Text Cut: Prompts

1. Herbology
2. Muggle Studies
3. Transfiguration
4. Ancient Runes
5. Astronomy
6. Divination
7. Care of Magical Creatures
8. Potions
9. Defense Against the Dark Arts
10. Arithmancy
11. History of Magic
12. Charms
13. Quidditch
14. Hogwarts, A History
15. Room
16. Dragonhide gloves
17. Cauldron
18. Whomping Willow
19. Wand
20. Hogsmeade
21. Veela
22. Kneazle
23. Telescope
24. House elf
25. Sorting Hat
26. Quill
27. Owl
28. Timeturner
29. Pensieve
30. Feast
31. Dress robes
32. Common room
33. Classroom
34. Parseltongue
35. Pureblood
36. Muggle
37. Animagus
38. Patronus
39. Duel
40. Spell
41. Thestrals
42. Portraits
43. Headmaster
44. Ford Anglia
45. Torch
46. Dungeon
47. Portkey
48. Leprechaun
49. Yule Ball
50. Boggart
51. Act
52. Bore
53. Chase
54. Dare
55. Egg on
56. Fight
57. Gape
58. Hoot
59. Ignore
60. Joke
61. Kiss
62. Lope
63. Mooch
64. Nap
65. Ooze
66. Pace
67. Quell
68. Roar
69. Slap
70 Team.
71. Untie
72. Vex
73. Warn
74. x-tinguish
75. Yodel
76. Zap
77. Cheerful
78. Author's choice
79. Author's Choice
80. Author's Choice
81. Depression
82. Careful
83. Fearful
84. Angry
85. Snappish
86. Daring
87. Plaid
88. Sweet Tooth
89. Past
90. Present
91. Future
92. Chocolate
93. Chicken
94. Allergic
95. Snowball
96. Socks
97. Dictionary
98. Pyjamas
99. Newspaper
100. Homework

Disclaimer: The HP universe belongs to J. K Rowling.

c a r e o f m a g i c a l c r e a t u r e s
♥ The Moonlit Maze
Hogwarts

It seemed most of the class had no intention to pick up the mooncalf dung. "The sooner you get this done, the sooner you'll get back to your beds," Professor Lawson announced, one hand on hip.

"But I like it here," Fyo said. "It's cold, and the moonlight is pretty." Then he realized he had said that out loud, and might have frowned, if someone had not spoken just then.

"Fyo's right. The moonlight is really pretty."

Screwing the lid on a jar, Fyo glanced up to see Brody.

In the moonlight, she looked quite pretty, too.

The cottage they had intended to spend the day in beamed at them from a distance, and the two of them stood there, mufflers and gloves slipped on, looking at it like penniless children at expensive chocolate.

Because the twisting, turning path that led up to the place laid three feet deep in snow, and several muggles stared at them from behind tall, glass windowpanes and over snowmen, all looking quite interested in their dilemma.

"Let's go back," Brody suggested.

"No. Let's go in." Fyo grinned at her and, picking her up, bridal style, half-dipped a shoe into the snow.

Find the Snowman. Mini-challenge. <3

Fyo actually couldn’t help but stare at her, and grin a bit. “You want what?” They were planning their wedding, and Brody had just made a very funny suggestion.

“I want a chocolate wedding cake.” And Brody always got what she wanted. “I don’t like fruit cake” She folded her arms, and watched him. She already knew that she was going to get her own way, she always did.

“Whatever makes you happy dear.”

Brody beamed, turning a page in her bridal magazine before thinking of something and looking up. “Are you sure?”

“Whatever makes you happy makes me happy.”

Fyo felt like he could understand the reasons that had propelled the invention of the time-turner. His legs felt lifeless, as numb as his heart, as he stepped into the hall.

"Fyo..." Brody's voice, anxious, concerned, seemed to come from far off. "Fyo, how is she?"

He didn't remember the last time he had cried, but he felt like he might now, even though his eyes remained dry. "She..." He paused, finding he could not say it, as if not saying it might make it false. "She's gone."

His sister. His one sister. Gone.

Brody's arms rose to wrap him.

All Kinds of Hearts. Mini-challenge. <3

He might not know Brody's reasons for breaking up with Torin, but he knew that did not give anyone a right to treat her as she was being treated. Even as he understood Torin's hurt, he did not understand the need for his friends to make her life difficult.

Slipping out of the History of Magic classroom, Fyo raised a hand and gave her a little wave in the corridor. She returned it. Sudden, unexpected, the breakup had given them the first real chance to get to know each other.

Neither could have known how much that one chance would affect their lives.

She had to be small, even for a baby. Looking at the little big-eyed bundle, Fyo said so.

