AN: This is the start of my 'next generation' story. I wasn't sure if I would get into it as much when my focus was not Harry/Ginny but so far I am loving writing this story, I am quite a way into it now and thought it was time to put it on here and see what other people thought. Please read and review, I take ideas and viewpoints into account and love to know what people are thinking! It will be heavily romance based with some action/adventure too and basically is a story about a girl growing up at school with boys, work and other distractions around, struggled with a title so I stole a JK Rowling one so here goes my disclaimer, the title is hers along with many of the characters mentioned though I have use artistic lisence in showing what I think happened to them. I have tried to stay as true to her family as possible the only exception being Luna and Neville

Please read on and review!!

P.S. My chapters are much longer than before, am trying to average about 7000 words each!

Chapter 1- Summers End

Sixteen year old Lily Luna Potter stared out of the window at the full moon which was shining brightly in a cloudless sky, the stars were clearly visible and she found herself looking for familiar constellations that she had learned to recognise in her astrology lessons at school. Resting her head in her hands on the sill she stared forwards and looked down the back yards of the houses on her street, they were all long and thin and housed an assortment of patio furniture and children's play things unlike her own which she now gazed down at, the only thing in her back yard was the broomshed which housed her own, her brothers' and her father's firebolts, still the fastest and most popular brooms in the wizarding world twenty five years after their first appearance. She longed to go out on her broom and feel the wind flying through her long dark, curly hair but she was not allowed to go out flying at home as they lived in the middle of a muggle area and although their house could not be seen by anyone, muggle or magical, without knowing its address, once you left the protective enchantments anyone could see you.

She sighed longingly but then remembered that in a few days time she would be able to fly whenever she wanted to and a smile crept onto her face as she began to think about going back to school. Lily loved being at home and had had a wonderful summer with her family but she loved being at Hogwarts too and after a couple of months away from her friends she was looking forward to getting back into the Griffindor common room and catching up with everyone and most importantly she was looking forward to being there without any of her older brothers watching her every move. Lily loved her brothers and her adoptive cousin, Vernon, who she had grown closer and closer to over the years but the more she had matured during their teenage years the more overprotective they had all become at school and she was finally looking forward to being able to do what she wanted without any other Potter eyes watching over her.

The youngest of her brothers, Albus, had finished school in July and was training to be an alchemist for the Ministry, he had been the lesser of three evils in terms of watching over her, but he still had his eye out in the common room and liked to know where she was almost every day. Vernon and James had been the worst, as she had grown and matured Lily's body had become curvier and more attractive and she had caught the attention of many boys throughout the school however if anyone of the opposite sex had approached the youngest Potter sibling then Vernon or James were two paces behind them scaring them off within minutes. But this time, this year she would be free, free to talk to whoever she liked, whenever she liked without having to answer to anyone else in her family. Some of her cousins would still be there, however all but one of them were younger than her now so they wouldn't demand to know her every move.

She glanced over to her half packed trunk and decided she ought to get it finished before her mother came in and started nagging her to do it, they were spending the following day at the Burrow and then Sunday was September 1st and she would be boarding the Hogwarts express for eleven o clock. Jumping up fro m her window seat she began to fold her remaining school clothes and packed them along with her other belongings carefully into the large, heavy chest and closed it ready for Sunday morning then she left her bedroom and headed downstairs to find her father. He was sitting by the fire in the kitchen talking to her eldest brother, James, he was almost twenty and currently training at the Ministry to be an auror, much to her parents chagrin. They had tried to explain to him how dangerous a life it was and why Harry had given it all up but he would not be swayed from his determination to follow in his father's footsteps and catch dark and evil wizards. They now knew the whole story of Harry's defeat of Lord Voldemort as it was a topic always taught in Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons in the NEWT year, once James and Vernon were about to enter their sixth year at school Ginny and Harry had sat them all down and told them the story of their past. They had all been in awe of their father and the sacrifices that he had made to save the rest of the world and the information had done nothing to sway James from his determination to follow in his footsteps.

"Hey Loony," James joked when he saw her enter the room, they had got past the point where it annoyed Lily when she was called that and she now saw it as her eldest brother's affectionate way of naming her.

"Hey brother," she replied giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, Vernon and Albus were still living at Grimmauld place but James had moved into a flat with Salamander Longbottom the previous summer and she missed him terribly when she was at home.

