Chapter two: Margie

The backyard was another extension of Penny and her mother. The layout was decent and the flowers were healthy and bright. Each species was contained, though, and the Potters followed the chattering Penny through a patch of bachelor's buttons, which abruptly shifted to coneflower, which in turn morphed into shrubs of roses. Not a single plant dared transgress the hard specie lines, nor spill any part of their foliage onto the brick lining. Albus, upon closer inspection, noticed an oddly cropped rose florescence, as if a pair of shears had been passed through anything beyond the trimming.

Penny was taking great care to explain the details of each plant, as if persuading her audience why that certain species deserved the honorable position of growing in her garden. At points, her speech stumbled slightly and her features would gather at her nose as she wrestled down the disruption of her failure and her annoyance at Harry and Ginny's well-intentioned encouragement. Penny was only a few months younger than James, but was more socially aware than most adults. This propriety manifested itself in precociousness but also compulsive and insistent behavior. Circling upon the beginning of the garden once more, the girl seemed to reset herself; rapidly gathering any loose strands of hair behind her ears (she wore a bun like her mother as well) and straightening her dress from the minute angles it had shifted during the walk.

"Why my dear, that was splendid!" boomed Dudley with pride, though adding more humbly, " She gets it from Camille that's for sure." Harry couldn't hide his agreement.

Just then, Camille reappeared in the doorway. "She's home! And already found the presents!"

"Little Tyke, I remember when I got that excited for my birthdays. Now…" Dudley tenderly rubbed a thinning spot on the back of his head as Ginny snickered and nodded understandingly.

James, Albus, and Lily followed Penny and their parents inside, heading toward the crazy noises emitting from the living room. Camille bounded up the stairs, searching for a camera.

Preston had calmed his allergy and now sat in puffy armchair that could've have even comfortably fit a form like Dudley's with room to spare for a Harry. Penny joined him and, when settled, looked at the Potters and promptly stuck out her tongue. The gestured was returned by all three siblings. Dudely had two other children as well; dark-haired and gray-eyed Duncan- who was considerably smaller than Preston, but comparably petulant, and his sister Marge. Margie was wider and greedier than the rest of her siblings put together, with watery eyes and thick lips that seemed to constantly protrude in a pout, and easily the Potters' least favorite cousin. Duncan was a year younger than Lily and Margie happened to be born just weeks before Albus which meant that the middle Potter had spent the most time acquainting himself with her overwhelming unpleasantness.

Today more than ever, Margie seemed to excrete an air of being spoiled beyond the healthy point of any child. This, Albus thought inwardly, might be because of the mountain of presents perched rather precariously around her generously proportioned body, half already unwrapped. Clasped between her pudgy fingers was a button that hurled insults when pressed and was responsible for most of the noise in the room. At every comment made, Duncan, who was balanced on an especially large present, would burst into a fit of nasty laughter, rocking the box beneath him.

"Off it Duncan," said Margie, all but overturning her younger brother from the gift, "I want to open that one now."

"Oh no Margie-pie, not that one just yet," Dudley chuckled, ""Oh no Margie-pie, not that one just yet," Dudley chuckled, "Wait till your mother gets back- that one's a special present from her and I."

Albus watched as Margie's lower lip started to protrude even more and give a dangerous quiver. She looked on the brink of a tantrum before eyeing a present in Ginny's hands and smiling up at everyone with a hideously sweet face said, "Then perhaps I could open Uncle Harry's and Auntie Ginny's present?"

"Sure honey," Ginny replied, handing the present to James, "This is from all three of the children, hope you like it." James mimed retching on the small box just out of sight of his mother's view.

"Here Al, you give it to her," James whispered, shoving the box in Albus' chest.

"Mom gave it to you James,"

"You're her favorite,"

"That doesn't mean she' s my fav…"

Ginny cocked her head toward her sons' direction, "Is something wrong?" she said, casting a harsh gaze particularly in James direction.

"No mom," James said, flashing a charming smile, seemingly undaunted by his mother's glare, "Al here just wants to give Margie her present. After all she is his favorite cousin." Lily snickered but eyed Albus sympathetically as he dejectedly gripped the present and walked over to where Margie now impatiently sat. Once he was within reach, she quickly snatched the present out of Albus' hands and he backed away, sitting up on yet another large gift. After a few intense seconds of ripping and tearing, Margie suddenly stopped and, with a confused expression, lifted a palm-sized transparent ball from the mound of tattered paper. She looked up at Albus and narrowed her eyes as if he was playing some sort of joke on her.

"Say Chromaignis, chroma- ignis" Albus said softly, pointing to the ball.

"You think I would fool myself like that?" Margie said incredulously, obviously thinking Albus was trying to make her look stupid in front of everyone. She looked at her father indignantly as if he should intervene.

"Margie-pie calm, just say the words. Something will happen." He glanced at Harry unsure, "Right?" Harry nodded encouragingly at him and his daughter, whose face was becoming increasingly poutier.

"Fine," Margie glared once more at Albus before repeating very loudly, "Chroma-Ignis!"

Instantly, the transparent ball grew black and opaque, only broken by tiny explosions of color that sparkled and popped, making the orb jump slightly in Margie's thick fingers. "Fireworks!" She exclaimed, now fixing Albus with a triumphant gleam as if to say that he could never get such an amazing present.

"Can I see it sis?" Duncan, who had been glowering on the floor under his other siblings from his unceremonious dump from Margie's present now seemed mesmerized by the little orb. In greedy instinct, Margie initially pulled the firework ball closer to herself, though after a moment turned to Duncan and plopped the ball in his lap.

A sudden rush of movement followed as James had successfully launched a wad of paper toward the armchair, squarely striking Penny in the nose and erecting another bout of giggles from Lily. Just as Penny gave a screech of surprise, her mother burst through the kitchen door that led from the garage. Harry, Ginny, and Dudley all hurried to greet her, leaving no one but Albus to notice Margie's brief action. For some reason, Albus couldn't see the greedy gleam in his cousin's eyes and wondered if it had ever been there at all.