Christmas Break ( Keela / Vincent )

[shava]

Vincent woke up, sitting up and rubbing his eyes blearily. Sunlight streamed into the room, reflecting off the white walls and the stone floor despite the myriad of carpets around the bedroom. Okay, that was the first negative with this place; it would be near impossible to sleep late inside. Sliding over sideways he checked the clock on the wall next to the large queen sized bed and picked up a robe, sliding it on over his naked frame. Mussing his hair a bit he walked over to the door and opened it a crack. This guest room opened up into a short hall and as he stepped out, a chair from the living room had been set so the occupant could see down the hallway. A small boy grinned and waved at Vincent who stared a moment before he waved back with half a smile.

As he turned to the bathroom he had been shown yesterday when he arrived, he heard the bright tenor yelling "He's up, mama!" Chuckling at that, Vin locked himself in the bathroom and did his morning wake up, feeling much better when he stepped out less then five minutes later. Not having to wait for hair to dry made a huge difference to his wake up compared to most! He managed to arrive back in his room without being spotted a second time and began dressing with stuff from his locker which he had brought with him from Hogwarts. Having already been told to be casual, he had prepared for being inside or out and was slipping on jeans, decent polo, and had his red sweater-jacket on the bed beside him as he reached for tennis shoes and socks.

The manor was far more impressive then he had expected, the warm stone under his feet even here in December very pleasant and tempting to go barefoot on. Yesterday when they arrived, a quick tour of the farmhouse to meet her grandmother and several of her smaller grandkids then a walk down the cliff had satisfied him the place was big and well concealed. The idea that there were more then six families living in the main manor house had made his eyes go up, especially as two of them were rented places! He stepped to the door of his room, jacket under his arm as he stepped out and met Keela's aunt Boann, a very cheerful woman with red spots on her cheeks from a very rosy complexion. It made him smile just to meet her and he was more surprised when she had winked the first evening when they had spoken about doors between places and how they would be keeping the main one unlocked for now in the evenings.

Then again she must be expecting naughtiness and was giving him the high sign of approval for his manners the day before!

he shook his head at the place, greeting her husband as he stepped down the hall to be greeted by a plate of cheese blintzes and a plum sauce which made him almost want to lick the plate. Beside him the boy (whose name was Dian unusually) was chatting by asking him a running list of questions from what his jacket was made by, to what brooms were like to fly, to a story which he found hard to follow about a llama named Snow and her spitting habits which he kept trying to show how her lips vibrated when she did it with his own. Amused, and rather fascinated at the way the boy (who was only four after all) changed subjects at random and with seeming no connection till his mother came and sent him off to stop bothering the guest. She attempted to brush it off with an apology as Vin ate on a stool at the counter but he just chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Ma'am--" she raised a finger in warning, "Sorry, Boann I grew up with tons of younger brothers and sisters. The youngest is still a baby."

Vincent would have added more but then the door opened and she turned and chuckled as he saw the one he was here for come into the room, clearly warned he was up and available.

[kyla]

Keela was jolted awake by a sudden weight on the bed as if something or someone had pounced to her left. Sure enough, when she opened her eyes, her younger sister's face filled her sleep addled vision. Briana was grinning ear to ear, and she knew instinctively that whatever she had to say must involve Vin....Vin! The previous day came back in a rush. His arrival, the tour, they hadn't had much alone time since everyone save for Cern had been keen to meet her boyfriend. He was, after all, the first boy she'd ever brought home. Even Cern had made an effort, though he kept looking at Vin as though he couldn't quite get a read on him. Her parents had barely gotten a word in edge-wise as her aunts had run interference for most of the afternoon. She'd have to thank them later.

For her part, Briana was bouncing on the edge of Keela's bed, smiling as knowingly as one could at her age. "He's awake!" the younger girl announced excitedly. "He's downstairs with aunt Boann!" Oh Merlin... Keela thought. There was no telling what sort of incriminating information her family might be revealing in her absence. Cern would be outside by now, probably doing something fun with Lilli. Keela thanked Merlin for small favors, but was still intent on getting downstairs as quickly as possible. She offered her sister a warm smile as the fog cleared. Briana's excitement was catching, and Keela soon found herself grinning in return. She made a shooing motion even as she laughed. "Out with you", she laughed, "I can't go down in my pajamas can I?"

Eying the tank top and shorts in the mirror she knew that though Vin had seen her in far less, her father would likely have issues with her showing up to breakfast half-dressed. She padded to the bathroom across the hall, knowing the visitor would have drawn everyone's attention. She hoped he wasn't too overwhelmed, and then reminded herself that he too came from a large family. Fifteen minutes later she was dressed casually. Wanting to be cute was one thing, over-dressing on the farm was asking to take a massive fall. Given the choice, Keela chose trying to combine the two.

She caught herself practically sprinting downstairs and checked her pace. When had that happened? She hadn't been this excited about being home for Christmas since her first year at Hogwarts when she'd been the only kid there and desperately homesick. She ambled into the room, trying to look sleepy and failing miserably. "Morning aunt Boann", she offered, trying to keep her excitement toned down. She glanced at Vin and blushed, unsure how to treat him in front of her aunt. "Good morning lo-Vin" That did it, she flushed crimson and stared at the floor. Her aunt chuckled as she settled onto the stool next to him.