Vernon had had his muggle money released to him when he turned eighteen but he had kept it a bank, he could easily have used it to buy himself a house but he was a fully fledged wizard now and had asked Lily's parents if he could stay on in Grimmauld place even though he had come of age in both the magical and muggle world. Ginny and Harry had been overjoyed when he asked and told him that their house would be his home for as long as he needed it.

"You all packed for school honey?" her father asked as she took a seat next to James, she nodded her reply, "Good, good, we're going to miss you again Sweetheart, mind you it will be strange having Albus around again now he won't be going back with you." She smiled at him and thought once more about how good it would be for her not to have him at school with her, though she would miss him dearly.

"How's training going brother dear?" she asked turning to James.

"Tiring," he replied, "you never get a minute!"

"I tried to tell you," Harry interrupted, "you don't get a minute when you're out there chasing and fighting!"

"I know, that's what they keep telling us, it's not that bad really though, you get used to it!"

"Well just be careful out there? It won't be long before you pass out from your training now will it?"

"Two months to go, think you'll be able to come down from school Loony?"

"We'll make sure she can!" Harry answered for her.

"Well, I'd better be going, two o clock at the Burrow tomorrow isn't it?" James asked as he stood up and headed towards the fire, he stretched and yawned as Harry nodded in response and then with a wave of his hand he stepped into the fireplace and was gone.

"Cocoa?" Harry asked his daughter as he rose to make himself a cup, she nodded in reply and the two of them sat in the chairs by the fire talking about nothing in particular and enjoying a few rare moments of being alone together as father and daughter, while she was away at school Harry missed her deeply and when she was home there was always someone else around, they just didn't get the chance to be on their own like they used to be when she was a child.

As they sat chatting Harry realised what a beautiful young woman she had grown into, she would be seventeen in October and he could hardly believe she had grown up so quickly, it seemed only months ago that he had held Ginny in his arms while she gave birth to his precious little daughter, the apple of his eye and the only other female to ever steal his heart like Ginny had done. He sighed as he realised that she would grow more and more over the next year while she was away at school and he knew that she would become popular with the boys just like her mother had been. These were the days when he wished he had stopped at the boys but he also knew he would not have missed out on having a daughter even if it did mean he wanted to sit out in the yard with a shotgun and scare off any boy who so much as looked her way. However he knew she was a blossoming woman and she would be just as interested in them so he would have to deal with it, besides if he tried to scare off any members of the opposite sex he knew he would meet with the wrath of Ginny Potter and that was something he definitely didn't want to rouse.

As if on cue his wife suddenly appeared in the fireplace in front of them, she stepped out and smiled at her daughter and husband sitting cosily by the fire, "How was Luna?" Harry asked her as she dusted ash from her robes.

"The same as always, trying to persuade Consuela to get all her things packed for school, but failing miserably! How about you honey?" she asked looking at her only daughter.

"Everything's ready Mum," she replied smiling.

"You just missed James," Harry explained.

"Oh, how is he? I feel like I haven't seen him for ages."

"Busy and tired as always, but I remember the days," Harry didn't look wistful about them though like he might have done in the past, although it had been a long time since he had returned briefly to work at the ministry he still tried constantly to prove to his wife that he did not miss working there. "He'll be at the Burrow tomorrow Sweetheart so you can have a good catch up then." Ginny moved across the room to sit on her husband's knee and he wrapped his arms around her waist, Lily watched them and beamed.

She had always thought her parents were the most magical people in the world, she admired how much they were still in love with each other and even though she and her brothers would moan at them for being too affectionate in public she secretly found it sweet that they were like that after being married for over twenty years. She knew they had been through a lot to be together, they had told the story of her father's childhood and his destiny to kill Lord Voldemort and they knew that for a while they had been separated, a separation which had lasted a few years longer than they had wanted it to, due to the fact they weren't honest with each other. But when she looked at them she could see and feel deep love and all she wanted for herself was to find something as wonderful and deep as they had, eventually. Until then she was prepared to be young, free and single for a few more years yet. Looking back at her parents she saw them deep in conversation about her eldest brother and decided to leave them alone and retire to her room.

"Goodnight," she called to them both as she stood up and headed for the door.

"Goodnight Sweetheart," they both replied.

