Welcome back to yet another very overdue update ...

I hope you like it enough to make up for it ... and if it helps any, this is a long story

The doctorate training is extremely intense, so I'm trying to write whenever I get the chance so hopefully I'll be able to at least write consistently, even if the updates are very sporadic. 

Let me know your thoughts on the story ~ As always, comments are majorly appreciated 

(p.s., this isn't edited, and I'm not fully proud of it either, but I need to get through my creative drought, so here it is) 

(p.p.s., I can't believe this is the 6th story about the Selman sisters - crazy) 

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Sometimes, I pitied each subsequent tagalong added to our ever-growing family. They entered the fold all doe-eyed and in love, with absolutely no idea just what they were signing themselves up for. The newest addition, Blaise, certainly had no idea - despite thinking that he knew Era well. If he had known her well, he would've known not to make a bet that he had no chance of winning, unless he wanted their date to be crashed by 2 of his girlfriend's sisters. Era, who stood wrapped in Blaise's arms, looked far too pleased with herself at the result.

I let my eyes linger on the happy couple for a little longer, stamping down the bitter sting of jealousy that twisted me from the inside. It was an ugly emotion, made even uglier by the fact that I felt it for my sister - my sisters, really - for what they had, and what I desperately wanted. Squashing the nasty emotion down, I let the familiar wave of shame sweep over me. It was right to be ashamed; what sort of person was jealous that her sisters had found love?

Dismissing the thought, I turned my eyes to my youngest sister. Polly, who studied each of the portraits with rapt attention, studied the image of the fair-haired youth so completely enamoured by his lady love. Darling Polly was always enough to make any of us melt; she really was the best of us all.

"Remind me again why we agreed to crash Era's date?" I asked under my breath.

"I wanted inspiration," Polly said without even bothering to turn her head towards me, "and you drew the short straw of being my bodyguard."

I snorted. "There's only one bodyguard in this family and his name is Flint."

"Well, you're not wrong," Polly conceded. She ended her appraisal then, looking at me with a cheeky smile. "Come on, I want to go and see the portraits in the next room."

She reached out towards me, grasping me by the elbow and preparing to lead me out of the room. I was helpless but to be her shadow. Or rather, I would have been, if my ears hadn't locked easily - far too effortlessly - onto the second male voice that joined Blaise's. Even without turning around, I knew who it was. I could identify Graham's voice despite having not heard it since he'd left Hogwarts four years before I did. Salazar knew that I'd spent the better part of our shared school years listening out for even the slightest hint of his voice.

It was enough to have my spine stiffening, my arms drawing back to my side as I tried to make myself as small as possible. It was as if I was a third year again, scrambling and trying to hide from the seventh year I was hopelessly crushing on. It took me back to a horrendous time in my life, where every part of me felt awkward and inadequate, and even now despite having graduated from Hogwarts, I was that third year again. Even now, here I was, hiding from my betrothed, who was so evidently resistant to the idea of being bound to me that it had long stopped being offensive. Still, it hurt.

Era, at some point having made her way over to us, gave a tentative call of my name. She pressed a reassuring hand on my arm, offering me a searching smile. I hoped my expression was reassuring, although, from her expression alone, I doubted it was effective. Even Polly glanced dubiously around, seeking out the source of my discomfort.

Even as Era stepped in front of me, as if to shield me - and I was infinitely grateful for it - I needed to behave like an adult. I wasn't that third year and I absolutely would not make a fool of myself. The official rejection would happen eventually, and I couldn't evade it for much longer. Not when Blaise, unaware of the turmoil he was bringing me, led Graham over towards us.

I watched each step he took with mild trepidation, grappling with every urge to grab Polly by the hands and flee with her. But I didn't. I forced my feet to still, my eyes flitting over Graham, unable to settle on one feature in a bid to feed to need to see him that had gone untended to for several years now. It barely touched the sides.

Graham was handsome, but then again, he had always been handsome, and in the years since I'd last seen him, he had grown even more so. His shoulders, already broad, seemed to have done the impossible and grown even more, strengthening out more to perfectly complement his impressive height. If I thought about the men that were in my family, he was almost as large as Flint -

It didn't matter - he wasn't one of the men in my family. Even if his eyes - wonderful as they always had been - were lingering assessingly over me, heavy in his appraisal. Salazar's soul, I needed to get out of here. But I'd left it too late, Blaise had already brought him to a halt in front of us. Bloody Zabini; why did he have to be such a stickler for formality?

Wordlessly, Polly wound her arm through mine and tucked herself into my side as Zabini carried out the introductions. When it was my turn, I offered Graham a faint smile, unable to bring myself to say anything. Era effortlessly swept it under the rug, stepping forward slightly and distracting Graham with a pointed question. Behind her back, hidden from the eyes of the men, she waved me away and I took the cue.

Still, even as I turned to leave, I carefully removed my arm from Pol's. My youngest sister searched my face with furrowed eyebrows, "Is everything okay?"

"Just peachy," I assured her, not that she bought it. "I'll be right back."

Before Polly could protest - and I knew she would - I walked away from her with brisk steps. Heading straight for the exit, I stepped out into the open streets and let out a long sigh. Breathing in the cold air, I eased my screaming lungs; it felt much easier to breathe now. Now I just needed to bide my time before I headed back in. If I wasn't so worried about being told off by Cali, I would've apparated home straight away. But I didn't put it past either of my sisters to not go tattling to our mum.

I stepped back against the brick of the wall, making space for the couple who were set to walk past me in the street. Maybe being told off by Cali wouldn't be so bad - maybe it was worth getting out of here -

"Urania," the call of my name - by that voice - probably the first time Graham had ever called my name, had me stilling in surprise. I couldn't play dumb, I couldn't pretend that I thought he was talking to someone else; not many people had my name.

But I took my time, grappling whatever fraying edges of my nerves that I could, tying them up into some semblance of a knot and shoving them deep inside of me. I brushed my palm over my hair, smoothing over any flyaways before tucking both of my hands away, to hide the anxious fidgeting.

Adopting a polite smile, I turned towards the voice. And sure enough, there he was, walking the short distance towards me. He considered me with a knowing smile, as he came to a stop next to me.

"Urania," he greeted again. I bit back the insistence that he called me by Rania - that no one called me by my full name - but there was no point. He did not need to call me anything, really.

"Montague," I returned, the name feeling unnatural on my tongue.

His smile widened even further, but he did not comment on my address. Instead, he said, "It's been a while."

Nodding uncertainly, and unable to hold those wonderous eyes of his, I glanced away. "It has."

When Graham cleared his throat, I was forced to look at him again. His gaze had grown more serious, the corner of his mouth downturned as he stood. I might not have known him well, or at all, but it was written all over his face; he wanted to say something to me. And, from the way my stomach fell, I had an inkling that I knew what it was.

"Would you - sorry but I need to get back to my sisters," I said abruptly, ducking around him before he could protest.

I heard him call after me again, but I played deaf as I returned to the art exhibition. It would have been easier to stay and listen to him tell me what was on his mind, it would bring this entire saga to a painful end. But maybe that pain would be better than prolonging it in this way. But I was a coward, and I didn't have it in me to listen to his rejection, not yet anyway. Once I'd come to grips with the fact that my fiance was the first Selman fiance to not want his partner, then I would face it. Head on. But that was not today. Today the rejection stung.

**********

Seated on the uncomfortable ministry chair, I eyed the ever-growing pile of paperwork that had taken residence on my desk and stifled a sigh. Even though I'd spent the better half of my morning trying to tackle it, I'd hardly made a dent. I'd likely have to work through my lunch break all the way to the end of my shift to have made any semblance of progress and it would have been a tempting idea, to have Euta's admonishments about the importance of nutrition echoed through my head. Stifling a sigh, I shelved the papers back in the drawers of my desk with a faintly murmured charm and rose to my feet. Around me, my colleagues seated similarly at their desks, were busy at work. It was hardly glamorous, the life of an assistant.

Picking up my handbag, I slipped it over my shoulder and walked out of the large room, mindful to avoid the usual suspects who would grab me for a quick chat that was anything but. I'd lost one too many lunch breaks to inane chatter to risk it. Walking into the corridor, I hurried into the lift just as it was about to close and managed to make it in time. If I'd had the forethought to remember to pick up the lunch box Euta had packed for me, I wouldn't have had to resort to the hardly award-worthy offerings the canteen on the first floor would provide. But now I hardly had a choice.

When the lift finally reached the first floor, I waited my turn before stepping out. I was in a rush, yes, to get some form of sustenance, but not in such a rush that I didn't clock the sounds of footsteps easily falling into a matching rhythm with mine. Casting a curious glance to my left, I came to an abrupt halt at the sight of the man looking curiously back at me.

"You were in your own world back there," Montague said in greeting. He regarded me with curious eyes, but how could he possibly know the way those very eyes were playing havoc on my nerves? Salazar's soul, he had no reason to be here.

"I can do that sometimes," I said simply, fighting the urge to cast a glance around to see who could save me.

"You didn't even hear me call your name." He arched an assessing eyebrow, "Unless you were ignoring me."

"What reason do I have to be ignoring you?" I asked faintly. Even to my ears, they sounded like a pretence.

"You tell me." He gave me a small mercy by averting his eyes from mine and glanced consideringly around the busy ministry corridor. "I was here for an appointment but Salazar shone his favour on me and I happened to be on the lift you boarded, Urania."

Barely managing to stave off a wince, I said, "Call me Rania, please. No one calls me Urania."

"Rania, then." Montague gave a slight smile, the corners of his mouth lifting barely enough to bring to life the dimples I knew were slumbering in his cheeks. "So Ranie, can we have a quick catch-up?"

