Author's Note: So I have officially re-loaded the first three chapters which have been edited by my lovely Beta, butterfly83. She's super fantastic and I'm slightly envious that she has a better grasp on the English than me and it's not even her native tongue. Oh well.

This chapter isn't entirely what I wanted it to be because of time constraints and my determination to get it out as promised (yay me) but while it's shorter, it's nicer in the long run. But let me tell you, I loath this self imposed deadline. I feel exhausted.

The following conversations are in French unless otherwise noted.

Harry collided with Lianna when she met him on bended knee with a wide smile and a bright laugh. "Honey child!" she exclaimed and he hugged her tightly around the neck.

"I missed you," he mumbled into her shoulder.

"And I missed you," she answered back immediately.

"Move along, move along," Gran shooed Lianna aside and the younger woman reluctantly let go in order for her mother to gather Harry up in her own arms. Harry laughed as the breath was pushed out of his small body at the tightness of the hug and without being put down he was passed into Leverett's arms while Gran greeted Remus in the same way.

"It's been ages," Leverett exaggerated and Harry giggled as he took in the man. In the six or so months since they'd seen each other he hadn't really changed. His hair was a bit longer and he obviously hadn't shaved today by the scruffy look of his jaw, but otherwise he was the same. Harry was glad; he'd never gone this long without seeing his family since he'd met them and he hadn't been sure what to expect after half a year apart. "Has your papa been treating you well?" Levi asked teasingly and behind them Remus huffed in irritation.

"Of course I have," the younger man said indignantly and Harry's lips quirk at the playful tone.

"Just checking," Leverett smirked and slowly let Harry slide back to the ground. The little boy's hands wrapped around his father's and Remus tugged him gently after the adults as they moved further beyond the front hall of the house, leaving their bags and coats there despite the clutter it caused.

"Come on!" Lianna goaded practically bouncing. "They're already waiting!"

"Who are 'they'?" Remus asked wearily as they entered the sitting room. Harry peaked curiously from behind Remus and his face lit up with a smile when he spotted just who 'they' were.

"Fleur!" he exclaimed and met the girl halfway across the room as she had jumped up to meet him too.

"Harri," she greeted and hugged him tightly. "How are you?"

"Great," Harry smiled up at her. He then waved shyly to her parents who were sitting and drinking tea on one of the sofas. The couple waved back, watching the two of them amusedly. "When did you get back?" Harry asked, hardly taking notice of Remus and the others who were now taking their seats around the room. Quickly they started up a conversation that Harry paid no mind to. He'd have plenty of time to catch up with the rest of his family, but he'd likely only have the chance to do so with Fleur for a few hours.

"Only yesterday," Fleur told him and they sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, Fleur tucking her skirt daintily under herself. Harry smiled at Gran when he had a cup of hot chocolate practically forced into his hands and pulled it to himself. Fleur giggled at him as she nursed her own cup, obviously having avoided the chocolate-y mixture by opting for tea like her parents. Harry doubted he would ever be allowed to make that choice, the thought probably had never even crossed Gran's mind, but he didn't mind. Remus typically tried to avoid chocolate, knowing they would both get more than their fair share whenever they were around Gran.

"How is school, really?" Harry asked. Out of all his friends he and Fleur probably exchanged the most letters because Maxie and Keyo were always up to something else and Skylar was just a phone call away instead, but recently, since starting Beauxbaton's, Fleur's letters had been getting fewer and farther between and they were never particularly detailed.

The girl winced and brushed her silvery blond hair out of her face looking sheepish. "I'm sorry I haven't written as much," she apologized, clearly knowing what he was thinking. "I've just been so busy!"

She flashed him a smile that was wide enough to split her face. "Beauxbaton's is absolutely amazing," she whispered excitedly, as if it were a secret and Harry leaned in closer to hear. "It's a palace, a real palace, and every wall is a gorgeous powder blue. The stair cases are marble and the plants on the grounds bloom year round." Fleur rocked a little on her heels and scooted closer to Harry as she kept talking. "And the classes are brilliant. I love magic! I always thought that it was fun and interesting when mama and papa used it around the house and all my accidental magic was exciting and all, but there is nothing like learning, actually learning it first hand. It's the best feeling in the world!"