"She's not," Brody smiled, the beautiful smile he felt like he hadn't seen for ages.

"No?" Fyo inclined his head, to take a better look at his daughter. He thought she looked like Brody, those gorgeous eyes, the perfect nose, the fair complexion, so delicate he thought he thought he might, should he hold her, drop her. "She must be. Babies can't be this small."

Brody giggled. "You're silly."

He grinned. "I'm a father," he corrected.

That was one big portrait, and Fyodor was now under no illusions that the Summers family were extremely vain. “Could you get a bigger portrait Brody?” He grinned, as he stood politely in the parlour of their big home, waiting for her parents to arrive.

"Well…Daddy did want a big one.” Brody was his favourite daughter, and therefore needed a very big portrait hanging where everybody could see it. It was part of the reason why Brody was so very vain, but she really didn’t mind.

“Queenie….” Fyo smirked. “If you get any vainer your head is going to explode."

Perhaps this had not been such a good idea, after all. Two steps into the kichen, Fyo [knowing Brody] began to have second thoughts, and said,

"Maybe we should just order a pizza.."

"No." Brody did not seem put off at all. "I'm sure about this."

Not half as sure, Fyo nodded and let her choose the dish to be made. She settled on a recipe, and then looked expectedly at him. He glanced down at the cookbook. "You'll need to put three cups of flour -" he began.

"But flour is pretty," Brody pouted.

He grinned and kissed her.

“It’s too dark.” Brody giggled, as she sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor. She’d never really experienced a power cut before, and it was very weird thing. She didn’t really like it.

“We need to find a torch…” Fyo mused, pushing himself up from the floor, and glancing around the room. Yeah, he couldn’t see a thing.

“Can’t we just use our wands?” Brody looked up at him, as well as she could in the dark. He better give what her what she wanted.

“Where are our wands Brody?” Hmmmm?

Oh… That was a point.

Stupid Power cut.

The scent of evening diffused into the air, as Fyo trailed into the Maïze Maze. He spotted a familiar head, blonde hair done in plaits and, sneaking up behind the person, placed his hands on her eyes.

"Guess who."

Brody giggled. She knew and loved that voice, but teasing Fyo had its perks. "I don't know," she pouted, trying to pry his hands off her eyes. "Whho iss ittt?"

Fyo's jaw dropped open. "You have got to be joking."

"Of course," Brody grinned, an amused light dancing in her eyes. "I can recognise your loud mouth anywhere."

They say time helps to heal but, Fyo realized as he held her close, there are some voids that can not, can never, be filled.

"You sure?" His voice was soft as he drew her closer, against his chest. She had reminded him of the void Nova had left and, even as she had, he realized that void no longer ached; it remained there, but suspended in thought like a beautiful, like a golden memory.

"Quite sure," Brody said gently, touching his cheek before letting her slender hand rest there. "If it's a girl, let's name her Nova."

Charmed illumination flooded the beach, gorgeous and multi-coloured and sudden, as twilight fell in one, beautiful stroke. It had been part of the plan to ensure the beach saw no one but him and Brody this evening and, for a moment, the universe seemed to shrink, down to just the two of them, their hands linked in the sea and rain.

"It's a tad hard to kneel in midwater," Gently, Fyo let go of the hand in his, and smiled. "But Brody Summers..." He dropped on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

For a moment, Brody was speechless.

Fyo stifled a yawn. Light had begun to stream inside through the less-than-half-open window, but it was the tap at it that had made him rub his eyes and sit up. The owl seated on the sill tapped again and, sliding open the pane, Fyo detached the letter attached to one leg.

Queenie.

He slit open the envelope, and the letter slid out, falling into his lap. It contained a [big] bunch of stuff about her dating Torin and her friend Gold dating Dylan, and Fyo frowned. Hadn't Queenie been dating Torin; and Gold, Dylan?

Girls.

“Glitter?” Fyodor had to grin as he watched Brody stand up waiting for her house elf to appear. It was a unusual name, but then really he hadn’t expected anything different from Brody. She was a very unique person.

“I was four Fyo….” So she was totally allowed to name her house elf weirdly. Brody beamed at her husband as she, sat down next to him. “I don’t think I’ll name our baby something weird though.” She rubbed her belly, before smiling at him.

“Oh…I won’t let you name her a weird name.” or he wouldn’t be a good daddy.

Hands on hips, Brody eyed him. "You're taking someone to the Yule Ball?" she asked.

"Yes?" Fyo said, sounding uncertain - she looked like she might grab and shaaake him. To be fair, though, it wasn't his fault that he didn't have a clue about her actual feelings: she and Torin had gotten back together, and she had never let him know that her heart might not be in the relationship. Not now. Not any more. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you yesterday, I for -"

"That's not it, Fyo."