I knew, without needing any further elaborations that he intended to finish the conversation I had fled from less than a week ago. It was one we desperately needed to have, and yet, I found myself looking for any out, any reason that would prolong this state of uncertainty. I could tolerate it for now, if only for the fact that I wasn't yet willing to face the crippling wave of inadequacy and hurt that was sure to engulf me once he'd said what was on his mind.

"I'm on my lunch break and I don't have long," I started apologetically.

"Well, luckily it won't take long," Montague said easily. He regarded me carefully, and I knew, despite my best efforts that there would be no getting myself out of this conversation or putting off the embarrassment.

Reluctantly I agreed, gesturing for Montague to follow me to the canteen where he trailed after me, appointing himself as my shadow, as I picked from the dreary options on offer and bought my lunch. After I had finished paying, Montague stepped out from behind me and took the lead. He navigated his way through the room and settled down at one of the tables on the outskirts as if to provide us with some semblance of privacy. Whatever little this room offered, anyway.

Without a word, I sat down in my seat and made a point of not waiting for him to settle down across from me. Picking up my fork, I pushed at the pile of surprisingly dry-looking mashed potatoes; my appetite had vanished. When he sat and remained seated without a word, I shot Montague a look from between my lashes.

"Well?" I asked pointedly. "What did you want from me?"

"Straight to the point then," he started with a sigh.

Salazar's soul, what else did he expect? That, even though I knew what was coming, I would sit and exchange pleasantries with him to draw this out long enough that fickle hope began to bloom in my chest. For all my faults - and I was sure he'd found many in me - I didn't like to cause myself undue pain.

Montague leaned closer, propping his crossed arms on the table. He considered me lingeringly and made no show to hide it. Rather, he was far too open in his curious appraisals. Eventually, he began to speak meaningfully, "You and I share a relationship, Rania. One that neither of us had a say in."

"We do," I conceded. Abandoning my pretence, I set my fork down. Still, I leaned as far back in my chair as possible, as if the little distance would do absolutely anything to dull the magnetic pull I felt towards him. This was hardly fair.

"Now I don't know about you, but I don't like having my life dictated for me."

"And neither do I." I just hadn't taken as much offence to the lot I'd been given, as he so clearly had.

"Luckily for us, we're both adults now, we can petition for this bother to be voided."

His eyes flickered between both of mine, seemingly searching for something. I was sure that he'd find nothing; how could he when I was so busy managing my expression? He hadn't said it, but I'd read between the lines all the same; he'd been waiting until I was a legal adult so he could finally end the betrothal. Perhaps all this time there had been a mental countdown going on in his head, eager to find the first chance to be rid of -

"Rania?" he prompted at my prolonged silence.

Letting out a long breath, I swallowed down whatever hurt threatened to brim from my belly. I needed to push it down, to keep it at bay. Just until the end of the day. I just needed to get through this interaction, through the working day, and then I could go home and find comfort in the place I always knew I was welcome in Cali's arms. Wordlessly, I tried to conjure the phantom feel of her embrace.

"I agree," I said faintly.

And Montague, oblivious to the turmoil in my head, smiled. It was a smile I hadn't seen since Hogwarts, since my days of sneaking furtive glances at the then seventh year. It was wide, beautiful and all things wondrous. It was the very thing that had caught my attention and kept me trapped in his pull and to see it now - relieved and happy and free when it felt like my entire being was being shredded to its deficient core hurt.

I breathed out sharply once more. Reaching for my abandoned bag, I slung it over my shoulder and rose to my feet. Montague, startled by my sudden motion, stood as well.

He sounded confused as he called, "Rania?"

"My break's over," I said simply, the lie rolling easily off my tongue. Picking up my still full plates, I took my leave. I murmured a barely audible goodbye on my way out and didn't linger long enough to find out if he'd returned the sentiment.

Goodbye was such a simple word to mark the end of the childish earnest hopes I'd had.

**********

I'd messed up; by giving into my childish need to be comforted by Cali and throwing myself into her arms the moment I'd returned home following that abysmal conversation, I'd started an unintentional chain reaction. Cali, who had gathered me into her arms to hold me steady, who had brought me into the sanctuary of her and Terence's shared bedroom, waving away any intrusions and letting me curl on her bed with my head in her lap, now scrutinised me from afar in the days that followed. She didn't push for me to confide in her, just as I knew she wouldn't. But she knew that something was wrong. And when Cali was acting out of character, the entire house followed suit.

Even now, as I sat across from Mellie, attempting to scrutinise the chess board in front of me, my attention was fixed on my eldest sister. Even as I fidgeted with Mellie's captured knight, I knew my eldest sister and my first brother sat a short distance away from me. Only Salazar knew what the pair of them had discussed when I'd finally come to my senses and relinquished Terence's space on the bed.

Wordlessly, I averted my eyes from the chessboard and glanced pointedly at my youngest sister. Polly, who had sat herself beside our unofficial parents, held my gaze and read my silent plea. And my sister, who was only becoming smarter as she aged, needed no further prompting. Rising to her feet, Polly grasped both Cali and Terence by the hand and ushered them out of the room, stating she needed their help with something. And well, they certainly wouldn't deny the baby of our family.

No longer under their scrutiny, I sat straighter in my chair and tried once more to turn my attention to the half-completed game of chess. It was pitiful, really, my performance; Mellie was by far one of the easiest to beat in this game but my performance today was nothing short of a disgrace.

"It's not fun to play against you when you're like this, there's no challenge," Mellie said pointedly. She reached out and knocked over her king, conceding defeat. On any other day, I would've teased her for giving up so soon, but not today. Today I tried to evade her eyes without making it obvious. But subtly was hardly my strong suit. "What's up with you?"

I responded in a heartbeat. "Nothing."

"Out of all of us - you're by far the worst liar." She raised an eyebrow, silently daring me to try and lie to her again.

"I'm just tired," I said instead. With a murmured incantation, I watched as the chess pieces straightened themselves out and returned to their rightful places on the board. "I'm going to get some rest."

Mellie didn't protest. Instead, she watched as I walked out of the room, her eyes heavy on my back. As much as I loved my sisters, there were times when I thought they cared too much about me. If we loved each other less, then maybe we wouldn't always want to get to the bottom of whatever was making each other upset.

I could hardly share with them that, no matter how hard I tried, after my conversation with Montague, I had been unable to shake one specific memory of him from my head. Despite my earnest attempts, my brain dragged me unhelpfully to the past, to years ago when my eager schoolgirl crush had me stumbling across Montague who, in an abandoned corridor, had lamented to his friends about his betrothed. It had made sense, after all, that the then 17-year-old was in despair at being betrothed to my 13-year-old self, but I couldn't help that it hurt, that it broke my heart. I also couldn't help that my eyes had settled on him in silent infatuation even before our fathers had interfered, and they had refused to leave him.

It needed to end; the moment this was all over, it would be easier to put it all behind me. It would be hard, yes, but at least when it was finally, finally done, there would be no going back and I could use that knowledge to strengthen my resolve. It had to work.

Gathering my nerves, I made up my mind and headed off in search of Cali. I found her eventually, seated on top of her desk, looking down at Terence who stared adoringly up at her. At my intrusion, my eldest sister peered at me from over her shoulder.

"Come in," Cali said, even as I lingered in the doorway. No doubt she could see my flickering determination. Steeling myself, I forced myself to step into the room, shutting the door pointedly behind me. I had to do this. There was no other choice. And yet it felt like the words refused to leave my lips.

Terence, who only ever seemed to become better at navigating the silence that filled the house, stood from Cali's chair. He offered, "Let me get out of your way."

"You don't need to do that," I insisted, my eyes falling briefly to linger on their still-clasped hands. Was it truly so bad to want something like that for myself? Clearing my throat, I strengthened my resolve, even as they turned their curious, and wary, eyes towards me. "I'm just going to get it out there; Montague is filling to void the contract. As far as I'm aware, Cali, you and I will need to sign off on it for it to go through with no complaints."

"Rania," Cali started probingly, voice soft and searching. She fell silent when I shook my head, unwilling to accept any comfort that she wanted to offer me. The moment I caved into the childish urge to shroud myself in her embrace, I'd fall back to that child who perpetually needed comfort.

"Just sign off on it, whenever you get the papers." I adopted a forced smile; they wouldn't buy it, they would see it as false, and yet I held it all the same. "Anyway, I'm going to have an early night, so goodnight."

Before either of them could say another word, I turned quickly and retraced my steps until I was safely outside of the room. They would talk the matter over, the way they always did when it came to anything that concerned us, but there would be no budging from this. There was nothing to talk about - Montague had made his decision, as was his right. And well, so had I.

Once I retreated to the sanctuary of my bedroom, I would set about getting ready for bed. My brain, riotous with thoughts and unwilling to switch off, would have to be lulled into a state of tiredness if only to switch off the incessant chatter that chipped away at the ever-thinning veneer of composure I clung desperately to. Tomorrow would be another day, and it would all be a little farther behind me.

My plan was put on hold by the sight of my sister, perched on the edge of my bed, clearly waiting for me. Clinging fiercely to the handle of the door, I held Clio's eyes and guarded my heart. She wouldn't tolerate a dismissal; my charade had to have been appalling to have Clio of all people cornering me.

"I was waiting for you," she started, rising to her feet. When I said nothing, she arched a silent eyebrow and gestured to my bedside table. I followed the motion to find a mug of hot chocolate, piled high with whipped cream and chopped with shaved chocolate; the way I drank it whenever I was down.

Clio approached me then, coming to a still in front of me. Her eyes, shrewd and searching, flickered across my features as she said simply, "Drink it before it gets cold."

