MC4A

Summer Bingo: space A5 (gold)

Individual Challenges:

Gryffindor MC, Ethnic & Present, Yellow Ribbon, Yellow Ribbon Redux, In a Flash, Times to Come

Bonuses: none

Word count: 509


Presents and Promises

Angelina poked her head into her daughter's room to find her staring morosely into space. She frowned. It wasn't like her normally-bubbly daughter to be so somber, especially on Christmas. Roxy loved Christmas.

"Roxy? What's the matter?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the little girl's bed. "You've been quiet ever since your grandparents left a few hours ago."

Roxy stuck out her lip and scooted further under the covers. "They got me a doll, Mummy. Fred got a new broomstick, and all I got was a stupid doll!"

Angelina sighed. Her parents had decided that her daughter should play with dolls rather than brooms—the exact same attitude they'd had when Angelina had been a child. She knew firsthand how infuriating that was, but it seemed that there was little she could do about it. Every time she tried to tell her parents about Roxy's interest in flying, they refused to listen.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said, picking up the toy where her daughter had discarded it on the floor. It was a beautiful doll with caramel skin, dark hair, and eyelids that opened and closed over glassy brown eyes. She wore an elegant dress of gold satin with little gold heels to match. If Angelina had to guess, she had probably been quite expensive, but that didn't make up for the fact that she wasn't what Roxy wanted. "Your grandparents...they thought they were doing something nice for you."

She didn't mention that Roxy's other set of grandparents would have been more than happy to buy her a broom, if only they could have afforded it.

"Well, I hate it," Roxy said petulantly, crossing her arms.

"You don't have to play with her," Angelina said, carefully setting the doll down on Roxy's bookcase, "but please don't tell your grandparents, alright? You'll hurt their feelings." She tried to remember where she had put the other "failed" presents from her parents, but she drew a blank. Maybe George would remember.

"Alright, Mummy," the little girl said, sounding a little happier already. "I won't say a word."

"Daddy and I will buy you a new broom soon," Angelina promised. "Then you won't feel so left out."

Roxy's face lit up, and she gave her mother a big squeeze. "Oh, thank you, Mummy!"

Angelina laughed and hugged her back. "There's that gorgeous Roxy smile I know and love. I was worried you were going to be stuck with that miserable expression forever," she teased.

She bid her daughter goodnight and walked slowly to her and George's bedroom. She was beginning to realize that she would have to be more firm about the way her parents treated Roxy, and she was not looking forward to that conversation. But it was either that or continue to make her daughter pretend that she liked their gifts, and seeing the heartbroken girl huddled under her blankets had steeled Angelina's resolve. Sometimes being a parent was hard, but she knew what she had signed up for, and she would defend her family until her dying breath.