AN: Hi guys! I'm actually quite proud of this chapter, so sorry it's a day late. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Nineteen
Of Teacups and Quidditch Matches

In Alexis' eyes, it had all started with a teacup.

His house-elf handed him his tea with a bow and he took it with a sigh, staring at his wife. Vafara Blackwood was, in all honesty, the best person he had ever met. She was quiet but sharp, she was beautiful, she liked him well enough and she thought that Mudbloods were scum. She'd moved to England with him without a word of complaint, and never nagged him about how he spent all his time. He didn't know if she was good at hiding curiosity or simply didn't care but it worked for him. He told her he was changing the world for them, perhaps slowly but it was happening, and that was good enough for her.

Sometimes, he thought she loved him.

They'd never had children. He supposed that he probably ought to have had some, thinking about it now, but his brother had three sons by the time Alexis met Vafara, and there wasn't a chance that the Blackwood name wouldn't be carried on. Now however, he was one of four people that held that last name Blackwood, and was in the company of a second. He was the only person who could pass the name on, but names get lost all the time. What mattered was the legacy attached to the name; would the name 'Blackwood' be remembered, even after it was extinct?

"What did you just say?" Vafara asked gently. He blinked, his musing over.

"Sorry." He muttered, avoiding the question. He sipped his tea, and went back to his original thought.

A teacup was a funny way to start a war.

50 years ago

"Alexis!" Alexis groaned as his brother's voice dragged him from sleep. His brother was getting married in two weeks, to his disgust, and was insisting on spending every night until then going on grand adventures with his brother.

"Non!" He said back. Roland pulled the covers off him.

"Shush!" He said sharply, when Alexis made a noise of protest. "Nous allons juste un soir anglais."

"Pourquoi, au nom de Malecrit que je voudrais aller en Angleterre?" Alexis said finally, his eyes still closed.

"Venez sur Alexis! Ce sera amusant!" Without waiting for his brother's response, he grabbed his elbow and disapparated.

"Je vais te tuer!" Alexis shrieked, as well as he could with the wind completely knocked out of him from landing flat on his back in the middle of a field.

"Désolé?" Roland tried. Alexis glared at him, and transfigured his clothing to something more sensible. He knew he wasn't getting home till Roland wanted him to, and figured he'd better play along for now. "Il ya une diseuse de bonne aventure ici que Jayna m'a dit de venir voir."

"Eh bien, si vous Jayna a dit." Jayna Marjolaine Blackwood I, his cousin, was the only person capable of making Roland do anything. She was always trying to get Roland to join her little cult. Alexis had to admit their aims were just; ridding the Wizarding World of filth, but how they planned to go about it was all over the place. It was a tiny group as well, and unless the world powers shifted dramatically, France was not the place to be enacting change. England maybe, or the USA, but not France. She had Roland hooked though, Alexis would hear him raving in his room about how it was his destiny to save the world, to change the views of those who had become relaxed and lazy.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est censé vouloir dire?" Alexis shrugged. They found the Fortune-Teller's tent easily enough, and Roland pushed his way through the flaps without a second look. It was bigger on the inside, as was usual, but not many tents featured such an impressive array of complete crap. Decorative lights highlighted half-empty card packs and over-turned tables; crystal balls hung from the ceiling, from the lampshades; colourful drawings made entirely of glass painted bright colours on the floor. And in the centre of the chaos, the oldest woman Alexis had ever laid eyes upon was sat opposite two chairs, staring at him as if she could see him, despite the cloudiness that covered her eyes.

"Two Blackwood brothers. It has been a while." She chuckled, her tongue running over her lips greedily. Alexis scowled at the English, unable to understand, but Roland had always been interested in languages. "Tea?" Warily the two brothers sat opposite her, and accepted the teacups full of steaming liquid that she summoned with her wand. "Why have you come here, Roland Blackwood?"

"'Ow do you know my name?" He asked, accent thick. She grinned, displaying a row of surprisingly straight white teeth.

"I know a Blackwood by his footsteps. And then I guessed, from what I know of the current Blackwood family tree. The names get all confusing over time; I'm sure you get it." She said, gesturing to Alexis. "Or you will anyway." She mused. Alexis flinched, not knowing what she was saying about him.

"You know our family?"

"I do, I did, I will. You know little, but it appears you know enough. Why are you here?"

"To know my future." He said confidently.

"Which one?" Asked the old woman. "The one you want or the one you will have?"

