Once again I own nothing! Just playing with someone else's toys!

READ! ENJOY! REVIEW! As it is the only form of payment any writer here expects!

Sorry for the delay but sometimes business gets in the way of everything, including sleep! While I am grateful, it has been a hard few months and I am hopeful things are quieting down somewhat.

This is just a little something, more is forthcoming but it will most likely be a little more scattered than my standard two weeks as I recover and take some time with my family.

Thanks!

Chapter 47

Bathilda, after a long moment, moved toward her tea again her hands shaking as she did. "But since you came here personally I expect you will want more than just confirmation that he was here."

Amelia nodded, waving her wand to warm her host's cup again. "I need to know all I can about what happened," she said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone. "I knew through Abe he was here and was friends with Albus, but I have no idea why he was here..."

"He was here as a favor," she said cutting off the younger woman. "A favor to my grandniece. He was her only son."

Amelia's eyes grew wide. "He was your nephew?"

"Grand nephew, yes. To my eternal shame..." She sighed, placing her cup back on the table as tears gathered in her eyes.

"Matilda begged me to let him come here after he had been expelled, she said he had fallen in with a group of ne'er-do-wells and had been the one to take the blame... I finally agreed..." she began softly.

Sniffing, she wiped her eyes. "It seemed to all go so well at first," she said. "I was happy when he showed such an interest in my field... He must have read everything here... and then there was Albus... they became such good friends... oh, the spirited debates!" She chuckled, as she wiped her eyes again. "History, politics, what ifs, they spent many a night right there," she pointed at the small table next to the kitchen, "with mounds of books debating everything."

"But as it turned out there was a darker side to those spirited debates, one that began to breed more and more animosity between them. One that ended with them at each other's wand tips."

"And how did that happen?" Amelia prompted.

The elder woman shrugged, "With a hypothetical discussion about the future of our government." Amelia looked at her confused. "It had been a grating factor for days, every conversation they had seemed to devolve to the subject. In the end the two of them could scarcely tolerate even being around each other for any length of time without erupting into a shouting match about it..."

"You see," the older woman said, rising to move to a nearby bookshelf where her hand moved across the tomes till she pulled out one leather bound book. "You see there had been much discussion at the time about our involvement in the First Great Muggle war at the behest of King George. Many were against it... most were against it," she said, handing Amelia the tome containing the news story.

Amelia turned it over and looked at the spine, 'Daily Prophet 1910-1915 (Muggle War).

The elder woman chuckled. "Magically transcribed them myself. Most likely a more complete set of Prophet articles than the paper itself has, still do it every day... Old habits die hard... but it's not like I have much else to do..." she said, sitting down again.

Amelia looked around the room, the shelves were full of them! This woman was a fount of information!

She continued. "The argument stemmed from a disagreement on the best course of action for the Ministry to take, whether to become involved or not. Albus was of the opinion we were best off staying away from the conflict while Gellert advocated a more involved stance... Understand I thought it was all academic... an argument based purely on contextual merit magnified by personality... wanting to prove their viewpoint for the sake of their ego. I thought it was good for them... it would work itself out... they would remember they were friends." She pushed the empty cup away. "I wish I hadn't been wrong. I wish I had paid more attention... put an end to their foolish bickering. Then that poor girl would not have been caught in the middle of it all."

"Abe said that Gellert and Albus were often out of the village, leaving Ariana alone," Amelia said, thumbing through the pages of the book she had been given.

The older woman looked shocked. "Gellert did some traveling, some of it at my request, pursuing the odd tome or story, but I had no idea Albus was leaving as well. If I had known I would have at least checked on the lass, made sure she was alright..." Tears poured down the woman's face. "That poor girl, if only... but that explains so much, why Aberforth was so angry, why the fight escalated so... Why Gellert ran afterwards... and why Albus refused to speak with me about it... but why didn't Aberforth?

"I don't think he could," said the head of the DMLE. "I think Albus may have used family magics to keep him from doing so."

"But why?" asked the woman.

"I don't know, but with your help we may just find out."

"Luna?" asked a somewhat drowsy voice as a rumpled redhead made her way into the kitchen.

"Good morning sleepyhead," the bright eyed blond replied as she moved around the cooking area. "Juice is on the table... it's orange, or I could make coffee if you wish. Neither Harry or his father drink tea in the mornings though, sorry."

