She knew immediately when she landed that something wasn't right. It was a feeling she got immediately from the very, very excruciating pain in her arm. She exhaled with a breath of pain and opened her eyes. The Johnson's foyer was the same as Aquila had always seen it. The dark marble flooring that met the pale white walls. Safe, at least. She could hear the twins and Dudley laughing boisterously about something.

"You okay?" Angelina asked hesitantly.

"Brilliant. Um..." She flexed her hand, which she realized had tightened its grip on her own, and winced slightly. "Sorry."

"You need to get that checked," Alicia said, appearing out of nowhere. "It looks like it needs to be reset. Angelina's dad can-"

"No, he's probably sleeping," Aquila insisted. "Hey, Dudley?" The Muggle turned his attention towards her, realizing she was there for the first time. He excused himself from the twins, who were still laughing, and approached her. "How are your bone setting skills?"

He hesitated, his gaze dropping to her arm. "You need me to... I've never done this before, Ella."

"Precisely why you should," Aquila said simply. She breathed deeply. "So, all you have to do is make it straight. But it's really hurting right now, Dudley." She shifted uncomfortably, moving so he had access to her arm. "Okay?"

"I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Just make it straight," Aquila insisted. Bloody hell. His hands gently moved her arm so that it was firmly in his grip. "And do it quickly. It's going to bloody hurt."

He waited a moment, letting her get used to the touch, and brace herself. Alicia took her good hand and gripped it tightly for support. "Ready?" Alicia asked.

Aquila gave a quick nod and the Muggle boy made the motion quick. She gasped, her eyes squeezing shut and jerking forward in pain. Oh, bloody fucking hell. "Merlin's bloody hairy-"

"All right?" Alicia interrupted.

Aquila took a few breaths through her nose, her eyes still shut. Dudley's hands were gone, but she could feel him nearby, apprehensive and nervous. "Better... better, thank you."

"Is it straight?"

Aquila nodded, still not moving below her shoulders. "I can feel it mending already." She exhaled and opened her eyes, looking towards him. "Look at that, you're getting more training already. Soon you'll be certified."

He snorted, "Right."

"How about dinner?" Angelina suggested. "And then a nice long sleep."

Aquila nearly moaned in delight. That was perfect. So they snuck into the kitchens and ate an entire feast worth of food, before Aquila led Dudley to their bedroom. It was a bare room, obviously not used often. She took the trunk from Dudley's pocket, him tensing slightly at the movement, to which she smirked at him, daring to voice his discomfort. He didn't. She grabbed her pyjamas for the night, before deciding to take a shower. She felt disgusting.

"You were really amazing out there. That was incredible."

Aquila glanced at him insurprise, seeing a small grin on his face. She grinned back. "Thanks. I'm... sorry for ditching you halfway through, though. It was something we were supposed to watch together-"

"They needed you," Dudley shrugged like it was no big deal. "We watched most of it together. So, I'm not offended. But bloody hell, your face in the pitch... I don't think I've ever seen you so excited."

She exhaled, clutching the clothing in her good arm tightly. Shrugging, she answered, "I sort of lose myself in it. Once I'm out there, it's the game..."

"It was brilliant. I think I've found myself a new favorite sport."

"Yeah?" she asked, surprised. He nodded in confirmation. She giggled and paused slightly. "I really need to shower, though... But just keep in mind I can get you any tickets to any game you so desire. People flock just to get the only Black daughter to their games."

He chuckled. "Using you for your connections, huh?"

"I suppose," Aquila grinned. "I'm glad you like it, though... I'd have hated for this whole to have been your own personal hell and you were only putting a smile on your face so you could appease me."

"Oh, you weren't supposed to find out about that," Dudley chuckled, nudging her good arm.

"Oi!" she yelped, elbowing him back. "I know where you live."

"I know where you live, too," he reminded her. She smiled, but he continued before she could say that she'd be at Hogwarts. "I also know where your friends live."

