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Shortly after Leigh left Riel peeked her head out of the shadow of the stairs, her neck was bruised and her lips were plump her eyes were puffy and red, her narrow eyes saw her young son's wiry black hair. Riel trotted lightly through the kitchen hoping her son would not see her like this...

With a grim expression on his face Orion was rubbing a lock of Janna's hair between his fingertips as he thought about possibly leaving his home for a while, the conflict was that he could not fathom the thought of leaving his mother alone with his father alone, Orion let out a low sigh. Riel's head turned to the sofa where she had heard the sound. Janna lifted her head from Orion's chest, he looked down at her with his fingers tangled in her hair.

   "Good morning, Orion" Janna murmured as she opened her eyes. Orion sat up, blushing as he saw her at his stomach

"Ermm... Good mornin' Janna" he helped Janna up under her arms to sit next to him, she leaned on him with her hair tossing onto his neck as a large mass and as she spoke she rubbed her eyes "what's the time?"

   "Half te nin'" Riel answered from the kitchen, Orion seemed to ripple like unsettled water and turn to his mother—with a long glance he saw what she looked like before she could turn away to the shadow, she shook her head at him before leaving up the stairs.

Orion's hand clasped Janna's shoulder, he looked at her tired face, she looked at him to speak "The Professor migh' be comin' at ten so ye need te be packin' up noo" he said hurriedly as he rushed to sit up

    "What is it?" Janna struggled to sit up next to him since he had his back to her "Is there something wrong?"

He turned his face to her before taking her shoulders with his hands as she sat up on the sofa, Janna stared at him as his eyes closed, then it was like lightening, his face moved to hers and... Janna only saw a flash of his wiry hair in her eyes and a warm feeling on her mouth...

Janna stared at him feeling the new warmth on her lips, she placed her fingertips on her lip "Is tha' wot it feels like?" Orion murmured to himself as he looked at Janna's reaction "tha' did feel strange"

   "You kissed me" Janna spoke lowly looking at her fingers that touched her lips, she stared at her fingers thinking that Orion was unaware of the hideous jaws he had kissed willingly, she licked her lips "your lips are dry, they taste like balloons"

With a bright red face Orion laughed nervously before pushing Janna's hair back "of good' cheer" he smiled, Janna looked at him seeing his face tone down to a pale pink "'tis like snoggin' yor siblin'" Orion mumbled, Janna nodded in agreement, standing up she saw Orion staring at her eyes.

   "I didn't mind it..." Janna flushed, feeling her fingers curl at her sides "aren't we too young to do this anyways?"

A knock came to the front door, both their heads turned to the door, Orion stood up on his bare feet to walk to the door, opening it a gust of wind brushed her cheek as she saw Professor Potter standing in the frozen air with a fog in front of his nose "G-good morning, Orion" Harry shivered in the cold, Orion quickly leaned out the way to allow the short man to wall in.

   "Has the Baltic air gotten to ya, sir?" Orion asked with a smirk behind the Professor's back, the Professor ignored Orion's comment as he moved down the narrow entrance hall. Janna spotted Potter moving into the living room where she sat on the sofa with the quilt on her knees "hullo Harry"

    "Hullo Janna" Potter replied, being cautious of the host of the house behind him by watching the boy before asking "Are you ready to go?"

Janna looked at Orion "Actually..." she moved her eyes to Potter "Orion's coming back with me, if you don't mind"

Potter looked at Orion who was walking past him to sit next to Janna "alright, we're leaving now, though"

There was a plonk on the linoleum counter of the kitchen which caused the three of them to turn their heads to see a rucksack on the counter in the kitchen by the window "Orion'sall pack'd, Mr. Pot'er" Orion's mother grinned, swiping a lock of black hair out of her clean and now fresher looking face.

    "Good morning" Potter put out his hand as he walked to the woman in the kitchen, she watched him with a sly smile on her face, she gently shook his hand with her long skinny arm "Are you Orion's mother?"

   "Indeed" She mocked his formality "Riel Cintola" she then pulled his arm with considerable force, causing Potter to wince, putting her face to his ear she said in a quiet hiss that Janna was sure Orion could never hear "If ya t'ink ma son's like 'is pa yerr dead wrong..." Riel then puckered her lips as she leaned back, still keeping his hand hostage, she glowered up at his face as she lifted his knuckles to her face by bowing slightly "I migh' be a muggle but I ken body language" Riel ran her fingertips over Potter's knuckles then she dropped his hand as she stood up straight and breathed in deeply, leaning her head back and puckering her lips again, she folded her arms over her chest "The boy's not 'is father, nor 'is namesake"

Orion caught Janna staring at him with a strange look, he breathed in "Maw, Ey think Professor Pot'er knows noo"

Reil broke her glare at Professor Potter who watched her carefully, not wanting to ruffle her feathers "Good. Noo," she turned away from Potter to go around the sofa pulling Janna and Orion into a tight hug "Take care of yeselves," she inspected them both, bending her knees so she was at their eye level, she pushed Janna's hair back to get her face out a shadow then moved Orion's forelock away from his eyes and tucking it behind his ear "and take care'of one-a-other, alright?"

   "Aye, maw" Orion nodded, gently curling his hand around Janna's.

Janna felt her face go warm, seeing Riel look at her for confirmation, her grey eyes flickering as she studied Janna's face "Yes ma'am, I'll keep Orion safe"

   "Crackin'!" Riel smiled brightly as she stood up "Jus' take yer boots, I dinnae want ya back without toes" Riel pointed out their bare feet as she went 'round the sofa to kitchen "cheers, Ey need te be a' the job  in half an'ways"

And so Orion and Janna put on their shoes, Orion let Janna keep the coat she wore the night before since it was too small for anyone in his household. Harry ushered out the two children the house after Orion tired to say goodbye to his mum... she had already left.

The walk to the pub was strange, many villagers noted Professor Potter's presence by offering him pickled herring and boiled cabbage wrapped around ground up sheep innards, all was humbly declined by Potter who said he didn't have the stomach for such rich food, at some point an angry old lady chased the party with a jar of pickled herring insisting Potter take the jar but he told her he had plenty at his own house, which she smiled at him for and patted his shoulder calling him a "Sassanack laddie"

As they walked away from the old lady who hobbled back into her home Potter leaned to Janna and Orion "I really don't have pickled herring, my wife loves to just feed my family fresh anything, she would have a fit if I brought that home" Janna nodded, she leaned onto Orion's shoulder as she absorbed his warmth from his arm wrapped around her shoulder.