Chapter 12

Well I'm going home,

Back to the place where I belong,

And where your love has always been enough for me

Home-Daughtry

My room was tucked in the back corner on the second floor. It was small and cozy and I didn't need a ton of space considering I was only home for about three months out of the year. There were some perks to this room however that my siblings over looked when we moved in and got to chose our bedrooms. First, it was not a simple square room. It had a rounded wall that was almost all glass. I got Dad to build me a window seat so I could sit and look out at the forest that was behind our house. It was a wonderful place to sit and think or read a book on sunny days. And because of the wall being mostly glass there was tons of natural light illuminating the room. Second, it had instant roof access. All I had to do was open a window and boom I'm on the roof. This was perfect for when I wanted to star gaze or sneak out of the house at night. Third, it was the furthest room away from my parents. Not that I don't want to be near my parents but you're just able to do more when there's a curve in the hall in between your room in theirs. When I was younger this meant reading into the night with the light on with out them being able to see the light pouring out from under the crack in the door. However, as I got older this, combined with the roof access, allowed for many night adventures.

When we first moved in it was painted a pale pink color. Now pink isn't a horrible color its just not one of my favorites. So during the summer before my fourth year I took matters into my own hands and panted it light yellow. My parents happened to be out of town at the time and my Grand Mum was watching us. Needless to say when they returned they weren't too happy with me, but it was to late to do anything out it. There were posters of Puddlmore United ( my favorite Quidditch team), different bands (both wizard and muggle), photos of my friends and family, as well as anything else I was interested in, including a large Gryffindor banner, covering the wall to the right of my bed. There was so much stuff charmed on there only slivers of yellow could be seen. If it was up to me the whole room would be covered but Mum only would let me cover one wall. Her main argument being ' I don't care if it's your room its still my house.' I feel like every parent says that at one point or another just because they can.

My eyes wandered to a photo of Morgan and I. We were both holding our Hogwarts letters. We went to primary school together after my family moved. Morgan's family is all muggles and I didn't dare tell her I was a witch. However, the more time I spent with her the more I realized odd things would happen around her. Especially when she was mad. I smiled to myself when I thought about the day we were playing tag and Bobby Torrance pushed her. The next thing I knew a ball was flying at his face from twenty feet away. Morgan was capable of some amazing accidental magic. I told my Mum about these strange occurrences. Immediately my Mum contacted her Mum and Morgan began spending a lot of time at our house. My Mum gently explained to her and her parents what she believed was happening. Surprisingly Morgan and her parents reacted well. It seemed that there was a lot of unexplained instances Morgan was involved in the magic could explain. The day she got her letter to Hogwarts she came running over to show me. The picture was taken on that day.

Things were so simple then. Now I was smack dab in the middle of some ridiculous promise I made to her. Breaking up Al and Claire seemed like it was going to be so simple. My plan was just going to be get Al and Morgan to spend more time together and then just sit back and wait. Like Rose had told me Al and Claire weren't going to last forever. But now things were more complicated then I had ever intend on them becoming. Rose thought Al was developing feelings for me. How the hell was I going to tell Morgan that?

"Oh hey Morgan! You know how you asked me to break up Al and Claire so the two of you could be together? Well the plan kind of backfired and now he fancies me. Just thought you would like to know."

Yeah I could see that going over so well.

But on the other hand this is just Rose speculating. I mean Al is still with Claire and hasn't said anything, at least not that I know of, about fancying me. Its just Rose guessing about something. And Rose has been wrong in the past. Although she's right most of the time… Still I needed to take this information with a grain of salt. She's been known to see things that aren't there.

Knock Knock

Startled I turned around to see who was at my door.

"Hello love. Are you all packed?" my Mum asked poking her head in.

I smiled at her.

"Does it look like I am?"

I saw her dark eyes flit over to the suitcase I was using lying open on my bed with nothing in it.

"You know were leaving early in the morning. I don't want you staying up all night." She said with a shake of her head.

Leave it to Mum to worry about me pulling and all nighter to pack. She should know by now that I'm just going to jam everything in at the last moment.

"I wont."

"Your so much like your father you know. Leaving everything for the last second." She smiled at me and stepped further into the room.

"I've learned from the best."

She came over and began looking at the photos with me. I rested my head on her shoulder. Unconsciously she began stroking my hair that was so much like her own.

