The Sawyer Household.

But alas no, Max didn't show up. Instead, some dark hooded figures were appearing out from down the street...



Oh snap.

Nick was too wrapped up in the game to notice the dark figures down the street, as were all of the kids.

Suddenly one of the wizards ran up, raised his wand, and there was suddenly a very loud noise, like a gunshot, to get everyone's attention.

All of the kids screamed, and ran, leaving only Nick and Kathy in the backyard amidst helmets, baseball bats, and various other things. Nick inwardly cursed, as he'd left his wand inside, but at least there were baseball bats all around him if he needed them.

The two men stepped forever, just looking at them for a minute. "You two, I'm afraid you're coming with us." said the taller of the two men.

"What do you mean by that? Why?" Nicolas asked, his heart racing. He stepped in front of Kathy, and the two backed up a few steps.

"Because the both of you are charged with the act of stealing magic." he said sharply. He then turned to other Death Eater.

"John."

John the Death Eater then pulled out his wand, while the first held his head.

"STUPEFY!" they yelled at the same time, paralyzing the both of them.

[Kathy wasn't going to get taken away (immediately, anyway). Just Nick.]

Kathy dodged the spell, and bolted out of there as fast as she could. She didn't stop in the house to get her wand or anything, alert her parents--she just ran. She knew the Death Eaters would catch her, but maybe she could hide at Andrea's house. Oh, what a terrible idea.

While Katherine was running away, Nick lay paralyzed on the ground.

"Lets' take him away..." said the John, and they scooped up Nick as though he was a sack of potatoes, and apparated away.

Nicolas Apparated onto the familiar street. There were kids running around, like there always had been. They all looked so innocent, so carefree. Most of them were young, around his own kids' ages. Most likely, he though, they were the spawn of the older neighborhood kids that he grew up with. He smiled a little bit, and slowly walked up to the familiar house with the peeling white picket fence. He remembered conning some neighborhood kids into painting it for him when he was a little youngster, but he didn't remember the dry grass, overgrown shrubs, and peeling paint that was not only on the fence, but on the house itself as well. Some roof shingles were missing. It looked like it hadn't been tended to in years.

If his parents weren't here, it didn't matter. He had been told, back in seventh year, that when you were taken from your Muggle parents the Death Eaters wiped their memories. It was worth a shot, though, he thought as he knocked on the front door. Maybe Katherine's here. That would save a lot of trouble.

The familiar face of a woman with a large nose opened the door. She had let herself go quite a bit--she was significantly chunkier than the seventeen-year-old Nicolas remembered her. She didn't have that motherly, happy glow about her anymore. Mrs. Sawyer scowled down at this rascal with the blonde hair, that looked oddly like what would be formed if her and her husband had ever had children.

"Who're you?" she growled. She didn't look too happy to have a twenty-four-year-old boy on her doorstep. "Are you trying to sell me some life insurance? Vacation home? No, let me guess! Chocolate! No, wait. Are you the father of those little boys I chased off of my property last week?! They were ON MY GRASS!"

"No," Nicolas shook his head, fear flickering across his face before he donned his Auror Face. It was much tougher, stronger. He had to be a symbol of strength for the magical community, and thus, couldn't show that inside he really felt fear/sadness/grief/etc. He didn't really see how she could care about that grass, if it was all dead. "I'm Nicolas. Nicolas Sawyer. I'm your--"

"Long lost relative, I've heard that b-s before," Mrs. Sawyer rolled her eyes. "Don't stalk me, you scum!"

Nicolas took a step back. "I'm your son, please. Don't you remember me at all, Gladys Maria Sawyer?"

Gladys narrowed her eyes, scowling even harder than she already was. "I have no children. And if I did, they wouldn't address me with all of my names! Have respect, child! God, you're the second person to come to this house and tell me you're my child, well, I'm not buying that bullshit!"

She tried to slam the door, but Nicolas's foot shot forward. Ignoring the pain, he asked, "Was it a blonde woman that came by?"

"Yes, actually, it was." Gladys grew wary, but opened the door a little bit. "Are you stalking me, boy? Leave now before I call the police."

"Did this woman say where she lived?" Nicolas asked desperately. He dropped his Auror Face and openly showed his worry. After all, this creature--no matter how much she didn't remember him--was his mother.

"Said she was homeless and jobless," Gladys rolled her eyes as she explained. "Right after she was bawling about me being her mother. Hah! I know that trick. 'Oh, mother, I need a place to stay!' So pathetic. She was a real good actor though, cried her eyes out. Leave me be, now, boy, Britain's Got Talent is on TV and I don't want to miss it."

"Wait, one more thing!" Nicolas pleaded. "When did she come by?"

"A month ago, I believe?"

"Thank you. I, ah, guess I'll be leaving now..."

"Good."

Nicolas moved his foot to let Gladys slam the door in his face. He was in complete shock. No, not because she didn't know who he was. He expected that from what he was told, way back in seventh year. Apparently, his mother had really let herself go. That was horrible; he had always known her as a small little stick-figure. Secondly, Katherine was wandering around the streets somewhere, homeless and jobless, with no family. Taking a deep, shaking breath and angrily wiping a small tear from the corner of his eye, he Disapparated and went back home.

So, Nicolas and Rachel appeared on the street. Trekking through the snow, Nicolas started looking around for Katherine.

Rachel followed behind him, gripping his hand. She knew that the street didn't look particularly dangers, but she still couldn't help but be scared.

"Nick is this a very large town?" she asked, as looked all over the place.

"Uh, the town kinda is. But these are the suburbs, they don't hurt," Nicolas explained, walking down the sidewalk and holding Rachel's hand. "It's getting dark. Lumos." Nicolas's wand lit up, but he held it so most of it was hidden in his cloak sleeve. It could easily pass as a flashlight if a Muggle were to look outside.

"...I'm scared." Rachel whimpered quietly, but she kept going, mostly for his sake. "But, where do you think your sister would be?"

Nicolas squeezed Rachel's hand. "I'm not sure." He kept walking, peering through the darkness to see if he could find anyone. "She's close. I can feel it."

~

Katherine sat on a small bench on the street corner. Some kind man had given her his jacket, but besides that, she just had on some old jeans, run-down sneakers, and a dirty sweatshirt. There was a little tin can perched on the bench next to her, and inside it were a few coins.

"Are you sure?" she said slowly, as they rounded the corner. "I don't see anyone-" she looked around. "-Wait, I see a figure on a bench, though."

Katherine looked up to see the two standing there. Slowly, she stood up, staring at them with wide eyes. The guy, he had her face. He had blonde hair, too, but he was too big.

"Katherine?" This girl, her hair was too long. Her body was too skinny.

His voice was too deep. No, it couldn't be... "Nicolas?"

"KATHY!"

"NICK!"

Nicolas let go of Rachel's hand and bolted at his sister, enveloping her in a huge hug and actually lifting her off of her feet. It wasn't that hard--she probably weighed only a hundred pounds. The two just stood there (well, Nicolas did anyway), hugging in silence for the first time in years.

When the hugging and love fest was over, Rachel ran over to where they were standing. She gave Kathy a little hug, and looked her straight into the eye. "We're going to take you home to our house, okay?"

"O-okay," Katherine said quietly, wiping at the tears on her cheeks and, since she didn't have a tissue, wiping the snot on her sleeve. She recognized Rachel--she was one of those girls that Nicolas dated when he was younger. Maybe they were married, now. She'd have to ask later. Nicolas took her hand, and Apparated back home.

[B'AWWW ;_____;]