I Have A Cousin Here?

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor sat in the common room, still blinking at the letter she held in her hands. It was self explanatory, but it still didnt make sense. Taylor knew what had happened with her Mum, but the one thing she hadnt been told is what happened when her Mum, Melissa, went to visit her own Mother. She knew how her Mum's Mum had practically disowned Melissa because of her own mistake. She had cheated on Melissa's Dad, getting pregnant to the other man. If that wasnt soap opera enough. She went back again and had a second child with the other guy, who Taylor now knows as her uncle.

Taylor was still shoked by the latest findings and had to read over the letter again to make sense of it.

Dearest daughter,
I tell you everything, correct? So, I guess I must share with you this.
You know of my past about my Mother and the muggle she had an affair with. You know your uncle is also born to that man. You know that the age difference between me and Michael is extreme and you might have thought it seems slightly strange to have waited that long to go back and have another child to the man. Well I learnt something Im not sure I wanted to know when my Mother invited me to see her. She told me that I had another brother that I have never been aware of. He is between the age of me and Michael. She didnt raise this brother because her lover wished to do so himself. Turns out my brother had no magical abilities, so he grew up like a muggle without knowing anything of the magical world, my Mum never saw him after the birth. Not even when she went back to concieve Michael.
The thing that concerns you in all of this madness, is my brother has a son. Turns out he attends Hogwarts a year below you. I'm sorry I cannot tell you which house, because all I know is that he is a first year and his name is Charlie Linus. He has been brought up knowing nothing of the wizarding world, because his Mother and Father knew nothing of it.
Im sorry to be throwing this at you, I wish I could do so in person, but maybe you might like to know you have a cousin at the school.
I love you so very much and I look forward to discussing this properly on your next holiday.
Love you so much and miss you already,
Mum xxx

Taylor simply stared at it, before finally managing to wrap her head around it. Okay... She sighed at grabbed a peice of paper and a quill. Her head was starting to hurt, she thought it might be best to write a letter up in the owlery, to clear her head. She had a cousin, called Charlie Linus. Should be fun trying to find the guy.

Arriving at the owlery, Taylor looked out one of the windows. It was sunset and the sky looked slightly pink. It was weird news to take in, but her Mum was probably taking it harder. Wow, I have a cousin I didnt know about and Mum has a brother she didnt know about. Our family is full of surprises. Taylor thought a little sarcastically, before reaching over to stroke one of the birds with the back of a finger, wondering what on earth she said to a letter like that.

 

[Sam Prince]

Sam hadn't checked if he had any mail since he was back at Hogwarts for his second year. He wasn't expecting much but it would be nice if there was a letter for him, a letter that showed that his parents forgave him for being a 'puff'. Even if they hadn't forgiven him a short letter of recognition wouldn't go astray. He threw on a shirt and a pair of jeans, which was really starting to be a signature outfit for Sam.

Over the summer Sam had gotten a bit taller, his shoulders were broader and his chest filled out more. His hair was also now spiked. Leaving his dorm, Sam walked at quite a quick pace up to the Owlery. He hoped that know one would follow him, it would be hard to explain if they asked who he was expecting a letter from. He opened the Owlery door to find one person there. Taylor. He hadn't seen her since Hoshi's party.

He snuck up silently on her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Hey stranger!" He said with a large smile after releasing her. "Long time no see. How are you?" he asked now facing her.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor was enjoying the quiet. It was hard to find in a school full of kids and a dorm room that was shared with others. Taylor jumped when she felt arms around her, letting out a small gasp. She turned her head to find Sam and grinned, pulling out of the hug to give him a proper one. "Hey!" She exclaimed. "It's been ages!" She admitted. She felt like she hadnt seen her friends in forever. Sure Taylor had classes with them, but they couldnt talk then, so it clearly didnt count as a meeting.

"Im great." She beamed, standing back and taking a proper look at Sam, she gave him an impressed look. "You've changed quite a bit sinse I last saw you." She laughed lightly, making sure Sam knew it wasnt in a bad way. "How have you been? Have a good holiday?" She asked quickly, now that Sam was here she could get her thoughts away from a mysterious relation lurking around the school.

 

[Sam Prince]

Sam shook his head, "Nah...not really." When she said he changed a bit, he was a little embarassed when people said that to him. Sure he changed his hair but he didn't notice a lot else in him. "Yeah it was good thanks. I can't believe that we hadn't met up though, as a group I mean. Its just crazy." They were so close all during their first year and then didn't see each other for three whole months. "What about you? How has you summer been? Oh and I heard about you and Scorpius. I am really happy for the both of you." Sam said with a genuine smile and a small nod.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor nodded in agreement. "I know, we must do so soon!" She said. It really had been a while sinse the whole group had gotten together, almost too long. She made a mental note to organise something soon.

Taylor blushed a little and looked down, not being able to rid herself of the smile that crept onto her face. "Thanks." She said before looking up. "My holiday was, well, obviously good." She laughed. She was happy Sam was okay with it. He had been one of the biggest opinions that mattered and for him to say he approved meant everyone else should be alright. "You dont think its going to be weird though? You know with the whole group." Taylor wasnt sure if it would or not. Sam and Jenna hadnt changed the group much, but Taylor hadnt known the girl very well and hadnt really been a part of the group back then. So she couldnt be sure.

 

[Sam Prince]

Sam let a smile to appear on his lips as Taylor blushed, she was extremely happy, which made him happy. Though her next question changed his smile into a laugh, "C'mon why would it be weird? It'll be fine." It was never a problem when he and Toni, or he and Jenn went out. At least he didn't think it was a problem, maybe it was for everyone else and he just didn't realise? He hoped not. "Look, I can guarantee you, it'll be normal. Everyone will be thrilled when they find out." Sam said to her truthfully, he couldn't imagine Toni or Hoshi having a problem with them going out. "Does everyone know?" He asked her, was it just him that Knight told?

