The Christmas Break chapters are here!
-dafatcat101 I can neither confirm or deny ;)
Lily, Albus and James won't be able to figure out the riddle until they return to Hogwarts after the Malfoy Problem is (somewhat) resolved.
As if it couldn't get any worse, hail started falling from the sky.
I glared at nothing in particular as Rhys critically watched me do another barrel roll.
"I can't wait for Christmas break," I mumbled.
"Cheer up, Lily!" said Nate as he zoomed past me. I rotated so that I was hanging upside down and glared at him.
"Let's see some flying, Lily!" Rhys called from the ground. I grimaced, as getting back upright required inhaling even more cold air. I sniffled. I'd have to ask Madam Pomfrey for some Pepper-up Potion.
Chapter 14: Petty Arguments
Albus and Malfoy had mended their relationship as the autumn term came to an end, and Al was looking a lot less incredibly sulky and more like his usual self (just a bit sulky). I'd caught a cold from Quidditch practice, and the Pepper-up Potion Madame Pomfrey gave me made my ears smoke. The sensation was ticklish and distinctly unpleasant.
Someone tugged my braid.
"Ow, Al, can't you just tap me on the shoulder like a sane person?"
He sighed and whispered, "I've invited Scorpius to the Burrow like you told me to. He said yes. Don't see why you and Dad couldn't have told me about the Malfoy Problem earlier, though."
I'd finally explained the Malfoy Problem to James and Albus a few days ago. They were pretty angry to discover that they hadn't been in on it from the beginning.
"Uh, because I'm the favorite child?" I responded sweetly.
He tugged my braid again.
"Hate you too!"
"Imogen's well pissed about not having Scorpius for Christmas," Albus noted, gesturing at the Slytherin table with his head. I decided not to look. I'd been avoiding Malfoy since the hallway incident, and he'd been avoiding the Gryffindor table.
Malfoy had never spent Christmas with us before. I was not looking forward to the prospect of having to contend with his smirking face and snide comments when I was trying to relax.
I turned to Aurelie as Albus walked away. "I'm surprised your parents would let him stay with us."
She shrugged. "Mother doesn't like Scorpius, and Father tends to agree with her decisions."
I thought about what she had said. Draco Malfoy was a quiet man, but not an unassuming one. I couldn't imagine him bowing to Astoria's every command.
But then again, I'd been fooled before by Malfoys. I shook my head, and went back to reading my notes on the Banishing Charm.
After Charms, Carla, Hugo, Maddie, and I made our way down to the greenhouses for the last class of the semester, making sure to avoid the Slytherins and the risk of another altercation.
I'd finally managed to Banish my cushion across the classroom today, and I was in good spirits, although looking forward to the end of the semester, going home to see Mum, Dad and Teddy, and a break from classes and detention with Magellan.
"What are you guys going to do when you get home? I know I'm going to relax!" said Maddie.
"Me too," I responded. "No more Magellan, no more homework!"
Hugo looked grim. "Mum will probably make me study over break. Again. Here's some light reading, Hu, I promise it'll be fun." He side-eyed Carla. "You'd probably enjoy that, though."
Carla drew herself up to her full height as we walked into Greenhouse B. "I'll have you know, Mr. Weasley, that I actually intend to do a good deal of relaxing over Christmas break."
"Oh, really? Don't believe you," Hugo shot back as we sat down near the front of the class.
"Yeah, I'm going to visit some of my family in New York City," she responded evenly.
"Alright, alright, settle down now," called Professor Longbottom from the front of the classroom. The Ravenclaws stopped talking instantly and sat up straight; it took a few seconds for the Gryffindors' voices to peter out.
"Since you all did so well on the quiz, we'll do something relaxing today."
He pushed back a curtain to reveal a row of potted plants with undulating green tendrils and vines that looked suspiciously like Devil's Snare.
"This isn't Devil's Snare, as many of you are perhaps thinking; this is the Flitterbloom, a harmless cousin. We'll be repotting these today. Be careful if you have long hair; they're known to grab hold rather tightly."
Carla blanched and fished in her bag for a hair-tie. I flipped my precious braid over my shoulder. No plant's getting a hold of my hair, thanks very much.
"Note that it is much lighter in color than the Devil's Snare. Additionally-" He prodded the plant gently with the handle-end of a trowel, "-it wraps around an object when presented, but does not pull or squeeze aggressively- Yes, Ava?"
The Ravenclaw girl put her hand down. "Professor, would it be correct to assume that the Flitterbloom, unlike the Devil's Snare, does not recoil from light?"
"Correct! In fact, a valid way to distinguish between the two plants is to expose samples to harsh light! However, the Flitterbloom grows best in little sunlight with plenty of water. Any more questions before we begin?"
There were not any more questions. We got up to get supplies, and I hurried to the front before all of the small gardening gloves disappeared.
Professor Longbottom had set a few pots of Flitterbloom on our work table. Working with the plants proved to be trickier than I expected; one of the vines got wrapped around my wrist and I spent fifteen minutes coaxing it off. Maddie eventually got it off by lighting her wand and shining the light directly onto the vines until they loosened their hold on me. Professor Longbottom commended her quick thinking as I sheepishly rubbed the welt on my wrist and let Hugo take over for a bit. So much for harmless. Clearly, Professor Longbottom and I had very different ideas of 'relaxing.'
