"Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten."
- John Dryden

Chapter Four: Resentment and Forgiveness

The howling echo's through the cave. He quickly turns around and starts running as fast as his little legs can let him. Jumping over rocks and branches, not letting himself turn back, knowing from watching to many old horror films that it only meant bad news.

He ran and ran, yet he couldn't shake the four legged animal. He reached the end of the woods, he saw his house at the end of the flat landing. If he had faster he would reach it without getting caught. He turned around and to his dismay the four legged creature was behind him. He tried to start to run again, but his fear, his shock stopped him from taking any step.

The closer the creature got, the more he could see of him. His sharp teeth was the first thing he noticed. Shortly after the rest of its furry body came into view.

He wanted to scream for help, but nothing would come out. He slowly walked backwards, thinking that maybe the werewolf wouldn't follow. He knew it was a werewolf because no wolf would be that huge.

But not noticing the rocks behind him, he tripped and fell flat on his back. The werewolf howled at him. The werewolf came closer, wanting to smell his midnight snack.

He covered in fear, he knew that escaping the werewolf now was impossible. But instead of being eaten up in bits like he suspected, he felt the wolf's bite in his leg. Just as the pain hit in, the werewolf retreated.

He looked down at his wound, the tears openly falling from his eyes. His once perfect leg was now bleeding, but that wasn't what made him scream in agony. No he screamed because he was seeing his leg, and himself transform into the very thing that he feared.

He was becoming a werewolf. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Ryan awoke in an instant. He bolted up in bed and touched his leg, the leg he had witnessed in his nightmare be bitten. Nothing, no mark, no scar.

He knew that, he knew that this nightmare wasn't reality, but was his greatest fear. Yet he always checked his leg just in case.

Ryan tried to catch his breath, but he couldn't. His asthma was kicking in again. He reached for his inhaler under his pillow. Once that was out of the way he tried to calm himself. He really did not want to wake up Kris, who was sleeping peacefully by his side.

After he regain his composure, Ryan gently got up and put on his sneakers, knowing full well that he wasn't going to go to sleep anytime soon. He exited out of his room as quietly as he could and went downstairs. He passed the kitchen, and went out the backdoor. Something about a deserted beach always seemed to calm him down.

Then again anything that involved being deserted calmed him down. To many people made him edgy. Crowded places made him lose his breath.

All that was in his head, Ryan knew that. He didn't need a therapist telling him that.

His fear for crowded places went way back if Ryan thought about it. Back to the orphanage he spent his early years in. He hardly remembered anything about it, only that there was no room for him to walk around, which meant to him not enough clean air to prevent him from getting his asthma attacks.

Having a muggle sickness, as the people in charge of the orphanage had classified his asthma attacks, was a huge turn off when it came down for him to be adopted. Some would say that when two total strangers entered the orphanage looking for a child old enough to walk on his own, no matter what, that he was rather lucky for getting a chance like that.

And Ryan thought so too, he thought he was finally going to have a family of his own. A place he could call his own.

That of course was a lie the people that adopted him told the agency so they could get a healthy child to work for free in their little magical freak show for the muggles.

Ryan could still remember the odd jobs they would make him do. One of which was to take care of their caged human. At first Ryan would find it strange to see a grown man locked up, but when the full moon came and he was forced to take his food to him, he knew exactly why he was part of the show and why he only came on once a month. He was a werewolf.

His fear for werewolves and becoming one didn't come until one day, the eldest child of his adoptive parents became overly jealous, for no reason since Ryan didn't get any special treatments whatsoever, and locked him in with the human form of the werewolf.

The man was to tired to help him out, and when he finally transformed, Ryan was terrified out of his mind. He was so terrified, that he magically burst the lock off the sealed door, and fled, but not without letting lose the caged werewolf.

Ryan ran and ran, never looking back. He was only six years old when he left his adoptive parents house and he never returned. Thanks to the help of many muggles along the way, he was able to reach the city of London. Once he was there he found away to get into Diagon Alley. But being penniless and parentless, had its disadvantages. For one he no longer had his inhaler, nor did have any place to eat and sleep. He had become a beggar over night. But Ryan refused to turn himself into an orphanage.

With time Ryan grew to hate the people responsible for putting him in a place such as the orphanage who pretty much let anyone adopt children. He at such the tender age of six, had so much hate in his body, he would make himself sick just so he would feel something else.

That all changed one day during his hunt for a free meal or spare change.

Ryan sadly smiled at the memory of that day. It was the first time he had met Kristina, as well as Crystal, Brian, Chary, Aaron and Emily.

Nine Years Ago

Six year old Ryan was running down the street, being chased by two local beggars who wanted the galleon he was given. He knew if he was caught he would be beat to a pulp, and that wasn't something he wanted, especially without an inhaler to help him recover after the beat down. He took a shortcut that would lead him straight to the heart of Diagon Alley.

After hiding behind another alley, until he believed it was safe for him to come out, he did. He took out his money and saw that in fact that today was a good day for him. Not only did he get a galleon, he also got ten sickles and five knuts. Ryan quickly calculated in his head how much he would need to save in order to buy an inhaler in the muggle clinic. He already had twenty sickles and eight knuts saved in his secret hideout, which would never grow since he would always end up buying food in order for him to eat.

Ryan was to busy looking for his money, that he wasn't where he was going, or more like who was in front of him that he was surprised when he was forcefully shoved to the ground.

"HEY!" Ryan yelled at the tall boy.

"If I was you Ryan, I would shut up. Boys get the coins." He ordered to his tired goons, who where chasing Ryan a while back.

Ryan looked at his scattered coins and knew he could do not do nothing about them taking it. But it didn't mean he was going to go down without a fight.

"Look Colin that belongs to me. I worked hard for that!"

Colin rolled his eyes, "You worked hard for this? You're a beggar. Theirs really nothing hard about that. You hear this load of crap boys, he worked hard for his. You crack me up Ryan."

Ryan hated when people laughed at him. Without thinking he got up as quickly as possible and ran towards the older boy. But Colin was much more faster than the six year old and grabbed him from his worn out shirt.

"You little piece of shit. You honestly thought you could manage a swing at me? You're pathetic to even think that." Colin threw him to the ground and kicked him in the stomach.

Ryan yelped in pain. He wanted to scream for bloody murder, but he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction.

"It seems little Ryan over here didn't get the full experience of one of my kicks." Colin kicked him again, this time with much more force.

Tears where falling out of Ryan's hazel-green eyes. Yet he still did not yell.

Colin's enjoyment was starting to fade. He was getting angry. "I've been doing this business since I was five, Ryan. Now I'm a twelve year old boy, who should actually be at Hogwarts, but I don't have enough money to attend. So if I was you stop fighting me, and start yelling. It will a whole lot painful for you and a whole lot easier for me."

"N-no." Was all Ryan could muster.

Colin rolled up his sleeves, "Okay you asked for it, boys grab him."

They did as they where told and they brought Ryan to his feet. They lifted him up in the air so he could match Colin's height.

"I really didn't want to go through all this trouble Ryan. But you kind of asked for it. Next time you earn anything remotely close to a galleon you give it to me. That's the rule here, these are my streets."

Colin brought his arm back, Ryan closed his eyes preparing himself for the pain to come.

"If I was you, I would leave him alone. Or else I'll be forced to call the authority on you." Said a small female voice behind Colin.

He stopped mid swing and turned around to see who dared speak to him with such authority. Ryan opened his eyes as well to see who was stupid enough to stick up for him. When he saw the little girl, not much older than his age, with her beautiful white summer dress, with sunflowers printed all over, he had to contain a smile. The girl was what they called the higher class, the girl oozed money. And if Colin was really thinking with his brain he would have asked her for her little hang bag that was wrapped around her wrist, instead of thinking with his pride.

"Who the hell do you think you are, little girl, to talk to me like that?" Colin arrogantly asked her.

To Ryan's surprise the girl instead of quivering in fear, looked at Colin dead in the face and rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm Kristina Merrick, and if you don't let him go, I will make you get in trouble with your parents." She said with such confidence, Ryan did not bother laughing at the parent bit.

Though that didn't stop Colin and his goons from not laughing. And by Kristina's own surprised look she couldn't believe that threatening them with their parents didn't take on the affect she expected.

"You heard that boys, she's going to tell on me to my parents." Colin laughed even harder.

Ryan shook his head, "I think its best you just leave, Ms. Merrick, I'm not worth defending."