"I will do, thanks."

"Don't get too used to it," she warned and yet, her words felt warm. My sister reached out then, grasping me gently by the chin and tilted my face one way and then the other. When she spoke next, her voice was brusque, in a way that was so completely Clio that I had no hope of fighting a faint smile, "Being sad doesn't suit your face, Rania. Keep your head held high, and don't let any man make you lower it."

"I won't," I promised softly.

Clio accepted my words and at last, left me alone in the peace of my room. I didn't have the words to tell her that it wasn't a man that had made me lower my head, but the bitter sting of inferiority that had done the job for him.

**********

The usual humdrum of the ministry was welcome. Even as I read and re-read the documents before me, scrutinising them for any inconsistency before they were handed over to my manager, I settled into the monotony with languished ease. It was a far cry better than having to navigate my way through my home with sisters who loved me so fiercely they knew the inner workings of my brain despite how hard I tried to keep my face calm. Even worse, my not-quite brothers-in-law were beginning to get the hint. Salazar's soul, I was happy enough with having Terence as the only man to know me so well.

Except, I had taken it upon myself to shatter the calm for myself. It was my decision, my rush to have this entire bother tied up with some semblance of haste, that brought about the end of my ease. At least for a little while, anyway.

As I reached the end of another document, I cast a glance at the clock and let out a long, slow breath. Gathering whatever fleeting strength I had, I forced down the brimming wave of unease that swept through me. In less than an hour, it would all be over. I just needed to make it through, until then. Just a little longer.

Pushing my chair back from my desk, I reached for my bag and took the familiar journey to the first floor. Each step felt heavier than the last and yet, I forced myself forward anyway. After all, if it had been any of my younger sisters - if it had been Thalia in my position - I would tell her to keep her head on her shoulders and get it over with.

I rounded the corner to approach the canteen and sure enough, just as I had expected to find him, Montague stood waiting for me. At the sight of me, he smiled in that annoyingly handsome way of his and approached me.

"Afternoon," he said when he came to a stop in front of me.

"Hello," I returned and continued on my way to get some lunch. Briefly, from the corner of my eye, I spotted his frown but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

Montague fell into step beside me as he asked, "I offered to meet up with you after work, so you didn't need to rush about so much."

"There's no point," I said simply. Finding an empty table, I set my prepared lunch down and took a seat. I watched as Montague eased himself cautiously into the chair, studying me as if I was suddenly someone he couldn't understand. I dropped my hands to my lap, shielding my nervous fidgeting from his eyes. My thumbnail traced the stitches of my skirt hem even as my voice came out strong - thank Salazar for that. "There's no need to prolong any of this any further."

Montague frowned again, this one more prominent and showed no sign of leaving. "Rania-"

"You said in your letter that the papers had arrived?" I cut in before he could say anything else. I had no way of knowing what he intended to say, but the steady, probing weight of his eyes was enough to start chipping away at my fleeting reserve. "Graham?"

His name was enough to make him finally avert his eyes. If only for a moment as he reached into the inner pockets of his robes to draw out the papers that would signal the end of our connection. Holding them out towards me, Montague's eyes lingered on my face as I accepted them all too readily.

I settled back comfortably in my seat, unfolded the parchment and started to read them from the very beginning. It would take a while, but I would make sure to read it all through with keen eyes. Whilst I might have been as well versed as my eldest sister was in the legal jargon, I wanted to make sure I fully understood what I was signing my name on, and what I would ask Cali to sign her name against.

"You don't have to read them now," Montague said quietly, after a moment as I finally reached the bottom of the parchment to find both his and his father's signatures present. "You can always sign them later when you've got a quill to hand and are-"

"No need," I murmured softly.

I reached towards the back of my head, to the inkless quill that kept my hair piled away in a neat bun, and pulled it out. My hair, free from its confines, tumbled down my back as I signed my name against the document. Satisfied, I folded the parchment up again.

"I'll have Cali sign the papers once I get home," I assured Montague, meeting his waiting gaze as I gathered my hair in one hand. Twisting it into a bun, I secured it in place once more with the quill, my motions slowing slightly as I took in the shift in Montague's gaze. The weight of his stare grew before he rolled his jaw, just briefly. Clearing my throat, I asked, "Is there anything else you need from me?"

Montague propped his chin on his palm as he spoke slowly, "You're incredibly closed off with me Rania - according to your soon-to-be brothers, that's not usually the case."

I narrowed my eyes briefly and held my tongue from demanding to know just why he was asking anyone about me. Instead, I shrugged and accepted his words as the truth; I was being closed off when it came to him. I was doing everything I could to protect myself from further hurt.

"I don't know you," I said eventually.

"Well," Montague said softly. He outstretched his hand, drumming his slender fingertips against the tabletop so close to my own that I dared not hope that he would brush his fingers against mine. "Do you fancy getting to know me?"

My eyes, so fixed on the scrutiny of his fingers, shot abruptly to meet his waiting gaze. He held my focus patiently, not rising to the incredulity I levelled in his direction. Of all the -

"We're in the process of breaking our betrothal," I reminded him faintly, forcefully beating down my heart when it threatened to leap out of my chest. It was a fickle thing, so easily won when it came to him; it didn't matter that it had endured so much pain because of him, not when it seemed like he might - "Once Calliope signs the papers tonight and they're sent off to the ministry, we have no business getting to know each other."

"A betrothal isn't the only way to get to know someone."

"No," I said, the force of my refusal surprising even myself. It sounded rude, but it needed to be said. "No, thank you. There's no point in knowing each other in any capacity ... not when I'm set to start my training in Belarus next month."

"You're leaving?" Montague drew his hand back to his side. "I had no idea."

"Because you had no reason to know."

"You're right," Montague accepted eventually. He turned his head, casting a long glance away from me. Still, he peeked back at me as he asked, "You're not running away from me, I hope."

I was. The training programme in Belarus was a much-needed excuse to put some distance between us. There was a training programme, one that was equally as accredited in Ireland, and yet I had chosen to put hundreds of miles between us in the hopes that distance would sever any affection I had for him.

But I refused to give him the satisfaction of such an answer. Instead, I asked, "And why exactly would I be running away from you?"

Montague's eyes appeared far too knowing, too perceptive, as they flickered between mine. He raised a proud brow as he said simply, "You would know the answer to that better than I would."

"You're talking in circles," I evaded instead. Reaching for the contractual papers, I stashed them away in my robe pockets and prepared to leave. "My lunch break is over, so I'm going to head back. Like I said earlier, I'll have Cali sign the papers and this matter should be resolved by the end of the week. We won't need to see each other again."

I couldn't quite bring myself to say goodbye to him, not when the word would signal some form of finality. Instead, as I rose to my feet, I gave him a vague nod and ignored the way he rose to his feet also. Turning my back to Montague, I walked out of the canteen with my still full lunch. I wanted - the foolish, naive part of me - wanted him to call out to me, to say anything really. But of course, he wouldn't.

It was done now. There would be no going back.

**********

The year passed in an absolute whirlwind. Most of my days were taken up by a rigorous training programme, one that I absolutely hadn't given enough forethought to, but perhaps I'd needed it to be so strenuous to keep me occupied. And when I wasn't losing myself in a wisened old tome, I was exploring my temporary home country with new friends and when my family came to visit me, I was showing them around. Psi, the first time she'd visited me, had declared that she was ready to all but move in with me.

The year had passed so quickly and when the training programme came to an end, I settled once more into a newer normality. I found myself once more back in my family home, back under the loving shelter of my (not) mother and back at the ministry, accepting a new position when it was offered to me on a silver platter. This one, thankfully, came with an office all of my own. Of course, it meant accepting the added responsibility and expectation that I would be involved in more boring meetings regarding magical legislation, but it was a trade-off I was willing to make. After all, there had to be a department that scrutinised the use of magical force within the Auror department. Salazar's soul, I'd just wished that I could have been slowly into the new role, but of course that was too much to ask for.

My first day back at the ministry found me walking swiftly through the busy corridors, trying to find the meeting room where I would accompany my supervisor to the start of negotiations with the Aurors regarding arrest protocol. Clutching my stack of parchment to my chest, I rounded the corner, trying and failing to make up for the time I was losing wearing these bloody heels that Psi insisted would make me look like a woman who knew what she was doing in a room full of grown men. It was safe to say that I learned my lesson about listening to Psi's advice; how had I forgotten that my sister was an anomaly who could comfortably sprint in heels if she needed to?

When I made it to the right corridor, I forced my steps to slow, and regulated my breathing; I couldn't exactly walk into my first meeting huffing and puffing from exertion. I had to look at the picture of composure, even if I felt anything but. Approaching the room, I measured my paces and made a mental note to kick the shoes off once I was back in the safety of my office. For now, I'd need to silently suffer. As I drew closer to the meeting room, I easily recognised one of the men standing outside.

Adrian, an interim head of an Auror team, cast a handsome figure as he talked to the man next to him. The Auror department must have worked some magic to convince him to come back to lead a team so close to the quidditch season starting soon. Everyone knew he was growing less and less enamoured with the few Auror missions he supported. But, it wasn't Pucey who held my focus for long. My eyes, traitorous as they were, settled all too easily on his companion, drinking in their fill. And my heart - well, it was the most traitorous part of me.

In the year I'd forced myself to spend away from Graham, I had spent the first few months convincing myself that I hadn't missed him, that my heart wasn't aching or broken or in any need of patching together. And then, as time had continued to pass, and the memory of Graham - beautiful and wondrous and a man who wanted no part of me - had stung less, I was assured that my heart had moved on, that there was hope for me. And yet, all it took was one glimpse of him for me to know that it was all false. My heart still wanted to flit to his side.

