Dan awoke one summer morning and looked about the small room that for the last year or so had become his private sanctum. He gazed at the baby blue walls and sighed, getting the feeling that once he'd had a space that was dominated in green and black, but he could not get past that faded, staticky memory. He reached over and pulled a t-shirt over his muscular frame. The simple black t-shirt seeming familiar. He stepped into his favorite pair of jeans and padded into the kitchen and put on the kettle for a cup of coffee. He popped a bagel into the toaster and waited for the water to boil. He knew Gabi would probably try to make him eat something more but for some reason he couldn't stomach anything substantial early in the morning. He poured himself some coffee and creamer with flavoring, he chose french vanilla. He then spread some blueberry cream cheese on his big blueberry bagel. He then put his bagel on a small plate and stepped out on the front stoop to enjoy his miniscule breakfast and people watch. He took a seat and after taking a bite of his bagel, he gazed out toward the street with steely blue eyes.

Gabi was up early and she was headed out to her interview at Hogwarts, she wanted to let them know about Dan and his condition. She looked out on the front stoop at the guy who had come to be like a younger brother to her. It was hard to see the spoiled rich kid he'd obviously been before in the young man she knew now. Dan was confident and strong and also determined to know who he was. She stuck her head out the door and said softly. "Daniel, eat something please. I'm off to that meeting at Hogwarts and then to work at the shop. I love you brother and I will see you later." She rushed down the steps beside him, and tripped on the last step the contents of her purse spilling everywhere. She sighed in frustration as she sat up and tried to gather up everything. After gathering up what she could she cleaned off her baby pink dress and repaired her shoe. Then she searched her bag and growled a little as she'd found everything but her De-Luminator. "Ugh, where did it go?" she mumbled.

Lights was feeling good about today. She could feel it in her bones that there would be people willing to listen to a 24-year-old blonde woman (who's hair colour didn't have any effect on her intelligence, thank you very much) going on about the soon-to-be extinction of the Peppermint Striped Parasol toadstool. Seriously, if that 'Magic Minty Melts' love candy didn't stop production soon, the toadstools would vanish! And that would be very very sad!
Lights adjusted her jacket, and knocked on the flat door. If the house happened to be occupied by Muggles, she'd just offer them some cookies instead of the toadstool flier.

Dan finished his bagel and coffee and took the plate and cup inside. He smiled for a moment as he watched Gabi from the window then went to go back outside. She was always a wee bit clumsy and it made him want to smile. He heard someone knocking on the door and went over to answer it, smiling at the blonde woman as he reached over to pocket his wand. "Hello there, how can I help you?" He spoke kindly with a flash of white teeth.

Gabi continued to look for her De-Luminator. "Accio Put-Outer." She muttered, summoning the blasted thing.

"See, wasn't I right?" Ryoma asked as he pushed his sunglasses a little further up his nose as he walked beside the quickly maturing young woman beside him. How old was she now? Ryoma had never been good with numbers which is why Harley was the one who handled the accounting bits for the Leaky Cauldron. "A breath of fresh air is just what you needed."

Kurumi knew that he was trying, but she also knew that fatherhood and dealing with kids was something new to him as well. Not that Kurumi was a child per say. As her 6th year loomed, Kurumi knew she should be feeling more mature and grown up, but the events of the summer and...her mother...well, it turned everything upside down and she felt as though she were reaching for straws as she tried to refind the footing in her life. Her father was beside himself, which is why he had sent her to stay with his best mate Kaishu. But when Kaishu had to skip town for a Healing seminar in Prague, he had sent her to stay with Ryoma at the Leaky Cauldron. It wasn't all bad, Kurumi enjoyed playing with Marshmallow and the baby, but she was also still in mourning.

"I...suppose," she said softly, idly kicking a stone into the street while her one hand played with the heart shaped necklace around her neck.

Gabi finally located her deluminator, She glanced at her watch and gasped. She was really late! She needed to get to Hogwarts then on to her book shoppe in Diagon Alley. She came out onto the sidewalk and hurried down the sidewalk headed toward The Leaky Cauldron to use the floo network. She glanced up and saw what looked to be like an older brother and sister walking down the street, she smiled at them. she seemed to recognize the man from the Leaky cauldron but she wasn't sure. "Oh hi!" She spoke to them.

