Albus' final year at Hogwarts was coming up. He had so much to do to prepare. Yes there was buying the school supplies and textbooks and all that. He was used to that by now. Any actual physical preparing was not a problem.

It was the mental preparing. He knew in his Seventh Year, his Professors would want to test him to the limit, make sure he was ready to be a wizard in the real world. In particular, Zerod Grimp was going to test him to the fullest. He admired and respected the DADA Professor, and the respect was mutual, but that didn't mean it was going to be easy. He was going to be reminded time and time again who his father was. And finally, his mind was stuck on the fact that he had just one year left before he had to enter the "real world". He still had no idea what he was going to do after he graduated. Quidditch was an option, as was the Ministry, but he didn't want to do what others thought he should do. He wanted to do whatever made him happy... but what was that? With all his ambition, Albus wondered just what would make him content in the long term.

Albus needed to unwind, and the only place to do that was the Magical Mayhem. The Mayhem was a bit loud for his taste at times, but going in there before the evening chaos was actually nice, especially in the lounge. He wasn't a heavy drinker by any means, but he did enjoy the occasional drink, and the Mayhem always had some fun little cocktails to enjoy. Stepping inside the place, he smiled and waved to a few regulars who knew him and actually didn't treat him like he was a "celebrity". He stepped over to the bar and ordered Butterbeer Blaster, a version of Butterbeer with a little extra "pep". One he got it, he made his way to the lounge and sat down.

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

Ali wasn't entirely sure what brought her to the Magical Mayhem on this early summer evening. She had gotten to sick of spending her days sitting around the manor reading and wishing that she had something else to do. It wasn't as if it was hard to get past her parents, but her father was as typical as ever: always wanted to make sure that she was presenting herself well and representing the family in a good light with proper honor. Everything was so difficult when you had famous parents. She envied her sister a little bit. Adelina was the perfect, proper daughter. And while Ali thought that was a drag and would never get to that point, Adelina never had to work to do what she wanted. She wanted the same thing that their parents wanted for them. Ali just wanted to have fun and enjoy herself.

Ali had left the house on the excuse that she was going to Diagon Alley to check to see if any of her school books had come in yet. She was sure that they had, but she would tell her parents that they hadn't and go back and get them later. She didn't want to actually do anything productive, she wanted to do something social. So she made her way to the Alley and then walked from there to the pub. It wasn't exactly a nice place, but it was better than the leaky cauldron, a place that Ali tired of quickly. She walked up to the bar and ordered a firewhisky. She wasn't going to drink it all, she probably was just going to have a few sips, not enough to affect her at all, but she liked the power that having the drink in her hand gave her. And once the small glass of clear liquid was in her hand, she scanned the room, looking for a victim. Ali saw the familiar swept hair that could only belong to her cousin and smirked. What was Albus doing in a place like this? She walked over and stood behind his chair. "So sugar, you come here often?" She teased with a smirk.

Albus felt good sitting in the lounge of the hip and happening club. He always made himself up for it, wearing a black dress suit and fixing up his hair well. The usually quiet boy almost took on a new persona when going there. He sat there looking and feeling cool. He felt like his own man, and no one there walked up to him asking "Oh, isn't your dad the famous Harry Potter?" Those there who knew him there simply called him Albus. He wasn't all that troublesome a lad, but he still enjoyed being "Albus" there very much.

As he sat and drank and took in the atmosphere, he heard a familiar voice. He looked over to see Ali Krum. Though he wasn't surprised that someone like his crazy cousin would be a in a place like this, he was surprised that she happened to be there when he was. Albus liked Ali though. Sometimes he forgot that she was his cousin, as he saw her as such a good friend. They had hung out quite often at Hogwarts, which Albus appreciated a great deal given he was separated from much of his other family who resided in Gryffindor House.

"Ali," he said with a half smile. "Well... this is something of a surprise." He patted the seat beside her. "Not that I'm arguing of course. Sit down." Albus sipped his Butterbeer Blaster and sat back again, easily becoming comfortable again in the presence of his cousin and one of his best mates. "So... you here for the same reason as I am? Trying to forget that we're going to be shoved off back to the castle in a few days?" Albus tried to put a bit of the edge he was occasionally known for in his voice. Despite his worries, it wasn't as if going back to Hogwarts one more year was a nightmare or anything.