[shava]

As soon as she entered, Vincent flashed her a smile, warmly inviting her to join him. "I see the munchkin brigade has been busy this morning," He glanced at her aunt with a half-grin, half-suspicious look and she chuckled again. "before you ask, he's been waiting for the stranger to get up an hour, running back and forth to tell his cousins next door. They've been giggling the whole time, I had nothing to do with it." Her eyes twinkled enough Vin suspected she may have planted the idea, but as he accepted a glass of milk from her he kept the peace. She slid a plate in front of Keela as well adding "Eat up! You are going to need all the energy you have to keep this one entertained, I think..."

It was at this point he nearly choked at her phrasing (which you could tell she knew and was hinting at what he took it at, naughty woman) but recovered on his own before glancing at Keela, no blush on his face. "So Keela," flashing her aunt who was moving off clearly amused a glance of appreciation, "I take it that no presents are given out till later or have the stockings already been gutted early on this morning while I slept? I don't remember what all you told me was happening today." Finishing up his plate (as he had had several bites before she got down) he pushed it in front of him with the fork on it.

"Thank you, Aunt Boann" he said with emphasis on the aunt part which caused her to flash him a warning look, "that was delicious. Mom never makes stuff like that up for breakfast, we tend to stick with cereal. When you have eight kids and twelve cousins in the house during vacation time it's easier to pour the bowl down a line." Seeing her aunt's look of surprise he shrugged and laughed himself. "What can I say, we're a mob. Mom's got in the habit of feeding like we're pigs, makes her life easier." Sliding his hand over his girlfriend's back in a back rub he said softer "Sleep okay? I have to say the sunshine around here is rude, but everyone else has been nice. These floors are amazing, I'd swear it was fifteen below out last night..."

[kyla]

Keela smiled, it was odd, seeing him here, sitting in her kitchen, eating breakfast. Not unwelcome, but definitely odd. She nodded, "Briana couldn't wait to tell me you'd beat me to breakfast this morning", she agreed. She turned her head to give her aunt an affectionately skeptical look. "Why don't I believe you?" she asked, widening her eyes innocently in jest. When she turned her attention back to Vin, she added: "I'm sorry, I should have warned you how excited everyone would be." Truthfully, she hadn't thought much of it. She'd hoped, rather outlandishly, that having so many people around would allow Vin to just sort of meld in, but there was obviously no such luck to be had. Keela had just begun digging into her breakfast, when her eyes shot up to her aunts, and she flushed a dark crimson. "Aunt Boann!" the words came out with a distinctive tinge of embarrassment. Her aunt simply gave her an amused, knowing smile, and Keela shot Vin a look as if to say 'what can you do?' "Where are mum and dad?" she asked. They'd be up by now, and it was a wonder they weren't already here, unless of course they'd already eaten early and were out and about already.

Her aunt's teasing brought back memories of her time at Hogwarts with him, and the flush that had begun to recede, returned with a vengence. While it was largely out of the question that they'd get any real private time while he was here, it had been several days since they'd truly had any time to themselves, and she was beginning to miss his closeness. It got her wondering how they'd manage next year, when she was traveling the country and he was still here, stuck finishing his last year of schooling. His voice distracted her, and she smiled. "The younger ones, yes, but the rest of us wait until after the daily chores are done. Makes for a bit of a downer if you have to go muck stalls after presents." Not that they hadn't done it ocassionally over the years. Still, her parents had taken company into account, and most of the daily stuff was being magically finished today, but they'd been admonished not to get used to it. Both her parents thought it was important that their children be instilled with a fairly strong work ethic, though Keela knew from stories of the past that her mum had struggled a bit in adjusting when they'd first married.

She shrugged, "it honestly depends on how early everyone got up. Since it's Christmas, things are a bit different." She glanced out the window, "still, we should be doing all the family stuff soon." She glanced at her aunt, "right?" When Vincent spoke to Boann, she lowered her head suddenly at grinned at her plate, restraining laughter. He'd fit just fine, she thought, so long as he made it past dad and Cern, and that particular test would come later today, she was certain. Keela couldn't picture the feeding line, though she imagined it did make things simpler. He mentioned the sunshine and she grinned. "You get used to it", she assured him. "Most of the time we're up with the sun anyway." It was true, it had felt strange getting to sleep late, but such was the magic of Christmas. She knew Briana was up and bouncing, no doubt their youngest brother was up and about too though she hadn't seen him yet.

She glanced covertly at Vin from the corner of her eye, and found herself thinking that if Cern and Lilli had found some quiet corner to curl up in, she was immensely jealous.

[shava]

Yes, it appeared he was the main focus of everyone if the kids were running around excited. Maybe they hoped to catch them at something? Vin reminded himself to keep especially good eyes open for smaller ones! "Your father was out to the barns early as always, I suspect your mother went to speak to him about arrangements. Airmid is keeping the mess down in the living room, the hubs are rounding up wild kitlings scattering throughout the floors." She laughed soft and went for clean up, knowing she had made her point that all the adults were occupied.

"Oh yes, the love of farm life," he laughed softly, wondering how many animals they actually had here. "Well sounds like we have a little bit of time at least. Seen Cern and his girl anywhere yet?" Firmly sure he would be sleeping in later in the morning, he determined to block up his window somehow. "I think you were going to show me the window seat," he said in a slightly lowered voice.