Kristina locked eyes with him, and something in her blue eyes, made Ryan look away. No one ever bothered to look at him for more than a second.

"Yes well you don't decide for me. I make my own decisions."

Colin smirked at the girl, "Listen to her Ryan, she's just like the rest of those snobbish rich kids out there. Thinking they're better than us. Well sorry to burst your little bubble, but in this world. There is no such thing as authority, or parents. We are what they call homeless, parentless. We live on our own, we don't have anyone telling us what to do. And its best you leave with understanding the way things are here, before I make sure . . . ."

"You don't scare me, and its best you let him go before I do something that will leave you with the understanding of how things really work in this world." Kristina interrupted him, with her own warning.

Colin did not like that one bit. "Okay I gave you a fair chance, boys let that little shit go and grab her. Its about time I teach those rich kids what the real world is."

Ryan was quickly dropped and he watched as the girl was roughly grabbed. She was scared, that evident in how her blue eyes started looking helpless. Ryan looked at the odds and he knew he would either get his ass kicked right then and there without helping her. But by an off chance he could possibly get her. Ryan of course wasn't fooling himself one bit.

He looked around his surroundings and saw nothing that could possibly help, only trash and rocks. He picked up the biggest rock he could find and aimed it at the main head. The only one who pretty much did all the thinking for the three of them. He threw it as hard as he could. Ryan was surprised that he managed to hit his target. Colin was too, he angrily turned around to glare at him.

"You will regret ever doing that! Just for that spoil little bitch!" Colin yelled at him.

"Stop hating on the children of those who have money, its not their fault their parents actually love them enough to make their lives better."

Colin advanced towards him, "You think those rich bastards care for anything that doesn't revolve around money? They don't give a damn about anything, nor anyone. Now just shut up and take your beating like the little shit that you are."

When Colin tried to grab his arm, Ryan ran out of his reach and ran towards Kristina, he grabbed her hand and led her out of the alley, "Come on! Keep running!"

He could hear Colin ordering his two goons to go after them, but it was no use, they couldn't catch up to him, nor Kristina. When they finally hit the busiest and richest part of Diagon Alley, Ryan let go of her hand.

"There you should be safe now." Ryan said after looking around and not finding Colin or his goons.

"Thanks to you of course."

Ryan quickly turned to look at her, "I didn't do anything. I just got you out of there."

She shook her head, not agreeing with him, "You helped me, no one in your position would have helped me."

Ryan frowned at her, "My position? Just because I have no parents does not mean I'm like Colin."

"Oh no, that's not what I was trying. . ."

"Kristina! Where have you been? I have been looking for you everywhere. You just don't go wandering around a crowded place like Diagon Alley."

Ryan looked over Kristina's shoulder at the older blond women heading there way. She wasn't on her own, she was holding onto a blond haired boy who looked a lot younger than the boy following close by her with the dirty blond hair. The younger girls, one who oddly enough held some resemblance to both the older lady and Kristina and the other who had dark black hair.

"Sorry aunt Emily, I was just so curious to explore Diagon Alley that I wandered off a bit. I promise it wont ever happen again." Kristina said quietly.

Ryan had to smirk at that, she wasn't that quiet back there.

To his surprise her Aunt Emily only sighed and brushed it away. He became aware then that someone was watching him, he looked away from the them to see the dirty blond haired boy, who was looking at him. The intensity of his blue eyes made him oddly at ease, which made him then feel uncomfortable.

"So who is your little friend over there Kris?" Ryan heard Kristina's aunt ask her.

Kristina looked at him and smiled, "He's a local boy who helped me from a very tough situation Aunt Emily. His name is Ryan."

Ryan looked down at his dirty sneakers, not wanting to look at anymore people. He wasn't use to this much attention put on him. No one would ever bother looking at him for more than a second, it only took half just to toss him any lose change.

"Well what did you need help with that you couldn't possibly handle on your own, Ms. Independent?"

Ryan stole a quick glance at Kristina who seemed to be even more embarrassed by the teasing her aunt was doing.

"I-I-I. . .he-he. . . ."

Noting that she did not know what to say, Ryan spoke up, something was odd about that girl that made him do things he wouldn't have normally done, "You see ma'am I was having a bit of trouble when she came to my help. So it was more like she helped me out of a tough situation."

Ryan looked away from Kristina's aunt's gaze to look at the young girl who had helped him out and he too helped her out. She smiled at him, her confident spark back in her blue eyes.

"Whatever the story is, thank you Ryan for your help. If there is any way I can compensate your trouble, please tell me."

Ryan was confused at what Kristina's aunt was telling him. He knew in some way what she was saying, he just didn't seem to understand.

"What my mother is trying to say is that if you need anything go ahead and tell her." Said the boy with the much darker blond hair.

"I. . .I don't need anything, really." Ryan assured them. Not really liking any sort of help from strangers.

Kristina frowned at him, "Are you sure, because earlier you said you had no parents."

Ryan's eyes shot up, not believing Kristina had said. He looked up at her aunt, who was also in shock at what her niece had said.

"Is that true?" Emily asked him.

Ryan looked around and saw a clear way for him to run, but before he could run he felt someone hold his arm. He looked at the small delicate hand and saw that it belonged none other than to Kristina.

"Just tell her the truth, she'll help you find your parents."

Ryan glared at her, "No! I don't need your help nor your aunt's. I don't need to find my parents. They where the ones who put me in this horrible place in the first place."

"Kristina, let me talk to him." Emily said calmly to her niece.

"Theirs nothing that you can tell me that I haven't heard already. I know I'm to young to be out here all by myself, but I've done fine without anyone's help so far, and I will continue doing fine." Ryan said defiantly.

Emily nodded as if agreeing with him, "I understand Ryan. I really do, but you have to understand that I as a person cannot and will not let you stay out here by yourself. That's who I am, and that's who I will continue to be. Now you're welcome to come with us to our house and stay as long as you need to. If you want to leave, you're free to go."

Ryan looked anywhere but at their little group. He did not want to be their charity case.

He heard Emily sigh and turn to her children, "Come on then children. If Ryan doesn't want to come then I can't force him."

"But mum, you can't just let him stay all by himself. That's not right." Said the same boy from earlier.

"I know Brian but I can't force him. That would be kidnapping."

"But mum its not kidnapping if you don't steal him from his parents." Said the blond haired girl.

"Crystal, its still called kidnapping whether you take them away from their parents or not."

Ryan looked at Kristina, who was trying to laugh at her cousins exchange with their mother. For some unknown reason seeing that amused look on her face made him feel some sort of comfort.

"What?" she asked him, noting that she did not feel right being stared at.

Ryan shook himself out of that trance, "Nothing, really."

"You should take my aunt's offer. At least until you find a better place to stay. My aunt loves children."

"How can I trust her?"

Ryan could tell that Kristina did not know how to answer that. He did not realize that Emily was looking at the both of them.

After a moment Kristina just shrugged, "I don't know, but you can trust me."

She extended her hand out to him. Ryan looked at it, not sure if he was doing the right thing or not. But he knew he was tired of living the life he was living now.

"Alright, I'll trust you." Ryan took her hand and she led him towards her family.

Emily did not say anything to him, she only smiled and took hold of Aaron's hand and led the way to their house, soon to be his home as well.

Present Time

Ryan smiled sadly at that memory. It had taken him months to get use the lavish life he was living. It had taken him over a year to let go of some of the hate he had in his heart. Not all of it had gone away, and Ryan knew having it bottled up inside wouldn't make it go away. But he liked holding onto that hate that he reserved for his adoptive parents and his real ones.

His friendships with Brian, Crystal, Aaron, Chary and Kristina grew throughout the years they had spent together. Soon after, or more like two years after he was brought into the De'Varces household, he had met Matthew and Jonathan. Who in some way he related to the most. They all grew closer with the years that came. They where what normal families would call them dysfunctional, but they where happy that way.

Though Ryan's happiness did not last to long. After years of wondering who his parents where, he had asked Emily to help him know where he came from. Not knowing his past made him uneasy. It took a while for Emily to find anything about him and his family, but when she did, to Ryan's surprise she didn't say anything. She couldn't seeing as she had made him promise that he would not do anything rash when she told him. He couldn't promise that, and he told her he did not want to know anything about his family seeing as he already had his true family right in front of him.

