All the way III: More of Life

Severus was still asleep late the next morning. They were leaving that night and while Hermione stayed to pack, Eileen and Annie went down to the beach again.

As her husband slept, Hermione was putting her clothes away and thinking.

She had had a good life, compared to some peoples. She had known her parents and been close to them. She had had friends at school - two wonderful friends - and she had been given a good brain. She hadn't turned out to be a nasty or spiteful person. True, she had been through a bad patch and taken a stupid risk when she had taken an untested potion, but she was alright now. She had a family and the best thing was, every one except Eileen had different blood. She was glad of this, because she could prove to herself that she wasn't prejudice against Pure bloods or Half bloods. And being a nice person was important to her.

She had a husband who loved her and a daughter who was no trouble at all compared to some children. She was happier than she had ever been. Annie and Lucius were happy and that was important, too.

Hermione smiled. Her life was good.

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Meanwhile, at the beach...

Annie had left to find some where to get a hot exotic take away. Eileen laughed to herself; the red head was always so hungry, she wondered how Annie kept her slim figure!

She laid the iPod that she had been given for Christmas aside, and rolled over onto her back. She closed her eyes, but opened them straight away, as something moved beside her. She found herself staring up at a boy, perhaps two years older than her. She sat up, as he sat down.

"Hi," he said, "Have you moved here? I've seen you about nearly every day for a few weeks now."

Eileen shook her head, her black hair rippling over her shoulders, "I'm visiting my brother. He owns a house here."

The boy nodded, "I thought so, seeing as you're English."

Eileen frowned, and then remembered the translation charm. She couldn't tell whether a person was English or Spanish.

She nodded quickly, "Where are you from?"

"London, but we've been traveling for the last year." He smiled, "You?"

"Well, I live in Scotland, but I have a house near London. Out in the country though."

"Oh," He nodded. Eileen had to stop herself from laughing. They must look like a pair of those stupid things that muggles called nodding dogs. "You wanna come and get some chips with me? There's an English bloke who owns a take away round the corner."

This time, Eileen shook her head, "That fat man doesn't own it. He's only the manager. My brother owns it."

The boy raised his eyebrows, "He must be rich; that place does good business."

Eileen nodded, and mentally rolled her eyes; the movement would start to become a habit soon, "He is rich, very rich."

"And I bet he spends it all on you." The boy said shrewdly.

She nodded, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Hmm, I bet." He said, "I'm Sam." he held out his hand.

"Eileen," She smiled, shaking his hand. He held on for a little longer than was necessary.

"So, chips?" he prompted.

Eileen looked around; she could see Annie approaching them, a steaming bowl in her hand. Sam stood up and offered his hand to help her up.

"Come on, Eileen." He grinned.

She rolled her eyes, but took his hand and let him pull her to her feet, "Do you know how many times I get that?"

He laughed and they started to move towards the shop. Secretly, Eileen looked him over. He had shaggy blonde hair, moss green eyes, and great muscles. But... he was obviously muggle. Well, not so obviously, but Eileen had an instinct in these things.

"I was gonna come over before," He said suddenly, "but most of the time that scary looking guy was there and when he wasn't, I thought you'd be too old for me."

Eileen laughed, "Why? Are you ten or something?"

He shook his head, "Fifteen in seven days."

"Well, I’m fourteen in five months." She informed him.

He looked down, surprised, "Really? I though you were like seventeen or something."

"Now that's just flattery." Eileen said dryly, "from a distance maybe."

"Nu-uh! It's dead true! You look and act way older than that." He seemed to gain confidence from learning she was younger than him, as he slipped his arm around her shoulders.

Eileen rolled her eyes and walked faster, leaving his arm behind, "Hurry up, I’m hungry and I want something to eat."

He ran to catch up, grinning stupidly, "And you're used to getting what you want, huh?"

She nodded, "And I’m not breaking the habit for you."

"So what will you do for me?" He asked suggestively, starting to fall behind.

"I'll slap you if you don't hurry up, because I don't have any money and you're paying."

Soon, they were both sitting on a wall by the beach, eating chips. When they were finished, Eileen put the wrappings in a bin close by. She perched back on the wall again.

Out of the blue, Sam put his hands on her face and turned her to look at him.