Graham cast a casual glance around the corridor as he spoke, his eyes settling onto mine and Salazar, if that wasn't like being struck in the chest. His eyes widened briefly at the sight of me and under my careful gaze, I swore his smile shifted slightly. Letting out a sharp breath, I rolled my shoulders and made up my mind to walk straight past the pair of them and into the meeting. I hadn't anticipated meeting Graham again, so soon. Or at all, really.

Graham foiled my plan all too easily, stepping into my path to block my exit. He waved at Pucey who commented on having to head into the meeting.

"You're back," he said in lieu of greeting. Graham's eyes searched me from head to toe, and before futile hope could bloom in me that he had been as desperate to see me as I had to see him, I quashed those thoughts under the sharp point of my heels.

"I am," I said, forcing a polite smile. If only Pucey had stuck around, I could've potentially used him as an excuse to leave.

He held his silence for a moment as if searching for something to say, "How was the training programme?"

"Phenomenal, some part of me just didn't want to come back," I said honestly.

"Well I'm glad you did," he said without pause. I searched Graham's face, cataloguing his features, and comparing it to the mental image of Graham from last year. He almost appeared tender. I'd have to ask Terence to give me a health check; I was being deluded.

I held my silence, trying desperately to think of something to say, anything really, that would pull Graham's focus from my face if only then to give me some reprieve from his gaze. Except, what was I supposed to say?

I gestured in the vague direction of the meeting room, "Any chance you changed professions?"

He shook his head. "I was just catching up with an old friend."

"For someone who doesn't work in the ministry, you're here a lot," I murmured faintly.

"It's a good thing I turned up, I get to say hi to two friends."

"Are we friends?"

His smile widened at my incredulity before he agreed, "Maybe not quite friends."

"We're acquaintances, at a push," I said dryly.

Graham's smile widened, grinning at me now. It winded me all over again. I forced my heels to stand firm, against the urge to stumble back. "You've got a tongue on you, Rania."

Heat rushed to my ears. "I don't-"

"I should get going," he said when it became obvious that I was struggling to form a coherent sentence. "It was good to see you again, Selman."

"You too, Montague."

Graham moved to walk past me, only to pause. He reached out before I could say a word, a lightly flicked the quill that held my bun together. I glanced up at him in surprise, searching his gaze.

He returned it steadily with a smile, "It's nice to see that some things don't change."

I watched him walk away, grappling with the image of his retreating form, and the unwilling butterflies that his simple action had prompted. Maybe it had been too soon to come back?

**********

The healer's office, a room I was slowly becoming familiar with, was dull. But maybe it was privileged for me to feel that way. After all, I wasn't Thalia who was sat anxiously awaiting the results from yet another blood screening ahead of her monthly blood transfusion from Cali. Her blood curse had stabilised as of late, but we all knew, without our sister having to say it, that she was still terrified that her health would take a sudden dip. Secretly, we all worried about the same thing.

Sitting in the waiting area, I drummed my fingers against my knees and tried not to follow that thought. It would only lead to darker, more worrying thoughts. Thankfully, Thalia appeared then, her appearance was enough to banish them. She smiled when she saw me and I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding; there was nothing to be concerned about. Still, my eyes flickered to the healer next to her. Terence, who now specialised in blood curses solely because of our family, sent Thalia off with some murmured words.

My younger sister nodded and sent me a quick wave before darting off in the direction of a cafe. I rose slowly to my feet, following her movements with my eyes.

I shot Terence a silent look, and he read every hidden question there. Coming to a stand in front of me, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his healer's robes and gave me a reassuring smile. "There's nothing to be concerned about."

"But Thalia-"

"Is off to get some hot chocolate," Terence said with an affectionate smile. "The blood transfusion can go ahead as planned, but don't worry, I'll let my love know about that when I get home."

"Great, thanks," I said, trying and failing not to grin at Terence's love for my sister. Every subsequent tagalong had a very high standard to match. "I'll get Thalia home then-"

Terence reached out before I could leave, grasping me gently by the arm to stop me. When I glanced questioningly at him, he peeked around the busy waiting room. Still holding me with a soft grip that I could have broken out of it I wanted to, he escorted me to a corner of the room, safe from the prying ears of the other patients.

"You're worrying me, Higgs," I said warningly. My eyes searched his features, taking in his downturned mouth. "You said there was nothing to be concerned about-"

"I'm not concerned about Thalia." Terence released my arm and sent me a look that I could only describe as paternal. I struggled to hold his gaze; I was sure that none of us knew how to receive real paternal concern. "It's you I'm worried about Rania."

"Me?" I asked incredulously, my eyebrows raised. "I haven't been back long enough for you to be worried about me!"

Terence didn't speak right away. Rather, he settled for giving me a long look, as if I was supposed to read between the lines. Unfortunately for him, I just stared stubbornly back at him, unknowing of what he was trying to imply. Eventually, when the receptionist called out his name, informing him that his next patient was here, Terence sighed.

"Graham approached me," Terence said abruptly, lowering his voice. When I stared back at him dumbfounded and struggling to begin to understand why Graham of all people had seen fit to approach my pseudo brother. "Fancy telling me why he's approaching me for information?"

"Information?" I repeated uncertainty. This time I could piece together what remained unsaid. Still, I needed clarity," About me?"

He nodded, "About you."

"Why?" I demanded of Terence as if he hadn't been the one to ask me that first. Incredulity coated the single word. "I've barely spoken to him since I've been back; how am I meant to know why he's asking you for information about me? Salazar's soul, what is he playing at?"

"If you want me to, I can warn him off?" Terence offered. He cast another glance over his shoulder when he was called for another. "It won't take much."

"Don't bother." I let out a long breath; this was an unnecessary addition to what was supposed to be a straightforward day. It certainly didn't help the way my brain was processing the information, following it down a path it had no business leading my heart. It wasn't fair for my work, a year's worth of work reigning in my heart, to begin to dismantle so easily, "You're reading way too much into things, Terence. It's nothing."

"Even if it's nothing, you got hurt, remember?" He lowered his head to follow my downcast eyes. Holding Terence's gaze was far too much, he was always too perceptive, always too knowing. But what else did I expect from the man who had come into my life when I was barely 6 years old and had literally watched me grow up? "I don't want you to be hurt again, Rania."

"I know," I said simply.

I hardly needed the reminder from Terence. After all, I had been the one to live it. It had been my heart that had broken when it had no reason to be broken, at all. But he was concerned, and I understood why he was concerned. He was family, and my family loved me. And you certainly didn't want the people you loved to be hurt.

"It's nothing," I reassured him again.

"Rania, any time a man wants to know anything about you sisters - and Salazar knows that each of you can be a locked vault when you want to be - they come to me. Graham isn't just any man either, at one point you were engaged."

"And that's over now," I said slowly. Silently I wished Thalia hurried back so we could at least bring this conversation to an abrupt end. "I promise."

"Alright, fine." Terence sighed again, brushing a hand through his hair. "But you know I'm here if it does become something and he needs talking to."

"Thank you." I laughed faintly, unable to imagine Terence successfully intimidating anyone. And yet, Viktor, Blaise and Draco would attest that he was.

"Who knew I'd have 8 pseudo daughters by 23," he mockingly despaired, taking his leave to go and collect his next patient.

I swatted him on the arm before he went out of reach. With Terence walking away from me, the thoughts that I'd been fighting rose easily back to the surface. What was Graham doing approaching Terence? He had to have known that it would imply something, that would get back to me. And before any of the futile hope could take root, I headed off in search of Thalia.

**********

As our family slowly grew, we were beginning to adopt newer traditions. One, spearheaded by Euta and enforced by Cali, was that we all gathered for a family meal at least once a month. It meant that even our sisters who had moved out like Clio who was living happily with her husband Marcus, and Euta who had shifted abroad with Viktor, were corralled back into their childhood bedrooms. Only this time, their partners joined them. Well, all of the partners who had been brought into the fold, joined us for dinner. Even Nott who whilst technically betrothed to Thalia was still firmly an acquaintance for her. As the only other sister who had no betrothed, I'd stick myself to Polly's side all evening.

Euta stuck herself firmly in the kitchen, and dragged Viktor with her, the pair managing the kitchen with fierce precision. Poor Mellie and Cassius had been forced into joining them. I'd had the good sense to stay out of the way. Psi, who had easily recognised my plan, had joined me at the table, sitting across from me to take up the gauntlet as my opponent for a game of chess. On a usual day, it was easy to beat Psi, and yet today, she was playing a very different way to how she usually did. Whatever Draco had taught her about playing chess, was working.

Capturing one of Psi's rooks, I listened to her sigh as the floo activated. My sister straightened up to study the chess board as I glanced at the fireplace, expecting to see Terence returning from another long shift at the hospital. It wasn't. To my immense surprise and burgeoning horror, Graham fucking Montague stepped out of the fireplace and into my living room as if he belonged there. How, in Salazar's name, had he managed to wrangle an invitation? Stepping into the room, he glanced around and before he could catch me in my stupor, I glanced around as if the answer to his presence would appear in front of me. It didn't, but I did happen to catch Marcus's eyes and I could see, even from afar, the protective scrutiny he directed towards Graham. Of course, Clio had told him.

"Apparently," Psi said as she moved her pawn piece closer to my knight, "Montague's here to be vetted."

"Vetted?" I demanded in a hushed whisper. I peeked at the fireplace in time to see Pucey step out of it. If I knew my sisters, Pucey was here in a poor attempt to try and conceal the real reason Graham was here. "Vetted by who?"