The next morning passed quickly as Lily checked once more that she had everything she needed for school, they would not be back until late and she knew that a day at the Burrow with her enormous family would be tiring so Lily doubted she would have the strength to do anything more than crawl into bed when she got home. A call from her mother downstairs told her that it was 

time to go, she was still underage and had not learned to apparate yet so she still had to floo everywhere and her parents would always use the same transportation method. She knew Vernon and Albus would have apparated already to the Burrow so she hurried down the stairs to the kitchen where her mother and father were waiting for her and telling their ancient house elf to slow down and rest.

Kreacher had been their house elf for all of Lily's life and she loved him like a member of her own family, she had met other younger house elves at the homes of her school friends and had been surprised at how different they were, she knew all about SPEW which was run by her Aunt Hermione and was well aware that in the old days before the second war house elves had been virtual slaves. Although she treated Kreacher with respect and never ordered him to do anything she was still surprised at how much freedom other house elves had, Kreacher rarely left their home unless he had been ordered to and even then he would be on edge until it was time to return, he was an old elf and one who was still tied to the old ways. Of course he was now so old that any tiny task was virtually too much for him to manage, she didn't know exactly how old he was but she was sure it was over a hundred, he stooped so low that his nose almost touched the floor at all times and his hair had disappeared completely, the most he was asked to do these days was make coffee, the rest of the time he was ordered to rest.

"Come on Darling," her mother said interrupting her thoughts, "Mum will be mad if we're late!"

Lily hurried forwards to the fire and jumped in ahead of her parents, "The Burrow," she called and seconds later she arrived in the bustling, cluttered kitchen of her grandparents.

"Lily," her Grandmother, Molly, called as she saw her appear and as she stepped from the flames she was enveloped in a crushing hug, "come in, come in, the others are out in the garden, Rose and Hugo are not here yet but everyone else is!" After kissing her grandmother on the cheek and smiling at her Grandfather, Arthur, who was standing by the back door, she exited the kitchen and made her way to the bottom of the garden where she could see lots of her cousins gathered in the shade of a large tree. Her brothers, and Vernon, were already there sitting at a table with Teddy and Victoire drinking bottles of Butterbeer. The youngest of her cousins, Roxanne and Lucy who were both almost ten were playing a game of gobstones and their respective siblings, Fred and Molly aged thirteen and fourteen were sat beside them enjoying a game of wizard's chess.

"Come and join us sister dear," Albus called when she approached the table, Vernon kicked out a chair for her next to him and she sat down.

"Where are Dominique and Louis?" Lily asked directing her question at their older sister, Victoire. She was now in her mid twenties and engaged to her father's godson Teddy Lupin, Lily along with all of her female cousins and Victoire's sister were to be bridesmaids for the beautiful, part Veela cousin of hers the following summer. Her sister Dominique was a year older than Lily and about to enter her final year at Hogwarts, Louis was a year younger and would be starting his OWL year the following day. Victoire, Dominique and Louis had been the only Weasley's ever to end up in Ravenclaw house and not Griffindor and they all firmly believed it was their mother's blood which had done it.

"They are down by the river entertaining Raulph," her cousin replied, "he has been visiting my parents for the weekend with his father," Lily felt her heart jump a little at the mention of Raulph. He was the son of Victor Krum, a once famous Bulgarian Quidditch player who had been at Durmstrang school for witches and wizards when her own parents had been at school, and her Aunt Fleur's younger sister Gabrielle. She knew that her father along with her Aunt Fleur, Victor Krum and an unfortunate Hogwarts student who had died, had been contestants in the Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous magical event which had been resurrected when her father was in his fourth year. The results of the tournament had been devastating but this was due to the fact that death eaters and Lord Voldemort had been trying to get their hands on Harry. It had been resurrected again a few years previous but stricter guidelines and controls meant that it was a much safer event these days and they did not broadcast to the wizarding world when another tournament would take place, it had been only three years since the last one which had been held at Beauxbatons, the school which Fleur had attended.

Since their days in the tournament Victor and Fleur had remained close friends and he had married her sister when she was not long out of her days at Beuxbatons. This was much to the chagrin of her Uncle Ron, who seemed not to like Victor for some reason and had liked him even less in the last few years since he had split up with Raulph's mother.

"What was that smile for?" Victoire asked teasingly when she noticed it creep up on Lily's face.

"What?" Lily replied trying to look innocent, "I don't know what you mean!" She gazed sheepishly down at her feet and avoided all the Weasley and Potter eyes now staring at her.

