Hermione was super excited about the contest and had outlined a couple potential routines, ultimately deciding on hip-hop/salsa fusion. Cedric was glad that she was excited and he didn't want to let her down. He knew how important dancing was to her and he was willing to compromise to make her happy. Still, his thoughts were occupied by his first transformation. Yes, he had transformed once before, but he hardly remembered it and was out until after he turned back. He had been taking the potions leading up to it, but that night it would finally take place.

"So," said Hana. "We'll just be placing you in the guest bedroom on this floor."

"Won't that be dangerous?" he asked. "For you?"

"No," said Hana. "You'll be too high and you won't want to hurt us anyway because the potion lets you keep your mind."

"I know but what if something happens?" he asked. "What if I have a bad reaction or it doesn't work for me for some reason? I don't want to hurt any of you, surely there'd be a better place to lock me up."

"There is always the garage," said Tavi quietly.

"Yes!" said Cedric. "The garage. And then you can just reinforce the door or, better yet, park the car in front of it!"

"Cedric," said Hermione, resting her hand on his knee. "I trust Hana and her potion skills."

She truly believed everything would be okay and she had no fear towards him. No, she was afraid for him. Afraid of how much this will hurt him. Wishing she could be there with him, to hold him tightly when his transformation was complete. Her trust in him could get her killed. What if the potion didn't do what it was supposed to?

"I would still feel better if I wasn't so close," he said.

"If you really feel that way," said Hana. "I'll get the garage ready. Herminia, get your wand so we can clean it up. Amalea, grab some blankets and a bowl for water."

The three of them got to work. Hermione kissed Cedric's temple and drew her wand, leaving with Hana through the front door while Amalea went to the linen closet in the guest bedroom. He was scared to look into their heads and see what they really thought of this.

He wasn't much use with the preparations, all of his energy had drained away just with unloading and loading the dishwasher. For the first time, he felt like he had lycanthropy. Like he was diseased and something was coursing through his veins. It was similar to feeling germy when you were incredibly sick. Belle jumped into his lap and meowed. She tried to cuddle with him at night, but when his nightmares struck he always ended up throwing her out of bed. She didn't like that at all and had taken to just latching onto him during the day. Crookshanks was sitting on Manuia's recliner and studying Cedric coolly.

Werewolves were once classified under the Beast category. Maybe he could read the cats' minds. Not breaking eye contact, Cedric tried very hard to connect with Crookshanks's mind to see what he might be thinking. Crookshanks blinked slowly and looked away.

"Okay," said Hermione, entering the house. "The garage is all clean and comfy so when the lunar clock tolls, we'll bring you down there."

She slipped her arms around Cedric's neck and kissed his cheek. He smiled and leaned into her. As she made to sit beside him, Crookshanks mewed and fell back so he was sitting like a person.

"Oh, Crookie!" Hermione cooed, leaving Cedric and sitting on the ground in front of the armchair with her legs tucked under her. "Is my big, baby boo sitting like a people? Aww!"

As Hermione buried her face in Crookshanks' "fwuffy tummy" the cat sent a triumphant, smug look in Cedric's direction. Cedric narrowed his eyes and settled back against the couch, gently stroking Belle's soft fur. His cat purred loudly. Amalea interrupted by throwing a cat toy into the middle of the room. Both cats jumped up and went after the jingly pink mouse.

Hermione sat next to Cedric and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Aren't kitties just too cute?" she said. "I love when Crookshanks sits like a person does, it makes his tummy so fat."

Oh… Crookshanks knew very well that if he did that Hermione would turn her attention to him. Clever cat. Belle seemed to be beyond such things. Maybe. How many times had she done something that tore him away from Hermione's side due to sheer adorableness? They both had intelligent cats and perhaps jealous ones as well.

Too soon, the lunar clock rang out, able to be heard throughout the house. Manuia wasn't home from work yet due to it being inventory night.

"I'll give you the potion once we're in there," said Hana. "Now, if you don't feel the effects right away don't worry, it can take a bit to set in."

The cats ran out the door as soon as it opened.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione cried. "Belle! Wait! You haven't gone through official quarantine! We'll get fined!"

She chased them down the steps and around the corner. Hana continued helping Cedric down the stairs. When they reached the garage, Hermione was standing there watching Belle and Crookshanks settle down on one of the blankets.

The garage was small, only big enough for their jeep and bicycles (with magically interchangeable sand-to-pavement wheels). The leaves and car drip had been cleaned up leaving behind only a faint smell of gas and they had set up a place for him to sleep, as if he could while under transformation.

