The month of August flew by in a whirlwind of brooms, birthdays, and breakfasts. Lorcan and Lysander's birthday fell on one of the last days before the cousins would all return to Hogwarts.

"We should all play Quidditch," said Lorcan decisively over breakfast.

Rose just stared at him for a moment, waiting for the punchline to his joke. Lorcan was one of her only allies against Quidditch.

"I'll be ref with Rose," said Lysander, when his twin looked to him for his approval. "Try to get Roxanne out of her room to play with us."

"I'll take care of Roxie and Fred," said the twins' mum as she entered the room. Her long blond hair trailed out behind her like the train of her pink dress. Her bright blue eyes were warm and friendly. "Good morning, Rose. How nice of you to join us."

"Good morning Aunt Luna," replied Rose politely.

With a slightly dazed smile, Aunt Luna disappeared with the pop. Rose was not surprised at the sudden disapparation. Luna tended to disappear without finishing a conversation.

"Uncle George and Aunt Angelina are probably still asleep," said Lysander, his voice tinged with worry. "I hope she leaves a note this time..."

"But last year was fun," said Lorcan pointedly.

Rose had to side with Lysander on this one. On the twins last birthday, Luna brought all the cousins to her house for an early morning game of Seek Me without the other parents knowing. It had not been a pretty scene when Harry woke to find his three children missing.

Luna reappeared just as Rose put her fork down. Roxanne and the young Fred Weasley were each holding one of her hands and had their eyes squeezed tight.

"Here we are, then," she said, "you can open up now. There you go."

Roxanne looked slightly nauseous. "Happy birthday," she said to the twins. She plopped down in one of the seats around the table, resting her chin in her palms. "I hear we're playing Quidditch."

Little Fred looked just as nauseous as his older sister. "I should be getting ready," he moaned, staggering forward to another chair. "We're going to school in two days. There's no way I'll be ready in time."

"Stop worrying," pleaded Roxanne. "You're already packed. The train could show up now and you'd be ready."

"But –"

"So we should go get the others, eh?" said Rose quickly, not wanting to hear their budding argument. Fred had been bemoaning his first year at Hogwarts all summer, somehow convinced that he was going to forget to pack all of his books, his robes, and his brand new wand.

She, Lorcan, and Lysander slid out of the house as Roxanne tried to reassure her brother. Albus and James were already waiting by the broom shed when they arrived. For once, the brothers wore matching mischievous grins. They hadn't had a family Quidditch game since early in the summer, and both boys were clearly ready to play.

"Lily is on her way," said Albus, "and Briar and Adella should be coming along soon."

"Dominique and Louis have been up for a few hours," added James, gesturing to the two flying figures far above them. Rose could only marvel at the incredibly competitive siblings. She and Hugo had gotten lucky- Rose didn't care about flying, and Hugo didn't care about books. Dominique and Louis, however, had always shared the same interests and the same competitive nature.

Lorcan whistled loudly, trying to catch Dominique and Louis' attention. Once their eyes were on him, he waved them down.

"No Victoire?" he asked as Dominique landed.

"Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you can turn all mental on us," laughed Dominique. "Victoire, fly? She's off with Teddy somewhere. She should be over for dinner later."

"Happy birthday," panted Louis, landing with a lurch. "We playing?"

"Team on up," said James. "Me and Al are Seekers. Unless either of you want it?" he added, looking the twins as an afterthought.

"I'm referee," Lysander reminded him. "Along with Rose, of course," he added after seeing her glare.

Lorcan considered it for a moment. "No," he said finally, "I'll try Keeper."

The rest of the players arrived as teams begin to form. Lorcan finally decided on playing on James' team, which also consisted of siblings Adella and Briar Longbottom as Chasers. Little Fred scampered out from Luna's grip in time to claim a spot as Beater.

The other team, led by Albus, contained Dominique in her favorite position, Keeper, her brother Louis as a Beater, and Lily and Hugo as Chasers.

"I'll sit out of this one," said Roxanne, shaking her head when James offered her broom. "I have some sketches to do."

"Sketches?" Rose looked at the path parchment Roxanne had taken out of her pack. "Sketches of what?"

A faint blush Rose on Roxanne's light brown cheeks. "Ah, er... nothing much," she said, falling over her words. "Well, it's... Promise not to laugh?"

"Of course!" said Rose. She could think of no reason Roxanne's sketches would be laughable.

Roxanne flipped open her sketchbook. She had drawn a faceless witch in a slightly bent pointed hat and long, billowing robes. Her robes had been colored deep purple with golden stars running around the hems.

"Did you design this?" asked Rose, flipping the page. On the next sheet, there was a distinguished looking wizard in a top hat and black robes.

Roxanne smiled hesitantly. "They're really not any good," she said, "but it's fun. I like the colors, and fabrics…."

"They're beautiful," said Rose earnestly, flipping through the designs. "Can you... are you planning on making these?" She had her eye on a dark green robe with deep, triangularly-cut pockets.

"I'd love to," gushed Roxanne, "and really, they're quite practical. And I have this whole section of dress robes, see here? I designed them after Muggle clothing, see?"