"Do I sense a little crush Loony?" James laughed at her and she turned bright red immediately. Raulph Krum was a handsome young man, he was a year older than Lily and about to enter his final year at Durmstrang. He had rugged good looks which he had inherited from his father and had a strong muscular body which he looked after, he had not followed in his father's footsteps on the Quidditch field, he had taken the role of beater rather than seeker and this position required a lot of upper arm strength as you were constantly beating heavy grey balls at opposing players. He was a popular boy but it had not gone to his head, he was rather modest about his good looks and popularity preferring to stay out of the limelight, he was kind and polite to everyone he met, never looking down on people or putting them up on a pedestal and all of these things combined to make him a rather attractive man and over the last few years Lily had not failed to see this everytime he was visiting his Aunt Fleur.

"Leave her alone," Vernon barked back protectively.

"Thank you Vernon," he returned smiling at her cousin who always stood up for her.

"You're welcome Honey, I know how hard it is when you're in love," he chuckled and Lily swiped out at him catching him on the arm off guard, he was swinging back on two legs in his chair and the unexpected tap knocked him off balance so he fell backwards landing on his back with his feet in the air.

The rest of the table erupted in laughter and Lily added, "Serves you right," as she stood up and prepared to walk down to the river in search of Dominique, Louis and Raulph.

"You'll have a fight on your hands if Rose finds out," James called after her, "everyone knows she loves Krum!"

"She's too old for him," Lily called back over her shoulder as she left them behind, fuming at herself for being so obvious and letting out her little secret about her crush on Raulph.

As she reached the river Lily heard his voice calling out, "Dominique, come into the water, it's lovely."

"I don't think so Raulph," she replied, "do you know how long it takes me to do my hair everyday?"

"You women, all you think about it how you look!" he guffawed back at her and then Lily heard her cousin scream as Raulph splashed her from the river, she then peered around the trees to see his muscular upper torso coming out of the slow flowing water. His taught muscles rippled as he dove into the water and began to swim away from Dominique heading to the other side where Louis was sat on a rock laughing hysterically at his sister who was now stood up by the riverbank with her wand pointed at Krum.

"I'll...I'll," she screeched at him as he climbed out onto the same rock as Louis, "I'll hex you!"

"You wouldn't dare," he taunted from the other side of the river sitting on his haunches and glaring defiantly at her, "not while your cousin is watching," he added noticing Lily by the side of the tree, she jumped unaware that she could be seen and her face flushed again as she realised he had seen her watching them.

"Lily," Dominique called to her, "come down and help me, what hex can I cast on this evil man?" she giggled as Lily stepped carefully down to the water's edge.

"Aww, come on Dom, it was only a bit of fun, I didn't mean to wet you, you just have to stop being such a wet blanket!" he laughed at her and she turned back to glare at him menacingly, "I bet Lily would join us in the water, wouldn't you?" he directed the question at her, "she's not as stuffy as you are!"

"Hrumph," Dominique called and then she whipped around and grabbed her things from the grassy patch she had been laid out on, "you can entertain him for a bit, he's driving me mad!" she added leaving Lily still standing by the river as she headed back up to the Burrow.

The two boys were still laughing at her as she disappeared from view and then Raulph re-entered the water and swam back to her side of the river, "You should join us," he said as he approached Lily and began to rise back out of the water, "it's lovely and cool," she barely heard what he said as she was staring intently, perhaps too intently at his strong chest muscles as he walked out of the river and over to a towel he had left by the side. He shook his head and the crop of thick, sandy coloured hair on top of it flicked water in her direction and then came to rest in curtains on either side of his handsome face, she saw that he had intense blue eyes which seemed to shine magically as he looked up at her and said, "Oops, sorry," as he realised he had showered her with droplets.

"It's okay," she said still gazing at him and then realising that she probably looked like a starstruck teenager, she shook her own head and then moved to sit by a rock, "it'll dry," she added, more for something to say and then she looked out at the trees on the opposite bank and saw Louis trying to track a rabbit or something.

"Budge up a little," Raulph said as he made to join her on the rock, he sat down before she had moved and his bare arm caught hers, she gasped a little but he didn't notice as he continued speaking, "all ready for school then Lily?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Are you in your fifth year this time?" he asked.

"Sixth, I did my OWLS this year, Louis is in the fifth year," she gestured across the river to the blonde haired boy who was hiding in some long grass on the edge of the bank.

"I bet you'll be glad to be there without your brothers this time huh? Albus was telling me he finished and has a training course at the Ministry."

"Yes," she replied, "it will be nice not to have them on my back all the time! Wanting to know where I am and who I'm with!"