"The two of you were so small then." Without knowing it was the photo I was just thinking about Mum thought about it too. I've always thought she's been part seer or something. Just how she's always been able to pick up on what my siblings and I are thinking.

"Yeah." I sighed.

"What's wrong love?" she asked. Part of me wondered if she came into my room because she sensed I was upset about something.

I shrugged out of her arm and walked over to the window.

"Nothing much just normal drama."

I saw Mum nod her head out of the corner of her eye.

"Anything that you want to talk to me about. You know you can come to me with anything."

I smiled slightly to myself. That's one thing both of my parents had made very clear to us over the years. No matter what happens you can tell us. That and the fact that we can always come home were two things they drilled into us.

I gently shook my head.

"No Mum. It's nothing major. You know how it is when you're at school."

No matter how open and accepting my parents were I didn't have a clue how I could tell my Mum that I was playing the role of home wrecker for Morgan. It just didn't seem like something she would understand.

"It has been a few years but I still remember. Get some sleep tonight Riley you know the time change is difficult enough don't add the lack of sleep to it."

I nodded my head. Mum seemed to think that we would all be useless slugs if we didn't get sleep. But North Carolina is six hours behind us time wise. Even if we leave at six like she wants its only midnight when we get there. I honestly don't know why she insists on leaving so bloody early when it's the middle of the night when we get there. Part of me thinks she just wants to be there when everyone wakes up. It honestly makes no since to me. Coming home is much harder to do I think.

Mum walked over to me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"It's getting so long. Don't you want it cut?"

"No Mum. I like it."

Every time I came home Mum would comment on how long my hair was. 'It just hangs there. I think it would much nicer cut off at your shoulders'

Fat chance I'm cutting it off. I've seen photos of her when she was my age and her hair was almost down to her bum. Dad told me some of his mates called her Rapunzel because her hair was so gold and long like in the story.

She sighed, content with my answer for the moment, kissed my cheek and left. Probably going to bed to rest up our six o'clock travel time.

Five am came much sooner then I would have liked it to. I had just laid down twenty minutes ago. I spent most of my night messing around on my lap top, watching TV, rearranging my photo wall, and when there was nothing else for me to do I finally started packing.

"Oy sis. Get your arse out of bed. Mum's about ready to have a shit fit."

Patrick was such a lovely person.

"Go away Patrick." I said. Voice muffled by my pillow.

Instead he flicked on the light. I threw my arms over my face attempting to shield my eyes from the blinding light.

"You are such a tosser Patrick." I growled sitting up.

Instead he just smirked at me as he ran his hand though his short dark brown hair. His blue eyes glinting with mirth.

"Mum says were leaving in a half hour. Now get a move on."

"What? I thought we weren't leaving until six!"

Patrick just shrugged his shoulders.

"You know Mum. Also I haven't woken Bridget up, so"

"No." I said before he could finish.

"Come on Riley you know how she is."

"Of course I know how she is that's why I'm not doing it. You're her twin go deal with her."

"I did it last time. You owe me." He wined. For being a fifteen-year-old boy he sure knew how to wine like a little girl.

"Rock, paper, scissors for it."

He looked at me for a moment thinking about the situation. It seemed that the two of us often settled who was going to wake up Bridget this way.

"Fine. On the count of three."

"One." I began holding my fist out resting it on my other hand's open palm.

"Two." He said.

"Three."

I threw out scissors and glanced over at his hand. Rock. Fuck me.

"Good luck with the beast." He taunted as he turned and walked down the hall.

"I hate you," I yelled.

Sighing I got out of bed and slowly walked down the hall towards Bridget's room. Waking up Bridget was like waking a wild animal. She was in no way shape or form a morning person. Some things to expect when dealing with a just awoken Bridget were, in no particular order:

Screaming

Biting

Hitting

Kicking

Things being thrown at you

Name calling

Just to name a few

I paused outside her door bracing myself for all the things that were waiting for me on the other side.

"Bridget" I called softly as I pushed her door open. I was greeted with the cite of clothes everywhere, papers strewn about, books piled up on corners, and other general chaos and clutter around the room. For years she and Mum have fought about the state of her room. Eventually Bridget just started keeping her door closed and Mum stopped going in there. Hence why ether Patrick or I always had to wake her up.

"Bridget" I called again. I pushed the door open further. But Bridget wasn't in her bed. Interesting she was out of bed before noon on her own free will.

