Author Commentary: While messing around with my TLS playlist (I use it for finding inspiration songs and writing lyrics for the story), I believe I've discovered this story's theme song: "Perfectly Perfect" by Elizabeth & the Catapult. I originally had it because the music is a playful vibe, but the more I listen to the lyrics, the more I realize that it's weirdly fitting for both Melissa as a whole and for her friendship with Harry.

Author Note: This chapter has a lot of Italian in it, but I don't have the translations up. I can add some if people want it. Also, if you're Italian and my Google translate is atrocious, please send me corrections. (In hindsight, I should have asked my Italian friend to do this for me ages ago, but I didn't want to impose.)

July 31st, 1993

Harry woke to a world of white and blue. Bright white walls, awash in sunlight. The sound of sea and seabirds greeted him, beckoning him from bed. He pulled into the call. Walking to the window, he opened the curtains and rested his arms against the sill, feeling the salty wind welcome him on his first official day in Santorini.

His day started a long time before Sirius'. He went over to the kitchen of the bed and breakfast-esque hotel. There he enjoyed said breakfast while chatting with the woman running the hotel, as well as other visitors in the home (all in broken English and his own broken lingua franca he's developed since they started travelling.) The talks were pleasant and full of delightful recommendations of where to explore while in the city. Afterwards he went upstairs to wake Sirius, only to find him already half-awake, head bowed while sitting in a chair.

Looking at his dishevelled hair, Harry couldn't help but chuckle. "Good morning!"

"Mrn'ng."

Harry bit his lip against a smile. "You know, if you stop sneaking out at night it'll be easier to be awake in the morning."

"What're you, my mother?"

"...I could shriek at you, if you'd like?"

"Heh." His body popped up with a small laugh. "'N wear a dress."

His head bent down again. It was then that Harry noticed a pair of envelopes in Sirius' hand. Whatever it is, he could see between the curtain of hair that Sirius was staring at the envelopes as if his eyes could bore a hole into them. Curious, and feeling mischievous, Harry plucked the letters right out of his hand. "OY!" Sirius scrambled for the letters, only to trip and stumble out of the chair. Meanwhile Harry hopped away to the balcony.

Humming to himself, he opened up the first letter with a flourish. Finding familiar, elegant script, he read it through while simultaneously dodging Sirius' grasping hands. "Hold still, will you!"

"I'm a seeker, it's in my nature to dodge beaters."

The remark got a laugh out of Sirius. "HA! Cheeky brat." He lunged again, leg bashing and toppingly onto the bed. As he groaned from the impact, Harry finished off the letter with an approving hum. Catching that sound, Sirius spoke within a groan. "Ugh! So what's my illustrious grandfather up to, these days? Recommending more tutor prats and 'distinguished acquaintances' for you to meet?"

"No." Well, technically there was a small bit of that mentioned. "Actually he has great news. He's officially un-disowned Andromeda from the family."

Sirius' head snapped towards him. "Say that again?"

"Andromeda is a Black again, and he's added Ted and Tonks to the family tree."

"You're joking!"

"He says it all here." The letter left his hands, and into Sirius'. Leaving Sirius to Arcturus' message, Harry opened up the next letter and read it through.

"I don't get it… Is he mad? Is he ill? Why now?"

"It did sound like he talked to Andromeda about it first. Maybe she didn't agree unless her whole family was included?"

"Maybe. That's probably the only thing that makes sense." A pause came as both continued reading. When finished, Sirius' tone was in nothing short of awe. "Well I'll be damned. The old bastard actually had a change of heart."

"I'm glad he has." Harry finished off the second letter. "Mister Salvatore is inviting us to his home in Naples."

"No."

Harry looked over the paper, challenging Sirius' flat look. "There's no harm in going."

"He lied to me. Swindled me for coin."

"He also caught Pettigrew and saved you from Azkaban."

"And lied about why he did it!"

"Does it really change things? I mean, that means he saved you on purpose instead of by accident. Isn't that better?"

"I… I don't know!" He flustered. A moment of quiet passed between them. "It's better, and it's worse. I know, I know, that doesn't make sense."

"...Maybe if you two talked about it-"

"Pup, there's a reason we skipped Italy."