"Only Angelina," she corrected with a grin. "The Weasleys don't even live in this county."

He shrugged. "It's someone."

"I really need to take a shower..." She stepped away from him, towards the adjoining bathroom. Merlin, she loved ensuits. Her shower was quick, and being one handed it was a tad difficult, but she managed, letting her hair hang limply onto the oversized t-shirt. The other pyjamas had been worn more than a few times in the last week, and this was all she had clean, really. She threw her dirty clothes into her trunk carelessly, running a hand through her wet hair.

"I'll shower," Dudley decided. She nodded tiredly, pulling back the covers to the bed and sliding inside. She heard the bathroom door click shut as she flicked the light, her wand tucked under her pillow, but still in her grip. Even the Johnson's wards could fail. She turned so that her injured arm rested atop her side, her body turned in the direction of wall. She simply couldn't lay down on her back and fall asleep. It was near impossible. She tried to stay awake so she could talk to Dudley, but she was out before the shower even turned on in the bathroom.

Oh, Merlin. There was so much blood. The step down into the Dursley's four-season room was filled to the edge in a sea of blood and hose water. Aquila turned the hose off with a flick of her wand, her growing fear becoming very real as she moved towards the stacked pair of bodies. Petunia was who caught her attention first. Her eyes were staring unseeingly, the pale green dull and not warm. The woman looked younger in death, the red of her hair soaked into the red of the blood that had bubbled from her slashed throat.

"No," Aquila murmured, dropping to her knees. They were soaked instantly, the blood around her splashing at her sudden movement. Vernon was under Petunia, blocking the doorway so the blood couldn't flow into the grass outside. He was in much worse condition than his wife, cut all over and she could see burns from where curses had hit him, being much too strong on impact for his nonmagical skin. He was gone as well. Aquila's shakey hands couldn't find a pulse from him.

"Elle-" There was a groan suddenly and Aquila spun, her wand out and pointing in the direction of the voice. It lowered immediately and tears sprung to her eyes in panic, sloshing over to the boy that had captured her heart the moment they had met.

"Shhh," Aquila insisted, taking off her black leather belt, her eyes not moving from the gushing wound in his arm. Fresh, and quickly making him deteriorate. She wrapped it around his arm, tightening it until it would constrict bloodflow. "Don't talk. Save your strength, alright? It's okay. You're alright."

"They'll come back," Dudley murmured. "You need to leave-"

"Shh," Aquila shushed. "I'm not leaving you here. It's okay. I-I can heal it. I can try to."

"You need to stay safe-"

"I'm not letting you die," she snapped at him. She wiped at the tears in her eyes so she could see the wound more closely, but she just spread blood onto her face from her hands. Her hands went to his forehead, feeling for any fever. He was hot, his skin slick with sweat and his palour paler than she had ever seen him. "Stay with me, Dudley. Okay?"

"You've got to... protect him," Dudley murmured to her, his eyes drooping as he struggled to hold her gaze.

"Protect who?" Aquila questioned. "Dudley, keep listening to me. Come on, don't go. Please-please don't go. It's alright. I can heal you..." She tried spells but none worked. His skin wouldn't mend. He wasn't magical. His cells didn't know what to do. "I can take you to the hospital. Are you strong enough to apparate-?"

"It's too late, Aquila. You need to protect him. Save him."

"Save who?" she pleaded. She grasped his cheeks, keeping his gaze on her and forcing him to blink. It was sluggish and she was going to break in a few moments. She could feel it bubbling. He was slipping. He was going soon. Everyone she had ever cared for died eventually, lost interest, disappeared. He was different. He couldn't follow the same path as them. He couldn't leave her. "Don't fall asleep. Don't close your eyes. I'm sorry-I'm sorry I wasn't here. You're alright, okay? You'll be alright! We'll-we'll get you a healer-" His pulse was weakening and his eyes began to unfocus. "Wake up!" she cried. She jolted his body, trying to spark a reaction. Nothing. "Wake up, Dudley. Don't go-You can't die... you can't leave. We can fix you-"

She sobbed and kissed his forehead, tears falling down her face as she pressed her cheek to his temple, her arms circling his neck as she rocked him back and forth.