Lights smiled back at the guy who answered the door, noticing his wand before it was put away. "Oh good, you're not a Muggle," she said in relief. "I was kind of afraid of that. Cookie?" She offered him the plate of homemade Mars bar cookies as she rummaged in her bag, pulling out a small stack of flyers. "Are you aware that the Peppermint Striped Parasol toadstool is currently endangered? It's sad, but greedy people with too many Galleons for the count continue to harvest them despite this terrible fact! Have you ever tried a 'Magic Minty Melt'? That's what this beautiful toadstool is being endangered for!" Lights' bright green eyes sparkled in indignation. "So, bearing in mind that Peppermint Striped Parasols are a very important magical plant, would you care to sign this petition to the Environmental Regulation and Protection Division for the Ministry of Magic?" She smiled sweetly, holding up the sheet of paper covered in signatures.

"Cheer up kiddo, your oldd man will be furious with me if I don't get you to smile." And her father was SCARY when he wanted to be. Ryoma kicked some dirt off of his black boots and tugged on his T-shirt that had been slightly stretched out around the collar thanks to Sachiko's tugging. The infant was a curious one, and he wished that she would pick someone else's clothing to pull on.

Kurumi smiled weakly at Ryoma, but before she could say anything they were joined by a blonde girl who had just left one of the houses. Not really knowing what to do, Kurumi bowed slightly to greet her and then glanced at Ryoma. A friend? Ryoma was known to get around, even though he was settling down quite a bit now. Fatherhood was being good to him, that was for sure. "Hello," she said politely.

Ryoma averted his chocolate eyes from the violet ones belonging to Kurumi and looked at the girl who had just joined them.Hmm? Someone who lived in this area perhaps? "Hey," he replied with a small, but confident, smirk.

Dan smiled and took the plate. "Thank you, would you care to come inside?" He gestured for her come inside. "To answer your question, I am sure that I didn't, I'm more a tooth flossing string mints and an Ice Mice Kinda guy. I don't like people messing with the plans and environment." He shuddered and then reached for the petition. "It's an absolute shame that people cannot take the initiative to find out what's in their food and stuff anymore." He reached for he self-inking quill on a nearby table an signed the petition. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, are you sure you wouldn't like to join me for some cookies?" He asked quietly.

"You run the Leaky Cauldron don't you? I am quite sure I've seen you there before. I'm Gabi, Gabi Dumbledore." She introduced herself, holding out her hand to shake. She would just have to be a little late, It would be quite rude to just hurry off. "Hello there," She smiled to the girl who appeared to be Dan's age. She walked alongside them. "I hope you don't mind the company as we are headin in the same direction. It's too nice a day to apparate."

Lights smiled and entered when he invited her in. "Thanks, I'd love to. I'm Lights, by the way. Lights Lennox." She bit into a cookie, her smile getting bigger somehow. As usual, they were good but not as great as her mum's ones were, despite the fact they used exactly the same recipe. "Have you noticed that cookies always seemed to bring people together? Neighbours, friends, et cetera? I mean, who could dislike someone after being offered cookies, right?" Thing was, she always brought a backup plate of something while handing out fliers. It was a marketing strategy, and a way to make friends.
"How long have you been here?" she asked. "I haven't seen you around, and I usually see everyone in this street. I come here a lot, mainly to hand out fliers, sometimes to babysit. Although I don't do that much nowadays, my job's really demanding." Lights suddenly realised she was blabbering, and blushed. "Sorry, I swear my mouth's motorised sometimes."

Cardigan angrily sighed as she glared at her brother.Her brother was a twit.A mean old twit.Why couldn't she go on a Diagon Alley shopping Spree with Liesel?Or stay home and play Violin?But no.She had to go with stupid Jamie.He was never really fun.Not at all.She needed someway to make her brother regret taking her.Suddenly,the perfect plan popped into her head.For starters,she began to kick Jamie In the leg repeatedly.Then,she screamed her head off at him and shook her head in refusal to go further.She would NOT go.

Jamie was gonna kill Mother when he got home.She knew how much he despised his 11 year old sister!Eh.Their mother was an old bat anyways.He would never ever do this again.Tgen things turned for the worst:Cardigan started screaming her head off and kicking him in the leg over and over.Gosh she was annoying!"She so needs a psychologist,"He muttered as he grabbed her by the shoulders,carrying her to who knows where!Please let there be a miracle!Suddenly,as if his problems were solved,he spotted a nearby Flat!Now,mind you,he wasn't much of a person to do this,but he ran up to the door,with his Sister still in his hands.When he knocked on the door with his shoe,he made a mental note to apologize for that.He could be a nice guy,I'm telling you!

"My name's Dan. Dan Knight." He reached out his hand for her to shake, He shook his head almost imperceptibly, the surname wasn't right, but he couldn't get his name right in his head. "I have noticed that. I have a sweet tooth for muggle candy Lights, unless I'm mistaken, this is mars bars in the cookies right? He asked fixing them some milk and handing her a glass before sitting down at the table. "I've been here for nearly a year, but for the first part of the year I was quite ill and so I wasn't out much at all." He flashed out his brilliant smile again. "So Lights, what do you like to do for fun, other than rescue poor defenseless plants?"