"I'm aware. Trust me." Harry rolled his eyes. Sirius had been far too shifty about it when the suggestion came up. "It was pretty obvious by the fifth country."

"Pfft! Monaco doesn't count."

"You spent as much gold there as you did everywhere else," Harry teased.

Sirius flicked a pointing finger at him. "And I made more than that back by the end of the night!"

He gave a snort. "So, what you're saying is, we've got more than enough money to spend in Italy. Especially since we'll have free accommodations."

"Free accommodations," Sirius parroted mockingly. "Puh! Give me one good reason why we should go?"

"Because… I'm asking you to," he knelt beside the bed, "and it's my birthday." He blinked puppy dog eyes at Sirius. "You wouldn't say no to your godson on his birthday, would you?"

Eye to eye, Sirius sucked in a loud breath. "Oh you little… so-and-so!" His body shook with annoyance. Then he pouted hard, as did Harry (the latter giving a small puppy-like whine to the plea.) "...Oh fine!"

"-Yes!-"

"Fine! Have your little trip! But the rest of the holiday we do what I want. Got it?"

Harry laughed, knowing that his frustrations will end soon enough. Likely after some prank at Harry's expense. "Sure thing, Uncle Padfoot. You're the best."

"Yeah, yeah."

They arrived in Naples a few days later to a sunlit villa. The building spanned two high-ceilinged storeys; with red tiles, light yellow walls and large arching windows that welcomed in the light. Columns of dense conifers stood sentinel around the property, and lush vegetation and floral baskets on balconies decorated the home. A hint of shorter walls to the sides suggested other homes or wings connecting to the main building. There was also a sound of water, despite their distance from the sea, which promised an atrium within.

"It's… alright."

Harry rolled his eyes. "It's lovely, you're just stubborn." He adjusted his trunk and -ignoring Sirius' bratty tongue- walked to the entrance.

The doors opened at their arrival, revealing a large group of people within. Standing at the forefront was his old defence tutor, arms gesturing to them in greeting. "Sirius, Harry, welcome to my home!"

"Hello, Mister Salvatore," Harry smiled brightly at the man. He could hear Sirius give a polite greeting as he continued. "Thank you for inviting us."

"The pleasure is all ours." He gave a quick glance about the large foyer. Especially as several smaller heads started jumping and poking around the adults' bodies. "Allow me to introduce you to my family."

It was a family to rival the Weasleys! They were first introduced to Marcello's parents, Ernesto and Maria - whom Harry thought must be nearing a hundred years old. Next were Marcello's five siblings and their spouses, including his own wife, Carmela. This was followed by introductions to their children and grandchildren. Honestly, Harry lost track of most people's names early on. He mostly focused on the teenagers: Enzo, Laura (La-oo-rah, she corrected him), Marco, Ornella and Massimo; and also made note of Marcello's only child, Ezio, and Ezio's wife, Rosa.

"-Though one more is coming!" Marcello's older sister, Giulia, grinned with suggestive eyebrows towards the couple.

The two smiled sheepishly. The reason was clear as Rosa placed a hand over a light bump on her belly. On hearing his sister, Marcello waved the remark off. "Now, now, be nice, Giulia."

"I am nice!" She scoffed. "I am just saying, it took so long, and now finally-"

Marcello shot something back in Italian, his sister and their siblings following suit. A loud garble of bickering that Harry couldn't understand. He turned his focus back to Rosa and Ezio, the latter of whom rolled his eyes before meeting Harry's gaze. "This is why I don't live here."

"I can imagine," Sirius chuckled. "Where do you two live?"

"Milano," He answered. "Though we are spending the month here. We couldn't tell my family the news over the phone, of course."

"Not that they have a phone," Rosa added with a laugh.

"But they do have a strillettera," Ezio added. The warning tone he used suggested that it wasn't something nice.

"That's your… yelling paper, yes?" She shook her head, with eyes to the sky. "The magic things your people make..."

"Oh!" Sirius said. "You're muggle?"

"Muggle?" A quick exchange in Italian translated the word for Rosa, who scowled a moment, before turning back to them with a huff. "I have no magic, yes. That word though, in Italia, sounds much like babbeo. Do I look like a babbeo!"

Sirius quickly shouted "No! No!" Which was the right move as she continued.

