"Delphi, you cannot sit around here like this." Callidora's voice was firm as she stood there, hands on her hips, staring down at her half-sister whom sat in a chair by the window, simply staring out of it. "You can't live like this. This isn't living, it's existing."

Three weeks had gone by since they'd moved to Greece, back into the house Delphinia had spent her childhood. Three weeks since Delphinia and Nathaniel had apparently ended things between them.

"I'm fine, Dora."

"No, you're not." Callidora argued, and shoved a quill and piece of parchment toward her. "Write to him."

"Artie, was Eros an Animagus?"

Dark blue eyes watched as the small girl perched herself on the arm of a chair, a faint smile appearing on her lips at the question. "Why would you ask that?" was Artemis's response.

The seven-year-old shifted a bit, allowing herself to fall into the seat of the chair with her legs dangling over the side. "I found an Animagus book in his room." She answered, simply.

"He wasn't. We were both studying Animagi, with hopes of becoming them."

Delphi paused, considering her explanation. "Did you ever do it?"

"No, I didn't." Artemis answered, softly.

It was like one of those silly muggle movies, where the leading girl went into a dark, haunted dungeon at night and was chased by things of the night. Vampires.. ghosts.. monsters.. even crazy demented people, that kind of thing. But Delphinia wasn't that girl, she hadn't put herself in this position. She was at home, in her and Nathan's apartment.. safe and sound.

Delphinia was fairly sure she was going crazy. This had to be a nightmare, a really horrible, long, nightmare. That was the only reasonable explanation.

As a pair of arms wrapped around her, Delphi screamed.

Being a pureblood witch who lived in Wizarding Athens, young Delphinia Suvari didn't have much experience with muggles or their lifestyle. Which was probably why her mum had encouraged her taking Muggle Studies.

Playing with the object in her hands, the eleven-year-old frowned as she looked closer. It looked kind of like her mum's camera.. but this one had way more buttons, and a screen on the front. "Professor Mikos?"

"Yes, Miss Suvari?"

"I think mine's broken, it's not working."

"Press the big silver button, Miss Suvari."

Doing as she was told, Delphi pressed the button.

FLASH!

"It's not broken!"

Seated firmly behind her desk with another First year student - a boy with large brown eyes, and even darker brown hair to match, - Delphi played with the big white feather that was suppose to stay on her desktop until the Professor instructed otherwise, between her fingers. She squirmed, fingers wiggling, a smile on her lips. It tickled.

"Miss Suvari," The Professor said in his thick Greek accent, "I hope for your sake you're paying attention. What did I just say, child?"

Delphi could have frowned at his tone, but she remained unfazed. "You said the incantation. Wingardium Leviosa."

"Apollo, guess what! .. Guess what, guess what! .. It's really exciting, .. Apollooooo!"

Hop. Skip. Bounce.

Any other child probably would have started whining, or huffing, growing impatience quickly with the lack of response, but not this child. Thirteen-year-old Delphinia Suvari trailed after a much older man, relentless.

"What?" Apollo practically growled as he turned to give her a nasty little look. "I'm working."

Delphinia smiled in return. "I learned how to Transfigure a Teapot into a Tortoise!"

The little teenage girl was so proud of herself. Apollo scoffed. "I learned to do that at the age of five."

"I don't see why you're walking around here like someone's died."

The comment from the seat nearest her caused her to pause in her tracks at the kitchen door, her back turned. Apollo was many things, but cruel was never one of those things that Delphi considered before. Even as a child when he would reject her and refuse to spend time around her, Delphi had never thought of him as cruel. Maybe because she was young and naïve, or maybe because this was Apollo.

"Did you even love Annika? No?" Delphi countered, her words harsh. "Obviously, you wouldn't understand."

Rylan had arrived.

Delphinia only knew for certain when she heard the voice of a young boy being carried throughout the halls, followed by laughter. For being Apollo's child, Rylan was a joy. Full of energy, sweet, and being raised into a little gentleman already at the tender age of seven-years-old.

Peeking her head into the study where she could hear Rylan yodeling, the young woman spotted Apollo at his desk - just where she knew he would be. Delphi cleared her throat. "Hey.. Apollo."

"Yes?" The man answered, sparing her a glance.

"I just wanted to apologize.. for earlier."