Harry watched a small bemused smile as Fleur practically glowed with happiness while talking about the school and he desperately wished he could have been there with her to see first hand what made her time away so wonderful. "My favorite class is Charms. Charms can do just about anything and it fits into all the other subjects and the professor is grand!" Fleur sighed and closed her eyes, smile still dancing across her lips and Harry blinked and leaned back until he was sitting up properly again.

He was happy for Fleur, he really was, but all her talk about magic school was making him a bit sad. He had almost three whole years to go, in which time Fleur would starting her forth year, Maxie his third and Keyoshia her second. He didn't have much chance to talk to his friends as it was, what would happen when they were all in school and possibly just as enchanted as Fleur?

"How has muggle school been for you?" Fleur interrupted his thoughts and by the way she was still smiling wistfully, Harry got the impression that she only asked the question out of politeness.

"It's fun," he answered demurely, and it was. He hadn't been there long but he had surprised himself by how much he enjoyed it. His teacher was a very nice woman whom loved her job and the children she worked with. Harry suspected that she favored him a little because he was a bit beyond his classmates in their studies, but Remus wouldn't have him moved to a different class, more concerned with Harry being with kids his own age than him not learning new material. This left Ms. Eden, the teacher, with a dilemma and so she always gave Harry a different set of work than the other kids which, coincidentally, didn't really make him any friends, though Harry didn't really mind. He was much too shy to try his hand at speaking up to the other kids unless he had to, but he was on friendly enough terms with them that he was always included in games at break times.

It was a happy experience, one he was glad he hadn't complained about and one Remus was proud of him for taking seriously. It was nothing like what Fleur had experienced, apparently, but he enjoyed it all the same.

Fleur took his short answer with an absent smile before she launched into a story about one of her professors, giggling joyously at particularly funny parts. Over the next hour Harry listened while Fleur chattered on about this or that and Beauxbatons. He would easily admit that what she had to say was interesting or exciting, but he didn't take as much pleasure from it as he imagined he would have if he didn't feel so disconnected from one of his best friends as he did right then.

The sound of knocking at the front door was what eventually drew them out of their little bubble and in made Harry jolt a little, startled. He blinked owlishly at the adults that still sat around the room, conversing and laughing like he and Fleur had been and watched as they paused and Gran politely excused herself to answer the door. Lianna winked at him and he supposed that meant that she had a suspicion about whom it was and that he would like the new visitors. Not a moment later they could hear voices form the front hall and after a minute a messy brown head appeared trailed after by two smaller ones.

"Maxie!" Harry cried and was up and hugging his friend much like he had Fleur earlier and Maxie laughed and wrapped his own coat clad and cold arms back around him. When they released each other, Harry spotted Maxie's sisters, Loretta and Jenny, peaking out shyly from behind their brother. Harry gave them both tight hugs too and they reciprocated with smiles. Though he and Loretta were actually the same age, they weren't as close he and Maxie were and Jenny, three years younger, had never really been a part of their group, but he considered them friends nonetheless.

"Hi Ms Veronica," he greeted their mother who had stepped in with Gran after her children.

"Hello, Harry," she smiled and then offered her greetings to the rest of the room as a whole as she helped her children out of their winter coats. The moment Maxie was free he had Harry by the hand and was directing him back to Fleur who embraced him eagerly.

"Maxie," she grinned and the boy smiled crookedly back.

"How are you, new student of magic?" he teased as they sat back on the floor together, Loretta and Jenny joining them easily and all three Jenifero children graciously accepting their own hot chocolates from Gran.

"I'm wonderful," Fleur said brightly to Maxie. "I was just telling Harry about some things that have happened in school so far."