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

Like her cousin, Ali knew how it was to have a famous father. She was the oldest child of the famous Quidditch star and Tri Wizard Champion Viktor Krum after all. Not only that, but her mother was a bit of a legend herself being the younger sister of another Tri Wizard Champion and all and having been saved from the Black Lake by Harry Potter during his most known and famous time period. She had it from both sides. Both families were extremely well off and respected in the Wizarding World. Both held power in different countries and different organizations, and Ali, as the eldest child was of course expected to keep up the same and appearance of her family. But Ali didn't want to be a stay at home wife who married a rich, powerful, handsome man like her parents expected the young Veela to do. Sure, she didn't want to work in the traditional sense, but she didn't want to graduate and fall into a white dress and become a Veela Breeding Machine. She wanted to do something more exciting before she settled down completely. She wanted to live a life worth telling stories about.

Albus Potter had always been Ali's favorite cousin. Perhaps it was because he was one of the only one of her cousins who had been sorted into Slytherin along with her, and, since they were in the same year and the same house, they had all the same classes together so it was almost impossible for them not to be friends. And while the two of them had a lot in common and were often partners in crime, Ali had to admit that she was a bit surprised to see her cousin at a place like this. But it was a pleasant surprise. And now, if her parents asked where she had been, she could honestly say that she had been with Albus and not be lying. Ali sat when he offered for her too. But when he asked her why she was here, she shrugged, "Sort of, I guess." Honestly, Ali was ready to get back to school. Keeping up with a dragon egg had been far too much work at home and she was eager to get back to the forest where she could keep it safe. "Mostly, I just needed to get out of the house before my mother drove me insane." She admitted.

Outside of being Ali's cousin and the two being in the same House and year, there was another significant reason that Albus had a bond with Ali, and he was sure she bonded with him in part for the same reason. The two had famous fathers... and to an extent famous mothers. The Krums and Delacours were known throughout the Wizarding World for a number of reasons. And of course there was Fleur Weasley, the aunt shared by the two. For Albus, there was again Harry Potter... legend... savior... and so on. And there was his mother, Ginny Potter, (now retired) Quidditch Superstar and a significant figure in the Battle of Hogwarts herself. Though Albus didn't have many of the same negative feelings toward his mother as he did his father.

Albus had to look on the bright side when it came to Ali though. All the negativity with being the children of their respective parents really made them quite the pair. Albus could never think of a time when he didn't have fun around Ali, even when they complained about their folks.

"I know how you feel," said Albus when Ali spoke of having to get out of her house because of her mother. "Only with me it's not my mum. It's dad. He's going all bloody mad about this whole thing with Ollivander, saying it might be the beginning of something worse. I think every time someone sneezes too loud in Knockturn Alley, dad worries some Voldemort wannabe is running loose. He wants me to be a leader and example like him because I'm the eldest Potter at Hogwarts now."

Albus sipped his drink and looked over at his cousin. He wasn't going to go on about himself for too long if Ali needed to vent.

"So what did your mum do to take the mickey out of you?" he asked.

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

Ali understood the burden of high standards set by parents. It seemed so unfair that all parents had expectations for their children and wanted them fulfilled whether or not it actually made their kids happy. Some children wanted to do what their parents wanted for them, and then, there were some children that wanted to be themselves and were completely different that their parents. And that wasn't because they didn't love or respect their parents and their family and their honor, but they wanted to be themselves and be able to live their own life without worrying about whether or not their family would be proud of them. Ali never wanted to break away from her parents and their ideals, she just wanted to be able to put her own first.

"You don't have to be your father, Al. Or your brother for that matter. Though I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to be James, he always stressed himself out and turned into a prat." She shrugged. Of course, she loved James, but once he started school and started playing quidditch and taking on classes and titles and leaning DA, he had gotten less friendly and open with the rest of the family, especially those in Sytherin and thus Ali had let him break away, she stuck with Albus, he had always understood her better anyway. "But you really don't have to be your dad. You don't have to take on that sort of responsibility." She put her hand on his shoulder. "And with that being said, I don't have to be my mom. Or my aunt. I don't have to get married as soon as I graduate and spend my days knitting and baking and teaching my children proper French manners." She sighed. "When I'm at home, every move I make is commented on and questioned. I just wanted to go somewhere where my every move wasn't watched." She told him.