As she finished what she was cleaning, Boann made shooing motions as she came out of the kitchen. "Out! Out! Go have some fun before everyone gets stuck together again!" The smile on her face said she expected them to be in a hidden corner somewhere if she had anything to say about it. Chased from the kitchen willingly, Vin captured Keela's hand in his as they stepped out of the small apartment. "You told me you liked to curl up there to read and watch the sea. It seems I should see this spot you like so much and since your aunt likes the idea of us not being easy to find..."

So far, this family was proving to be a different kind of chaos from his, but he liked it. Three siblings under one roof, each with kids and all of them mingling in different apartments which seemed to be open territory. How did they think to keep the kids from having someone else in their room at night? Not that he wanted to do anything naughty under her parents roof his first trip, but surely clothed cuddling in his temporary bed was something her aunt would approve of at least! "I suspect your aunt wants you to drag me off into a dark corner and have your way with me. Think that's close?"

[kyla]

Keela knew her aunt was hinting, and it surprised her. Though her aunts had always been more open even than her mother, it caught Keela off guard that they were that supportive, but then, maybe Vin charmed everyone the way he'd charmed her. Well, everyone female at least, she ducked her head and smirked to herself. She nodded her head. "So we've got at least an hour before everything settles down..." Her aunt gave her a look as if to say 'now you're getting it', and she almost laughed. She'd be willing to bet Vin had gotten the hint also, he was observant that way. Sure enough, when she looked at him, she could almost see the pieces clicking together in his head. If Cern and Lilli were hidden away somewhere and the younger ones were all being herded by her uncles, they might stand a decent chance at some privacy.

Keela did laugh then, softly. She did love it here, despite the chaos of living with so many family members and the hard work that kept a farm running. It was home, the only one she'd ever known, and while she definitely wanted to travel, she also understood that some day, when she was ready and had made her way in the world, she'd still think of it as home. Keela shook her head and shrugged. "I'd wager they've already found some deserted corner either down at the farm or outside to call theirs for the time being." Keela knew Lilli was having trouble staying upbeat with her messy home situation, and Cern was no doubt trying to make up for the odd circumstances. Still, the elder sister in her would have liked to crash that party, if she hadn't been busily scheming away on how to find a hiding spot for she and Vin at that moment. Keela caught the hint, and shot one more look at her aunt. Though Boann's back was turned, Keela was positive she was smiling. To Vin, she nodded, taking his hand. "It's this way", she motioned, leading him out into the hallway and back up the stairs. Curling up in the window seat wouldn't make them invisible, but it was a spot everyone knew was Keela's, and she prayed to whomever might be listening that it would offer them a few minutes alone.

As they made their way up, Keela grinned wickedly at him. "Well, it isn't a dark corner, but I could still have my way with you if you like." This she said softly, aware of too many small ears that might be within hearing range. She glanced back in the direction of the kitchen. "I hardly ever know what my aunts are really thinking. I think its the Slytherin in them. They're almost always plotting something. Its when they're plotting together that you have to worry." When they'd arrived, she shifted a couple of pillows and settled in, stretching out on one side, motioning for him to join her, she turned her gaze to the window. "Welcome to my hiding spot, love."

[shava]

Clearly, he had done something right in fron of her aunt in last fifteen or so hours because he could swear she was trying to shove them together. Of course it could just be she wanted her niece to have some fun while she was young, something even Vincent had noticed she had needed a lot more till he gave it to her. She wasn't nearly as uptight as she had been, and much more a proper person enjoying life he thought. The grin at the memory of that process didn't prevent him from seeing her giving her niece another shove with her glance. An hour? Well, they might have squeezed that in, but he thought he could do something nearly as good. Maybe tempt her for more later on.

Smart of them. "I don't blame them a bit. She's here for the whole break, right?" He wondered how she would react to his house and the different chaos. Knowing his mother, she'd have them in side by side rooms if she didn't just tell her to bunk down with him. His mother wasn't nearly as concerned about accidents as much as getting her kids married off and outta the house. Vin wondered why Noir's mother was so willing to let her daughter go off to a strangers for a break with her boyfriend. Most parents were much more protective of their daughters.

"If you think I would resist much, love, you are sadly mistaken," with a soft squeeze of her hand. Somehow he doubted she was the type to think of restraints and that meant everything else was fairly acceptable to him. He'd trust her enough for that much easily. The stairs thought seemed to him to be overkill; his home was mostly on longer levels without so much up and down. Maybe there was a reason for that he just hadn't realized yet.

Following her through a house he recognized the outline of from the ROR, but not the detail, he was again reminded how comfortable feeling this place actually was. "Once you get used to how light the stone here is, this is a surprisingly comfortable house. I was expecting it to be a bit stiffer, more sedate, but I guess that's your dad's Hufflepuff connection isn't it..." The window seat was both extremely visible and very private. Right on the staircase, from above you were in full sight, from below completely invisible; although most people going down watched their feet so it was a clever place. The sun coming in through the window made him grateful he had left his sunglasses in his jacket pocket.