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked moving toward the table. "Orange? No pumpkin?"

"Cooking breakfast silly, it will be done in a tick, and no Harry doesn't like it, besides it's a muggle home, they don't drink it."

Ginny nodded absently, her father had told her that, she just wasn't much of a morning person. "You can cook? Without magic?"

Luna smiled brightly as she placed what she was working on onto plates. "I've been learning over the summers!"

"Wow, that's amazing! And it smells wonderful!" Ginny said.

"It's nothing much, just a mash-up," she said as she tended her pans. "Can you finish setting the table? Mr. Bond will be down in a moment, and will need to head out soon."

A chuckle came from the doorway. "Actually he's here now... and I've told you it's James sweetie. Don't set a place for me, sorry Luna, I need to go. So just a cup to go please."

She nodded toward the counter where his travel mug sat. "It's full. Light cream."

"Thanks, you're an angel," he said, picking it up and taking a sip. "French press?"

"Of course!" she said with a smirk, and handed him two pieces of toast around a few rashers of bacon. "Eat this on your way."

He smiled. "Always thinking ahead aren't you? Thanks Lu... Terry is in the shower and will be down in a few minutes," he said as he swung his coat on and straightened his tie. "Have fun today! You only have a few days till you start at Madam Marta's, and remember to keep your wands on you, just in case. We gave you those wand holsters for a reason, this is a good time to get used to them."

"We will!" Luna said brightly as she turned back to the stove.

"Mr. Bond," Ginny said hesitantly. "I-I just want to say thank you, again, for letting me stay with you."

"It's fine Ginny," he said as he picked up his briefcase and coffee. "We're glad to help. Say bye to Terry for me!" he said to the room as he went out the door.

Luna spoke again as Ginny went to remove the fourth place setting. "Leave it please, Ginny, May will be here soon."

"May?" she asked, placing the plate back.

"Their housekeeper." Ginny looked at her questioningly. "She keeps the house clean, does the shopping and keeps an eye on things when no one is here."

"Like a house elf?" she asked.

"Mmmm... something like that," Luna agreed. "But she is family to them as well. Kind of like if your aunt would come over and look after you if something happened to your mother."

Ginny snorted. "Like my aunt Muriel would even set foot in the Burrow. She hates our home, almost as much as she hates Mum."

Luna just shrugged. "But she loves all of you, as well as your father."

"Could have fooled me," Ginny said under her breath.

"Morning girls!" said a cheery voice coming into the room. "James get away?"

Luna nodded as she gave the raven haired woman a hug. "I made sure he took something with him to eat."

"Thank you Luna, it is hard for me to get started the first morning I'm here, with the jet lag and all."

"And it has been a while since you saw Mr. Bond," Luna said with a smirk.

Terry chuckled. "Well that may have a little to do with it," she admitted as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Sit, I'll bring the pan over when it's done."

Terry nodded. "So!" she said, sitting down. "What do the two of you want to do before starting your classes next week?"

Ginny shrugged, as she didn't really know what muggles did with their spare time.

"Shopping first please," said Luna. "I need some underthings, and I suspect Ginny does as well... then possibly dinner? Thai? I've been craving chicken curry."

"The Alley?" Ginny asked perplexed. "I thought we would do something away from there. We'll be there a lot when we start Madam Marta's. From what Mum said we would be going often during the first week."

Terry shook her head. "No, I'll be taking you shopping in a mall, you will need a few things to help you move around a bit easier..."

Their discussion was cut off as the door opened and a small silver haired woman came into the kitchen.

"Morning dears," May said, coming in toting a pair of cloth bags full off supplies.

Luna was instantly at her side. "Let me take those May," she said.

"Oh you will not young lady!" she said, evading the girl and moving into the kitchen. "Just look at my kitchen! Though I do guess this is better than the way I found it the first day of summer last year!" she huffed, placing the bags on the island.

"Are there more bags outside May?" Terry asked.

May looked up from the bags. "No miss, the rest will be delivered later."

"That's good, how have you been May?" Terry asked with a smile.

"Very well miss," she said, stepping around the island and putting several things away.

Luna retrieved her pan from the stove and took it toward the table. "Breakfast is ready, May you too."

"I couldn't..." she began.

Terry chuckled "You can and will May, I don't know what our Luna whipped up for us but it smells wonderful."