Fyo frowned. "No?"

Brody sighed. "No."

All Kinds of Hearts. Mini-challenge. <3

“….twins.” If Brody hadn’t been lying down she probably wouldn’t fainted. Twins. They were having twins. She looked up at Fyo, her eyes very wide. “I can’t even manage one baby…how am I going to manage two!” She was feeling very nervous now, and by the looks of it so was her husband.

“twins do run in your family Queenie…” He reminded her with a soft smile. Fyo might have been nervous, but was happy. They were getting not one baby but two, and he was excited. He squeezed Brody’s hand.

“We’ll be fine.” They would, because they were awesome.

"She's getting unmanageable." Fyo's voice, though calm, even thoughtful, had a frown tucked inside.

"She's growing up, Fyo." Brody placed a hand on his arm. She looked beautiful, tendrils of blonde hair escaping her hair-clip, an elegant, graceful, tempered-by-age kind of beautiful.

Fyo stopped pacing up and down the garden, and looked at his wife, the frown creasing his forehead. "She hasn't gotten spoiled, has she?" he asked, sounding almost cautious, as if saying that might make it true.

"No," Brody smiled, her usual, gorgeous smile. "She's just entered her mid-teens."

“They’re pretty too.” Fyo sighed as he sat in the dressing room watching Brody try on what must have been the twentieth dress. He had to admit that he was actually getting pretty bored. All these dresses looked the same too him, and didn’t she have like a million dress robes already?

“What about this colour?” Brody asked, as she twirled around a bit, looking in the mirror. Fyo just stared at her. That colour looked exactly the same shade of blue as the previous five dresses that she had tried on.

“erm…they all look the same shade of blue…”

The microwave jumped into the air. Zaaaap, it went.
ZAPZAPZAP.

Fyo peeked into the kitchen, and the sight that met his eyes did not surprise him: Brody stood in front of the jumping microwave, wand in one hand, and a pan in the other.

"Maybe we should just -" He stepped inside, and placed a hand on her shoulder, and both of them looked at the jumping microwave. "You know. Go out. Tonight."

Brody pointed the cooking pan at the jumping microwave, managing to make even that action graceful. "Nooo," she pouted. "I can do this, Fyo."

The microwave zapped again.

Brody and pregnancy did not get along.

"You're.. not hungry?"

"No."

"But you haven't eaten anything since -"

"I'm not hungry, Fyo."

"Okaaay. I'll just leave this tray here..."

"Nooo."



Brody sat up, rubbing her eyes. Sunlight streamed into the room, falling upon the untouched tray that Fyo had left on the bedside table.

The door swung upon, and he poked his head inside. "Morning, love."

Her mood had been so off, lately. Brody frowned. "I'm sorry." She hadn't meant to snap at him, last night.

Fyo blinked. "For what?"

"Oh, you're hopeless." She grinned. Slipped her arms around his neck.

He heard her footsteps before he saw her. Turning around, trick-or-treat bag slung over one shoulder, Fyo smiled at his best friend. Dressed in a flowing, sparkling silver dress that reached her matching high heels, Brody looked gorgeous.

"You look stunning, Queenie."

"I'm the most beautiful witch on the planet," Brody giggled, the pun intended, as she came up to him. Then she frowned. "You're... Frankenstein?"

Fyo tugged at one of his shortened coat sleeves. "Frankenstein," he confirmed. "Does the costume look alright?"

Brody peered up into his face. Then she said,

"You look too pretty."

Brody smiled as she looked at the paper, at the particular line that was making her smile so much. She looked up as she heard Fyo approaching.

“What you smiling at?”

Brody giggled , before reciting part of his interview. “Why do you and your wife work so well? I married my best friend, that’s why.” She beamed at him, dumping the paper onto the floor, and jumped up, wrapping her arms around him. “I love you.”

Aww. “I love you too.” And he’d meant every single word that he’d said in that interview. “I’ll always love you Brody Balouch.”

The papers seemed to live on a mix of exaggeration and gossip. Fyo had never expected to be a source of either, at least not until he took up the estate, but fate had other things in mind.

How the sea of cameras had caught up with him all of a sudden, he had no idea. But he was now surrounded by enthusiastic reporters and camera-people that wanted his thoughts on a dozen things, all related to Brody Summers.

"No comment."

"No comment."

"No -"

If this was the kind of thing Brody dealt with everyday, she was one brave person.

Three year old Nova had managed to get a hold of the latest issue of Sky & Telescope, and was now staring down at the open astronomy magazine, clearly entranced by an artiste's conception of a "white dwarf star accreting hydrogen."

"I think she likes novas," Brody giggled, eyes alight as she looked down at her little daughter; and then at Fyo, seated across the circular glass table.

