International portkeys are a terrible mode of transportation. Franziska of course remembers the trip to London, but it was so many month before that the details had apparently escaped her.

When the spinning finally stops she stumbles and falls over her own trunk which thankfully hadn't been dropped on her toes by the centrifugal force triggered by the trip over.

"Lida dear, are you alright?" Her mother has somehow managed to land on her feet and is gazing down at her daughter, clearly worried.

Franziska tries to nod, but the room is still spinning violently so she's not quite sure her head went in the directions it was supposed to, and her mother's frown deepens.

Or perhaps it doesn't. Honestly nothing is holding still long enough for Franziska to get a proper reading on it.

Pannidda places a steadying hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Just take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes until the nausea passes."

Franziska does as instructed, and with support from the hand that remains on her shoulder she eventually manages to get her bearings enough to wobble back to her feet, though she still has to lean on her trunk to keep upright.

"There must be a better way to make the trip." She sighs shakily.

Pannidda pats her shoulder consolingly. "I'm sorry dear, but Muggle Transportation would take too long. I still have work."

Franziska does understand this. It does not make her any more inclined towards international portkeys, but she understands nonetheless.

When they finally get home she collapses onto her bed and decides she doesn't much feel like moving anymore. She doesn't fall asleep either however, not being quite tired enough for that. This leaves her in the unfortunate situation of staring up at her ceiling with nothing to do and feeling utterly bored.

She wonders what her roommates are doing. Being in bed without hearing Dora and Kiera whispering, or Leona mumbling incoherently to herself is rather odd. Heck, she almost misses Jemma's not-quite-snoring which had kept her awake and irritated several times during the year.

Her mother peers in around seven to check on her.

"Are you feeling a bit better Lida?"

She sighs and nods without lifting her head, resulting in her hair gathering some static from the pillow below it. "Yeah, I don't feel sick anymore."

Her mother must hear some of her melancholy in her tone, because Pannidda walks further into the room to sit on the edge of her daughter's bed. "Is everything else alright?"

She shrugs. "I guess I'm sad I can't talk to my friends all summer. They're all planning to visit each other and write but it's too expensive to use international mail." She admits after a long moment of silence.

Pannidda frowns and pats her daughter's leg lightly. "I'm sorry Lida, you know we can't afford an international owl. And Hogwarts doesn't have the proper space to hold one either from what I remember of my time there."

Franziska rolls over so the pillow catches her groan. "I know, the owlery nests are only big enough for standard owls. I was up there enough to confirm it."

Pannidda's hand moves to Franziska's shoulder and gives a quick squeeze. "I really am sorry darling. Maybe in the future we could arrange something so you could go back early and stay with someone in August?" She suggests.

Franziska thinks about Kiera's offer on the train and she perks up a bit, bracing herself on her elbows to turn and look at her mother. "Really? Could I? Kiera already mentioned she'd be okay with me staying at her family's farm for a while if I could."

Pannidda smiles. "Well then it sounds like you two should figure that out next year, hm? You work out the details with her parents and I'll make sure to keep your August open, how does that sound?"

It sounds amazing, and Franziska indicates this by flinging herself happily at her mother.

Pannidda laughs. "Well, since your energy seems to be back why don't you come help me with dinner? Your father says he's going to do everything he can to get home early tonight so he can join us, and you can tell us all about your first year."

Franziska reluctantly gets out of bed to follow her mother down, but she soon falls into the familiar rhythm of stirring sauces and fetching items from around the kitchen as her mother multitasks, all reluctance long forgotten.

True to his word, Heinrich Reinhardt arrives just as dinner is pulled out of the oven. He's greeted by a quick kiss from his wife, who still has a few things left to do with the appetizers and quickly returns to the kitchen, and his daughter who eagerly flings herself into his offered hug.

"There's my Ziska! How was school? Tell me everything." He smiles as she herds him towards the table, putting his jacket and briefcase down by the door to be properly stored later.

"It was amazing dad!" She immediately and easily launches into a long string of stories from the year, separated by only the briefest bids for breath and the occasional pause to eat.

Part way through her second story, concerning their puffapod fight at the end of the first week, her mother brings the food out and begins listening in as well, occasionally voicing small concerns or questions that Franziska is happy to relieve or respond to.

The only story that really makes her parents concerned is the very last one, when Franziska eagerly retells the tale of their final Quidditch match.

"I'm pretty sure Lola is going to go down in Hufflepuff Quidditch history." Franziska pauses to take a bite of her dinner, and then eagerly continues. She's honestly still a little buzzed by the memory of the victory.

"See, we were neck in neck with the Gryffindor team. If they won, we'd come in last for the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup, and no one wanted that. It was in the third hour that both the seekers spotted the snitch at the same time." Her eyes are bright and she leans forward over the table subconsciously. "At first Lola had the lead, but then one of the Gryffindor beaters, Laurel Kiddell - that's Holly's older sister, I told you about Holly - hit a Bludger at her so it looked like Lola had lost her advantage. But! But then she stood up and jumped over the other seeker. And she caught the snitch too!"

Pannidda frowns. "Did she land back on her broom?"

Franziska shakes her head. "She just went for it, it was crazy. She had to stay in the Hospital Wing for three days because she got a pretty bad concussion from the fall."

Pannidda looks horrified. "But that's awful!"

Franziska frowns. "But we won. And she was fine in the end. She bragged a ton afterwards too."

Pannidda shakes her head. "I've never understood that sport. Far too dangerous for children."

Franziska feels a small thrill of defensiveness. Lola had done something that would have been right at home in a real professional match and her mother was busy fussing over a little bump to the head.

"She's thirteen actually, so technically a teenager." She mumbles defensively. "And anyway there haven't been any serious Quidditch-related injuries at Hogwarts in decades mom."

