Ryder walked up to the front door turning the door knob and walking into the house that he had been away from for so long. No one was in sight but that is normally how his house was. He looked around the entrance hall that led up the stairs and to other various parts of the house. He pulled his trunk over to the side near the coat rack, his family was most likely eating dinner at this time. He walked through the hallway and over to the dark hallway that lead to the dining area.

When you walked into the room there was a large dinner table big enough to seat twenty people althought there was never twenty people eating at the table, his mother insisted on the larger table. Sure enough his mother was seated at one end cutting the meat for Ryder's younger brother. She flicked her wand at Ryder went he entered the room and his shirt collar was fastened at the top. "Sit." she said not even bothering to look at him. "You're late." His father looked up for a moment nodding his head towards him before continuing reading the Daily Prophet. Robert pulled out Ryder's chair and put his head back down looking into his lap. Ryder sat down the chair making noise as he slid it forward to get closer to the table.

"Mom's just under a lot of pressure again." Robert whispered to Ryder under his breath hoping she would not hear him. Ryder looked at him nodding in approval. Myles picked up his food and threw it at Robert and laughed. Ryder shook his head how lovely it was to be back with the Malfoy's. He would have rathered be anywhere but here right now. He was not hungry at all, he was hopinh with everything he had left that someone would appear at the door and take him away from here.

He moved the food around on his plate with his fork. "Ryder... Robert has excelled yet again this past term and Durmstrang. I wish I could say the same for your last term at Hogwart's. Your father and I will not take this nonsense any longer, get your grades up young man." She said staring at him from across the table. Ryder said nothing, he wanted nothing more then to jinx her but he knew that was a bad idea.

Maybe if he was lucky anyone from Hogwart's would show up. Rosalie? Alexandria? Marco? Alex and Cassandra? Tara? Well... probably not Tara he had not seen her in since the year before last. But still he would have been happy with anyone at all that would take him away from this dinner.

Ryder heard the door, he was so thankful that something was there to interrupt the dinner that he did not want to be having with the family. He was sure that it was probably one of his parents crazy friends but he would rather hear them talk about all the things that their children were doing than his mother telling him how he just did not measure up in her eyes. Ryder looked at his mother and father who did not move even at the sound of the door. He slid his chair out.

"Um... I will get that for you." he quickly started to the hallway but his mothers voice caused him to stop and have to turn around. "Lead them to the den... and have them wait there, your father will be there shortly." Ryder nodded his head maybe his father was waiting for someone. He walked quickly down the hallway wanted so bad to leave the house and never come back. As he got closer to the door he noticed the person standing there, was that Rosalie?

He started running a little towards the doorway and as he got closer he realized that yes it was his girlfriend. He was so thankful at that moment. He wanted to tell her to just take his arm and disapperate somewhere, any where but here. But he just threw his arms around her instead. "Rosalie!" he didn't let her go. "I was not expecting you, I didn't think you would ever stop by." He let go and kissed her forehead smiling. "But I am so glad you did." He took her hand and walked into the entrance hall to the house and the door closed behind them.

He smiled at her, "Now you look like me with that green on." He at the moment was wearing a suit. Black with a green vest and black tie. His paren't preferred their kids in the most formal wear for even the most nonformal situations. To them it showed class, to Ryder it was just annoying. "My family is in the other room..." He said leading her down the hallway past rows of portraits and family photos covering the walls. Of course his parents were proud of their bloodline. As they entered the dining hall his mother looked up and stopped cutting her own meat. She was not expecting to see a young lady there.

"Ryder..." his mother said in a tone he had never heard her use before much like surprise. But she never was surprised. She looked Rosalie up and down before standing up to greet her. "You must be Ryder's girlfriend..." Her face had no expression on it. "Hale was it?" Of course his parents referred to people by their last name. His father looked up at them. "Pureblood." he said with approval. His mother now smiled with joy, "Come right in, let me get you a plate." She flicked her wand and pulled out a chair across from Ryder and a plate flew gently through the air landing on the table. "Sit, sit. How is your family?" she said smiling.

Ryder took Rosalie's hand and walk around the table to the seat his mother had chosen for her, he would have rathered her next to him then across but he said nothing. He pulled the chair out for her and looked at Rosaie to have a seat.