Nova chose that moment to look up from the magazine, her big eyes positively enchanted. She pointed at her mother and said, "Star."

Fyo grinned.

"I think she likes you," he replied.

In the light of the candles set in the air, dim but beautiful, the cottage was a striking lavender-blue, the shade of warm, dripping twilight. Its roof, thatched and old-looking, had the texture of dark, tinted, violet amethyst; the curving flight of stairs that descended from the wooden front door to the path that led up to it had the hue of fading, white tube-light, nostalgic but not displeasing; and the trees shrouding it seemed tall and safe and quite, quite inviting.

“Fyo.” There was a smile in Brody’s voice. “It’s beautiful!”

He smiled. “It’s all yours.”

Hands in pockets, Fyo walked past the magazine stand. Then he stopped. Returned. Frowned a bit.

Picked up and paid for a magazine.



“Do you know?”

Brody looked up from the counter, where she was attempting to cook something or the other again. “Do I know what?” she asked, coming over to give him a one-armed hug that smelled of flour and chocolate.

“You’re on a muggle magazine!” Fyo held up the magazine in question.

Brody giggled. “Of course I am, Fyo.”

“Oh.” He paused. “I didn’t know you were famous in the muggle world.”

She giggled again, at that.

“Oh.” That was a lot of food. Sure Brody Summers had wanted a huge wedding, but even she could see that a buffet that spanned two very long walls was too much. The wedding guests were all staring at the food, and Brody couldn’t help but start to giggle.

“They’re going to think I’m pregnant.” She mused, smirking up at her husband. She glanced over at her bridesmaids, particularly at Celandine Kettleburn. Yes. Cela would not be disappointed by the huge choice of food.

“Let them think that then….” Fyo mused with a big smile. They would she was anyway.

Fyo had been about to dip his new quill in ink, when a scream rang out, shattering the silence in the classroom.

“Queenie!” He jumped to his feet, his gaze swinging over to Brody, who had been sitting next to him, working on her homework, until a moment ago. “What –”

“Spider, Fyoo!” She pointed to a harmless-looking thing dangling from the wall, her eyes wide.

He blinked.

She poked his forearm. “Make it go away.”

“Go away?” he said hopefully, to the spider.

It eyed him. He eyed it. Then it stopped dangling and scuttled off.

Go negotiations.

Rosie and Hugo burst into the room, together.

"He hided Barbie's arm!"

"She said we'd go and look at the new puppy and now she wonts!"

"You can't hide her toys because of that, Hugo," Fyo said, as Brody clicked off the TV. "When you have a problem, you discuss and solve it. Rose -" He looked at his pouting daughter. "You should keep your promises."

"But he hided -"

"But she wonts -"

"Come here, you two," Brody said, a half-smile on her lips.

Fyo shook his head as the twins jumped onto the couch. Brody always got them to understand.

Brody stared at her twins as they lay in their cots. What on earth had Fyo dressed them in! The blonde couldn’t help but giggle, as she turned around to smile at her husband. He could but so cute, and clueless at times.

“Fyo…you know dressing twins in the same things, is so ….weasley?” She reminded him, as she picked up one of their gorgeous babies, and gave her a cuddle.

“Well….” Fyo walked over, picking up the matching twin. “They do have the same names as two weasleys.”

Brody glared. “We did not name our children after the weasleys.”

Brody was settled into a couch, when Fyo stepped into the lounge. "Earth to Queenie," he grinned, as he bent down to kiss her.

"Hi, Fyo.." She wrapped her arms around him.

"How were things?" He asked, sitting down. She snuggled into him.

"Good. I love babysitting the boys." She paused. "We need to talk about something..."

She sounded as if she had something on her mind. "Everything's alright, isn't it?" he asked, concerned. She hadn't fed the kids something she'd cooked, had she?

Brody hesitated. She wasn't sure how to put this to him. It was sudden.

"I want a baby."

Fyo watched her from afar, not really knowing what to do. Brody looked so sad, she always looked like that recently, ever since she broke up with Torin. Deciding on it all of a sudden he wandered over to her, and sat down next to her.

“Hi…” She smiled as he sat down. The breakup had really given them a chance to get to know each other. Brody was starting to realise that maybe she’d picked the wrong guy.

“Have you finished your potions essay?” Yeah. Keep the topic of conversation away from a certain Hufflepuff, and his friends.

“no…”

It was just a simple camping trip with a bunch of muggle friends. She couldn't need all those heels.

"Maybe we could leave these behind..." Fyo began, before catching the look on Brody's face, and hastily changing his statement. "We don't have to, though, of course not. They're no problem at all."

