Right. Everything was perfect. Xyntheshia-Khan Balouch looked around at the dining hall, which looked quite lovely. It was a sort of candle-lit touch, what with the pale yellow lights but ....... she peeked out of the room and yes! The rest of the house still looked pretty neat. So Nova hadn't broken anything!

"Fyodor," she called out, patting her hair down and looking at her dress. To be frank she wasn't too bothered about it but she did love to look pretty. And she wore pink today. What a delight! "Come down at once!"

"Fyodor" had yet to be satisfied with himself. He stood in front of a mirror, and pulled at a tuft of bronze hair. He was pretty sure he looked alright, but it wasn't that he was worried about - it was his mother, who was as unlike any other parent he had ever known. She was going to ... make a bit of fun at his expense. Not that he didn't like it. Yeah, he liked the fact that he had a mum who was fun, and not some boring sorta person with a tendency to shout at you if you, say, broke her favourite vase.

He exited his room, descended the staircase and ... and pretended to gasp. "Mum!" he exclaimed. "You look absolutely girly. You should have worn green, that looks so lovely on you."

"Everything looks lovely on me," Xyntheshia said loftily. "Now Fyo ...... what's wrong with your boots? Have you even polished them?" She picked up her wand and gave it a flick and his boots began to shine. Not just shine ......... they glowed a bright blue! "That looks better doesn't it, my dear?"

Fyo gave a roll of his eyes. "Come on, mum, you know pink isn't your colour. Besides, it makes you look like a ..." *GASP* He looked down at his boots, and saw that they were .... an iridescent blue!

"MUM!" He didn't shout, just raised his voice in pretended shock. "Do you want Lissy to laugh at me, doo youuu?"

"Of course it is," Xyntheshia said at once. She knew it wasn't - at least not in dark shades - but it was fun to annoy him, once in a while. He was after all, her only son. Xyntheshia liked to have her way with Fyo.

"If she doesn't already laugh at how silly you are, I don't think she will now," she teased him but then she suddenly smiled and pulled him into a warm hug. "My boy's growing, isn't he?" It felt so strange to see him here, waiting for a girlfriend to arrive when she had seen him so different, so much smaller....... Xyntheshia shook the thoughts off and smiled again. "I'll go change now, Fyo. Be a good boy now and call down Nova, will you?"

Fyo gave another roll of his eyes. Trust her to tease the living daylights out of him. "She loves me," he said confidently, with something along the lines of ... sticking his tongue out at her. "I bet she would, even if I looked silly." Wore pink, or something of that sort.

Waitttt a second!

"You mean you're not going to wear this ludicrous pink dress for the dinner? You're a life-saver, mum! I love you!" He wrapped his arms around her, and didn't let go. It still felt good to be her little child. Fyo loved his mother as much as she loved him. Rawrrrr.

Novaaaa? Ah yes, where was she? Probably in bed. He looked down, at his feet, as he thought of her, of how she did not know how sick she really was, but he knew he had to be brave. "I'll go find her," he mumbled, as he fled up the staircase. "Wear something really nice, please." Even though he personally thought she looked GORGEOUS in everything.

Except dark shades of pink.

"Puppy love," Xyntheshia teased, as she shuffled away. Then she turned and shot him a glare. "Of course I'm not going to wear this Fyodor, where the heck is your fashion sense? And don't you know me enough to be completely aware I never dress like a loony?" Not that the pink dress was bad. It just made her like a ...... silly school-girl. Which she thankfully wasn't.

"Hurry up now," she said as she swept out of the hall.

Riiiight. He should have known that, 'course he should have... and the FAMOUS DEATH GLARE! "Don't do that, mum, it's really scary," Fyo said, arms crossed, and he shook his head as he watched her leave. Now, of course, he had to find the pretty thing that was his little sister.

Not that that was such a titan's task. Fyo knew exactly where she would be. He climbed the staircase, and knocked on the door to the little bedroom next to his parents' larger one. "Novvvaaa." Then he had pushed open the door, and stepped into the cool calm of the room.

"Ready?"