Pannidda is unmoved. "Thirteen! That's far too young to entrust anyone on a broom that high up-"

Heinrich intercedes here, despite his own concern plastered apparently on his face. "Penny love, there was Quidditch when you went there as well and I'm sure you loved the matches just as much. Ziska won't be playing for a few years yet or I'm sure she would have told us," Here he gives a pointed look at Franziska, and she's quite glad she really doesn't plan on trying out for Quidditch because she's rather certain those plans would be toast now, "And surely the teachers have precautions set in place. It sounds like Lola made a reckless decision and even falling off her broom she only had a small concussion instead of several broken bones." His voice is calm and logical, and Pannidda slowly nods.

"I suppose. But really, I'd be furious if I was her parents."

"Tyler says they probably won't be very thrilled." Franziska offers uncertainly, hoping her mother's bought has passed.

Pannidda nods. "I should hope not! Honestly, what was that girl thinking?" She sighs. "I'm sorry Lida dear, I completely interrupted."

Franziska shrugs. "I mean, that was the end of the story. After that was just more school and finals and stuff so nothing really interesting."

Her father however seems quite interested in school and finals and stuff. "Speaking of how did your finals go?"

Franziska shrugs. "Well enough. I passed everything."

From their dinner is spent discussing classes, and they eventually move on from Franziska entirely so she eats her food and listens to her parents discuss her father's work for thirty minutes before she finishes and asks to be excused. Now she's just about tired enough to get to sleep anyway.

The next day proves to be one of the best days in her life so far when she goes next door. She's barely finished knocking when it flies open and Rosalinde has leapt out, strawberry blonde hair flapping behind her in two sloppy, uneven braids as she tackles her best friend to the ground.

"Frannie Ziska Lida I have darn well missed you!"

It's a little odd to be speaking in German again, but Franziska finds she remembers enough of it to reply easily.

"I've missed you too!" She pushes Rosalinde off of her so they're both lying on their backs on the Treindl's front lawn. "Particularly your football skills. The kids at school are ruddy terrible at it."

Rosalide giggles. "Naturally. No one measures up to the fantastic Rosa Treindl!" She punches the air happily, and then turns on her side to regard her best friend, head propped up on a fist. "So tell me about this school of yours. Was it big and fancy and made of marble?"

Franziska giggles. "Where did you get those ideas? It was just regular stone, though it was kind of confusing to get around at first." She admits, a faint flutter of nerves working its way from her stomach and towards . She really isn't sure how exactly to talk about school with her best friend without breaking the Statute of Secrecy.

"So it is big then! And say, what are the teachers like? My maths professor is a complete loon honestly, I wish you had been here - I can't explain this guy. You had to be there." Rosalinde laughs.

Franziska does as well. "Sounds like I missed out. Most of the professors are perfectly alright but my," She stumbles for just a moment, trying to think of something that wouldn't be a complete lie that she could say Snape teaches, "my science professor is absolutely horrid. I think he's actually trying to fail us all, no one is that bad at teaching without actually trying to be terrible." She fake faints against the grass and Rosalinde bursts into laughter.

"Oh you poor dear, I think that might be worse. Do you at least get away from him next year?"

"Not from what I can tell. I tell you Rosalinde, if I die in the next six years I guarantee he'll have had something to do with it."

Her best friend is still grinning as she sits up properly. "Well then I suppose we ought to make the most of what little time we may have left." She offers a hand up. "Come on, I miss kicking your in football."

Franziska laughs and lets herself be hauled up, and the two grab one of Rosalinde's footballs from her garage before telling her mother that they'll be at the park.

"Be back by noon please. Oh, and Franziska dear, will you be staying for lunch?"

She smiles politely. "If I may I'd love to."

Mrs. Treindl smiles warmly back. "Of course, you're always welcome here Franziska."

Rosalinde shakes her head, grinning, as they head down the road. "How you charm adults like that I'll never know. My mother thinks you're a right angel you know."

"That's because I am one, demon child. Come on, I'll race you." She grabs the football out of Rosalinde's hands and takes off down the street, laughing manically as her best friend shrieks a series of words that Franziska is certain their mothers would be horrified by.

They kick the ball around in the park until it seems to be about noon time, then head back to Rosalinde's to wash up. Franziska's parents are both at work all day so she knows she's fine to stay for lunch. Afterwards the two girls go up to Rosalinde's room and discuss school a bit more. Franziska is relieved to find that Rosalinde is content to do most of the talking, meaning Franziska doesn't have to lie nearly as much as she'd worried she might.

They eventually drift to other topics far removed from school and reality itself, and its dark outside when Pannidda drops by to bring Franziska home.

"I would appreciate a note about where you are in the future." She scolds lightly as they return to their own house.

Franziska shrugs slightly, appropriately abashed. "I didn't expect to be over there so long, and it's not like you didn't know where I'd be." She points out, partly defensive, though still feeling a bit bad for apparently causing her mother concern.

"I don't care young lady. What if you'd gone somewhere new?"

Franziska stares at her feet. "I'm sorry mom, I'll make sure to leave a note next time."

Pannidda smiles gently. "Thank you. Now then, why don't we see about dinner?"

Franziska nods, relieved her mother isn't more upset at the oversight. She knew she was supposed to leave a note, but in her excitement to see Rosalinde it had slipped her mind.

Maybe her mother knows that. Either way, Franziska counts her lucky stars as she helps go through the cabinets looking for ingredients. It wouldn't be a great start to the summer to get in trouble right off after all. Best to save that for when she's about to head back to school.

Coming home is a comfort that Myr plans to relish in for as long as he can. Being back in the familiar overwhelming heat of the Welsh summer is almost nice as well, though he can admit the slightly cooler June weather in the Scottish highlands is something he wouldn't mind having back. But he doesn't complain about the heat nearly as much as he used to.