"Of course not. I did not become an engineer just to be called a babbeo!"

"Of course not, mia cuore." Ezio kissed his wife's cheek. "You are the smartest, most beautiful woman in the world! No maghe can compare." The two giggle quietly. Only drawn out of the moment by the loud bickering of their elders. Shaking his head, Ezio looked back at the British wizards before asking. "Would you like a tour? Yes? Ehi! Massimo, tutti, gli stiamo mostrando loro un giro della casa! Dai!" He beckoned Harry, Sirius, and the teenagers to follow them out. Fortunately, on seeing the commotion, Marcello broke away from his siblings and followed suit.

The villa was even nicer on the inside. The floors were a warm pottery-red tiling, and the hallways decorated with various potted plants, magical paintings and sculptures. Much of the hallway opened up to columned archways which, sure enough, revealed an open-air atrium. A sculpted fountain decorated the centre of a large, rectangular pond. The rest of the atrium was split in half, with a meandering garden trail on one side, while the other was a paved patio area adorned with hanging lanterns.

As they walked along the path, the various teenagers pulled Harry into conversation, asking him about Britain, his hobbies, and added stories to go along with each room Ezio and Marcello showcased. They toured the entirety of the main house, as well as the newer buildings that some of the next generation procured for their families' use. By the time they finished, it was time for lunch. They ended up on the patio for the occasion. A long set of tables lay ready for them (and Sirius seemed particularly happy to see various bottles of wine along the row). Harry ended up further down than Sirius, placed between Marco and Laura and surrounded by the other children. Toasts were made for the new arrivals ("and next year's arrival!") before a course of food magically appeared at the table. A few minutes later the food disappeared, only for another course to come. Then another. After being assured that this was normal, Harry ensured to only sample each dish as it came- which still resulted in him being full before the last course. Oh well, he'll keep that in mind for dinner.

Dinner proved to be an entertaining affair. The newness of the guests had dimmed a bit from an afternoon of stories and games. A fact which had the family switching their target of focus.

"-suddenly I get a letter saying he needs one thousand galleons from the family vault. No explanation. No nothing. I do it, of course. I'm his brother. I think he's being responsible. But what do I find when he comes home? A completely new arm!"

"Antonio, I've paid you back half already. You're bothering my guests."

Antonio waved off the protest. "Bah! I'm not bothering them."

"No, not at all!" Sirius grinned. "Go on. You were saying?"

"Yes. Here he comes. Brand new arm. Why? Who knows?"

"I went on an adventure."

"-An adventure he says! What man goes on an adventure without a story, eh? Who?"

Sirius answered mockingly. "It's an absolute mystery."

"Mystery! Yes! Exactly! His first arm, there's a story. His toes, there's a story. His fancy arm, his arm costing one thousand galleons, there's no story! None!"

To the side, Harry whispered to the teenagers. "His toes?"

Laura whispered back. "A plant ate two of them."

Disturbed and confused, Harry didn't ask further. Opting to continue listening in as the three men circled around the same arguments.

At one point Antonio made a snide comment about how the lack of limbs must make his wife feel. Carmela answered that question directly in Italian. Whatever she said had many of the adults oo-ing and the teenagers whistling. Judging by her smirk, and the blown kiss from her husband, the reaction was clearly a point in her and Marcello's favour. However, despite everyone else's reactions, Harry noticed the other girl, Ornella, shying into her seat with a blush.

He leaned over to her and asked. "What did she say?"

Ornella startled slightly. The blush grew deeper. "It… The English I don't know," she demurred.

"You don't know?" Marco asked with a wicked grin on his face. "Prova a dirlo. We must practise our English, fratello," he mocked in a girlish voice. "Go on."

Ornella threw him a dirty look, then deflated again and Harry's expectant face. "She said… she is… happy, with married."

Marco scoffed and said something to his sister that Harry couldn't catch. Ornella fired back in a frustrated whisper. Feeling lost by the whole thing, Harry decided to move away from the conversation for safety's sake and turned back to the adults. The loudness of it showed that the argument was still going on. Which, honestly, surprised Harry as last summer Mister Salvatore seemed more of a quiet and thoughtful person. Maybe it's just when he's with family?

