Redemption II

Chapter 95

"I don't want to go..." Firas groaned heavily, dragging his bag behind him to the living room. Firy had taken up permanent residence in the boy's shirt collar giving him an odd-looking necklace from the plumed tail wrapped around his neck. The kitten was presently chewing on the chain holding the amulet that helped him to control his gifts. Something that hadn't been removed since his second birthday.

"Why not? Do you not feel well?" Hermione looked over at him curiously as she finished putting the last of the clean clothes into Amura's bag for their camping trip with Harry. It was something they'd done nearly every summer since James had turned 7. Born just a few months before the twins the two best friends had wanted their children to become friends as well.

"James is a dunderhead."

A choked snort came from the kitchen followed by the sound of a teacup being hastily placed down. Hermione glared through the kitchen doorway at Severus who was trying to hold in his amusement over his son's statement.

"Firas that's not very nice to say. " Hermione knew that she wasn't going to get a single ounce of help in this issue but held firm on her own, "Why would you say that?"

"He is, I know it's not nice but its true." Firas glanced at his father through the doorway as well already able to sense his amusement mixing with his mother's disappointment.

"He's just more of a...physical being." Amura added from the chair beside the window where she was picking a few books to keep herself amused during the night. She rather liked camping, even though she too didn't really get along well with James or Albus, the later actually a rather large irritation to the older girl as he was constantly asking questions that she felt he should have already known the answers to.

"There's nothing wrong with that." Hermione glanced at her daughter before turning her eyes towards her son, "I'm sure the two of you can find something to talk about. You liked playing with him last year."

Firas groaned softly dropping his bag down next to his sister's for his mother to pack away his own clothes. He let out a soft sigh looking to his father for help but found the man mysteriously vanished from the kitchen, "Dad doesn't have to go. In fact, he never goes."

"This isn't about him, this is about you." Hermione let out her own soft sigh as she packed away her son's clothes, "Who knows? Maybe he's changed, you haven't seen him in a long time. How do you know he's not grown a bit more?"

"Why does Dad get to stay home?" Amura had rejoined the conversation now, looking curiously towards the doorway where she could just barely catch a glimpse of their father making a hasty retreat towards the study.

Hermione took a deep breath to give her strength before pushing herself to her full height. The twins had never put up an argument before, in fact, they had always looked forward to the one on one time they had with her in the woods. They'd made numerous memories on their yearly camping trips. A small part of her wondered if they were somehow outgrowing their need for her but she pushed it aside trying to seek a more logical explanation.

"Because he and Uncle Harry do not have the most—pleasurable—history."

Both Firas and Amura looked at the other for a long moment before turning their inquisitive eyes towards their mother. There was a heavy silence between all of them before a soft knock at the front door disrupted their conversation from going any further.