"All of them," Psi said as if it was obvious. She gestured vaguely around the room as if to further prove her point. My anxious eyes flittered around, searching the faces of each of the men who had joined our family in some form. This was far too ridiculous. Still, Psi leaned towards me, lowering her voice as she confided, "Cali and Clio both have their hackles up; they said they needed to be sure."

"There's nothing to be sure of," I protested with a scowl. This would just be an overly embarrassing night.

I glanced up at Psi, expecting to find matching outrage on her features. But there wasn't. Rather, she was busy listening to something that Draco, leaned down over the back of her chair, and whispered into her ear. She nodded at whatever he said and offered me an apologetic smile. I waved her away without another word. Draco nodded once, acknowledging me as he listened to Psi who chattered quietly to him, as she led him away.

Reaching for my wand, I righted the chessboard with a murmured incantation. With all the pieces back in their rightful place, I went to fold the chessboard away when the seat across from me was wordlessly occupied. The butterflies that erupted in my belly were enough to identify him. Still, I bade my time before I glanced upwards, to find Graham sat across from me.

"Fancy another game?" Graham asked, offering me a gentle smile. Salazar's soul that smile was dangerous, I had a feeling it would get me to agree to anything. When I didn't respond right away, he tilted his head as he considered me knowingly. "Rania?"

"I've never lost a game," I warned him, hoping that the potential of a bruised ego would be enough of a deterrent.

He shrugged as he confessed, "Just as well, I'm not much of a player anyway."

"Then I don't want to play with you in that case." I crossed my arms defensively, leaning as far back in my chair as I could. Salazar's soul I swore I could feel Blaise's scrutinising eyes on me as he sat not far away with Era tucked into the crook of his arm. The pair were likely carefully studying every part of this interaction. "Easy to win games are boring."

Crossing his arms, Graham leaned forward and propped them on the edge of the table. His eyes were alight in a far too endearing way as he teased, "I think I'd like it if you played with me."

Mouth parted in surprise, I demanded in a harsh whisper, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm trying to persuade you," he started, the picture of innocence. He gestured to the chess board, "Into a game of chess, of course."

Breathing out sharply, I reared against the attraction that pulled me towards him. He had no right to be sitting here across from me after we'd both signed on the dotted lines and severed the connection that bound us together. The infuriating man clearly knew that I was attracted to him - he had no reason to be so self-assured otherwise - and I didn't appreciate him exploiting it, for whatever reason.

"Too much, too soon?" Graham wondered as he straightened in his seat. Still, when I said nothing, he gestured around the room, vaguely motioning to my family who were preoccupied with their own business. Or so it seemed, anyway. "They think they're slick but I know I'm being appraised. Don't you think you should be the one doing that?"

"You want me to vet you?" I asked incredulously.

"It could be fun," he said simply, holding my eyes steady, "to give things a go."

And before I could respond to that, although I wasn't sure what I would say - whether I would listen to my fickle heart or my steadfast brain - Polly was at my side. She took my hand and eased me off the chair and drew me towards the dining room. I pointedly ignored Graham's eyes as they lingered on my back.

Reaching the dining room, I took my usual seat and Polly easily settled next to me. She chattered my ears off, trying to convince me to take her into the muggle world for the day. Although she trailed off bashfully as Pucey took the spare seat at her side, completely unaware of what his presence had done to Polly as he discussed his team's training programme with Terence. I made a mental note to ask Polly about it later, once our guests for the evening had left. Pointedly, I refused to pay attention to the guest who was seated directly across from me. I made another mental note to interrogate Cali and Clio once this was all over.

I maintained my faux ignorance for the entire dinner, pretending I had no idea that Graham continued to cast glances at me throughout the meal. Instead, I focused on picking the mushrooms out of my pasta and foisted them onto Polly's plate. Each time I got the urge to glance up at Graham, I squashed down the urge with ruthless efficiency until it became too much.

Only once I gave in to the urge, appraising him from beneath lower lashes. I watched as Graham chuckled at something Nott said. Salazar's soul, it wasn't fair. When he'd wanted to end the betrothal, I hadn't latched onto him, I hadn't even complained. I'd given him exactly what he'd wanted and he had no right to be intruding into my life like this.

**********

After a day of shopping with Mellie, my arms were beginning to ache. I should've heeded Era's warning about Mellie intended to make a sizable dent in Cassius's Gringott's vault, but I hadn't listened. Instead, I had been naive and agreed to keep my sister company. Only now, as we finally made it home, my arms laden with bags of Mellie's purchases, I regretted it.

Once we reached the sanctuary of our front room, the moment I crossed the threshold, I dropped Mellie's bags with a slight thud. I completely ignored the disgruntled look Mellie shot my way, in favour of massaging my forearms to try and make the blood circulate better.

"Looks like you had a productive day." I followed Cassius's voice to the sofa where he sat directly across from Graham who was, to my displeasure, becoming a more frequent fixture in my home.

"Just like you wanted," Mellie said, rolling her eyes. Still, she lifted her head to accept Cassius's kiss when he approached her. "I don't know why you insisted I use your vault."

"Because it makes me happy," Cassius said simply.

He turned his earnest eyes onto my sister who melted under his gaze, even if she made a show of huffing. Cassius gave an affectionate chuckle, as he leaned down to grab all of the bags. Carrying them easily in his hands, he gestured for Mellie to lead the way and I watched the pair retreat. Seeing my sisters so in love was always heartwarming.

I hesitated to follow them up the stairs so I could hide out in my bedroom, at least until Graham left. And maybe I would've, if I couldn't feel the weight of his eyes on me, waiting to be acknowledged. Sometimes I was a real glutton for punishment.

It was fine. I would just be polite. Pleasant, nothing more.

"You're on the verge of becoming part of the furniture with how often you're about," I warned, as I walked slowly in the direction of the sofas. I didn't quite gather the courage to join him. It felt much safer to be standing on the sidelines.

Graham tipped his head back, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth as he asked, "Am I not welcome?"

And wasn't that a weighted question? Because he wasn't welcome, I dreaded seeing him in my home, witnessing how easily he would fit into the dynamic of my family and how, when he left, it felt as if something integral was missing from my home. How, if I went too long without seeing him in some capacity, even if it was just hearing that he'd spent time with Terence, my heart began to physically ache in my chest. So no, he wasn't welcome. But I also didn't want him anywhere else.

Rather than answering him, I asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm supposed to be meeting Terence," he said simply, "but it looks like his shift hasn't finished yet."

"Right ... well," I cleared my throat uncertainly, not knowing where to go from there. Not that the conversation needed to go anywhere, I didn't need to spend any more time with Graham, there was no need to get used to doing that. "Have fun waiting."

"Thank you." He sounded far too amused as if he had a front-row seat to the turmoil that was playing out in my head.

Refusing to contribute to his amusement, I turned on my heels and headed out of the room. Still, I found myself hesitating at the doorstep. It was already too late; all rationale sense had left me and I couldn't do something as simple as walking out of the room so I didn't have to be around him.

Glancing hesitantly over my shoulder, I asked, "Do you want anything?" When he arched an eyebrow, I flushed red and added, "To drink?"

Graham shook his head, watching me with a faint smile. I took the prompt and walked out of the room and once I was out of his line of sight, I hurried up the stairs, practically running until I was in the safety of my bedroom. Shutting the door behind me, I let out a long breath. If I tried to, it wouldn't take much effort to call to mind Graham's face, to hear his voice echoing in my ears. Salazar's soul, I was fucked. And because I was fucked, despite knowing better, despite knowing I should just hide myself in my bedroom until he left, I knew I'd go downstairs again.

It was a small mercy that I was able to call enough sense to not bother putting in any effort into the clothes I changed into. What did it matter that he was here? This was just another evening that I would spend in my pyjamas; a large jumper and comfortable fluffy trousers. Maybe if I said it often enough, the words would become more convincing.

... I wouldn't even have to see him. I would just head downstairs, get my cup of tea and then rush back upstairs.

Making up my mind before I could chicken out, I headed to the kitchen, keeping out watchful eyes and listening ears for the slightest hint of movement. I really was being far too dramatic about this. But that certainly didn't stop me from fumbling about the kitchen as if I'd never stepped foot in it before.

Filling the kettle with water, I set it on the stove and searched the cupboards for my mug. Eventually finding it, I retrieved it and turned, ready to find the tea bags. My heart jumped out of my chest, startled by the figure who lingered in the doorway.

"Merlin's bollocks," I swore, cradling my mug to my chest as Graham, amused at my outburst, walked into the room, "You scared the life out of me."

"Completely unintentional," he assured me, walking so self-assuredly towards me that I forced myself not to give into my urge to back up against the counter to put some distance between us. Still, I held my breath, when he came to a stop in front of me. Graham's eyes glanced over me with interest, "Cute pyjamas."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Thanks."

"I mean it," he insisted. His smile only grew wider as I watched him with thinly veiled suspicion. "Do you always wear your hair up?"

"Mostly up," I said. And when it became apparent that I wasn't going to elaborate beyond that, Graham stepped aside so I could continue with my task.

Finally locating the tea bags and sugar, I tried to focus on the mug of tea that I was supposed to be making. But it was a difficult task when there was someone as distracting as Graham standing a short distance from me. He continued to stand close to me, so close that if I wanted to, I wouldn't have to reach out to touch him. I wasn't certain that I'd ever touched Graham, that I'd ever given into the urge to see if he was as solid as he seemed.

As if aware of my silent appraisals, Graham closed the space between us, standing way closer to me than he ever had before. I kept my eyes resolutely on my spoon as I added sugar to the cup, using the motion to ground me before I made a fool of myself and did something stupid like turn to meet the eyes that were peering down at me.