That of course did not stop him from searching on his own. Curiosity got the better of him and he asked or more like bribed a certain person who worked at the orphanage he was placed. Names of his parents where not given, seeing as Ryan had not asked for them, but their occupations and their place in society where asked for. He needed to know from what kind of people he came from.

At first hearing that his biological mother was a lawyer that defended the rights Muggleborn's and Magical Creature's brought a sense of pride in him. Even finding out that his biological father was a school teacher, brought out some sort of relief that he was indeed from good people. But that I was all brushed aside when the bribed employer told him that his father was pretty much a low life in society seeing as he was a werewolf.

Ryan did not and would not believe him until he went to his personal doctor and ask if indeed he had werewolf blood running through his veins. And to his shame and disgust he did. He couldn't look at himself for days, and he wouldn't let anyone, especially Kristina near him.

That didn't stop her though. And Ryan had to smirk at that, nothing would ever stop Kristina, not the barrier of a wooden door, or the barrier around his heart.

Three Years Ago

Ryan tossed yet another book he had finished and looked around his overly large room. With its fine wooden floor and the lavish floor carpet. With its fireplace and two fine armchairs. A bed big enough to fit four people, covered in the finest blue Egyptian cotton linens that money could buy. A bathroom to call his own, with its own tub that seemed like a pool and shower stall that served as another option.

He eyed ever luxury that he possessed and felt sick to his stomach. Someone of his kind did not deserve any of this. Someone of his kind did not deserve to walk alongside the pure and the normal.

Needing to stretch his legs, he stood up and walked towards his bookcase. He had read almost every book he had. Ryan was bored out of his mind, but not enough to make him reread all of them. He thought of going to their library to get more books but he knew he would run into Brian or any of them. He wasn't going to risk being cornered into talking to any of them. Not now, not when they who he really was.

Angry at himself and at his situation Ryan grabbed the nearest book he could and threw it at the wall. Hearing something crash behind him, Ryan turned around and saw that he had thrown the book directly at his bedroom window.

He walked towards it, not really wanting to call out for Walt to order him to clean up the mess, so he bent down and picked up the pieces. To distracted to handle broken glass, Ryan accidentally cut himself.

"Fuck!" Ryan cursed dropping the large broken glass.

Seeing the blood dripping from his hand he looked at his palm and saw the small but deep gash. He quickly ran to the bathroom sink and rinsed off the blood. To into what he was doing, he didn't hear anyone burst into his room to investigate the noise.

When Ryan stepped out of the bathroom he was surprised at seeing Brian there, in his room, repairing the broken window.

Not bothering to even look at him, Brian spoke, "Don't tell mum I'm doing this. She'll go mad if she were to find out I'm using my wand."

"What are you doing in here? Didn't I say that no one was to bother me?"

Brian turned to look at him, "I didn't actually think you meant it."

"Yeah because I don't normally go around telling people to leave me alone and not to bother me." Ryan said sarcastically.

"Well you don't. That's more Matt's territory."

"And how is our lone hero?" Ryan said bitterly.

"Are you still mad at him for putting you on the spot today? Because if you are that's reasonable, but you also have to understand that you were out of line as well." Brian said calmly.

"I'm not angry, just resentful. I know he was right in putting me on the spot like that. I shouldn't have said the things I said. But I'm a freak, how else am I going to react?" Ryan tiredly sat on his bed.

"Your father wasn't a werewolf by birth Ryan. And if I remember correctly from your file he was bitten at a young age. Which means you don't carry the werewolf gene. Plus even if he was fathered by a werewolf, nothing could have been passed to you or him." Brian explained.

"That's beside the point Brian. If anyone were to find out I will shun from the wizardry world. They hate any kind of werewolf or werewolf related wizards."

"No one's going to find out. Your secret is safe with us. We don't even care about this. You're the only one who thinks it matters."

"Because it does matter."

Brian shook his head, "No it only matters to you. None of give a damn about who your father was. We know who you are and that matters."

"Yeah well that makes me feel loads better."

Brian shook his head in annoyance, "I'm a patient person Ryan but you're never going to see reason until you realize that you're not this pesticide in this world. So until then, just wallow in your self pity."

Ryan watched as Brian left his room, turning away when he saw the door closing, he half expected him to slam the door.

Soon after Brian left, his door burst open once again. "You come back here to convince me I'm this great guy?"

"No I came inside here to tell you that I love you."

Ryan quickly turned around and saw Kristina standing there looking at him with her heart on her sleeve.

He opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped himself. What could he say to that?

So he said the only thing he could think of, "What?"

"What I said, I love you."

Ryan shook his head, "Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind? Did Jonathan put you up to this?"

"No, no, and no."

"Than why say it? For crying out loud Kristina where're twelve years old? Those words mean to much."

She only shrugged, "To you they mean to much. But to me, they're just that. Its how I feel for you. That's how I felt for you even before you found out about your father's condition. And that's how I will feel for you for a long time."

Ryan was stumped, he didn't know what to say to her.

"So when you're ready to get out of this funk your in, we'll be waiting for you downstairs. Aunt Emily decided today that she wants to go off to Sydney. Apparently she misses the down under. Our portkey leaves in two hours." With that said she turned to leave.

"Wait just one minute. You barge into my room and tell me you love me, just like that. Without thinking of what this is going to do to our friendship, to our lives. And then just leave?" Ryan asked still confused by her behavior.

Kristina laughed at his confusion, something that drove Ryan crazy. "I'm not going to analyze my feelings for you Ryan. And about our friendship, nothing can possibly break it or make it any different. I love you, so what if you don't love me back."

Before he could stop himself Ryan said, "What makes you think I don't feel anything for you?"

That seemed to change Kristina's demeanor. "Don't Ryan, don't go there."

"Go where?" Ryan asked, liking the control he had now. He walked towards her, not really knowing what he was going to do when he reached her, but knowing that he just needed to get close to her.

"I said I love you Ryan. I don't expect you to say it back or feel anything along those lines towards me." As he got closer, he could sense the confidence she had when she entered his room falter. And for some reason it pleased him. He was always a blubbering idiot when he was around her, he always lost control of his demeanor. And he liked knowing he had that affect on her as well.

"Again Kris what makes you think I would never feel the way you feel for me?" When Ryan finally reached her, he didn't know what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, he just didn't think he had the confidence she had.

"B-because I'm just your best friend." She said quietly.

"I've never just thought of you as my best friend Kris." Ryan said softly, loving how her blue eyes widen at his comment. He reached for her hand and held it.

"Y-you haven't." Kristina whispered.

Ryan smiled at her and brought his other hand to caress her cheek. "Nope. I thought of you as so much more than that. You're my savior, you're my guardian angel. You where the one who found me."

As Ryan finished he saw Kristina's eyes water. And he felt pained by that, he hated seeing her cry.

"Kris don't cry that wasn't my intention." Ryan said soothingly. Reaching to brush away the few tears that leaked out.

Kristina sniffed and smiled, "How can I not cry at that little speech you just did?"

Ryan knew that question did not need an answer, so he simply shrugged.

After a while of silence and waiting for Kristina to get back to her usual self, Kristina spoke up again.

"So what now?"

Ryan looked deeply into her eyes and he knew she did not expect him to say those three little words back. And even though Ryan knew he could say them back, he wasn't ready to tell her, especially with the way he felt about himself.

"I don't know Kris. I mean how can I love you when I don't even love myself?" He asked her, not really expecting an answer.

Kristina brought her hand and caressed his cheek, just like he had done earlier before to her. "I don't Ryan. All I can say is that I love you and that maybe with time you'll learn how to love yourself and love me."

"Loving you is not the problem. Getting over the fact that I'm related to a cursed man who has probably condemned me as well, is the problem." He said, anger already taking control of his tone.

"See that's the problem with your Ryan. You're thinking like those stupid purebloods who think they're better than anyone who is not pure. And I know for a fact that is not who you are." Kristina said trying to hold back her anger at him and his train of thought.

Ryan pulled away from her, knowing full well she was right, but not really wanting to listen to her. Once he was away from her, he instantly regretted it. He missed her already, and she was only a few feet away.

Oh bloody fucken great. I'm going to become those love sick teens, Jonathan and I ridicule.

"You know its easy for you to just stand there and tell me you love me for who I am, werewolf father be damn. After all your dad was some pureblood Death Eater who meant something in this world. My father means nothing!" When those words left his mouth, Ryan instantly regretted them. Seeing the look on Kristina's face made it so much worse.

