Très Belle [James Potter II]

1. In which we meet my dysfunctional family. Seriously

5.    The only girl, Arabella. I'm kind of tipsy, a bit out-of-it. Fortunately, unlike most people like me, I'm not at all klutzy, and am actually fairly balanced and elegant, due to my studious "refinement lessons" when I was a child (I'll get to my parents in a moment). I'm pretty smart honestly; I got sorted in Ravenclaw when I attended the god-forsaken school (let me tell you now, it has gone downhill since darling Harry left). I get top marks at school, always, even though I hardly pay attention in class. I simply adore reading; you will always find me with a book at hand (hence the Goddess theory). I'm not really like either of my parents, but I'm a lot more like my Dad – well, my Dad's brother to be honest. I have that silky, a-little-bit-wavy-but-its-really-straight white-blonde hair, and ice blue eyes, that shock people, but they're framed with glasses. I have the big ones, you know what I'm talking about, that have big lenses, but a fairly thin black frame. It sounds pretty geeky, but a) it suits me, and b) they're in fashion at the moment! I have a kind of I-didn't-get-the-memo-that-my-clothes-aren't-cool style, it's a bit indie (well, really indie) and although its all a bit crazy, I make sure everything matches, and I know that I look pretty good, that the style suits me from the way that girls look at me – kind of worried that I might actually attract boys' – more the hot, academic sort that like to talk rather than the one-night-shag-of-heaven "popular boys". Ew. Hate them.

So, now it's finally time to introduce my parents. So, Dad's not too bad, I have to say. No offence to Mummykins, but all my siblings (I included) prefer him. By a long way.

Now, don't give me that look. Don't judge me yet, okay?

Wait until you meet her.

So, Dad's great. I mean it. He loves to work on summer projects with me, he's a wizard, after all, he was (apparently) very handsome and popular in his youth and time at Hogwarts (you may have heard of him, Oliver Wood? Yeah, thought so.), an amazing Quidditch captain (and not just during his time at Hogwarts) and a valiant fighter in the war. I don't really care; I just love my Daddy.

Before, when I was describing us, and I said Lachy and I looked like Dad, and Jem got his blonde hair? Well, I'm sure you know, Daddy isn't blonde, and doesn't have blue eyes, but he's a bit like me – all of his siblings are different, with blonde hair and blue eyes, while Dad got stuck with brown. Haha.

And then, there's Mum.

I honestly don't know why Dad ever married her, but he had enough sense to divorce her about 5 years after Lachy was born. I was 9, so I remember pretty well. It wasn't like you see in movies, with them getting divorced, and one moving away, and you never get to see one of your parents again. No way.

They'd talked it all through before they told us, and I think it was kind of unanimous, they never really got along. I cried at first, because I'd had some muggle friends, and her parents got divorced like, two years earlier, and she needed counseling.

 But after that, I was over it. I'd spend two weeks with Mum, then two weeks with Dad when they were both home, and me and Gabriel would go together, while Jem, Lachy and Casper would stay with the other, but its not like I never saw them. On weekends, we'd spend one with Mum, then one with Dad, all together, and when Dad was playing quidditch, or Mum was away for some other reason, we'd all be together at the others' house.

And they still get along all right. They're friends, you know? Honestly, they are, they talk heaps, plan birthday parties and stuff together. It's great really.

So, now actually onto Mum.

Mum is...eccentric. Okay, from what I've told you so far, you probably think she's like, in the Looney-Bin or something, but its not like that. Firstly, she's a muggle. Secondly, she's a Hollywood actress. That's what I mean by away – when she's filming. She's pretty girly, and I bet she hated having so many sons, and a daughter who was a disappointment. But she loves us, and is...okay, you know Virginia's Mom in "Mean Girls" (love that movie)? Yeah, Mum's kinda like that. She'd absolutely say something like "I'm a cool Mum, right darling?", when she's so not. And she's so pro-everything. I say something like, I've decided to take up quidditch, like Dad", and she goes, "OMG, honey, that's an amazing idea! It'll pump you're figure, and you'll be great at it, and...Oh, its so perfect, right? My Baby is playing quidditch!"