I failed. The moment Graham's hand reached out, fingers gently skating across my cheek, I drew in a sharp breath and my eyes flickered to hold his gaze. He didn't linger long, his hand shifting to release the quill from my hair. The curls fell past my shoulders as Graham fiddled with the quill. Searching his gaze, I tried to find something to say.

"Why is it so hard to have a conversation with you?" Graham asked quietly, voice deep and causing heat to rise to my cheeks.

"You don't want to just have a conversation with me, do you?" I returned just as quietly, searching his eyes.

"Not just a conversation," he agreed with a smile. "But we can start from there, can't we?"

And before I could stop myself, I admitted, "That conversation would only spell danger for me."

His smile dimmed, eyebrows drawing together as he considered me"From me? There's nothing dangerous about me."

"That's a lie."

Before he could disagree, and I knew he would, the kettle whistled and I darted away from him. Ignoring my heart as it thundered uncomfortably against my ribs, I reached the kettle and removed it from the stove. Even as his eyes tracked my every move, silently asking me to return to the conversation, I gathered whatever little strength I had and resisted his pull.

**********

Settled in the safety of my new office, I could sit as I wanted without worrying about being judged by my colleagues. It meant that I was free to lift my legs onto the chair to cross them without wondering if I came across as immature. Although, the sheer amount of paperwork that I was going through every day, left little time for me to be thinking about things like that. If I had known that my new job would involve so much reading of ministry bureaucracy then maybe I would've given it some more thought.

Reaching the bottom of yet another outrageously large document, I wordlessly added it to the pile of papers that were fit to the circulated to the Auror teams. Stretching my arms above my head with a groan, I stretched my back and stifled another sigh. Rolling my wrists to ease the ache, I glanced towards the door at the sound of a knock.

Uncrossing my legs from the chair, I sat up straight and called out, "Come in."

Expecting to see one of my colleagues, I reached for the next document so I could start the draining process all over again. But it wasn't one of my colleagues. The sight of the man in the doorway gave me pause. I forced myself to stop my hand from reaching back into my hair to fidget with the quill.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Graham, ushering him in when from over his shoulder I spied one of my colleagues peeking in.

"Shouldn't you be at lunch?" he asked instead of answering my question. He complied with my silent request, walking into my office and shutting the door behind him.

Feeling petty, it was my turn to refuse to answer and instead asked, "Shouldn't you be anywhere else? For someone who doesn't work in the ministry, you really love to spend time here."

"What can I say? I like what I like." Graham offered me a cheeky smile, chuckling when I rolled my eyes. "Besides, I'm here to keep you company."

"Absolutely not," I said instantly, startling myself with the speed of my response. But the sentiment stood; following our weighted conversation in the kitchen, I couldn't let myself keep spending time with him. Not when I was certain we were after different things.

"You don't need to be so prickly Selman," Graham said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, let's get you fed."

"I'm not hungry." But of course, my body was my biggest traitor and chose that exact moment to grumble. He raised his eyebrows at the sound. Cursing under my breath, I stood and gestured for him to lead the way. "Fine."

"You really know how to make a man feel wanted," Graham teased as I walked towards him.

Except, he didn't need to know exactly how much I did want him. I was certain that he knew and was choosing to be oblivious on purpose. Or, he was approaching me on purpose to exploit whatever fondness he knew I had for him and was using it to achieve his objective, whatever that was. He didn't want to just have conversations with me, he'd said as much.

I made the familiar trek to the canteen, with Graham matching my paces easily. He didn't appear to mind my silence that I kept like an oath or the questioning glances that we received from my colleagues. He even joined me for lunch, picking the pasta option like I had and beat me to paying for my meal. Well, if he was going to insist on turning up to mess up my working day, the least he could do was buy my lunch.

Finding an isolated table for two, Graham led the way and put his tray down first. He drew out my chair for me when I approached and met my sceptical gaze with a fond smile. Sitting in the chair, I let Graham tuck it back under the table before he took his seat. Crossing my legs under the table, I studied the man sitting across from me who, beyond offering me a smile when he took his seat, didn't look at me. Rather, his focus was on his plate of pasta which he pushed around with his fork.

"You're not one to disappear, are you?" I asked pointedly.

He glanced up briefly, shooting me a knowing smile as he asked, "Do you want me to disappear?"

Before I could even hope to answer that, before I could even try to answer in a way that made it obvious that I wasn't lying, Graham switched our lunch plates. I went to protest, to demand to know what he was doing, only to fall silent; he'd picked out the mushrooms. Barely concealing my surprise, I watched him in with a silent question in my eyes.

"You don't like them," he said simply and gestured for me to tuck in. Hesitating to pick up my fork, I tried not to be touched by the gesture, by the knowledge that he'd really seen me, at some point. "Well? Do you want me to disappear?"

For some reason, or perhaps in a strange way of showing him gratitude, I offered him the truth, "I don't know."

"I think we could have some fun together," Graham said in such a straightforward manner that I struggled not to gape at him. Or even begin to wrap my head around the fact that I knew I didn't want to just have fun, I didn't think I'd be able to reconcile myself with that. Not when my heart had a years-long headstart on falling for him. "If you want that of course. But we could go for dinner or something?"

And even though I knew better, I couldn't bring myself to show any form of self-preservation and say no. How could I when he was looking at me with those eyes of his in such a tender way that I felt myself melting? How much time had I spent wanting him to look at me the way he was now? Rational sense would have me saying no, but I couldn't bring myself to be rational.

I could only bring myself to nod.

Still, it was enough. Graham grinned then. "You realise this is the first time you haven't tried to run away from me, don't you?"

**********

After my return to England, my evenings had settled into a predictable routine that brought me infinite comfort. It was reassuring to know that no matter how bad of a day I was having, or how difficult work had been, the moment I got home, I would be greeted by some combination of my sisters scattered around the front room. We would settle into the comfort of each other's presence, even if it was scattered with various periods of chaos, but it was us.

Only this evening, as I sat nursing a cup of tea that I hadn't touched, I was becoming sick of biding my time. I needed to speak to Cali, to turn to the only person whose judgement was always concrete, and it would probably be hours before I was able to get the time to speak to her. Not when there were so many of our sisters seated around us, or when some part of me didn't want to have this conversation with her. I knew what she was going to say, that she was going to hold up a mirror to my reasoning and make me see sense. But even still, I needed to speak to her.

Sighing quietly, I ignored the concerned look Polly sent my way and instead sent a silent probing look at Cali. My eldest sister, as if feeling the heated weight of my stare, raised an eyebrow in silent question. I gave her a small nod in response and she returned it. She murmured something to Mellie who managed to draw our other sisters out of the room until I was left with Cali and Clio, both seated on the sofa across from me and waiting for whatever was on my mind. It was just as well Clio was here; it was any wonder that she'd held off from demanding what was wrong with me for so long.

For a moment, the only sound that filled the room was the crackling of the wood in the fireplace. I settled stubbornly into the silence, wondering what to say to even begin to explain the situation I'd found myself in.

Eventually, it was Cali who pierced the silence, and asked, "What's the matter, Rania?"

I hesitated still, fidgeting with the cushion on my lap and avoiding the eyes that were scrutinising my every move. Clio's eyes narrowed and I swore she was on the brink of exploding from her continued not knowing. Eventually, I cleared my throat.

"Well, I," I paused again. It was just better to bite the bullet, "I'm going on a date."

"And that's causing you this much anxiety?" Cali asked dubiously, her eyebrows drawing together. "Is this because it's your first or-"

"With Graham," I cut in before she could wonder any further.

"With Montague?" Clio asked dubiously as if doubting her ears. And when I nodded to confirm her suspicions, she shared a long look with Cali. So much went unsaid in their look, and yet I felt as if I knew exactly what they were stopping themselves from saying. Maybe this had been a bad idea; Cali's disapproval, though silent, settled uneasily in my stomach.

Still, my eldest sister, searched my expression as she asked slowly, "And how do you feel about that?"

"I don't know." And it was the truth.

I didn't know how to feel about going on a date with Graham; I'd agreed to it because I'd wanted to date him, and yet ... it felt as if I was cheating myself. Or as if I was sighing myself up for being hurt by him, yet again, when he eventually decided that, yet again, he didn't want me.

"I just - I like him, a lot," I murmured in a guilty whisper. I stared down at my hands as I fidgeted, unable to meet the weighted twin stares that were being levelled at me. Still, if only just this once, if only to allow myself this only moment of vulnerability, I forced myself to continue. "Even though I spent the better half of a year away from home trying to get over any attachment to him, and I convinced myself that I had, I was lying to myself. And it hurt, it really hurt last time."

There was a long sigh before one of my sisters approached me. Sitting at my side, they wrapped their arms around me and drew me into their embrace. The faint, familiar smell of Cali's shampoo had me turning into her arms, burrowing my head into her shoulder as if I were a child again. Hidden in the safety of my only mother's embrace, I was able to gather enough courage to continue. I just needed to say it once.

My words were muffled by her shoulder, but I knew they would both hear me all the same, "He's talking about having fun and I don't think I'll cope with the heartbreak again."

"Of course, you don't," Cali agreed, holding me tighter as if she knew her arms were the only thing keeping me together at that moment. It was what I'd always been worried about; that if I spoke aloud even the vaguest hint that I was crumbling, I truly would shatter to pieces. The heart really was the cruellest motivator.

"But there's also nothing wrong with just having fun," Clio said eventually, her voice drawing me out from the shelter of Cali's shoulder. I peered at my sister who sat, arms crossed over her chest. "You can both take it slowly and get to know each other. It's a far better foundation for a relationship than being together solely for a contractual betrothal."

