"Are you sure you won't come home with me for Christmas?" Albus asked for the hundredth time. "You will make it bearable."
"Or me!" Scorpius would not be left out. "You haven't even met my sister Miranda! She's brilliant!"
"Albus Potter, your family is wonderful and you should stop being a sad sack around them." I was so sick of Albus moaning about his family. At least all of them accepted and loved him. This obsession with privacy and not getting any because of his Dad's fame was getting old. "And Scorpius, I am sure your sister is very sweet but…. What?"
"I said Miri is brilliant, not sweet." Scorpius laughed.
"Anyway! This is my first trip home to see my father and Angus. I really want to spend my holiday with them." Angus did not always come home for the holidays but Uncle Harry sent me a note from him saying he would be here this year.
I didn't miss the uneasy look my two best friends were sharing. "What?!"
The mumbled about it being nothing but wouldn't meet my eyes.
"Albus Potter! Scorpius Malfoy!" I almost shouted in frustration. "You tell me what is going on right now!"
They looked at each other and finally Albus spoke up. "Well… we are just worried about… you know…"
"It is just…" Scorpius tried "you know you are so sensitive about some stuff and…"
"Did you just insult me?" I glared at Scorpius.
"No! Well, not on purpose." He looked sorry so I instantly forgave him. "We just don't want your grandparents making you feel bad."
They were worried about me! How sweet! "Oh boys!" I slung an arm over each of their shoulders. "I am sure my grandparents have got past all of that by now."
How long could they stay upset about it? It had been MONTHS!
"Besides," I tried to reassure them. "I will be with Angus and my father. That is the important thing."
"How come you don't call him "Dad"?" Scorpius looked at me curiously.
I shrugged. "My father hates nicknames. He never calls me anything except Lilliana. He nnever calls anyone ANYTHING except their proper name."
"I wonder why?" Asked Albus.
"If you knew my grandmother you wouldn't wonder at all." I explained about her Lilli-willi-kins and Dudders and Angi-wangi. "It is enough to put anyone off of nicknames."
"And their lunch." Scorpius grinned.
"And that." I agreed smiling back.
"Well, if we can't talk you out of it…" Albus gave up "I guess I should give you your present now."
"Me too!" Scorpius and Albus ran up stairs.
I went up to my room to grab the presents I had purchased for them.
Well I didn't purchase them exactly I sent Uncle Harry an owl and he was happy enough tobuy them for me.
For Albus I got a Brazilian Quidditch team shirt. He had been telling me all year about them. How they were the underdog team he supported even though the rest of his family supported Bulgaria during a Quidditch World Cup.
"If everyone supports the same team" he explained "there is no one left to bet with!"
"You shouldn't be gambling anyone." I told him, somehow channeling my grandfather. "It is a disgusting vice."
"Lay off, Dursley." He laughed. "I am not old enough to indulge in any other vices."
I got Scorpius a really nice self inking swan quill. Sometimes he got so deep in his studies he got clumsy. More than once he had knocked over his ink while writing an essay. Having a quill that automatically refilled from his ink well would save him a lot of trouble.
When the boys came back down I handed them their presents.
"Awww… you didn't have to…" Albus grinned, knowing full well I did SO have to get my best friends Christmas presents.
"I guess you are right." I took his present back. "I will just give this to my OTHER favorite cousin."
"Well, no need to go bothering with all that." He grabbed it back. "I am sure the other favorite cousin wouldn't be very flattering to me."
"Right you are, Albus." Scorpius opened his present. "Wow, Lils, this is great!"
Albus put his shirt on immediately. "Good thing you didn't find some "other" cousin. I am the only one who even likes Brazil."
Albus got me a box of sweets, no chocolate which made me laugh.
Scorpius got me a nice homework planner.
"It was Aunt Hermione's idea." He explained. "She says you can never be too prepared when it comes to studying."
"Oh, naturally." Albus teased.
The next day I was on the train back home. At least I would have Albus and Scorpius with me for this part. We ate snacks from the trolley witch and played exploding snaps and just enjoyed each other's company.
Scorpius braided my hair for me while I sat on the floor.
"Wow, Scorpius!" I checked out his handiwork. "You are really good at this!"
"Sisters." He shrugged by way of explanation.
"Yeah, well… I have a brother. If he braided my hair, I would check it for gum." Angus is a great brother… usually. He just isn't as funny as he thinks he is.
"Well, to be fair" Scorpius grinned "you didn't threaten to curse your brother with vomiting up slugs."
"Can I do that though?" I pretended to ponder it.