Nova Balouch looked up from her book. She was reading this really cute one on stars and stuff and it was so spazzy! Zomg! "Fyyyoo!" she said, tackling him to the ground. She was ready of course...... in a pretty white dress with her hair in white-blonde pigtaisl tied with big, red ribbons to match her shoes. "Eez your girlfriennd really pretty? Even prettier than meee? Fyyoooo!"

Tackle!

Fyo laughed as he was thrown to the ground. She didn't have that much weight, but well, he sort of let himself be pounced upon. She was HIS Nova. "You look like a gorgeous, little sister," he told her, patting the top of her head. For a second, he was so calm, so very calm because he was with her. His Nova. Totally HIS.

Then her question made him laugh. "You two are equally pretty, of course," he told her, getting up and giving her a little spin in the air. "Let's go down before mum comes and sees us messing about and ruining our clothes, shall we, Nov?"

"Fyyyoo!" Nova said, hugging him and not letting go. "I want to be prettier than her 'cause I don't want you to leave me forrr herr. Can I be best friends with herrr? Fyyoo."

She nodded when he told her it was time to go and quickly grabbed her latest, pink teddy from the bed. She also grabbed a big, purple box tied with a ribbon. "Let's gooo," she said, clinging to him.

Fyo stopped in his tracks, and blinked. There had been more than one point in his life when one of his friends had blamed another of 'stealing' him - or he had blamed people like that - but it didn't feel right, when Nova said it. "Of course I won't leave you," he said firmly. "Don't even think that... and yes, you can be friends with her, Nov. You have to be."

He grinned when she grabbed her teddy. Another one in a series of teddy bears, that one. But waiiit ... what was that? The package?

"What," he asked, as she clung to him. "Is this, Nov?" He pointed to the purple box as he spoke, and waited for an answer. You never knew what Nova Balouch could be up to. She was a sweet enigma.

Nova was glad Fyo wasn't gonna leave her. She didn't want him to. "I'll be friends with her," she said, nodding. "She can't be bad if you love her, Fyyo. Does she have big eyes like stars, Fyyoo?" She stopped, and grabbed her new book on stars too. "I'll show her my new book. Does she like stars, Fyyo?"

She eyed her box. "It's my gift for her," she told him, finally letting go of him. "Fyyyoo."

Fyo smiled slightly. "She's wonderful, don't you worry," he told her, ruffling her hair a bit because, unlike a lot of other people, Nova did not dislike that. Liked it, if anything.

Big eyes, like stars? Ummm ... "I do know she has brilliant ones," he told Nova. It was good to have a sister like her. He couldn't talk like this to, say, his dad. He could to his mum, though. She was in on most of his secrets, even the shifty ones. ".. and I know she will be really happy to meet you. You'll like her." Yes, he was sure of that.

Gift? Whoa, what had Nova put inside that box? Fyo didn't ask, though. He didn't want to ruin the surprise for his own self! "That's nice of you, Nov," he said, as he linked his hand with hers and headed for downstairs. "Be nice while I'm away, alright?"

Lissy seemed like a nice girl. Nova liked that. She linked her hand with Fyo's and skipped down the stairs but she pouted when he mentioned that he had to leave. "You'll be back soon with her?" she asked hopefully. She didn't want him out of her sight for too long, now that he was back. "Fyyyoo."

Aww. "Of course, Nov," Fyo said, giving her another hug again. Fyova hugs were as nice as Frody! hugs. They felt so perfect, so right.

He glanced at his watch, then looked around. He would be off in about five more minutes. The fourth year ran a hand through his shock of bronze hair, and then settled Nova into a sofa. "Novvvaaaa." Teehee.

Happy yet nervous. It was Alice

She was so happy that she was going to see him. Her lovable one and only Prince Fyo. But nervous about how she was going to compose herself from all the overwhelming enthusiasm. What if his parents does not like her after seen her in person?! What if Uncle Henry was there?! What if..what...if..what if..God..I need to calm down and get rid of this question marks first.

She took an empty seat in the lounge, waiting for Fyo to pick her up as fidgeting the hem of her top. Come soon Fyo. I'm dying here...

Right. He should be off.

Fyo checked his watch again, and then he had managed to find his father, Christian Balouch. Because, of course, it was his father who would help him get to the airport. Side-along apparation.

The two arrived, Fyo excited, and his father ... impassive. "Do you want to come with me and -?" he began.