Ryder pushed in the chair as Rosalie sat down and walked over to his chair listening to his mother and his girlfriend chat on about the purebloods and such none of this struck him as a conversation to jump in on. Robert smiled at Rosalie and then nudged Ryder when he sat down. Ryder's mother looked at Rosalie, "Now you are the kind of girl we want our son to be spending time with around Hogwart's. From the things we hear our son talks to just anyone. Even muggles." She said this angrily and glance from Ryder back to Rosalie to see her reaction.

"Robert on the other hand just fancies the way muggles live, I am sure he would never become friends with such filth." Robert rolled his eyes while looking at his mother. He liked muggles in fact he met a girl over the summer who was a muggle and he fancied her a lot. He just would not let his mother know this. Ryder's father put the paper down and looked at Rosalie. "Azkaban... I am sure a pureblood family such as yours would not go down without a good fight." He hated that a lot of families were put away for things that he did not find wrong.

Ryder's mother nodded in agreement. "Speed... On the other hand does not strike me as your last name had, but if your sister is around pureblooded witches and wizards rest assured she is fine." He said taking a bite out of his food. Ryder was very embarrassed by his family and how they acted. "Ryder sit straight, and your hair is a complete mess. Would it kill you to fix that before dinner?" his mother was very crazy about those things thats why Robert kept his hair shaved enough to not have to brush it.

"I am sorry mother." he said trying to sit up more proper in his seat. He mouthed, 'sorry' to Rosalie for having her sit here and take the verbal beating from his mother. "Why did you choose Hogwart's anyway, for your sister, I mean there seems to be a larger number of muggles there. Ryder only attended because he was kicked out of Durmstrang. Something we were not so proud of." she said looking at Ryder nastily. If looks could kill he would have been dead just then.

"At least your family was sorted into Slytherin for a moment I thought Ryder would be put in Gryffindor or worse Hufflepuff. We would have had to disown him." His mother said looking to Ryder's father who was looking like he had to agree with whatever she said or he would hear it as well. Ryder moved the food on his plate around with his fork, not looking at anyone. He felt horrible at the moment for making Rosalie have to put up with such nonsense.

Robert looked at Ryder who seemed rather distant and then to Rosalie. He decided to take some of the pressure off of them for awhile. As he didn't really care what his parents thought anymore. "I met a muggle girl." Ryder dropped his fork and quickly bent down to pick it up. His mother's face was so white it look like she died, horror was all over her face. His father was just as disgusted. "You met a girl... but did not like her of course." his mother said looking at her precious one who now was dishonering the whole family to her.

Myles laughed from across the table and decided to take this moment to throw food at Ryder and Robert as well as all of the floor. He never got in trouble anyway. He especially would look like a saint with what he was doing compared to the muggle talk. "I met her yes. And I like her, she seems really sweet." he said looking to Ryder for support. Ryder was still caught off guard that his brother had taken the heat off him for a moment but he was thankful. "Well... um she must be great." Ryder said trying to say something to make up for the fact that they would probably both be getting lashings later after company was as good as gone.

Ryder's mother took out her wand and pointed it at both Ryder and Rober's plates. They flew off the table and out of sight but you could hear them crashing in the other room. "We do not ever speak highly of muggles." She spit after saying that. Ryder was really embarrassed as his girlfriend was witnessing this whole fiasco. "You are both done." she said flicking her wand at them and their chairs were pulled back. "Let your girlfriend finish eating... you both are finished." she looked at them, Robert stood up but Ryder felt a boost of courage. "I'm actually hungry I was eating that." he was not hungry but he felt he would stand up for Robert the way he had for him.

"You're finished." his father boomed. He had not heard his father ever yell at him before. "Sir." Ryder said nodding he pushed Robert a little towards the door. "Ryder... wait for Ms. Hale in the den... Robert Join him. You will both be punished for this later." she went back to her nod and smile at Rosalie. "Finish eating dear, let's not worry about the boys for now." Ryder mouthed 'sorry' once again he hated to leave her alone but he had no choice.

Myles on the other hand was being his obnoxious self. "You know Ryder took me with him to this other girls house." he said looking at Rosalie. "She has a sister, they are purebloods you know." he said this proudly. "I only like purebloods." His mother was so proud of this, at least one of her sons was not going to be brought up to be muggle friendly. Myles looked at Rosalie, "You know this girl gave us brownies. Have you brought anything for the family." He was rude and liked to make people uncomfortable.