Rose and Roxanne poured over the designs until the players were ready to begin. Rose settled into one of the chairs Dominique had summoned, leaning in to consult with Lysander.

"Who are we rooting for?" Rose asked Lysander.

His eyes remained intent on the game. "I know James can play dirty," he said, "so keep an eye on him. However, Al may have a stronger overall team." As an afterthought, he added, "I suppose we should root for Lorcan. It's his birthday, after all."

Rose eyed him warily. "And you claim to not like flying?" she said pointedly. It seemed to her that he was very observant of the sport he allegedly could not stand.

"I don't like Quidditch," he corrected. "I've never said anything against flying. No, that I like just fine."

"I don't get it," said Rose bluntly. Lysander was one of the only people she would admit confusion to.

"I just don't like the game," he said. "It gets quite violent, really nasty. So I fly, but I don't play. It's like you, for instance. You hate flying, but you really don't hate Quidditch. You only think you do, because it involves a broom."

Rose wanted to object (for she was sure she disliked flying and Quidditch) but the game was in full swing.

"Foul!" Lysander yelled. "James, you're the Seeker. Don't touch the Quaffle."

Rose dodged the Bludger that whizzed by precariously close to her head.

"Sorry, Rose!" Louis called down to her. "My bad!"

The Quidditch supplies had all undergone rigorous enchantments by the adults before any of the cousins had been allowed to use them. Ironically enough, Hermione (the non-flier of the aunts and uncles) had been the one to do most of the enchantments. Now, none of the balls could escape the confines of the Grange. They weren't dangerously close to any Muggles, but if the balls got loose, there was no telling how far they could travel.

Albus and James called friendly jeers to each other as they circled above the Grange. Rose had missed Roxanne releasing the Snitch, but by the avid expressions of her cousins, she knew that the tiny ball must be somewhere overhead.

They called timeout when it was time for lunch. Albus looked dejected as he landed.

"This is why I never play Seeker," he said morosely. "I'm pretty much rubbish at it."

"James isn't rubbish," Rose pointed out. "He's on the house team, and he hasn't found the Snitch yet either."

"Don't rub it in," grumbled James as he touched down on the ground. "Are we sure it's even out here anymore? I haven't seen it all game."

Rose looked at the box where the balls were stored. A small stone was embedded for each ball, and each stone was faintly glowing green.

"It's here," she said. "You know it can't really go anywhere else anyway. C'mon, I'm hungry."

Aunt Ginny served lunch in front of her house. The cousins fell upon the food as if they hadn't eaten for days. Rose and Lysander stayed a good distance back from the famished Quidditch players after grabbing their plates.

Their Quidditch game resumed after most of the food had been consumed. Rose and Lysander returned to their seats by the side of the field as the others mounted their brooms and kicked off. From his seat, Lysander chucked the Quaffle up to the teams. The break was over.

Quidditch was simple: get the Quaffle through the other team's rings. In lieu of of scoring hoops, Dominique Weasley had drawn three circles on each side with her wand – she was over the legal Wizarding age of seventeen.

The game only ended once the Golden snitch was caught. Unfortunately, as the afternoon wore on, there was no sign of the game ending. Neither Albus nor James could find the Snitch. The friendly game grew more vicious as the players tired. Rose was impressed with how many different ways the teams were fouling each other. They had to be setting some sort of family record.

They were forced to call it quits at dinnertime. The players landed, exhaustion clear on their faces. Albus staggered over to Rose and Lysander, looking like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the words.

Aunt Ginny scowled upon seeing the condition of her children. "Go wash up," she ordered. "All of you."

Lily was the only one who seemed to have any energy left. She skipped off towards her house almost eagerly. Albus and James both remounted their brooms and flew off slowly. Rose and Lysander remained to gather the balls. Pressing on the enchanted stones in the box deactivated each ball, which fell uselessly out of the sky. They saved the Snitch for last, which had gotten quite sneaky and hidden itself in the branches of a tree by the perimeter of the playing area.

Dinner had been prepared by Hermione and Aunt Avalon, Neville's wife. They brought out an assortment of the twins' favorite dishes: mashed potatoes, cherry tarts, and croissants. As they spread out the various dishes, the rest of the family began to appear.

Teddy Lupin arrived first, with Victoire Weasley on his arm. She was always clinging onto him as if she was worried he would disappear. They had been together since Victoire was in her fourth year and Teddy was in his fifth. It had been a bit weird at first, since Teddy had been around so much when he was younger, but now it seemed like a natural pairing.

"So I hear my cousins have quite the game of Quidditch going," said Teddy, popping down across from the twins. "The case of the disappearing Snitch, eh?"

"We'll find it," said James suavely. He was always trying to act older when Teddy was around. "It can't be that hard."

Rose decided not to tell him that they had already rounded up the balls and found the Snitch in the tree.

Teddy sighed.

"Quidditch," he said. "See, now there's something I wish I tried at school."

"You never played?" said Rose, surprised. It seemed like the sort of thing he would have been involved with.