She quickly walked towards him and slapped him square in the face. He deserved it, he knew that. Mentioning her father was a very sore subject when it came to her. If the situation wasn't so tense he would have laughed. They had yet another thing in common. They both had daddy issues. For different reasons of course. Her father died in a crossfire between Aurors and Death Eaters defending the name of the Dark Lord, while his father who happened to be a werewolf, abandoned him.

"Don't you ever mentioned my father to me like that ever again." She said furiously.

The other difference between them of course was that she loved her father, unlike him who happened to despise his father more and more as the day went by.

"Kris. . .I didn't mean. . ." Ryan paused not knowing what to say to her.

Her lower lip started to tremble, the only sign that prove to them all she was going to start to cry. "You don't have to say anything Ryan. Just please let me in."

Ryan gently brought her to him and embraced her. Not wanting to see her cry, but also not wanting to let her go. As she buried her face in his neck, he felt the small tears soak his t-shirt. The every same t-shirt she had bought him months ago. He kissed the top of her head and ran his hand through her golden blond locks.

"I'll try." He whispered in her ear.

Present Time

And Ryan did let her in, with time of course and a lot of communication between the both of them. While they never said I love you to one another for a long time after that. Much to Ryan's fault of course, never really having the guts to come out and say it. He did eventually, which proved to Kristina that he was ready.

Ryan looked down at his watch and saw that it was getting time for Kristina to wake up for her morning jog. Not really wanting to come back to his room to see her pacing around worrying over him. He turned back around and started running towards the beach house.

Forgetting to do his breathing excises before he started to run, he was quickly out of breath by the time he reached the beach house. Trying to control his breathing, Ryan reached for his inhaler, but when his hand went into his pajama bottoms' pocket, nothing was there. He searched in his other pocket, but found nothing there either.

Damn! You stupid idiot, you left the damn house without bringing your inhaler. You scary twit!

"You know the rules Ryan."

Ryan to out of breath to even look up at Kristina reached out to grab his inhaler from her palm.

After regaining his breath, he looked up at her, "Sorry, I kind of forgot."

Kristina nodded her head, looking beyond his shoulder towards the rising sun, "Understandable seeing as you left the room in a hurry. Not even bothering to tell me where you were off to."

"See I can explain that. . ." Ryan began, but he knew very well that Kristina wasn't going to buy any of his crap, so he stopped himself from making up any excuses.

She smirked at him as he started walking back towards the house, "And they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks."

Kristina meant nothing by saying that, expecting Ryan to take it as a joke, but he just couldn't find anything remotely funny about it. Sensing the tension in the air, Kristina turned around to look at him.

Not really wanting to go there at the moment, Ryan smiled at her, trying his best not to make it seem like his smile was false.

Knowing her full well, Ryan stopped smiling and grabbed her hold of her hand and held it in his own. "Don't worry Kris, it was a funny comment, just not to me. You know the whole dog, werewolf thing is rather a sensitive subject for me."

"I know, I just thought you would have. . . ."

Ryan smirked at the positive thoughts his girlfriend had, "Gotten over it by now? Sorry love, but that isn't happening anytime soon. Werewolf blood runs through my veins. And unless they find a cure for that sort of genetics, than I'm far from getting over it."

Kristina not really wanting to go there so early in the morning, let it go for now. Ryan was glad for that. They both walked back to the beach house hand in hand. When they reached the back porch Ryan led her towards the comfy chairs they had outback. He sat on the nearest one and gently pulled her to sit on his lap.

"You know what I was thinking about while on my walk back there?" Ryan asked her.

He felt her shake her head as she snuggled into his embrace.

"I was thinking about that day you just barged into my room and told you me how you felt. Very brave of you."

Kristina chuckled, "Yeah well you always told me I was extremely brave. To brave for your liking of course."

"What can I say Kris, I worry to much about you."

"Well you need to stop worrying about me and start worrying about yourself. Seriously Ryan, forgetting your inhaler, what were you thinking?" Kristina asked, pulling away from their embrace.

"You just couldn't leave well enough alone could you? I mean come on Kris I made a simple mistake. I thought I had my inhaler in my pocket. I guess I was wrong." Ryan simply said. Not really seeing the big deal.

"And there you go having that indifference behavior when it comes to your asthma. Come on Ryan, what if I hadn't woken up and found that you had forgotten it? You would have been back at the beach losing your breath. That's what would have happened." Kristina said, angry at how callous Ryan was being towards his sickness.

"Look Kris I'm not going to worry about anything that didn't happen. If you hadn't woken up when you did, than I would have pulled out my wand and called for it."

Kristina rolled her eyes, "Haven't you been listening to anything Matt has been saying. We can't use magic, or else Dumbledore and his men, or Voldemort and his men, will find us."

"Yes I have been listening to what Matt has been saying for the past few months, but haven't you been living with me for the past nine years? Remember every time I get a new inhaler I magically program it to come to my beck and call when I need it." Ryan finished his rant by gently tapping her on her forehead.

Kristina looked away from him, embarrassed at her tirade. "I was just so worried that I just completely forgot."

"Does it look like I have a death wish? I seriously don't want to die anytime soon."

"Yeah I know. But you will do anything to change your parentage. Your genes. I know you to well Ryan."

Ryan avoided her gaze, knowing that in fact she did know him to well.

"Look if I promise to never leave without it again, will you forget about this incident?"

Kristina sighed, "Fine I let it go. But another incident like that and I swear to you Ryan I'll find a spell to make sure you will never be able to leave any room without that damn inhaler following you around."

Ryan only nodded as he brought Kristina back into his embrace. He wished he could see why it was such a big deal for her to take care of him. To take care of the son of a demon, of a monster.

And that was the problem between them. He could never see how much his life meant to her.

"Basically all I know about Matt's mysterious girl, is that she's a brunette who loves to read." Chary said, while trying out some new imported jeans from Paris.

Kristina wasn't sure whether she wanted to talk about Matthew seeing a new girl. Especially with her cousins death only months before.

"Are you sure he's even seeing this girl? For all we know Jonathan maybe exaggerating a bit."

Chary stepped out of the dressing room carrying five hundred dollars worth of jeans, "Yeah maybe. But Jonathan would never tell me a lie."

Kristina stopped searching for her own clothes to try out, to give her best friend a skeptical look.

The dark head witch looked away, "Okay he has lied to me from time to time. But nothing involving himself."

"I know, its just weird thinking that Matt is dating some girl just like that, after spending months and months mourning and brooding over Crystal's death."

Chary stopped searching for blouses and tops to go with her new jeans to stare at her friend. Crystal's death had been hard on everyone, but it hit Brian, Matthew and Kristina harder than the rest of the group.

"You're not mad are you?"

Kristina wanted to tell Chary that in fact she was mad, pissed off even. She couldn't believe Matthew was dating already. Mind you she knew he and Crystal had stopped being a couple long before she had died.

But still that is not right. She had died only months before. So very male to get over the ones they 'supposedly' love rather quickly.

But Kristina knew better than to tell Chary that she was mad at Matthew. Her younger friend adored Matthew as a little sister would to their older brother.

"Of course not, why would I be? Matthew is a grown teenage boy. He can date whoever he wants." She lied instead.

She heard Chary sigh in relief, "Good because I seriously did not want to deal with anymore drama at the moment. Anyways I doubt a couple of lunch and tea dates can mean anything serious. He hasn't even introduced us to her."

"Yes well it took him three months to introduce us to Darla." Kristina reminded her.

"Ah. . . Darla what ever happened to her?"

Kristina shrugged her shoulders, "Don't know. Last I heard of her she was at Hogwarts, running around with the future group of Death Eaters."

"Didn't she date Lucius Malfoy's spawn?"

"Who Draco?"

Chary nodded her head.

"I believe she did. But their relationship didn't last long. He wasn't her type, so she said. Why did Matt and her brake up, again?" Kristina asked.

"Don't remember much of their torrid love affair, because that what it was really, purely physical. Merlin did I hate having to wake up and find her in the kitchen snuggled up with Matt and having her and Jonathan laugh at those ridiculous muggle theories of magic." Chary said, the memories of Darla already getting her annoyed.

"Crystal hated her too, but that was the typical ex-girlfriend behavior."

As both girls headed back to the main counter to pay for all the clothes they had picked out, Kristina spotted a familiar brunette waiting outside the clothing shop.

"How long do you think he's been out there?"

Chary looked outside the shop windows to spot Ryan leaning against Jonathan's car. "Probably for quite a while. He looks like he's ready to leave us behind."

