OH GOD, IT'S THE LAST CHAPTER *weeps in a totally manly way* I'm so sad to see this long bitch go, but I can't wait to get started on the next series :D I won't keep you, so I'll post the usual beginning stuff at the end. Love you children!

A Strange Encounter

George stumbled down the stairs of his home, hoping for a midnight snack before heading back to bed. He stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and peeked in to see his mother and father apparently arguing about something or other.

"I'm not sure if we can trust him, Molly," Arthur said, leaning against the kitchen table.

"How could you say that?" Molly replied, outraged. "We practically raised him! Balisk told us his secret in confidence."

"I know, I know. All I'm saying is that he's always been odd and this explains a lot—"

"No!" Molly stomped her foot. "That boy is like one of my children, and I love him. You are not going to ruin all the good we've done for that boy!"

"Molly, think of our children. Think of what could happen if You-Know-Who found out we were harboring his son. We could be killed."

Molly didn't say anything. Instead, she began to cry, nodding her head slightly in agreement. Arthur moved forward and held her.

"I know this is hard, Molly. It's hard for me too, but we have to think of the welfare of our own family. There isn't much we can do for him. We'll have to tell Balisk that he's no longer welcome here."

"Where will he go?" Molly sobbed.

"I don't know, and it isn't any of our concern."

George slumped against the wall and shook his head, not believe what he was hearing. He'd heard that Balisk had received some…upsetting news, but he hadn't thought that it would be something of that magnitude.

"Mrow." A heavy purring shook him from his thoughts and he looked down at Dusky as he rubbed up against his legs.

"What do you want, cat?" George asked irritably, not in the mood to pamper the feline. Dusky looked up at him passively before sauntering to the door and placing his front paws on it.

While he wanted to go back upstairs to at least talk to Balisk about what he'd just heard, he knew that Dusky would get revenge if he was left unentertained. He opened the door and took Dusky's nipping at his slightly exposed ankle as a sign to follow him.

"Fuck!" A curse was heard from behind the broom shed near them and George stopped.

"…Balisk?" George saw Balisk running a hand through his hair. His hand looking as if it wanted to continue through the locks after they'd ended, not yet used to its drastic length change. The blonde boy had obviously been crying, but was now furiously kicking his broom and muttering cuss words.

"Shit!" Balisk kicked at the ground and leaned heavily against the shed and adressed George without looking at him. "I guess they told you. Or you heard, or whatever. I was going to leave anyway," Balisk said, looking George in the eyes sincerely. "I really was. I'd never want to put you guys in danger. I figured they'd miss me—I suppose Mum will—but Dad didn't even think about it before he decided I was no good."

George stood completely still as he watched Balisk reach for his broom. "He was lying when he said it was hard for him," Balisk said ruefully. "He's never liked me much—ever. Mum loved me and he hated that. Because I wasn't his son and I was cousins with the Malfoys. Now he's got a reason to kick me out."

"Balisk, you know that's—"

"Not true?" Balisk laughed mirthlessly. "George, my eye isn't just there for decoration. It shows me things. I can tell when people are lying. You've got this cloud around you—just like everyone else. He was lying through his teeth."

George tried to cope with the information he was just given, then remembered the broom.

"Balisk, where the hell are you going to go, exactly? It's not as if you can go back to Ana and Becker. And there's only one alternative after them."

Balisk flinched but said nothing for a few minutes.

"I've got a friend in Bulgaria," He said finally. "When I was kidnapped, he saved me. He told me if I ever got into trouble that I was welcome to stay with him."

"What about school?"

"What about it?" Balisk looked up at him seriously. "Do you seriously think Dad would keep it to himself? Everyone at school's gonna know who I came from. I won't be able to survive there. They'd murder me. Not everyone is as understanding as you, Georgie."

George couldn't argue. He'd heard more than once during the past school year about plans to beat the hell out of Harry for being the alleged heir of Slytherin. If they knew for a fact that Balisk was the Dark Lord's son, he'd probably be killed.

