(A/N): Hey Guys! So uh... I hate this chapter. Well, mostly the end of this chapter. It sucks. You know why it sucks? Because I had to write it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.

Trigger Warning: Homophobic slur. You know the one. It does have a letter asterisked out, like th*s, but I've found that doesn't really do anything for me, so please be aware of it. It does happen after Leo gets out of the carriage at the Joannis family manor, so if you want to skip it, that's your cue.

Leo

I was standing on one of the balconies off the side of the main ballroom, hands braced on the railing when a pair of arms slipped under mine and slid up my chest.

"What are you thinking about?" Brooke asked as she placed a kiss on my cheek, and I cracked a smile.

"How weird it is that I actually had fun tonight." I felt her nod into my shoulder, her eyes on me the entire time.

"It does feel a little strange." She acknowledged, and I heard footsteps behind us.

"Having fun Remus?" He took his spot next to me, leaning against the railing, and the others slowly joined us.

"Tentatively and with caution." He replied, and I saw Elaine lower her head rather than look at Brooke and I.

"Well, we're planning to leave soon." James nodded, before eyeing me.

"You know, I've never seen your hair so neat." I furrowed my eyebrows for a second before reaching up to muss my hair.

"I hate it." Brooke kissed me just behind the ear, reaching one hand up to run her fingers through me hair.

"I know you do dear." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sirius slip his hand into Elaine's, and I couldn't help but notice the spike of jealousy that shot through my system.

Brooke gave me a knowing look, and I forced myself to swallow it down, turning my head to press a soft kiss to her lips.

"Ugh, gross." Lily joked, and I shrugged.

"You just think it's gross because you're not the one doing it." I reasoned, and she cocked an eyebrow. "Kissing at all, not kissing me." She nodded in understanding and Peter smirked.

"I'm not sure she'd find that gross either." With that, she shoved him sharply, huffing before turning back to the rest of us.

"Don't even joke about that, man." James told him, his tone flat, and Remus cracked a grin.

"I love how it's just generally seen as a joke when it's Leo and Lily, but not Leo and just about anyone else." I raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged. "You do seem rather lenient with your sexuality." I furrowed my eyebrows at Brooke, and she gave me a small smile.

"Why not appreciate beauty when it's there?" She questioned, and none of them seemed to have an answer for her.

"Leonides." My mother announced as she stood in the doorway to the ballroom, her polite smile dropping immediately into a scowl. "We're leaving." I nodded, untangling myself from Brooke as she disappeared.

"Leave as soon as possible." I told them, and Elaine nodded. "I'll catch up with you in a minute." They seemed slightly confused by this, but I was already gone.

My mother and I threaded through the crowd, soon reaching the entrance to the ballroom where we accepted our coats from the house elf and joined my stepfather and Mia where they were waiting by the front doors, saying goodbye to the Mikaelsonn's.

"Suverra, Jyri, thank you for such a pleasant evening." She said sharply, walking straight past them, and as Mia and my stepfather went after her, I bowed deeply to the couple.

"It was lovely, really." And then I skirted past them, using my much longer legs to catch up to the people I once called family.

I felt eyes on me, and I knew it was my friends, watching from their position on the balcony as I clambered into the carriage after having helped Mia in ahead of me.

After a silent, jarring, half hour ride later, we arrived back at the Joannis family manor, and we all exited the carriage.

As soon as my feet hit the pavement, I was struck.

I blinked out of surprise and had to look down a little at my mother as she stood in front of me, wand now out.

"What do you think you're doing?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"Getting out of the carriage?" She jabbed her wand at me, the sharp wooden tip digging into my throat.

"I meant at the ball! You and your bloody traitor friends almost ruined everything you stupid f*ggot!" It felt like another slap, or at least a kick in the gut.

"Excuse me?" I stuttered, and she scowled at me.

"Oh, like you don't know! You're scum, Leonides, you couldn't care less what you bed as long as it's warm flesh!" I gaped at her, and Mia grabbed her arm carefully.

"Mother, leave the monster-" My mother rounded on her, slapping her roughly across the face.

"And you! You think you can actually fool me into thinking that you hate him? That you're disgusted by the very sight of him?! You idolise him, you always have, even before he turned into this- this- this stubborn stain on our family history!" I seized her arm, spinning her away from Mia.

"Your problem is with me. Not her." I said calmly, and she stared at me for a second before wrenching her arm out of my grasp.

"That it is." She raised her wand in my face, and I braced myself. "Avada-" She was cut off as a hand dropped down on her shoulder.

"Perhaps it would be best to keep him alive, darling. Just in case we need him?" I stared at my stepfather. Had he really just saved my life?

"...right." My mother said after a minute of consideration, lowering her wand. "Right. We need both of them." She said, glancing back at Mia. "For now."

(A/N): Okay, seriously, what the fuck you bitch?

NOW the next chapter I post will definitely be tomorrow. Or possibly the next day depending on how busy I get.

Please review and/or check out my other stories!

This chapter has had minor edits made to it on 30/12/22 - Added the trigger warning.

This chapter has had edits made to it on 15/2/24 - changed 'mom' to 'mother', because not only would it be 'mum', because British, but also, Mia wouldn't call Cipicia 'mum' in general, let alone to her face, and Cipicia certainly wouldn't tolerate it if she did. I also changed 'Joannis family house' to 'Joannis family manor'.