"I can imagine! Mind you if I had a sister as pretty as you, I would be exactly the same!" he added and then stood up. Lily didn't speak, had he just called her pretty? "I suppose every boy who spoke to you ended up with a black eye, or at least the threat of one!" he laughed, Lily just smiled up at him, "Imagine what a heartbreaker you can be now they are not there to watch over you!" She smiled shyly at him and then he said, "I suppose we should be heading back up there, your Grandmother will have prepared a feast I imagine and teasing your cousin has given me quite an appetite!" he held out a hand to her so she could stand and she took it, he tugged gently and she rose to her feet gracefully holding onto it for a fraction longer than she should have but he didn't say anything about it as he turned and called over to Louis. They waited for a few minutes as the boy made his way back across the river and then Raulph said, "shall we?" and gestured towards the small hill which led back up to the Burrow and, unfortunately Lily thought to herself, the rest of the family.

She didn't get a chance to talk to Raulph again until much later in the day, as they reached the oddly shaped house Lily was taken away by her cousin Rose who was desperate to fill her in on every tiny detail of the date she had had the night before with a curse breaker at Gringotts, clearly she had forgotten all about Raulph, who she barely spoke to as she whisked Lily from his company and over to a quiet corner in the Burrow's dining room. When Lily had heard enough she excused herself and went in search of her parents who she had not actually seen since she had arrived at the Burrow, she found them in the living room with Fleur and Bill, Victor Krum and her Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. Ron had his arm clamped to Hermione's side as if he was clinging on for dear life and he kept brushing the side of her head with his lips every time Victor spoke, she was about to ask if she could join them when a shrill call from her Grandmother signalled that the feast was ready and she made her way to the kitchen where she found herself seated with Rose, Hugo and her brothers at the opposite end of the table to Raulph. She glanced up at him occasionally and once or twice he seemed to be gazing at her when she looked, he would smile sweetly and then continue to talk to Louis, Fred and Molly who he had been seated with.

By the end of the day, Lily was as she had expected, exhausted. There had been a Quidditch match organised by her Uncle Charlie, who had turned up at the end of the meal with yet another tall and beautiful young woman, the eternal bachelor her Uncle Charlie was the hero of her brothers and most of her male cousins too. Even though he was now in his mid forties, Charlie was still a handsome and fit man who refused to settle down, no matter how much he was badgered by his mother. The initial quidditch play about had become a match when Charlie started organising teams, in total there were twenty quidditch players at the gathering, Percy and his wife Audrey and her Aunts Fleur and Hermione were the only adult members of the family who did not play or even follow quidditch, along with her Grandparents and of the children only Molly, Lucy and Rose did not enjoy a good game of quidditch. Everyone else in the family had been on their house teams at Hogwarts at some point in their school careers, even Dominique and Victoire who were usually quite reserved, had been on the Ravenclaw quidditch team, in fact Dominique would be their captain when they returned to school the following day.

And so with Victor and Raulph equally eager to join in a game, two equal teams with substitutes were organised and a three hour quidditch match ensued. Lily had played on the opposite team to Raulph as seeker, she had inherited her father's spirit of waiting in the wings rather than her mother's love of chasing and she had eventually led her team to victory snatching the struggling snitch right under the nose of her Uncle Charlie who had not been too impressed. She had cheered and laughed as she was chased to the ground by him and then the rest of her team, beaters, Uncle George and Roxanne, chasers, Dominique, Fred and her mother Ginny and goal keeper, Uncle Ron had all formed a protective barrier around her and Charlie had been forced to accept that he had lost to his sixteen year old niece. He bowed out gracefully as her team mates congratulated her and then they all retired back to the Burrow for Molly's second feed of the day where again Lily had found herself at the opposite end of the table to the charming young man who was talking to her Grandmother about her wonderful, large family.

People were beginning to leave and Lily knew that they would be going soon too, Rose had left earlier during the quidditch match to attend a second date with the curse breaker and Lily had taken the opportunity to sit alone by the kitchen range without her constant chatter in her ear. Her brothers were outside again drinking butterbeer with Uncle Charlie, his date had apparated away shortly after the quidditch game and he was now entertaining his nephews with tales of his bachelordom, Percy and Audrey along with George and Angelina had taken their children home after tea so the only other girl still at the Burrow was Dominique who was curled up in the dining room reading a book, Victoire and Teddy had also left after tea and returned to their shared apartment near Diagon Alley. All the other adults, including her grandparents were sat in the living room, Uncle Ron still strangely attached to her Aunt Hermione as he had been all day long.

