Hey, all. Updates are taking longer than expected, what with my stupid arm and upcoming midterms and everything else. Plus I'm still not sure exactly where I'm taking this. But I hope you all like the new chapter!

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A bell jangled overhead as the unlikely group entered the restaurant. Veronica pointed to an isolated corner booth where it was less likely they would be overheard. Harry nodded his approval and they settled in, an awkward silence filling the air.

"So…" Duncan started in an attempt to break the silence. "Anybody seen the new King Kong movie?"

Veronica rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep from smiling.

Harry and Hermione quickly shook their heads and a voice from behind asked, "What's a movie?" Ron had returned, sans Death Eater.

Duncan stared in disbelief. "You've never heard of movies?"

Hermione chimed in. "Muggle devices don't work properly around magic."

This statement just confused Duncan more. Even Veronica had a puzzled, if slightly amused, look on her face. "Muggles?" he asked.

"That's the wiz –" Harry broke off at a sharp elbow from Hermione. "Sorry, that's our term for regular people. You know, non-magic ones." His voice lowered on the word 'magic.' "Better?" he asked Hermione.

Hermione did her best not to look affronted and replied, "Quite. Ron, stop staring like a first year and sit down."

A dark look flashed across Ron's face and he looked about to retort but caught a warning glance from Harry and instead obeyed, taking a seat next to Harry.

"So, I'm guessing you haven't seen King Kong then?" Veronica asked lightly, trying to break the tension that was flying about.

Ron shook his head, his ears turning red. He seemed to be debating something in his head and finally asked Veronica, "Are you part veela?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged incredulous looks before bursting into hysterics. Duncan shot Veronica yet another confused look, which she replied to with a shrug.

"Should I be insulted?" she asked.

"No," Harry told her. "It's nothing bad. It's quite a compliment, actually."

"Oh, thanks then…Ready to order?" she asked, partially to change the subject but mostly because the waitress was heading their way.

Everyone nodded, Harry and Hermione wiping tears of mirth from their eyes.

"It wasn't that funny," Ron told them, his ears flaming.

"Yeah, it was, mate," Harry said, grabbing a menu.

Just as the waitress walked away from their table, the bell over the door chimed, signaling the arrival of another customer. Veronica was trying to start a conversation with Hermione, who still seemed rather cautious towards her, and didn't even look up at first.

"I'll be right with you, sir," their waitress said on her way back to the kitchen.

"All righty. I'll be sitting right over there," the new arrival answered.

Veronica groaned. Beside her, Duncan took a deep, calming breath.

"Lilly's having a real good time up there, isn't she?" Veronica asked softly.

Duncan nodded, smiling slightly. Harry glanced over at the name 'Lily.' These people couldn't mean his mother, could they? But before he could question it, they were interrupted by a ringing cell phone and the arrival of the source of Veronica and Duncan's annoyance, flanked by two cronies. Harry was reminded forcibly of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"My two favorite people!" the ringleader exclaimed.

Duncan rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Logan?"

Logan couldn't resist taking a dig at Duncan, even if they had kissed and made up. "Just to hang out with my best friend. You haven't seen him, have you? He's about six feet tall, brown hair, sticks by you when your life is going to hell. No? Too bad. I kinda miss him."

Anger flushed across Duncan's face and he tensed. "You mean the friend that let you move into his suite when you went and got your house burned down? The same friend that's been picking up your messes for years?"

"Yeah, you're doing a real good job of that." Logan cast a pointed glance at Veronica.

Veronica's eyes blazed. She couldn't take Logan's digs and insults anymore. "Logan, we broke up. Get over it. Go see Kendall if you're so lonely."

"Whoa, dude. Harsh," Dick said. A slightly pained expression crossed his face. He was thinking. "I think somebody's jealous of Logan and Kendall!"

Veronica just fixed him with a dirty look. "Wow that only took you two minutes to think up. Is that a record?"

Cassidy laughed, but stopped short as Dick elbowed him in the ribs. "Dude!" He swung at his older brother. Dick grinned and blocked the punch before landing one of his own in her brother's stomach. Fighting was one the few areas he was good in.

Hermione was watching the group avidly. "You two are brothers, aren't you?"

The Casablancas brothers halted their fight and turned to the young witch. Dick leered at her, giving her a sweeping glance before saying, "How you doin'?"

The others rolled their eyes.

"You're stealing pick-up lines from Friends?" Hermione asked.

Dick looked taken aback. "How'd you know? You guys watch that show in England?"

Logan groaned along with everyone else. "Beav, take your brother and get him out of here before he gets himself into trouble."

Cassidy gave him a reproachful look and said, "It's Cassidy, not Beaver."

"Right, because Cassidy such a great name." Logan snorted. "Now take your aptly named brother and vamoose."

Cassidy grudgingly obeyed. He told Dick that there was a party in one of the hotel's suites and his brother practically dragged him back to the hotel.

Logan smirked. "Now that the Odd Couple is gone, how's everybody doing on this fine day?"

Veronica studied him carefully, not saying anything.

"All right, I'll bite. What is it, Veronica? You figure out some other crime I supposedly committed or are you really just jealous?"

"Nope." Veronica tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I'm just wondering if maybe you and Dick were switched at birth. You do so deserve the name."

"Oh, ha, ha, ha, Veronica. Very funny."

"I thought so." Veronica cell phone rang, cutting off any possible retort Logan may have had. "Hello…Wait, Dad, slow down!" Veronica said loudly, a panicked look forming on her face. Even Logan looked concerned, which was really something these days. "He what? When? Oh, God," she whispered, her eyes growing wide with obvious terror. "No, I'm gonna stay here in England. It's probably safer here…Yeah, I'll call you later…Promise." She snapped the phone shut and stared into space for a second, looking like she was about to cry.

"Veronica, what –" Duncan's question was cut off by the simultaneous ringing his and Logan's cell phones.

"Hello?" Duncan answered just as Logan said, "Yeah?"

Both guys listened intently for a moment. Veronica watched them, pretty sure she knew what the calls were about, and concentrated on not hyperventilating. A few moments later, they each hung up and the former best friends exchanged looks before turning to look at Veronica, the fearful, slightly panicked looks on their faces confirming her suspicions.

"What is it?" Harry asked, starting to get worried.

"He got out," Veronica answered shakily, as if she didn't believe it, still not taking her eyes off Logan and Duncan.

"Who? Who got out?" Hermione asked.

"My dad," Logan rasped.