"Aquila?"

She jolted, her wand pointed at the intruder.

Dudley blinked at her, the dark light of the bedroom only telling her who it was. "It was a nightmare," Dudley said quietly. "It's alright." She exhaled, but it quickly turned to tears as she gripped his arms, inspecting them frantically. "I'm fine, Ella, I'm fine-"

And she embraced him, hugging him so tightly she doubted he could breathe. As his hands rubbed her back, she broke. A sob left her, and then another. The images of the blood, the death in his eyes, was too much. Petunia and Vernon... the swimming pool. Oh, Merlin. "Don't ever die on me," she whispered once she could speak normally. "Please, don't... don't die-"

"I won't," Dudley promised, though she knew it was a promise that he had no control over. "I won't."

He continued to tell her soothing things, his hands rubbing her back gently to calm her down. Oh, Merlin... "There was so much blood," she whispered. "Don't fight them if they come for you- Don't fight them. It'll only be worse." She exhaled sharply suddenly and pulled back, staring him in the eyes. He brushed some hair from her face, waiting for her to speak. He was obviously concerned, she could see it. "If they come for you, you run to my home. You run like ... like the garden's on fire." She gripped his face, staring into his eyes as though it was all going to fade if she looked away. "Don't die on me."

"I won't," he promised firmly, once more. He hugged her tightly, tucking her head under his chin like one would a small child, rocking her back and forth in the dark silence. His hand rubbed along her outer arm, and she found herself half on his lap. The tears still wouldn't stop coming, but she doubted she could stop them now. It had felt so real. They remained like that for a while, until her tears had turned to hiccups and her hiccups to soft breathing as she calmed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Dudley asked when she had finally calmed.

"No," Aquila admitted. "Not now... Later... Soon, but not now."

"I..." She silenced him with a small shake of her head against his chest. His heartbeat was calm, giving her a sense of serenity. It was strong, too. She could feel it thumping against his chest. "What distracts you, when you have nightmares?"

"Anything."

"Tell me about Quidditch."

It was a simple request, but she knew what he was doing. "There are seven hundred fouls in Quidditch," she said quietly after a moment. "In the fifteen hundreds, during a World Cup game, every single foul was called, and more were created, until we get to todays number." She flexed her left arm, the muscles still aching, but it wasn't broken any more. Good. She spoke softly as she began to list each foul, the rule book having been memorized at the age of seven. Every year since she would get an updated version and reread. That would be Christmas time, though. It was nice to refresh, however.

She didn't remember falling back asleep, but she awoke covered in the blankets, Dudley still holding her to his chest. They were laying down, though, in a more comfortable position, and she could hear his soft breathing and the occassional snort as though he was snoring. Alive. Her hand rested above his heart, feeling the beat once more. "Morning," he greeted quietly. She hadn't even noticed him waking. She kept her hand above his heart.

"Morning," she returned. "We need to be in the air by ten thirty."

"It's nine." She just nodded, not moving in the slightest. "Do you want to talk about it?"

So she told him every detail she could remember. Every spatter of blood, ever cut and welt, everything. "Something from it comes true. I told you wizards dreams are divination... It could a plant upturned on accident, the flooding of the room, you dying... your parents dying. Any facet of it can be real."

"Who was I telling you to protect?"

"I have no idea," Aquila admitted. "It could be an owl, Potter... my brother? I'm not sure."

"When will it come true?"

She shook her head, not knowing. "I just want you and your family to be careful... You can't fool around... It's not worth it."

"We'll be fine."

She only nodded, her cheek resting on his shoulder. "So, when is this lunch and trip to a Muggle school planned?"

