Chapter 11
"Are you sure you don't want me there cause you know I will come if you ask,"
"I appreciate it but I think I will be fine, fun even meeting Seth's Family,"
"Ok I might hit the Library do some more study,"
"And maybe spend some time talking with your girlfriend Alice Longbottom, you do remember her right?" Lily joked
"I know I haven't talked with her recently," Hugo replied sheepishly "she's noticed?"
"of course she has noticed and from the letters I've received from her it sounds like you have some making up to do," Lily told Hugo sternly
"Well I better get to work on my apology then, let me know if you find anything out about them, stuff that matches the legion,"
"That feels a little like spying,"
"It's better to be safe than sorry, we have to know if we were sent away from one danger to be dropped into another,"
"Yea I guess you're right, ill observe but I really think you're just being paranoid Huey,"
"I hope so Lily I really do," Hugo sighed as he made his way up stairs leaving lily standing in the doorway alone.
Lily took a deep breath then left the house, she could only admit to herself how nervous she was it was her Gryffindor pride that had her put on a brave face in front of Hugo, she scared to meet all Seth's friends and family if they first day on the cliff was anything to go by they would all be giant and tanned and possibly shapeshifting wolves but she put that fear to the back of her mind it would make thing very difficult between her and Seth if that was the case.
Lily knocked on the door the Seth's cousin Emily's home her heart pounding in beat with her knocks, the sound echoing in her ears as the door opened to reveal a smiling Seth standing in the doorway, and just like that her heart skipped a beat and almost stopped at the sight of his.
She couldn't understand why this boy she barley new was making her feel so warm inside.
"Hey Seth, Hope I'm not too early,"
"No your just in time, Just warning you everybody came so there are quite a few people inside but they are all really nice, come on inside let me introduce you to everyone," Seth smiled taking her hand and bringing her into the home.
When lily entered the home she was taken aback by how full the place was, or maybe it was just the size of the men that made her think that.
"That's Sam, Jared and Paul sitting at the table, and Embry and Jacob by the hallway, and Quill Playing with Clare and Reneseme," Clare was two adorable girl who looked the age of seven and ten respectively, the girls bubbly personality reminded her of her goddaughter Dora.
Seth went on through introducing her to the rest of the guys scattered around the house but between their similar looks and roughhousing, constantly changing places in the room all their names blurred together and she suspected it would take some time to get to know everybody
Suddenly a woman pushed her way through the crowd of men
"Lily it's so lovely to meet you, Seth has told us all about you," a beautiful woman with large scar running half way down her face greeted as she pulled Lily in for a Hug, Lily was slightly taken aback at the show of affection but rolled with it, this woman gave off such a warm and inviting feeling she couldn't help but hug the woman back
"That's Emily Sam's wife who is the amazing cook," Seth introduced
"Oh you made us that picnic thank you so much it was lovely," lily smiled at the woman
"It was nothing, now come with me to the kitchen and you can meet the other woman, it can get a little over bearing being around all these guys," Emily joked
"So that's Rebecca Jacobs's sister and Paul's fiancé, and Kim Jared's wife," Emily introduced as they walked into the kitchen it was a lot calmer here one woman was sitting at the counter with an open magazine and the other was leaning against the counter aimlessly chatting to the other girl.
"It's nice to have another girl around here," Rebecca said in greeting, she was quite tall and she could see some of the features that she shared with her brother like the wide nose and tanned skin and, Kim was tanned but lighter than anyone else she had seen so far which led her to believe she was only have native, she had long straight black hair and lily realised she was very pregnant.
"It's lovely to meet everyone I haven't really met anyone here besides Seth,"
"Right Jared said you're from England, what brings you all the way to America?" Kim asked
"it mine and my cousins last year of school in August and this summer everyone in my family was very busy so we came here to holiday with me Aunt Andromeda," Lily said with a smile, no one here needed to know criminals escaped prison and vowed revenge on her father.
"Well if you wanted a sunny beach destination you definitely picked wrong" the voice came from the deck a woman with a scowl on her face stood there, and Lily suddenly felt very nervous.
"And this is Leah Seth's sister," Emily told her
"It's nice to meet you I'm…." Lily started but Leah cut her off
"I know who you are," she spoke more harshly than Lily thought necessary as she stormed past Lily and into the lounge, before Lily even had a chance to process what happened Seth was at her side
"Don't worry about Leah she can be a difficult, I'll talk to her later," Seth told her grabbing her hand and gently running circles on her palm with his fingers "she will love you in no time I know it," he said with a smile and when he smiled like that she couldn't help but believe him.
"OK lunch is ready," Emily called before turning to Lily "come with me if we don't grab our food now it will be gone in minutes," Lily smiled it reminded her of the chaos of family meals at the Burrow, once food got to the table it was every person for themselves.
Everyone got themselves plated the guys and Leah piled so much on that Lily though it rivalled the Weasley me at dinner which she never thought was possible, they all sat down Seth next to Lily while Leah made a show to sit as far away from her as possible much to Seth's annoyance.
