This Has To Stop, They're Brothers! (Julia)

Ashton was tired. He'd been trying to think of a way that he could invite his uncle Chase to his father's upcoming wedding, but it didn't seem likely to happen. They had had some kind of stupid fight, and now were not even speaking to each other. He normally would have talked to his dad about what to do with this kind of problem, but as his father was part of the situation, that wasn't an option. He'd probably just be told to mind his own business anyway.

With a sigh, he noticed that he was now near the Oak front doors. Maybe some fresh air would clear his head a bit and let him think of some possible solutions. He went out onto the grounds and looked around. It was a beautiful day and that would have lifted his spirits, if it hadn't been for the fact that he still didn't know what to do. He wanted his uncle to be at his father's wedding, and he knew that secretly, his dad did as well. This was family! Shouldn't they forgive each other without question?

Ashton started walking across the grounds, not really noticing where he was going. He knew the grounds well enough to side-step holes when they were somewhere near, and didn't need to look up all that often to avoid running into trees. It came from his wandering when he couldn't get past what stupid dare, bet or challenge he'd taken in the past. Fortunately, he didn't have that problem so much anymore, but he decided to make a challenge of his own with himself.

He was going to find a way to get his uncle to the wedding, whether his dad or uncle liked it or not! And if there was going to be @#!*% to pay, so be it.

Ashton looked up as he bumped into a greenhouse. It seemed that he'd been paying less attention than he'd thought. He blinked when he realized where he was. Maybe the solution wasn't for just him to figure out. Maybe he needed someone else as well. He moved around to the office door and knocked on it. When it opened, he smiled.

"I need your help, Professor."

Julia had just finished a rather interesting novel and was getting ready to head off to eat something. She had eaten lunch, but it was still a few hours until dinner in the Great Hall. She hoped she was just a normal kind of hungry, and not a 'special' kind of hungry. God, if she was pregnant...Chase would have a heart attack. And she really couldn't handle her fiance keeling over right now...she just couldn't do it. Although, SHE wouldn't mind having a baby. It had been so long since she had held a tiny infant in her arms. In fact, at one point in her life, she didn't know if she would ever have another child. And she hadn't been sure whether she wanted one. After Elsie died, part of Julia had been taken as well. She didn't think she would ever be whole again. And that was where the drinking came in.

Julia had gone for five years without a drink, and there had been some tough times where she wanted to cave in and didn't...until recently. She had gotten in a horrendously huge, absolutely ridiculous fight with Chase and they had called it quits. Regrettably, Julia had chosen to get drunk and then sleep with the first guy to look at her. As it turned out, this man worked at the Ministry with Chase. And when she saw Lucas the next day, he looked as if he had been run over by a truck. Chase had worked him over pretty good, and Lucas was a big guy...it was very strange, but it just made her want Chase even more. And they had made up, and even gotten engaged after that. So hopefully it was all water under the bridge for them.

She sat thinking about all of this as the knock came, and she jumped a bit unexpectedly. She got up from the couch and opened it. She smiled immediately at her soon-to-be nephew and invited him in. This was another aspect of the fallout from her fight with Chase. Apparently his brother, Oliver, had stood up for her and had basically told Chase he was an idiot for letting her go. Julia had been slightly flattered, but saddened at the same time. Oliver and Chase got in an argument and they hadn't spoken to each other in months. She assumed that it might have something to do with why Ashton, Oliver's son, was here in the first place.

"Ashton Michaels, how are you? Come on in and take a seat. I have a feeling I know what you are here to talk about, and if I am right...I agree wholeheartedly. Now...how about some tea while we talk about these stubborn men?"

Professor Wallace

Ashton entered and moved to sit down, nodding in response to the offer of the tea, with milk and one sugar. He scrubbed lightly at his face, trying to get rid of the slight exhaustion that had been plauging his mind for the last few days. He had a few big tests coming up, and he'd recently applied to start his Healer training. He knew that he could only be an intern right now, but it would be a start for him. He needed to be able to keep his mind on those things, and his father and uncle kept popping to the front of his brain, making it extremely difficult for him to study or concentrate on any work that he needed to do.

He looked around Professor Wallace's quarters. He'd never been here, and he knew that more than likely he'd be in trouble for even approaching them, since students weren't allowed unless related to the teacher. But he didn't want to think about that right now, he wanted to figure out how to get his father and uncle patched up in their relationship. His dad had to be missing Uncle Chase, and Ashton certainly wanted to get to know the man better.

He looked to where Professor Wallace was currently.

"Is there anything that I can help you with, Professor? And yes, I'm here to talk about my father and Uncle Chase. We really need to do something about them. My father is getting married soon, and expecting a baby. Uncle Chase is very much missed, I'm sure."

Ashton

Julia shook her head and smiled as she resumed her position on her sofa.

"No, there is nothing I need help with. You just relax and make yourself comfortable while I get you some tea."

She got to work at preparing him a cup, then handed it over to him before returning to her own tea and sipping it gently. She liked her tea hot. It always seemed to calm her nerves the hotter the liquid became, without burning her, of course. Burns took too long to heal, literally as well as metaphorically. Julia had learned that the hard way.