"Alright," said Hermione. "Guess the cats have decided to spend the night with you. Good, you won't be alone." She held out her arms. "Last hug."

Cedric hugged her tightly and quietly breathed in the scent of her hair. She changed her shampoo from apple to vanilla and coconut. Apparently, coconut is what made her hair shiny.

Hermione kissed him gently and looked into his eyes.

"You'll be okay," she said. "I'll see you first thing. Don't worry, I'll cut you some slack for not being available for rehearsal."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Thanks. I appreciate that."

"I knew you would." She kissed him again and backed out of the garage.

Hana jumped up and grabbed onto the garage handle, slowly pulling it down until it was closed. There was a door to get in, but it was partially blocked by a work bench.

"Does Papá know he can't park in the garage tonight?" Hermione asked.

"Uh… I'll give him a call."

"I'll just wait out here."

Cedric sighed and downed his potion, cringing at the woodsy, sweet, grassy flavor. It wasn't pleasant but it also wasn't entirely unpleasant. He couldn't decide whether or not he liked it. He smacked his lips. Was that cardamom he detected? He stowed the potion bottle away on a shelf and sat criss-cross on the floor, taking a deep breath. There was a distant rumble and a sharp gust of wind rattled the garage door. The thick smell of rain hit his senses.

If the moon didn't shine… would he not transform?

As he pondered his limits, a cloud came over his head. His eyelids grew heavy and he became very interested in his hand. A couple of times he had to manually close his mouth. He laughed to himself. So that's what cannabis did. With a smile he listened to the rain pounding loudly against the garage door. A resounding crack of thunder sent the cats into his lap.

His pleasant haze stopped short as all of his muscles contracted painfully and his skin prickled as if he were being swarmed with ants that suddenly decided to start biting and stinging.

Crookshanks and Belle took off and jumped on top of some boxes.

As his entire body stretched and reshaped, he writhed on the floor and raked newly sharpened nails on the concrete. A howl ripped through his throat, the transformation complete. Cedric staggered and realized that he was now trying to balance on three legs. And though it shouldn't have, he found this to be incredibly… funny . The light and fizzy feeling in his brain returned and he slid onto his stomach completely in pain yet not even caring.

He lay in the same spot for hours not even moving when the part of the potion that made him high wore off. Crookshanks and Belle returned once more to his side, trying to purr his pain away. He did not receive the power to talk to them. Perhaps he was still too human. That was oddly comforting.

When the storm ebbed and moonlight returned, he stared at the light on the floor and willed it to go away, then began to count to see how high he could go. Anything than be trapped with his thoughts; Whispered words that chipped away at his self-esteem and resolve little by little. Things that could easily be denied but the more they rolled around in his mind the bigger the pit of doubt grew.

He used several expletives and grabbed for where his arm used to be. It itched so bad! How could something itch if it wasn't even there? Bloody phantom limb!

Hours later, the moon set and the grey light of morning set in. Cedric closed his eyes, but was not prepared for the morning transformation back into a human. It began with a tingle, then a prickle, and all at once it was like hot wax poured down his spine and slid over the rest of his body. He cried out and the wolfish howl turned back into his human voice. He fell limp onto the floor and curled up, not having the energy to stand. At least with the apogee moon, he was closer to humanoid form, so he didn't ruin his shorts by sprouting a tail. If the moon was in perigee, then he would have been more wolf-like with the bushier tail and broader snout.

Belle meowed loudly and nuzzled his face.

"Help," he whispered faintly.

The garage door opened and Hermione stood there in her running clothes and holding a drink container full of liquid that looked similar to those foamy, green protein shakes she always drank.

"Hey, farm boy," she said softly, kneeling down and brushing his hair back. "Can you sit up at all?"

"I don't know," he croaked and sniffled. Everything hurt so bad. He might as well have been crucio'd again.

Hermione bit her lip and lifted his head, carefully pouring the potion into his mouth. It had been sweetened with some sort of fruit he couldn't detect, but the consistency almost made him throw up. Still, he gulped it down and shuddered.

"Hold tight," she said, wiping away the sheen of sweat on his brow with the corner of the blanket. "I'll go get Papá."

She tucked a balled up blanket under his head and ran off, the cats not too far behind her.

Everything hurt and he was hyperaware of every sound and smell. On the reflection of the jeep's windshield the rays of dawn disappeared as a new storm formed. Cedric remembered Hermione telling him that Kauai was its own rainforest and rainforests came with, you guessed it, rain. The garage became filled with the heavy scent and the roar of the waves grew louder as the wind picked up.