"NO!" They both shouted at once.
When we got to the train station my father was there and… "Angus!" I shouted. "Hey Angus!"
My brother was smiling at me and waving. "Come on guys, come meet my brother."
"We have met." Albus reminded me. I ignored him.
"Angus, this is Scorpius Malfoy and, as he recently pointed out, you already know Albus." Angus shook their hands.
"So you can do magic too?" Angus asked them.
"Yup." Albus grinned.
Something was at play here. Angus was glaring at Albus suspiciously.
"So THAT is how you always won at hide and seek!" Angus accused.
"I am shocked you would say such a thing!" Albus clutched his heart in mock horror. "That is hurtful Angus."
Angus just shook his head. "I notice you aren't denying it."
"Caught that did you?" Boys!
"Father." I smiled happily up at him, trying to ignore the two foolish boys behind me. "I hope you aren't too lonely without us there."
My father smiled back. "Work keeps me busy."
My poor father, I wish he would find someone to be friends with.
I wasn't quite ready to think of my father as "dating". Not because of my mother but because well… he is my father.
Uncle Harry came over and shook Father's hand and gave me a quick hug. "Hey, kiddo. There is a big lighting of the Christmas tree in Diagon Alley every year. We thought maybe you would like to go with us this year."
I looked to my father. He was looking at Uncle Harry strangely for a second. I almost missied it. But it looked like… gratitude?
Why would he be grateful to Uncle Harry? That was weird. But then he was back to normal, thinking it over. I must have been mistaken or misunderstood what I had seen.
"I will allow you to go, Lilliana. But only for the day. Holidays should be for family." He looked back at Uncle Harry. "When will you pick her up?"
"I will send a message ahead of time." Uncle Harry hugged me again and left.
I was so excited to be home. And to use telephones! And watch the telly. The little things. It was amazing how much I had missed them.
Muggle technology doesn't really exist at Hogwarts. I can't tell if it doesn't work… or if they just don't use it. Most of the people I have asked just shrug.
Scorpius once talked about the Ministry sending cars for his family. So some muggle technology must work. Maybe they just don't get television signal where they are?
Have these people never heard of cable? Actually… come to think of it… most probably haven't. At least not in this context.
That night we had a really nice family meal. My father is a really good cook. Sunday meals are always really special around our house, Father cooks a big roast , tonight beef because it is my favorite, and two veg and potatoes.
I stirred the gravy while talking to my father about my studies and how I was getting along with my professors.
"All of these bits about wand waving and potions." Father frowned. "But I am not hearing a lot about your maths and English lessons. Do we need to hire you a tutor so you don't fall behind? You will need those grades to get into a decent uni, you know."
"We have them father, we just call them different things." I explained about maths being arithmancy and how literally all of our classes included essays and we absolutely would hear about it if our writing wasn't up to snuff.
"And these two boys you are always with…" He said carefully. "Don't you have any female friends?"
"Oh certainly father!" I assured him. "There are Rose and Cissa who are sort of… cousins I suppose. But friends, definitely friends." I added quickly. "It is just Scorpius, Albus and I are in the same house so we tend to hang out more."
A lie, but a harmless one.
Days crept by the presents under the tree grew, but none from my grandparents. And it was weird but most had my name on them. And speaking of my grandparents they had not come over yet. I kept asking but father would just say they would be along.
Uncle Harry finally came and collected me for the lighting of the tree. Diagon Alley looked magical… more magical.
As soon as I saw Albus and Scorpius I ran forward. "Happy Christmas!" I squealed. They looked happy to see me as well.
We had butterbeer and roasted chestnuts. Scorpius grandparents were there, and I was a little nervous. I mean these people literally joined a war to stop people like me from even existing.
I moved a little closer to Uncle Harry. He must have sensed my nerves because he reached out and took my hand. I guess I didn't need to be nervous because in spite of one long look from Mr. Malfoy they completely ignored me.
Aunt Hermione was there, I moved to stand next to her and said "Excuse me, could we talk about the state of the muggle textbooks at Hogwarts?"
She laughed. "You remind me of myself at your age. We can definitely discuss them, but not during a Christmas celebration."
"Alright." Laughed Uncle Ron. "Who are you and what have you done with my wife?" That earmed him a slap on the arm.
When I got home that night I found out my grandparents had come and gone. They had left a lot of presents for Angus.
My father told me that a lot of the presents under the tree for me were from them, but I recognized his handwriting.
So, it was official. My grandparents had shut me out of their life. My happy middle sized family of five had become a small family of three.
...