"I told him to come get us at two-thirty."

Chary looked down at her silver wrist watch that Jonathan had gotten her for her birthday in May. "Yeah well its three-fifteen."

"Shit, he's not going to let this one go." Kristina handed the cashier her muggle credit card.

"You don't say. At least he didn't bring Jonathan to tag along."

Kristina looked past Ryan to spot the familiar dark haired, temperamental silver-eyed wizard, eating what seemed to be his favorite food, something greasy and spicy.

"You should really tell Jonathan not to be eating to many greasy foods."

Chary almost dropped the bags the cashier had handed over to them. "What? He's here?"

"Yup, but he doesn't seem like he's angry. He's rather happy right now, seeing as he's stuffing his face."

When they finally exited the clothing store, they smiled sweetly at their boyfriends.

Ryan frowned, "Now you see that look does not work for me anymore Kris. You told me that I was to pick you up at Madam Josephine's at two-thirty. It is now three-twenty."

"Okay now let me tell you Ryan it wasn't easy for me to just come in here and pick out clothes. They had so many new things imported from the states and from Paris, Spain, Germany, and Italy. And the prices were so great."

Jonathan wiped his hands and mouth clean and walked over to Chary. "Hey babe, had a nice time?"

Chary looked down at her bags and then to her gorgeous boyfriend, "You can say that."

"Here let me get these for you." Jonathan gently took the bags from Chary's hands and walked over to the trunk of his black convertible. "Hey Ryan pop the trunk open for me, yeah?"

After successfully placing both girls' shopping bags into the trunk, both Jonathan and Ryan opened the doors and pulled the seats back, so their girlfriends could enter the car.

"Such gentlemen you both have become." Kristina teased.

Jonathan smirked at her teasing, "Hmm. . you can say that again. I mean its hard being this nice to girls. I remember like it was yesterday, how we use to all shove one another to the ground, simply because we were boys and you were girls."

Both girls placed their black shades over their eyes, as Jonathan started the convertible.

"So where exactly are we going?" Chary asked her boyfriend.

"Well at first we were going back home. But you see Aaron and Tom where walking by and told us that they spotted Matt and this new girl he's been seeing down by the pear. So we're heading down there this minute. Maybe we can catch a good look at this girl." Jonathan told them.

Kristina and Chary both shared a look of mild interest and shock. This was going to be one hell of a meeting.

Matthew aimed the small ball that he was given and shot it right through the tower of cans, knocking every single one down.

"Wow that was some shot, kid." The elder man said, his American accent rather clear to both Matthew and Hermione. "So what does your pretty girlfriend want?" The man asked pointing to the verity of American stuff figures.

"Go ahead Hermione pick one." Matthew urged her. He wasn't much of a stuff animal guy, so he really wasn't doing this for his own personal gain.

Hermione shook her head, not really wanting to seem like the type of girl who wanted someone to win her something. Even though that said someone was a tall, dark haired, blue eyed male. "Its okay Matt you pick one. After all you won it."

"I know I won it Hermione, but what will I do with a stuff figure. I'm way to old for one and I don't even know half of these characters."

Hermione found that odd to believe. After all Matthew was the typical teenage muggle boy.

"How can that be, these are the heroes teenage boys such as you worship?"

Matthew mentally slapped himself, "Um . . .yeah well you see I hardly watch any television and comic books really are not my thing. I usual stick to the classics."

Of course Matthew knew everything their was to know about such muggle characters like Batman the Dark Knight, Superman and even Spiderman along with the X-men. But the characters he was seeing were not exactly the comic book heroes he was use to.

Maybe I should buy the new versions of the comics.

Hermione easily brushed her suspicions away. Matthew wasn't like most typical muggle boys. Nor was he like most of the wizards at Hogwarts. He was uniquely himself. Of course his difference added to a lot of questions she wanted to ask him, but had not yet found the courage to do so.

Very Gryffindor like Hermione. What would Godric Gryffindor say if he say you acting like a cowardly girl because of a muggle boy?

"Hello earth to Hermione Granger." Matthew waved tall rabbit in front of her. "He seems familiar to me. Here take him."

Hermione took the light grey rabbit that she to recognized as Bugs Bunny from the old cartoons she rarely enjoyed when she was a younger kid. Before books and magic became her world.

"Thanks. Just so you know I'm not those type of girls who go around begging for their boyfriends to win them something." Hermione assured him. But of course she realized what she had said and blushed.

She had used the term boyfriend. She couldn't believe she had gone as far as to call him that. They were simply on another date or outing. They hadn't even held hands, let alone kissed. Their were a few hugs between them, and a lot of long awkward stares before saying goodnight.

Matthew to was in shock at what Hermione had referred to him as. It had been a long time since he was a boyfriend. His last girlfriend wasn't what he would really call a girlfriend, more like a physical partner, who he had cared deeply about.

"Um. . .I didn't mean. . ."

"I'm sure you didn't mean to." Matthew finished for her. "It kind of just slipped. Look Hermione I know what we have its kind of confusing. Seeing as this is what normal teenagers do at our age. Of course we aren't exactly dating. You're someone I can talk to that is not connected to my life back home. I guess what I'm trying to say is that. . ."

"We're friends." Hermione said quietly.

Matthew nodded his head, glad that she understood, but at the same time he was confused about his own feelings towards the intelligent and rather pretty brunette.

"Yeah friends." He concluded to them both. "So I'm rather hungry, are you up for some good English fish n' chips?"

"That sounds good." Hermione agreed and followed him towards the small restaurant across the street from the pier. She didn't' want to look to disappointed at having Matthew as a friend. But at the same time she couldn't be happy about it. After all she already had to male friends back in her magical world. She was hoping that maybe she would have had something different with Matthew.

Its better this way anyways. Not like I can explain to him why there are owls dropping by his house giving him letters written on parchment paper.

"She's not all that pretty if you think about it. I mean she does have the potential to be pretty. But with those worn out, and definitely out of style clothes and hairdo she's just the typical plain Jane." Kristina commented about the mystery girl their best friend was currently trying to win her a stuff animal.

Jonathan, who had switched places with Kristina, draped his arm over Chary and leaned closer to get a better look at the brunette. "I don't know Kris, she seems pretty cute from this vantage point. Looks like a pure bookworm, but a cute bookworm."

Chary eyed the girl her boyfriend was referring to cute, and couldn't help but agree with him. "Jonathan has a point. But still she doesn't seem at all Matthew's type."

Ryan had to laugh at that, "Of course not. She's far from being a tall, gorgeous blond."

"Then again Matt may be trying to date a complete opposite of all the girls he has dated these past few years." Jonathan said, not really believing what he had just said.

"Well we aren't going to find out anymore about this girl, unless we go and ask Matthew." Chary said.

Kristina nodded her head in agreement, "Chary's got a point. Plus I am rather in the mood for some fish n' chips."

Both Ryan and Jonathan were surprised at that.

"Are you sure Kris?"

She rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, "Yes Ryan I'm sure. As of late I've been having cravings of greasy foods for some odd reason."

Jonathan wasn't a complete idiot on a lot of things relating to females and sex. For the most part he was actually the only one in the house who knew more about both subjects than the rest of his friends.

"What have you two done something that shouldn't have been done until after you two were married?"

Ryan glared at him, "If you're asking if Kris and I have divulged into the sexual part of any healthy teenage relationship, the answer does not concern you."

"The answer is no, Jonathan. And why would you even be asking that silly question?" Kristina asked.

Jonathan shrugged, "I don't know maybe because you are all of a sudden having cravings of foods you normally stay away from. Seeing as you've turned into one of those health freaks we see on the muggle telly."

Ryan, who was catching up on his reading time, turned around and threw the book at Jonathan. Both girls rolled their eyes at their boyfriends, knowing full well that this was going to lead to one of their usual fights.

"Hey, that was uncalled for!"

"You don't say? You called Kristina a freak.!"

"Yeah well come on, I can't cook any of my usual food because we have to follow the health chart she has pinned up in the refrigerator."

"Its for are health. Especially seeing as we can't get sick."

"Did you have to throw that damn thick book at me?"

"Yes I did, that's the only way you'll ever understand. . . .HEY! That bloody hurt you little bastard!"

"Now you know how it feels you moron!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Chary yelled over the two angry teenage boys.

Jonathan snapped his attention to his angered girlfriend, while Ryan turned to face Kristina who was smiling smugly at him.

