Christmas day started bright and early at Windamere. Sumner was busy liberally spreading jam on his toast while his brother Avery sulked into his weetabix. A smirk spread across his face. "Come come brother dear," he mocked after Avery sent him another withering glare, "I'll be out of your hair within a week. Then you'll have mummy and daddy," he sneered,"all to your dear little self." He felt a twinge of guilt as twin dots of color rose on the boys face. Quickly smothering it, he finished his meal and got up, shoving his chair into the table with unnecessary force.
Hands shoved firmly into jean pockets he left to wander around the arbor outside. It was cold, the ground barren and frozen, not a drop of snow in sight. He would miss being home yet at the same time he craved his freedom from his family. The dark, cold halls of Hogwarts filled him with a sense of purpose, of pride even. His head tucked down, hair falling forward to cover his forehead, he lost himself within thoughts of the Hogwarts in New Zealand he would be transferring to this term.
Sumner's mouth tightened. He had wanted to stay in Scotland and finish out his fourth year there. His father, Demitrius, had something else to say about that. As a muggle politician he'd had to work double the time to cover the tracks of his wizard son's secret school. Which meant now instead of seeing him at the odd family tea time, now he was at work 24/7. The trouble was that secrets could be found out. Aurors had obliviated the nosy new secretary but not before the damage had been done and the orders for his father's transfer were complete and handed out. It had forced them to live out the year in New Zealand while father did business here in the cabinet. Holidays and the odd weekend would see them at Windamere. His eyes were bitter. He'd already forged himself something of a good thing at school. Rarely bothered, a steady spot as beater on the Quidditch team, excellent marks.
His head turned sharply, met his father's through the second story window. He glared viciously before hunching his shoulders against the sharp, cold wind.