No place like home

Edgar had seen this coming. It was a while since they had openly discussed such a troublesome topic together, especially at the dinner table. But now was a good time as any. "Something needs to change and soon, that is for sure. Otherwise, there won't be pretty things heading our way" Edgar said shaking his head. He knew everyone else was thinking the same and he was glad his dad spoke up. If not talk about these things now then when? Perhaps Amelia and Alice were too young to hear this, but they had no choice. It was that kind of time again and all of this was for their own safety.

Alice on the other hand was not that accepting of the news. Her head was spinning and she was feeling light headed for a while now, which you could tell from her eyes. But this had only worsened things. For once, she had wishes she was a part of one of those ignorant families who knew nothing about the upcoming trouble. Is one dinner spent only talking about the neighbor's new cat and the terrible weather too much to ask for? Perhaps she was asking for too much. Now that she knew what she did, there was no going back. And if only her nightmares would stop, maybe all of this would look much better with a proper night's sleep for once.

Susan left and Amelia followed quickly after her. Alice didn't see the point of staying at the dinner table anymore. She stood up and turned her gaze towards her parents. "May I be excused?" she asked rather quickly and without waiting for their permission she left the dinning room and went up the stairs. Just as she was climbing up, she remembered the box she hid in the kitchen. With soft steps, she sneaked in, pulled it out from the table and ran up to her room. Curiosity got the best of her and she opened it as soon as she stepped foot in her room. It was filled with letters, all addressed to her and all from the same person, Andrei Dolohov. She started opening each one and reading them with a quick pace.

Susan left and Amelia followed quickly after her. Alice didn't see the point of staying at the dinner table anymore. She stood up and turned her gaze towards her parents. "May I be excused?" she asked rather quickly and without waiting for their permission she left the dinning room and went up the stairs. Just as she was climbing up, she remembered the box she hid in the kitchen. With soft steps, she sneaked in, pulled it out from the table and ran up to her room. Curiosity got the best of her and she opened it as soon as she stepped foot in her room. It was filled with letters, all addressed to her and all from the same person, Andrei Dolohov. She started opening each one and reading them with a quick pace.

Susan kissed the top of Amelia’s head. Despite Amelia’s age she was still a sweet girl. Susan wanted to hide her away and keep her all to herself but she knew that it wouldn’t happen. She didn’t want to lose Amelia; she was too special to lose. “Mum, I know your job is hard. Keeping your own personal opinion out of your work has to be hard. Maybe you should leave, it’s making you so stressed,” said Amelia. “I know sweetie but what am I without it. I’ve worked so hard to become someone,” said Susan. “There are other things you can do,” said Amelia. “Maybe I shouldn’t write in it but if I don’t who will,” sighed Susan. Ernie walked in and Amelia felt awkward now so she ran off to find Alice.

“See Neville, she isn’t ready. She’s just a kid. Ernie and Susan don’t get it that she isn’t like their kids. She hasn’t lived in the same type of world as them,” said Hannah holding her tongue. “She hasn’t lived like that because you won’t let her. We can’t keep her a kid forever. This conflict may end in a war, I refuse to let Alice be unknown to it all,” said Neville. Frank cleared his throat reminding his parents Edgar was still in the room. This hadn’t turned out like anyone had planned. “Amelia she went upstairs,” she Frank when Amelia appeared.

Amelia darted up the stairs and didn’t stop until she was in Alice’s doorway. She looked puzzled at Alice. Who could she be getting letters from? Maybe it was a bit rude just standing there but she didn’t know what to say or to do.