This doesn't stop Cadi from be the weather though. "I miss global cooling." She sighs one morning as they walk over to their uncle's curio shop to meet up with their mother for her lunch break. "It might have signaled the end of the world but at least people weren't melting into puddles of sweat every summer."

"Lovely image Cadi, thanks for that." Myr grimaces slightly and loosens his collar just a bit more.

His sister shrugs. "You're welcome. Suffer with me."

They reach the shop not long after, both too exhausted by the heat to say much more, and they're greeted by Aster who looks amused by their bedraggled states.

"Why don't you two come inside for a few minutes. Cyril is going to be coming with us to lunch so we're going to take care of a few last customers." Aster waves them in, and they're both relieved to be in the air conditioning for a few minutes.

They help out with the customers, answering questions and helping locate specific items. It ends up taking twenty minutes to clear out the store, but finally Cyril puts up an 'Out to Lunch' sign and the four of them head into town.

"What does everyone feel like eating?" As always Aster is the one taking charge, leading the group towards the docks where some of their favorite pubs are located.

"I could go for some classic Welsh." Myr offers. "They don't ever serve it at school."

Cadi makes a face but Aster agrees with the suggestion and they find themselves at a table next to the wharf shortly thereafter.

Cadi spends most of the lunch talking about her classes and her teacher's suggestion that she perhaps should be in a higher level of math, which Cadi is very proud of. Myr congratulates her around a spoonful of cawl, while Uncle Cyril proudly, and jokingly, declares that she's now better at math than he is.

They stay out to lunch for almost two hours, catching Myr up to speed on everything that's been going on since he's been away at school, and he feels the familiar twist of sadness in his gut upon hearing how he'd missed so much. Sure they'd owled constantly so he does already know a majority of the stories being shared, but hearing them second hand drives home the realization that he'll be missing a lot more in the coming years.

When he'd first arrived back in Cardiff his mother had picked him up alone while Cadi stayed over with Uncle Cyril. On the drive back she'd casually asked him about his year and his friends, and then eventually got to the point.

"Do you want to go back next year?"

She had been quite serious with the question, and Myr wondered if she might not know the answer for once. But he had nodded almost immediately.

"I do. It's lonely and far away and I get homesick something awful but I think I want to see this through. Plus I think Bill would hunt me down and smack me if all his recommending me to Laurel for the team next year was for nothing." He laughed lightly, and his mother had as well, and that was the end of the discussion.

It's been a week back home now and Myr knows already that next year is going to be as trying as his first year was, but he's still looking forward to it, which is good as his sister and uncle take every possible opportunity to drill him about Hogwarts.

By the end of week one he thinks they must have exhausted all their questions, but Monday morning dawns with new inquiries on the exact hows of magic casting from Cadi, and Myr resigns himself to a full summer of interrogation.

It isn't all bad though. He'd told his Uncle about trying out for Quidditch and Cyril had immediately gone to fetch his old Shooting Star, which while a bit outdated is still miles better than the school brooms. Myr gets to practice flying around their backyard in the earlier hours of the morning, when the neighborhood is asleep and Uncle Cyril is around to cast charms to repel anyone who does happen to be around.

Cadi takes one ride up with him but quickly decides the whole flying thing isn't really to her interest, though she still comes out to watch him fly most mornings and even asks after broom mechanics and Quidditch strategies a few times.

He's happy to respond as best he can, and Uncle Cyril is ony too thrilled to pull out a Daily Prophet and explain the professional teams to Cadi. By the end of week three she's a proud Harpies fan and Myr has a good idea what to get her for her upcoming birthday.

Aster doesn't show quite as much enthusiasm about the Wizarding World, and Myr is grateful when she takes him out on perfectly normal shopping trips or declares mealtimes to be "magic free." It gives him a brief feeling of the normalcy that he's missed while caught up amongst broomsticks and wandmakers.

He does get letters, from just about every one of his housemates, and he makes sure to write back immediately. Holly and Charlie end up speaking with him the most, though Evera has taken to sending him Quidditch strategies. They're a constant reminder that no matter how much he's enjoying his time being normal again, he isn't really. He never will be.

The letters aren't so bad though. They originate in the other world after all, and so they don't serve to make him feel alienated the way his uncle and sister sometimes do. Honestly it's nice to hear from everyone, even if at least half of all Holly's letters are lectures about him needing to get a new wand. He does eventually bring this point up with his uncle, who assures him that he'd know if he needed a new wand.

Myr knows how expensive wands are, so he decides to take his uncle's word for it.

Charlie's letters generally inquire after his family and general health, which Myr finds amusingly bland coming from such an animated person. He learns a lot about Charlie in those letters though, things never brought up during school.

For one thing, in addition to Bill and the 'nerd' brother (who Myr learns is named Percy), Charlie has three other brothers and a sister, all younger than he is. Myr can't imagine having such a large family, though Charlie writes about his siblings with clear fondness, if not some exasperation.

In turn Myr talks about his own family, and at one point asks if Charlie might be able to send a book or some sort of writing on dragons for Cadi, who he's certain would love it.

It's just before his sister's sixteenth birthday when an owl crashes face first into the frame of their open window, bearing a package that looks suspiciously book-like.

Aster smiles slightly, with the faintest air of amused resignation. "Good morning Errol. Package for Myr then?" She helps the gray blob inside and sets him up with a bowl of water and some crackers, simultaneously unhooking the package from his grasp and passing it over to Myr.

He smiles as he glances over the note scrawled on the parchment wrapped around the book in Charlie's familiar chicken scratch. "For Cadi actually, if my suspicions are correct."

"What about me?" Cadi's entrance into the kitchen is timed perfectly, and Myr hands her the package.

"I asked Charlie if he had any books on dragons he'd be willing to part with and it seems he managed."

