By request.
"Maybe she won't notice," Lily said in a hopeful voice.
Both of her older brothers glared at her with annoyed looks plastered on their face.
"I'm just trying to be positive," Lily stated. "Someone needs to be."
"I am positive," James replied. "I am positive that mummy and daddy are going to murder you for this one Al."
"Jamie stop it!" Lily said in the voice she reserved for when she was trying to sound like their mother. "He's upset enough."
James felt a pang of guilt as he looked at his younger brother. Albus looked like he wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. Then again if he had done what his brother did he would likely have felt the same way.
"How did you manage to break it right in half?" Lily asked as she gently touched her mother's wand.
"I don't know," Albus replied honestly. "I was just messing around. I never even said a spell. I just waved it in the air and it kind of went crazy all on its own."
Lily gave her older brother a sympathetic look as she quickly moved her hand away from the wand. She was almost afraid that it would go crazy once more putting her in just as much hot water as Al was in. They were never supposed to touch their parents' wands. It was one of the biggest rules in their house.
"They're not going to let me go to the sleepover this weekend," Albus said in a dejected voice.
For over a week now he had been looking forward to going to a sleepover at his friend Samuel's house. The little boy lived on the other side of the field next to their house and he and Albus had quickly become best of friends. Unlike the Potter children, Samuel's mother- a muggle- insisted that he attend a proper primary school until his letter came from Hogwarts. He was turning nine in three day's- time and all Albus had been able to talk about lately was the sleepover he was having for his birthday.
"Maybe they still will," Lily tried in a sweet voice. "I doubt that they will be that mad."
James wanted to tell his little sister to shut it but he refrained. He knew that Lily was trying to make Albus feel better but as far as he could see she was doing a terrible job. Of course his parents weren't going to let Al go to the sleepover. They weren't even supposed to touch the wands and he had broken one right in half. He would be lucky if he was ever allowed to go to a sleepover again.
"I guess I should go tell her huh?"
"We'll come with you," Lily volunteered giving James a serious look. "Maybe she won't be as mad if we are all there."
Once again James was hit with the overwhelming urge to tell Lily to be quiet. He wasn't sure what mother she was referring to but when they disobeyed she really didn't care who was in the room to witness her anger.
Albus left his mum's wand on the desk in the study before slowly walking out of the room with his siblings a step behind him.
They found her in the parlor, her face buried in the week's issue of Witch Weekly.
"Mum," Albus said softly.
"Hmm?" She didn't bother to look up.
She had done morning lessons with her children and then allowed them to go play. It had been a perfectly calm afternoon and she was enjoying every moment of it.
Albus was silent.
James instantly noted how close his younger brother was to crying. He was pale as a ghost and his bottom lip was trembling.
James sighed softly to himself, before opening his mouth. "I accidently broke your wand."
Ginny dropped her magazine, a worried look on her face. "How on Earth? Are you all alright?"
James nodded quickly. "We're fine. I'm sorry, I just touched it and it went mental on me."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the look of relief on Albus' face as well as the look of pure admiration on Lily's.
Her worry quickly changed to anger as she stood up her magazine now abandoned on the coffee table. "And just where is my wand now?"
"In the study," James answered.
"Perhaps you and I should go in there and inspect the damage and have a private conversation about the rules in this house young man."
Unlike his brother James was quite used to getting into trouble. He knew that that the conversation his mum was referring to would involve very little talking.
"Yes ma'am," he replied before quickly heading in the direction of the study.
"I think it would be best if you two found something to entertain yourselves with," Ginny instructed her two youngest children.
It was close to dinner when Albus was finally able to go to James' room without it being completely suspicious.
He knocked softly on his brother's bedroom door before letting himself in.
James was lying on his bed but quickly sat up when he saw his younger brother.
"Hey there," he forced a smile.
"Hey," Albus smiled back before climbing onto the bed with his brother.
The two sat in silence for a moment before Albus opened his mouth once more. "Why did you do it?"
James shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I figured that you have your sleepover and you can't miss that."
Albus smiled softly at his brother. "Thanks Jamie."
"You're welcome," James replied with a small grin.
"You're a really good brother," Albus added.
James smiled widely, "So are you Al."