"I swear you two act like a bunch of five year olds." Kristina said amused about their behavior but also a bit annoyed by it.

"Yeah well he started it."

"No I didn't. Plus I was trying to defend you Kris. That has to count for something."

Jonathan was silently mimicking him, when Chary slapped him behind his head. "Ow!"

"Stop acting like a baby."

Jonathan rubbed the back of his head, before leaning towards Chary, "Can I be your baby?"

Chary smiled and nodded her head, wrapping her arms around his neck bringing him in for a gentle kiss.

Both Ryan and Kristina turned away from their friends public affection.

"You know I'm kind of hungry." Ryan said to Kristina, trying really hard to ignore Jonathan and Chary's now intensifying kisses.

Kristina very much uncomfortable with the situation nodded her head and stepped out of the care. "Me too, there's that fish n' chips place you boys are very fond about."

Ryan frantically got out of the car and slammed the door shut, making both Jonathan and Chary part form their passionate lip lock. "We're going into Willy's to get something to eat."

Jonathan jumped out of the car and ran to the other side to open the door for Chary, "Okay, we're coming with. Plus looks like Matt over there is heading there too."

"Hey guys wait up!"

The four of them turned around and saw Tom and Aaron running across the street towards them, with a very reluctant Brian behind them.

"What the hell are you three doing here?" Jonathan a bit surprised at the three of them, especially with Brian being out and about.

Brian pointed at Tom and Aaron, "These two dragged me out of my den so I could invite them to lunch. Mind you I could have given them my muggle credit card, but they wanted me to tag along. So I'm here against my own will."

"Well seeing as you guys are here might as well join us in operation find out who Matt's mystery girl is." Ryan said leading the group into the restaurant.

Brian frowned at that, "Why in the world would any of you care who this girl Matt is seeing?"

"Because he hasn't mentioned her or introduced us to her. And we need to know." Kristina said.

"Isn't that being a bit noisy on all your parts?" Brian asked, still not believing his friends and his dear cousin would go to such lengths.

Chary shrugged, "Maybe, but we're already here, might as well take advantage of it."

Brian wasn't about to argue with all of them. He didn't really want to be out here in the first place. But deep down he had to admit he was rather curious about this girl Matt had been spending time with.

"Okay whatever. But when this all comes crashing down in all your faces, please tell Matt that I had nothing to do with this."

Jonathan grinned putting his arm around Brian's shoulder and led him into Willy's, "Sure thing buddy. Now put a smile on that face. We don't' want to scare of the poor little muggle girl."

Once Matthew finished placing both their orders to the local waitress, he went back to listening to Hermione's tales of her school. He couldn't help but notice that she wasn't being completely honest with him.

"So where did I left off at?" Hermione asked after taking a sip of her drink.

Matthew thought about it for a moment before he remembered, "You where talking about your friends Harold and Ronald. By the way do you call them like that all the time? You don't shorten their names at all?"

Hermione wanted to tell him that she did in fact call her friends by another name, their real names, but she didn't want to risk telling a total stranger that she was friends with Harry Potter.

"Well what you call them if you knew them?"

Matthew placed his drink back down and smirked at her, "For one I would call them a bunch of idiots. I mean come on don't they ever listen to you? From what I've gathered from the stories you've told me, you have repeatedly told them not to do stupid things and they go off and do those said stupid things."

"Yeah well even after I warned them, I still went along with them. So what does that make me?" Hermione asked.

"A good friend." Matthew said simply, smiling at her.

She tried hard not to blush as this comment and his intense stare.

"Isn't this one hell of a small world Matt."

Hermione looked behind Matthew's shoulder and noticed a group of teens around her age.

Matthew turned around and saw Jonathan and the rest of his little group, staring at the both of him.

"What-what are you guys doing here?"

Jonathan looked away from the brunette who was looking back and forward between Matt and himself.

"Oh you know me, I was starving so I decided to invite all of us for some much needed lunch. We were looking for you, but we just couldn't find you. Not until now of course. Hi my name's Jonathan Sanders."

Matthew frowned at that, Sanders?

"Nice to meet you, my name's Hermione Granger." She stayed put, not knowing if she should extend her hand out to the dark haired boy or not.

"So your parents are Shakespeare fanatics?"

Hermione turned to look at the boy behind the rest of the group, the one that looked uncomfortable to be their, but still looking at her with mild interest.

"Yeah you can say that, and you are?"

The dark blond haired boy looked back down at his feet and muttered his name, "I'm Brian, Brian Hawkins."

Matthew wanted to laugh out loud. He couldn't believe his friends where changing their last names right in front of him.

Sanders? Hawkins? Where do they come up with these names?

After all the introductions were made, with surnames changed from: Merrick to Bennet, Barringer to Burke, De'Varces to Deveaux, Rydel to Wilcox, and Banks to Parkman. Hermione stared at the group of teens who were taking seats around the round table. Matthew was not so pleased with them being there. He knew Jonathan had something up his sleeve. He just hoped he didn't do anything stupid. Which was something he would most likely do. Seeing as he was Jonathan De'Varces, not wait he was now Jonathan Sanders.

"So are all of you related?" Hermione asked, not sure why she felt uncomfortable all of sudden.

The boy she knew as Aaron shook his head, "Nah we're just friends. Are parents knew one another, they sent us here to spend our summer vacation and to stay out of trouble."

Matthew was impressed with Aaron's lying skills. He was getting better, which was a good thing, but also a bad thing if he thought about it.

"So Hermione why are you here?" the girl she knew as Kristina asked.

"I'm here visiting my family before I go off to school." Hermione answered simply. She wasn't going to into great detail with total strangers.

"How did you guys meet again?"

Hermione turned from looking at the boy named Ryan to look at Matthew, not believing he wouldn't tell his friends about her.

Then again why should he tell anything about me? I'm just his friend.

Matthew glared at Ryan, still not believing his friends were doing this to him. At least Chary, Brian and Tom were feeling some sort of discomfort at being there.

"We. . . ah. . .met a couple of days ago right in front of the local bookstore." Hermione answered as best she could, not knowing why she was sadden and furious at the same time.

Matthew wanted to tell his friends off for doing this, and he wanted to explain to Hermione why he hadn't really went into great detail about his friends and their lack of knowledge about her.

"You're the girl who he almost ran over with his sad excuse of a bike." Beside him Brian spoke up.

Hermione was now even more confused, especially after Brian had said that almost all of his friends looked at him strangely, as if he held something important from them all.

Not really wanting to be around them much longer, she quickly stood up and tried to smile at them all,

"Look Matt thanks for today and for the uneaten lunch, but I kinda forgot that I have this thing with my dad. So I'll see you later. It was nice meeting you all." Not bothering to stay much longer she quickly stood up and grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

Matthew was pissed off as he watched Hermione leave the restaurant. He turned to his right and glared at Jonathan.

"I cannot believe you all would stoop this low. All you guys had to ask."

Jonathan shrugged, "What do you want us to say Matt, sorry? Cause it's a bit to late for that."

Matthew shook his head, "You know what I expected this type of behavior from you Jonathan, and even Ryan. But the rest of you guys. I'm surprised and disappointed with you all."

Ryan rolled his eyes, "Sorry dad."

"You think this is funny Ryan? For crying out loud you all but freaked her out. I don't want anymore attention on us than their already is. But you go off and pull a stunt like this. And I may sound like a father, but that's because I'm probably the only responsible one here."

Brian stood up, not really wanting to be part of this argument. "Look I'll see you all later at the house."

"Where are you going?" Matthew asked, concerned for his shy and quiet friend.

Brian fought the urge to yell at them. They were all looking at him as if he was planning on taking his own life.

"I'm going to the local bookstore, I ran out of books to read. I'll probably be home before any of you. But if I'm not, don't worry."

They all watched Brian leave the restaurant, when the door shut behind his retreating back, Matthew turned back to glare at his friends.

Before he said anything else, Jonathan interrupted him, "Stop right there Matt, you may be angry, but we did this not to scare of you little girlfriend, we were just concern about this mysterious girl. She could be plant sent here to spy on us."

Matthew noticed right away that all his friends, minus Jonathan, tensed at the word girlfriend, he himself tensed as well.

"Hermione is not my girlfriend. We're just friends." Matthew explained, and he was hit with a wave of déjà vu.

He wasn't the only one either. His friends were too, except Tom who wasn't part of their little dysfunctional group when he had fallen for Crystal and they were spending way to much time with one another.

