Lisabel was busy in the kitchen making brownies, and there was a knock. She cursed loudly, and threw the oven mitt on the counter. Still wearing her immaculate apron she walked to the door, in a grumpy mood. She threw open the door, ready to yell at the person on the other end, but she took one look at her Son, all grown up, her Dima and her face broke into a smile. Tears started streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, my. Dimitri," she sobbed, pulling him into a huge embrace. "I missed you so much! Are you back for good?" she asked, and pulled him inside by his hand.

She pushed him into one of the tall bar stalls and handed him a mug of tea and some M&M cookies, then leant across opposite him and said "Tell me everything!"

"I'm home, Mom! I missed you too and this house." said him warm. Dimitri took his handkerchief and wiped his mom's tears.

"Don't worry, mom. I am okay. Don't you see me I am good without any wounds?" he asked. But he couldn't say anything much because his mom pulled him into the bar stall. He almost forgot that he left his bags outside.

"Woooow... I left something outside, Mom. Let me took it and put all of my luggage at my bedroom. Then, I'll tell you anything, Okay?" he said then he took all of his luggage and put it into his bedroom. He noticed there's also nothing change on his bedroom. But it's a little bit dusty. After he put all of his things, Dimitri back to the bar. His mom had already prepared tea with M&M cookies. He sipped his tea, Mmm.. Awesome.

"Well.. I've travelled to some countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and America. But I haven't stepped my foot to Africa." he said while he took one cookie and munched it.

"Where is Dad? Is he busy with some potions again?"

Lisabel watched her handsome son walk upstairs with his suitcase, and then smiled as he came back down. She was glad he liked her cookies.

"Well I wish you had told me you were coming home, I would have cleaned," she said, starting to clean the marble bench they were leaning on. The house was clean, so clean, only she didn't want to enter Dimitri's room. He might not have been happy about that. Poor Lisabel is an absoluuuuuuute clean freak.

"Oh wow, did you take photos? Have you been writing your sister? She said she sent us both a photo. I got mine, but I'm not sure if the owl found you or not. She said she made the frames in Transfiguration. AND she made Quidditch team!" Lisabel said proudly. Though she was quite frightened. The thought of Zhenya flying... she shuddered. "She had some friends over this summer, and we had a party for one of the girls, Raven. They were darlings," she said, hoping they would come back during the Summer.

"Will you be going to Africa soon? You are going to be home for a while, aren't you? And your father is at work, he was promoted to Head Healer of his ward. He's probably doing some potion at the moment though, yes. Many brewing down stairs," she said rolling her eyes.

"If I told you I'll be home, it was not a surprise, Mom!" he chuckled while he still munched the cookie from his mom. Yummm... Besides that, Dimitri never thought that He would be home now. He heard some Zhenya's story from his Mom, about her transfiguration homework and Quidditch team and her friends. He would send her an owl soon, Dimitri also wanted to give her a little merchandise from his journey.

"Uhuk.." suddenly he coughed when His mom said Zhenya was belong to Quidditch team.

"Is she? Wow, it was great. As far as I know, Being on team was not easy, the tryouts were very hard." said him. Actually, he was quite jealous because he never been succeed be on team. He sipped his tea and thought about his plans after this.

"I don't know what will I do after this." said him short.

"Yes, she was really surprised too. She told me she put her name down for try outs, but didn't think she did very well. She thought maybe she would be on the reserve team, but she was made a player! I'm so proud," Lisabel said.

"Well, do send her an Owl soon. She would love to hear from you, and she misses you so much. She said this summer was lousy because you weren't there. Of course she cheered up when those girls got here."

She took a long sip of tea, and put it back down on the coaster. She ate her cookie over the sink and then turned back to him. "So what kind of stuff did you learn on your travels? Will you be going to Wizarding College? Or did you want to look for a job straight away?"

She just had so many questions.

Well, is this a quality time between a Mother and a Son or investigating time between a police and a criminal, huh? Dimitri knew that his mother really wanted to know about his life in the past two years. But sometimes he was lazy to answered that, especially about his plan after this.

*sigh*

"I did learn many things. Mostly about wandlore and Wizardry history of some countries, and I'd try to ride a flying carpet." he sipped his tea, thinking what will he do next? Huft. Studying wandlore and travelled all around the world was amazing, but he need a steady job.

"Oh, by the way I have something for you, Wait a minute." Dimitri ran to his bedroom again and took something.

Lisabel waited patiently for her son to return. What did he bring her? She hoped it wasn't something that would mess up her house. She looked around, maybe she could put it in the cupboard. With a paper bag over it... hmm..

A flying carpet hey? "What do you mean you tried to ride a flying carpet? What was it like? Where did you try it? Arabia? That sounds really fun, Dima," she said.

Dimitri back to his mom with a jewelry box with a precious ruby necklace inside.

"I bought it when I stopped in Italy." he said while he gave it to his Mom. hope she would like it. Then he poured tea to his empty cup. A tea from his mom was very amazing.