"I'm thinking they just like the effect I have on you, Keela love, you are a lot more relaxed then you used to be and thank goodness..." Letting her lead him onto the platform window seat, she moved aside pillows while he slipped on his glasses. "Man, glad my hair doesn't heat up like mom's does..." Sliding up behind her and sitting up on one elbow, he moved a few cushions and slid his other hand around her waist, spooning slightly but not in a way which would cause parental outrage. "Ah, now this is the most comfortable I have been all week..."

He murmured into her hair right behind her ear as he looked at the view. "Nice, I can hear the waves hitting what, rock face or beach? Probably nice for swimming in the summer..." Man he wanted to get her in a bathing suit again but there was slim chance before graduation until it got much warmer outside except for the ROR. Settling with a sigh of contentment he let her lean back into him as he moved his hand back and forth across her stomach. "I don't think I need a present, this is feeling good enough to me right now. Can I just stay here for a week or two?" Down below he heard male voices and much higher child ones as a conversation was going on on the next floor of the stairs.

[kyla]

Keela Summerby

[/Size][/Center]

Keela could sense the gears turning in Vin’s head almost without looking at him, and the thought made her smile. There was little to be had in the way of privacy among her family. That is, unless you were married, in which case your room was understood to be off limits for obvious reasons. For them, however, it was clear she’d found an ally in her Aunt Boann and possibly in Aunt Airmid as well. Giving them an entire hour’s worth of private time couldn’t have been easy with all of the little ones around, and Keela was sincerely if silently grateful. She nodded her head slowly at Vin’s question. She didn’t want to advertise what she knew about Lilli’s family life. While she knew Cern hadn’t shared everything out of respect for his girlfriend, she still knew more than they probably wanted her to reveal to someone else. Still, she could see him processing, and she searched for a way to gloss over the situation. “Yeah, her mum’s a nurse and works too hard. I don’t really know what her dad does.” Keela shrugged in a manner she hoped was nonchalant.

She couldn’t imagine not being home for Christmas. In all their travels, her parents had made sure never to miss a Christmas, forget a birthday, or any other important holiday, it just wasn’t done. She smiled at him over her shoulder as they climbed. “Love, if you resisted over-much I think I’d be sadly insulted.” She turned, careful to watch her step, it wouldn’t do to go toppling over, and even after months of time with him, Vincent Silver-Moon still had a way of throwing her somewhat off-balance in that natural way of his. The light that sparkled through the window refracted beautifully off the stone walls, and Keela let the warmth of it seep into her, getting under her skin and relaxing what traces of nerves still existed at having him here.

Keela laughed, “I guess you could say that.” The truth was, she often forgot dad had been a Hufflepuff, despite both she and Cern being placed there. Mum often said he was as brave as any Gryffindor she’d ever known, and what he’d made of the farm and his life proved his ambition. If there was anything her family had taught her, it was that there were no stereotypical house traits. There were kind Slytherins, ambitious Hufflepuffs, and intelligent Gryffindors. The hat gave everyone a place to belong, but what they made of themselves while there was still their own choice. “The foundation and basic structure were designed by one of my ancestors a long time ago. It never got finished because the money ran out first since he considered it so important to put so much into making it unplottable.” She shrugged, “after mum and dad signed their contract, dad, Aunt Boann, Aunt Airmid and grandmum finished the design.” She motioned around, “and then everyone just sort of, picked a space and made it theirs.”

Keela shot him a look, opened her mouth to correct him, but shut it again a moment later. She did feel more relaxed by far than she had when she’d been fighting her feelings. Add to that the almost buoyant mood she was in, and she simply didn’t have the heart to bicker with him, not right now anyway. She offered a half-hearted glare that melted almost before it appeared, and a murmured: “I was not uptight!” that came out sounding so soft and content it was almost flirtatious. She turned her head away from the window to look at him. “Heat up? Doesn’t most people’s hair tend to get warmer in the sun?” The way he’d said it though, seemed to communicate something beyond the norm, and she was curious. She noticed he’d put on the sunglasses. It gave him a sort of mysterious look that she found sexy, but at the same time, she didn’t like not being able to see his eyes. At seventeen, she could have ‘accio’d’ hers if she’d wanted, but chose instead to enjoy the sunshine.

She smiled, enjoying the compliment. “Think I’ll be this comfortable when we go to your place?” She asked softly. It had taken some convincing, and a long talk between her parents. They’d wanted to meet Vin first, and the three of them had agreed that as long as his visit went well, she could go with him for a day or two after Christmas. She was still anxious about the whole thing. Having him in her home was one thing. It was unnerving to be under the scrutiny of those she loved, but not unbearable. She’d never been to a guy’s house before longer than a few hours. She wondered how many others he’d brought home, and if his mother would be comparing her against them. The thought settled in the back of her mind, and nagged at her. Finally she caved, and, biting her lip, she glanced up at him. “Have you brought girls home before?” In retrospect, it was kind of surprising that the subject had never come up before. Actually, she’d carefully avoided discussing the majority of his past, especially his romantic history.

The topic shifted, and she enjoyed this one far more. “Both”, she answered after a moment. “It depends on what part you’re looking at. The rock face is tapered, and some of the lower sections have areas of beach.” She glanced thoughtfully out at the open air. “It is”, she agreed. “We all learned to swim in the same spot off the coast”, she told him. “There’s a sand bar a few feet out from the shoreline where we used to paddle around.” She grinned, thinking that would be the perfect way to while away the next several days, but reality came too quickly. “We could, but wouldn’t your mum be disappointed if you didn’t show up day after tomorrow?” She hadn’t actually hashed out how long she’d be gone with her parents or Vin yet. She assumed since he was staying three days, she was likely doing so as well.