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor had to smile at Sam's comforting words. Hoshi had already told Tay she wouldnt have a problem if they went out. After hearing that she had broken Scorp's hand after finding out about Luna, Taylor had been slightly wary, but Hoshi was too good of a friend to be too worried about it.

Taylor shook her head when Sam asked if everyone knew. "Not that I know of. Aeon knows, but I dont know who Scorp told." She shrugged, it didnt matter, Taylor was fairly sure everyone had seen it coming. Especially after the Quidditch match. The constant gazes flicking to one another was a bit of a giveaway.

"So what about you?" Taylor asked, not wanting to talk about herself the whole time. "Any love interests in Sam's life." She grinned cheekily and reached over to stroke one of the owls again.

 

[Sam Prince]

"Oh right." Sam said simply as Taylor informed him about who knew. He knew that Toni knew so that was them all, they all found out one way or another. They really need to meet up soon. He hadn't even seen Hoshi yet and he missed her craziness and liviliness.

Her next question caught him off gaurd. Did she know? Did she know that he had feelings for Toni? No, no how could she? How would she even supsect that? All these questions entered his mind all at once and he forgot that he had forgotten to answer the quesiton. "No..none." He said quickly. He was about to ask her why she would think that but that may blow his cover. Instead he just stayed silent. He was lost for words when he thought of Toni.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor raised an eyebrow at Sam. That had not been a convincing no one at all. Taylor grinned and then let out a laugh. "Nice try, but that was completely inconvincing." She said, turning to face Sam completely, now intrigued. She gave him a smile. "Who is the lucky girl?" She said gently tilting her head slightly to the side, wanting to pry out the information one way or anything. She wouldnt tell anyone if Sam didnt want her to, but now Taylor was interested.

 

[Sam Prince]

Sam rolled his eyes playfully at Taylor and held back a smile. "What do you mean lucky girl? Taylor..I eh..don't know what your on about. Theres no one." Sam said a little quickly then walked over to a window and looked out at the grounds below him. Should I tell Taylor? No, no, this isn't hapening. Nothing will come out of this. This is me being stupid Toni doesn't even think of me that way. He didn't dare look back at Taylor she was onto him, he didn't know how but she was. Maybe it was one of those 'girl' traits?

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor kept grinning when Sam spoke quickly and stumbled a little in the sentence. She then raised a eyebrow playfully even though Sam was turned away. "Lucky boy then?" She joked and joined Sam at the window with a nudge to his arm.

"Your lying is rather obvious." She chuckled a little. Taylor wondered who it might be. Her curiosity on over-drive Would she know her? Had Jenna come back randomly? Was it Hoshi? Had him and Toni been hanging out more? Was Toni even over Beau yet? Taylor made a note to talk to Toni and see how she was doing. Shaking her head as her thoughts strayed completely off topic "You can tell me you know." She said on a more serious level.

 

[Sam Prince]

Sam look back at Taylor and rolled his eyes. "Oh how did you know?" Sam said sarcastically and let out a soft chuckle as Taylor nudged his arm. He knew she wasn't going to let him get away with this. "Yeah. I do suck at lying." Sam sighed, he couldn't believe he caved. But there was no more point. Maybe if he said that there was a girl he wouldn't have to reveal her name. "I know I can." Sam said to her just as seriously. "Its just that....well...I don't even know if I...like her." Sam leaned his head agsint the window frame. He looked at Taylor. "Pathetic. I know." He then let his eyes wander out the window.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor laughed as Sam went along with her joke. She shrugged her shoulders as he said he sucked at lying. He admitted he was lying, Taylor was getting somewhere. She listened carefully as Sam explained that he didnt know. She shook her head gently, "Your not pathetic." She too looked out the window and stared blankly into the distance.

"I denied that I liked Scorpius for ages." She began, not sure where she was going to go by this, but wanting to help her friend out in some way. "When I first met him, I started crushing, rather badly if I remember correctly." She chuckled lightly and then continued. "But when I found out about Luna, I shut it down. Denied it completely. I stopped seeing him. I saw him when he told me about Luna and after that we didnt catch up at all. Only on group occasions. I then met him again just after our gift exchange, in the Dungeons where we had met. It all came rushing back. Yet I still kept desperatly trying to deny it. For his, Luna's and my own sake. Then when I was in the hospital wing and he came to see me every single day. The minute I stopped denying it... I got the guy." She leaned back on the window sill and looked at Sam with a smirk. She laughed and let it fall away.

"If you like someone. You will know it." She said, attempting to be wise. "There is no point trying to deny it. If something is meant to be. It will happen." She said, knowing it sounded a little cliche and stupid, but realistically it was the truth. She smiled at Sam in a comforting way. She wouldnt ask him who it was. She would most likely find out soon enough anyway.

 

[Sam Prince]

Sam listened ot Taylors advice and thought about it quite a bit. Maybe she was right? Maybe he should just admit it to himself, that he liked Toni and to stop denying it. But he couldn't do that, he had tried the whole 'Toni' thing and it didn't work. Though that was different? He tried to convince himself, Beau was there. He was so confused. "Thanks Taylor...but I don't know if that will work with me." He said with a small smile to her. It seemed that Taylor and Scorpius were mean't to be, they just had that charisma with each other. He didn't know if that was there between him and Toni.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor smiled at Sam. "Well everyones different." She said with a small shrug. "You will work things out eventually. Just dont try and deny anything, it wont get you anywhere." She said with a laugh. She hoped Sam didnt have too much trouble, the group didnt deserve trouble this year. They had been through too much last year.