"Yeah. I tried it when I stopped in Middle East region." he said while he put sugar to the tea. "It was more comfortable than riding the broomstick. Maybe that's why people there preferred use the flying carpet that broomstick. But muggle would be easily notice that." he continued. He still thought about what will he do next.

Lisabel cried when Dimitri handed her a beautiful jewellery box and a beautiful Ruby necklace. "Here, put it on," she said, pulling back her long hair for him to put it on. Then she gave him a hug and sobbed quietly into his shoulder.
When she had finished her crying, she pulled away and dabbed at her eyes with her silk handkerchief. Then she drank the rest of her tea and smiled at her present.

"Thank you Dimitri, it's beautiful, they both are," she said. "I can imagine how much easier it would be. Did you control it by yourself? Maybe you should have brought one home with you," she said smiling. That would be nice, hovering in her lounge room whilst marking her third grader stories.

Dimitri was very glad to know that his Mom would love the necklace. Gently he put it to his mom's neck and he let her to hugged him tightly and sobbed into his shoulder. Dimitri was a mommy boy, he really loved to make her Mommy Glad and Proud, of course.

He continued again his story about the flying carpet and he coughed when his Mom wanted to have one.

"No, it was charmed to fly. But it was not faster than broomstick." he wiped his mouth with his handkerchief. "Eh? Are you sure you want to have one? It was quite expensive, Mom." he said. "If you want it, just buy at Wiseacres in Diagon Alley." he chuckled.

Lisabel watched Dimitri though thin eyes. She wasn't looking at him like this out of anger, but out of deep thought. She was picturing herself on a flying carpet, then thought seriously that it probably wouldn't be for her. Surely she wouldn't feel safe on it. And perhaps she would feel sick from being on it.

She put her hand over his cheek and smiled again, "I'm so happy you are home Dima!" she said. "Now get upstairs and write Zhenya a letter, then come back down and I'll get some food ready," she said.

Dimitri smiled to his mom.

"I'm also glad being home mom. And christmas will coming soon!" He said. "Will Zhenny come home for Christmas? I've already had a special present for her." He asked. He really missed his little annoying sister. Too bad, Dimitri could go home when Zhenya had already started her second term in Hogwarts.

Lisabel wasn't sure... "Sorry Dima, I don't know if she will be coming home for Christmas or not. Hopefully. I'm sure she will let us know. She might just want to stay at Hogwarts with her friends, you know how decorated they made that castle. Well... I don't but your father has told me many times," she said, smiling.

She pulled out some ingredients from the fridge and cupboard and began putting the oven and stove on, pulling pots and pans out and putting them on, to make dinner.

"Did she come back last christmas, Mom?" He asked. Dimitri wasn't at home last year, he spent his christmas in Italy. It was a beautiful country to visit, especially in Christmas. He watched his mom was cooking.. Yummm....

"What do you want to cook, Mom?" He asked while he was busy writing a letter to Zhenya.

"No, she stayed at school. She said she was having a lot of fun with the assignments and classes, and exploring Hogwarts. That was okay though, we went to Russia to visit Jezabel," she said.

Jezabel was Lisabel's sister, who was her closest sister. They were only 10 months apart, and were always so close. They were even in the same year at school, which was nice for both of them, as they went through everything together. They were also sorted into the same house back home in Russia.

She stopped and scratched her head, "Well I'm just making a soup and some sauce and a salad at the moment. What do you feel like?" she asked. She always made sauces, a clear soup and salad for every dinner.

"How was Aunt Jezabel?" he asked. Dimitri never seen his mother's relative again since his grandparents passed away. He still wrote a letter and watched his mom cooking. Mmm... Dimitri missed his mom's cook.

"Hmm... That's okay. I do miss your grilled chicken." His mother's grilled chicken was the BEST on the Earth!! He ever tried the grilled chicken from all of the country where he visit, but no one could compete his mom's!

"She's good, she's pregnant again. That will be your 7th cousin from her..." Lisabel said, smiling and shaking her head. "Actually Dima... your father and I have been thinking of trying for another child. I know, Zhenya is 12, but... it just feels like something we want to do," she said.

She had been wanting to talk to Dimitri about her wanting another child. Most of her sisters had a lot of children, and even had them when they were in their 40s - which Lisabel had not yet reached.

She bent to get chicken from the freezer and shot a silent spell at it. It defrosted immediately, and she pulled out the grill, her secret seasoning and with a flick of her wand, the chicken had been pulled into neatly separated parts, was in a bag with a touch of oil and a lot of seasoning and was shaking mid-air.

ZOMGWERTHJDFGHRTYUJR4TYUEDFGHFG
WHAT DID SHE SAY BEFORE? DID HE MISHEAR SOMETHING?

Dimitri was surprised when he heard his mother's last statement.

"A.... Are you... Serious? he asked. His mother was... Well, he didn't know exactly how old was his mom. She was around 40 years old and he thought that having baby in her age now was not good.. Besides that, Dimitri was too old to have a baby sibling. He would be 20 years old next year and actually, he was ready to give a grandchild to his parents.

"Eng.. Did.. Did Zhenny know about this plan?"

