It was Christmas morning in Villa Borghese, and Mia was bustling around her room, packing her suitcase. The air was filled with the festive scent of pine and the soft jingles of holiday music playing in the background. She felt happy and calm, like the weight of the world had been temporarily lifted from her shoulders.

Charlie had invited Mia, along with their friends Jace, Theo, Blaise, and Pansy, to visit the dragon reserve in Romania. She was looking forward to the adventure, a chance to escape the suffocating thoughts that often haunted her. But before she could embark on this exciting journey, she had to make a quick stop at the Potter Manor to pick up Pansy and Blaise.

The mere thought of the Potter Manor made her stomach churn. She couldn't help but feel out of place there, as if she were constantly battling her own ghost. It was a place where she felt pressured to conform to expectations that didn't align with who she truly was. As she folded her clothes and placed them neatly in her suitcase, she mulled over her conflicted feelings.

Suddenly, there was a gentle knock on her bedroom door, followed by the slow, deliberate footsteps of her father. He entered her room, concern etched on his face, and tenderly wiped away her tears.

"Dolcezza, what's wrong?" Enzo asked, holding her face gently in his hands, as he gently wiped away her tears.

Mia, realizing she had been crying, hugged her father tightly as Enzo's reassuring hands caressed her hair.

Pulling back from the embrace, Mia confessed to her father, "I don't know who I am anymore."

Enzo smiled warmly and responded, "I know exactly who you are."

Curiosity piqued, Mia asked, "Who am I?"

Enzo replied with unwavering love in his eyes, "You are my daughter, and you are what I love most in this world."

Mia, tears still glistening in her eyes, wiped them away and admitted to her father, "I don't want to go to the Potter Manor."

Enzo asked, "Do you want me to accompany you?"

Mia shook her head, "No, Jace is coming with me."

Enzo chuckled and teased, "Why not Theo? Is he not up for more wand-snapping adventures?"

Mia smiled faintly and said, "Theo isn't in the mood for wand-snapping at the moment."

Enzo laughed heartily, "I love Theo."

Mia hugged her father once more, "I love you, Dad."

Enzo embraced her tightly and reassured her, "I will never abandon you, dolcezza. A couple of wands won't stop me."

Mia's laughter was interrupted by strong arms encircling her from behind, accompanied by the comforting scent of Jace's cologne. "I want a hug too," Jace exclaimed.

Mia turned around with a joyful smile and wrapped her arms around Jace, telling him how much she had missed him. "I've missed you!"

Jace, amused, remarked, "Princess, it's only been a week and a half, you know."

Mia responded, "Well, it's been a week and a half too long."

As Enzo cleared his throat, he greeted Jace with a friendly handshake. Jace turned to Mia and asked, "Are you ready?"

Mia nodded and said, "I'll just give my suitcase to mum and we can go."

As Mia and Jace were momentarily alone, Enzo inquired about his daughter's well-being. A concerned frown crossed Jace's face as he replied, "Mia feels like she's drowning, Uncle Enzo."

Enzo's expression turned serious, urging Jace to continue. Jace explained, "It's the Potters. She feels like she doesn't fit in with them."

Enzo's anger began to simmer, and he asked, "Have the Potters done something to my daughter?"

Jace shook his head, clarifying, "No, it's not that. Mia feels like she owes them something, but she can't figure out what it is."

Enzo assured Jace, "Mia doesn't owe the Potters anything."

Jace persisted, "She's trying to be the daughter they lost and losing herself in the process."

Enzo inquired, "Has she spoken with the Potter about this?."

Jace revealed, "She's going to talk to James today."

With a determined look, Enzo spoke, "You take care of her whilst she's there."

Jace gazed into his uncle's eyes and vowed, "I'll take care of Mia with my life."

As they walked towards the fireplace, Jace whispered to Enzo that Mia had discovered that James had threatened him. With that revelation, they stepped into the fireplace and shouted, "POTTER MANOR!"

When Mia and Jace arrived at the Potter Manor, they found the adults scattered around the table, each engrossed in their own activities. The kids, however, were gathered on the floor, engrossed in a game of Exploding Snap.

Blaise was the first to break away from the game and approach Mia. He inquired, "Are we leaving yet?"

Jace nodded, and he turned to Pansy, "Pansy, grab your things we're leaving when Mia finishes talking with James."

Harry, wearing a puzzled expression, looked at Jace and inquired, "Where are you guys going?"

Jace responded casually, "Charlie Weasley invited Blaise, Pansy, Theo, Mia, and me to the Romanian dragon reserve."

Draco, with a hint of annoyance, asked, "Why can't we go too?"

Jace couldn't resist a mocking smile as he replied, "Well, you see, Malfoy, you weren't invited, and a little birdie told me what Harry here thinks of the Borghese."

Intrigued, Lily asked, "What did Harry say about the Borghese?"