"I can wait here," Christian said briefly.

"Yes, dad."



He ... pretty much rushed off. His father was a really warm man at most times, but he had his 'moods' and, at this moment, Christian was neck-deep in one of his let's-not-talk-too-much moods. Fyo knew things would brighten up when his dad would see Lissy, though. Yeah, his dad would like her. His mind was full of thoughts as he stepped into the lounge, scanned the place for a glimpse of his Butterfly and ...

"Lissy!"

He walked over to her, and wrapped her in a hug. It was SO good to see her, outside of Hogwarts, too.

Time..time was ticking away. Why it's going so slow today? Alice's mind seemed working overtime. She got up and pacing down around the lounge impatiently. She was in her casual clothes. She will change to her special dinner dress after a while. Taking a glance at her baggages, Alice smiled to herself.

Before taking another step towards the glass partition, She heard his voice. The famous voice of famous Fyodor Balouch, her brave Lion. Alice took a turn and ran towards him. "Hey love!!" she happily wrapped herself in his arms and hugged him back. He was there, now she was relaxed, completely.

"Heyyy," Fyo said, happy. He couldn't put into words how glad he was to be able to see her outside of Hogwarts. It totally made his day. Week, in fact. "I've missed you, Butterfly. LOADS."

He hugged for a good while more, but then his mind registered the fact that, somewhere outside the oh-so-awesome building, waited his dad, waited for his son and his girlfriend. EEP. "We should get going. My dad apparated me here, and he's going to apparate us back."

"I love you."

"I missed you too, Fyo!!" Alice nodded with her eye-lashes fluttered like butterfly in sheer happiness, "I love you too Mr. Gryffindor!".

It took few seconds for her to realize what he said. Oh..his dad. OMG..was he here? Oh..how embarrasing it would be if he saw her hugging his son in a public place? Alice blushed. "Okay..where's he?" was the question that popped up first.

"I know," Fyo laughed. "I totally know." But the problem, right now, was his father. Who had chosen to wait ... outside the building. Gosh, Fyo hadn't even been able to ask him to not do that, and come inside instead. Because, of course, his dad was in one of his 'moods.'

"Outside," he told Lissy, with a shrug of his shoulders. "I think we should get going, Lis. I don't want him to wonder what we're doing." He stuck his tongue out at her in a rather child-like way, then picked up her stuff, and led her away from the lounge.



Christian Balouch was ... waiting. He tapped one foot impatiently, and wondered what his son was up to. Probably hugging the girl, or whatever else these kids, did these days. But he was in a warmer mood now, and wanted to take those kids home.

Then he saw ... Fyo.

With the girl.

"Good to know you decided to come back," he said to Fyo rather severely, but then he smiled, and turned to Alice. "... and you must be Alice Winchester? What a pleasure to have you with us, today. I hope Fyo hasn't been annoying you?" Cue another smile.

He knows. He knows everything about her. How smart he is!!

He said his dad was waiting outside. So nice. "Okay..let's go. I dont want to make him wait for so long.." Alice smiled shyly, getting nervous again now. His dad. She didnt know his nature except few details once Fyo had mentioned about him a long back. But surely not like his Uncle Henry. He was the tough one to handle especially for the people who are in love. Giggling inwardly at the thought, Alice walked beside him, as gathering up all her courage to face no to meet his Dad.


Finally, she met him, Fyo's Dad, Mr. Christian Balouch. He looked so energetic and young for his age. Alice forgot blink for few seconds before nodded her head, "Yeah, It's nice to meet you too finally. But as a fact you stunned me.." she smiled, "In a good way only.." her eyes now looked at Fyo as if she asked, Did I talk too much?

"Did I?" Christian asked, with a smile. He didn't see why. "I hope Fyo here did not scare you with tales of how I insist he should brush up on his ancient runes." He grinned at his son as he spoke, and then glanced at his wristwatch. It really was time to go.

"Well, Alice, can you please hold on to Fyo? I'm going to apparate both of you back to the house, and then we can get to know each other better in a more relaxed manner."



Whoa. His dad was ... FINE! Not in a bad mood! Yay! Fyo gave Lissy a happy smile, then linked her hands with his. "I hope you have fun, Lissy," he told her cheerfully. "I love you."