"Really? Fun I suppose?" Maxie asked lazily but before Fleur could start in on another glowing review of the French Academy, Maxie was turning to Harry. "And you?" he asked. Has school been going well for you?"

"Yeah," Harry said, relieved. "It's been a lot of fun. I'm really glad papa had me go," he told the group as he glanced over his shoulder at the adults who were in the middle of welcoming Veronica into their fold. As if sensing his gaze, Remus glanced over at him and flashed him a loving smile. Maxie chuckled at the gesture, making Harry nudge him quite.

"How've you been?" he asked the boy in return, and then glancing at the girls added, "All of you."

"Maxie only just got back from Germany," Loretta was the first to pipe up. "He spent a whole month there with our daddy."

"Did you really?" Harry asked. The last letter he'd gotten from Maxie was from well over a month ago, when the other boy was still complaining about his mother being unsure about him taking the trip.

"Yeah," Maxie said, and his smile was more at ease than Harry could ever recall seeing it. "I had a great time. I'd forgotten how much fun dad was."

"Did you two go too?" Fleur asked Loretta and Jenny seemingly interested, at least momentarily. Both girls shook there heads.

"Mother wouldn't let us," Loretta frowned. "But she said maybe next year."

Fleur hummed sympathetically but Maxie bowed his head towards Harry, weary of the adults behind them and whispered, "She'll never let them." When Harry blinked questioningly up at him Maxie shrugged his shoulders. "The only reason she let me go was because I wouldn't stop arguing with her about it. Lori won't do that and Jenny doesn't really care."

Harry nodded his understanding, remembering that both girls were too young to recall anything about their father outside of the letters he occasionally sent. Maxie however, if given the chance, would likely pick his father, whom he remembered and loved more than anything, over his mother any day. Their troubled relationship still bewildered Harry. He couldn't help but think that if Miranda and Skylar were the perfect mother and son duo than Veronica and Maxie were the exact opposite.

"Sorry I haven't written much," Maxie continued in a louder voice. "I know I promised, I've just been distracted over the last few weeks."

"I understand," Harry waved the apology aside with a smile, because he did understand. His letters to his friends were often neglected in his first few weeks in a fascinating new place, that is, when he had been still traveling to new places. That and he knew how easy it was to forget about the world outside when spending time with your father. That was a feeling he knew well.

They tuned back into the girls whom had started up their own conversation, which had Fleur excitedly proclaiming the greatness of her school. Harry had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, knowing it would be rude. Maxie had no such qualms about abandoning what manners he did have and his own eyes rose to the ceiling and a dramatic sigh left his lips. Harry giggled and Maxie shot him a fond grin. "She's been going on like this for a while, hasn't she?" Harry nodded sagely but they politely didn't interrupt the girl's volley of words and listened with interest even though Maxie huffed and puffed occasionally.

Everyone took a late lunch in Gran's dinning room as their wasn't enough room for the party in the kitchen and Harry was glad to have his family and friends together like this, even if Fleur was acting oddly and Gran was trying to get him to drink a forth mug of hot chocolate and Lianna and Leverette were arguing over what color the woman should dye his hair. It was warm, and familiar and he relaxed into the lull.

(O)

The next morning Harry was downstairs in the kitchen with Gran before anyone else was awake and she was happy to see him. "Mon bébé," she said as she hugged him tightly and with strength belying her size lifted him up to sit on the counter. Harry knew he wasn't very heavy, Remus frowned about it sometimes, but he couldn't help but wonder a little at the gesture. "Would you like to help with breakfast?" she asked and Harry eagerly jumped on the opportunity. Together they prepared a family sized meal and Harry was ecstatic when Gran actually deemed him old and responsible enough to do something other than stir batter or watch a timer. Instead she hovered over his shoulder, directing his motions as they made pancakes, bangers and eggs, though he still did watch the timer for their [chocolate] muffins.