After a few more moments of silence between his friends, Matthew spoke, "Look she thinks I'm a regular muggle teenage boy. There is no doubt in my mind that Hermione is working for either Dumbledore or Voldemort. Our secrete is safe."

When the waitress came back with Matthew's orders, he pushed his plate aside not all hungry anymore. Jonathan took advantage of that and started digging in his food, sharing with Chary every once in while. Both Tom and Aaron ate out of Hermione's platter, while Ryan and Kristina placed their own orders. Not really paying any attention to his friends he stared across the table were Hermione was seated before her quick retreat. He was looking at the stuff bunny he had given her.

We're just friends, nothing more, nothing less.

Kristina walked into her room that she shared with Ryan later that night, to find Ryan laying on the bed fast asleep. It wasn't odd to find her boyfriend so tired after one of his little episodes, as Jonathan liked to call them. But she was actually hoping he would awake so they could discuss something that has been bothering her for the past weeks.

Ever since Chary had found her mother's diaries, she was becoming more and more curious of her own mother's back story. All Kristina really knew of her mother, was that she was a great and smart witch and that she loved her and her long lost older brother.

Kristina hated herself for thinking of her mother and her brother. Her mother was not dead as the wizardry world thought. She was in New York being treated by one of the best wizardry mental hospitals in the world, better than St. Mungos mental ward. Her father was dead and buried six feet under in one of the wizardry cemeteries around Godric Hollow. And her older brother, nothing was known of him. Only that her father had sold him into Voldemort's ranks as one of his future loyal Death Eaters. Whether that was true or not, Kristina didn't know. Her mother was to crazy to talk, her father was dead, and her brother was long gone.

The only family she had ever had and known was with her under the very same roof they shared. Brian was the only one she had that was connected with her by blood.

Not wanting to wake Ryan up, she left her room and headed downstairs, knowing full well were her cousin was at. She didn't bother to knock on his bedroom door before she entered.

Kristina was a bit surprised at how clean Brian kept his room, especially with all the books scattered around, it still managed to look clean.

"Most people knock before they barge into someone's private room."

Kristina turned away from the core of his room, and looked into the adjacent room. When she entered she saw him sitting in the middle of the room, his legs perched up on top of his desk, with a thick and very old tome on his lap.

"I'm your cousin, you should better than to think I would knock."

Brian shook his head and closed the book and placed it back on his desk as he sat up right. "Is something the matter?"

Kristina looked away from him and started running her fingers through the spines of the books surrounding the room. "Why would something be wrong? Can I just want to come in and borrow a book from you?"

Brian took off his reading glasses and looked at her, "You can, but I doubt any of my books would interest you. I lack romance novels."

Kristina glared at him, "I do not read romance novels."

"Oh really? Because Ryan a long time ago that it was hard for him to compete with the men in those novels you read."

"Look I didn't come here to discuss my reading genres. I came down here to ask you if by any chance you were able to unlock your mother's journal." Kristina said, getting right down to business.

Brian shook his head, "No I haven't been able to open it. Magic isn't sealing it shut. A lock is."

"A lock? That's all that its keeping it shut. Then use your wand to open it."

"I can't use magic Kris. None of us can. They're watching us and they're definitely looking out for our magical vibes." Brian lectured her. "And even if we could use magic I wouldn't open it."

Kristina was shocked, "Why not?"

"Because it wasn't meant for me to read it. It was given to Crystal. She was the only one who was supposed to read it. She died with the key in her hand. We buried her with the key." Brian said sadly.

Kristina wanted to be angry at him, but she couldn't. "I'm sorry Brian. Its just that I want know so badly. I want to know about my mother and my father."

Brian stood up from his seat and walked towards her, "Its understandable. I want to know about my mother as well. I want to know why she would even give a man like father a second glance. I want to know why she made us like we are now. But I can't let myself do it this way. If she wanted me to know, than she would have given me the diary and not Crystal."

When Brian approached her, Kristina thought he was going to hug her, to comfort her. But instead, in true Brian form, he handed her a book.

"What is this? And don't say a book." She warned him, taking the book from his hand.

"Its not your mother's diary or journal. But in some way it belonged to your father. His name is right there." He said pointing to the bottom of black cover.

Kristina wanted to cry as she traced her father's name, Brandon Liam Merrick.

"Liam? I never knew his middle name was Liam."

"He was part Irish. His mother was from Ireland, his father was from grand ole' London." Brian said, going back to his desk.

"And how do you know this?"

"Its in the book. Just read it Kristina. It might help you get some sleep. And a peace of mind."

"And when are you going to get some peace of mind?" Kristina asked him, worried about him.

Brian stayed silent for a moment, "I'll get my peace of mind when my heart doesn't hurt anymore."

Knowing that she was pushing her welcome into his sanctuary, Kristina exited his room and headed to the living room. She sat in her favorite armchair by the window overlooking their private pool and the garage. By dim light coming from the garage she knew Matthew was still up, working on his boat.

Looking down at the book, she opened it to find what seemed like her father's handwriting.

September 1st, 1971

I find myself starring at the outskirts of England. I miss my home, and I miss my mother. Hogwarts, my father tells me, is a fine school and I will learn everything I will need to succeed in the wizardry world, just like him. But I don't want to just like him. I know what he does, I know that he was responsible for my mother's death. I know way to much. That's why I'm not even staying at his house, with his other children and his new wife. I'm spending my time in the house of his mistress, with her bastard children.

I'm only eleven years old, and I'm alone. The Hogwarts Express is slowing down. Its made record time, the light is still out. I wish I could run away from here and go back to Ireland. Maybe then I could see my step father and my half sister. But I can't. I promised my mother before she passed away that I would come to the very same school she came to. So I will keep my promise.

Six years to go, till I pay off my promise to her.

"What are you reading?"

Kristina closed the book with a snap, frighten by Matthew's question.

"I-I was just-just reading. . ."

Matthew raised his hand, indicating for her to stop explaining, "Its okay Kris. You can read whatever you want. I was just curious as to what got your attention. Is it another romance novel?"

Kristina regained her composer and glared at the back of Matthew's dark head, as he headed towards the kitchen. "For your information I read other books that don't revolve around romance."

Matthew turned from washing his hands, to look at Kristina as she entered the kitchen behind, "I didn't imply that you didn't. I just know when you're into a certain book, that it must be one of those novels that the delivery owls bring you every month. So what is this one about?"

Kristina didn't know whether she should tell him about the journal that belonged to her father. If the Death Eater records were right, Brandon Merrick was the one who recruited Emerson Philips, Matthew's father. Though Matthew never mentioned again after they found out, she had a feeling that his feelings for her father weren't entirely neutral.

"Oh you know the basic love story between the broody vampire and the daughter of a wannabe Van Helsing." Kristina lied.

Matthew laughed at the ridiculous story idea, "Do they just sit around a room and discuss what they should write about? I mean come on a vampire falling madly in love with a human is impossible."

"Not really, I mean I know of a couple like that. Except with the whole my father wants to kill him, dilemma."

Matthew shrugged, "I guess. Maybe I'm starting to become a cynic when it comes to love."

"Yeah well you haven't had much luck in that department."

Matthew headed towards the fridge, knowing full well that Jonathan had put away some of the leftovers from dinner. "I guess some people aren't as lucky as you, Ryan, Chary and Jonathan."

Kristina placed her father's book on one of the stools and sat on the next available one, looking at Matthew with a bemused expression on her face, "You think love is luck. Its far from it. You don't know what Chary and I have to go through with are very emotional boyfriends."

"I know love isn't luck Kris. It just takes a very lucky person to find someone that special at such a young age."

Kristina wanted to laugh at how serious he was being, but she had to agree with him, "I guess so. But you're only fifteen, you'll have plenty of time to find someone you can spend forever with."

"Uh. .. not to burst your bubble but you're fifteen to. Matter of fact, besides Tom and Aaron, we're all fifteen. How is it different between you guys and me?"

"Merlin Matt I don't know. All I do know is that you really have to stop questioning everything." Kristina said, becoming frustrated with the dark haired wizard.

Matthew placed his fork down and looked out the slide doors that led to the small deck and into their private part of the beach. "I guess its just hard not to question everything that's going on around us. Sometimes I just wished I could find a safe place for all of. A place we wouldn't have to look over our shoulders every second of the day. A place we could learn to trust people. I don't know maybe I'm asking for to much."

