They say time heals everything. But I'm still waiting.

"I'd rather not hurt people..." Nic muttered. "As that would probably just make things worse..." She thought for a moment. "Yeah, it would definitely make things worse." She sighed, looking out the window of the kitchen.

Cassie shrugged with a slight smile. She picked up Severus' bowl and got the cloth out of the sink. "Sev, go watch a movie or something. Will you?" "Kay Mummy," He bounded out of the room to come back a moment later. "Whre's the dbd?" He asked mispronouncing the word. "In Laurie's room." Severus bounded out again.

The next few days passed similarly to the first one, only they were a lot more fun, because Nicole was getting used to how the Evans household work out and such. But in her fun she forgot something important: her promise to write her mum. And Lyssa had said that if she didn't write then Lyssa was going to come check on her, since it was her first time away and all that.

Cassie was in the kitchen reading to Severus and trying to get him to read when she heard the doorbell ring. he didn't particularly like learning to read so when the doorbell rang he ran off to answer it. Which he of course couldn't reach the door. Cassie picked him up, letting him open it. Though she had to hold it open, because otherwise it would have swung shut again. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at who was on her doorstep. "What do you want?" She snapped at Lyssa, who she hadn't seen for twenty or so years.

Lyssa looked a little surprised and a little confused to see Cassie open the door. "I'm here because this is the address that Nicole left, so that I would know where she was. She didn't tell me, however, that it was your house."

Cassie's eyes narrowed. "And I wasn't told that she was your daughter, or I may have had second thoughts about allowing the girl over here." She put her son down. "Severus, get the girls would you." Severus frowned but oligied running down the hall, and nearly into an open door. Cassie frowned, she didn't want Malfoys in her house. She would rather stay quite a way away from them.

Nicole was quite confused when Severus showed up and said that Cassie wanted her and Laurie at the door. She walked with her friend through the hall, stopping in her tracks when she saw her mum standing in the doorway.

"You two apparently forgot to tell us something when you were organising this," Cassie said looking at the two girls, her fist was clenched, but she told herself that she was going to keep her temper in front of the children. Laurie gave the adults a confused look, not understanding what her mother was meaning.

"Um..." Nicole started since Laurie was being quiet. "What exactly were we meant to be telling you?" She gave them both a confused look, feeling quite a bit of apprehension, since neither adult looked very pleased at the moment.

"Last names would have helped," Cassie said, Laurie winced slightly. She could tell her mum was angry but trying not to show it, or lash out. Though she still looked confused at her mum, not understanding what last names had to do with anything. "I'm confused," She stated.

"Well, maybe you two should have asked us when we told you we were either inviting a friend over or going to a friend's house. That's poor planning on your parts, not ours," Nicole said. "And besides, it doesn't bloody matter what our last names are. We're friends, we're hanging out, and if you have problems with that then you can just deal with them away from us, because I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here, spending time with Laurie."

"I agree with Nicole," Laurie said quietly. "It doesn't matter and anyway mum you were the one who said that it wasnt right to judge people on their birth." Cassie frowned at both of the girls and then turned back to Lyssa. "Get your daughter out of my house," She snapped at her.

"I would be happy to," Lyssa said to Cassie then she looked at Nicole. "Get your things." Nicole shook her head. "No," she said. "I told you already, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to lose spending time with my friend, who I barely get to see at school because of our house difference, just because the two of you have some stupid conflict with each other, that hasn't got a damn thing to do with Laurie or me."

"Mum-" "No Laurie. Go and get Nicole's things." "No," Laurie exclaimed folding her arms across her chest. "Laurie, don't argue with me." Cassie said sternly. "Go and get her things." It kind of reminded Cassie of when she and Lyssa were kids, refusing to do what their parents said. Both girls looked like their mother which made it even more odd.

Nicole looked at both of the adults in the house. "Try to make me leave and I will make you regret it. I'm not joking either."

"I am not having Malfoys in my house," Cassie told the young girl. "And I am not getting bossed around by a twelve year old. "Get out of my house, you are no longer welcome here." "MUM!" Laurie said frowning at her mother. "You said she could come, what does it matter what her last name is?"

"Firstly, if wouldn't be Malfoys, it would a a Malfoy. Secondly, okay I am twelve, you get that. Thirdly, no I will not get out. Not unless Laurie wants me to go," Nicole said, containing herself quite well. "I do not appreciate being judged; I get enough of that at school. I will ask that you not do it. Now, here's my major point to make. You were just fine with having me around before and now that you know just who I am you want me gone. So, this says to me that it's not me as a person you dislike and want gone and that it's my stupid effed up family that's causing this. Now, I'm not them, I wasn't around then. I do not understand why it is me that is being singled out for their actions, in which I took no part. So, unless you can list reasonable, valid reasons for me to leave, I see no warrant to."

Cassie growled as the girl ranted, she didn't like being ranted at, and not by children. "I have had someone in your bloody family tell me that before," Cassie snapped at her looking pointedly at Lyssa. "That she wasn't like the rest of her family, that she was different and you know what, that very person turned around and stabbed me in the back. Numerous times."

"You apparently misheard me," Nicole said, ignoring Cassie's pointed words at her mum. "I never said I wasn't like them, I said I wasn't them. There's no doubt that I can be like them sometimes. It's called genetics. But I'm not the same people as they are or were. That's quite impossible."

"I don't care if you different, I want you out of my house. I am not having Malfoys in my house after what happened. I know it's not your fault but you're reminding me of it. And those are memories I would rather not relive."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Nicole muttered, mostly to herself but it was still audible to everyone else. "Because no one ever sees passed appearances. I guess I got my hopes up that maybe this time it would be different, because Laurie spoke so highly about how you didn't judge. But I guess she was wrong about that. You're just like everyone else."

"I generally don't," Cassie said through clenched teeth. Generally she would admire the girl for her stubborness but in this case it was annoying her behind belief. "But if you want to ask why in this case I do. Ask you're bloody mother."

"I don't give a flying fuck what the bloody hell happened, or why you feel that it's appropriate to judge people in one situation and not another!" Nicole snapped, getting really angry. "What I care about is that it's controlling my life when I had nothing to even freaking do with it! Laurie is the only friend I've got, and I don't want to lose that."

"I don't care if you freinds, be fricken freinds if you want to. I didn't give a damn about what my parents thought of my freinds either. But stay out of my house and stay away from me." "Mum!" Laurie shouted. "SHUT THE FRICKEN HELL UP. I do not give a fricken bloody damn what the hell happened to you two decades ago. She's my freind and she's staying, unless you plan on kicking me out with her. It's not your part to say who I can and can't be freinds with, it's my choice." Cassie blinked, Laurie had always been the quiet one, she never shouted. Again, it reminded Cassie an awful lot of when she was younger. Behind them all Severus started to whimper.

Nicole heard Sev, and she was standing the closest to him. She took a small step to him and crouched to his level. The poor little guy looked absolutely scared out of his wit at what was going on. "Sev," Nicole said softly to him, "I think it would good for you to go play with your toys in your room, since the raised voices are probably scary to you." He looked at her with teary eyes and nodded. Nic gave him a hug and he toddled off. Then she uncrouched and turned back around to look at Cassie. "I hope you're pleased with yourself. You've successfully managed to upset everyone here, except maybe my mum, but she hardly ever gets upset over anything."