James, Albus and Lily had the unfortunate pleasure of having first go at the garden gnomes that day, only because their Uncle Ron had goaded them into showing inherited strength. While Hugo and Rose sat inside, Hugo playing with trains under the table, and Rose poking her new wand at the dinner mixture her mother had left in her guidance. As the oldest, Albus frowned over the window sill of the beaten up old door, and had Lily tugging on his pants.
"A'buth, A'buth," She said, hoping he would turn around.
Angrily pulling his pants higher, he stuck out his tongue at her, and hopped down the steps.
James was sitting in the bushes already poking around in the roots and causing some major commotion of his own. "Are you going to help at all, Albus?" James asked.
Already a 3rd year, James was not happy with his brother's aloof attitude. It had been one thing when he had been first among them to enter school, but now, standing over them as only a 4th year...
"A'buth." Lily insisted, and even stamped her foot.
"Really, how old are you?" James asked. "Albus, you're not helping. You've been staring at Rose this entire time."
Lily spoke up, "It'th becauthe the'th thitting inthide not being yelled at by litt'e men."
James stood up, and flung a spell at one that was escaping, "Alright then little girl, get to it."
Lily frowned and stomped after one that squealed even as it tried to get under her feet.
Albus jumped on top of it, and James continued to poke spells under the bush. Suddenly a whole group surged out from under her feet and Lily was forced inside.
"Rothe!" She squealed.
"Lily, don't get mud on me!" But Lily was already hugging Rose's middle and hiding under her arm, and Rose was covered in muck, and maybe a little gnome excrement.
"It'th a war outhide, Rothe." Rose frowned, and was not happy to be dirty so soon after cleaning the lake muck out of her robes only a few days ago during finals.
Hugo popped out from under the table and gave a quizzitive look at the two of them.
"You don't want to go outhide," his cousin informed him. "It'th very, very thcary."
Hugo grinned at them. Hermione returned and nearly jumped at the sight of Lily.
"Red hair all covered in mud, you might as well have been born with mousy hair."
Lily laughed at the lack of a joke, nose crinkling.
"Oh, girls." Hermione swept her wand over them, and the mud was thrown out the window, there came a yell.
"Hey!" Albus stood up at the window, but when his Aunt was the one there... he stooped back down. "Darn gnomes."
Ron trudged in just in time to see the mud go and picked up Hugo.
"Did Hermione just take the mud out of your clothes?" He asked, frowning at them. But Lily was the one who bent her head in shame.
"I know, I thould haf wathed it out mythelf. But the gnometh tripped me."
"At your age, I could rid the garden of gnomes with one swish of my wand—OW!" Hugo still gripped tightly in one arm, Lily's Uncle Ron had the other hand clapped to his ear.
"At your age, girls, Ron could not even do some of the spells you're already perfect with."
Rose and Lily stared up wide eyed at Hermione, Ron grumbled and left the room.
"How did Ron pass his exams?" Rose asked, in awe of these secret knowledge.
"I helped him." Hermione turned back to the sink, and mixed the forgotten dish on the table on the counter. "I helped him like friends always help each other, like Lily helped you, Rose, with your astronomy charts and your spells."
Rose gulped. She mouthed at Lily, How did she—?
"Lily didn't tell me, Rose." She went to leave the kitchen, and mysteriously said over her shoulder, "You did."
Rose was quaking. "Maybe I didn't pass! Maybe I have to retake the year, Lily!" She suddenly clasped her friend, and buried her chestnut head of hair under her friends protection. "Maybe we can't be friends anymore." Rose mumbled.
Lily tried to console her, and patted her friends head lovingly, and was whispering various cooing sounds to calm her, just as Harry and his two sons came in the door.
"Really bang up job." The three past the two girls in silence, even James barely took a second glance.
The kettle on the stove began to whistle, and two cups and saucers and a teapot assembled themselves on the table. Hot water was poured, and Ginny came in to put the leaves in, and swooped over the two tearful girls and tried to sooth them.
"Shh," She said, finding that Lily had also begun to cry, her daughter's lisp only becoming worse with a clogged nose.
"Mmmmmmee" Was all Lily managed, before the two girls were taken into Ginny's arms.
"Auntie..." Rose hiccuped and was unable to finish the sentence.
"Rmahnee thath we canth bee—" she sobbed, "—canth bee threndth..."
"Anymore!" Rose wailed, finishing the sentence.
"Oh, darlings." She hugged and rocked them. "Why not? What horrible thing did you do this time?"
"Hermione found out we cheated!" Rose said, lifting up her face in idolatry. "But we didn't, not really."
"Shh, your mother can't really have found out that, because, you didn't cheat. Did you?"
Ashamed, Lily was the only one who could nod. A little taken aback, Ginny asked for clarification.
Rose continued to sniff sadly, so Lily told her part.
"I loothhd offer Rotheth thtuff." She hiccuped, "An' I corre'thed thome thingth."
"And during your exams?" Ginny prompted.
"What?" Rose asked, looking up.
"Well, how did Lily help you in the exams."
"Before—she helped me study before—the exams."
Ginny hugged the two girls closely, and murmured assurances that no one would be expelled, held back or even given detention for studying together. Hermione came back in just as the two red faced girls were beginning to sip tea and Ginny was getting a third cup for herself. Harry trooped in behind with Hugo bouncing in his arms and James trailing behind.
"What happened?" He asked, now confronted with the sadness of Lily and Rose.
"Auntie Hermione was punishing them for one thing or another by making them believe they would be expelled for studying for O.W.L.S. together." Ginny glared at her.
Hermione didn't turn around. Ron came back into the now crowded kitchen, with Albus in tow.
"You see, the trick is surprise them when they're still napping, before they have a chance to get their vocal chords warmed up."
"Ron told me I should." Hermione said, and Ginny focused on her brother. Harry ducked out of the room snickering, and Ginny stood to face her brother.
"You said that two girls should cry for getting some mud in their clothes?" She rose, and a light breeze began to ripple in the still kitchen. Hermione ducked out and took James with her. Ron turned to Albus who was surprised at his mother's sudden tempered focus on his uncle.
"You know, if we as kids had—" When the teapot began to hover back up from the table, still filled with hot tea, he backed up.
"The other thing to do, Albus, is to work on your run, never know when that's gonna be of use."
Pushing him in the back, Ron and Albus tumbled out the door. Lily and Rose sat grinning, sipping on tea, and Ginny sighed in relief.
"Gnomes should be out by dinner." She assured them.