Mia, her expression serious, answered, "He shouted it from the rooftops in the Great Hall that the Borghese aren't my real family."

Suddenly, all eyes turned to Harry, and several disapproving glances were cast his way, causing his face to flush red with embarrassment.

Mia turned her attention to James and said, "I need to talk to you in private."

James exchanged a glance with Lily and stood up from the table, gesturing to Mia to follow him to his study.

Leaving Jace with Mia's extended family, Jace calmly took the chair James had vacated and locked eyes with Harry, wearing a mocking smile.

Without looking at Lily or Narcissa, Jace declared pouting, "Draco and Harry don't deserve Christmas presents because they've been very, very bad boys."

Lucius raised an eyebrow, directing a questioning look at Jace. "Why would you say that?" he asked.

Jace, taking a bite of an apple, casually remarked, "Harry and Draco have been acting quite poorly at Hogwarts."

Enraged, Harry protested, "Don't believe anything he says, Mum!"

Lily hushed Harry and turned her attention to Jace, asking, "What has my son done?"

Jace, looking at her directly, replied, "Harry and Draco have hopped on the fame bandwagon and are acting like arrogant idiots to their friends, matter of fact they are neglecting them."

Lucius turned his gaze toward his son and inquired, "Is this true?"

Draco hesitated for a moment but ultimately denied it. "No, it's not true."

Jace, still looking at Lucius, questioned, "Then Draco explain to your father why aren't you and Harry joining us in Romania?"

Narcissa disapprovingly regarded her son and her nephew, while Lucius decreed, "You're both grounded without brooms until you return to Hogwarts."

Harry, consumed by anger, shouted at Jace, "I hate you!"

Jace simply smiled and replied, "I don't care. But just wait until Mia hears about this, and you won't have a sister to argue with."

The door to the study closed behind Mia, and she immediately unleashed her anger. "What the fuck were you doing threatening my father on my birthday?" she screamed at James.

A frustrated James ran a hand through his hair and admitted, "You were assaulted, Mia. I should've known."

Mia's anger flared even more, and she retorted angrily, "That doesn't give you the right to threaten my father!"

James tried to defend himself, saying, "You're my daughter too.

Mia, her voice dripping with frustration, snapped back, "I didn't want anyone to know about it!"

James defended his actions, saying, "I was worried about you."

Mia's anger boiled over, and she snapped, "Stop worrying so much about me and teach your son what consent is."

James, clearly concerned, asked, "Why would you say that?"

Mia's anger boiled over as she recounted, "Harry gave me a panic attack, and Jace had to ask him, not once but twice, to stay away from me, and he refused!"

James scratched his neck, a hint of guilt in his expression, and said, "I'll talk to Harry." He then asked, "Are you staying with us for Christmas?"

Mia's response was a firm denial. She emphasized, "I'm going to Romania with my family."

James, hurt, told her, "We're your family too."

Mia exploded, yelling, "Stop saying that!"

James, struggling to defend himself, told her, "But you are my daughter."

Mia yelled at him, "Stop looking at me like that!"

Confused, James asked, "Like what?"

Mia, gripping her hair in frustration, cried out, "Like you expect me to turn into the two-year-old girl you so desperately want me to be!"

James weakly protested, "That's not true."

Mia, gripping her hair in exasperation, insisted, "Look at my face and tell me you don't want me to be that little girl again because I'm not!"

James, his voice filled with love, told her, "I love you just the way you are."

Mia shook her head and laughed bitterly, saying, "It's not true. You've wanted me to move into this house since the moment you found out who I was."

James argued, "I'm your father, Mia. I have the right to see you."

Mia erupted, shouting, "I already have parents and a family!"

James fell silent, and Mia confronted him, "What did you think would happen when I found out who my biological parents were?"

Sitting in a chair, James admitted, "I don't know."

Mia locked eyes with him and said, "I'll tell you what you thought. You thought I'd run into your arms and completely forget about my family."

James, looking pained, confessed, "I had no idea you felt that way."

Suddenly, Mia blurted out, "I didn't want to know anything about you in the first place, you know? ."

James, surprised, asked "What changed?"

"After I got the DNA test I told my parents I didn't want to see you. I was afraid my parents would abandon me. My dad told me otherwise," Mia revealed. "The man you threatened to arrest told me that you had a right to know who I was. That you deserved to know that I was alive."

James apologized, his regret evident. "I don't know what to say."

"Never dare threaten my family or my friends again, or you'll never see me again." Mia approached the door,"I used to dislike Aurors; now I hate them." With that, she slammed the door and left.

Upon her arrival in the dining room, she realized that everyone was staring at her. She turned to Jace and gave him a nod, indicating that she was ready to leave. Pansy and Blaise were the first to step into the fireplace.

Just as Jace and Mia were about to depart, Harry yelled "I hate you! You've ruined my Christmas! I don't want to see you!"