Some might have gotten offended when someone spoke of their own brother in such a way, but not Albus. He loved James as a brother and all, but that was almost the extent of it. In recent years, the two had gotten along less and less. They were brothers, and not friends. Albus was almost glad that he got to have a year at Hogwarts without James around. Even with the two being in different Houses, he was still a bloody pest at times.

And besides, Albus couldn't really get made at Ali for attacking his sibling when he tended to have some things to say about Adelina as well now and then. He was certainly not as fond of that particular cousin as he was Ali.

Albus nodded when Ali said he didn't have to take on that responsibility.

"Oh trust me, I'm with you," he said with a slight chuckle in his bitter voice. "I don't want to be some savior. I don't people saying 'oh look, little Albus is a hero just like his father'. Merlin knows I'm already too far under his shadow."

Albus then listened as Ali spoke of her mum and how her mum wanted her to be. He didn't envy her for living in that house with that mother and father. He truly respected Ali for stepping away from their shadow the way she had.

"Oh come now, Ali," he said jokingly. "You're not going to be the perfect daughter like Adelina? Not going to walk around with a tea cup and tiny plate in your hand and constantly talk like you're hosting a fancy high society party all the time?" Albus chuckled again, this one more light-heated. "No offense to Adelina, but part of me is glad she didn't end up in Slytherin with you."

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

Alietta knew how it felt when someone criticized your family. Even if you didn't like them very much, they were still blood related to you and by association, they deserved the same respect that you were given. But at the same time, she didn't feel to bad about what she said about James. He was her cousin and she still felt a love for him, but she had never been as close to him as she had been to Albus and some of her other cousins. James was always somewhat of a stranger, and she was sure that he made himself a stranger to her, and she him, because of the separation of houses between them. Gryffindors and Slytherins were never friends and probably would never be. And unfortunately, sometimes that came between families.

"So I'm not the only one to want to break away." Ali smirked and raised her glass to her cousin. The two were two peas in a pod in most ways. She wasn't sure what she would do without him. "Maybe... maybe it's okay to distance ourselves from our families... I mean, it's not the most desired solution, but what can we do? It's what Uncle Percy did and it worked out for him... sort of. Have you talked to either of your parents about how you feel?" She pondered and took another sip of her drink. She did love her parents and her siblings, but they were so different than she was. They didn't really understand her, and her father would have a heart attack if he knew what she had been doing for the last 3 or 4 years. She shrugged when he said he was glad that Adelina wasn't in Slytherin with them. "I couldn't agree more. She would be such a buzz kill." she rolled her eyes. "It's amazing how differnet we are."

The more Albus hung around Ali, the more he was convinced that she was his favorite cousin. They were so much alike that it was damn near uncanny. Sometimes he wished they could have been brother and sister instead. He certainly had a bit of dissension with James and Lily bloody confused him on where she stood at times, but if Ali were his sister, he felt it was take a strong spell to ever separate the two. When she said she was apparently not the only one to want to break away, Albus nodded. Then he had an idea.

"Hey, how about after graduation, you and I go somewhere," he said. "I mean, not for good or anything, but just a trip, just you and I. Just get away from it all for a week or two. Maybe visit the States or perhaps Japan. Just have some fun and do whatever the bloody hell we want without someone watching over us. I mean, we'll be adults then, right? Who would stop us?" Albus chuckled. "Just a thought anyway, but I would like to spend some time with just the two of us, see what trouble we could get ourselves into."

Albus then sighed when she asked if he had talked to his mum and dad.

"Can't get through to my father if I tried, but I know I can talk to mum," he said. "I just need to get around to doing so."

Albus did hope deep down that Ali wouldn't be too offended by what he said about Adelina. He knew that despite the two having the differences they did, they were sisters and had a certain bond because of that. He was the same way with James and Lily. Even with all the arguing he did with James, he wouldn't let most insult the man. So he was relieved when she didn't seem put off by it.

"Sometimes I wonder what would happen if Lily had been sorted into Slytherin," he said. "Maybe you and I could have set her straight so she doesn't end up like James."


ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

Ali listened with a smile as her cousin went on about the two of them getting away together after graduation. It was a nice idea. She was sick of spending the Holiday with her parents and siblings. They would go to their summer home and do nothing but shop and read and draw and sit and be boring while her father would talk about Quidditch and her mother would talk about the war. The same stories after another. It was amazing that her sister never seemed to tire of them as much as Ali did, or maybe she did, she just knew better how to pretend to flatter them.

“I can’t think of anything better to celebrate our freedom!” She agreed and raised her glass in toast of his idea. She didn’t care where they went, but some time away with one of her absolute favorite people seemed like all she needed to help get her through the next year. Well, that and her Dragon of course. “You know, Al, this has to stay between us, but I think that after this year, I might really leave. Like, not drop off the face of the Earth, but I want to get away. Out of London, out of Paris and Milan. Maybe alone. Maybe not. But, I’m going to lay low for a while.” She told him. Of course, this was because she was going to retire with her Dragon to some isolated, mountainous place where she could raise and train him properly how she wanted to without anyone trying to interfere. This was her livelihood. This was her everything.

“You should talk to her.” Ali nodded. She knew that her Aunt Ginny would be more than understanding about how her own son was feeling. “I’m sure she can help. She knows how it is to have things expected of you just because of your Name.” Ali insisted. And she smirked when he said it was too bad that Lily hadn’t been a Slytherin, perhaps she could have been saved. “We still have Demetri.” She shrugged, referencing her own little brother. “But I’m afraid he’s taken after dad already.” She sighed.

Albus was quite happy that Ali agreed to the idea. He could only imagine the blast the two would have out in a strange and wonderful new place, just doing what they wanted when they wanted. Merlin knew both would have enough money for that. he had read about so many places he wanted to go, and it was all up to he and Ali. It would be no one else's concern! He returned her toast with great enthusiasm.

"Perhaps we'll start with the States, and then make our way through Tokyo on the way back home," he chuckled. "The sky's the limit... especially since we'll probably be flying about in a Muggle aircraft." Albus chuckled at that.

Then things got serious when Ali said she was thinking about moving altogether. Albus knew he would miss the heck out of her, but he also understood why she wanted to do it. He certainly wasn't going to protest if that was what would make his cousin happy.

"I wish you the best, and who knows, I might move with you if I keep getting pressured into a life I don't want here," he said. "But I will at least come and visit you."

Ali was right about his mum. Yes, Albus found talking to his father and James bloody difficult, but never his mother. He had always been able to talk to her no matter what. But the two would need to be alone.

"Alright, I will," he said. "I mean, it's mum after all, and like you said, she's been where I've been."

Albus then smiled about little Demetri. He did have potential, there was no doubt, and Albus did shudder at the idea of another Viktor Krum.

"We'll make him our project this year then," he joked. "Will give us something to do to pass the time."

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

"Who says that we have to stop there?" Ali asked with a smirk when he said that they could go to the States and then stop by Japan on their way home. "If the sky is the limit then let the sky be the limit. How's Antarctica sound? A little to cold?" She asked with a smirk, she had of course just been joking about going to Antarctica, but it made her point a little more. She honestly didn't care where they went, but it was such a nice thought to get away with someone whom she loved and respected unconditionally as she loved and respected Albus. He was the only person in the entire world that she could trust with absolutely everything. Sure, Katrina was great and was a truly wonderful best friend, but she had known Albus for her entire life and would continue to know him for the rest of her life no matter what.

"Hey, you'd be welcome to." She said with a shrug when he mentioned that he might move away with her. She was excited to get away from everyone, but she wouldn't mind some human company, and knowing her, she'd still be making frequent trips back to civilization anyway so she could shop and see those people whom she absolutely could not live without. "But I bet that your mum would understand. She seems to be the one who understands most things that others don't. I think it's grandma Molly rubbing off on her. After raising so many children, she know everything." Ginny said. Molly Sr. wasn't actually her grandmother. She was only related to her by marriage and even then it was far enough away so that it wasn't technical, but it was the same way with Albus and all of the others in the Weasley clan. Their parents were friends and of course, Ali's aunt was also Albus' aunt. So their relation was defined enough.