Julia was sitting in the back behind Frank, dozing slightly. She had a lot of fun at the beach and it had worn her out, so she hadn't answered.

Olivia saw her and smiled before speaking,"Julia is allergic to hot peppers." She said,"So nothing really spicy for her. I dont mind what it is either way."

Amira nodded in agreement,"It would be fun to try new food." She said, sitting behind Aren.

Caelum rolled out of the fireplace and onto the lush carpet of Zabini's living room. He shakily stood and pat the soot out of his clothes and looked around the place, spotting the note addressed to him sitting on the counter. He let out a slight chuckle and a small smirk after reading its contents and headed to the room he was usually given and found, with great relief, that no one else had taken it. He made his way to the bathroom and made himself look more presentable where the bags under his eyes and the cracked pale lips disappeared under an illusion charm. Finally, with no signs of the others arriving any time soon, he dove into the bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

---

"What about seafood? They make them really good here that I'm sure you guys would ask for it tomorrow as well." Aren spoke as he parked in front of a restaurant. It wasn't grand, nor did it look like a fast food chain. It looked more like a family-owned restaurant, and by looking at how old the sign was and the phrase 'Since 1835' under the name, it gave the vibes of an old and accomplished restaurant with food good enough to still be loved after centuries.

"Stay in here and rest. I'll leave the AC on." He patted Frank's head before leaving.

---

It wasn't long before they reached the villa and the food was still warm. Aren and Frank unloaded their bags and the car was locked with a single beep. Frank led the way in and deposited the bags in the living room and started preparing the take out on the counter when he felt Aren rush towards him and started slapping his arm.

He looked at his friend, bewildered, as the Italian couldn't manage to contain his grin. "The door's closed!" He whisper-shouted and Frank gave him a questioning look, eyes darting towards the front door. "Not that door. Caelum's! His door's closed! I left it open before we left. Look! Even the note's gone!"

Olivia smiled,"He must have arrived while we were gone." She said, looking over at Julia, who had sank into a chair sleepily,"He's probably sleeping, depending on when he had gotten here."

Amira smiled,"We should let him rest for a while. We can save some food and he could join us later."

Julia smiled sleepily, resisting the urge to go in there and tackle hug him. But she didn't want to bother him. Heck, she was a bit unsure whether things had changed since finishing the year.

It was a cold morning along the coast and a thin layer of dew condensed over the windows facing the waters below. Caelum sat at the counter with his shoulders hunched as be brooded over his cup of coffee, the warm mist travelling upwards and caressing his pale cheek. An elbow lay on top of the corner, supporting the hand that held his chin as his pale lashes fluttered with a shiver when the warm morning light started to creep into the cold room.

A soft smile crept upon his lips as he felt the room grow warmer as the sunlight invaded even more, eliminating the somber tones of greys and shadows around him. It was a new day, one that was finally outside of the cold halls he once called home, and as he took a sip of the bitter drink in front of him, his eyes filled with a new found vigor.

He had three days before the end of the trip. Three days to find a way to get his mother away from the psychotic wizard who was now residing in their home.

Julia had enjoyed their trip and was sad it was slowly coming to an end. She had noticed something had seemed to be bothering Caelum since he had arrived there, but she didnt know what. She wasn't going to pester, but she hoped he was okay.

That morning, Julia let out a soft yawn as she came into the room, wearing a long nightgown and a fuzzy robe. She walked up behind Caelum and gently rubbed his back,"Morning." She said in a soft voice, preparing to make some breakfast,"Want anything to eat?"

"Morning" Caelum's voice held a smile as he kissed the top of Julia's head before letting her go. He shook his head before grunting a 'no' upon hearing her question then fell into a contemplative silence as he stirred the contents of his half-empty mug. His lips tightened as did the fingers clasped around the mug's handle before he decided to try asking her. His heart started beating loudly against his chest in anticipation, nervous about what could come next.

"Hey, Julia …" His voice trailed off as he tried to find the right words. "Remember when we talked about planning our mother's reunion during the summer and it never happened?" He looked at her, doing his best to hide the urgency in his eyes (and he liked to believe that he did it successfully). "Things happened and … well … Do you know how it's a well-known secret that old and noble houses have certain objects lying around that shouldn't be out in the open in the first place? Mother …" He cleared his throat and looked into the piercing brightness of the sun outside. "She stepped on a time turner - and I know full well that all time turners should have been in the safekeeping of the Unspeakables, but this one was broken. At least, that's what everyone in the family knew."

He sighed and looked into his coffee. "The sands in the time turner burst out of the broken hourglass and somehow she ended up thinking that it's currently twenty-two years ago. She smacked father in the face when he tried to come near, hollering nonsense about an aged 'Corvie' making advances upon her. Everything would have been manageable if … a guest didn't arrive at the manor last week."

"We were wondering if she could stay with your family for now while we fix things up at home? It might be better if she stayed with someone she trusts and she's been asking to see your mother for days."

Julia had looked over at him as he spoke, her sleepy neutral expression changing into one of worry. She had noticed ed the urgancy in his eyes, how could she not? But instead of pointing it out like she would have before, she was silent for a moment before giving an answer,"I actually had just recieved word from my father about our mothers." She said to him, pulling out a small roll of parchment,"My mother wanted yours to see our new home since we had moved. Its somewhere more protected. Father does know...about us." She told him gently,"And in the letter he sent, he told me to tell you that if your mother wants to visit, just to let us know. And if you need a place to go, if you wanted to get away from anyone in particular, our house is open to you too."

Caelum almost fell out of his chair when his body collapsed in relief. He swiftly walked around the counter and engulfed Julia in a tight hug before whispering a soft thank you into her ear. "Julia, I-"

"Whoopsie~ Don't mind me, just keep doing what you're doing." Aren whistled as he slowly closed the door to his room, flashing a grin and a thumbs up before disappearing behind the door.

Caelum frowned then laid his chin over her head with his arms still wrapped around her smaller frame. "I'm not letting go of you. Not yet." He pouted as he swayed them both from one foot to another.

Julia hugged him tightly, ignoring Aren completely at the moment. She didnt want him to let go,"I dont know what is going on." She murmured softly to him,"I just want you to be safe..." she showed him her father's letter, letting him read his words and how he had offered him and his mother a safe place if they needed it. She looked up at him,"Your guest...is there any chance they might be the one who attacked my family?" She murmured, unable to hold that question back.

"You know, I just can't have my father live alone in a huge manor. What if he can't find the remote control?" He chuckled as he read the elegant script of her father's handwriting resulting in a soft smile etched upon his lips. That was, until his eyes widened and released her from his grasp, holding her at arms length and looking over her carefully, trying to see if she got hurt. "Someone attacked your family?! Are you all well? What- When did this happen?"