Except that the Undetectable Extension Charm, which Brody had cast on her suitcase to make sure she could fit in all her high heels and 'I-might-just-need-this' dresses, didn't do much to make the said suitcase any lighter.

And guess who was going to be carrying it?

Him, of course.

Fyo had never seen Brody’s patronous. So he was a little shocked when a unicorn jumped into his office through the window. At first he had no idea what it was, until it started talking. Brody was having the baby!

The first thing that came into his head was panic. Was he ready to have a baby? He didn’t know, but he had to get to the hospital now. Without a second thought, he apparated straight to the hospital.

The first thing he heard was a very loud high pitched scream.

Without a doubt he knew that was his wife.

Being parents to a child who has just started showing signs of magic, is an exciting experience.

If knowing your house is in perpetual danger of being blown up can be called exciting.

Okay, okay, maybe it wasn't that bad. But it was bad enough, considering that the dining table looked like it had been used as a shield in a duel, and Nova - who had just led her parents to it - looked quite cheerful as she pointed to it and announced,

"Look what I'z done!"

"Have done," Brody corrected, fixing Nova's hair.

Fyo checked a sigh and went to fix the table.

“Hey Bro-“ Smaackk Just as Fyo stepped out into the garden of the Summers mansion a snowball hit him in the smack in his face. That was so uncalled for. He was only coming to call in her for afternoon tea. It was four in the afternoon, the time that her mother always had tea.

“That was not cool.” He folded his arms, frowning at her.

Suddenly Brody was running at him. Within a second they were on the floor. Brody giggled, grinning down at him.

“Is it time for tea yet?” He was so going to get her back

Brody tucked a strand of hair behind her left ear. She’d met Fyo’s parents before, but everything seemed so different, now. What if they didn’t approve? What if they decided she was too glamorous?

“Calm down, love,” Fyo’s tones were soothing. “You look perfect.”

Brody looked down at her dress. She knew she looked stunning, she always did, but she couldn’t help feeling a little nervous. “What if they don’t like me?” She asked, looking up into his eyes.

“They already love you, silly,” Fyo said, taking her hands in his. “They just want to get to know you better.”

“You know….” Brody started, as she stared out of the window of her bedroom. In the distance the glint of flashing cameras could be seen. Brody wasn’t sure if Fyo had ever had this in his life before. “It’ll be like this forever.” Well until some flashy new person came into the lime light.

Fyo smiled, rubbing her back gently. “You can warn me all you like, but I don’t care Queenie.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her cheek.

“Shall we go?” Brody asked before leading him out of her room.

Time to face the cameras.

Fyo reached for a bowl of Cream of Chicken Soup, as the queue of students waiting to be sorted came to an end, and the Sorting Hat fell silent and was taken away. He caught sight of Torin, seated at the Hufflepuff table, talking to a bunch of people as he munched on something. One of the new girls, a tallish blonde with a radiant smile, had just walked over to the badger, and slid into one of the seats next to him.

It looked like Torin’s new friend - Brody, wasn’t it? – was in Hufflepuff, too.

She seemed nice.

“Didn’t muggle studies teach you anything?” Fyo chucked, as he watched his girlfriend, who was covered in flour. He now understood why she hadn’t taken the subject past her OWLs. Maybe he should teach her how to cook sometime. Maybe it would prevent her from accidently setting the house on fire or something. That would be good. He liked the house.

“I didn’t like the subject…” Brody shrugged, brushing the flower from her face. She looked up as Fyo stepped closer. She could be so cute sometimes.

“You missed somewhere.” He smiled; as he leaned down to kiss her softly.

Neither of them had been to the café in the middle of Diagon Alley, before. Which made sense, because the café had opened just yesterday. Nearing the spot it was supposed to be located at, Fyo blinked.

The café consisted of a bunch of tables and – he’d never seen that coming – large, bright umbrellas that jutted out like big, feathery quills.

“Where shall we sit, my lady?” He asked Brody, recovering from the mild surprise, a grin now lurking around his mouth. He knew her answer before he’d even asked the question, though.

She pranced over to a big pink umbrella.

Brody sighed as she watched Fyo walk down towards Hogsmeade, hands in hand with his girlfriend. They hadn’t really talked since she’d admitted that she’d loved him. Brody kind of felt like Fyo was ignoring her or something. It made her heart break.

The blonde hurried her pace up a little, so that she could overtake the couple, and get away from them. She didn’t want to see him happy with someone else. It was probably selfish, but she was Brody Summers. It was okay.

I love you Fyo She heard the girl say.

That broke her heart even more.

Brody’s birthday was coming, and Fyo didn’t know what to get her. He looked down at the list he had made, crossing out everything he had written, and then crossing it out again.

Flowers? Too predictable.
Chocolates? Ditto.

