I stared at my cauldron black nail polish, trying to avoid the burning stares of my father and brothers. As soon as I came through the floo, I was whisked into the kitchen to have a "family meeting". So far no one had said anything. Trying to cut to the chase and get the yelling over with, I swallowed my gormless subconscious and decided to speak up.

"So guys…It's great to be home! How has everyone been?" My smile faded at the annoyed expression on everyone's faces.

"Lily we really need to talk about this," James said looking at me with a brooding expression.

As childish as it was, I couldn't help but try and get around saying it first, "I am not sure what you mean?"

"Don't be shirty, you know exactly what we need to discuss," my father said exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

I leaned against the kitchen counter and smoothed my wispy fly a ways back into my bun. James and Al were sitting at the kitchen island and my mother was making a cup of tea looking as though she was trying to stay out of it.

"Yes, I do know," I sighed heavily, "but it seems as though your waiting for me to apologize and seeing as I have done nothing wrong-"

"Nothing wrong?!" James yelled at the same time Al remarked "You have to be joking!"

"Let her talk!" my mother interjected angrily. She smiled at me and lightly patted my arm prompting me to continue.

"Let me rephrase that; I am sorry for hurting you dad. I'm sorry for bringing out your worst fears and darkest nightmares. I'm sorry James and Al for worrying you. But, I am not sorry for entering the competition. I am not sorry for this experience that is teaching me more about myself every day. I can't be sorry for that. I am not afraid anymore."

My father looked to be turning blue with rage and you could feel the crackle of magical energy churning in the air, "Well you damn well need to be! You are not ready for this world Lily Luna! You think because you got a boyfriend and a push-up bra you are ready to be an adult?"

The more he yelled the closer he got to me until he was looming over me with crazed eyes that were twin to my own, digging his fingers into the shoulders of my black cardigan and shaking me roughly. My father had officially gone stark raving mad.

"Dad, you're hurting me…"

"I'm hurting you? I'm hurting you? This is nothing compared to what you are about to face!" He yelled shaking me some more.

Slowly, as if approaching a wild animal, my mother walked up placing a hand on my father's arm, "Harry? Harry love, let her go."

He dug his fingers in deeper, and I couldn't breathe as I watched a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face.

"I can't. I can't let her go! Don't you see she is in danger? I have to protect her. I have to save this Lily…"

"The only person putting our daughter in danger right now is you."

His head snapped to her so quickly you could hear the creak in his neck. He looked at me horrified and let go as though I had set him on fire. The next thing I know he is slumped to the ground as my mother swiftly put away her wand and proceeded to take my father's glasses.

"Boys, take your father upstairs and put him to bed. Lily, grab your trunk and come with me,"

We looked at her gob smacked, unsure of what exactly was happening.

"Let's go!" she yelled, propelling us into action.

I grabbed my trunk and hurried along behind her, "where am I going?"

"Your dad is dealing with a lot right now and I just think it would be best if you go and stay with your aunt and uncle for a little while."

We stop in front of the fireplace and I look at her with tears in my eyes, "Why am I being punished? I didn't do anything."

She looked at me sadly and wrapped me in a tight hug. She smelled like home. "I am protecting you both; You from him, and him from himself. I love you lily bean. You have done nothing wrong. I am so proud of you."

"Thank you," I said, feeling numb, "I love you too mother."

She hugged me one last time and as I flooed to my next destination, I could have sworn I saw her wipe a stray tear from her brown eyes.

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As I emerged from another fireplace, coughing and dusting myself off, I recognized the many bits and bobs that were scattered around the living room of my Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermoine. I dropped my trunk and coat and walked toward the dining room where I could hear voices. I walked quietly attempting to be stealth in my movements. I was grateful for the carpeted floor that muffled the sound of my black high heeled ankle boots. I wiped my sweaty palms against my acid wash jeans and slowly poked my head into the dining room.

There, to my surprise, sat Frank and Rose. My heart was racing like it had somewhere urgent to be as I tried to take in the scene before me. They were sitting at the table with their chairs turned in so close to one another that their knees had to be touching under the table. Papers and books were spread out across the table and they were laughing and talking as though they had not a care in the world. I stepped forward to try and hear what they were talking about and heard the floor creak under my foot.