He chuckled. "Well, first day of school if after your school starts, but I'd say you can come to Open House. It's next Monday."

She grinned. "That sounds perfect." She didn't move for a few minutes, listening to his breathing, before she heard a knocking at the door. "Ugh, go away, Angelina."

The door opened anyway. "Up," Angelina's voice answered. "You're going to miss breakfast."

Aquila sighed before moving away from Dudley and throwing the covers off of her. Angelina wasn't in the room, but the door was cracked so she was heard. The Black daughter dug some clothes out of her trunk, turning her back to Dudley as she pulled the oversized shirt off, tugging on the outfit she had arrived in Grimmauld Place with, before she began to organize her trunk. Dudley was getting dressed as well. "As soon as we get back, I need to start running," Aquila sighed, hearing Angelina leave. "I'm so out of shape. Know any good paths?"

"Lots of farmers around there have dirt roads. You can run along them. Only problem is you might get lost, not being familiar with it," Dudley admitted. "Amber runs it during the school year."

"Does she?" Aquila asked, intrigued. She considered the option of asking Amber to run with her, but decided against it. Aquila would probably be flying some of it with a cloaking charm on her. "Do you know the route well?"

"I, uh, I don't really run."

Aquila giggled, "Oh, not like that. Just so you could maybe make a map or something for me." She stood, brushing out the shorts she was wearing. They were a little wrinkled. "If you can, that is. I'm still trying to figure out how far I need to run. If try-outs are mid-September... first practice is beginning of October... Merlin's beard, I need to run about three to four miles a day."

He made a face of distaste. "That's a lot."

"I flew twice that in the match last night," she admitted to him. "And that was just twenty minutes. Gotta be in shape for Quidditch." She stretched out her arms as though she was going to be doing some phsyical exercise. "Ugh, I hate exercise. I feel like I ate eighty pastries when I start and lost thirty when I finish. It's so exhausting. It's so not worth it."

"To be in shape?"

"No," Aquila admitted. "You go through hours and hours of working out all for what? A thinner body? People's approval? People are going to judge you no matter what you look like, and Quidditch is going to strain you no matter how much you train." She sat down atop her trunk. "Your sport, rugby? How does it compare to Quidditch?"

"Well, you're supposed to run into people, really," he admitted. "Get the ball and goal."

"Hmm," she said quietly to herself, thinking. Perhaps that would help with strength. "Interesting." If she could get him to teach her- no, that was asking too much. And she only had two weeks until school began. She didn't want to waste the time they had together on that. "You'll have to show me a match sometime."

"Me and my mates have a game on the thirty-first," he pipped up after a second. "Just between friends. You should come."

"Yeah?" she asked, but he could see the sparkle of intrigue in her eyes. He nodded, confirming his words. "That sounds fun. Where is it?"

"I got it," he winked. "Surprise."

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, we're going to miss breakfast."

The flight home was full of laughing. Though Aquila was tense, watching the clouds around them as they flew without any highly trained Aurors or body guards. "Honestly," Dudley insisted into her shoulder. "I don't understand what you see in guys like Lynch."

"Eugh, I used to go for guys like Lynch," Aquila told him. "And then I began to see a pattern. They're all rotten on the inside, see?" He laughed. "So, I decided I needed a new type."

"And that just happened to be what exactly?" Dudley questioned.

She shrugged, smirking as she formulated a plan. "You, of course. Hold on tight."

"What are you-" His voice died in his throat as Aquila began to barrel and spiral in circles, whooping as their legs tangled in the farmland just beside the neighborhood they both lived in. It was only a ten minute ride, so they didn't really do much with it, but she skidded to a stop in the field and laughed as she got off, helping Dudley off as well. "I might be sick."

She giggled, "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

"Bloody hell."

He looked fine though, just gave the broom an apprehensive glance. Right then. She had better cloak it so no one could see. "Come on. I promised your mum you'd be back in one piece."

"When are the twins doing their prank?"