"You have black eyes." He said quietly, "Proper black eyes. Not dark brown, but black."

"I was aware of that." Eileen rolled her eyes, pulling away.

He smiled and did the old yawn-and-the-arm-goes-round-the-shoulders trick, "You're dead fit, you know that?"

"Hmm, I was aware of that, as well." Eileen smirked.

"You're well sweet, too." He informed her.

"You haven't seen my temper yet." She scoffed.

"Yet?" He laughed, "Am I likely to?"

Eileen shrugged, "I have my dads temper and if he decides to take a walk in our direction, you're likely to see his."

Sam puffed out his chest, "I could handle him."

At this, Eileen laughed aloud, "You're either very brave or, more likely, very stupid."

"Hey! Bad boys like me can handle anything." he said defensively.

Eileen laughed harder, "You're... a... bad boy...?"

"Hell yeah! I bet you like bad boys."

"I like rich men." Eileen corrected.

"And what rich man is gonna marry you?" He smirked.

"Are you rich? No. Are you a man? Definitely not. Therefore, it is none of your business."

"Oooh, you're a tough one."

Eileen shrugged, "With the people I’m around, you have to be."

"What people?"

She just wanted to shout Slytherins, but she held the impulse in and settled for another shrug.

Slowly, yet clumsily, Sam tried to sneak his hand through the slit in the side of her skirt. She batted his hand away.

"No touching." She said firmly. He cleared his throat and tapped her on the shoulder with the hand that was around her. "You shouldn't have brought that to my attention either." She said, removing the offending arm, "You would have got a lot further."

"Aw," He whined.

Eileen rolled her eyes; why were boy so immature at her age? Then again, real bad boys could be fun. She sighed mentally. Sirius was nice, and he could look like what ever a girl liked, but Eileen wanted excitement. She wanted passionate arguments about ridiculous things; she wanted incredibly hot sex (She was not as sheltered as her dad liked to think and late at night, the Slytherin common room could be mistaken for a brothel!); she wanted fun and laughter.

She wasn't sure about love. It seemed hard to find a person with a good heart these days. She guessed her parents must be part of the minority that had found what people prone to daydreaming called true love.

Eileen wasn't sure she believed in that, because every couple she knew had fights about some things and it just seemed too good to be real.

She knew for a fact that Sirius' dad got annoyed when his mum changed her appearance. She had heard him saying, 'I like you the way you are.' It was a sweet thing to say, but was it true?

On the other hand, she didn't want to marry some one she didn't love and she didn't want to sleep with five hundred men to before Mr. Right arrived. That was the only problem with growing up with parents who were so deeply in love; Eileen had high expectations. She didn't care if people called her frigid - she would rather be that than a whore - she just really wanted to find some one to love her as completely as her dad loved her mum. She wouldn't settle for anything less.

Of course, that was after she'd had her fun.

Eileen looked over the beach and froze. Quickly, she jumped from the wall, startling her male companion.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

"My dad's here!" She hissed, "I've got to go!"

"You've got to be kidding!" He moaned.

"Do I look like I’m laughing?" She scowled.

He grabbed a piece of paper from his pocket and one of those weird muggle pens, "Give me your number."

"What?" Eileen frowned.

"Your phone number!"

Eileen looked along the beach again; her mum and dad were talking to Annie and looking around. For her probably. Eileen shook her head, flustered, "Oh, I dunno!"

"You don't know your own number?" he frowned.

"Fine," She waited impatiently as he leaned on the wall they had been sitting on, "Ready?" When he nodded, she said quickly, "One two three four five six seven eight nine!"

By the time Sam realized what she had done, she was gone.

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"Where have you been?"

"I was only getting something to eat, daddy."

Severus knew she was up to something. She only called him daddy when she wanted something, when she was in trouble or when she was hiding something.

But he let it go this time.

"We just came to tell you to be back by five." Hermione said.

"Oh mum! Do we have to leave?" Eileen scowled.

"I would have stayed a few more days, but your dad's had enough -"

"Daddy!" Eileen looked up at him with her big black eyes, "Please! I don't want to go!"

"Tough," he said firmly.

"Fine," She huffed.

Severus waited; she had given in too easily. Sure enough, minutes later...