Cadi's face splits into a ridiculously wide grin. "Oh fantastic! Tell him thanks from me would you? Hello Errol." She gives the ancient bird a quick pat on the head before tearing open the parchment and starting in on her new book.

Due to his and Charlie's regular correspondence, Errol - as well as the Kiddell family owl Aspen who comes by nearly as often - has become a regular face around the Cadawallader residence, and he's treated as part of the family while recovering from his flights.

"Mom, we should get an owl sometime. It would make contacting Myr during the year way easier." Cadi comments as she begins reading, absently scratching at Errols' feathers in just the way he likes it. "Plus they're pretty cute."

Aster shakes her head. "And very expensive, not to mention dirty. I think Owen functions perfectly well as a pet and the school owls are free for use."

Owen purrs his approval of the sentiment, winding around Aster's ankles and nearly tripping both of them.

"It's not just about dragons." Cadi informs him some hours later, when she's put a good dent in the book and while Myr is supposed to be working on his summer assignments.

He puts down his quill - honestly the essay Binns has assigned is mind-numbingly boring anyway - and turns to face his sister. "Is that so?"

She holds up the book to him, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and grins. "It's about basically every crazy creature you people hide from us somehow. It's really quite intriguing to think there's a whole other world that most people don't know about."

Despite Cadi's excited tone, it's a bit of a dull blow to hear her refer to Myr as 'you people,' as if they're suddenly so different. But Myr smiles and nods.

"Sounds cool. I bet you know more about it than I do at this point."

Cadi is happy to rectify the situation, and they talk about magical beasts for the rest of the afternoon, Binns' essay on the European witch trials lying forgotten on the kitchen table.

Aster returns home from work to find dinner on the table, the kitchen a bit of a mess, and her two children looking quite proud of themselves. It's a night that reminds Myr strongly of the time before Hogwarts, and he lets himself get immersed in the normalcy of it all, ignoring, for the time being, the homework he's avoiding.

He keeps unintentionally doing so as the next week and then a month drift by, filled with outings to the curio shop and spending time with his old school friends as they finish their own semesters and begin enjoying their own summer freedom. It's awkward seeing them at times though, and Myr has to stumble his way through a few lies as they discuss history and maths that he never studied but has to pretend that he did.

Eventually he asks Cadi if she could go over a few things with him, and she seems beyond thrilled by the request. So he works on geometry and studies the names of foreign leaders while his potions essay sits half-started on top of his school trunk.

At first their hour-long daily sessions are something Myr looks forward to. Proof he doesn't have to give up his old life to make room for the new. Then he realizes that really they're just proof that he already has.

Hogwarts doesn't teach anything that could be useful in the Muggle world. It prepares its students to live in the Magical one, away from the rest of the planet. Myr finds it rather upsetting when he realizes it.

But for once he can't go to his mother. She doesn't understands the wizarding world, much as she tries. So he goes to his uncle.

Cyril laughs somewhat awkwardly at Myr's initial questioning but Myr refuses to let up.

"Seriously, why doesn't Hogwarts teach maths, or talk about the Muggle Prime Ministers? Why don't we learn about the first or second world wars?" He presses, frowning.

Cyril shrugs. "Well, they aren't really relevant, are they? I survive just fine in the Muggle world. And where would you find time to learn those things and master magic?" He points out.

Myr frowns. It still feels like an oversight to him, but conversely he can't come up with a counter point so he leaves it be and helps stock inventory for the rest of the morning, until his mother comes in for her shift and he heads back home to finally get a bit more headway on his summer homework.

Between studying with Cadi and his own assignments the summer slowly devolves into something that seems as much like school as the rest of the year, but Myr actually doesn't mind all that much. Cadi clearly is enjoying herself and Myr is having an easier time talking with his old friends now that he actually has some grasp of what they're talking about.

Directly contrasting with his slow reintroduction to what he still sees as the 'real world' is the increased presence of Uncle Cyril around the house, and with him an increased involvement of the Wizarding World in his home life.

Cyril likes showing off with bits of household magic - doing the dishes, instantly drying the laundry, little things - and Myr can tell his mother is enjoying it.

"They've been like this all year." Cadi informs him when he brings it up over a game of chess, played on Cadi's wizard's chess set. "There's something going on there, I think. Even since your letter showed up and we learned about all this magic stuff." She gestures vaguely in the air as she speaks, her attention more focused on the game than Myr's line of questioning.

Myr frowns as one of Cadi's castles destroys his last bishop. "Something going on? Like what? Uncle Cyril and mom have always been friends."

Cadi shrugs, already planning her next move in the way her eyes dart over the board as Myr weighs his own options. Finally he shakes his head.

"I think you've got me." He admits. Cadi grins, having clearly already come to this conclusion herself. "Do you want to play it out or start a new game?"

They end up playing it out, but as expected Cadi wins in the next six moves.

"You've gotten better." Myr notes as their shattered pieces begin reassembling and scrambling back to their proper sides of the board.

"I've joined chess club at school." Cadi admits. "Learned some new moves from some of the others there"

Myr smiles faintly, a tug of envy making itself known in the corner of his mind. "Well consider me jealous. The other Gryffindors aren't much use for teaching me anything. I feel like all wizards play the same as Uncle Cyril."

Cadi punches his arm lightly. "That's what your sister is for. Come on, mom will probably have dinner ready soon, let's go set the table for her."

Myr follows once he's put the board away, back under Cadi's bed where it can stay hidden from Muggle eyes. Hidden, he feels, along with the rest of his life.

Ana spends the first month of the summer completing her assignments. Better to get them done when most of the material is fresh in her mind and her brain is still accustomed to the rigor of studying than to attempt them after letting her mind wallow and rot during the lazy months of summer.

Not that Ana is ever particularly lazy, but the excuse of schoolwork gets her out of having to spend too much time making nice with her mother's friends, who come over for tea most afternoons and prattle on about inane gossip unconnected to anything of remote interest to Ana.

