.

He apparated when he reached the bottom of the steps in front of the door. He ended up at the bus stop near his house. He walked down the sunny street to his house. When he got inside he saw Susan sitting on the couch. He walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek.

"It's good to be home."

"Andy, we need to talk." Susan said in a serious tone.

"About what?"

"We have a new neighbor. She has a daughter Julies age, so I invited them over for dinner. We talked, and I was excited to hear that her husband had a job in the same department as you. Right? Well, it turns out that he's never seen you, never even heard of you. How could that be possible if you work in the same department? Huh?"

"Susan…I can explain everything…" Andrew said in a pleading voice.

"Explain what? That you lied to me? That you have been lying to me for God knows how long?" She said, starting to yell.

"No. Susan don't yell. I'll tell you everything; I've wanted to tell you everything for so long."

"Let's sit down." He grabbed her hand and sat down on the couch, she sat down beside him.

"I lied about my job"

"I kind of figured that." Susan said angrily.

"I lied about who I am. I know you've wondered why I'm so weird. But, now I'm going to tell you who I truly am."

"You're gay!" She said hysterically.

"No, no I'm not gay."

Susan let out a breathe of relief.

"I'm a wizard."

"A what?" She asked, confused.

Andrew raised his hand and a cup on the coffee table hovered above them. Susan stared at him like it was her first time ever seeing him.

"I went to school at Hogwarts; it's a school for magic. I met you after my seventh year when I was doing a job for the Ministry…which is the wizarding government. I loved you then Susan, I still do. I would have done whatever it took for you to love me too. I couldn't lose you."

Susan sat there, staring at him in disbelief.

Andrew went on, desperate to get it all out. "My mother arranged my marriage, to a witch that she approved. There was only one girl I wanted to marry and that was you. When I broke up with you it was because I was being forced to marry Sable, and I couldn't live a double life. A year later you were all I thought about and I had to find you again. When I proposed to you I meant to run away and live a normal life with you, but I couldn't. I found out that Sable was pregnant and I couldn't leave her. I married you anyway, because you're the only girl I'll ever love. Since then I've been living a double life."

Susan still sat there, speechless, her mouth wide open.

"Susan, please say something."

He put his hand on her shoulder. She pushed it off.

"I can't believe you lied to me for this long. How could you do this to me?"

"I didn't think you'd understand."

"You were right. I don't understand! How you could have another family….another wife!"

"Uh Uh…" Andrew reached for the wand that was in his pocket.

"Uh what!" Susan yelled.

"Obliterate"