"Lillian!" Frank exclaimed as both of their heads snapped up. Rose put her head down and blushed all the way to the roots of her bushy orange hair. I frowned deeply at her before suddenly being swept off my feet in a back breaking hug.

"I missed you so much!" Frank beamed at me.

"I- I missed you too," I barely had a chance to stutter out before his lips crashed down forcefully onto mine. It was…awkward, wet, and tasted like fish and chips. Luckily, the awkward moment was interrupted as Rose brushed past us with a grumbled "get a room".

I sighed heavily stepping out of Frank's embrace, "Well, I guess she really missed me, huh?"

He scratched the back of his neck, shuffling awkwardly, "She probably doesn't feel well is all."

"What are you doing here anyway?" I eyed him suspiciously.

"I actually wanted to meet you on your first day home, but Rose convinced me that you needed time with your family and to come help her with the winter break homework."

Something weird was going on with Rose but I couldn't figure out what it was exactly.

"So Lily, we need to set up a time to go get fitted for our dress clothes for the Yule Ball."

I looked at him in shock, "Are you barmy? When did we decide we were going together? The last time we spoke you sent me a bleeding letter accusing me of things I didn't do."

He rolled his eyes and huffed, "Well there did seem to be a bit of funny business going on with you and Malfoy."

"You should have trusted me, or at least bothered to ask if anything was going on."

"Okay, well I'm asking now, did you see his John Thomas?"

I looked at him in utter disgust, "How dare you even ask me that!"

He looked at me apologetically before backtracking, "I'm sorry! This whole business just has me so confused. One minute you're my girlfriend and everything is perfect, then the next thing I know you're shipped off to Durmstrang and hanging off Malfoy like a bloody groupie! What was I supposed to think?"

"Well what am I supposed to think? You send me an angry letter saying you're embarrassed of me, and then I come home to find my cousin practically drooling and sitting in your lap!"

He scrunches his face as though he has tasted something awful, "Galloping gorgons! Me and Rose are practically like brother and sister. I can't believe you would even say something like that!"

"Well now you know how it feels," I huff out angrily, turning my back to him to hide the tears welling in my corneas.

He comes up behind me and wraps me in his large arms," I'm sorry Lillian. I didn't mean to upset you with that letter or insinuate that I didn't want to be with you. I still fancy you like mad and it drove me crazy to hear rumors of you with another bloke. Especially someone as vile as Malfoy."

"Don't talk about him that way," I bristled, "we may not have the whirlwind romance everyone has been speculating, but he is my friend."

He sighed patiently, turning me so he could look into my eyes "Listen, I understand that he is your friend, but I need you to listen to reason. Everyone you know is telling you this is a bad idea. People who love and care about you, not random strangers. You are a good person and you want to see the best in everybody, but choosing him will cost you everything. Is it really worth it?"

As I went to answer he put his hand up to stop me.

"I don't want you to fire off a quick answer. Just think about it, ok?"

Feeling as though I was also finished with this conversation, I nodded my head lightly and allowed him to snog me until we heard a light coughing sound coming from the staircase. I turned quickly to see my favorite person in the world.

"Hugo!" I beamed flying into his arms.

"Lils!" He swung me around in a hug before grabbing my trunk to head upstairs.

Frank scratched the back of his head again, "Well Lillian I guess I will owl you about the fitting."

I smiled softly before kissing him softly on the cheek, "Sure. Tell your parents I say hello."

"Will do!" he said as he grabbed his broom to fly the couple of blocks over to his home.

"Is it strange that I like him a lot less since he became your boyfriend?" Hugo remarked trudging up the steps.

I laughed out loud, "Not at all."