Perfume? Brody probably had enough perfumes to last her a lifetime.

Shampoo? He had a feeling you weren’t supposed to give girls shampoo on their birthdays, even if it smelled like strawberries. They might think it meant their hair didn’t smell nice.

He had it! He got up so fast, he knocked over the table-lamp, extinguishing it. He’d get her a baby unicorn!

* Inspired by the title of the band, Boys Like Girls. *giggles*

Brody smirked as she watched her husband s tare at the owl that she had brought their daughter. It wasn’t a real owl, just a stuffed toy…but it was bright pink. It was so Brody, and so Nova. It made him chuckle.

Fyo turned around, and smiled at her. “Cute…” He knew Nova would like it. But he was a bit frightened that the little girl would grow up believing that all owls were pink.

Just then Nova appeared. Spotting the owl, and made a beeline towards it. Picking it up, she looked at her parents and giggled.

“Hoot Hoot?”

Rose and Hugo were chasing Nova’s old toy broomstick all over the room. It was making weird, spluttering noises, flying around them in giant circles.

“I have no idea where those two found it,” Brody frowned. “We should fix it.”

But the twins seemed to have decided nothing could be more awesome than a broken, old broomstick that didn’t let you catch it; and when the twins decided on something, it was hard to get them to decide on something else.

“It’s all fun and games until somebody trips over their feet,” Fyo muttered.

“Then it’s hilarious!” Rose and Hugo grinned in unison.

“I am SOOOO angry at you Hugo!” Rose pouted, folded her arms and stared at her twin brother. Fyo eyed his children, before bursting out laughing. “Daddy!” Rose continued to pout as she stared at her Father this time. That was SO unfair, they were totally ganging up on her.

“It’s just that you look…so much like your mother when you pout…” Fyo
smiled, hugging his daughter. He loved his children so much, just like he loved his wife. His family was amazing, and he wouldn’t change them for anything.

“That’s good. Mother is beautiful.” Brody had taught them well.

Brody was reading Hugo’s transfiguration textbook, when a noise Fyo woke up. “They’re at it, again,” she yawned. It didn’t look like she’d slept much. But when the twins came home, it was hard to sleep unless Rose and Hugo were asleep, too. Which only happened in the mornings.

“They’ll settle down in a few days,” Fyo said, hopefully.

There was the sound of something exploding.

“You’ve set the couch on fire, Hugo! Dad’s gonna be mad!”

“Stop shouting, Rose! You’ll wake him up!”

Okay. Maybe not. “How much longer till sunrise?” Fyo whispered.

“Two hours, I think.”

Fyo groaned.

Brody patted his forearm.

“Moooooom” Nova moaned, dumping her huge ancient runes text book onto the table. “I don’t it….” She sighed, sitting next to Brody. She really didn’t get this subject at all. The funny thing was Brody hadn’t liked it at school either.

“Don’t worry sweetheart.” Brody stroked her daughter’s hair softly. “I didn’t get it either.” And it hadn’t affected her at all.

“But momm….everyone else gets it! Even Rose gets it, and she’s stupid!” Brody eyed her daughter.

“Rose also knows how to not insult her sister.”

Nova sighed. “I’m getting dad to help me instead. At least he’s clever.”

They were re-planting plants in one of the greenhouses. There was mud everywhere, and Brody wasn’t too happy about it. She didn’t like getting her hands and clothes dirty.

“I’m not sure what to do with this,” she frowned, holding up what might have been a root.

“Where’s your plant container?” Fyo asked, trying to remove the smudge of dirt on the bridge of his nose with the back of his hand.

“I don’t know,” Brody pouted. Then she giggled.

Fyo blinked. “What?”

“You have mud on your cheek now, silly.” She leaned across the workstation and brushed it off. “There. That’s better.”

Love Potion? Brody had to stare at it as she sat in the library, the book open in the page. That could work. That would make Fyo leave his stupid little girlfriend and come be with her. But she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t force Fyo to love her.

She’d grown up believing in fairy tales. Knowing that one day Prince Charming was going to appear in his white stallion, whisk her off her feet, and take her to happily ever after.
Prince Charming had come.

He was just whisking some other princess off her feet.

And it sucked. Majorly.

It was cold and raining buckets. Fyo had told Brody she didn’t have to come, but she had wanted to.

She could always tell when he needed her.

“I didn’t know it could rain this much,” He said, attempting to smile. The flowers on Nova’s grave glistened in the darkness. The sight made him feel hollow. He couldn’t force himself to feel as if the past year had healed the wound.

“You don’t have to pretend that it’s okay, Fyo.” Brody’s voice was gentle.

“Yeah…”

In the darkness, she couldn’t tell if it was a raindrop or a tear, that slid down his cheek.