Remus wandered down just before they finished up and set the table after beaming with pride over Harry's meal. Lianna and Leverett, up earlier than usual for them, were drawn out of bed not long after by the smell of food. They sat down together and ate heartily, exclaiming every so often over the meal and keeping Harry's cheeks burning in a pleased blush. As per usual, the conversation between the adults drifted between languages over his head, but Harry had to wonder if they didn't realize he knew as much as he did about the languages they were using as the conversation turned odd.

"I think she's having an affair," Lianna said in Russian, waving her fork a bit manically.

Leverett snorted and drunk deeply form his mug before he answered. "Saying 'affair' makes it sound like they're cheating on a partner with each other. Neither are committed."

"It is a bit odd though," Gran added. "She hasn't said anything to me about it."

"Well she wouldn't, mama," Lianna scoffed.

"You are a bit of a gossip," Levi smirked. Gran pressed her lips.

"Says the man who practically makes a living and thrives on the gossip going around the Ministry."

"That's for work purposes," Leverett dismissed. "Hear the right piece of gossip at the right time about the right people and you can ruin lives. You taught us that."

"I think we should change the subject," Remus butted in as he noticed Harry's rapid attention.

It wasn't until later that Harry worked up the courage to ask who they were talking about. "You're aunt Maribell and Kyoshia's father, Demitri." Reus answered easily as he set up a chess board for he and Harry to play on. They often played like this together, Remus teaching Harry what little things he was able over the course of the game. Harry was a decent player considering his age, but not great, and enjoyed the time spent with his father much more than the actual game.

"Why does everyone think they're having an affair?" Harry asked curiously, moving one of his white pawns two spaces forward. One of Remus' knights joined it out in the open a moment later.

"Do you know what an affair is?"

"No," Harry shrugged, moving another pawn.

"It's, more or less, being together as a couple." Harry thought it was funny how Remus cleared his throat looking a tiny bit uncomfortable as he pushed forward a pawn of his own.

"A couple? So tante Mari and Demetri are in love?"

"Er, maybe?"

"But don't you have to be in love to be a couple?"

"It's you're turn." Harry frowned at the man, knowing an avoidance when he heard one, but let it go. Perhaps it was one of those things he would have to learn when he got older. Remus only acted uncomfortable when they talked about those.

It was nearing nightfall when Harry got a delightful surprise. He had spent the most of the day between trailing after Gran and letting Lianna spew crazy talk about her experimental potions and he thought that when he heard the front door open to admit someone it would be Leverett, home from work. Not only was it him, however, but Maribell as well, and she had brought home her own guests.

"Hello, little one," the tall dark woman greeted the moment she caught sight of him as he hurried to the front hall to welcome Levi back. Emerald eyes widened in surprise but his grin was instantaneous and lit up his face.

"Tante Mari," he said happily and was welcomed into her arms, just as strong and warm as Gran's. He didn't think he would ever get tired of his family's suffocating hugs.

"Hello Harry."

The boy startled and his grin widened when over Maribell's shoulder he saw a smirking Keyoshia and her amused father. "Hi, Keyo," he was quick to say and when Maribell let him go he was quick to give the girl a quick hug, knowing she wouldn't appreciate any sentimental lingering, as she called it. Keyo had grown very little since they last saw each other which left them at the same height. Harry absently hoped she wouldn't leave him behind in that regard as Maxie and Fleur seemed to have. "Hi Mr. Kupa," he said to her father and he was amazed he hadn't noticed the man first out of the small group, seeing as how he toward over the rest of them.

"Harry," his deep voice rumbled, accent thicker than his daughter's who over the past few years had become fluent in French.

"They'll be spending the holiday with us," Maribell explained unnecessarily, he had already figured as much by the trunks at their feet.

"Happy Christmas," Keyoshia drawled.