Lily was enjoying a rare moment of quiet in the Burrow as she stared in to the now barely glowing fire of the range which her grandmother had used to prepare both sumptuous meals that they had eaten that day, she was thinking about returning to school and catching up with her friends who she had not seen since the beginning of the summer. A click from the door made her look up and she was met with the sight of Raulph walking through it, "Oh sorry," he said noticing her in the chair, "I didn't mean to disturb you, it's just getting a bit chilly outside."

"That's okay, you can join me if you like," she replied gesturing to a second chair by the range.

Her heart jumped as he replied, "Thank you," and took the seat she had suggested.

"Is Uncle Charlie still regaling you all with his stories?" she asked him, desperately searching for something to say.

"Yes!"

"And are you all fawning around all over him like a hero?" she chuckled hoping he did not take offence.

"Well everyone else is, me not so much," he replied and she looked at him quizzically, "I am not a great believer in all this dating people here there and everywhere, especially, and I hope I don't offend your family or Charlie but, especially when you are in your forties. I hope to be happily married by then, hopefully well before then in fact, I am more of a one woman man I think, providing I find the right one that is." Lily looked at him with surprise on her face, he was only seventeen yet he seemed to be talking about it so maturely, she knew her brothers would want to settle down and have a family one day but at the moment in their late teens and early twenties Uncle Charlie was a hero, dating a different beautiful woman almost every week and living the single life, she had never heard a boy talk about it as if it was not something they really wanted to do.

"It surprises me to hear someone as young as you talk like that, Charlie is everyone's hero around here."

"I know, but I've always thought that really, especially since my parents split up, I don't think they were ever really that happy together because they weren't right for each other, my father dated a lot when he was younger, he thought it was what you were supposed to do when you were in your teens and twenties, but he always says that he let 'the one' go when he was young because he thought they were too young to make a commitment. By the time he met my mother he was ready to settle down and have a family and I think it was more the love the one you're with attitude that made him do it," he looked up wistfully and Lily suddenly felt sorry for him, his piercing blue eyes seemed to be clouded over and he looked sad, then he shook his head and continued, "so I decided when they split up that I wouldn't end up like that, when I met the right person, no matter how young or how old we were, we would be together if it felt right." Lily smiled as the light seemed to fly back into his eyes and he laughed as he looked at her, "Listen to me," he went on, "I must sound like an old man to you, you are only sixteen and a heartbreaker in the making I can see," his eyes glinted and he chuckled.

"No, I don't think that, I think it's...sweet?" she asked hoping he would not be offended by the word. "My parents fell in love when they were sixteen and fifteen, unfortunately life was unkind to them for a while and they were apart for five years after that but they both knew they were in love and eventually they discovered that they still felt the same way, they were in their twenties by then and had both dated other people but they knew, no one else ever matched up. And look at them now," she laughed, "they embarrass us all the time with their affectionate ways but I admire it really, almost twenty five years later they are still as in love as they were at school! It's what I want too," she finished and then realised she was saying this to a seventeen year old boy who she had a large crush on so she added, "you know, when I find the right person and...and hopefully when I am a bit older!" Raulph laughed at her and they settled back into their respective chairs.

"You have a lovely family Lily, I wish mine had been as big as this."

"Hmm," she replied, it was great to have such a huge family but it could be annoying and overcrowded at times too, she would never give any of them up for the world but she did often wonder what it would be like to be an only child, or at least part of a family which didn't have quite so many aunts, uncles and cousins, "they are great and I love them all, but I do occasionally wonder what it would be like to be an only child!"

"Much less exciting than it is to be one of so many I can assure you! You are all so close and have so much fun, I'd love to come to gatherings like today more often, it's good to see family getting on so well and seeing such loving people."

"I suppose it must be strange if you are not used to it like we all are, mind you we must seem just strange to you sometimes anyway!"

"Hello, Lily," said a voice from the doorway she turned to see Raulph's father stood in the doorway, "I hope this one is not leading you astray," he added cocking his head towards his son. She smiled at him and shook her head as her Aunt Hermione appeared behind him.

"The glasses are over here Victor," her Aunt said bustling past him to the towering dresser which housed an assortment of mismatched crockery and glassware.