Lisabel frowned at her son. Of course he would react like that, but she was hoping he could see what she would want.

"Dimitri! I'm only 38 years old. Many, MANY people are having children much later in their life, and I... well you were off travelling, which I'm so proud of, and Zhenya is away at Hogwarts. And you know, we had to send her to Russia when you started Hogwarts because nobody could take care of her, and we feel guilty about not being there during those years. We have just been talking about it, and think it's something we would both like to do," she explained.

In the distance, the front door opened, and for one brief moment Lisabel was scared that she had forgot to lock the door and it was a stranger - but then she remembered Alexander would be home soon.

Alexander Burton walked inside, brushing the December snow from his hair. He took off his laboratory jacket, and hung it on the coat rail, put down his briefcase, and walked through the passageway to the kitchen to greet his wife. He stopped in his tracks though, at the sight of his son.

"DIMA DIMA!!" he roared, his stressed face breaking out in a kind smile. He walked over and pulled his son into a deep hug, feeling all the weight of his shoulders disappear. He hadn't seen his son in almost two years, and had been worried for him the moment he left.

EH? She was only 38 y.o?
Dimitri was not good in guessing age and he was poor in mathematic. Luckily, he didn't need to study math at Hogwarts.

"Well.." he didn't know what to said. "That's up to you." he shrugged. But he still thought that he was TOO older to have a baby sibling. He wondered if he got married and had a child, so his child would have a very young uncle/aunt! Ups, talking about marriage, actually Dimitri was not in a love relationship with a girl.

"I'm happy if Zhenny will be happy too about this."


Just a moment when he was arguing with his mom, a Man entered their house and he called his name.

"Oh, Hi Dad." he said glad then he let his father hugged him. He just realized that he was almost taller than his dad. Wew.. a young man, grew up..

"How was St.Mungo's? Did you find any weird case, huh?"

Lisabel tilted her head to the side, giving Dimitri a half smile. "Dima, I'm going to be getting checked out to make sure I'm... okay to fall pregnant, but if that works out I'll be having a chat to her. I have no idea how she will take it, but it really is something we both want," she said, looking to Alexander.

Alexander patted Dimitri on the back, rolling his eyes at Lisabel. "Lisa, did you really have to tell him? I thought we weren't thinking about this seriously until we got checked out?" he asked, then stopped. Too serious discussion for Dimitri to come back to.

"No, not really. It's great though, Dims. Was promoted a few weeks ago! Head Healer of Bugs! I've been looking into a cure of Dragon Pox, it's quite fascinating," he said, getting happy. He loved discussing his work. He spoke about it A LOT with Zhenya, but because Dimitri had been gone 2 years, and Zhenya had been away at school - he couldn't talk about it at home. Lisabel didn't understand a lot of it, either.

"How was work Lisa?" he asked, giving her a hug and kiss.

Dimitri just kept silent. He only wanted the best for him and his family. If having a child would make his mother happy, why not?

"Yeah, Mom had told me about your promotion, Dad. Congratulations." he said. He continued to write letter for Zhenya. Personally, he slightly dissagree about his parents' plan to have a child again. No.. not because he would be envy with the baby. He almost 20, you know?

*sigh*

Well, he must be thinking about his career, rather than his parents' plan.

Lisabel turned away from her son to prepare the dinner. She felt somewhat disheartened that he didn't seem to approve. Well, she was offended - she had the impression he thought she was too old. Jezabel was older than she was, and even her older sisters were getting pregnant. Well, she couldn't get mad because she was just so happy he was home. This matter could wait for a while, until the family understood.

She greased up the chicken and put it on the grill, and continued to make the salad, sauce and soup. Once the timer went off, she ladled out small bowls of chicken noodle soup and put them on clean placemats in front of Dimitri and Alexander, and set up one for herself. They were all seated around the kitchen bar, because it was a lazy day. She placed it near him so he could finish with his letter and pull it closer.
Then she got some crusty bread and cut it up, putting it in the middle of all their plates, and she started eating.

"Thanks Dims," Alexander said. He was so happy, and he even had an awesome new badge which was gold. Alexander would have to have a word with Lisabel soon about what she had told Dimitri. He could hear it in his voice that he had disapproved, exactly what Alexander knew would happen. He had no idea she would have told him though.

He, too, sighed as he slumped into a bar stall, and pulled the soup bowl near him. He got a big chunk of bread, buttered it and began eating his soup.
"Oh this is delicious Lisa," he said to her, winking.

Okay, forogt about that. Time to DINNER!
Hmm... His mom served chicken noodle soup, salad, and grilled chicken!! He was very angry and he had waited for this dinner for a long time! He took the spoon and tasted his mother's soup.

"Mmmmm.... It's very delicious, Mom." he said. Then he took a slice of bread, buttered it and ate it with his soup. Yummy!! It was very long time not to taste his mother's cook.

Lisabel's face warmed when Dimitri spoke kindly of her cooking. "Sorry Dima, I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted you to know we were considering it, that's all," she said, then continued eating.

"So did you meet any girls along the way?" she asked.