However she only has so much work, and by the end of July it's more than completed. Thus she finds herself seated uncomfortably between two middle-aged witches and gripping a cup of cold tea with only the black lace of her dress serving as protection from the prattle echoing around her.

"Oh, Ana dear, I was completely sidetracked wasn't I?" One of the older women had asked her an hour earlier about school but had thankfully been distracted by news of an affair. Now it seems her attention has refocused exactly where Ana doesn't want it to be. "I want to hear all about Hogwarts! It seems just yesterday I was a young Slytherin myself." She smiles wistfully.

All her mother's friends are Slytherins, and she suddenly wonders if Winona has informed her little tea group that Ana is not, in fact, a snake.

"Oh, but you're in Ravenclaw aren't you? What's that like?" One of the other women recalls, quickly dismissing Ana's momentary lapse of confidence in her mother.

Ana nods. "It's quite nice I find. Our Tower is decorated to look like the night sky which I find quite restful."

The woman nods. "My younger brother was Ravenclaw you know. He hated that doorknocker of yours." She laughs and Ana can't help but smile in return and attempt to connect a name to the face. Most of her mother's friends do not look kindly on the other houses, so if she has to sit in on these tea filled chats she'd like to know who is on her side.

"It can be quite frustrating, though I'll admit it's quite satisfying when I figure out the answer myself."

The woman nods. "Nigel said the same. Personally I prefer passwords but to each her own I suppose."

The group then devolves into reminiscing on their own school days, and Ana is rather amused at how little things have truly changed within the walls of Hogwarts, with the only major shift being the intense distrust of Slytherin that echoes through the houses. It makes Ana that much more pleased with her own Sorting.

After the third hour has passed, the tea circle breaks up and the women bid their farewells before apparating back to their own homes, promising to return the next week.

"Was that so bad?" Winona smiles over at her daughter as the final crack of the last guest's departure fades.

Ana shrugs. "I recall it being much longer when I was younger."

Winona laughs slightly. "Well, you've matured since then. It's nice to be able to spend more time with you." She pauses, and then speaks again as if only just recalling something. "Oh, and your Baba will be down tomorrow, I forgot to mention."

That snaps Ana to attention. Though she's certainly been continuing to practice her Baba's lessons where she can, her focus has been on summer assignments since returning home and she knows she's gotten rusty.

She hopes none of her panic shows on her face. "What time will she arrive, do you think?"

Winona waves airily. "Oh you know your Baba, never one to keep a schedule." She pauses, and then, more cautiously, "I know you like showing her your... school work, so I thought you should know."

Ana stares at her for a long moment. Her mother knows, she realizes with a sharp certainty. Her mother knows that her Baba is training her in the ways of hag magic.

But she hasn't explicitly forbid it - in fact she almost seems to be encouraging it now. So Ana simply nods and hurries up to her room, mumbling something about organizing her books.

She practices with her crystal ball instead, working all afternoon and feeling quite pleased when her headaches are minimal and widely dispersed. She pauses to join her parents for dinner and discuss the tea circle, which her father is surprised to hear that she wants to continue sitting in on for the rest of the summer. Then she prepares for bed and returns to her gazing.

She still can't see Alasdair's family home, something she's tried several times since getting home for the summer, but she now believes it's due to magical protections around the house, as she's managed to look in on most of her other classmates - even Evie, who she's somewhat surprised to learn didn't grow up in an insane asylum but actually has two fully functional parents. She hasn't been able to find Fitzwilliam though, which doesn't surprise her in light of her new theories. It's only natural the Selwyn family would have wards up against dark magic, especially considering Fitzwilliam's branch of the family managed to get through the war undivided, unlike most suspected Dark Lord sympathizers.

Once she's properly exhausted she hides the crystal ball back in it's corner of the closet, drops Dracula on the pillow beside her head, and promptly passes out.

She wakes later than she would have liked, based on the sun staining across her bed sheets, and she dresses as quickly as she can, returning Dracula to his terrarium and hiding it away when she hears the familiar rasping voice of her Baba coming from down the stairs.

Once she's certain everything is in order she lets herself out of the room and descends the stairway, the voices below becoming clearer. She realizes her father must be out, as she can't hear his voice and she knows he'd never let her mother sit alone with Baba if he was around.

Winona smiles tiredly as Ana enters the kitchen. "Good morning, did you have a nice sleep?"

Ana responds politely, and quickly greets Baba who is hunched beside the island, eyeing her in the discomfiting way that she always does.

"You slept late. Turning into one of those lazy children?" Baba doesn't acknowledge the greeting with any formal one of her own, but Ana doesn't let it bother her. Baba has never been one for formalities, or really any sort of civilized conduct.

"I hear your school is going well. I'd like to see."

She's never been one for subtlety either. Ana glances at her mother, who's expression gives nothing away, before leading Baba up to her room.

Practice goes smoothly, and Baba is as impressed as hags can get with her performance.

"Improvement, good. Well then, I suppose I can show you a bit more."

And she does. Ana had thought that spying was the best to be done with the crystal ball, but apparently very strong hags can even hear sound through it. Baba vaguely explain the basics, in a way that suggests that perhaps even she cannot do such things, but Ana doesn't comment on it as she attempts to follow directions, with no success.

"It takes time. I will see you when it snows."

That's all the goodbye she gets before her Baba is off, flying straight from Ana's bedroom window, effectively ignoring Winona in the parlor.

"She's left I suppose?" Winona greets Ana with the question and a cup of tea, which Ana is grateful for.

Ana nods once she's downed a few mouthfuls. "She did. She says she won't be back until there's snow on the ground."