"Graham's never wanted this," I protested. "He's never wanted anything serious."

Cali sighed again; she seemed to spend a lot of time doing that. "We know you, Rania, you won't be able to do casual."

"I could," I protested, even though I knew it was a lie.

Nudging me with her shoulder, Cali prompted me to sit up straight. Before I could evade her all-knowing eyes, she held my gaze firm, "But it's also not fair to you to agree to anything that's not right to you. You'll do yourself a disservice and Montague can't be blamed for not knowing what you want if you didn't tell him."

"Do you have to be so rational?" I complained.

Cali gave me a soft smile, tucking an escaped strand of hair back into my bun, "Unfortunately."

"You need to give this some thought to think about what you're agreeing to," Clio said, her voice ringing with finality. "But your date could just be a first date. Merlin knows, maybe you go out, you have fun, but you also realise that you both don't work. Think about it."

"I will," I promised. If only they knew just how much time I'd already spent thinking about it.

**********

As I stood at the top of the stairs, listening to the voices chattering downstairs, I struggled not to roll my eyes. I should have seen it coming, and yet I hadn't. I hadn't expected my sisters to call in reinforcements in the form of the 'integrated' tagalongs to give Graham some sort of talking to. It was a small mercy that with the Bulgarian Quidditch season in full swing, Viktor was kept away.

Although judging from the snippets of the conversation I could hear, Graham didn't appear to be too cowered by anything they were saying to him. But Salazar's soul, it was embarrassing. Deciding to rescue Graham, I sent a silent prayer to Salazar to help Nott when he eventually fully joined the family and made my way downstairs.

Walking to the front room, I made sure to look pointedly between the group of men who stood around Graham. I joined my sisters and struggled not to accuse them of playing dirty. Instead, I levelled a disappointed look at Terence who didn't look the slightest bit ashamed; I was fairly certain that he was the ringleader.

"What would Professor Snape say if he appended to see how the members of his house have been domesticated?" I wondered aloud.

My question was met by scoffs, and yet, not a single one of them protested. At least they had the good sense to know they were domesticated. Turning my focus to Graham, I found him smiling at me as if he was pleased and Merlin if that didn't make me feel warm all over. He took the initiative to close the space between us and came to my side.

"You look beautiful," he said softly, pointedly curling a strand of my loose hair around his finger.

"Thanks," I said, unable to look away from his eyes. Distantly, I could hear everyone leave the room to give us some space, and yet I couldn't bring myself to turn my focus away from him. How could I be expected to do that when Graham was standing in front of me, looking down at me with such an affectionate gaze?

"Shall we get going?" Graham asked.

When I nodded, he offered me his arm and I gladly took it. As he led me out of my home and towards the apparition point on the outskirts of the land, I tried not to fixate on the fact that this was the first time I had touched him. He had not touched me either, nothing more than a few fleeting brushes of his fingertips, and maybe that was just as well; I hadn't expected his touch to be so heady. It was nothing more than the strong feel of his arm under my fingertips and yet my heart sang at the contact and demanded more. How could I have ever convinced myself that I was okay with being casual about him?

"Graham?" I asked faintly as we walked. He peered down at me with curious eyes. Searching his waiting gaze, I was unable to gather any strength when I asked, "What are you after by doing this?"

"What am I after?" he asked, confused. "To have a good evening with you? I thought we'd have some good food and have fun with each other?"

Nodding faintly, I smiled reassuringly at Graham when he searched my gaze. Salazar's soul I hope he had no idea that my heart had sunk a little at his words. Still, when we apparated away and emerged on the other side, I made sure to talk some sense into myself. I wouldn't let my head spoil my evening. He was right; we were going to have food and have fun. And that was okay.

It was more than okay, really, when we turned up at Nott's restaurant and he went above and beyond to make sure that we were looked after well. I had the faintest inkling that he didn't want any chance of me rushing to complain to Thalia. Not that there was much to complain about. The food was amazing, the restaurant was stunning and Graham was an attentive companion. He kept his eyes on me, watching me with barely concealed affection and repeatedly reaching out to touch me in some way; whether it was catching my fingers with his, tangling his legs with mine under the table, or even brushing his warm palm over my arms as he stood to settle the bill. Each time stole my breath away.

Far too soon, it was time to return home. Although I didn't question it, I was sure he was bringing me home at a decent time, so he didn't get on anyone's bad side and even that was endearing. Graham's arm found itself around my waist, keeping me pressed lightly against his side as we walked, the light from his lumos illuminating the way.

When we finally reached the front door, he appeared reluctant to let go of me. But he did eventually. Standing in front of me, Graham cradled my face with his palm and tilted it upwards towards his. I followed the prompting all too willingly, even as my brain screamed out its protests. My heart and my head were back to their eternal fight as an unknowing Graham searched my eyes. He found whatever he was looking for and leaned down as if to kiss me.

It would have been so easy to close my eyes, to give in to what I wanted. I could've leaned up to meet him halfway, to kiss him just like I'd been dreaming of for years, and yet, I couldn't do that to myself. Even I had a self-preservation streak.

"I can't," I said faintly.

It was enough.

Graham paused his descent, opening his eyes to look questioningly at me. He lifted his head, even as he continued to look down at me. Although he didn't say it, I could see the sting of rejection flash across his features.

"If you're not starting this with the idea that this could maybe one day before something, then I can't do it," I confessed.

His eyebrows drew together as he scowled, uncomprehending, "We just went on a first date, there's no need to rush anything. We can see where this goes."

"And that makes sense," I acknowledged. "But it doesn't make sense to my heart, not when I've already spent a decade knowing that I was promised to you, only for it to end - as it should've. And I contented my heart to that, I really did, I made sure to silence it, but I can't let it get more connected to you again Graham. Not if you don't think there's a chance that this might go somewhere beyond having fun, it's not fair to me."

Graham looked solemnly down at me. Swallowing thickly, I stepped back, removing myself from his reach. Curling his raised hand into a fist, he dropped it to his side. Still, he said nothing.

"I know it doesn't make sense," I acknowledged, "but that's how my heart is. And it won't tolerate the feeling of inadequacy again."

I allowed myself one final moment to look at him, to cement his features into my mind's eye before I left him behind. After tonight, the moment I stepped back inside, I wouldn't see him again. I wouldn't torture myself that way, at least. I'd take a leaf out of my own book and distance myself, only this time, I'd keep myself from him until I was sure my heart had categorically left him in the past. But I allowed myself this last moment of foolishness.

"Goodnight Graham," I said, although I really meant goodbye.

I turned to head inside, only to halt when he grabbed my hand. Looking back at him in surprise, I found Graham's eyes locked onto our hands. He tightened his hold on me just fractionally and swallowed thickly. I kept my silence, waiting for him to say something.

Eventually, when he was done turning over the words in his head, he only mustered a quiet, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise," I insisted, drawing my hand from his. "I don't want you to apologise and you don't need to either."

I didn't allow myself another moment of foolishness. Instead, I turned my back to him and headed into the house. Distantly, I heard the sounds of my sisters chattering in the front room and even heard Polly call out for me to join them. But I couldn't bring myself to. Instead, I pretended not to have heard anything, as I went straight to my bedroom.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I faintly heard Thalia ask, "Does this mean we can set Marcus on him, now?"

**********

My mornings were always painful for the sole reason they meant that I needed to leave my sanctuary; my bed. And it was even more painful when, on the weekends when I did not need to wake up before my body naturally woke me up, someone decided to interfere. Usually that someone was Euta who, sure enough, was doing her best to shake me awake. I'd had a very needed break from her being my alarm when she shifted to Bulgaria and yet, despite being here on holiday, she was being a pain. Ignoring her words, I pulled my blanket over my head and tried my best to tune out her hurried murmurs.

"Go away," I grumbled, forcefully closing my eyes before the sleep left them. If I tried hard enough, I'd be able to will myself to sleep.

"Wake up," Euta hissed, wrenching my blankets out of the death grip I had on them. "Urania."

The insistent call of my full name had me giving up my fight. I allowed Euta to pull the blankets away from me and blinked through bleary eyes at my older sister. She gave an exasperated huff and grabbed my hands, trying to haul me out of bed.

"Euterpe," I returned the favour, calling her by her full name as I rubbed at my tired eyes. "Why the hell are you waking me up?"

"Come on," she insisted, pulling me from the bed. I abandoned my fight, allowing my sister to manoeuvre me around as if I were her marionette. "You need to brush your teeth and come downstairs with me now."

"That's too much effort," I protested, bending my knees so I could sit back down on my bed.

"Absolutely not." Her voice was firm as she refused to allow my knees to buckle. "You're going to thank me for this, now get a move on before I hex you."

I obliged, only to not be hexed. But still, I listened to her orders and brushed my teeth and washed my face. I firmly drew the line at changing out of my pyjamas and Euta shook her head in frustration but didn't push any further. Instead, she led me downstairs towards whatever was so important that she woke me up at this godforsaken hour on a Sunday morning.

"Listen to me," Euta murmured, walking at a far slower pace than usual. There was something in her voice that had me matching her steps and listening to each word, "Salazar knows that I'm used to being the only one awake at this time of day, so tell me why he's here knocking on the door within the hour of me waking up?"

"What are you even on about?" I grumbled as I followed her into the front room.

My eyes shifted instantly to the wall-mounted clock; it was 7 o'clock on a Sunday morning; no one had any business being awake this early. Euta nudged me pointedly with her shoulder and when I looked at her, she gestured to the sofa. Following the motion, I could only stare in surprise.

"I bet you wish you changed out of your pyjamas now, don't you?" Euta muttered for my ears only, watching me from the corner of her eye as I tried to smooth down my hair.