"I don't think he can stand," came Hermione's voice.

She and Manuia entered the garage.

"Can you use a levitating spell?" Manuia asked.

"I could try, but what if I drop him?"

"Good point."

Manuia knelt down. "Sorry, kid. This'll probably hurt."

Cedric hissed and gasped in pain as Hermione's dad picked him up.

It was already starting to rain, so Hermione cast the umbrella charm and walked backwards up the stairs to the house, holding her wand over their heads. By the time they entered the house, it was a full-on downpour.

Manuia set Cedric down on the couch and draped a blanket over him to keep him decent.

"Tavi," said Manuia.

Tavi popped into the room and tears welled in her eyes. "Oh, Master Cedric, look at the state of you." She brushed his hair back and patted his cheek. "I will draw you a bath. I believe Mrs. Hana has some salts that will help and I will get you a change of clothes."

When she left, Manuia nodded.

"Stole the words out of my mouth," he said. "I've got to get to work. Herminia, you're in charge, make sure your sister gets her butt up and cleans her room. Tavi!"

"Yes?" Tavi called.

"You are not allowed to clean Lea's room for her. I already taught her how to do it herself."

"Yes, sir!"

Manuia pressed his forehead to Hermione's forehead, put on his raincoat, grabbed his wallet and keys, and left to go to work.

"Guess running is out," said Hermione, kicking her shoes off by the front door. "Are you hungry, love?"

"Famished," he croaked. "And thirsty."

"Right." She came in with a plastic cup of water with a straw sticking out. "Water comes first."

He slurped it down through the straw but he might as well have been trying to drink with a mouthful of sand. He drained it, but it did nothing to quench his thirst.

"I think we've got cinnamon buns," said Hermione absently.

Her mind was buzzing with a list of ways that she could help him feel better. She had no clue of the level of pain he was in, which made it harder. Eventually, she came to the conclusion of basil, lavender, and sea salt in a bath. Maybe Hana had a salve.

Cedric got a headache and turned his head to stop reading her mind. He was just so tired. Was it always going to be like this? Every single month for the rest of his life? The average wizard lived to 100 optimistically. So he would go through this 987 times. 821 if he used that one potion that kept the transformation at bay every six months like he was able to.

With the after-potion and the bath, Cedric physically felt better, but he'd been obsessing with the weight of life's problems most of the morning and he was feeling horribly depressed.

Hermione was worried about him and if it weren't raining, she would have stuck him outside in the sun. Get him Vitamin D. Instead, she had Tavi help her bring him upstairs and put him in her bed since he couldn't bring himself to climb up the ladder to his bed.

Rather than leave right away, Hermione sat upright and stroked his hair while he lay on his side.

"How are you feeling?" she asked after a certain amount of time had passed.

"Just tired," he sighed and rested his cheek against her thigh.

She hummed and looked up at the ceiling which was still depicting a rainy day. He really liked her set up.

"Do you like sleeping in a library?" he teased.

"It's always been my dream," she said.

"I rather like this," he said. "You've got so much room and your bed is comfy."

"I'm not trading rooms," she said. "Maybe when you move to Japan you can get an apartment with a room like this."

"I have to live in an assigned building for my probationary period," he said, feeling a tad happier. That's right, he was set after school.

"You're brilliant at transfiguration," she said. "Maybe you can just remodel it. I bet Maite, Ana, and Elisa would be more than happy to show you how."

Cedric grinned.

"Are you going to be okay to dance?" she asked, concerned. "I hadn't considered your transformation when I made you sign up. I can go solo."

"As if!" he said, quoting the movie they saw a couple days ago. Maybe he wasn't using it in the right context judging by her confusion. "I mean— I'm totally going to dance with you. I'll be right as rain tomorrow. We've been practicing our butts off, a day or two won't set me back."

"Alright," she said. "If you're sure."

"Positive," he said. It was important to her and he loved basking in the joy dancing brought to her.

She lit up just thinking about dancing.

"What are you reading?" he asked. He couldn't quite turn his head enough to read the title of her book. He could tell it was academic.

"A book."

Cedric snorted and rolled onto his back. He had to grab onto a shelf to pull himself up into a sitting position. He grunted when his back cracked, but his spine instantly felt better. Exhaling slowly, he looked over his shoulder.

"Is it that the PTSD book?" he asked.

Her eyes widened. She was trying to be so careful.