After Herbology, we trudged back up to the Gryffindor common room to collect our luggage. Persephone, Bella, Edith, and Isobel were congregated in one side of the dormitory, Carla, Maddie and I in another. Everyone else had already left. I heard my name being whispered, but I couldn't risk getting into even more trouble, especially just before Christmas break. I tried my best to ignore them as I folded clothing and packed it in my trunk.
Persephone was giggling and saying something about Albus.
"When do you think they're going to get the message?" I asked Carla as I searched for a missing sock.
"Probably when Skeeter announces Albus has a girlfriend and he snogs her for all the Great Hall to see."
I snorted. Girlfriend! If only they knew!
"What?" asked Maddie. I laughed.
"Your brother's hot, Lil! Actually, both of them are."
"That's gross, Maddie! I don't want to know that!" I found my missing sock and chucked it at her.
"Seriously, Lily. I can't believe he's still single."
"He's still single because he's a massive prat, amongst other things," I shot back.
"Maddie's not wrong. Albus is objectively attractive," Carla pointed out in a reasonable tone as she took her textbooks off the shelf next to her bed. I put my head in my hands.
"Oh, Merlin, not you too Carla." I grabbed both of their hands. "Promise me you won't get a crush on Albus, please, I can only take so much."
"No promises," said Maddie, laughing. I rolled my eyes.
I scooped up Nisha and stood up. "Alright, let's go find Hugo, Lorcan, and Lysander."
Persephone and her friends had gotten up too.
"Hello Lily!"
"Hi!"
"Hello, Carla and Maddie!"
"How are you all doing?"
I gritted my teeth. Not again.
"Hello Persephone, Edith, Bella, Isobel," we chorused unenthusiastically. Bella stepped forward.
"I'm so sorry about being a sore loser about the Quidditch tryouts. You really are the better Seeker."
I crossed my arms. What did she want?
"I accept your apology, Bella," I said as evenly as I could.
"Oh, good. Since we're friends again, I was wondering if we could sit with you and Albus?" she asked sweetly.
Oh, of course. She wants to sit with Albus Severus Potter. My *hot* brother. My barely-notices-that-Bella exists, gay, *hot* brother.
"I don't know, Bella. You'll have to ask Al yourself. I'm not sitting with him. Come on, Carla, Maddie, let's go."
I dragged my suitcase out of the room amid protests. Maddie and Carla followed suit.
Hugo was already downstairs and waiting for us, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Hurry the bloody hell up, would you? Are you making the suitcases up there?"
"Altercation with our favorite people," Maddie explained.
After a thankfully Persephone, Edith, Bella, Isobel-free ride back to King's Cross, I said goodbye to Lorcan, Lysander, Maddie, Carla, and Hugo.
Teddy bounded down the stairs to greet us when we got home.
A small silvery plastic Christmas tree was perched on one of the tables in the living room. I put my suitcase down with a sigh. Albus launched himself onto the sofa face-down and James stretched and yawned.
Dad ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end even more. "I really can't stand that tree, Ginny."
"You say that every year."
"I'll find a way to get rid of it."
"Harry James Potter, if I find that tree in the skip outside one more time-"
"You'll what?" Dad asked sweetly. Mum shot a Bat-Bogey Hex at him and he dodged to avoid it.
"I wasn't even aiming at you."
"Oh, really, Weasley?"
"Yes, really, Potter."
Albus poked his head over the sofa. "I, for one, vote to get rid of the tree. I'll help you sneak it into the skip, Dad."
James smacked him with a cushion as he left the room. "I like that tree!"
"Thank you, James," Mum said exasperatedly, "At least one of our children has taste."
"Lily?" Both of my parents turned towards me.
"No, no, no, no, no, I am not getting involved in this."
"Teddy?"
"Right to silence!" he yelped.
Dad sat down opposite the sofa. "I have some news that you're not going to like."
The four of us sat up instantly. Mum looked a bit grim.
"We've been invited to Dudley's house-"
Great. The only thing I loathed more than the annual Ministry Ball.
"-I've suddenly taken ill," Albus said, flopping back on the sofa. "Woe is me. Mum, I think I've got a fever."
"Stop being a drama queen, Al."
I sighed. "Really, Dad? I'd take an army of Scorpius Malfoys any day over them."
"So I've heard," quipped Teddy. I tossed the nearest pillow in his direction. He stuck his tongue out at me, and turned his hair platinum blond.
"You really are the limit, Ted!"
"Oooh, what did I miss!" asked James brightly as he returned. Clearly Myrtle had rubbed off of him. Mum shook her head.
"Hair, Ted," Mum said, looking over us critically. He scrunched his face up, and his hair turned from bright blue to its natural black.
"Good save! Thanks."
I tugged on the end of my braid to straighten it, and Mum tucked some flyaways out of my face. Dad adjusted his glasses and knocked on the door.
The door swung open to reveal a large blond man - Uncle Dudley.