"Fine," George sighed. "Fine, putting aside all of the other stuff. School, family, whatever. What about Fred?"

Balisk winced.

"You didn't think about him, did you?"

"Of course I did!" Balisk said indignantly. "I was going to at least say good bye, but…"

"You're afraid he'd talk you out of it?" George guessed.

"No, I didn't want him to hate me."

"Balisk, the last person Fred could ever hate would be you."

"You can't know that for sure."

"Neither can you."

Balisk grimaced and shook his head, "I can't do this right now, George. I'll send you an owl or something, but if I don't leave now I'll miss my Portkey."

With that, Balisk boarded his broom and took off.

George couldn't think of a time he'd ever felt so empty.

*break*

Balisk landed unsteadily on vaguely familiar ground as the Portkey came to a stop.

"I vas vondering vhen you'd arrive," Anthony's voice called out to him. Balisk turned and saw the older man smiling slightly as someone much broader stumbled after him.

"Sorry, I had some loose ends to tie up. Parents and such, you know. One of my siblings decided to guilt-trip me."

"Ah," Anthony turned to the other man, who'd just grunted something in Bulgarian. "Could you at least pretend that you care about some-vun else for a change. Yeah, valk avay. Completely different, that is."

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Sorry about my friend. He's in a bad mood…Constantly. I'll get you set up at Simone's house."

"Simone?"

"She's my mother. Very nice, but she's muggle-born, so her house has muggle things in it. Tv, a computer and kitchen stuff."

"My mum's the same way," Balisk said, gathering his things off the ground. "Except she's not muggle-born. She's a veela."

"I thought you might have some in you," Anthony said, nodding.

"Really? Most people can't tell."

"Vell, I've known some of the Bulgarian Quidditch team mascots. Nice girls," Anthony said, leading Balisk to a small cottage near-by. "This is my mother's—"

"Anthony!" A dark-haired woman walked out of the cottage and began to shout angry Bulgarian at him, not even noticing Balisk. Anthony suddenly found his arms filled with a small two-year-old and the woman walking away.

"That wasn't your mother, was it?" Balisk asked, slightly afraid for his life.

Anthony sighed, shifting the toddler to rest on his hip rather professionally, "No, that vas my sister, Isha. She comes around every vunce and a vhile and expects me to care for her son." Anthony cooed at the little boy, who giggle. "Not that I mind. Do I? Ne, of course not."

Balisk smiled at the display and decided that maybe he could find some good points in the hell his life had become.

*Owari*

I'm beautiful in my way, 'cause God makes no mistakes. I'm on the right track baby I was born this way!~ You children have no idea how much that song inspired my baby Balisk :3 Anywho, voting for couples and names are still open, I've leave them here again for you kids:

A Second Encounter

A Porcelain Encounter

A Stranger Encounter

So, vote, ya know? Please kids, get some of the pressure off of Auntie Riddle so her beta will get off her ass?

Here are the couple votings in order of popularity

Fred/Balisk and George/Balisk (tied)

Harry/Balisk

Fred/Balisk/George

Lee/Balisk

Ron/Balisk

Snape/Balisk (why is this still in the running?)

Balisk/Blaise

Draco/Balisk

Percy/Balisk

Anthony/Balisk (frankly, the only reason this is still here is because of my dumbass friends. I'm not doing this pairing, because I have other plans for Anthony—maybe his own spin-off :D I dunno.)

Balisk/That one guy from Tokio Hotel (WTF? D, you really have to stop voting…)

Balisk/your mom (ever since my dad got a FF. net account he hasn't left me alone…)

Okay, kids! Remember to read the FAQ on my page and review! Reviews feed my bitch of a beta so she doesn't ride my sorry ass for the next chapter when it's late :3 Please feed the monster, kids. I'd like to sleep at some point, but she won't let me.

Love you kids! Look out for the new series! :L