Of course, he knew, he's a mind reader, she thought and rolled her eyes. Well, he couldn't really see any change in her star eye when she rolled it. Oh, she was holding up the book for him to see the title.

The Absolute Animagus Almanac

"Animagi can safely be in a room with a transformed werewolf," she said, averting her eyes so he couldn't find out why she knew that. "So… I figured if you're going to be transforming every full moon for the rest of your life, then I can be there with you." She cracked a smile. "At least until we can cure you by blowing up the moon."

Cedric laughed and just looked at her in amazement. Becoming an animagus was not an easy thing to do and it could be painful or go wrong and she was willing to put up with the risks for him so he wouldn't have to be alone. Overwhelmed, he kissed her.

Two seconds later a throat cleared and Cedric jumped back and looked over to find Hana looking at them sternly.

"Hola," said Hermione awkwardly.

"Don't 'hola' me," she said, crossing her arms. "It's not appropriate for you two to be like this and you're lucky it was me who walked in and not Manny."

"Hana, Cedric was resting and I was just keeping him company," said Hermione. "We weren't doing anything."

Hana hummed. "I don't care if Cedric wants to take a nap in your bed, but you better not be in the bed with him. Even if the door is open."

"What if I just sit in my chair?" Hermione suggested.

Cedric said nothing, keeping eye contact with the picture of himself from the Yule Ball so he wouldn't see what Hana was thinking. Picture-him was staring back with a what-the-hell-happened-to-you expression.

Rather than answer Hermione, Hana changed the subject.

"I heard from a friend that beginning transformations are always the most painful," she said. "So I brought another potion. It's only a half-dose but it should keep you up and about until bedtime."

It was his cue to get the hell out of there. Joints aching, he crawled to the edge of the bed and swung his legs around so he was sitting down. Hana passed him a bottle filled with clear liquid.

"Drink up," she said, twisting the cap off.

Cedric knocked it back and gagged. It burned his throat and reminded him of this cough syrup Mum bought from the store once.

"Herminia," said Hana. "Come help me prep for dinner."

"Yes, ma'am," said Hermione.

"Did Amalea clean her room?"

"I stared her down until she started cleaning," said Hermione with a shrug. "Don't know if she finished."

"Good enough."

Cedric lay on his side not keen on getting up just yet. The clock on the wall claimed early afternoon and it didn't quite feel it. Perhaps it was the dark weather outside.

After a half-hour of staring at the clock, Cedric once again began obsessing over the weight of life's problems. He decided it was probably a good idea to get up and go downstairs. Honestly, he did feel a lot better and didn't have any problems going down the stairs without help. Amalea was watching MTV and Hermione was helping Hana and Tavi prep for some Korean dish he didn't know the name of. Tavi looked to be mixing a sauce and Hermione was chopping vegetables.

"You have to chop them more evenly," Hana said. "It cooks better that way."

"I'm trying," said Hermione. "It's just hard getting straight angles."

"I understand," said Hana. "My mom still tells me I don't chop things properly and I have to say 'Mom! I'm thirty-eight! I can chop vegetables'."

Hermione laughed. "When do I get to meet oehalmeoni and oehalabeoji again?"

Hana sighed. "My parents didn't quite approve of me marrying a man who already had a child out of wedlock. They're alright with Manny now…"

"I met them before though," said Hermione. "When you were babysitting me."

"Yes."

"But you're worried they might have changed their minds and treat me different than Lea?"

Hana nodded.

Hermione hummed and shrugged. "Eso si que es."

"Nia!" Amalea called. "They're doing a segment on Selena!"

Hermione dropped the knife and ran into the living room, vaulting over the couch and landing in front of the TV to watch. Cedric chuckled and entered the kitchen.

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"Yes," said Hana. "Actually, my coworker, Pono, knows a guy who works with metal and he sells these things."

She held up what looked like a copper taco.

"It helps you chop things with one hand," she explained and rocked it back and forth over the onion Hermione was in the middle of chopping. "Like this."

"Brill," said Cedric, taking the tool and using it. It was nice to be useful again.

Someone knocked on the front door and Hana looked confused.

"Must be a lost tourist," she muttered. "Can never ward against them. Amalea! Can you get the door, please?"

"I can't, Nia started crying!"

"I'll get the door," said Cedric, wiping his hand on a tea towel.

While a Selena interview rerun played, Hermione was indeed crying while her sister patted her back consolingly. What a tragedy. Selena was so young, too. Sighing lightly, Cedric opened the door to find an old man with grey hair and a mustache standing there in a linen suit, gripped in his hand was a gift bag.