[shava]

He chuckled about the resistance, only adding "Well while your aunt seems to like the idea of us, I don't think it's very safe to do much more here under your father's roof so I think I might have some token resistance here." The thought about her father's "Hufflepuff-ness" was logical though. Built in the ground, comfortable, hard working farm it all pointed to that house really. And since the large part of her family was there as well, it fit. "Yep, a Huffie house definitely. It's got an earthy feel I kind of associate with most of them I've known."

Having seen her actually relaxed that one particular night (okay, several times that night) he could see the difference she didn't seem to. But he knew better form her words to say anything so he just smiled back. The question about his hair though came up again. "Well I get it a bit, only Darius really has mom's hair completely. Remember how I told you mine was more like tubes instead of normal hair strands?" When she nodded he continued. "Well mine are open at the ends, theirs are not. So sunlight gets in them and creates a lot of heat fast. Five minutes and it's getting too hot for her to stand."

Which explained why his house was also dark inside, but he wouldn't mention that yet.

Ooo, good question. "I think you will be interested, then tense up when you meet people. Once you get a feel for how crazy it is there with everyone doing their own thing I think you will relax. And then yeah, I think you will feel comfortable, but it's nothing like this." A glance at the wall as he continued his hand from her belly down her hip to her leg in one stroke as he thought about his next words. "I think this is what my house might have felt like when it was first built, but after a half dozen centuries it gets it's own character from those who have lived there. It's old world conservative, this is brand new liberal, if that makes sense." Hers was like a brand new pair of shoes that needed time to adjust, his was the old pair of loafers too comfortable to get rid of.

Vincent snorted. "Can't get it off the mind can you love?" Laughter n his vice he said soft in her ear, "I've told you before there is only one girl I have ever considered worth pursuing and trying to capture the heart of. I wouldn't consider taking any one else home to meet my family because anyone else wouldn't be my family, Mova..." And in his mind she was already that, family, it just wasn't legal yet. He wouldn't be allowed to do that for awhile yet unfortunately. Listening to her talk about the surf below he continued the stroke, slipping back up around her waist when footsteps passed from down below heading up, three pairs of little haphazard ones in a hurry and one measured adult tread from behind.

"Hmm, kind of cold for swimming, but we can't swim at my home so best do it here if anywhere. And Merlin, you're right again, I can't miss it, she'd come looking." A dramatic sigh as he let his hand returned to it's body caress before he spoke again. A minute passed, and very softly he added "Damn if I wouldn't be pleased to have someone to sleep with tonight, being this close and smelling you is testing my restraint quite well..." Louder in case anyone was near he said "Dad's got two off to Egypt so it will be quieter then normal for you which is good. Got a few cousins who will be in during the days though so lunch will be busy. You'll get a good sense of it then."

[kyla]

Keela laughed, "true enough", she acknowledged with a nod. With a quick glance around, she shifted her body so that she was looking at him, and pressed her lips firmly to his. After a moment, she pulled away and smiled, "still, I've been waiting all morning to do that." It was funny, how important a person could become. If Keela had a regret it was only that she hadn't caved in sooner. The thought of all the time she'd missed out on was saddening with her graduation looming closer than ever. She glanced around after he'd given his opinion of the house Earthy-ness? She'd never really thought about it before, but then, the majority of the structure was stone, with all the natural light she could see where he might get that impression. She glanced at him slyly. "Am I earthy?" she wanted to know. Though she couldn't say she understood exactly what it meant to be earthy in the first place.

Keela listened intently, but then frowned as confusion seeped in. "That's not good", she offered mildly. She paused a moment before adding: "So how do they handle trips to Egypt with your dad then?" she wanted to know. "Heat sensitivity can't be an easy obstacle to deal with in the desert." The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a mixed bag, having unique hair. Though in his sister Ashlyn's case, it might have been worth it if the trade off was the ability to change your appearance at will. She subconsciously ran her fingers through her own hair, comforted by the feel of it. If everything did go well, and they got married, she couldn't help wondering what the combination of genetics would render in their children. It amused rather than embarrassed her now that she thought about the idea of chilrden so much. She supposed it must be natural given that she'd grown up the oldest of four siblings. Still, she saw no reason to volunteer the information. "How is Darius? I haven't seen much of him lately." Aside from one incedent where he'd asked if she could use her Prefect status to write him a pass to the restricted section, she hadn't exactly seen much of him period. Still, since Vin obviously worried about his younger brother, so did Keela.

"Is everyone going to be home by the time we get there?" she wanted to know. She wasn't terribly familiar with his siblings. Though she knew most of them from school, she avoided Ashlyn like the plague, and had so far managed to duck the rest as well. It wasn't that they made her nervous so much as she wasn't sure how to go about meeting them. 'Oh I, my name is Keela and I'm madly in love with your brother', just didn't sit right. Keela smiled, "it does, sort of like the difference between Great grandmum, and mum", she told him. "Grandmum was all things pureblood and proper, so was the manor. Mum could really care less so long as what we're up to isn't illegal or potentially dangerous. I think since she spent so much time under Gran's thumb when she was a teenager, it makes her feel better to be in a more free form enviroment." Keela remembered her grandmother's house, and she'd loved it there as a young child. She'd spent endless hours exploring, and thereby getting lost, only to have her grandmother or a house elf come along to bring her out again. The pang she felt at the thought struck her oddly, it was strange to feel so nostalgic after all the years that had passed.