"Ze truz." He said finally.

"Well that is a difficult question indeed. I really do need to stop making it a habit." With a flick, their teacups were back in her possession, and she flicked the tea out of them over her shoulder with distaste. She peered into Roland's mug, looking unimpressed. "Roland Blackwood, your future holds death."

Alexis shuddered involuntarily as a cold chill spilled into the tent. "Everyone dies." Roland said cautiously. The woman raised an eyebrow delicately.

"No they do not. For example, I have no intention of dying. I'll outlive the both of you, that's for sure. But for you, Roland, death will be unexpected, and unforgiving. He will take that which you care most about, but a good few that you do not."

"Is zat all you can tell me? Zat deaz is nigh? Somezings are worz dying for."

"So I've been told." The woman mused, continuing to stare at his cup. "You will devote your life to a mystery you will never find, but it will be found, if not how you intended. Heartbreak is near and comfort is far. Your life holds little emotion, but there is determination, and there is anger. You will strike fear into the hearts of the people you preside over. Is this enough for you?"

"Zat was very vague." He pointed out, shaken.

"The future usually is. One more thing, Roland."

"What?"

"He looks like you."

"Alexis?" Roland asked, baffled. The two brothers shared a few similarities, but their physical appearance was hardly one of them. The woman didn't reply and Roland left the tent with a shrug, already mentally composing a letter to Jayna in his head. Alexis stood up to leave as well, but the woman grabbed his hand as he turned, the teacups suddenly gone.

"One day, you should tell her that you love her."

At the time Alexis had not understood what the woman had said, but with his grasp on English now, he knew what had had been spoken, just not what it had meant. Presumably his wife… But there was something about 'One day', as if it was specifically that day and not the next…

Alexis sipped his tea, and put the thoughts out of his mind.

Scorpius and Albus wandered over to the Quidditch pitch for the first game of the season wrapped head to toe in woolly clothing. Scorpius' nose was bright red against his pale skin and he sipped from his coffee flask with half-closed eyes, occasionally needing to be quietly nudged by Albus to stop him wandering off the path. Neither of them were wearing Slytherin scarves for once; instead Scorpius was sporting a hand-knitted blue and silver scarf that 'really brought out his eyes' (a gift from Rose) and Albus was proudly bearing the dark green and gold Holyhead Harpies scarf he'd had since he was three.

Scorpius felt an arm slide round his shoulders and drag him closer to Albus and he almost spat out his coffee when he looked into Rose Weasley's beaming face. He felt his cheeks heating and frowned miserably; only Rose could cause such a visible reaction.

"Good idea not bearing any house pride today guys." Rose smiled mischeviously. In contrast to them, Rose had painted red and gold stripes on her cheeks, and tied her hair into tens of tiny plaits complete with gold bobbles that had little bells attached to them. Her ears were bright red from cold, and her eyes were watering slightly from the wind, but Scorpius couldn't see past her impeccably bright teeth and smatters of freckles…

"Rosie you look ridiculous." Albus laughed shrugging out from her other arm so they could continue walking. Rose pouted but didn't pull her arm off Scorpius. He felt like melting into the ground as he realised she was slightly taller than him.

"Scorp; do you think I look ridiculous?" She laughed, shaking her head so the bells rang clearly. Scorpius couldn't think straight; he didn't know she smelled like fire. "You alright? You're frowning awfully hard."

Scorpius pushed her off him with a mostly-natural sounding laugh. "Just not looking forward to freezing to death for the sake of sport."

"Oh you know you love it." Rose teased. "You're lucky; you can happily stare at everyone's butts in Quidditch uniform… Half those butts belong to our cousins." She said, poking Albus who laughed. Scorpius rolled his eyes but didn't comment, knowing there was only one person's butt he would be interested in staring at in Quidditch uniform.

"Nah his parents would gut him if he fell for a blood-traitor." Albus winked with a laugh. Rose snickered and Scorpius managed his customary half-smile even as his stomach sank. Looked like his parents were going to have to find the filleting knife because Rose Weasley's eyes when she laughed… He'd quite happily drown in them.

"I feel bad." Jayna sighed, as her and Lydjah took their seats next to Rory (much to his delight).

"Why?" Lydjah inquired.

"I didn't wish Sam and Potter good luck."

"So? We don't want them to have good luck. This is a Quidditch game."

"Yeah but it's their first match…"

"Well they're going to be fine. Or they'd better be seeing as they've taken a lot of time off our project to perfect their technique."