"Oh," said the old man. "I must have the wrong house."

"Perhaps," said Cedric, blocking his view of the interior. He had a hard time reading this man. Maybe it was the accent or this man was just so confused his mind went blank. "Can I help you?"

"I just thought that my son and his family lived here."

"Perhaps they do," he replied.

"Who is it?" Hana called.

"I'll find out!" Cedric called back and turned to the old man. "Who are you?"

The old man took off his hat. "My name is Clarence. I found out that my son lives here with his family. My son's name is Manny."

"Uh-huh…" Cedric narrowed his eyes. "One second." He closed the door and went to Hana.

"It's Manuia's father."

Hana pursed her lips. "Oh."

"Do I let him in?"

"Might as well," said Hana.

"Should I hide?" Tavi asked.

"Might be for the best."

Tavi nodded and disappeared.

Cedric went back to the door and opened it up. "Come in."

Clarence entered looking uncertain. Hermione had stopped crying, though her eyes were still moist, and was staring with interest. They didn't seem to know this man, even Hermione had no recollection. Cedric was suspicious but sat down. He was getting lightheaded.

"You look like you came out of a war zone, son," said Clarence, looking at Cedric through narrowed eyes. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"What happened to you?"

"I fought an alligator with my bare hands," he deadpanned. "It wasn't a fair fight, the alligator brought a knife."

Hermione and Amalea cracked up. Hana entered the room and crossed her arms.

"Why are you here, Clarence?" she demanded.

"I've come to make amends," he said.

"Well, Manny's at the restaurant."

"I know, but Dave wouldn't let me in."

"Shocker."

Cedric's eyes widened.

"I brought a gift," Clarence continued. "For the girls. Kama told me you found Hermana."

"It's Herminia ," said Hana. "And that was last year."

Hermione and Amalea exchanged looks. They had no idea why their mom was so hostile.

"Are you my grandfather?" Amalea asked.

"Technically," said Hana.

Clarence held the gift bag aloft. Hana took it and set it on the couch without looking inside. Amalea got up and took the bag, but didn't look inside, either.

"Tea, I think," said Cedric, going into the kitchen. Out of view, he slid his wand out of its holster and twirled it, speed brewing and steeping some tea.

Hermione wasn't too far behind.

"What's this all about?" he whispered in Spanish.

"I don't know," Hermione replied, placing four cookies on a plate then opening the fridge to get the milk. "I never really had grandfather figures, so it didn't occur to me to ask if Papá's father was still alive. I don't see any pictures of him around the house."

"Should we call your papá?" Cedric asked. "I could pop over."

Hermione glanced out into the living room and nodded.

"It's looking crazy, stupid tense out there."

She lifted the tea tray and walked back out with Cedric.

"Voy a— er— I'm going outside," Cedric declared.

"It's raining," said Clarence.

"Yeah." Cedric ran out the front door and apparated into the back alley of Manny's. He ran around to the front, instantly getting drenched from the rain which decided to pick up again.

"How many—oh, hi Ced," said Kayla.

"Where's Manuia?" he asked.

"Behind the counter."

With the rain, the inside of the bar was loud and crowded. A live band was playing and people were drinking, eating, dancing, or chatting loudly to be heard over the din. Cedric felt unusually sensitive to it today and got an instant headache.

He pushed through the crowd and ducked behind the bar.

"Manuia!" he called.

He jumped, nearly dropping the shaker for the drink he was mixing.

"What?" he asked. "What's wrong? Is everyone alright? Should you be apparating in your condition?"

"I'm feeling much better than this morning," he said. "But a man is at the house. Clarence… something. I don't think he mentioned a last name."

Manuia's eyes darkened. He set the shaker on the counter with a bang and led Cedric out through the kitchens to the break room.

"My father is at the house?" he growled. "Did you let him in?"

"Hana said to!" said Cedric, raising his hand defensively and shrinking back.

Manuia rubbed his forehead and sighed. "I've been avoiding this for a long time. Fine. Fine! Time to face the music."

Dave ran in. "Manny, you alright? Some malihini started complaining that the bartender stopped serving her and it was bad service and that she'll never return again."

"I have more important things to worry about," said Manuia. "My father is at my house! Cedric, hele on! Dave, you're in charge."

Cedric stuck close to him and dove into the car minding not to slow anything up.