"Never touched a broom after my first flying lesson," he admitted rather ruefully. "I was busy stirring things up, you know. Causing trouble. Making a ruckus."

"He settled down once he got older," said Victoire lightly. "But then I had no interest in the sport, so neither did he."

"Are you telling everyone what a good influence you are on Teddy?" asked Victoire's younger sister Dominique as she sat.

"Probably," commented Louis as he settled in next her sisters. "Ted, did she ever tell you about the let—"

"Non parle plus," snapped Victoire, suddenly red in the face. "Louis..."

Louis replied too quickly for Rose to catch any of the words.

"I'm still working on my French," Teddy told Rose quietly as Louis and Victoire began arguing. "All I can do is compliment her."

"Go for it," advised Rose. "Maybe it'll make them stop."

Teddy took Victoire's chin gently and turned her head away from her brother. "Tu es tres belle, m'amore," he said, then kissed her softly on the lips.

James ruin the moment by gasping loudly. He pointed to Teddy, then Victoire, then back to Teddy. "You!" he said, eyes wide. "You! And—and the—"

Suddenly, his mouth was moving but no words were coming out. Rose saw Teddy slip his wand back in his pocket was a casual grin.

"Not now, James," he said airily. "Not now."

James turned to Rose, his mouth still flapping furiously. He pointed to his hand, then to Teddy, then to his head.

"Now it just looks like you want to hit me," said Teddy. "Settle down. We've got some time still."

Aunt Ginny paused as she passed with a platter of rolls. "Keep a tight rein on that one," she said jokingly. "He's a slippery one."

James gave his mother a glare.

Aunt Luna stood when it was time for dessert. "As usual," she announced lightly, "I have made the cake. It should be coming along shortly... any moment now..."

After a long moment, Aunt Hermione stood in whispered something in her ear.

"Ah." Luna drew her wand and said, "Accio cake!"

Some of the people at the table chuckled. Ron buried his face in his palms.

Gasps rang out as a miniature dragon swooped down towards the table. It landed gracefully, wrapping its tail around its legs, then settled into stillness.

There was silence. Most of the cousins were clearly in awe. Their parents, however, looked disapproving.

"I made to the cake after one of Lorcan sketches," explained Aunt Luna, breaking the silence. "He's an artist, you know."

Rose glanced up Lorcan, brows raised. He was more than an artist; he was a budding Seer who drew his visions.

"You're all looking at me so oddly," continued the twins' mother. "That's a bit rude. Enjoy the cake!"

Lorcan turned and saw Rose's inquisitive stare. "It's nothing major," he said casually, "just something I saw last week. It's probably because Charlie's here."

The cake was cut and distributed. Rose received a chunk of the scarlet tail and took a tentative bite. It was delicious, though the texture of the scales was a bit disconcerting.

"Are you going to keep seeing Professor Trelawney this year?" asked Rose. Lorcan nodded, unaware of the red icing dangling from the tip of his nose.

James rose a brow and tried to speak, but his voice was still stolen away. Glaring silently, he took a large bite of his cake.

Dessert began to wrap up as the magical candles lit themselves. Rose was going to help clean up, but James tugged her back down into her seat, shaking his head.

"What?" she said, a bit peeved. But of course, he still could not answer. She looked to Teddy to ask him to perform the counterspell-

But he was getting down on one knee.

"I have loved you since I can remember," Teddy was saying. It had grown suddenly quiet. "First as that annoying girl I had to visit, then as my best friend, then as my girlfriend. Now I'm asking you to let me love you as my wife."

Victoire has begun to cry when Teddy went down on one knee. Now, sobbing in earnest, she nodded.

"Yes!" She cried through her tears. "Yes, I'll marry you, Teddy!"

Everyone clapped as Teddy slip the ring onto Victoire's finger. He then leapt to his feet and swept Victoire into a romantic kiss that didn't look like it would end any time soon.

One of the adults at the table must have noticed James's plight and unjinxed him, for he could suddenly talk again.

"So that's what the ring was for!" he exploded. It was obviously a relief for him to get the words out.

"You saw it before?" asked Rose.

"Yeah, this morning when he stopped by the house," said James. "He dropped it in the kitchen."

"And you didn't ask what it was for?"

James shrugged and took another bite of his cake.

As Teddy and Victoire sat down, Lorcan slid a piece of parchment across the table. Rose caught a glimpse of it- it was a detailed drawing of Teddy and Victoire locked in their embrace.

"I saw it early last week," said Lorcan as Victoire began to tear up again. "Thought you might like to have it."

Teddy looked up, and even his eyes looked a bit watery. "Thank you," he said softly. "It's perfect."

Lorcan seemed completely unconcerned with the moment. "It was nothing," he said. "I was just doing one of my Seeing exercises."

"Trelawney sure gave you a lot of work," commented Lysander. "You've been at it all summer."

"It helps," said Lorcan lightly. "You'll see."

The children were sent to their respective homes as the adults began to clean up from the party. Rose dragged Hugo away from Lily, who tried to follow until Albus caught her arm. Rose sent Hugo off to bed, then returned to her room. She had a bit more packing to do before she could sleep.