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I watched as Hugo finished the last of the droobles, feeling queasy from the vast amounts of candies we had just consumed. We had been chatting for the past hour about all the things happening in Hogwarts during my absence. Hugo and Eve decided to keep up with making a name for themselves outside of their respective families. The prim and proper Eve had finally told her twin that she needed some space and tried out for the quidditch team to boot. As Slytherin's newest keeper she had finally accomplished some separateness. Hugo who has spent practically all his time teaching and training her has started to fancy her and spends most of his time at the Slytherin table, causing quite the uproar and scandal apparently. Things have been worse than ever with the Gryffindors and Slytherins due to me and Malfoy's constant presence in The Oracle. Words like blood traitor, mudblood, and death eater scum were being thrown around like it was the dark ages all over again. Apparently, James and Al have been getting into constant fights with flint and his cronies and Rose and Frank have been practically inseparable.

"I'm gone for 3 months and Hogwarts turns to hell," I chatter and squeak out from the effects of my favorite candy, Ice mice.

"I wouldn't say hell, more like warmed up death. Everyone is more on edge than usual."

"Yeah, like my dad. I can't believe he snapped like that."

Hugo looked at me sadly, "I know, I've heard my parents talking about it. He had to take a couple weeks off of work when it first happened. He was so upset during your first challenge; Aunt Ginny had to sneak a calming drought into his pumpkin juice."

"Do you think I am crazy Huggy," I asked using my childhood nickname for him.

"For what?"

"I don't know; for being in this competition, for befriending Malfoy?"

"No. I'm proud of you for being in the competition. You did great in that first challenge. You fought hard and you didn't give up. As far as Malfoy, I don't know. Do you fancy him?"

"Hugh!" I said slapping his shoulder and burying my face in my hands.

"What?" He said laughing. "I'm just as curious as everyone else. While the articles in The Oracle may have been made up, pictures don't lie, and the way you look at each other is magnetic. Do you really only see him as a friend?"

I sighed heavily and looked at my ice lily I had fashioned into my bun, "Honestly Hugh, I just don't know. I've never felt the way I feel with him. He makes me feel like I am the only girl in the whole world. When I'm around him I can feel my heart pumping in my chest and my blood running in my veins. I feel like he can see me. I mean really see me. Not this version of me where I am perfect and together and pristine, but the real me that likes frogs, and mud, and eating ice mice in my sweats with no make-up on. He unnerves me so, I feel like I could scream."

I stop my rambling to see Hugo looking at me with a strangely serene expression on his face, "Lils if he makes you feel all that why not give it a chance? I know you have Frank, but you don't feel that way about him. I know you don't."

"I love Frank. He's my friend. Malfoy makes me feel mixed up and crazy. Frank makes me feel safe and content."

Hugo rolls his eyes and eats another cockroach cluster, "Pffft you have too much fire for a 'safe and content' relationship lils. All you're going to end up doing is hurting everyone, including yourself once you realize you're bored out of your mind."

I was reaching for another candy when we heard a tapping at Hugh's bedroom window. Tapping away was a beautiful black and silver falcon carrying a letter. Hugo grabbed the letter and looked it over.

"It's for you Lil." He handed me the letter and I opened it gingerly to beautiful green elegant writing that made my heart pang with familiarity.

Miss me yet?

How has it been being back home? I have only been home for a couple of hours and I am bored out of my bloody mind already. I was welcomed with a party of all of my closest friends and family, in other words people my parents want me seen schmoozing with. I hate to say it, but I think I might miss you peach. I'm looking forward to seeing you at the dress fitting. Hopefully I will still be alive by then. My father is threatening to murder me if I step one toe out of line, so here's to toeless excursions.

Can't wait to see you,

Scorpius Malfoy

p.s. Rammy says hello, and has threatened my manhood if there is anything really going on between us. Should I let him down easy?

I stood for a moment feeling as though I couldn't breathe.

"What happened Lil?" Hugo asked with concern.

I handed him the letter not saying a word.

"Oh he has got it bad! You have two guys in love with you, how could that be bad?"

I looked at him horror stricken, "Frank is coming to the fitting as well."

Hugo laughed loudly clutching at his sides, "Well then I am definitely coming. There is no way I am missing this."

As he laughed some more, clearly finding the situation hilarious, I stuffed my face with more ice mice trying to figure out how I am going to survive this fitting.