Brody smiled, as she opened little Nova’s Christmas present. It was a baby grow. A plaid baby grow. “Typical Cela…” The blonde grinned as she looked up at her husband. Cela was a very fashionable, just like Brody, so it came no surprise to her that she had brought this for Brody’s little girl.

“They’re really in right now…” The blonde mused, as she held it up. She’d have to put Nova into it the next time she went to see Cela.

“What did you buy for Cela’s baby?” Fyo asked, with grin on his face.

“Umm…A plaid baby grow?”

Fyo had never thought he could get tired of a colour, but it was happening, now. Every second thing in the shopping bags was several shades of pink. Which was why, when Brody swept into Slug and Jiggers apothecary, he breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t possibly find anything bright pink in there.

He hovered in the background, counting all the things in the surroundings that weren’t pink, while Brody scanned the shelves and barrels.

When she returned, she was holding up a sparkling pair of dragonhide gloves.

“They’re so pretty, Fyoo!”

Of course they were.

They were pink.

“Ewwwwwwwww.” Brody closed her eyes as Fyo and she descended the staircase and into the dungeon. She really didn’t get why she didn’t like potions. It was so nasty, and dank, and horrible down here. But she really did like the subject.

“We’ve only got to hand our homework in Queenie, we’ll be out enjoying the sunshine soon.” He assured his bestie, and they linked arms, and wandered along the corridor.

“Why can’t the dungeons like be pink?”

“Because that would like…make them nice.”

“They should be nice. I feel sorry for the slytherins.”

Only Brody would want pink Dungeons.

Fyo looked up from the Crystal Ball on the table. He’d never had any delusions regarding his Inner Eye – or lack thereof – but, even so, he had been hoping he might see something, even a bit of mist.

It would be a start.

“What did you see?” Brody asked, her quill poised over her notebook.

Fyo glanced down at the Crystal Ball again. He could see her reflected in the shining material of the globe. Other than that? Nada.

“Nothing,” he said wryly. “Reckon it’s broken?”

Later, he would think it was the only time a Crystal Ball had actually shown him something right.

“Do you think there are Leprechaun’s in Ireland…” Brody asked, as they sat on the boat, waiting for it to make it’s departure from the port. She had never been to Ireland and before, she was really excited.

Fyo wasn’t as excited. He was feeling a little sea sick…and the boat hadn’t even left yet. “Well. Maybe?” He didn’t really know. And right now he didn’t really care. He just wanted to be off the boat.

“Baby…are you feeling sick?” She asked, as she stroked his face gently.

“No…” He laughed, eyeing the look she was giving him. “Okay…. Yes.”

“Mum!” Nova sounded exasperated. “Hugo won’t stop it!”

Before Brody could speak, Hugo had marched into the room. He was seven and adamant to look seventeen, his hair stuck up in all directions, for the purpose of looking ‘awesome.’

“Hiiiss,” he said. “I’m a pazaltung!”

“You are not!” Nova insisted, as Hugo waved around a rubber snake.

Fyo would, for once, have liked to understand right away, what his children were talking about. “Does he mean parseltongue?” He asked Brody.

“Probably,” Brody said cheerfully. She wasn’t really worried. Last week, Hugo had been a duck. It would pass. It always did.

Fyo punched one of the pillows, vexed. Brody had come to stay after so long. How could he have let that fight happen? What had gotten into them?

“Fyo?” The door opened, just a little. It was Brody. “Can I come in?”

“Of course.” He sat up, not sure what else to say. She was standing there, frowning, and she didn’t look too sure, either.

“I’m sorry,” they both said together. Paused.

Burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry, love.” Fyo pulled her to him, and she knotted her fingers into his hair, and the world was on fire and new and alright.

Fyo didn’t know he’d come back here. Even after he’d left Hogwarts had always felt like his home. He heard someone sit down next to him. He didn’t care who it was. He was just here, with the thestrals, that he wished he couldn’t see.

“It’ll be okay…” Brody’s soft words came and she enveloped him in a hug, pressing her lips against his head. “Because I love you. Because I’ll always love you. Forever.” And ever. She knew it was nothing though for the love he felt for his sister.

“It’ll be okay. She’s still here in your heart.”

Fyo and Brody had decided that they would show Nova both the wizarding and muggle worlds, from the very start. It hadn’t occurred to them that that was easier decided than done, though.

Until, of course, they had taken her to one of the muggle zoos by portkey and, the moment they had stepped through the gates, she had looked around and asked,

“Where the unicorns?”

Nova was small enough for the people who had overheard her to find her question cute, and not curious; but Fyo and Brody had realized at once that that their plan needed work.