She grinned at him as they began to walk side by side through the field, reaching the playground in no time. "Oh, my birthday, of course. August twenty-seventh. No doubt around two or three. Tea time."

"I'll tell Mum."

She nodded and scratched at her head absently as they reached the pavement. "Thanks for coming, this week. Oh, Merlin, it's been a total blast."

"Yeah?" he questioned, glancing at her. She nodded. "Good. I had a lot of fun. Thanks for the invite. Though I have this distinct feeling the tickets are quite expensive."

She laughed. "No. They're free. Amos gives them out to us. And technically, the try-outs don't require a ticket, just tent registration. And we use the Ireland tent, so..." She shrugged. "Free lodging too. It's totally free. The team provides food, we provide ourselves."

"I still feel like I owe you-"

"You coming was enough," Aquila interrupted. He met her eyes and she gave him a small smile. "Besides, it was good for the both of us, I think. We sort of got to know each other more."

"Yeah," he admitted. "So, uh... lunch and Muggle school?"

"I get even more excited the more you bring it up," Aquila insisted. "I don't know that much about the Muggle world, so I might attract some attention, though... I don't know the first thing about Muggle restaurants, that's for sure. Nor, er, how to behave in schools."

"You'll be fine. Monday morning at seven in the morning?"

She giggled, nodding. "Of course."

"Er... and your mum-"

She took care of that quickly. She knew her mother was peeking out her front window, making sure it was her daughter that had been approaching the house. She stepped in front of him and gripped her broom - and miniture trunk - in one hand, while the other grabbed the front of his jersey and pulled him down. He seemed surprised, when their lips met, obviously not expecting such a sudden display. But she didn't release him, not until he was kissing her back. She nearly had a heart attack when the front door to her home slammed open. Her mother.

"Monday," Aquila reminded him as she pulled back.

He only nodded and glanced in the direction of Euryale. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Black-"

"Aquila, get inside right now before the neighbors think you're some harlot-" Aquila laughed, kissing his jaw - as he was too tall for her to reach his lips - and waved goodbye before retreating to her home. Her mother was absolutely furious as the front door shut behind her. "What was that?" Euryale demanded. "I told you-"

"Oh, honestly, it's just kissing," Aquila insisted. "You've seen me kiss Cedric before-"

"When did this happen?" Euryale fumed. "I specifically told you not to sleep with him! I knew I shouldn't have given you permission to invite him-"

"Nothing happened!" Aquila insisted, throwing her broom into the cupboard under the stairs. She enlarged her shrunk and began to take out her dirty clothing, noticing Dudley's bag. She'd have to give that to him. She put all the dirty clothing into the hamper, all the while talking to her mother. "All we did was kiss. That was all. No sex, no touching, nothing like that. I know better-"

"That display out for the world doesn't make be believe you." The next thing Aquila knew, spells were being fired at her in rapid succession, none of them harmful, just causing her skin to glow slightly with different colors. "Oh."

"You don't need spells to know I'm telling the truth. Nothing happened but kissing." Aquila shut her trunk into the cupboard and carried the laundry basket to the laundry room, her mother following. "We... just got to know each other, without you breathing down our necks. He's really a great guy. Anyway, that's not even the best part! You'll never believe what happened to me!" Aquila finished throwing her things into the wash and turned it on before facing her mother, her eyes wide with glee. "Amos let me play in the match! Tara and Quigley were down - Tara broke her back and Quigley threw out his arm, out the entire season. And Mullet comes up to me, asks me to play!" She squealed and put her hands to her hair, as though she was going to pull it out. Her mother didn't seem surprised by the news. "Like, you don't understand! My Merlin, it was so exciting! Nasty arm broken, but it's all fine. And..." She flounced past her mother, to Dudley's bag. She might as well wash them before she gave them back. No point in giving him his dirty clothes.

"Aquila?"