I walked in stepping gingerly over the piles of stuff everywhere. Good God for someone so picky about her appearance she sure didn't care about what her room looked like.

Her room was painted white. But unlike myself Bridget was very artistic and she had painted different images on the walls herself. There was everything from a large G painted in red and gold to flowers, trees, animals, different designs, paintings of her friends. I was astounded by how life like they were.

"What are you doing?"

I spun around. Bridget was standing there with a towel drying her dark hair in nothing but her bra and underwear.

"I came to wake you up."

"I'm awake."

"I noticed. What on Earth compelled you to get your butt out of bed before the sun's up?"

She just shrugged her shoulders and walked over to one of the piles of clothes on the floor and began rummaging though it.

"I never went to bed. What's the point? Were just going to sleep when we get there. Did you sleep?"

She tugged a pair of jeans on.

"No. I planed on just sleeping when we got there like you."

"Seems like Mum and Dad were the only people asleep in this house all night. Now could you get out so I can finish packing. You know Mum will shit a brick if I'm not ready to leave exactly when she wants' to."

She then turned on her blow drier (Mum was very strict about no underage magic in the house) and I took that as my cue to leave.

I carefully made my way back out into the hall doing my best not to trip over anything. Out in the hall way I ran into Patrick who was lugging his suitcase down the stairs.

"Merlin, how many people are you packing for?" I asked noticing his struggle.

"Piss off. How was waking up our dear sister?"

"She was already awake."

"Bitches. Of course you would get her the one time she's not asleep."

I smiled triumphantly at him.

"You get to deal with her next time!" I yelled sweetly as I made my way back to my room.

"Not if I can help it." He yelled back.

I quickly threw on an old sweatshirt, a pair of jeans, and put my hair up. And then I began lugging my suitcase down to the living room.

"How many people are you packing for?" Patrick asked.

"Ha Ha you're so funny." I said as I sat down in the chair next to him.

"Where's your sister?" my Dad asked poking his head into the room.

"In her room perfecting herself where else would she be." Patrick said as he stretched in his chair.

I saw Dad roll his eyes that Patrick and I both inherited.

"Go tell her that your Mum wants to leave in five minutes. Don't make her go up there you know the state of Bridget's room will just create a fight between the two and we don't need to arrive at your Nanas pissed off at one another."

Leave it to Dad to try and make peace between Mum and Bridget.

He then walked out leaving Patrick and I to duke it out.

"Nose goes." I said quickly as I brought my index finger to my nose.

"Damn it. You know you can do nose goes when there's only two people."

"Your just pissy because you lost."

He glared at me but got up out of his chair and made his way back up stairs.

It wasn't long before shouts floated down the stairs. It seemed like I got off easy.

Patrick and Bridget either got along really well sharing that freaky twin bond thing or they were like oil and water. The thing was it changed so often you never knew what relationship you were going to get. They made life very interesting I will say that.

"I can't believe I'm related to her." Patrick grumbled as he sat back down in that chair he had vacated a few moments before.

"You and me both."

Patrick and I sat in silence for a few moments. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Patrick's head began to nod. Looks like I wasn't the only one fighting sleep. Maybe Mum was right. I should have at least slept for a little bit.

"The two of you ready to go?" Mum asked.

"Yep. Can't wait," I said.

"Excellent. Our port key will be leaving shortly so gather all your things."

Patrick and I quickly began dragging our suitcases around and I pulled a knap sack onto my shoulder.

"Bridget!" Dad yelled up the stairs.

In a flash she was flying down the stairs bags in hand.

"Here I am Daddy. I don't want to keep anyone waiting." She smiled sweetly at him.

She's such a Daddy's girl.

"Now you all should know the rules by now. I mean we've been doing this for years. One. Do not under any circumstances let go of the port key, she was holding an old fashion magazine of Bridget's. Two. You only see your Nana and the rest of the family a few times a year so I want you on your best behavior."

"Three. No telling anyone were magical. Merlin we know Mum. Were not children." Patrick said.

"Alright point taken. Everyone place a hand on the magazine. We should be leaving any second now."

Just as Mum said this it began to glow blue and I felt a jerking sensation behind my navel.

America here we come.

Hello Readers,

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know its a bit of a filler. Unfortunately the next chapter or two will be as well. There are somethings that need to be set up for the story to continue. Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed! I appreciate it so much. I love to hear your thoughts so keep them coming.