"Daddy..."

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After Eileen had shopped thoroughly, they headed back to the house and by the time Eileen was packed and ready to leave, it was five o'clock. Severus shrunk all their bags, while Eileen hugged Lucius first and then Annie.

Hermione hugged Lucius, then stood back and pointed a stern finger at him, "You have to promise to come and visit soon. Promise!"

He rolled his eyes, batting her finger away playfully, "I promise. If we're in the country, we'll come and see you and if not, you'll see us at Easter, alright?"

Hermione nodded and moved to say good bye to Annie, While Eileen hugged Lucius one last time.

Hermione and her husband and daughter flooed back to their house, leaving behind the things they didn't need, before flooing back to the dungeons of Hogwarts.

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Eileen left her mum and dad and went back to the Slytherin common room. There was four days before the other students came back to the castle, so she had plenty of time to study and make sure she was at the top of her class. Not that she was ever anything other than that.

She headed straight up to her dormitory and unpacked her things, telling another third year girl, Terri Jaxon, an edited version of her holiday. She then gathered her books and the last piece of homework left, Divination, and went down to the common room.

The place was virtually deserted, apart from a group of three older students huddled in a corner. Eileen went to a table away from them and used the space to spread out all her things.

Deciding that Homework had to come before extra studying, Eileen pulled over her half completed Divination parchment and tried to remember what she was supposed to be doing.

She had only taken the subject because Trelawney was the only Professor she hadn't grown up seeing most days; in fact, she had hardly ever seen her. Eileen’s mum and dad thought the subject ridiculous, and so did Eileen really, but Trelawney seemed to like her, for some strange reason. The woman kept inquiring as to her parents’ sex life, asking about her mothers health, predicting her mothers death and she kept talking about (of all the things in the universe) her ovaries! Eileen shuddered and wondered whether she would ever get the mental images out of her head, or whether she would be scarred for the rest of her life and what ever may be after death.

When she finally remembered that she was meant to be recording her dreams, Eileen set her imagination to work.

And hour later, Eileen looked up at the clock on the wall. So far, over the holidays, she had dreamed that she had: killed a troll, ruled the world, sprouted wings, given birth to hippogriff, traveled into space on a branch of the Whomping Willow and read a book. She finished it by scribbling that she had also dreamed about golden retriever called Sheep, before she threw her quill down with a deep sigh.

Eileen was about to open her transfiguration book to check up on some facts, when a shadow fell over her. She looked up to find the sixth year with sandy hair standing over her.

"You didn't even come over and see me to tell me you were back, baby." He said, a smirked playing around his mouth. At once, Eileen could feel herself turning into school mode and out of holiday mode. She rolled her eyes and looked back down, opening her book. "I would have still been waiting if I hadn't been down here when you came in."

Eileen found the page she wanted, sighed and answered absently as she tried to read at the same time, "And why would you be waiting for me?"

"I think you know why." He purred, perching himself on the table.

Smiling sweetly, Eileen looked up at him, consciously making her eyes go all big and innocent, "Would that be because you're a squeaky little twat bag who needs a good punch?"

The boy chuckled, "There goes the sarcasm again, baby!"

Eileen ignored him, hoping he'd go away. When he didn't she gave and irritated sigh and scowled up at him, "Is there something you wanted, or did you just stun yourself without realizing?"

"You have a lot of cheek for a third year, Eileen." The boy informed her, not moving an inch from her table.

"I know, it's in the genes." She informed him in a mocking matter-of-fact manner, "And what's your name, anyway?"

"Julian Wilkes," he smirked, holding out his hand. Eileen shook it politely and let him get it half way to his lips, before speaking.

"If your mouth touches any part of me, I will personally see to it that you won't ever have children."

"Don’t' worry, baby. I don't want children." He smirked, still pulling her hand upwards.

"Maybe not, but the process will hurt like hell." She smiled innocently.

Julian swore under his breath, shaking his head and chuckling slightly, "You're as cold as ice, baby."

"Then you should let go of my hand before you get frost bite." Eileen said, dragging her hand from his.

"See you later, baby." He got up and moved away towards the stairs to his dormitory.

"Not if I hex you blind!" Eileen yelled angrily after him.