"Oh, mother, it was amazing. The crowd, the lights... and then Davies named me Quidditch captain the day before!" She shook her head, giving her mother a large smile. "It's been the absolute best week of my life. Thank you so much for letting us all go. I honestly have never had so much fun in my life."

"Not even when I taught you how to sew?" Euryale didn't miss the look of distaste as Aquila's face fell. "You seemed excited then."

"I couldn't stop asking you when we would be done, and if there were any charms so I wouldn't keep sticking my fingers," Aquila reminded her quietly. Of course her mother would ruin the entire mood by reminding Aquila exactly what she had spent the week forgetting. Household duties and proper Pureblood etiquette. She shouldered Dudley's bag. "Petunia wants to have tea with you on my birthday. Two o'clock."

"You know we have the ball-"

"That's at seven though," Aquila sighed. "And we can't have it at the Malfoys, like last year. Rumors are spreading that that's where the Dark Lord lives. Meave heard that from her husband-"

"That woman doesn't have any credible source."

"Her husband's an Auror." Aquila cleared her throat to prevent an argument when her mother began to protest again. "I had fun."

"I know. I heard you being interviewed on the radio. Like some barbarian-"

"You listened to the match?" Aquila interceeded, surprised. Euryale sniffed disdainfully. "And it wasn't like a barbarian, I was talking like any other teen my age-"

"Of course I listened to the match," Euryale snapped. "If you're going to prattle about it all day, I need to know what you're talking about."

"I scored twenty points in the match," Aquila insisted suddenly, her eyes sparkling again. "Merlin's beard, Wales was furious about it, too. They're probably going to try to get a rematch. Perfectly legal, though!" She moved past her mother again, for the washing room. "There's a reason I'm in Ravenclaw. It's not because I value knowledge. It's because the rule book is more important to me than the actual game." She gave her mother a shrug as the elder woman didn't seem to know how to respond. Opening the washer, seeing it filling with water, she quickly dumped Dudley's items inside, mindful of things that shouldn't be washed - a book, for example, and the roll of parchment with his results. Scanning the parchment, he truly did do brilliantly. Especially for never seeing fliers before. And Merlin, he was right about the no player for the one team.

"Aquila?"

"You know kissing doesn't mean anything commited right?" Aquila questioned her mother, looking up from the parchment. "We're just having fun. Yeah, we like each other, but it's not serious."

Euryale hesitated, as though she wanted to tell her daughter something. "Aquila, I-" She hesitated once more. "I'm not quite sure I approve of you two together. What would the Prophet say?"

"Who cares?" Aquila questioned. "I don't. And I think if they're going to smear my name across the papers, only me and Dudley should be the ones who care."

"And him?"

Only then did Aquila hesitate. "He doesn't like the idea of us being quiet and stuff. I told him that if we were ever in a large wizarding population, our contact would have to be very limited. I don't want the wrong people after him or his family." She was quiet a moment. "I had a dream last night."

"Of?"

"He was dying," Aquila said softly. She shut the laundry and cleared her throat as she remembered the very vivid dream.

"And you think he will?" Euryale pressed.

"No, someone else will... He wanted me to save someone... to protect them. I don't know who it was."

"Well, do you know when this dream would probably come true?"

She shook her head, glancing at her mother. Euryale saw the worried look in Aquila's eyes. She didn't fully believe her words - she didn't know if the Muggle boy would truly survive. "I haven't the slightest idea... and that terrifies me, mother... What if it's you... or Evan? Or my friends?" She cleared her throat suddenly, glancing down at the book and parchment in her hands. "I should return these."

"Aquila, wait," Euryale insisted. "These dreams. How did they end?"

"He heard me screaming. It was a conjoined room, and we kept the door open just in case like wards failed or something. It was safer that way... I ... I must have been quite loud." Aquila blushed lightly. "Woke me up and I went absolutely mental, I did. I about tore him apart to make sure he was okay. I just-I've seen enough of friends and whatnot dying my age, you know?" Euryale did seem to understand. "And so-"

"What happened after that?"