Ryder was already near the entrance room since him and Robert were both kicked out of dinner, he decided to let Robert get the door though since he was not expecting company. Robert motioned that he got the door and Ryder walked into the den and let himself fall onto the couch. He grabbed the nearest pillow and put it over his face just laying there.

Robert opened the door to see a very pretty blonde girl standing in the doorway with a basket. He looked just like Ryder except his hair was shaved and Ryder's wasn't. Did she even know Ryder had a twin brother or would she believe he was Ryder with a haircut? He knew the girl had to be hear for Ryder, Could Myles be that smooth with the ladies to pick up an older girl?

"Um... come in." he said nervously looking at her.

Robert looked at the girl who had now thrown herself into his arms. He put his hands on her waist for a moment confused by the whole thing but when she called him Ryder he realized that she had no idea Ryder was a twin. "Um... I hate to be the bearer of bad news... But I am Robert. Ryder's twin brother. He is actually in the den. I can show you if you like." He said letting her go he didnt want her to think he was weird for standing there captured by her beauty. She was beautiful, blond hair long and perfect. He never seen a girl so pretty before.

Ryder looked at her nervously but shook her hand all the same, "Um he probably doesn't know you are out here. I um dont think he was expecting company actually." he said trying to justify that for Ryder. He pushed his hair back but there was none to push back, nervous habit he had. "I actually attend Durmstrang." he said nodding and looking at her, if the girls at Hogwart's looked like she did he wanted to go there instead.

"Do you like Hogwart's?" he said trying to make conversation so he did not look stupid around her. "Let me show you the den... we can see Ryder." He lead her down the hallway to the first door on the left. Ryder was laying there on the couch with a pillow over his head. He heard Robert enter the room but didnt take the pillow off his head.

"One of dad's pureblood friends I'm sure, did you tell them to go to his office?" Ryder said, it was a little muffled from the pillow on his face but you could still understand him. Robert looked at Alexandria, he was sure she would now jump on Ryder and forget he was there, something he was used to with girls. He never knew what to say to girls. They made him nervous.

Ryder quickly sat up hearing Alexandria's voice, was she really here? Rosalie, was in the other room! He stood up and pushed his hair out of his eyes, "Alexa." he said shocked. "Um I see you've met Robert." he said watching her reach up and pull him down to kiss him. He looked confused for a moment, what was that for anyway? She just met him! Ryder pulled Robert back from Alexandria's grip. "What are you doing?" he looked at him, he had no right to act like that. Robert looked at him.

"I um..." Robert stuttered. "No it's fine." Ryder said pushing the books of Robert's off the small table in front of the couch. "He would love to tell you all about Durmstrang I'm sure." Ryder said glancing at Robert, he was not jealous, but how could Robert be all over one of his friends.

"Maybe I should let you to have this room." he said angrily walking towards the door to leave.

Ryder looked at her nervously, how did she know Rosalie was here? He was even more angered by the last comment she made. There was no way he was jealous, and he sure would never double date with Robert and Alexandria. Alexa was his friend, he did not want to see her out and about with his brother. Why did this bother him?

"Oh... the family would love the cookies... But they are deathly allergic to chocolate and cookies." he said kicking the wall in the doorway. Robert looked at him for a moment, "No they aren't." Ryder shot him a nasty glance before taking a step towards him. "Who cares what you think." he pushed Robert and Robert ended up losing his balance a little but not falling. "What was that for." Robert said confused. "Leave me alone." Ryder said staring at Robert. "Matter of fact, I'll leave you alone." Ryder slammed the door shut behind himself and walked into the hallway. He let himself drag to the floor and put his head down on his knees.

What was wrong with him? Was his mother's attitude rubbing off on him?

Alexa looked at Robert, "What's gotten into him? He isn't usually this.. Deranged." It hurt her a little to see her in pain, She glanced at Robert, "Excuse me for a moment." She went into the hallway to where Ryder was and dropped to her knees next to him, She placed her hand on her shoulder and frowned, "What's wrong?" She wrapped her arms around him tightly, "You aren't usually like this..What happened to you Ry?"