When Callidora stepped into the room, the only thing Delphi could think was that the look on her half-sister's face gave her the impression she had just been whomped by the whomping willow, despite the lack of dirt and bruises. Never mind the fact that the great old tree was all the way back at Hogwarts, and they were in Greece.

"Dora, what is it.." Delphi frowned, closing the book between her hands only to rest it in her lap. "What's wrong?"

"It's my mum.." Callidora said, slowly. "She was found. She's in a hospital, somewhere in England."

"Oh, Dora."

Hand trailing over dusty book spines, Delphinia studied each title, each book carefully, as if trying to remember them forever. She wasn't, of course. That became clear as she paused, slowly pulling one of the larger books from the shelf which needed a good dusting itself, her fingers tracing the words on the cover: Ancient Runes Made Easy.

Upon opening the textbook to the front page, the nineteen-year-old took in the handwritten name, Nikolaos Suvari; followed by - Third year. It was hard for her to imagine her father, Nikolaos, as a child.. or even a teenager.

"I miss you.."

Glancing at the child seated at the kitchen table, Delphi set a small plate of cookies in the center of the table before pulling out a chair for herself. Nathan's baby sister, who wasn't actually a baby any longer, quietly worked on her Muggle homework.

"So there's this boy at school, and I like him.. but he likes another girl."

"How do you know?"

"They hold hands." Jana said, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

Delphi smiled gently at the eleven-year-old, sensing something more to the story. "Is he your friend?"

"My best friend," Jana confirmed, and sighed.

"It'll be okay."

There was a pause as silence enveloped them, Delphi's green eyes settled on young Jana Riley Aspen, while she twirled her pencil between finger and thumb. "How do you know?" She asked, finally. "How do you know it'll be okay?"

Before responding, Delphinia allowed for another pause, looking thoughtfully down a the table top. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a little hand reach over to take a chocolate-chip cookie. How did she know? She had lived it, with Nathan. "Do you trust me, Janny?"

The small girl nodded.

"What's meant to be, will be. I promise."

33. Classroom ღ

Perched on one of her father's old chairs that was more for looks than comfort, Delphinia's gaze roamed the old study. It resembled an abandoned classroom back in Hogwarts, she noticed, possibly because of the amount of dust and dirt the desk alone offered. She hadn't gotten around to cleaning up this room, and wasn't sure if she ever would.

"It is spring, Delphinia." The voice of her half-sister, Callidora, caused the twenty-year-old to look up. Her tone was gentle this time, surprisingly. Dora was giving up on force. "You cannot sit around here forever. You must move on.. Please."

5. Astronomy ღ

Delphinia sat outside, her house just a little ways behind her. Fingers picked apart a blade of grass as she stared up into the sky, gazing at the stars. Night had barely fallen, and with it, brought colder weather.

She had just spent her first Christmas away from Nathan, and it had been horrible. They were going on a year. A whole year of not seeing each other. If she were still in England where she belonged, snow would surely have fallen already. And they would be making a snowman together - despite the darkness.

They would still be happy.

Maybe if she had understood Arithmancy, she could have avoided the mess she made. Was it possible that this was what her heart number had been trying to tell her? Or her life number, or maybe she wasn't even close to being right. Maybe she should have listened to Professor Hadley more. Maybe she should have taken her classes more seriously. And maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't be where she is today.

All this and more traveled slowly through her mind, sitting mute next to a window as Callidora tried to coax her into talking, or atleast taking a walk.

With their first Potions class of the new term behind them, Delphinia and Nathaniel, now sixth years, stood together at a large desk with their things out in front of them. The room was empty aside from them, which worked out well for the pair.

Scanning the notes left in her Potions journal, Delphi glanced toward their ingredients to make sure they had everything to practice the Dreamer's Elixer potion, and then to Nathan as he filled the cauldron and set the fire beneath it.

"What does this do again?" Nathan asked, catching her gaze.

"It prevents nightmares, I think.."

Something had clicked inside Delphinia's brain, but Callidora didn't know that.

When the older of the two had leaped up from where she sat only to practically fly through the house, the younger sister stood stunned and confused. The shock of it didn't last long, though, and Dora was chasing after her.

"What is it, Delph?" Callidora arrived in time to see Delphi's old school telescope land on her bed, tossed aside in favor of everything else in the room which was being crammed into a trunk.

"I'm going to him." Delphi answered, "I need to see him, Dora."

"Delphi.."

69. Slap ღ

Finally.