Looking about the table, Harry settled into an amused resignation. If that's the case… they're in for a very loud holiday.

*VROOM!*

*SCREECH!*

*SLAM!*

"ROSA!"

The sounds echoed across the property. Harry, who was flying above it all in a pickup game of quidditch, gave curious looks to the other players, who looked as confused as him. The group flew towards the noise, only to be further confused upon finding a bright red car parked out front. Behind the car stood a woman in a sundress and large sunglasses, looking through the boot of the car and pulling various items out. The kids touched down as this was going on. A fact which didn't faze the woman in the slightest.

"Sei il figlio di Fabrizia, vero?" She asked while pointing at Massimo. "Buona. Prendi quelle scatole o, non so, agita una bacchetta magica. Qualunque cosa facciate voi gente. ROSA!"

Massimo jogged over to the woman, only to stumble as she pushed a large gift-wrapped box in his direction. Ornella walked over and joined him, speaking to the woman and accepting a box as well.

Approaching Ornella, Harry asked. "What's going on?"

The girl shrugged, looking half-confused as another box piled onto hers. The woman doing so heard him, however, and she looked him over. "English? And who are you?"

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter. My uncle and I are staying here for the week."

"Ah. I see."

At last, the hubbub reached the inside of the house as Rosa, Sirius and a few of the others came out to see the commotion. "Chiara?" Rosa ran over to them and kissed the woman's cheeks. "Cosa stai facendo qui?"

"Cosa stai facendo qui?" The repetition came in a mocking tone. A head glance at Harry, and the woman looked back at Rosa and answered her in english. "Well, since English boys get to hear about my sister's baby before I do, it's only fair that I come visit."

"Chiara," Rosa groaned, "I tried to tell you last week. Remember, the dinner at our parents house. The dinner you didn't go to."

"I was busy!"

"You could have answered your phone."

"You could have left a message!"

"Ho lasciato un messaggio!"

"I never heard it," Chiara dismissed. "Then I find out days later from mamma, so of course I came. I brought gifts!" She plucked another box out and tossed it to Enzo.

Rosa twisted her head to look into the boot. "How many gifts did you bring?!"

"A lot," Chiara clipped. "This is probably the only baby you'll have. I have to spoil them rotten. Is it a boy or girl?"

"It's too early." Rosa rolled her eyes. "You can have your own kids, you know."

"Me? Ha! No, I am the… how they say, the Cool Aunt who shows how to have fun." At that phrase, she lowered sunglasses and gave Harry a wink.

"Dio mio," Rosa muttered under her breath.

Chiara grinned at the comment. Raising her arm, she waved a circle at the rest of the teens. "Ragazzi, prendete il resto di questi! Ezio, sistema la stanza accanto alla tua. Tonight, we celebrate!"

By the end of the day Harry concluded that Italians are just very different from British people. The day was full of loud conversations, wine, and laughter. Much of that laughter came from Sirius as well as Rosa's sister, Chiara, and mainly at the expense of Marcello. (Which, yes, was a topic Sirius constantly instigated.) Marcello took most of it in stride; though he got some retribution after offering Sirius a "personal demonstration" of his new arm. Sirius put on a decent showing …at first. By the time Marcello was done toying with him, Sirius was coughing up canaries and tripping over his own eyebrows. Which, naturally, brought on laughs around the house.

The next day, wanting a break from the adults, Harry convinced the other teens to take him on a tour through Naples. They biked around the city, seeing various castles, churches, and interesting neighbourhoods along the way. Afterwards they had dinner at a pizzeria (where they each had an entire pizza eaten with a fork and knife, to his confusion.) When night fell they all snuck down to the catacombs. At which point Massimo, being the only seventeen year old of the group, magicked new outfits for the group and led them to a secret dance party he heard was happening that night. They danced for hours! Something Harry had never experienced before; and it was a blast!

They eventually returned home late. Which, funny enough, must not have been too late (on learning that Sirius was off to a bar with some of the other adults.) For the teens, that meant more time to hang out at Marco and Ornella's house. There they played an italian card game (which Harry struggled to remember the rules for) and hung out for the next hour or so. Their night didn't end until sometime after Harry passed out on the couch.

All in all, it was a very fun day.