I couldn't bring myself to even look at her or to hush her. My entire being was focused on the man standing beside the sofa as if it wasn't strange for him to be here so early in the morning. Especially after I'd promised myself that I'd said goodbye to him just last night. Graham matched my gaze, standing confidently with his hands behind his back.

Wordlessly, I shot my sister a look, hoping for some kind of explanation. "Don't ask me, he just turned up and asked to see you."

And before I could even think to ask her another question, Euta excused herself and left me alone with Graham. Graham whose eyes hadn't even once shifted from my face, who continued to watch me with such earnest focus but my brain just wasn't functioning this early in the morning.

He looked as if he wanted to say something, but I beat him to it. I turned on my heels and mumbled, "I need a coffee."

"Can we talk?" Graham asked before I started to walk away.

"We can," I said warily from over my shoulder, "but I still need coffee."

Maybe the caffeine would help me to guard my heart against whatever it was he wanted to say. It really was entirely too unfair for him to turn up on my doorstep the day after I'd drawn a line under whatever we were. It was hardly a day, it was a matter of hours really, and yet he was here. My heart hadn't even had the chance to begin to resign itself to spending the next - however long, really - without him and yet Graham was here, walking behind me as my faithful shadow as I headed to the kitchen.

I filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove to boil. Resting against the counter, I crossed my arms and turned back to the silent man. Graham stood close enough that I could have reached out to touch him if I wanted to. Stubbornly, I grasped the fabric of my sleeves.

"What are you doing here?" I asked eventually.

"I couldn't sleep," Graham confessed quietly.

He didn't elaborate beyond that and he showed no desire to. Rather, he seemed to settle in and listen to the steady quiet ticking of the kitchen clock. He at least didn't seem to be feeling any of the tension that seemed to be weighing my shoulders down.

Eventually, I prompted him again. "Graham?"

"When I can't sleep, I need to keep my hands busy," he said, and I watched him in confusion. He let out a long sigh and continued, "It helps me try and tire my brain out so I can force it to sleep."

I continued to watch him, uncomprehending, but he didn't need me to say anything. Straightening up, Graham reached into the pockets of his robes and outstretched something small towards me. Hesitating, my eyes flickered between his eyes and his reaching hand, I read his silent question and opened my palm. Wordlessly, he dropped a small wooden figurine, shorter than my little finger, into the palm of my hand.

Picking it up between two fingers, I studied the wooden queen piece with assessing eyes. Puzzled, I looked to him for some explanation for his abruptly gifting me a chess piece.

"It took me hours to whittle that," he complained quietly.

"You made this?" I asked incredulously, turning my attention back to the figurine and studying it with renewed astonishment. "By hand?"

His voice was far quieter when he said, "Yes."

I grappled with my emotions, wondering how to respond to the gesture. Never had anyone gifted me something that they had spent so much time on, something that required so much care. There weren't enough words to try and string together some coherent expression of gratitude, and all I could manage was, "Thank you."

"It's alright. Maybe one day I'll show you how I make them." He offered me a fleeting smile. "Rania - I'd like to date you, properly."

Drawing in a steadying breath, and unwilling to face the hope blooming inside of me, I could only watch him and wait. I didn't dare entertain the hope, not if there was still a risk that I'd misunderstood.

"I'm not promising to propose to you anytime soon," he acknowledged as he slowly approached me, eyeing me warily as if expecting me to dart away. "But I would like to have a relationship with you, to date you to see if we fit together the way I think we could."

Seeking out his gaze, I held it questioningly. Even when his hand reached out, tentatively settling on the side of my neck. His thumb settled hesitantly on the swell of my cheek.

"I'm not much fun," I warned him, even as both my heart and my brain screamed out at me for trying to scare him away. But he needed to know before this got any further. "I'm actually really boring."

"I disagree," he said softly. His thumb brushed back and forth against my cheek and I drew in a shaking breath; his smile grew wider. "I think you are fun. But I don't want you only when you're fun. I want you when you're grumpy and mad and hellbent on annoying me. And I don't ever, ever want you to think you're inadequate."

"Graham-"

"I mean it," he said firmly. He tilted my head up towards his. "Not ever because of me, not when I feel like you're the only woman who could ever become everything."

"Oh."

Chuckling faintly, Graham leaned down and sealed his words with a kiss. Reaching out to him, I held him close to me by his robes and returned his kiss. I made a mental note to thank Euta for forcing me to brush my teeth.

**********

3 YEARS LATER

As our family continued to grow, we adopted more and more traditions. Now, that there were 8 men we had trusted enough to ingratiate into our family, the number of people that came on this holiday only seemed to be growing. The annual family holiday was becoming a busy affair and Merlin, I didn't dare imagine how hectic it would become if any of my sisters decided to have children any time soon. Salazar's soul, just the thought of any of my sisters having children was mildly frightening; surely, we weren't that old yet?

I dismissed the troubling thought and stood on the porch of the country home we had hired out for the upcoming week. Casting a searching glance over my shoulder, I found Graham not far behind me, with both our suitcases floating behind him.

"You weren't kidding when you warned me that you don't handle your own suitcases," he said with an affectionate shake of his head. He easily climbed the stairs to join me in front of the house.

"I did warn you," I said with a teasing shrug. Rolling his eyes for me to see, Graham grasped my hand when I went to ring the doorbell.

Shooting Graham a questioning look, I could only laugh quietly when he drew me into his arms. Looping an arm around my waist, Graham cradled me softly against his sturdy chest and ducked his head towards me. I rose all too easily onto my toes, closing the distance between us and returning his kiss. He gave a soft sigh against my mouth, pressing even closer to me and I let the kiss linger.

"One last kiss before your sisters rip you away from me," he teased against my smiling mouth before he drew away from me. Still, Graham drew out the motion of removing his arm from around me. When I didn't move straight away, he peered down at me with satisfaction.

"Stop it," I said eventually, swatting him on the chest.

Finally, I turned back to the front door and rang the bell. Just like I'd anticipated, we weren't kept waiting long. My sisters gathered around the front door in one eager huddle, quickly pulled me inside and ushered me away with them, even as they greeted Graham. They left him to mingle with his almost brothers. I didn't protest to being moved along and instead did a quick head count; we were the last to turn up. Even Polly, who had recently shifted to living in the muggle world had arrived before us. That was the last time I'd let Graham convince me to go for the late portkey.

One by one, once my sisters had finished chattering over each other to fill me in on everything that had happened in the few years I'd missed, they greeted me. I took the time to hug them each, teasing both Mrs Flint and Mrs Warrington about how they had dragged their poor long suffering husbands with them. Clio and Mellie hadn't even batted an eyelid at the bait. Finally, with only one sister left, I was quick to launch myself at Calliope. She laughed faintly, returning my embrace and letting me hold onto her until I'd gotten my fill. Wordlessly, she patted my back until I drew away.

Not that I let her go far. I reached for her left hand and raised it to get a better look at the new upgrade to the ring Terence had gifted her almost a decade ago. Salazar, my cheeks felt like they were going to split from how widely I was smiling. Terence and Cali, set to marry next year, were finally going to have their fairytale ending.

Graham, appearing at my back, let out a low whistle. "Well done, Higgs."

Terence, who came up behind Cali, wrapped his arms around her and tucked her securely under his chin. "When it's your turn to look for a ring, I'll give you all the advice you need."

"Absolutely not," I said instantly, elbowing Graham when he agreed to take Terence up on his offer. I shot a teasing Terence a look, "Don't give him any ideas."

"Daddy issues at full play," Graham murmured by my ear, looking to wind me up.

It worked, just like he knew it would. Turning sharply towards him, I went to deny his words, that I did not have Daddy issues, but he silenced me in my favourite way. Graham stole yet another kiss, cradling my face between both of his hands and deepening it when I didn't protest. Drawing back with a satisfied grin, he looked down at me with two raised eyebrows. When I struggled to come up with something to say, I felt the heat rush to my ears; distantly I heard Cali usher Terence away. Of all the possible -

Psi saved Graham from a tongue-lashing. The sound of her squabbling screech drew my attention away from my smug boyfriend. Following the sound of Psi's voice, I found her bickering with poor Draco about well - it could be about anything really, if history was any indication. And Draco gave just as good as he got, retorting to every statement his girlfriend made, even if he did very pointedly keep an unfortunate Marcus planted between the pair of them, using his broad frame to shield him from anything, should Psi become trigger happy.

"You're being stubborn!" I heard Draco scoff and barely held back a wince.

Psi darted around Marcus, trying to get to Draco. Marcus wisely stepped in the way, giving Draco a chance to move out of the way. "I'm being stubborn? You of all people can't call anyone stubborn, Malfoy!"

"Someone needs to intervene before Psi reaches for her wand," I said with a sigh, glancing around the room for one of my elder sisters. Unfortunately, there was no one in sight.

Graham, reading my intention even before I'd finished forming it, grasped my hand gently and shook his head, "That someone doesn't need to be you. You just need to focus on loving your man."

"You really can't bear not having my attention on you, can you?" I teased.

"What can I say? I'm spoilt." 

____________________

I think I'm going to miss writing about these sisters once I'm done with the series. Only 3 more left to go; who does everyone want to see next? And for the sake of my own curiosity really; which of the sister's story have you liked the best so far? 

Now, for the next one shot - I have no idea when it'll be posted, but hopefully soon. But lucky for you all, there's now 213 (which is ridiculous, really) stories that you can re-read if you want to whilst waiting. 

Onto the hints (which I'm starting to run out of): 

* the eldest child 

* sorted into Gryffindor

* pureblooded