Finally, Nathan was standing in front of her. His expression wasn't one of happiness, nor was it welcoming - his tension was obvious, like a slap in the face. He was uncomfortable. Even after the time that had past between them, Delphinia felt she could still read him accurately. This was her Nathan, after all. Or he had been hers.

'What are you doing here.'

She saw his mouth move, but the words barely reached her. In truth, it wouldn't have mattered if they had. "Will you meet me? Please?" Delphinia blurted out, "We can go get ice cream."

"You are obnoxious, Delphinia." Apollo said loudly, the expression on his face one of pure annoyance as he walked away from the bouncing five-year-old, a book in hand.

Little Delphinia paused mid-hop, a wide grin on her sweet young face. "What's that mean, 'Pollo?" The child asked fondly, green eyes staring curiously at the book.

Apollo groaned and snatched a second book from a near by shelf, before nearly tossing it at the small girl. Instead, the Greek dictionary landed on the dining table. "Look it up." He answered.

"Apollo DeVille!" Athena exclaimed from another room, "You will be nice!"

Delphinia was caught red-handed, her arms overloaded with all sorts of things, and none were quite recognizable squished between her two small arms in an attempt to make it to her destination without dropping a single thing.

Closing the door behind her softly, Athena glanced down at the seven-year-old, an inquisitive look in her eyes as the child paused to stare back at her. "Delphinia, dear.. what are you doing?" She asked, her tone gentle.

"Doing stuff for Apollo," Delphi answered, "It's fun!"

Athena sighed, and offered a brief sympathetic smile. Her son. "Apollo, Delphinia is not a house elf!"

"Miss Suvari, keep your wand ready, and think of something funny. Remember, it's not real." the professor coached, repeating the last bit assuringly. "It's not real."

Professor Braeden's words were lost on the third year as Nikolaos loomed over her, coming closer and closer as Delphi stepped back. "You are weak, Delphinia." Her father said, his tone harsh and disapproving. Konstantina wasn't far behind him, glaring almost in disgust - as if looking at something the kneazle had brought in. "You are not the daughter we raised you to be!" Her mother added, shrilly.

Tears were forming in Delphi's eyes.

Seated at the dinner table across from her mum and dad, five-year-old Delphinia frowned at her plate. The fork in her hand poked repeatedly at her meat, picking at it but not putting any in her mouth. Hearing her dad clear his throat, her eyes grew wide and her gaze wandered upward.

"It's just chicken, Delphinia.." Konstantina said, what once was a smile turning into a frown as well - with concern, though. "Is there something wrong with it?"

A splash of color flooded the little girl's cheeks, and she shook her head quickly. "Can I just have salad, Mummy?

By all means, Callidora was furious. Although Delphinia hadn't known her half-sister long, it wasn't unusual for Dora to get her wand in a knot easily, but this.. this was different. Furious might have been an understatement.

"I may not have been good at Care of Magic Creatures class, but I know a dog when I see one, and I know how to put one out too!" Dora practically growled at Gorgios, wand pointed carefully under his chin. "Out! NOW!"

The man stole a glance toward Delphi, still sitting mute as if unaware of what was happening around her. "Delphinia?"

67. Quell ღ

Cuddled into her mother's side, Delphinia gasped and reached one little finger out towards the sky. "Mummy, lookit!" The four-year-old exclaimed, pointing. "Mummy, is that a star? Why is it falling? Mummy, someone needs to stop it! Or.. or, catch it!" Could she catch a falling star? And why was it going up, and up, and up.. It was suppose to be falling.

Konstantina laughed, her smile gentle as she peered down at her small daughter with a look of amusement. "It's not a falling star, my love. It's a shooting star. When you see one, you make a wish."

Dedicated to the one, the only, Samia. ღ
Without whom, there would be no drabbles, and no grown up Delphi Suvari.
Thank you for helping me explore her, and for giving her a reason to love
*leaves lots of love here*


43. Headmaster ღ

Perched on the edge of the low-sitting fence, Delphi did her best not to look down into the seemingly endless body of water beneath the bridge where she waited alone. The light breeze of September blew past her, playing with her short brown hair. Green eyes followed a passerby, who looked like one of those old men in a portrait inside of the Headmistress' office at Hogwarts.

Even lost in thought, Delphi looked up as a figure approached her. As if sensing Nathan's presence, the twenty-year-old leaned forward onto her feet. "Hi," She managed a smile, "I'm glad you came."