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.