Dan frowned as his conversation with Lights was being interrupted. He Went to the door and saw a guy about his age holding a young girl who appeared to be screaming. "What in Merlin's lacy underpants is going on out here?" He asked.

Lights shook Dan's hand happily. "Nice to meet you. Yep, Mars bar cookies. I love them, they're my favourite Muggle sweets. Right after Every Flavour Beans, although I stopped putting them in cookies after I accidentally put vomit beans in a batch." She made the universal 'you poor thing' face when he mentioned that he'd been sick. At least he seemed all better now.
She would have gone on to tell him about her love of ducks and bouncy balls - a side effect of her 'doggy problem' as she sometimes put it - when he opened the door to a boy and girl. She put her glass on the table and went over to the door. "What's wrong?" she asked the boy, almost afraid to touch the shrieking girl. "Is she hurt? Do you want to call St Mu- I mean, a doctor?" Could be Muggles.

Ryoma nodded. "I do." That even earned his chest puffing out a bit. It was a rather large accomplishment for someone who hadn't even hit 30 yet. Not only that, but the person he had inherited the place from had gone on to be the Minister of Magic. Yep. Ryoma knew people in high places even if they had no clue who he was most likely. He and Alexander hadn't really been close while working together. "Nice to meet you Gabi," he said adding a little wink. Old habits died hard it seemed. "I'm Ryoma and this is my, erm, my goddaughter, Kurumi." That was a weird word to use. Goddaughter. Merlin did he suddenly feel OLD. "We aren't really heading in any particular direction. I just needed to get this one out of the Leaky for a bit," he explained, jabbing his finger in Kurumi's direction.

Kurumi sort of just stood there. She was used to being the youngest in a setting of entirely adults - it had been her entire upbringing until Hogwarts after all, but if this what what it was going to be like every time Ryoma took her out to 'keep her mind off other things' then she would rather be back at the Leaky Cauldron shut up in her room reading about magical creatures or getting a head start on learning new Transfiguration spells - their concepts anyway. Sixteen wasn't old enough for her to be able to perform magic outside of school.

She bowed her head again to the girl. "Nice to meet you."

"Excuze me,but do you happen to have a fireplace or something?My sister here needs mental help stay,"Jamie said,smiling down with a smug smile at Cardigan,his smile saying 'shut your trap or your going to Mungo's'.Gosh did this girl need mental help!Well,at least that's what he thought.Crap.He could've just apparated to Mungos.But whatever.He was already stuck here with these people.


Scoff."I don't need mental help!"Cardigan snapped,directing it up to her brother.He was a meanie.Well,at least they weren't gonna apparate to the mental hospital."Don't listen to him,"Cardigan said to the people as she nodded in hello,pointing at her brother."He's just a meanie."She was NOT in a good mood.

"It's certainly nice to meet you both." She smiled at them. "I can understand I have someone about her age that I can't seem to get outside either." She sighed a little. She wished she could somehow spark Daniel's interest in something, anything, but he was stubborn even in his amnesia. When he didn't like something or want to do something you could not make him do it even if you used the imperius..... She smiled at Kurumi. You seem like a very smart girl Kurumi, tell me what could I so to get my foster brother to come outside." She asked. Looking next to her at Ryoma, she couldn't help but smile as he was even cuter than she had imagined up close, but she couldn't focus on her love life or lack thereof right now. She had Dan to consider...

Dan had a momentary flashback of himself and a girl and another guy and the girl acting this way. Maybe he could help. "My name is Dan." He smiled to the younger girl. Would you like to join me and my friend for some cookies and milk?" He asked as he got to one knee on her level. He looked up at the dude and shot him a "pay attention" look. "I can promise you that nobody's going to take you anywhere right now. Won't you come and talk to me and my Friend?"

Kurumi was a bit surprised when she was asked for advice on...her foster brother was it? Her cheeks flushed a bit and she was suddenly relieved that she was with Ryoma and not her father. Her father would have gone off on one of his elaborate speeches about how she was brilliant, a prefect, top point earner for her house and the entire school every year since her first year...you know, all the sort of embarrassing things a father says about his daughter. "Oh, I, um...I'm afraid I don't know, Miss Dumbledore," she said with an apologetic bow. It was true, she had never met her foster brother nor did she even know how old he was. With the first year in Gryffindor, Kurumi always offered baked goods on the grounds to get them out of the common room. Something told her that cookies were just not going to cut it.