"True." Jayna sighed again.

"What now?"

"I'm worried about Sam and Lee."

"What?"

"Well they've been acting a bit… Odd lately."

"Have they?"

"Since the Hogsmeade trip where I-. Yeah. Did something happen?" Lydjah shrugged.

"Lee won't tell Sam why she had Dreamless Sleep potion to give to you."

"Oh." There was a pause. "Why-"

"I don't know why she had it either. Or why she goes by Wright or even by Lee instead of Lesedi. No clue. Or why she shaved all her hair off or why she never talks about Africa or why she doesn't have any friends… You know I think I'm starting to realise what you meant when you said there was something wrong with her." Jayna raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Really? It's taken you this long?"

"Anyway, why are you bothered about them? That's their problem."

"Because they're my friends."

"Well you don't want your friends to be bothered about you."

"What?"

"Oh come on Jayna. I'm supposed to just ignore that you've lost weight and you can't concentrate on anything anymore, that you still wake up screaming at least once a night and you won't tell me what it's about and that you still haven't made up with your sister? Hell, I don't think you've even accepted your family is dead yet-" Jayna blinked. "I'm sorry. That was too far."

"It's ok." Jayna said quietly. They were quiet for a moment. Lydjah held her hand out. Jayna looked at it for a second before silently clasping it with her cold fingers and they sat like that, waiting for the match to start.

Molly and Lien waved Rose, Scorpius, Albus and Roxanne over from where they were sat. Lien was buzzing with excitement, her legs bouncing as she scanned the pitch again and again for any sign of movement.

"Lien you can't cheer when they come out." Molly said, amused as the others made their way over.

"What? Why not?"

"One, because the combined force of you, Roxanne and Rose screaming will deafen me, and two because we want Gryffindor to lose so that Hufflepuff has a chance."

"But they won't lose." Molly laughed.

"I know. They never do."

"Hey up losers." Roxanne greeted, taking a seat next to Lien. Roxanne was not wearing any visible Gryffindor clothing, but she had, for once, taken the Ravenclaw tie she used to hold back her hair off her head. She hadn't replaced the tie however, and so her hair was falling haphazardly into her eyes.

"Merlin Roxanne; your leg's bleeding!" Lien yelped.

"Is it? Oh yeah so it is. Huh."

"Are you not going to do anything?" Molly asked, bemused.

"Nah it'll be fine. Must have walked into something on the way up."

"You probably tripped over Scorpius' obsession with our cousin." Molly muttered. "Looks like it's pretty huge." Rose was speaking to Scorpius who was talking animatedly back, looking younger than they'd ever seen him. Roxanne pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.

"Poor Albus. He hasn't realised he's third wheeling yet." She mused, nodding her head at how Albus was joining in the conversation, despite how Rose's body language was completely turned to Scorpius.

"It's the first game of the season folks!" Lambert Adcock's voice rang out of the stadium, startling everyone to their seats. He grinned toothily but sunnily out at everyone and they smiled back at the Hufflepuff as they realised they would no longer have to bear the commentary of Derrick Dabney. "Looks like a great day for it; I mean they won't be cold once they actually get going. We've got a few new recruits this year, especially the Gryffindor team; let's hope Green has managed to whip them into shape. Without further ado; it's the Ravenclaw team!" They began to fly out to the excited yells from the left hand side of the pitch. "Chasers led by Quidditch Captain Nuttal, his first time competing as Captain against his long-time girlfriend and his final chance to win Ravenclaw the cup, Weasley and Goldstein! Beaters; Zabala and new recruit Wright!" Lee flew out onto the pitch behind Eoin Zabala and Lydjah and Jayna stopped cheering in shock. Her shaved head had been painted half blue and half bronze and her Quidditch uniform had no sleeves so that everyone could see her muscles flexing as she held her bat. She took her place on the pitch and grinned wickedly into the audience, looking more alive than they had ever seen her.

"Merlin…" Jayna breathed.

"I know." Lydjah replied. "I think I may have just fallen in love with her a little bit."