Seconds later her Uncle Ron barged past Victor and up to Hermione calling, "Let me help you with that dear, shall I open the bottle?" he asked placing a hand on her back and kissing her cheek again before turning to collect a wine bottle from the kitchen sideboard.

"I will leave you to your chat Raulph, be ready to leave soon though, we shall be going home early tomorrow and I do not wish to be out too late tonight. Lily," he gestured and nodded his head to her before retreating back to the adult company in the living room.

"Honestly Ron," came the well worn phrase from her Aunt when he had left, "you can leave my side for a few minutes you know, not that I don't like it when you are attentive but let me breathe!" she scolded and Ron looked down at the floor as he headed back out of the room with the wine bottle in his hand. "Oh, Lily," she continued turning to face the pair still sitting in front of the range, "I love your Uncle Ron, but sometimes he drives me insane, promise me you will never marry a jealous man!" then without waiting for a reply from the stunned looking girl she headed out of the kitchen with a collection of wine glasses floating precariously in front of her controlled by her wand.

"What was that about?" Lily chuckled to Raulph who seemed to have an inkling of understanding in his eyes.

"I think it was my father," he replied and Lily looked back at him quizzically, "oh, you don't know."

"Know what?" she asked, the rare gossipy female side of her showing its true colours.

"Your Aunt Hermione and my father, used to date."

"No," she gasped and he nodded his head.

"When he was in the triwizard tournament with your father and Fleur, he took your Aunt to the Yule ball and they went out for a short while after, but I don't think your Uncle Ron was very happy about it! They kept in touch for a while by writing to each other, but of course it fizzled out and then your Aunt and Uncle started to date didn't they?"

She nodded at him slowly as an idea began to form in her mind, "You don't think the woman he was...could have been..?"

"No," he replied and she relaxed, "No, I know who she is, Dad is still friends with her even though she is now married and besides he met her when he was training to be an auror, No I think they were just a school time thing, apparently Dad was very taken with Hermione but they were never in love. I'm not sure your Uncle is entirely convinced of that though. He is always practically surgically attached to your Aunt whenever we visit as if he might talk to her and whisk her away from him!" They both giggled a little at the absurdity of it all, Lily knew how much her Aunt and Uncle loved each other, and had heard stories about their life at Hogwarts when they had obviously had feelings for one another but had never realised it, she found it hard to imagine Hermione dating Raulph's father, but she could easily see how Ron would have been unhappy about it.

"I don't think he really needs to worry, do you?" she asked casually.

"Not at all! Anyone can see that they are meant to be together, but I suppose it is sweet really, in a strange way!"

They both giggled again just as Dominique entered the room, "What are you two so giggly about?" she asked and they turned to look at her, Raulph invited her to sit in his chair and he stood up by the fire and filled her in on the story. She too found it highly amusing that her grown up Uncle would act so immaturely, "Oh, I can't stand pathetic men like that, they are too insecure, I want a man who will trust me always and let me be independent, not follow me around like a love sick puppy doting on my every move!"

"Then you need a man like me!" Raulph laughed and leaned over her chair until his face was almost touching hers, "I wouldn't dote on you in a million years," he scoffed playfully and she pushed him away, "a woman like Lily however," he went on causing her to blush to the roots of her hair, "now she is a lady worth doting on!" He was being playful and she knew it but he moved himself close to her too until their faces were almost touching and then he took her hand in his and kissed it gently.

"Oh Raulph, you are such a charmer!" Dominique scoffed back at him, "no wonder you are the most popular boy at Durmstrang!"

He gave her a glare which clearly said he not only hated being the most popular boy at school, he also hated being known as it but she fluttered her eyelashes at him demurely and then turned back to Lily who was still gazing down at her hand where Raulph had kissed it, when she felt her cousin's gaze on her she lifted her head and looked at her, Dominique smiled back at her knowingly and she blushed once more but fortunately Raulph had not noticed as he had made his way to the kitchen sink for a drink abandoning the girls and Dominique's taunts.

It was at that moment that her parents appeared in the kitchen doorway and announced that they were leaving as she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow, Lily rose from the chair and kissed Dominique on both cheeks, "See you on the train," she said and went to bid goodnight to her brothers. Before she stepped into the fire to floo back home she bid farewell to Raulph, "Goodbye Raulph, it was nice to see you again."

"And you Lily, enjoy your first year without any watchful eyes," he whispered into her ear, "I hope to see you again soon!" Then one by one she and her parents stepped into the fireplace and whirled back home where she collapsed into bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.