Keela flushed, buried her head in his chest, and mumbled something from under his chin that sounded vaguely like "it was an honest question!" The tone caught her attention, and she met his eyes steadily. Family A deeply rooted, very serious word in Keela's opinion. Was that how he saw her? The thought warmed her, and she grinned. The sound of footsteps, however, broke her reverie, and she glanced in the direction of the noise. Ah well, it had been nice while it lasted. She laughed, "mum would freak", she informed him. "She and dad had an incedent during their sixth year where they bet over a winter lake race and she almost drowned. I don't think she'd be too keen on the idea." The idea of his mother showing up looking for him made her grin. "Then we won't keep her waiting, caro mio."* He was teasing her, but she could play that way too if he wanted. "Is it?" she lowered her voice so it wouldn't carry. "You know, a few silencing charms, a good hiding place, and I'd say we're in business", she grinned wickedly at him. Keela pictured the image he was painting in her head. "So, then, I guess we'll be eating a lot of cereal." She grinned at him, "maybe I could cook for everyone. I'm used to big groups." She shrugged, "what do you think?"

* Caro mio - My heart

[shava]

Vincent kissed her back as soon as he realized what she was up to. "To be honest, I kind of figured they might send you to wake me up if that damnable sun hadn't done it. Sleeping in is one of the joys of days off..." After looking at the walls he hesitated and then nodded. "In a way, yes. Down to earth, dependably solid, and full of the kind of beauty of a long hidden jewel sparkling in the sun..." His eyes were a bit alight as he said it, knowing it was true; she was a hidden treasure once he woke that light in her eyes, a rare beauty just for him to enjoy and savor.

Laughing he said "you've forgotten how Egyptian's like to dress, love, turbans and long robes. Mom always wears very exposing robes, but the headdress is always there. Funny how she can even make dad's eyes light up when fully covered. Ash has a lot to learn still I think." She listened while running through her own hair with her hands, something he could see very well from this angle so when she stopped for a moment, he touched the side of her head and slid his own into her hair, enjoying the feel and smell of her in front of him. "He's much relieved to be home. He feel better around family and almost no one else even in the dorm. I'm hoping he will loosen up later."

He shook his head, knowing she was rather worried about this part. "Dad, Ash, and Seth are all off in Egypt for the break. Everyone else will be home and Mom's sister will be bringing her brood over probably the day after we get there so the numbers will swell again. Not a problem though, she didn't go as nuts about kids as mom did." He chuckled into her hair as she clearly reacted to her question and his answer and then raised her eyes to his as she heard his words. Kissing her on her forehead he smiled warmly saying "Technically I have two gifts for you, but one will have to be done out of sight of your family later if we can."

Not as surprised at her daring as he had been the first time she mentioned it he gave her an equal smile back. "Well your aunt did make a point of saying the door would be unlocked, I think that says a lot and I do have an alarm in my room so we can prevent any morning surprises." Raising an eyebrow he visually asked 'Are you sure?' though he was all for it of course. not just because he wanted her, but the more comfortable she got with it, the more she would be coming back to him later when she could from her internship.

The offer of cooking was met with big eyes. "Serious? You'd be interested?" His eyes took on a craftier look as he thought it through. "We'd probably need to take some stuff with us to do the fillings, but I think that would be a wonderful idea, Mova, good thinking. I think mom will be very happy to give up the kitchen for an evening, a mini vacation for her."

[kyla]

She laughed, apparently he wasn't used to waking up to the bright natural light that had colored every morning of Keela's life from the moment she was born until she'd left for Hogwarts at age eleven. Keela grinned at him. "For us, getting to sleep until seven A.M. is sleeping in", she reminded him. Even though she could use magic to help herself now, she felt guilty since the others still had to do everything the muggle way. More often than not she simply did things the way she'd always done them. "I was planning on it actually", she agreed, "but I should have known one of the younger ones would beat me to it." They'd all been so excited to find out that both she and Cern were bringing home friends for Christmas. It had never happened before in either case, and everyone was curious. Keela blushed, but she was still smilling. "Maybe you missed you're calling love, you can be quite poetic when you want to."

Keela's eyes went wide. She'd never met his mum, and so had no real idea what she looked like, but the idea of someone her mum's age running around in very revealing robes was an odd one. "Well, at least she's got plenty of time to learn it", she observed. "She'll find her way Vin, everyone does." Well, most everyone, but it didn't exactly bear stating at that moment. As the conversation shifted to Darius, Keela listened, hearing his concern and wanting to relieve it. "A lot of kids have a tough first year getting used to everything, maybe its just a matter of finding his place." Still, Darius seemed more introverted than most, and most of the general rules she'd come to understand with younger ones didn't seem to apply to him. He was difficult to get a read on, maybe even more difficult than Vin had been in the beginning.