"I think Lily is a very Pretty name," Kim made the comment to Jared
"It's a bit girly," Leah scoffed
"Well we are having a girl Leah so I don't see a problem with it," Kim defended
"A name isn't what defines you it's your actions you make that define who you will become," Lily spoke up Just because Leah was Seth's sister didn't mean she would let her walk all over her. "Do you have a Problem with me being here Leah?"
Honestly I think you're a Privileged little rich girl and you have no place being her," she shot
"Leah," Seth growled clearly unhappy with his sisters works
"yes I am privileged I won't deny that, My father risked his life so me and my sibling could be safe and grow up better than he did, I won't be made to feel bad because of it, but I work my but off to earn the stuff I get to earn to name I carry, I'm working my ass of to be known for me not what I represent." Lily took a breath trying to calm down after her outburst, everyone seemed very taken aback though she thought she saw a glimmer of respect in Leah's eyes maybe that would be how she could win her over prove she is strong, prove that she is worthy of her brother.
After her outburst things seemed to settle down a bit and it was quite enjoyable she got to know everyone and she shared some altered versions of the truth about herself, it wasn't too hard for her to do because felt only felt a little like lying, it was more stretching the truth at least that's what she told herself.
Lily could tell Seth wanted to ask her some questions after her outburst thankfully he waited till he was walking her home from the lunch.
"I'm sorry about my sister Lily she shouldn't have spoken to you that way, I'll talk with her when I get home," he apologised.
"No Seth its ok, I have enough protective family to know when someone is just trying to look out for you,"
"Well she still shouldn't have done that," he insisted "I could tell her words upset you didn't they," she could tell he wasn't asking a question just stating a fact and she wondered how Seth could know her feelings so well for what felt life the hundredth time.
"Well I wouldn't lie that a sore spot was hit with my name," Lily spoke choosing her words carefully "I was named after my Grandmother, she was a brilliant women and when my father was a baby her and my grandfather died to keep him safe,"
"Who would try to hurt a baby?" Seth asked in shock of the situation Lily described.
"it's not important," Lily brushed over the how can of snakes "for me my name comes with lots of pressure and expectations that I don't want most of the time, I mean don't get me wrong I love sharing the name with my grandmother but every time I do something wrong I feel like I'm disappointing her memory and everything it represents, stupid right?" Lily stopped looking up at Seth shyly waiting for his response.
"No not really, you just want to be known for who you are right," Seth said "and for the record ill always see you for you not your grandparents or anyone else," Seth said smiling at her.
"Hey Lily, how was the lunch, with your new friends? Andromeda asked Lily as she came through the don't door her and Hugo were both at the kitchen counter, she was in the middle of the wizarding newspaper but set it aside when lily came in, and Hugo was making a rather large sandwich and just gave lily a wave of the hand in greeting.
"It actually went really well," lily said with a smile before thinking back to Leah's remarks during the lunch "well mostly everyone,"
"I'm sure you'll win them all over, people can't help but love you once they get to know you," Andromeda said cheering lily up a little.
"So Huey how was your day," Lily asked changing the subject she wasn't entirely convinced that Leah would be able to be one over by charisma.
"I talked with Alice for a while it was really nice, I didn't realise how much I was actually missing her till we started talking," he told her.
"That's really nice, and hopefully Alice will be less moody in her letters now," lily joked.
"I also went to the library," Hugo spoke his tone slightly more serious "you should come upstairs and look at the book I checked out,"
"Ok sure thing Huey," lily said warily
Once they got upstairs they made their way to lily's room and Hugo shut the door behind him
"Did you find something interesting?"
We have to be careful lily, I may have asked rose to fink a book for me while we were at the burrow and she found it and sent it to me today,"
"What kind of book?"
About the shapeshifting wolves,"
"What, why would you do that, she will have gone straight to aunt Hermione by now and we will be sent home," lily spoke quietly but the outrage was evident in her voice
"don't worry I got her to promise not to tell any of the adults what we find out as long as I let her know what we found out about this place, and you know Rose would never break a promise,"
"Yea I guess," lily sighed "well was this book at least helpful?" she questioned
"Very, it goes into detail about how our kind brought them to extinction" Hugo replied before going into his room and pulling out a giant dusty book from under his bed
"A long time ago pure blood witches and wizards loved to hunt game but they wouldn't 'lower themselves' to hunting the same game as muggles, instead they hunted shapeshifter, killing them, butchering them for sport the last one was supposedly hunted ten or so years before Voldemort's first rise to power and the pelt of his animal form is hanging in a wizarding museum in Europe currently,"
"So our parents defiantly have no clue what's here,"
"Not at all and we need to make sure these creatures don't find out they may not be too happy,"
"But if we didn't know about their existence then doesn't that mean they might not know about ours?"
"Maybe but we can't really take the chance Lily, besides if they found out we are the reason they were nearly wiped off the map then I doubt they would feel any reason to be kind" Hugo spoke with warning in his voice.