Edgar chuckled as he heard Frank clear his throat. Most of the time he didn't pay much attention to propriety, so he didn't feel awkward at all. In fact, he supported Neville's decision. Although he was far from being a father, he imagined that one day he would do everything in his power to protect his kids. Unfortunately, ignorance won't protect them at all. Quite the opposite, it could only hurt them. "Sorry Hannah but I have to agree with Neville here. He is right. Keeping her away from all of this is not going to do her any good. She might even resent you for it, for treating her like a child. Truth is you have no choice, if you want to keep her safe. At times like these, she can't be just a fourteen year old girl anymore" said Edgar being completely honest. "Besides, she might surprise you. Just take it slow with her. I have a feeling she's kind of overwhelmed with it all"

Alice was already half way through the letters. Every word she red made her smile or giggle. His writing was funny, witty and quite flirty in fact. His letters contained some of the kindest words anyone has told her in a while. No, she didn't care what her dad said. She couldn't let him go. Alice wasn't even sure he liked her properly. Maybe like a friend, or even a younger sister. As something more though...well she would just have to wait and see. But he had given her something she was missing for the longest time, hope. And that is not something you just walk out from. She was ready to try anything to make this work, even go through war with her family. They have to understand and accept it at some point.

Raising her gaze from the letters, she flinched when she saw Amelia standing at the door. She wiped the grin of her face and blushed uncontrollably, as she usually did when she found herself in an awkward situation. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked, a bit too roughly than she had wanted to. She quickly gathered the letters into a pile and put them back into the box, making sure to put the lid on it as well. This way, Amelia couldn't see or read anything that was in them. "You could knock next time, you know" she added.

Neville smiled slightly at Edgar. Neville could remember when he was just a baby and now he was turning into a young man. Despite what Susan thinks she and Ernie have done a good job with their kids. He knows the only reason they aren’t back together already is that they are scared to try again.

“Why should we take away her childhood the way ours was taken away from us? The whole point was to give our kids what we didn’t have,” stated Hannah flustered. “We can’t control the outside world and we tried our best,” said Neville. He hated how upset this always made Hannah but they couldn’t hide form the facts anymore.

Amelia glared at Alice at just the mere tone of her voice. So what if she had been standing there for a while she wouldn’t be talked to like that. “Do you really think I care that you get letters?” asked Amelia coldly. “Maybe Jessica is right. The two of us live in totally different words; it was too much to ask for us to be friends together after not seeing each other for years. I don’t know what happened but I’m not sure it can be fixed,” she said. She still wanted to know it is. She knew what she was supposed to be doing when school started back but it would be easy if Alice just came out and told her because the other way was going to end with people getting hurt.

Edgar could understand her frustration. It was what any mother would feel. But their childhoods weren't ruined at all. "Hannah, Alice may have had a childhood other kids could only wish for. She was happy and safe. You gave her everything she ever asked for. What else could you want for her? To me, that seems to be a pretty perfect childhood. Doesn't get any better than that really. But now things are changing. You can't ruin her childhood because she's not a child anymore" he said trying to make a point. Edgar was always for introducing kids to the world as early as possible. It made them tough and ready. That was, after all, the way he was raised. Completely different from how Alice had spent her early years of course. But in the end, bad times were coming ahead and they both had to adapt quickly.

Alice was surprised by Amelia's cold words and she sighed heavily. "Amelia... Please don't say that. I know that you don't mean it." she said softly. She might have been acting out lately and going a bit crazy, but Amelia was always her friend. Now she felt sorry for pushing her away so much, but she didn't know what else to do. She just didn't know how to handle this. "It's my fault and I know it. I'm sorry. I keep pushing you away when I really don't want to. I'm just not used to being open, that's all. But you're my friend and I would never give up on you. I hope you would say the same thing.

Hannah bit the urge to snap at Edgar. She would handle this calmly or at least try to. “Edgar you’re too much like your father some times. I remember your father saying nearly the same thing when you kids were still little. There will always be troubled times. If you haven’t noticed it may have worked for you but it isn’t working as well for Amelia,” Hannah growled. She felt like she was under attack. She knew she would regret the things she said. “You’re parents are too proud to admit when they are wrong,” stated Hannah glaring at Edgar. She regretted those words soon as they came out.

Susan had her back pressed to the wall so no one could see her. Hannah’s words hung in her ears. It really did sting. How could her best friend say that? This was turning into a nightmare. But was Hannah right? If she is it doesn’t matter because Amelia is doing just fine. She knew that Amelia wasn’t anything like Edgar, herself, Ernie and any of the kids. She wished her father would tell her more about what his childhood was like because she swears Amelia is like her aunt reincarnated. That also scared her given how Amelia met her end. Susan couldn't stop the tears that ran down her cheeks.

