"A Final Goodbye"

July 1967, 3 months later

Christian walked the streets of Diagon Alley with Merritt at his side. His heart broke every time he saw the absent look on her face. Ever since the children had returned from their first year at Hogwarts there had been an underlying tensity between them. Erin was no longer engaging in her studies with her mother, Merritt had locked herself away in her room and did everything she could to avoid her great grandfather and Dexter had begun acting out. The boy who had once been against conflict with his cousins was picking fights with the twins, confusing Cormac and Winston equally and angering Dara further.

In an attempt to draw Merritt out of her shell and see his lost daughter, Christian had reached out to Julia for the first time in nearly thirteen years. The woman's handwriting was the same as it had been back when they loved each other yet she was much more disagreeable now, even in writing.

Nonetheless, he was taking Merritt and Serenity out for dinner. There was a voice that nagged at him to spend as much time as possible with them before the world around them changed for the worst; the reports that he constantly received at work about masked witches and wizards attacking muggle-borns and half-bloods alike accompanied with the constant threat of their 'Dark Lord' left Christian agitated. He watched everyone he passed sceptically, scanning them for the tattoo he had seen on a wizard he interrogated only last week.

During his scanning, he saw a familiar face approaching him. Julia was frowning as she held Lakita's shoulder as they walked. Serenity walked behind them between Logan and Lucas, the two boys towered over her as they silently communicated.

"Julia, it's good to see you." Feigning a smile, she nodded and reached back to tug Serenity forward.

"It took some convincing to get her to come." Scowling, Serenity looked up at the adults and crossed her arms.

"I'm right here!" Already walking away, Julia gave her a stern look as her grip never faltered on Lakita's shoulder.

"Behave, Serenity." Serenity huffed and looked after Lakita longingly. Her sister offered a supportive smile before being tugged ahead by their mother. Turning back to her dad, Serenity couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. Merritt also pursed her lips and watched how her sister shrunk back on herself.

Wordlessly, Merritt stepped forward and drew her sister in for a hug. She squeezed Serenity as tightly as possible until, finally, the eldest of the two began to cry. For the first time since leaving the Rier Estate, Serenity found herself in a position where she could finally let her guard down. In her sister's arms, she finally let her guard down. In her sister's arms, she could finally be broken.

Watching his daughters like this hurt Christian. He was angry at himself for allowing Serenity to leave and Merritt to withdraw herself from her family, he was upset with his grandfather for inflicting such pain on his girls and was adamant to do whatever he could to make it stop. Kneeling beside them, he scooped them both into his arms and held them as he did when they were kids. Neither of them cared that they were in the middle of Diagon Alley anymore and when Serenity was the first to pull away she didn't bother to wipe away her tears.

"I'm sorry, Mers! I'm so sorry I ignored you and made you feel worse than you already did. I'm your big sister and I made you go through this year alone and I'm so awful about that. It's my job to protect you and all I did was leave you lonely." Merritt fiddled with her fingers and leaned against her father.

"It's okay, 'Ren, I probably would have done the same thing. You're my sister and I could never be really angry with you." Bursting into tears once again, Serenity launches herself at Merritt and squeezes her tightly.

"I love you, sis. My sweet baby sister." Merritt smiles for the first time since she left Hogwarts.

Christian clears his throat, promptly wiping away Serenity's tears when she turns her attention to him. He grinned at his daughters, pleased with their resolution yet now knew he was about to ruin the moment with the necessary parenting. The three of them moved to the side of the street where Mr Fortescue's ice cream shop was teeming with customers thanks to the hot summer day. Taking a seat at the outside table, Christian passed off some money to Merritt and told her to order them whatever she liked. With his youngest skipping giddily into the shop like her usual self, he turns to his eldest. The seriousness on his face made Serenity's smile drop.

"I received a letter from Hogwarts a few months ago from Professor Dumbledore saying that you're acting out." While Serenity's head dropped he reached across the table to hold her hands comfortingly. "Now, I understand you've been having a rough time and you're nearly thirteen so, of course, your body will be going through all sorts of changes that only your mother will truly understand." She looked up at him, her eyes wide and brows furrowing at the direction the conversation was heading. Recognising the same horrified look he had seen when his own father had attempted "the talk" with Lucia when they were kids, Christian pursed his lips and skipped the speech he had rehearsed previously. "What I'm trying to say is: you cannot keep burning ties and scaring students. Your professors are recognising that you're acting out and we're all ready to talk if you need a listening ear. But wandless magic is no joke and should not be taken lightly. You cannot continue to set fires and try to tamper with enchanted objects in Hogwarts- the headmaster is concerned you may be putting the other students at risk and he doesn't want to have to suspend or- for Merlin's sake- expel you." She was once again looking down at the table. "Serenity." She drags her gaze up to him. "Is there something you want to tell me?" As she shakes her head with a heavy smile, Merritt hops off of the step by the door and carries a large goblet full of ice cream over to the table.

Christian spares one last worried glance at Serenity before grinning at Merritt and the ice cream. Rubbing his palms together and licking his lips, he picks up a spoon.

"What did you get Mers?" She grins around her mouthful of ice cream, the varying colours in the bowl looking like sprinkles on vanilla.

"Every flavour ice cream! They fixed it so that only the nice flavours are in there. I just got bubblegum!" Christian tastes his spoonful sceptically, the green colour not looking the most appetising.

"Hm! Mint!" Finding her smile once again, Serenity looks between the two as she fans her mouth.

"Butter... beer... but it's... cold!" She gasps as the ice cream finally slides down her throat.