It's been a few months since the boys and I became animagi and so far things are going well. We helped Remus on the full moon last month in November and then again earlier this month.
Today is the day that we all go home for Christmas break. We've decided that I'm going to come home and stay for a few days and then I'm going to go and spend the day over with Remus. I can't stay the night but mum is letting me go back over again on Christmas.
Matt is going to come over to the Potters house today and they are letting him stay and visit for a few days. When I wrote my parents and told them about my brother being here they didn't seem to mind. They told me that he is welcome whenever I want and they were very understanding about it. I'm not necessarily excited for him to come to my house but it is what it is.
I slept in today because we don't have to be on the train until 12:00. It's almost 11:15 when I finally roll out of bed to get ready. The other girls aren't in the dorm so I assume their in the common room. It's not often that I get the dorm to myself so I strip down and I take a nice hot shower. When I get out I wrap up in a towel and go sit at the vanity. I get out my makeup and I put on foundation, powder, highlight, eyeliner. And mascara. I check the time and I still have ten minutes until I have to leave to go down to the express.
I get dressed in a pair of thick black leggings and the sweater Remus gave me. I put on the necklace he got me. I slip on my converse and I grab my duffel bag and head down to the common room. The only person in there is Remus. I assume everyone else has already left to get on the express.
"There you are love." He says when he see's me.
He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me. He still tastes like chocolate and cinnamon and I don't want to pull away. After he breaks the kiss we head down to he express and get on. I decide not to sit with the boys but with the girls.
I find their compartment and I go in and sit beside Marlene.
"I'm so happy to be going home but I really don't feel like having my annoying brother there." I huff
"Yeah James is really annoying." Lily says nodding.
I roll my eyes at her and give her a dirty look. "My other brother."
Alice butts in and changes the subject. "Aren't you supposed to go and spend some time with Remus though? That's a good thing."
"I'm just nervous about meeting his parents. I always get nervous when it comes to meeting people's parents." I tell them.
They all nod in agreement.
"I want to go visit my friends from before I moved. I miss them a lot." I say thinking aloud.
"Well didn't you visit them over the summer?" Marlene asks.
I nod. For the rest of the ride we talk about random stuff and Marlene and I play exploding snap.
When we make it to the platform mum is waiting on us. James and I run and give her a big hug. She hugs us back then we apparate home.
When we get there Matt isn't here yet and I relax. James goes upstairs to put away his bag and I go with mum into the kitchen.
"So how are things with you and Remus?" She asks.
I wrote her earlier this year to tell her that we are dating now.
"Good, James is very over protective." I tell her.
"Of course he is." She says laughing a bit.
We are silent for a moment before she speaks again.
"So tell me about your brother."
I groan and lay my head down on the counter.
"He is nice enough but it is so hard forgiving him for leaving. I have found myself a new family and he is making it hard to forget my old one.
She shakes her head at me. "Thats not very nice. You should be happy that he is here and safe. He loves you.
I want to argue but I know better to argue with her. Mum is nice normally but she will scold James and I.
Before I can say anything there is a knock on the door. It's Matt. I give the excuse that I need to unpack then I run upstairs.
Matthews POV
When I walk in the house I halfway expect Grace to be there to greet me but she isn't. I'm not surprised though.
The man who opened the door is a few inches taller than me and he has black hair with a few gray streaks. He has rectangular glasses and brown eyes. He looks a lot like James so I assume this is his father.
"Fleamont Potter" he says introducing himself.
He puts his hand out for me to shake. I shake it "Matthew Odair."
Fleamont leads me into the kitchen and introduces me to his wife Euphemia. After I meet her we go back into the sitting room.
"I'm very sorry for the loss of your mother." He says.
"It's alright. I wasn't on good terms with her."
He's sitting on the couch and I'm standing up looking at the pictures on the wall. The first few are ones of James when he was little. The further down the wall I get the bigger he gets. About halfway down the wall there is a picture of Grace and James. They are both standing infront of the house. They both have their arms around eachother and Grace looks the happiest I've ever seen her. The picture looks to be about 2 years old because James is shorter and scrawnier than he is now.
Fleamont walks up behind me and puts his hand on my shoulder. "That's the day we officially adopted her and she came to live with us."
I nod and I move on to look at the next pictures. One is of James in his quittich uniform and the other is of Chase in hers. There are several more pictures of Chase and James around the room. Sirius is even in a few of them. The last picture I look at his a big family portrait above their fireplace. I expect it to be just Euphemia, Fleamont, and James but there Grace is right in the middle beside James.
I go over and sit on the couch and put my head in my hands. Ive missed out on so much of her life and now she doesn't even consider me as her brother. She doesn't even go by Grace anymore. She goes by Chase. She is a completely different person.
Fleamont comes and takes a seat beside me and pats my back all father like. "It's hard missing out on things. I can't relate to how you feel at all but I can tell you how much I wish I could've been there for her sooner. She is my child and there isn't anyone who can convince me otherwise. I missed out on her first words and first steps but I've been here for a lot of firsts. I was here for her first boyfriend and breakup. I was here when she first got on the quittich team. I've been here for a lot of firsts. The only thing you can do now is be here for the rest of her firsts."
I sniff loudly and nod. I wipe my eyes because I was starting to tear up. I can't believe I messed up this bad.
Chase POV
Instead of going upstairs to unpack I go to James room to vent.
"He had his chance to be in my life and he blew it!"
James groans and flops on his bed. "I know Chase there isn't anything you can do. I think you should just give him one more chance."
I start to argue again but mum yells from downstairs. She wants us to come do our chores before dinner.
James jumps up and dashes out the door. "Thank Merlin!"
I roll my eyes. He really must have been sick of listening to me complain if he is that happy to do chores.
I groan and follow him. I guess I have to face Matt at some point. It might as well be now.
I tromp down the stairs behind James. I follow him to the kitchen where mum is.
"You two are off chore duty tonight but I still need you two to set the table." She instructs.
We nod and go to the dining room and start to set the table. After it is set we go and get the food from the kitchen and start to set it out. Once we are finished Matt and dad come in and sit. Mum comes in shortly after. We all sit and start filling out plates. I'm sitting beside mum and James. Matt is in front of James and beside dad.
"So how are things teaching?" Dad asks Matt.
Matt starts going on about the course of study and his students. Dinner is filled with boring conversation. It was boring but it was nice enough.
After dinner James and I help clean up and then go and get ready for bed. I hang out with James for a bit in his room but then I go to my room. I'm sitting in bed reading when there is a knock on my door. I know it's Matt because James doesn't knock.
"Come in!" I shout.
He opens the door and steps in closing it behind him. He awkwardly goes over to my desk and sits in the chair.
"So this is nice." He says awkwardly.
He is obviously very uncomfortable and I can't help it but to laugh. I set my book down and put my head in my hands trying to stifle my laughter.
"What's so funny." He asks me.
"You are just so awkward. We have been around each other for months and we still can't have a normal conversation! For merlins sake, we lived together for years and now we don't even know eachother." I say shaking my head.
He starts laughing too. "We are literally siblings and we don't even know how to have a conversation."
We both laugh for a bit but then we both settle.
"It's so pathetic that it's funny." I say looking at the wall.
He nods in agreement.
I get up from the bed and I go to my closet. Matt watches me confused but I ignore him. I get in the closet and I pull out two big boxes. I push them to the middle of the floor and I sit beside them.
"This is moms old stuff." I announce.
He silently comes over to sit beside me on the floor. I open the boxes and we start pulling things out. We have finally found something we can bond over.