Amelia fought the urge to roll her eyes. She knew for a matter of fact Alice was acting strange. She didn’t seem like her Alice anymore. No wonder she heard her parents concerned about Alice. “I wouldn’t give up on you but I can only be heart so many times,” she said.

Edgar bit his lips shut and let Hannah say what she had to. He felt like he had pushed his opinion too far this time. Usually Edgar knew when to shut up but obviously this time he didn't. It made Hannah quite anxious and he didn't want that kind of atmosphere in the house, especially during the holidays. So he decided he should do whatever he could to fix this, starting with an apology. "Look Hannah... I'm sorry. I overdid it. I was just offering my opinion, I didn't want to upset you. It's hard for all of us" Edgar said trying to make this situation at least a bit better. "Lets talk about something more cheerful, shall we? It is Christmas season after all" he said trying to put on a joyful smil.

Alice sighed and shook her head. This was not what she wanted at all. Amelia was her closest friend and now she was ruining their relationship. For what? For something that definitely wasn't worth it. She opened the box and took out the letters that she hid a few minutes ago. She put all of them into Amelia's lap, hoping that this act of trust may at least help repair their already strained relationship. "It's from Andrei, all of them. Mostly apologizing for all of the trouble his presence had caused the other day. They are really sweet, all of them. I think I really like him" Alice said with a weak smile.

“Don’t apologize, you weren’t the only one who over did it,” said Ernie coming back in. He was flustered by seeing Susan melt down like she was. It wasn’t like Susan to breakdown but he knew how much anything Hannah said affects her. One thing Ernie was not known for was apologize unless it was something that was just his fault.

“We all upset each other. Let’s move on. So Ernie did you get the original Bones house fixed up,” sand Neville. “Oh yeah what’s going to happen to your farm with the whole thing going up in the highlands?” he added. He was curious on how it was going to work out for Ernie.

“Yeah I did. Trust me even after all these years some stains don’t go away. Thank goodness for old pureblood spells. As bad as it sounds when I say that but’s that’s the only way to describe them ,” said Ernie realizing how bad it sounded to call them ‘pureblood spells’ but there was no other to say it.

Amelia bit her lip trying not to Alice that it was Andrei that had ruined her date. She didn’t like Andrei but she’d keep that too herself. “That’s sweet of him,” she said lying though to her teeth. She wouldn’t say anything bad about Andrei but she was thinking it.

Edgar was glad they were moving on from this subject. He certainly didn't get in the middle of Neville and his parents because they both have strong views and opinions on pretty much everything. This of course included how to raise their kids. Hannah and Susan were quite different this way. Edgar was use to sharing everything with his parents and being open about all topics. They were exposed to everything, the good and the bad. Now, it would be weird for him even to think of a different way of growing up. But Alice, who he had to admit was a lot more sensitive than everyone else, well he just wasn't sure what was the best approach for her. All he knew was, by what he heard at least, things aren't exactly going as planned and something had to change.

Alice could see the despise in Amelia's eyes as she mentioned Andrei's name. It was obvious she didn't like him. "Hey...I understand why he may not be your favorite person in the world. I get that. But I want you to be honest with me. If you don't like him then don't hide it from me. Just tell me what you think. All I'm saying is... I want things between us to be like they use to. No guy should change that, I'm not letting that happen. Besides, people are overreacting for not good reason really. Nothing happened between us so I don't see the whole fuss. It's not like I'm engaged to be married with him."

Frank had silently been watching. One thing was clear everyone stress was very high and were on the breaking point. He didn’t want to say a thing. He didn’t want to unbalance this very delicate tension in the room.

Susan went out the back door not even thinking twice. She had to get out of the house. She didn’t even care about the cold. She just wanted away from everything. She pressed her back against the house. She took deep breaths.

“You’re not going to like the truth,” Amelia said knowing all the stuff she had against Andrei.