Winona nods. "I thought as much. The hags have been unsettled as of late, though none of my contacts are telling me much on the subject." She shakes her head lightly, sipping her own tea as she does. "But never mind that. I have a bit more news that I think you might like."

Ana glances at her mother over the rim of her cup. It's rare that Winona's surprises are to Ana's liking, but something about her mother's tone, as well as the general sense she's gotten this week that things have changed between them, allows her to keep an open mind.

"I've managed some contact with Mareum Macmillan, Alasdair's mother, and she's invited us over for dinner tomorrow night. Your father confirmed with me last night that he could come as well." She adds.

Ana nods. "That does sound nice. Why are you only telling me now? Surely this is something that has been in the works for a while?" She's not upset by any stretch, but she is curious as to how her mother kept something like this quiet for so long.

Winona smiles faintly. "We've been exchanging owls since the beginning of the summer but nothing was certain until just last week. I didn't want to get your hopes up."

She wouldn't have, but Ana somewhat appreciates the sentiment regardless. "Well I look forward to it. What time will we be departing tomorrow?"

They leave at five o'clock exactly, apparating directly onto the Macmillan property. Ana side-alongs with her father, and does her best to remain upright and composed after they land despite the fact her insides feel like they've been switched around and tied up in knots.

She spots Alasdair before he sees her, and she can't help smiling just a bit. She does enjoy Hogwarts after all, and he's a large part of what it is exactly that she appreciates. He waves when he finally does spot her approach, and she realizes that he's sweating.

"What on Earth have you been doing?" She's definitely judging, but he minds as much as he ever does, which is to say not at all.

"I had football practice today. I'll just go get cleaned up real quick. Mum says you can make yourselves at home and that she's in the kitchen so come say hi."

Ana is a bit taken aback. Alasdair is a lot more relaxed than she recalls from the past year, but hopefully a shower will bring him back to the person she thought she knew. "Right. See you soon then."

Winona frowns. "Football? Isn't that a muggle sport? I wouldn't think Mareum would allow that." She quickly slips off her shoes and heads in the direction most likely to lead to the kitchen, Ana and her husband following after.

"He seems like a nice young man." Alexander notes after a momentary pause.

Ana shrugs uncertainly. "He is. He seemed different just now but perhaps I simply haven't seen him in a while."

Her father nods. "You're different as well." He notes after a moment. "It's like I sent my little girl away on a train and she came back older."

"I did come back older father." She points out, raising an eyebrow.

He laughs. "You'll understand when you're sending your children off to school one day." He promises, patting her shoulder in a way that's both comforting and makes her feel like a little girl again. So she pulls away.

They arrive in the kitchen shortly after, and Mareum Macmillan proves to be the perfect hostess. She reminds Ana of almost every one of her mother's tea-time friends, and it's not long before Mareum and Winona are chatting like they've known each other for years.

"My husband unfortunately couldn't be with us today, work called him away on a last minute emergency." Mareum offers this information to Ana and her father after several minutes of ignoring them to chat with Winona. "But Alasdair should be down soon and his older brother is about somewhere." She seems appropriately irritated that her children are not already in the room. "If you like you may look around the house some. We just renovated."

Winona stays in the kitchen to help Mareum with the cooking while Ana and her father take the suggestion to do some exploring.

"It's quite a nice home." Alexander notes with some semblance of being impressed. "Perhaps we ought to make some adjustments to the rest of the house as well, rather than just your room." His eyes skitter across a series of modern furnishings, set against a Victorian backdrop.

Ana hums disinterestedly. Housing aesthetics has never been very high on her list of interests.

Alasdair joins them shortly after, and Ana is pleased that he seems to be back to normal.

"Have you completed your summer homework?" Ana happily engages him in a bit of small talk as her father continues to uncertainly examine their surroundings. "I've completed mine so if there's anything you happen to be stuck on I could help."

Alasdair shrugs. "I've done some of it and nothing has seemed too complex just yet. Though I haven't gotten to Transfiguration just yet and you know I struggle in that class." A faint smile that's faintly returned, and Ana debates whether or not to offer to help. It wasn't uncommon during school that they'd sit together in class, her carefully coaching him through whatever the day's assignment was.

But she can still remember how different he'd seemed when they first encountered him on the front steps, flushed and sweating and nothing like the boy she'd practiced magic with during the year. So she decides instead to try and figure out exactly where that new boy had come from.

"So you play football? How did that happen?" It's far from an innocuous question, probing and abrupt, but Alasdair doesn't seem to mind as he all too happily launches into an explanation about the odd Muggle sport.

Ana honestly loses track of everything he's saying, but to sport itself sound rather odd if not entirely dull, and certainly far more physically exerting than she cares for. But she's more interested in analyzing Alasdair's tone and gestures as he speaks rather than the topic upon which he's speaking about.

It's odd to see her usually reserved friend (she's not sure when she began considering him as such, but it seems an incongruous distinction now that she's seeing this new side of him) so animated and she's quite relieved when his older brother makes himself known about ten minutes later.

"Whoa there little brother, take a breath. You look like you're blowing the little lady's mind."

Ana immediately decides she doesn't much like this newcomer, though she remains grateful for his interference. "Anastasiya Vulchanova." She pulls herself up to her full height as she introduces herself, holding out her hand in the delicate manner she's seen her mother use when greeting her father's coworkers.

The man grins almost dangerously and he sweeps into a bow, surprising her by kissing the offered hand. "Alec Macmillan. The pleasure is all mine."

"She's twelve Alec." Alasdair states, louder than he perhaps needs to.

Alec keeps the wicked grin as he stands and turns to Ana's father, offering a handshake. "You must be Mr. Vulchanova." His smile softens into something more professional. "You must excuse me, an older brother's job is to torment the youngsters after all."

Alexander laughs and accepts the handshake. "Don't I know it. I've got a younger brother myself, back in Bulgaria."