"Keeper; Finch-Fletchley and Seeker; Garcia!" Lambert finished as the Ravenclaw team took their positions. "And now the Gryffindors; Chasers also led by Quidditch Captain; Green, Weasley and the one we've all been waiting to see play; POTTER!" If the Ravenclaws had been loud, the Gryffindors took it to a whole new level. They chanted James' name like he'd already brought them victory. James thought his stomach was about to make an unwanted appearance in his mouth. Jayna frowned at the other side of the pitch even as she clapped for him, wondering why it bothered her so much to hear everyone say 'Potter'. "Beaters; Weasley and the second new recruit; Andrews! Let's see how Phase Two does against Ravenclaw's strong defence." James and Sam shot him identical looks. "Oh come on; everyone knows Phase Two is you two. Anyway; Keeper, final new member of the team; Jas Newport! And finally, last but not least, Seeker; Upton!"

Sam circled past James and tapped his outstretched knuckles with her bat for luck before zipping over to her position opposite Lee.

"You look hot." She commented, hunching low over her broom, just waiting for the whistle to be blown.

"You too." Lee smirked, switching her bat from hand to hand. Sam really wanted to kiss her. Instead she smirked back.

"Nice broom."

"Just because Jayna bought you the fastest broom of this season doesn't mean I can't still out-fly you."

"We'll see." Sam challenged.

The whistle blew and all Hell broke loose.

"So-" Jayna began, and then stopped herself.

"So." Sam replied, wincing at her friend's face.

"You thought the best way to stop your girlfriend was to flash the entire stadium?"

"James was worse." Sam muttered.

"Potter stealing your bat and hitting his ex-girlfriend in the stomach with it was admittedly not his best move but at least he didn't traumatise anyone!"

"I don't know. April seems pretty traumatised." Sam said, hooking her thumb over her shoulder to point at the Hospital Wing where April was lying, clutching her stomach and groaning.

"He didn't even hit her that hard." Jayna dismissed.

"He should have. She sabotaged our entire game just to get back at James for 'moving on so soon'." Jayna rolled her eyes.

"So April stops Potter from scoring a goal, he steals your bat to hit her, you realise you no longer have a bat so you flash Lee to stop her from hitting anything either and Kami Garcia catches the snitch for Ravenclaw… Well I suppose I should be thanking you and Potter for fucking up so brilliantly that Ravenclaw managed to win."

"Only by a few points."

"Are you still on the team?"

"Green's pissed but James scored more goals than her and Louis together and I saved her from a Bludger more than once. I think she'd going to train us and our reserves together for the next game, and decide who's going to play then. April's fucked though."

"Good." Jayna muttered and Sam laughed, a knowing twinkle in her eyes.

The gargoyle started to move and Sam sighed, pushing away from the wall where they were leaning. "Right. Well thanks for keeping me company."

"No problem." Jayna grinned. "It's not often two of my best friends end up in the Headmistress' office in one day." James stepped off the gargoyle looking slightly downtrodden.

"She's a master of the guilt trip." James warned Sam, as she stepped on the gargoyle. Sam saluted in response.

"Come on Potter let's get you some ice cream." Jayna said, grabbing his arm and tugging her with him to the kitchens where she suspected the rest of their friends already were.

"Jay?" Jayna looked up to see Cara cautiously looking around the wall to where Jayna was sat in the abandoned courtyard, holding the letter telling her to meet her there.

"Happy Birthday." Jayna said, after a moment.

"Thank you." Jayna wasn't sure which one of them moved first but they were hugging like their lives depended on it, Jayna wasn't sure they didn't, and suddenly Jayna felt like smiling.

"I'm sorry for abandoning you at the funeral. I was just scared of what I'd… Become."

"What does that mean?" Cara asked, confused but not angry anymore.

"You know that I'm cool with Muggleborns and Blood-Traitors and everything now. I was worried that if I stayed with you I'd become angry at everything, the world, for the accident."

"Like I did?" Cara asked softly. Jayna nodded, unable to look at her. Cara paused. "Fair enough." She said eventually, neither excusing her actions or condemning Jayna's.

"I'm sorry for stopping you from going to the will reading."

"It's ok." Jayna said, a small smile on her lips. "I… I haven't worked through it yet. The… Grief. I've got a lot on my plate at the moment and I just don't have the time-"

"You look ill Jay. Like really ill. I'm worried about you."

"Thanks." Jayna said sarcastically. "What I'm trying to say is that I don't think I am in a great place to be understanding right now, and I think I need to work through it without someone who's as close to the situation as me. But that doesn't mean I don't want you in my life right now… In fact; I don't think I could stand it if you weren't." Cara smiled, and tucked a strand of hair behind Jayna's ear just like she used to.

"Ok." She replied, simply, and Jayna threw her arms round her again. "Now where's my present?"