Jace instinctively started to move toward Harry, but Mia stopped him. She fixed Harry with an icy look and declared, "I don't care." With that, Mia and Jace disappeared into the fireplace, leaving the Potter Manor behind.

As James entered the room, a hush fell over the gathering. Sirius couldn't resist a whistle of admiration and remarked, "Holy shite, this Christmas beats any Black family gathering."

Regulus, however, shot him a condescending look and said, "This is not the time, Sirius."

Lily, her face white with shock, immediately grew furious. She turned to Harry and instructed him sternly, "Go to your room now."

Harry, defiant, shot back, "Stop defending Mia. She made it very clear she doesn't belong in this family."

In a fit of rage, James shouted, "Mia is my daughter, and therefore your sister. There will be no argument about it."

Sirius, equally angry, rose from the table and warned Harry, "You're going to regret talking to your older sister like that. And maybe by the time you realize it, it'll be too late."

Desperate, Harry turned to his uncle Regulus for support, but Regulus simply followed Sirius to try to calm him down.

Lucius and Narcissa, seeing the situation escalate, decided it was best to leave. They instructed Draco to gather their things, and one by one, they departed from the Potter mansion.

This left James, Lily, and Harry in the living room alone. Lily looked at the fireplace with a sad expression and commented, "It was supposed to be a happy Christmas."

James, with a serious tone, fixed his gaze on Harry and declared, "You're going to apologize to your sister."

Harry, still defiant, retorted, "You can't force me."

With determination, James rose from his seat and replied, "Yes, I can. Because I'm your father." With that, James left the room.

Harry turned to his mother, hoping for support, but Lily shook her head in disappointment and followed James, leaving Harry alone in front of the Christmas tree, contemplating his actions.

When Mia and Jace arrived in Romania, it was immediately clear that something was wrong. Mia's magic was in a state of chaos, causing her to tremble uncontrollably, and her eyes seemed to hold a storm of emotions within them. Jace had never seen Mia like this, and he was at a loss for how to calm her down.

Charlie was the first to notice Mia's distress. He urgently instructed Jace, "Get her away from the dragons, quickly!"

Nodding, Jace turned to lead Mia away to safety, but to his shock, she was nowhere to be found. Panic surged through him, and he shouted, "I've lost her!"

Instantly, everyone in the group became frantic, scanning the area for any sign of Mia, their worry mounting by the second.

Theo hurried over and demanded voice dripped with anger, "What the fuck happened at Potter Manor?"

Jace, still trying to process the situation, explained, "Mia made it clear to James how she felt about being a Potter. Harry... Harry told her that he hated her."

Theo's anger flared, and he vowed, "The next time I see Harry, I'm going to make him regret those words, make him beg for his miserable life."

Jace offered a smile and said, "I'll be right there with you. But for now, our priority is finding Mia before she ends up as dragon food."

Mia ran and ran through the wilderness, her destination uncertain. All she knew was that she needed to escape, to break free from the suffocating expectations and the burden of being someone she wasn't. She wanted to shed the weight of people's stares and judgments and just be herself.

When her legs could no longer carry her, Mia dropped to the ground, overcome by frustration. She screamed, letting out all the suppressed rage that had been building within her. Her cries echoed through the open space, her throat raw from the intensity of her emotions. Frustration and self-loathing fueled her as she pounded the earth beneath her with her fists. Each blow was stronger than the last, an outward manifestation of the inner turmoil she was experiencing.

She despised herself for allowing the expectations of others to eat away at her. She hated her inability to make James and Lily happy, to meet their lofty expectations. She resented herself for not being the person they wanted her to be, for clinging to the false hope that things would somehow work out. She loathed herself for letting people enter her life and then leave, for naively trusting in their good intentions. Most of all, she hated herself because she had lost sight of who she truly was. She despised her own transformation and longed for the freedom she once possessed. She cursed herself for even daring to dream of happiness.

Unbeknownst to Mia, a pair of enormous red eyes watched her curiously from the shadows, gradually drawing nearer. She felt the hot breath on her skin and turned around slowly, her tear-soaked eyes meeting the inquisitive gaze of a dragon's pitch-black head, its eyes gleaming like rubies.

Meanwhile, Theo and Jace had grown increasingly desperate during the hour-long search for Mia. Just when they were on the brink of despair, a distant scream pierced the air.

Theo's eyes widened, and he turned to Jace, "Is that…Is that Mia?"

Jace's heart raced as he recognized the voice and shouted, "It's her!"

They sprinted in the direction of the scream, their hearts pounding in their chests. When they finally reached the scene, they were met with a sight that left them pale with shock. Standing before Mia was the largest dragon they had ever laid eyes on.

Mia, her eyes filled with terror, screamed in fear as she found herself face to face with the immense creature. She watched in horror as the dragon opened its massive jaw, and the last thing she registered before losing consciousness was Jace's body shielding her and someone else screaming in panic.

"DAOR!"