"Yes, I agree. Oliver needs Chase, and Chase needs Oliver. They need to be there for each other for both of their weddings, not to mention the fact that Oli has a baby on the way. That is fantastic news, by the way. Oliver and I have been friends for a long time, I'm glad to see him so happy. But Chase...now I really don't know what to do with him. If I bring the subject of your father, he just gets this stony look on his face like he'd rather eat mud than talk about it. But they have to do it at some point."

Julia didn't know all of the details of her fiance's past except for the fact that his mother and father divorced when he was young, and that his mother had left with Oliver. Chase never really opened up all too often. But there had to be something she could do to get them speaking again. Maybe with Ashton's help.

"What do you think of a little mystery and sabotage? What if Chase was supposed to meet me, and Oliver was supposed to meet you...but they were the only ones to show up? It might be a little underhanded, but I'm not above it if it will bring both men the closure and affection they both are in sore need of. Am I right?"

Ashton thanked Professor Wallace for the tea and sipped it slowly. It calmed his slightly frazzled nerves, letting him think clearly and make a better attempt to think of a solution to this situation. Then she gave him her idea and he had to think it over for a few minutes. How to trick his dad into meeting him and his Uncle into meeting Professor Wallace? It would be tricky to get them both to meet in the same place, since they would both possibly question why they were to be meeting there in the first place, but the idea had merit, he had to admit.

He smiled at Professor Wallace.

"All right, I'm in, but we have to pick a place where they won't question why they are meeting us there. I know my dad, and he's kinda inquisitive. I'm sure Uncle Chase is too."

He looked down into his tea cup, trying to think of a place to send his dad now, but he didn't want it to be on the grounds. That would make it too easy for him to have a place to hide. He had his office, his personal quarters and his classroom, all of which had a locking door, although that didn't mean much to a wizard. Uncle Chase could just unlock it with his wand.

No, it had to be a place that was neutral to both of them. A place where neither one had a leg up, and no one they knew around. They needed to work this out for themselves, with no one to distract them, and no one to talk to other than each other. Ashton would have prefered that they be in an unlockable room, where they couldn't Apparate. But that would have to be somewhere in Hogwarts, and he didn't want them to be anywhere near the castle. Made it too easy for retaliation before they had a chance to think out what had been done for their own good.

"I think that first off, we need to think of a place where they won't be able to come after us too easily. Somewhere in Muggle London, maybe?"

Julia sighed and rested back against the couch, lifting her feet onto the coffee table and sipping more of her tea. They had to be smart about this and actually follow through, or it would fall apart in their faces. She knew that her soon-to-be husband would not be happy when he found out about this little plan, but she couldn't resist taking the opportunity to help him reconnect with his brother. They were both good, kind men, even though Chase often let his temper get away from him. But in her heart, she knew they both deserved to be in each other's lives. The two of them were just too bloody stubborn to admit it.

"The problem you and I face is that they are both too smart for their own good. I know Chase will figure it out within a few minutes. Hopefully once he does, he won't just give up and walk away. I don't think he will, he doesn't usually give up that easily. But it still concerns me."

As she sat pondering the best way to pull off this crazy scheme of theirs, she couldn't help but get lost in her own thoughts. She had met Chase almost nine years ago now and he was still the same as ever. Only now, they were actually engaged and planning a wedding. They had been friends for so long, and they had finally admitted how much they loved each other. And because of that love, Julia had to help him become the best he could be. That meant he needed a relationship with Oliver, whether he admitted it to himself or not.

"Well, it doesn't really matter how they get together, all that matters is that they do. I think your idea about muggle London is a good one. I know this French restaurant that might be just the spot. Do you think you can get Oli there at seven o'clock on Friday? I will work on Chase. But for now, I think I want to hear more about my future nephew," she smiled.

"So, are you still dating Ms. Valari? She's gorgeous, she is. Tell me, are there future plans with her, or are you waiting until after you graduate?"

Ashton lit up like the sun at the mention of his girlfriend. He nodded happily when she asked if he were still dating her. He had to think for a second about his answer. He didn't want to seem like he didn't have any plans with her, but he'd been so busy lately, the two of them hadn't had much of a chance to talk with her about what they were going to do when they left Hogwarts.

"I think we're going to wait until we graduate to make any decisions about that. Right now we're so busy with our studies and me with my Prefect duties and training that we hardly even get to see each other, much less start talking about our futures. I know that she wants to be a model, and she certainly has the looks for it."

Sometimes Ashton wondered how it was that he had managed to be so lucky to have captured Sierra Valari's heart. He loved her with all of his soul, and had missed her terribly when they had been seperated. He certainly didn't want to go through a repeat of that. Ever.

"Other than that, I really don't know what else to tell you. I'm sure that you don't want to hear about my sex life." He smiled sheepishly as he finished his tea and set the cup on the table in front of him.

"So, what about you and Uncle Chase? When are you two going to be getting married?"