Kristina shook her head, "No Matt you are not asking for to much. You're asking for what we deserve. We just don't have much luck in that department."

After placing his empty plate in the sink, with the promise that he was going to wash it later, Matthew walked towards Kristina and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his determined expression plastered on his face, "One day I promise, I'm going to give us the lives we deserve. I'll find a way to make sure Dumbledore and his men as well as Voldemort and his Death Eaters, will never find us. I just need a little bit more time."

Not bothering to stay behind to hear what she had to say, Matthew left the kitchen and headed towards his bedroom. Looking at the oven clock she saw that it was getting late. She quickly turned off all the lights and headed for Ryan's room.

Once she was inside, she changed into her nightly attire and pulled the covers over both their bodies. Sleep quickly took over her, as she snuggled into Ryan's warm embrace.

Harry tried to go to sleep, but Ron's constant snoring was making it harder for him to go to sleep. The nightmares that he was having had stopped, they no longer plagued his mind when he slept. But other thoughts did. Memories that did not belong to him, were entering his mind, his self conscious.

At first when they started Harry wanted them to continue. But then when those memories started becoming personal he wanted them to stop. He couldn't bare to see the faceless wizards and witches in his dreams have a happy life and then have the darkness, or in some cases the light, take it all away.

This dreams, his new nightmares, were making him even more confused. Harry was stupid and naïve to think that it was simple choosing from what was right and from what was wrong. But it wasn't. He knew that now. Seeing innocent people die by the hands of Death Eaters who were threaten by Voldemort. Seeing the people he always thought fought for good, killing people who were bad but killing their families as well. Those images were going to make Harry lose his mind.

If only he wasn't starting to already.

Not bothering to be at all courteous to Ron's sleeping form, Harry got up from his bed and exited his room. He had no doubt in his mind that Ron wouldn't even notice if he was gone.

Ron had his own problems to deal with. For one Harry suspected that Ron was a ticking time bomb ready to explode the second Hermione entered through the front doors of Grimmauld Place. Having Ginny constantly tease him about Hermione's tall, dark and gorgeous mystery man wasn't lessening his temper.

Harry wasn't worried about Hermione's new found friend. He didn't see any potential danger in the muggle teenager. In fact Harry resented Hermione's normal friend, and what he had that Harry himself would never have, a normal, quiet and spoiled life.

Sometimes I wish I just didn't care anymore. To just sit back and let other people deal with Voldemort's obsession to take over the wizardry world and kill off every muggle being.

Harry tried not to shiver at the cold thoughts that had been plaguing his mind as of late. He tried to brush them aside, telling himself that stress was making him think like that. But if he was completely honest with himself, Harry would realize that he in fact meant them.

Finally reaching the kitchen without waking Mrs. Weasley, who to Harry's annoyance was constantly watching him. He knew she meant well, but he didn't need anymore hawk eyes on him. Silently as he could, he pushed the kitchen door open, hoping that Kreacher wasn't lurking around. He headed straight for the ice box, hoping to warm up some milk without making a disturbance.

Before Harry could reach the ice box and grab the milk carton, he heard footsteps getting nearer to the kitchen. Not really wanting to deal with anymore, Harry quickly looked around for a place to hide. Finding none, he crawled under the table, silently taking Mrs. Weasley for making the table cloth long enough for it to block anyone's view.

Laboring his breath, so it wouldn't be heard, Harry waited for the faceless intruders to get on with what they were doing so they could leave.

Sirius Black was not at all pleased with what Snape was telling him. If he hadn't moved the conversation to a much more secluded place, like the basement kitchen, Sirius knew the whole house would be awaken by his shouts.

Severus Snape was not at all happy. He hated following the likes of Sirius Black.

"Unlike you Black I have more important things to do than to waste my time talking to likes of you."

Sirius turned around after pushing the door open, looking inside the kitchen seeing if anyone was still lurking around, seeing no one, he entered, "You don't say? Do tell me Snivellus what would a slimy, greasy haired man such as yourself be doing that is so important?"

Snape clenched his hands into fists, wanting to forcefully wipe the arrogant smirk off Sirius' face. But having more control than Black and Potter put together, he unclenched them, knowing full well what to say next to push Black over the edge.

"Why should I even waste my time explaining to Potter's babysitter, anything that doesn't concern you? I mean if Albus wanted you to know about what I was assigned to do, he would have. But he didn't, so neither am I."

Sirius quickly reached for his coat pocket, searching for his wand, but he didn't feel it, he cursed himself, knowing that he forgot it upstairs.

"Seems like you will never change Black. Always trying to find a reason to fight me. If you weren't so pathetic, I would feel sorry for you." Snape said cruelly.

"Watch what you say Snape, because I wont hesitate to knock some respect into you." Sirius threaten.

Snape walked passed Sirius and sat down on the empty chair, "I recall coming to Grimmauld Place the very same day your Mother kicked you out, I found rather enjoyable to watch."

Sirius angrily sat down on the opposite side of Snape, "That was one of the best days of my life. I didn't have to be surrounded by bigot wizard such as you, anymore."

"I'm far from being a bigot Black."

"I highly doubt that Snape. The way you treat your students who are not from Slytherin, proves you wrong."

"Figures Potter's spawn would come running to you complaining about the lack of special treatment that he doesn't receive in my class." Snape said, trying hard not to show any sort of emotion.

"Harry doesn't want any special treatment from anyone, let alone you." Sirius whispered angrily, not at believing what was coming out of Snape's mouth.

"That's what you say Black. But let me tell you this. Potter is exactly like his father, never taking anything seriously. All the boy cares about is Quidditch and trying to humiliate every Slytherin student."

"I doubt we're talking about the same boy here Snape."

Snape shrugged, not really wanting to discuss Potter's son. Simply looking at the boy brought back memories about his youth that he did not want to think about.

"I did not decide to stay here to talk about your attention seeking godson, Black. I stayed to answer your questions about the other boys." Snape reminded him.

"I don't need to be reminded of that. They've been on my mind for the past years." Sirius said angrily.

Snape folded his arms and smirked at the dark haired man. No correction, boy. "If that was true, why spend the past two years taking care of your godson, instead of looking for your actual son."

Sirius couldn't take Snape's goading anymore. He jumped from his seat, and into Snape's solid body, knocking Snape out from his own chair, and into the stone kitchen floor. The hesitating one bit, he punched Snape right in the face.

"YOU. . .DON'T. . .KNOW. . .ANYTHING. . .ABOUT. . .MY. . .SITIUATION!" With every word Sirius yelled at Snape, he met it with a forceful strike.

Memories of beatings such as these from his youth, Snape became angry, back then he couldn't stop them, not physically anyways. So with all the force he could muster, he shoved Sirius' form away from him.

Snape stood up as quickly as he could and Sirius following his exact move moments.

"Lets get this straight Black, you lay a hand on me again and I wont hesitate to tell the Ministry where you are. Dumbledore and the Order be damn. You're nothing but Potter's babysitter. A crappy one at that seeing as you can't do anything for the boy. I wont hit you, not because I can't possibly harm you, but because I'm more civilized than you." Snape threaten Sirius, brushing off the dust that his long robes had gathered from the floor.

"You're threats don't mean anything to me Snape." Sirius shot back, not liking that Snape had a say in his freedom.

"Well they should Black. Because at the end of the day I maybe loyal to Albus, but I'm not loyal to you nor Potter. I don't care what happens to you. You can die tomorrow and I wouldn't feel one ounce of regret."

"Get out of my house. And don't you dare set a foot in here unless Albus invites you. You're not welcomed here." Sirius said angrily, pointing to the kitchen door.

Snape shrugged his shoulders not feeling at all sorry for what he said or did.

"My pleasure Black. But before I go, let me tell you something. Those boys will hate you. No matter what you and your friends do to make them feel part of the family, they will hate you. And I'm going to enjoy seeing that."

With that said Snape exited the kitchen with a smug look on his face.

Sirius furiously exited the kitchen, leaving towards his room.

Both men had been so busy being angry at one another that they failed to notice Harry under the table listening to everything they said.

When Harry went back up to his room, he realized that he was even more confused now than before. Instead of getting his questions answered, he was getting more questions.

When is this madness going to end? When am I going to get the truth for once?

Closing his eyes to get the sleep his body and mind were begging for, Harry could faintly hear a menacing voice whisper inside of his head.

Soon Harry, soon you'll get all the answer you want.