As James was tending to himself in the bathroom, Albus and Lily began discussing excitedly their plans for the next two days. Dad sat at the table with a thoughtful expression as he watched his wife wrestling a regiment of animated gingerbread men who clearly did not care for the icing lederhosen she was trying to apply. The one she was currently working on squeaked indignantly in German as she applied the chocolate drop buttons. Her husband smiled as he was reminded of a few Christmases ago when the two new parents were required to tag team the boys in order to put on their dress shoes. It amazed him to think that their babies were already away at school.

"Mummy, when can we leave for Grammy and Grandads?" Lily nagged.

"Yeah, Mum," Albus jumped in, "I can't wait to see the cousins and get some air time!" Dad shot him one of his looks and Albus smirked into his half-eaten porridge bowl.

"You just keep it to yourself where you got that thing, will you? Remember, your cousins know where you sleep! You don't want to get mobbed late one night on a trip to the loo!" Albus' expression became worried. He knew that Dad was only half-kidding. Al's new broomstick had been a bone of contention since it arrived with him the previous weekend. It had been smuggled into the school by Scorpius Malfoy who flashed it about for weeks before Professor Longbottom confiscated it. Rumor had that Malfoy's father had owled the headmaster complaining and demanding its return. Professor Longbottom relinquished it to Scorpius as he was leaving for Christmas holiday under the condition that it went home and stayed there until Scorpius was allowed to have a broom at school. Scorpius smiled graciously at the professor and thanked him profusely, promising he would never get in trouble with it again.

Once boarded the train, Malfoy announced to everyone in the vicinity that the boom was a piece of junk, that he expected a much better broomstick for Christmas, and that he would prefer to unload it there and then so he didn't have to drag it around London. Dozens of hands shot up, which seemed to please Malfoy, and after making a grand show of examining each candidate, and much to everyone's surprise, he rested it in the hands of Albus Potter. Albus stared in amazement at the Cloud Nine Elite label. It was a beautiful broomstick, much finer then most his friends'. Certainly a good step above the Windrider 3000 that Dad had made James work all summer to earn.

All the train ride home, James and Rose berated him for accepting charity and for taking a broomstick that obviously HAD to have a curse on it. When Harry and Ginny Potter arrived at the platform to pick up their sons, fully expecting hugs and kisses and hellos, they were received by shrieks of "Guess what Al's done, Dad!" and "Mummy, please, can't I keep it!?" interrupted sporadically by sprees of ruthless name calling. Those still on the platform stared in amusement at the famous Potter clan. A red-faced, Harry Potter shuffled his children and their belongings into the car and left the parking lot as quickly as possible.

After a long and deafening car ride, it was decided that Albus could keep the broom only if it proved to be safe on examination. It was further determined that a nice note of thanks and preferably a small present was to be sent to the Malfoy boy. Al seemed crestfallen as he turned the broom over, but Dad assured him that it was standard policy on brooms from unaccredited sources. Dad and Mum had spent hours determining that it was not cursed and both even flew the thing around the neighborhood that night. Then, to James' annoyance it was delivered it back to his brother. Albus couldn't wait to fly it at the Burrow and show it off to his cousins.

"Can we leave soon?" Albus whinned, "I want to get there before dark!"

"Actually, dear, that's what I need to talk to you about," Dad began, "We have a stop to make before the Burrow."

"What stop?" James asked as he returned and plopped down next to Dad. Mum brought a plate of gingerbread men who were softly humming "Silent Night" and sat down as well.

"Where are we going, Daddy?" Lily asked.

"Well," Dad continued, "My cousin has moved back to Britain and he wants us to spend Christmas Eve with him and his family."

The children looked at each other, not sure how to react.

"But Dad," James said, "We want to spend Christmas with our cousins."

"They ARE your cousins, son."

"Cousins we KNOW," Albus corrected in an edgy tone.

"Well, when you meet them, you'll know them," Dad stated, "Besides you see your other cousins all the time. And you'll see them Christmas day like you always do."

"How many are there?" James asked, trying to stay on the bright side.

"Three. He has a 12-year-old boy and twin one-year-old girls."

"Oooh!" Lily shrieked. She was sold. Twin live baby dolls were the best present she could think of.

"Well," James said hopefully, addressing Albus, "Maybe we could practice quidditch moves with the boy."

"I'm afraid not, dear," said Mum, "Dudley and his family are muggles. They don't know about quidditch." The boys looked at each other incredulously.

"What are we supposed to DO, then?"

"You'll find things to do," Dad assured them, "But the thing is, Dudley's family doesn't know anything about the wizarding world. You can't talk about quidditch or spells or anything like that."

"We can't even talk?" Albus cried, "That's not fair!"

"You can talk, of course. Just about other things. We're going to have a fine Christmas."

"Well I'm not going," Albus declared, "You can drop me off at the Burrow."

"Young man-

"It's not fair!" Albus repeated, "We should be spending Christmas with our REAL family. I don't want to be around people I have to keep secrets with and talk and act differently. What kind of family is that?"

"Al-" Mum interrupted gently, "You haven't even given them a chance."

"I don't want to! I bet they're freaks!" The room fell silent. Dad stared at his son disbelieving. Albus, realizing what he had just said, folded his arms on the table and buried his face.

"Harry-dear," their mother began.

"Go to your room," Dad said, slowly and evenly and clearly trying to contain himself. Albus got up and left without saying anything or looking at anyone.

"You two go upstairs and put on some muggle clothes."

"Yes sir," James and Lily responded and scampered to the staircase. As he went down the hall, James found Albus crouched in his door frame with his face still hidden in his arms.

"Now you've done it, Big Mouth," he whispered as he passed, "Dad's gonna send that fancy broomstick back to the Malfoy's and you with it!" Slowly, Al wiped the tears from his face. He wondered if his brother was right.