Her cheeks burned a deeper shade of pink in embarrassment. "Sometime...people just need time to make that decision on their own." Which had been her case this morning.

Danielle had been having a particularaly strange day, really strange. And the fight with Dallas earlier hadn't helped, it had just made her feel upset and tired and alone and everything she didn't want to feel. She knew they'd kiss and make up later on but she wasn't much good with fighting. She looked into the fireplace, hearing his voice as she moved and stepped in, throwing the powder down before saying where she wanted to go, but she was so distracted, she really had no idea what she had just said.

It was when she opened her eyes that she had no idea where she was, it definitely was not the place that she had specified to be, she stumbled out into a corridor, her eyebrows furrowed as she slowly walked along. Her heels clicking against the floorboards. She frowned as she hoisted her bright pink bag over her shoulder, still chewing on her gum as she stopped suddenly in front of a door as she heard a voice. She moved and leaned up against the door, her ear against it as she listened desperately, not realising she was leant up against some form of doorbell.

Gabi smiled as she listened to the girl speak. "I think you are right about this. I want to give him the chance to get over what's bothering him!"
She whispered. She smiled at the two of them, then she looked at her watch. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to be at Hogwarts soon, I have a meeting at Hogwarts then I need to go open up my bookstore. I hope to see you both again soon." She waved at them.

Dan was getting a little angry with the doorbell ringing. He walked over to it and opened it up. "Yeah, can I help you?" He looked at the girl in front of him and wondered where he knew her from.

Dani felt her eyes widening and her voice seriously choked up as she spoke. "I... I don't... Dan" she whispered as she watched him closely. It was him. It was her brother. She knew it was. He was her twin, she'd be pretty dumb to not recognise him.

"It's me. Danielle. Don't you recognise me?!" she asked, almost desperately as she moved forward towards him but decided against that, not wanting to scare him. This was scaring her though, big time. She was stuck with what else to say or do right then and so stayed pretty much glued to the spot.

He looked at her and scratched his head, "You seem to know me from somewhere and I have seen you in my dreams, but I don't know you." He stepped outside the door and sat in the hallway. He put his head in his hands. "My head is seriously pounding right now and I want.....I want....Dani." He spoke softly, not realizing that he was calling for her. The girl in front of him.

She bit down on her lip, as if in deep thought. He had disappeared. Her brother had disappeared and it had left her heartbroken and here he was. Seemingly perfectly fine... but he couldn't remember her. And that was so painful, it was like someone had pierced her heart a little.

When he said what he said after stepping outside, her eyes widened again. "I am Dani" she said slowly, looking at him closely. "I am Dani" she repeated, moving and almost taking his hands but thinking twice, again she didn't want to scare him. She she somehow contact their Uncle? No, it was too soon for that. And then she was wondering what Luke would think. This whole thing was so crazy. She fiddled with the charm bracelet that her Mother had given her and watched him closely. She wondered what her Mum would think, about how she'd found him. She had no idea if the woman would even care or not anymore. "Do you not remember anything, Dan?" she asked slowly, wondering if anything from their childhood had stayed with him but she couldn't help but doubt that, again that killed her inside.

Lights watched the new girl come in, and Dan getting confused. Wait, wait, wait! Girl was Dani? Dan was calling for her but didn't remember her? She moved towards him, and put an arm around his shoulders. "Hey," she said softly. "It's okay." She looked up at the girl. "Like to explain, please?" If it's not too much trouble ...

Dan looked up at her. She said she was the Dani he cried out for at night. He was confused and more than a little scared, but if this girl knew him at all then she would know he liked to be hugged and petted a little. "I remember swimming, a lot of swimming.... and I remember I used to be into archery." He whispered, holding his knees to his stomach. He laid his head on his knees and mumbled. "Green Arrow."

Dan heard Lights speaking and he scooted over closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Lights, stay with me please...."

Dani looked up at the girl that had just appeared. "He's my twin" she whispered, she was still somewhat dazed by this whole situation and the addition of this new person didn't help too much. She looked over at the girl curiously and furrowed her perfectly arched eyebrows a little. "Who are you?" she asked slowly. It was times like this that the blonde needed Dallas by her side. But she wasn't sure that was ever really going to happen. She just wanted him back, just like she wanted her brother back in her life, and here he was, right in front of her.

She moved a little closer to him. "Yes, yes we did go swimming a lot. With Luke, remember Luke? Remember his Dad?" she whispered, hoping he did. She couldn't quite believe this was happening. She had hoped she would see him again and he would instantly pick her up like he always had done, twirled her around. But he had no idea who she even really was right then.