Aquila shrugged, glancing at the book in her hands. It was a journal, but she wouldn't look in it. She wouldn't break his privacy like that. "Nothing, really. He asked if I wanted to talk about it, and I told him in the morning... He distracted me, having me recite all seven hundred fouls of Quidditch. It worked." She gave her mother a soft shrug. "We protect the Muggles in the neighborhood with our lives. That's why we moved here, that's what we'll do."

"Aquila-"

"We can't let them die," Aquila insisted. "Even if Potter's not here, they'll still target his family."

"They're Muggles," Euryale said flatly. "They can't defend themselves. Of course we'll try our best, but if we would die trying to save them, it wouldn't be worth it. They would still die after we're gone." Aquila knew she had a point. "I don't want you dying because of that boy."

"I won't," Aquila insisted. "Bigger picture. I will only save them if I can do so safely." Euryale nodded in approval but Aquila didn't know if she was being completely honest or not. The Muggle family had been a fondness of hers. She doubted she'd not fight for them to live. It wasn't their war. "Is there a way to ensure they're... they're safe?"

"No," Euryale said bluntly. "I don't want you to waste your time. Your heart will be broken in the end, or do you not remember the conversation we had?"

"What conversation?" Aquila asked, confused. "We've never had a conversation like-"

"How he was changing for the better. He won't," Euryale said bluntly. "He never will. So don't break your heart over it."

Aquila didn't know where that came from. "It's a risk, yes, but... I'm not too worried about it. I have faith in him... which is more than I can say for what you have in me." She moved towards the hall. "I'm going to drop these things off."

"Aquila-"

She shook her head, stopping at the front door. "I don't want to keep talking about it. It'd deflating my good mood. I just wanted to bask in the excitement for a few more hours." Euryale didn't look the slightest bit guilty. Aquila supposed she wouldn't. "I'll be back in two minutes." Her mother didn't stop her. Aquila almost expected the woman to follow her to the Dursley house.

It was Petunia that answered, giving Aquila a bright hug and ushering her inside. "Oh, I just wanted to drop these things off. They were in Dudley's bag-" Petunia took them, ushering the girl further into the house. "His clothes are in the wash, I was already doing a load and thought why not-"

"Would you like tea?"

"I really can't," Aquila insisted. "Dudley's probably sick of seeing me. It's been an entire week-"

"He's in the shower. Something about a bird."

Aquila giggled, remembering just minutes into the beginning of their flight back to Privet Drive. "He may have possibly angered a bird on the way... and it may have attacked him a tad?"

"May have?" Petunia pressed, though she didn't seem angry or horrified with the story. "He probably deserved it."

"Probably," Aquila agreed. "Anyway, I'd love to stay but I have like four essays to do for school and a giant Muggle studies project. And I've only finished the outlines for all of them."

Petunia gave a sympathetic nod. "Perhaps dinner? Or lunch tomorrow?"

"Probably not dinner, but I'd love to do lunch. My mother's visiting some family of hers," Aquila said suddenly. It was Evan Rosier's birthday after all. "I'd love to you, Vernon, and Dudley over, if that's okay?"

"Oh, that sounds lovely!" Petunia insisted, smiling brightly. "You've taken good care of my Dudders."

"He was perfectly safe the entire trip, Petunia," Aquila insisted. "Not a hair nor hide harmed. Although, I think he may have gotten a few bruises because I elbowed him in my random bouts of excitement during the course of the week. Sorry for any damage."

She waved it all away, not too concerned for her son. "It's alright. Now, you best get to work on that school work. Sounds like a lot to do."

"Twenty four inches each," Aquila commented with a nod. "So quite." She glanced at the books and parchment in Petunia's hands. "Make sure he gets them. I didn't look in the book or anything, either. His privacy and all that. Right, um-"

"Goodbye," Petunia smiled politely.