Brody’s eyes were wide, as she stared up at her boyfriend. She could not believe that she had just done that. She’d slapped Fyo! “I’m so sorry!” She bit her lip, not quite sure what he was going to do. He looked just as shocked as she was.

“It’s…” Fyo paused, rubbing his cheek. That hurt. Brody could really hit hard. “… okay.” He couldn’t be angry at her. Of course he couldn’t be loved her.

Brody stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, and hugging him tight.

“You’re done hitting me, so you want to suffocate me now.”

“They’re alright, aren’t they?” Brody asked a third time.

Rose and Hugo had only been at Hogwarts for a day, but Fyo had a feeling the right question would’ve been if Hogwarts was alright.

“Yes, yes,” the Headmaster muttered. “We just have a little problem… thought you two might be able to talk to them…” He ushered them into his office.

Where the twins were standing.

Brody frowned. “Have they done something?”

“They are…” The Headmaster looked pained. “Holding the Sorting Hat hostage.”

“Well, it’s not very nice,” Rose said.

“We won’t give it back until it re-sorts us into the same house,” Hugo added.

Brody hadn’t told Fyo she was visiting Nova’s grave today. She knew that if she told him, he’d probably get upset, especially if she knew Brody was telling their daughter about who she was named after.

“Mommy….she has the same name as me.” The seven year old smiled, as she watched Brody put some flowers onto the grave.

“I know she does.” The blonde smiled at her little girl, encouraging her to sit with her. “This little girl was your daddy’s little sister.” Brody stroked Nova’s hair gently. “We named you after her.”

Nova smiled. “So I’m special right?”

“Yes.”

Sunlight was streaming into the room, through the wide-open window. Fyo was vaguely aware of Brody, who had come over the day before, tiptoeing about his room.

“You’re awake.” She looked up from the pile of books on his writing desk, which she seemed to have been inspecting.

Fyo sat up. “Um, Queenie?”

“Yees?”

“What are you doing?”

“Waking you up,” she giggled, setting down a dictionary and holding up a manga. “Have you read this?” She asked. She turned it upside-down, eyeing it. “I don’t think it makes any sense.”

Fyo chuckled.

“It’s read from right to left, Queenie.”

Brody giggled as she opened the present, staring at the socks. “Fyo….” She paused, looking at her best friend. “You brought me socks for Christmas?” Of all the lovely, beautiful fashionable things he could have brought her, he had brought her socks.

“I made them myself?” He asked, with a smile, reaching forward, to kiss her cheek. “They took me ages!” And he was totally not doing it again. Not for anyone. They were an original for the one and only Brody Summers.

“Is that why there is a hole in them?” Brody grinned, her pinky sticking out the hole.

No sane person could ever have doubted that Brody was beautiful, but she seemed to have outdone herself tonight. Her dress cascaded down in gorgeous waves, bringing out the colour of her eyes.

“I’m not gaping, am I?” Fyo asked her, grinning.

“I don’t think so,” Brody giggled. Then she added, “Gold looks so beautiful.” She sounded radiant as she inspected her friend, who was wearing some sort of sparkling, scarlet dress. “I’m so happy for her, baby.”

“Mm.” Fyo slipped an arm around his fiancée's waist. Brody would always be the most beautiful woman in the world, to him.

“Willow…” Brody smiled, as she rubbed her bump. That was a pretty name. It kind of reminded her of school. Reminded her of that tree that Fyo and she used to sit by, and just talk. When times were simple, and not so complicated. Now they were married, and expecting their first baby. Nothing was going to be simple again.

“You want to name our baby Willow?” Fyo grinned, as snuggled into his wife, kissing her cheek softly. He didn’t mind, but it sounded very unique. But then that was Brody all over.

“No….I was just thinking that it’s pretty.”

The cabinet rattled again. Wand aloft, Brody sighed. She’d faced boggarts before, of course she had. But she’d had a long day today, what with the paparazzi at her heels and everyone wanting to know all about her wedding plans, and she wasn’t looking forward to getting rid of one, right now.



“Love?”

Fyo stopped short in the doorway. Brody was curled up on a couch with a cup of tea, and he could tell something was wrong. “Queenie, what’s –”

She wrapped her arms around him. “There was a boggart in the drawing room cabinet.” That said it all.

Brody looked down at her salad, feeling that things were a little awkward right now. Their conversation had run dry, which had never happened before. It felt like their Frody team was falling apart.

As she looked up, Fyo leaned across the table pressing his lips against hers

“I love you.” Brody smiled.

“I love you.” There was no too at the end of that sentence. There was no need for it. He wasn’t returning the feelings. He had the exact same feelings.

Fyo kissed her again, lingering. “Let’s get out of here.”

Grabbing her hand he pulled her away.