If three of them were going to be gone, that left seven or so, she thought, plus Keela herself, plus cousins. Still, it wasn't like she hadn't cooked for large groups before, and anything that might give her some common ground with Vin's eccentric mother was definitely worth a shot. "Sounds just like home", Keela observed, but didn't add that most of her family was still younger. Vin was in the middle of the kids in his family, Keela was the oldest. While the mentality was somewhat different, she knew he'd understand the difficulties of having a large family, and that would help them both get acclimated to the other's home life...if it came to that of course. Keela had found herself getting more and more ahead of the situation recently, it was something she'd focused on trying to curb as of late. Two gifts, and one of them private? Now she was curious. "I have two for you also", she answered softly. "Everyone should be ready to start with the festivities soon, provided mum and dad didn't get distracted when she went down to talk to him earlier." Which did tend to happen, often.

She grinned at him, "you set an alarm for your room?" Her tone was amused, "typical Slytherin", she teased. She shrugged, "we'll see what happens", she offered non-comittally. Missing him was one thing, taking advantage of her parents' good will was another. While she wasn't sure whether she'd be in trouble or not, she'd wager there might at least be a lecture involved. Then again, she wondered if Cern and Lilli had managed to resist temptation, if not, it was possible Keela and Vin might be the lesser of the two issues, at least they were older. She settled back onto his chest and relaxed, enjoying the moment that was very likely to be interrupted soon. "So what do you think of everything so far?" She'd given him something of a tour yesterday, and he'd met everyone, though her parents hadn't had time to interrogate him yet. She was still half-hoping to get out of that since they had to leave fairly early the next day.

"I'd be willing to give it a shot", she confirmed lightly. "Are there any picky eaters I should know about?" Younger children could be difficult to please depending on how they'd learned to eat early on. "I'm pretty sure mom wouldn't mind me raiding the pantry once I told her what it was for", she said thoughtfully. In fact, her mother might have some ideas as to what would be best to make as a first impression. She wondered if her mum had ever cooked for her dad's family while they were dating, and resolved to ask her later on. "Does your mom have a favorite I might could exploit?" It wasn't a word she used often, but in this case, first impressions were important, and she knew how to pull out stops when necessary.

[shava]

Seven am? She thought of that as late? The image of her bursting into his room at home and bouncing on the bed to wake him up at dark made him give a comical shudder. "Merlin, Keela! Oh dark thirty is no decent hour unless you have work to do. I'd much rather wake up to an armload of my auburn treasure and watch her peacefully sleeping in my arms then hop out of bed and disturb her." And my goodness, what a great image that was in his mind, her trustingly lying along his frame preventing him from stirring. Kissing the side of her neck he whispered "Our secret dear, only for you would I do that."

Thinking about Darius, Vincent wasn't so sure about this being a phase. Something told him it was much darker in his little brother's head then most realized. "Maybe. Only time can tell really." Her mention about how their homes were similar had him chuckle; the energy in his was going to feel dramatically different to her he was fairly sure. "Ha. I think you should wait till you've felt it for a day or so first. Twelve hundred years of family history shoved into one building has a tendency to feel a tad overwhelming at first."

He's never mentioned the house being older then about six hundred, so that tidbit might be a bit surprising since the rest of his family history wasn't in the history books originally. "maybe we ought to voluntarily show up in a few then rather then be tracked down. Maybe your brother will be distracted and we'll be the well-behaved ones." He laughed at this thought and kissed the side of her head again. Oddly, she fell for something he hadn't expected her to. "Alarm as in alarm clock silly one! I don't need an alarm in my room when I can barricade the room with furniture if needed."

Ah yes, the question he would know was coming up at some point. "Oh so far I like it a lot, probably much warmer here in the summer too. I wish the floors at home were like this though, I'd go barefoot all the year long." he mused another moment, sliding his hand from her thigh around to her belly, pulling her back against him as if to say he would never let her go. "It's so very different from what I grew up, but I think mine is going to feel bizarre to you till you get used to it. However, unless I'm mistaken, Cern is going to be the main owner of this someday, right? I mean, he would probably never stop you from living here as well, but my house is going to be mine."

His little brothers were going to have Egyptian home to live in, though his whole family would probably always return. "Most of the youngest adore cereal, that might be a challenge, but otherwise I don't think mom has ever said. If she doesn't have to cook it generally everything is a winner with her." He hadn't yet thought on how his mom would react to Keela except in positive overtones. After all, Vincent was her only son for the Moon family, seeing him move towards reproduction would only make her grin he suspected. He could expect to be made to sit with Keela in his lap at every opportunity if she thought it might help her get grandkids faster. "I suspect the fact I'm bringing home a girlfriend for the first time ever is going to make her happy to begin with, Mova, you're already ahead of the game..."

[kyla]

She laughed, his response was so typical to what she normally got from her friends when she told them about her schedule at home. that's just it, we do have a ton to do", she pointed out. The compliment wasn't lost on her. "Mum struggled with it when she and dad first got married, and there are still times when the two of them don't make it out of bed before nine, but I don't want to think about why that is." She shivered as though it didn't bear considering. She was glad her parents loved each other, but did they have to be so...so...much like teenagers? They had four kids for Merlin's sake, they'd have to slow down eventually. But then, she caught a glimpse of Vin, of the glint in his eyes and the way he was smiling at her, and thought maybe she was beginning to understand their situation. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to still be madly in love after almost twenty years. She laced her fingers with his and squeezed lightly. No, not bad at all. She grinned up at him, "I guess it'll have to stay between us then", her voice held a tinge of mock-disappointment. But then she smiled, "I can live with that."