"I didn't know your parents would be here," I heard Dad say quietly as we followed him down the hallway. I shrugged my jacket off and tucked it under my arm.
"Is that a problem?" Uncle Dudley responded.
"No," Dad said. But I could tell by the set of his shoulders and the way that he clenched his jaw, that it was definitely a problem.
Mum reappeared. "We're going in the dining room to have dinner now - Harry, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he said, ushering us into the next room.
Why was Dad so nervous?
An older man and woman were already seated at the table. The man was large and had a purple face with an unpleasant expression, and the woman was thin with a particularly long neck, large pale eyes and the same unpleasant expression. Arthur, Prudence, and Uncle Dudley came into the room.
"Uncle Vernon. Aunt Petunia. These are my kids," Dad said stiffly as we sat down, "Teddy, James, Albus, and Lily."
The older man and woman looked very displeased. The woman was eyeing Teddy's earrings disapprovingly. I tried to imagine how she'd react to his blue hair and stifled a giggle. She's lucky he took out his lip piercing for the occasion.
James tugged Teddy's sleeve, whispering, "I dare you to turn your hair sparkly pink."
"Nah, too easy, James. Teddy, I dare you to do your Wookie impression."
Before Teddy could attempt either dare, Uncle Vernon spoke.
"How old are you?" asked the older man roughly, looking directly at Albus. Uncle Vernon, I remembered.
"I'm seventeen," said Albus, anticipating his next question, "James and Lily will be nineteen and fifteen in the spring. Teddy's twenty-four."
Uncle Vernon sneered at Albus. "A bit runty for seventeen, aren't you?" Teddy put a hand on Albus's arm to stop him from reaching for his wand. "I'll show him runty," he hissed.
He turned to James. "Have you got a job yet? You've left that freak school by now, haven't you?"
"Yes, I'm a teaching assistant," James said in a monotone voice.
"Teaching what?" Uncle Vernon's moustache trembled.
James looked at Dad, and he nodded a bit.
"Transfiguration," James said quietly.
Uncle Vernon snorted. "Just what I thought. Freaks teaching freaks."
The older woman, Aunt Petunia, had been staring at me since we sat down.
"You look like her," she said suddenly.
"Who?"
"My sister." She did not seem pleased about this. Her gaze darted to Dad, and he stared at her steadily.
Uncle Vernon turned to me, sneering. He passed over me for a more interesting target.
He instead turned to Teddy. "And who the ruddy hell are you?" His gaze flickered back to Mum, who had just appeared in the hallway, clearly trying to work out how young she would have to have been if she had Teddy.
"He's my godson," Dad answered in the same stiff voice.
"Well, let the boy speak for himself. Hasn't he got any parents, or did they leave him with you because they were sick of his freakishness?"
The table went silent.
Teddy's voice wavered. "My parents died just after I was born," he said in a small voice, tugging his right sleeve over the half-moon tattoo on his wrist.
"And what do you-"
"He works with me," Dad said quickly before Uncle Vernon could question Teddy further.
"What's all that in your ear, boy?" he barked.
"Hey, leave him alone!" James, Mum, Albus, and I snapped in unison.
Dad stood up. "That's enough, Vernon, just because you got away with antagonizing me doesn't mean that you can antagonize my children!"
Everyone but us was staring at Teddy blankly. He put his head in his hands.
"My hair's gone blue again, hasn't it? Sorry, force of habit." He scrunched his face up and his hair changed back to black. Prudence was still staring at Teddy with an expression of wonder. She turned to Uncle Dudley.
"Daddy, how did he do that?"
Uncle Vernon shot a glare at Teddy, then turned to his daughter-in-law.
"Take them out of here. I don't want any more freakishness to rub off on my grandchildren."
Uncle Dudley's wife - she was so quiet I could never remember her name - barely moved.
"Fine, I'll do it then." Uncle Vernon grabbed Prudence's arm and pulled her out of her chair and out of the room, Arthur following behind them.
"Prudence has been showing signs of, uh, being a witch," Uncle Dudley said quietly.
James let out a low whistle and Albus kicked him under the table. Aunt Petunia continued staring at me and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Poor Prudence. They must hate her.
"If you want advice, we're a phone call away," said Dad. Uncle Dudley nodded awkwardly. I nudged Dad.
"Why is she staring at me like that?" I whispered. He shook his head.
"We'll talk later."
Later, later. It's always later.
"Well, let's never do that again," Dad said as we got in the car. "I don't know why I keep expecting them to change. I wish Dudley had told me that they were coming. It's common bloody courtesy!"
Teddy let out a sigh as his hair changed back to its usual blue.
Mum glanced back at the house as we pulled away. "I just feel bad for their daughter."
"Well, hopefully they've learned from experience that they can't punish magic out of a child."
What did that mean? There were a lot of strange things at dinner tonight.
"How old is she again?"
"Nine."
"So she'll start attending Hogwarts during Lily's sixth year-"
"If they let her."
Cars always made me sleepy. I rested my head on James's shoulder, and the soft sounds of talking lulled me to sleep.
The Malfoy Problem, Part (3/4) drops on Tuesday!
Things are about to get even stranger at the Ministry Ball.
Thank you for reading!