Alasdair and Ana excuse themselves from the room as the two men begin a discussion on politics that confuses them both, retiring to Alasdair's room.

"Sorry about Alec. He's rather horrid." Alasdair sighs.

Ana shrugs. "He's a sibling. But never mind him, tell me more about how your break has been."

The rest of the night is spent talking quietly together, and eventually lapsing into silence as Ana peruses Alasdair's bookshelves and he watches (and this feels more familiar, this assures her that Alasdair is the same person she considers her friend). Dinner is a bit more animated as their parents and Alec keep up a steady stream of jovial conversation that Ana and Alasdair don't contribute to all that much.

When it's time to leave there are promises all around that they must do this again sometime. Ana simply smiles her farewells to Alasdair, who does the same, and then she's side-along aparated back to their own urban mansion.

"Did you have fun Ana?" Her mother asks. "You were rather quiet."

Ana smiles slightly. "I did mother." And it's not a lie. Just perhaps not the entire truth, either.

For once in her life Rajani is actually anticipating one of her parents' dinner parties. This is because this particular party is going to involve people she actually knows.

They've spent the entire summer planning it, exchanging owls and up to their parents as much as they can without being too obvious or desperate.

Rajani had found success first, as convincing her parents that forging a relationship with two powerful pureblood families was a good idea had been laughably simple. Hence why they were the hosts for the evening.

Eugene had been next, charming his parents as he does all adults into believing that connections with the Misras would be indispensable.

Although I should warn you, his note added, that my parents may try to set us up. Just be prepared.

Honestly Rajani is certain her parents may well react in a similar manner, but she doesn't really mind. Eugene is a good friend and she can't imagine any scenario that would leave them too awkward to continue that friendship.

Queenie had the most difficult time persuading her parents to attend the Misra's dinner party. She admits later that it was her older brother who managed to finally sway them, but Rajani honestly doesn't care so long as Queenie will be there.

They'd tried to include Clary as well but her parents, as it turns out, are the exact opposite of her and are as such not big on socializing.

Rajani doesn't mind too much however. Clary likely wouldn't have made the best impression on her parents regardless, and two of her friends being down is already more than she'd hoped for. Sahana has also secured an RSVP from a branch of the Avery family. The couple invited has a son in Sahana's year, and Rajani suspects he may be the secret flirtation that her sister is inexplicably hiding, though Sahana has given no indication one way or the other.

An hour before the guests are slated to arrive, Rajani is in the shared second floor bathroom, putting the finishing touches on her hair. It's nothing fancy, just the addition of the silver hairpin that she's kept locked in her trunk since receiving it in February, but she wants to make a good impression so that her friends will be able to visit more in the future, and so perhaps she can go to visit them sometime as well.

Sahana raises an eyebrow as she descends the stairs. "Is that pin new?" Her sister observes idly, and Rajani simply shrugs.

"It was a gift from a friend. I think it looks nice." She adds, somewhat defensive as she's still actually not sure who sent her the gift, and something about that mystery tugs at the corners of her mind, cautioning and wary.

Sahana smiles faintly. "It does. I'd not mention that it was a gift though, our parents may start planning the wedding."

Rajani laughs, relieved for the topic change, and sits herself beside Sahana on the couch.

"You're one to talk, Mother likely already has floral decorations for you and the Avery boy. Is there anything going on there?" She's quite sure her attempts to sound disinterested fail miserably, but it doesn't seem to matter.

Sahana makes a face. "Absolutely not. Keaton Avery is just my Potions partner, rather unfortunately as he's really quite a dolt."

Rajani barely contains a snort at her sister's choice of phrasing, which is distinctly crass for her.

Sahana smiles faintly as well. "Perhaps don't tell mother I said so, she'd be horrified."

They stay on the couch then, not speaking but not uncomfortable and Rajani is glad for it. They had this when she was young, then lost it when Sahana began at Hogwarts. Now it seems she has it once again, and she hopes it will stay this time.

Then the Slughorn family arrives and she quite forgets herself and her bonding moment with Sahana in her rush to greet Eugene.

It's nice to see him again. More than nice, really, bordering closer to elation which she luckily is able to effectively tamp down on as she greets him, his mother, and his uncle as they enter the Misra manor.

Her mother is quick to begin showing Adela Slughorn around and her father engages the aging Horace in a discussion about politics, leaving Rajani to drag Eugene to the backyard before anyone can see.

"Did you bring it?"

Eugene grins and pulls something out of his pocket. As she watches, it grows and expands until a full-length Nimbus 1000 is resting in his hand.

Rajani grins. "Awesome. Wait here, I'll grab mine from the shed."

They spend the next half hour swooping around the backyard, showing off new moves and offering scant pointers where they can, though admittedly neither of them is a better flyer than the other.

"Look at that, our future Quidditch team Captain!" Queenie calls cheerfully from below. "Oh, and Eugene is here too. Hey Eugene." She grins cheekily as the two quickly land.

"Queenie! When did you get here?" Rajani hands her broom to Eugene so she has both arms free to give her friend a quick hug.

Queenie grins. "Only just now. I think we're the last to arrive, as usual. My parents are big on being fashionably late."

Eugene grins. "Well I suppose they're trying to make you fashionable in some way."

His cheek earns him pointed glares from both girls, and then they head back inside, leaving him to determine what exactly to do with the brooms now that flying practice has been cut short.

"So how has your summer been really? I know we've been owling but it's just not the same." Queenie presses as Rajani takes her friend up to her room. "I miss the common room already. Kingsley says you get used to it, but really I see why so many people speak so fondly of their school days."

Rajani grins and sits on her bed. "I do too." It's strange not hearing Nia loudly declaring war on the house elves ever time she doesn't like breakfast, or hopelessly trying to prevent Clary from barging into the boys' dorms to steal back Nia's sheep whenever Eugene takes it from their common room gatherings. "I guess it's a sort of comforting chaos you don't really get outside of school."