Aquila retreated after returning the phrase and headed back to her home. However, she stopped on the sidewalk, a bit struck, with the sight before her. Her strong, handsome, and very much alive ex-boyfriend was walking towards her, a grin on his face as though nothing in the last year had ever happened. "Ella," he greeted, but no. The voice was all wrong. More of an Irish lilt to it. She almost called him Cedric, they looked so similar. But this wasn't him.

"Gavin," her tone of surprise very obvious to the both of them. "What are you... what are you doing here?" It was difficult to look him in the face so she used the sunlight as an excuse to squint towards him.

"Dad sent me," he shrugged. "Couldn't figure out which house was yours."

"Number four," she said, gesturing to the house they were in front of. "That doesn't explain why Amos sent you..."

He gave her an easy smile that she could see clearly. "Why don't we head inside? We have much to discuss. It's nice to see you, though. It's been a while."

"Don't you work in the Ministry?" Aquila hesitated before moving towards him, opening her front door and letting him inside. "Because it's been a while due to your lack of surfacing from your work."

He shrugged. Aquila looked him over. He looked prim and proper. A Ministry official. And he was only 19. His elder brother, Cedric's. Merlin, they could have been twins. "Things happen."

"Yeah," Aquila agreed. She led him into the house, awkwardly shifting slightly as Polly presented them both with unasked tea. Her mother was no where to be found. Perhaps in the garden. "I ... I don't know what to say, really."

"He's gone," Gavin shrugged. "Yeah, he was a wicked great bloke, and bloody hell, I'll miss him. There's nothing much more to say." She only nodded, taking a sip of her tea. "That's not why I'm here though. Dad sent me. You were wicked in that match."

"Were you there?"

He shook his head. "I heard it on the radio. Late night in the office."

"Oh," she said softly. "Well, thanks. It was... bloody hell, it was a dream, I tell you."

"Yeah, well, keep dreaming, Black. Because you're replacing O'Reilly."

"Tara?" Aquila asked sharply, inhaling as she glanced up from her cup. He was giving her a pleased grin, as if that was the exact response he expected. She couldn't that predictable, could she? "But-But there's got to be other people to replace her... And Quigley-"

"Well, I'm taking Quigley's spot until they find someone," he shrugged as though it was no big deal. "I played beater in school, so I'm somewhat decent. But they need you every Saturday for matches. Think you can do that?"

"But school," Aquila said quietly. "And training. My own team-"

"Hogwarts matches don't interfere with national matches. Too important and all that. Besides, yours start early in the morning. Just finish them quick." Gavin grinned at her and she glanced at her tea again, unsure. "You're great. Dad and the team talked it out for a long time, well into the morning. They're for it. Of course, you'd still have to try out next year, but... we need you."

Aquila didn't know. "But is it even allowed? I would have to attend their traingings, which I know are during the school day. And the travel-"

"Who else can we find that's as talented as you?" Gavin insisted. "At least until Tara gets better, then? Can we make that compromise?"

Aquila could do that. "Three months," Aquila nodded. Gavin laughed, offering his hand for her to shake. "I'll owl you the contract, then. Just saying you won't sell out Ireland's secrets or anything."

"Have I ever?" she returned wittingly. He shook his head, but finished his tea. "Right, I have to get to the Ministry. I just thought I'd get here during some off time before a meeting. It wasn't my fault I had an accident apparating."

She laughed. "You can only use that excuse so many times, Gavin."

And he left, leaving behind the empty cup and Aquila with mixed feelings on his arrival. Merlin, he looked so much like Cedric. Since the funeral, she had avoided seeing him. She hadn't been able to. It not only hurt, but he was... he was so alike. She didn't want to get caught up in that. So she hadn't. She had stayed away until she came to terms with Cedric's death, how she could have done things differently, and she had found Dudley. Though she didn't know how far their relationship would go, it was something. They had some chemistry between them. And she liked him. He liked her.

She just wanted Dudley to be different.