Lily Potter awoke with an immense feeling of excitement three days before Christmas. On a normal day, Lilly scarcely took a moment to brush the sleep from her eyes before erupting from her bedroom and facing the world in her usual curious and practical manner. This morning was different though as it was three days before Christmas and she had awoken to Christmas carols on the radio, cinnamon, sage, and vanilla, and the nearly-forgotten but still familiar sound of her older brothers rampaging through the house. Lily lay with her eyes closed and listened to James and Albus laughing, shoving, arguing, and belting their own renditions of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful". She would never admit it to them, but it was a comfort to have them home from school. The house was not-quite-right without them.
"James," Lily heard her mother say, "Go get your sister up."
"Al," James directed, "Go get your sister up."
"Not on your life!" her brother responded and the sounds of furniture shuffling and her mother's shouting ensued.
"Albus Severus Potter, we do not throw bacon and James do what you're told before your father comes in a sees you behaving like a baboon!"
Lily grinned to herself. The boys hated to disappoint dad and James in particular was constantly admonished for 'not being a good big brother', a fact that she and Albus had exploited to its greatest potential on numerous occasions. Sure enough, Lily soon heard the creaks of her brother ascending the staircase.
"Oh dearest sister?" James cooed sarcastically, "Why, it's almost time for your breakfast my little turtle dove!" Lily kept her eyes closed and tried not to laugh.
"Oh dear," James whispered in mock concern, "the princess won't awaken!" Lily felt the mattress move as her brother leant against her bed. She wondered what he was going to do, but kept her eyes shut and her face composed. "Shall I kiss you, Sleeping Beauty?" James whispered. "Eugh!" Lily thought to herself, "He wouldn't!" But sure enough something soft and wet touched her forehead. Lily wondered if her brother had actually kissed her or just licked his finger and put it to her face. Both prospects were disagreeable, but she remained still and silent.
"Well," James continued in a disappointed voice, "I guess there's nothing to be done but start looking for my Christmas present."
"What makes you think you're getting one?" Lily wanted to ask. She was delighted. It was exactly what she wanted to hear. Slowly, her brother began to make his way through her belongings, commenting on her magazine photos, her training bra, and the spelling on her half finished homework assignment. Finally, he slid the trunk out from under her bed.
"Aha! What have we here?" Lily pursed her lips to keep from smiling. She was certain her face was quite red but if it was, James took it as a sign of victory. He opened the latch of the box and suddenly there was a burst of light and an angry phizzing sound followed by James shrieks of, "Oi, hey get off! Ow! Hey! Lemme alone!" The next moment James was tumbling down the stairs followed by a swarm of irritated South American wizzle-wasps. Lily got dressed slowly and came downstairs. Dad must have come in because she could hear him shouting, "Well go outside for heavens sake! You'll get them all over the house!" Lily walked innocently into the kitchen and sat down beside her brother who was apparently lost in a copy of "Appropriate Wandless Magic for Juvenile Wizards and Witches". Though the title sounded malignant enough, the book bore the notorious Weasly Broths. Publishing emblem on the spine. Lily suspected it was an early Christmas present from their uncle. Lily's mother set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her and gave her younger son a stern look.
"What did you do to your brother?" she demanded. Al looked up from his book and feigned surprise as dad and James came in from the garden. James was soaking wet from having a water-blasting charm used on him and was covered with angry-looking welts. Al pointed a finger at Lily.
"She did it," he declared. Lily humphed indignantly but they all knew that Al was only joking. Even if Lily had done something wrong, Albus would take it to the grave before he would get tale-bare on his little sister.
"You're not allowed to use magic during the holiday!" James accused.
"I haven't used anything this morning except this fork," Al countered, "And I don't think it's magic."
"You booby-trapped Lily's trunk!" he whined, "That's…that's…depraved indifference!"
"Hey, you shouldn't have been going through my stuff!" Lily retorted and then addressed her father in her sweetest of voices, "Daddy, he was looking for his presents again!"
"Well I SAID I was going to and YOU didn't say I couldn't, which is the same as saying YES," James argued.
"Alright counselor, save it," said Dad, "Go upstairs and put an anti-stinging balm on those sores before they start multiplying and then come back down here. I've got to tell you all something." James looked at Dad defiantly for a moment, then muttered 'fine', and headed to the bathroom. "And don't track water all over the floor, will you?!" Dad called after him.
"What's 'depraved indifference', Dad," Albus asked.
"It means, James shouldn't be going through your stuff, and maybe he'll have learned his lesson this time."
"Yeah right!" Albus exclaimed as he hugged him, "Wait till he sees what's in MY trunk!"