The silence was awkward, the only sound being the rain and the wipers that were flying so fast, it was amazing they hadn't fallen off, and yet did very little to clear the torrential rain. Manuia's anger buzzed around the car like hornets as he hunched over the steering wheel. It was almost painful. Cedric stared out the window and tried to ignore his phantom limb pain.

"My father wasn't much better than yours, Cedric," said Manuia. "He abandoned me and my mom before I was born. I don't know if it's because he didn't understand magic or if he just didn't want to be tied down. Coasted by every few years with a gift and every time I hoped…" his voice broke. "I hoped it would be for good. Broke my mom's heart every time, so I usually took care of myself when she went on her soul-searching trips. I have no magic, so I didn't get to go with her and I didn't have a boarding school to house me."

"I'm sorry."

"Parents are supposed to set examples and sometimes those examples are ones you shouldn't follow. I always said that when I became a father I would keep my family together," he sighed. "I think I messed up with Herminia. I lost her… she probably thought she was abandoned."

"She actually always thought there was a reason for it," said Cedric, not sure if the truth would help. "So she didn't think about it too much, and we know now it wasn't on purpose. She loves you so much and when she got her memories back she instantly thought of you and worried that you thought she was gone forever. You're one of the best father figures I know, Manny. You're the number one Rent-a-Dad."

Manuia chuckled lightly, but his anger returned when they reached the house. He parked just outside the garage and stormed into the house. Cedric turned the car off, locked it, and tucked the keys into his pocket before following him.

Thankfully, the door was still unlocked.

"Hello, Manny," said Clarence. "It's been a while."

"Has it?" said Manuia coldly. "I hadn't noticed. I've been too busy taking care of my ohana."

Cedric used a drying charm and sat next to Hermione.

"He's been trying to make small talk with us," Hermione muttered in Spanish. "I don't like it, so I haven't said much. He keeps calling me Hermana."

Cedric took her hand in his.

"Kids, why don't you go upstairs?" Hana suggested.

"When did that boy come in the picture?" Clarence asked.

"That boy is Herminia's boyfriend," said Manuia.

"You'd let some strange boy into your house around your daughters?"

Cedric picked up the gift, hoping whatever was inside could be broken.

"Uh-uh. You don't get to act all righteous with me," Manuia snapped. "You ditched my mom and who suffered the most when you abandoned us? Me!"

Hermione ran up the stairs to get away from the shouting. She sat down at the top of the stairs and covered her ears.

"It's like Roger and Keith all over again," she moaned. "Now all he needs to do is call me a spastic. Though here I think the term is retard… I hate those words."

"What's in the bag anyway?" Amalea asked uncomfortably.

Cedric removed a gaming console with games.

"I asked Mum for a Playstation for my birthday," said Amalea. "It's not out until September, so this'll be outdated by then."

"Think anyone will mind if I crack it open?" Cedric asked.

"Probably not," said Hermione, wincing at the raised voices downstairs. "Whoever is overseeing my life must really enjoy family confrontations and punching me in the face."

"You didn't get hurt today did you?" Cedric asked, alarmed.

"No, but I think it'll happen soon. Probably next time I go out."

"If life were anything like a book," said Amalea, "then it would probably happen for a specific reason."

"I don't want to think existentially," said Cedric.

"I'm going to go lie down," Hermione sighed. "I hate this."

Cedric and Amalea sat at the top of the stairs until Manuia made Clarence leave.

"I wait my entire life for that man to want to be a part of it," Manuia laughed humorlessly, "and now he thinks he can barge in with no apology? He's just scared of being alone. He shoulda thought of that before he abandoned me."

"You're right," said Hana.

"And where does he get off on telling me how to be a dad? He couldn't be one if he tried!"

"Dear, is that why you got so attached to Cedric? He reminds you of yourself?"

"Well, the kid had a mom who actually cared about him," said Manuia, "but… yeah. When I saw that Amos guy abandon him at the Quidditch Cup for "work," I would have adopted him right there if he'd let me."

"Can't do that now."

"No, we can't, but he should have someone with life experience looking out for him. He's still a kid, Hana. Clarence just doesn't get our family and heaven forbid he find out Herminia was accidentally adopted when her identity was stolen from her! Can you imagine what he would say? Some people just can't mind their own business and just—urgh!" He snorted. "I gotta wash something."

"We still need to finish dinner," said Hana. "I'm making bibimbap. Why don't you help me with that? We'll call the kids down when it's ready."

"Yeah, I don't wanna let my pissy mood affect them. Besides, work isn't expecting me to return tonight. I'll call Dave later."

Cedric sighed through his nose. Every family had their problems, it seemed.