After supper that evening Harry was commandeered by Keyoshia to help her unpack what she had brought for their little vacation. "It was a bit of a surprised," she confessed when they were in her temporary room on the third floor. Harry was looking around curiously even as he helped transfer Keyo's things from her trunk to her bureau. He hadn't ever spent very much time on the third landing of his grandmother's home, much less in one of the guest rooms. Only Maribell and Leverett's rooms were up here and his aunt didn't really like anyone in her room and his uncle's was a pigsty.

"We've never really spent the whole holday away from home before, but Maribell insisted." Keyoshia paused. "Well, demanded. Sort of. It sounded like an order but I think she actually does mean for father to have a good time, and she already knows I enjoy being here."

"I'm glad you're here," Harry said easily. "We haven't spoken a lot."

"We can speak however much you wish whilst I'm here," Keyoshia offered agreeably. "Just know, I don't get up a minute before noon."

It was fun having another child his age in the house, Harry decided over the next few days. Even if that child was Keyoshia whom, in Harry's opinion, could only be beaten out in haughtiness by Maribell and Mr. Sev'rus. She mostly followed him around while he followed Gran around, helping with chores (though she never lifted a finger) and took a twisted pleasure in Lianna's ideas as she plotted what she wanted to try on Harry next, but her presence was appreciated.

Fleur came over once, right after her arrival, to greet Keyo. They were friends after all, though not terribly close, but Keyo hadn't found the play date the least bit enjoyable once Fleur got onto the topic of school.

Maxie was invited over a few days after she arrived and the three had had fun, spending the entire afternoon in the front of Gran's house, taking advantage of the fallen snow. Keyoshia didn't roughhouse, she was a lady, she said, but they'd found she was vicious with snowballs when Maxie managed, against Harry's weary warning, to catch her off guard and sent her tumbling into the fluffy white mess. Maxie swore that where she'd hit him in the face had actually bruised. Harry figured he was exaggerating but Keyoshia was perfectly content with the swelling she'd caused.

(O)

"Fleur's acting…different, don't you think?" Harry asked Maxie cautiously the next day. They had all, Harry, Keyoshia, Maxie and his sisters, been goaded by the girl into coming to her home that day. Currently they were in Fleur's playroom. It was just as Harry remembered it, only some of the more 'childish' things Fleur may have had laying around were gone now. She certainly didn't seem to like playing dress-up anymore, at least.

"Fleur is weird," Maxie said nonchalantly as he rifled through one of the chest of toys. Harry frowned at his back. He loved Fleur, she was one of his best friends, and he didn't want to seem like he was making fun of her. Obviously Maxie's restraint in that area was nonexistent.

Maxie looked up at his stony silence and smiled amusedly. "I'm joking," he said by way of apology. "Now, what do you mean?"

Harry looked around superstitiously though they needn't have worried about being overheard. The girls were gathered far on the other side of the room, primly having a tea party of some sort. Maxie had dragged Harry away before they could be coerced into 'girly' stuff, though Harry wouldn't have minded. Fleur's mama's tea was always the best. "I mean," he said lowly anyway, just in case his voice carried. "That she hasn't been acting like herself. All she talks about is Beauxbatons."

"Makes you sort of hate the place, doesn't it?" Maxie chuckled grimly. "Mom wouldn't dare let me go anywhere else, you're so lucky you dad is so interested in giving you a choice, but if I have to listen to Fleur go on for another minute, I'll want to destroy it the moment I get there." Harry snorted softly.

"She's not being mean or anything," he told the older boy. "But she's not as nice as I remember. She doesn't care about anything else but that school at all," he confessed.

"Oh. It's because she's a Veela," Maxie shrugged off as he pulled away from the toy chest, having not found anything worth his interest. Harry frowned.

"She's only part Veela."

"She's a magical creature," the elder boy insisted. "They're a lot more in tuned with magic in general. It's probably the first time Fleur's ever been to a place entirely built on magic, it's overwhelming her a little. She was already excited, imagine that, plus the feeling of belonging and being surrounded by pure magic all the time and multiply it by ten. That's how Fleur feels."

Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise both at the explanation and the source. Maxie wasn't usually this knowledgeable. The other boy saw his surprise and waved it away. "She'll get used to it, adapt, and then the novelty will wear off. Don't take it so personally, kid."

"You're a kid, too," Harry protested halfheartedly but he was looking over at the girls again. Fleur was, of course, the center of attention as she retold another captivating story. Loretta and Jenny were enraptured. Keyoshia looked unimpressed. Maxie followed his gaze and grimaced.

"Let's go save Keyo before she murders them all," he said much to Harry shock. "I think Fleur's making her hate blondes. She threw a snowball at some poor girl passing on the road yesterday, did you know?"

They both got up and made their way slowly over to the small group, cautious about intruding. "So does that mean that we won't feel the same when we start at a magic school?" Harry asked curiously.

Maxie frowned. "Not such a…consuming reaction, no, but there will be a peaceful feeling, I imagine. We are magical beings even if we aren't creatures. It will be…nice, to be so surrounded by such old and powerful magic. Like coming home." Harry eyed his friend a they stopped a few feet from the girls and waited to be noticed.

"How do you know all that?" he asked and Maxie smiled proudly.

"My dad," he announced proudly but Harry didn't get a chance to respond as Keyo spotted them and was up in an instant. Fleur barely spared them a glanced as she kept on talking. Keyoshia's face was darker than even her normal dour look.

"I liked her a lot better when she wasn't so perky," she muttered and tucked her arm around Harry's elbow and not so subtlety ushered the boy away from the other girls, Maxie following amusedly.

(O)

The rest of the holiday break passed peacefully. Christmas Day itself was pleasant and Harry was more than a bit embarrassed by the amount of gifts he'd gotten but bore with it. His grandmother, aunts and uncle loved to shop for him and it was beyond his and his father's control to stop it. Remus took it in stride nowadays, knowing his son well and believing that no matter how much his family overindulged that he would never be truly spoiled. Harry, while having long since accepted and come to adore his families eccentrics, still couldn't be so flippant, but thanked everyone graciously for everything just the same.

Harry was able to say a proper goodbye to Fleur the night before she left back for school and extracted a promise form her to keep up with her letter writing. Keyoshia and Demitri went home the same day, Keyo hugging Harry and giving Maxie a solemn handshake when he'd came to say goodbye. Harry privately thought that their mutual irritation with Fleur over the last two weeks or so had done wonders for their own friendship.

The night before Harry was to leave with Remus back to England, Gran threw them a small party, which consisted of their own family and the Jeniferos. Maxie hugged him tightly when it was time for the family to leave and the next morning Harry's ribs were nearly crushed by the combined forces of Lianna, Leverett, Maribell and Gran's hugs. It was a good feeling despite the soreness though, knowing that he would be missed.

Arriving home with Remus was both a relief and a bit sad. The last few weeks had been exhausting. It had been a long time since he was around so many people and despite himself he had grown used to him and Remus' quiet life, undisturbed by anything but the full moon for which Harry spent at Hogwarts with only Madam Poppy (as Mr. Sev'rus was busy with his classes). Being surrounded as he had been with his family reminded him of his first few months with them when he was too skittish to leave Remus's shadow for more than a few minutes at a time; it was almost overwhelming. But he would never again fear that feeling, no matter how overbearing it may have been because it told him he had a real family.

Harry and Remus' lives had just settled again, Harry eagerly returning to muggle school after the New Year, when they both received mail from Africa, Egypt to be exact. They were letters from Skylar and Miranda respectively, inviting them to come to visit in a month or so, because they'd just gotten to their new abode and were edger to share it.

"We can go, right papa?" Harry asked excitedly after he finished reading over Skylar's letter which had happily boasted about his new home in the middle of a desert. Harry had never been to a desert before. Remus sent him a smile even as he read over Miranda's summons, she was just as ecstatic as her son, though her excitement focused on her chance to see some ancient hieroglyphs first hand while Sklyar was much more focused on the Library of Alexandria.

"I don't see why not."