"They've got plenty of time", she reassured him, "we all do." So different from the world her parents had grown up in, the one they still learned about in Defense and History of Magic. Her parents had a place in magical history, her mother had been part of the group of students that fought to save the school she loved. It still brought Keela an immense amount of pride. Her parents were brave, smart, gifted people who had made the best possible life out of a bad situation. They were resillient and resourceful, and they'd passed that on to her and the rest of their children. It was a heritage Keela was deeply effected by, the one her brother was so keen to maintain. They wanted to continue to build on the foundation they'd been given, on the legacy that would become theirs. Could she do that with Vin? He was pure, so blood wasn't an issue, he understood the importance of family, the necessity of chaos, and saw the beauty in little things. He loved her, he wanted to travel, he wanted to build a life all his own, and maybe even build a life with her if it came to that. Yes, she found herself thinking, she most definitely could spend the rest of her life like this, curled up in some corner of the world with him. She gave him a teasing grin, "more overwhelming than you were at first?" she asked him, the picture of innocence.

"Sounds like a plan, I bet the little ones are getting antsy." If the rushing footsteps down below were any indication, it was only a matter of time. They probably needed to head down soon, but Keela was loathe to give up her private time with him. Still, they had the potential for more when she left to visit his family the next day. She arched an eyebrow at him, no one who actually knew him could call Vin well behaved, but he acted it well, and she'd give him that. She laughed at her own absent-mindedness. "Of course!" she shook her head, "I wasn't thinking straight, sorry love." Actually she'd been thinking about the propability of repeating their night in the room of requirement about thirty feet up on a broomstick for fun, but she wasn't going to share that bit of information with so many young ears around.

"You know, I think they have spells for that", she pointed out. "Why not just have someone charm your room? Actually, I could do it for you if you'd like me to." She felt the gesture of casual posession, barely took note of it. It was him, reminding her in small ways that she was his, not agressively but comfortingly. She could depend on that, she already did much more than she liked to admit. She shrugged when he mentioned the house's future owner. "I actually don't know how they've got it worked out. I assume its probably split somehow between Cern and the my aunts' oldest sons." She looked thoughtful, "I think everyone assumes we girls would be married off eventually and then we'd be our husbands' responsibilities." She shook her head, it was lasting proof that some pureblood traditionalism existed in every family.

Keela grinned, "I understand", she answered, and she did. "I might try to give her a whole day off then, breakfast, and dinner. Maybe I'll call it a late Christmas present." She looked to be considering the notion. "How do you think they'd all feel about chocolate chip pancakes?" It had been a favorite of hers when she was young, and the younger ones got a kick out of them from time to time. It was a nice thought, having an edge on impressing his mum. She seemed like a hard act to follow, and Keela hoped she wasn't difficult to please. It didn't sound like it, but she was still nervous. "It'll be fun", she insisted as much to herself as him. "An adventure at least." The excited voices of the younger ones being gathered together downstairs reached her ears, and she sighed softly. "Maybe we ought to head down, ready love?"

[shava]

Getting a kiss from her in reward for his secret sharing poetry, Vin chuckled. She spoke of time changing and he heard the thoughts in her mind that she was thinking about them and possibly the future. "Hmm, maybe a bit. That's because our house is more the birth of chaos then just full I think some days. Mom has that effect on everything around her I think." Of course, eight kids and twenty plus cousins in and out also helped a lot. And her own career in ghost and the Ministry made a difference as well.

He could imagine children with Keela, though a lot less chaotic. The idea of lying in a bed with her, little ones between them, fast asleep seemed such a perfect picture, but just as good as being on the road with her or hanging out on brooms. There were no real downsides to having her there. Did she ever think about it? Had he gotten her that far yet that it was hanging around on her mind?

"Mind you, I can see why you might think I would have put up an alarm. I do have Ash for a sister; she doesn't always allow me privacy cause she likes to embarrass me." Her offer to make sure his floor stayed warm was sweet but he had an answer. "Well it's not that they are cold, just not as warm as here, but our house goes more spread out then up like this one and heat does rise."

He whispered in her ear "I'll get you to warm my bed up if you want though, that would be lovely. The floor can deal with a carpet and be happy about it." She spoke about the house and he nodded listening. Sounded familiar indeed. "Sounds about right. All of my family is welcome to live there we have space, but my brothers will be getting stuff in Egypt and yeah, I think they suspect my sisters to be elsewhere. But the wall around the main house has guest quarters in it, they might just take over those."

Laughing he answered that one easily enough. "It's chocolate, Keela, mom will probably consider that a bonus at breakfast as long as she doesn't have to deal with hyper kids afterwards." Slowly he sat up and helped her sit up as well. "Ah well, I could sit there holding you a very long time, Mova, let's go see how long we can stand being watched for a bit, how about that?" He let her lead off the platform as of course she knew where they were going...

It turned out not to be too far, and they had beaten her brother here and his distraction, excellent! As Vin watched several heads turned their way and two kids waved hard. He waved back of course and took the seat he was pointed towards....