Queenie sits next to her, nodding. "That's  good way to put it, you should tell that to Kingsley. He'd appreciate it."

Rajani grins. "Maybe I will. I didn't really get to meet him this past year since we were all so busy but maybe you could put a word in for me, get me a meeting."

Queenie laughs. "He's a prefect this year so that may be more accurate than you think. But hey, no time like the present!" She hops up and pulls Rajani with her. Both girls take a moment to smooth out their dresses and fix their sleeves before heading back downstairs to join the rest of the party.

Eugene spots them immediately and hurries over, running one hand through unavoidably ruined hair. "There you guys are! I thought I'd been abandoned to suffer alone through another one of Uncle Horace's stories."

"Where did you put my broom?" Rajani asks in lieu of responding appropriately. Eugene gives her a wry look but responds regardless.

"Back in the shed. You can move it to it's proper location later." he says this somewhat stuffily, only to be startled when Queenie leans over to fix his hair.

"You look a mess, Golden Boy. We're going to talk to my brother. You go fix your hair in the lavatory and then come join us, okay? I won't be seen in the company of someone a ruffled as you are."

Eugene sticks out his tongue but complies once Rajani has pointed out the nearest loo.

"Well that was certainly a show." Rajani remarks wryly, glancing over to where their mothers have all taken note of the exchange.

Queenie shrugs and leads her towards the sitting room, where Rajani supposes Kingsley must be. "My parents are thinking of proposing an arrangement with Eugene's mother. Keep the family line pure and all." It's said nonchalantly but Rajani feels a bit ill and tugs on Queenie's hand to halt her just before they enter the sitting room.

"Does that not bother you? We're only twelve. My mother didn't start pestering Sahana about such things until this year and there's been no talk of any sort of arrangement." Of course, Rajani is aware of such situations, and her family has certainly been involved with them in the past. But this still feels odd to her despite joking about such things easily with both Eugene and Sahana.

Queenie merely shrugs. "It's not so bad. I could imagine myself being perfectly happy with Eugene if he's alright with it." She smiles. "There are worse things than to have your life arranged to include a good friend for the rest of it."

Rajani pauses, balanced on the edge of saying something that might not be entirely appropriate for a young woman like herself to say in such a situation, before finally she decides to let it rest. "That was horridly worded Queenie. I do hope your vows are an improvement."

Queenie nudges Rajani's ribs lightly with an elbow and they finally step into the sitting room.

"Queenie!" Kingsley is immediately waving them over. He's sitting beside a wiry brunet boy who Rajani assumes must be Keaton Avery, and across from Sahana, who looks like she's been interrupted by their arrival and is none to pleased by it. "Sahana and Keaton were just telling me about prefect duties."

Queenie smiles and sits beside her brother, while Rajani hesitates a moment before placing herself in an armchair beside Sahana. She wonders why her sister hadn't mentioned that Avery is Slytherin's male prefect in her year.

"Eugene will be joining us in a moment I believe." Queenie offers. "So do you have any suggestions for us second years? Things to look out for?"

Keaton is the one who speaks, and Rajani is surprised that such a deep and steady voice could come from someone who looks so fragile. "Not for second year. This year will be rather similar to first if memory serves. It's third year you'll want to think about, since you start your electives then."

Sahana nods. "You should start thinking about what you want to take now rather than later, though. There will be meetings with Professor Snape but it's good to go in already having an idea of what you wish to pursue before you're scheduled to meet with him."

Kingsley merely hums an agreement just as the door swings open and Eugene, hair newly flattened back into place, joins the circle, settling himself beside Keaton with an air of familiarity that Rajani wonders at slightly.

"Hello." Eugene quickly introduces himself to Sahana with his usual charm, and Rajani can tell immediately that Sahana approves of him. He also greets Kingsley and Keaton, in a way that confirms he already knows them.

Queenie picks up on it as well. "Well it seems you boys are already acquainted."

Kingsley grins. "We are all in Slytherin, Queen, it's not inconceivable that we'd know each other."

Queenie grimaces momentarily at the use of her real name but she recovers quickly. "Well sure, I'm aware of Sahana as well, she's one of the best prefects, but not so well I don't need to reintroduce myself."

Eugene grins. "Well clearly you ladies simply aren't as social as we are."

Keaton shakes his head. "Not as social as you more like. Eugene here came around and introduced himself to everyone on the first day." Eugene looks betrayed by the reveal but Keaton's expression remains as carefully neutral as it has throughout the conversation.

Queenie laughs then. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me. A lot like your Uncle in that way, hm?" She gives Eugene a look, and Rajani suddenly realizes that this isn't the first time they've seen each other face-to-face during the break. Her mind flashes back to what Queenie had mentioned just outside the door and she wonders if Eugene knows.

Kingsley watches the exchange with a sort of cautious approval, while Keaton and Sahana merely seem amused.

The six of them continue talking together until they're called to the table for dinner, where the adults take over most of the conversation. Rajani is content to sit quietly, occasionally exchanging glances with Queenie and Eugene, who are sitting across from her. It's a familiar and yet alien situation - she rarely talks during dinner parties, but she for once still feels included. It's nice, she decides.

The guests depart around twenty-one hundred hours, and Rajani gives Queenie a hug goodbye.

"We should meet up to go shopping next week." Queenie declares as they separate. "I'll owl you about it."

Rajani nods eagerly. They had been planning to go to Diagon Alley in two days, but she knows her mother will be willing to wait a bit longer if it means getting to spend more time with the Shacklebolts.

Once everyone has left, Rajani bids her family goodnight and retires back to her room, still on a bit of a high from the night. Really, it's the best dinner party they've ever thrown, she thinks. Hopefully there will be plenty more in the future.