A/N- Sorry this took so long to put together, the ideas weren't coming as fast and life got in the way. Hopefully I can get chapters in within a 2 week span, that is my goal.

Chapter 19

American Discoveries

'So, you ready to go visit your relatives? Did you remember we were doing that today?' Jennifer asked.

'I had forgotten, actually. But I'm ready whenever,' Cody responded.

'Relatives? I remember James telling me there weren't any Potters left,' Sirius said.

'Not Potters, Lily's family,' Cody replied.

'Her sister?' Sirius asked.

'Yeah. What's her name, mom?'

'Petunia.'

'Oh! And she married that walrus man. I can't remember his name, but James was not a fan. I don't think Lily was either, but she was actually on speaking terms with her sister again. She was happy about that,' Sirius remembered.

'Yes, his name is Vernon. And he was always very wary of wizards, so we probably want to avoid the topic,' Jennifer added.

'That might be hard considering that's the only reason we are even here,' Cody said.

'Petunia already knows and I don't think she will dwell on the subject. And we don't have to be there too long. I know she wants to meet you, and have you meet your cousin.'

They left Sirius at the flat, he was perfectly content watching TV and eating popcorn, or whatever other snack he could find. They took public transportation to the area then walked a couple blocks to number 4 Privet Drive. There was a hint of nervousness in his stomach as his mother used the knocker. His Aunt Petunia answered the door and she brought them into the house, the excitement evident in her voice as she called for her husband and son.

'Cody, it is so good so see you. . . again,' Petunia said, her excitement giving way to a bit of trepidation. Jennifer had already explained the name situation, and both women agreed that using his adoptive name would help create some distance from the magical one, so there would be no Harry Potter today. He was all for that.

'Yeah, I guess it is again, isn't it? But I hope you don't feel bad at all. Without you, I never would've had my mom, and I wouldn't give her up for anything in the world,' he said cheerfully.

'He can be a sweet one when he wants to be,' Jennifer added with a smile. 'But he can be a real smart aleck sometimes too.'

'Yes, well, come in and meet everyone.' Petunia introduced Vernon and Dudley, and Dudley certainly took after his father in the size department, though he was far more muscular than the old man in his current state. Dudley did actually seem excited to meet him, Vernon not so much.

They mainly discussed the United States at first. All the Dursleys had questions, and it was an easy topic to navigate. While his mom was carrying on in conversation he let his eyes wander about the pristine home. He wondered what it would've been like to be raised here. Would he be the same preppy kid that Dudley appeared to be in some of the photos? Cody even teased him a bit about those younger pictures, and though Dudley laughed it off, he could tell there was a sense of embarrassment behind the chuckles. The house definitely gave off a pretentious vibe, and he shuddered to think that he could've developed into one of those Malfoy types that thought he was better than everyone else just 'cause his family came from money. No, he wouldn't trade his humble upbringings for all the comforts this home could've offered.

'You seem to be a fit lad. Do you participate in any athletics?' Vernon asked Cody.

'Yes, I wrestle,' Cody replied confidently.

'Ah, yes. The sport for those who drop out of boxing. Dudley here is a champion boxer,' Vernon said with an air of superiority.

'Drop out? I didn't drop out,' Cody said, with a shred of defiance entering his voice.

'Well, not pursuing something can be considered the same as a drop out when it is intended to avoid failure. I always say.' The arrogance was almost blatant, even Petunia and Dudley gave Vernon slightly confused looks.

This guy's high horse was getting taller by the second. Cody's exterior showed no signs of the seething feeling this man's comments had set off. Not quitting was something that Cody had begun to take pride in.

'I'm pretty sure I could hold my own in boxing. I could probably even give Dudley a run for his money,' Cody reciprocated the banter. Vernon's eyes gleamed.

'Go get the gloves, boy,' Vernon said to Dudley.

'Huh?' Dudley responded.

'Go get the gloves. He thinks he can knock you out. We can't let falsehoods like those permeate.' Dudley still looked hesitant but the competition intrigued him, with only the embellished challenge registering in his head.

'Vernon, do you think this is a good idea? Cody is a good sized boy, but not close to Dudley's weight class,' Petunia said hesitantly. She was hoping to avoid a fight at this meeting, but boxing hadn't been what she was thinking about.

'Nonsense, darling. It'll be nothing but a sparring match. Unless you object, Cody? You can always call it off,' Vernon said in a confrontational tone.

There would be no backing down, not at this point. Pride was on the line, and Cody had plenty of it. 'No, I just hope to not get any of Dudley's blood on the furniture.' Dudley was down the stairs at this point and he couldn't decipher the hyperbole from Cody's comment and now there was a hint of anger in Dudley's demeanor.

Uh oh, have I poked the bear? Cody thought.

That drew a large guffaw from Vernon, 'I don't think it'll be Dudley's blood we will be cleaning up. And the furniture won't be in any danger. We will take this out back, we aren't freaks!'

And, there it was. He couldn't remember who had told him, but somewhere along the way, someone had mentioned that was one of the words non-magicals used in a derogatory fashion towards wizards. The word itself didn't bother him, but with the emphasis and venom that Vernon had placed on it, he wouldn't be surprised if even his mom had caught on.

So, was this his plan? Goad Cody into a "fair fight" with Dudley. Well, they'd both be in for a surprise if they thought he would go down easy.

Dudley bounded across the room and tossed Cody a pair of boxing gloves. He bore a smug grin on his face, underestimating his opponent. Cody had seen how that played out before and he would take every advantage he could get. They made their way out into the backyard, Vernon blabbering about different rules and regulations that Cody couldn't care less about. Punch the other guy, and try to not let him punch you, that's all he was thinking about.

Petunia did look a little concerned. Jennifer was standing beside her but took a step back when Cody looked over. She punched a fist into an open hand and scowled at him. She really had no shame, and he smirked, but held in his laughter.

The boys touched gloves and started circling each other. Cody obviously had no real training in boxing, and it had been a while since his last real fight, but he wasn't afraid of taking a punch. That was until the first one landed. Cody had dodged a big swing from Dudley and thrown a couple blows into Dudley's side, but Dudley managed to land a glancing blow across his face before he could get out of harm's way. It sent him spinning away, and he was lucky it didn't land flush or the fight might've ended right there. Vernon walked up to him, pretending to be an official referee, counting up slowly—Vernon didn't want this to be over yet, he wanted to witness more—until Cody regained his balance and said he could continue.

The boys circled some more and he could feel the arrogance coming from Dudley, his look was telling the fat lady to get her vocal chords warmed up. Now, Cody really wanted to take him, and his father, down a peg. Cody was tempted to use some magic but he had already decided he wanted to do this without aid. He just had to play to his strengths. He was agile and quick enough to dodge Dudley's punches, and then he'd land a blow or two in the gut before getting out of the way of the counter. Dudley had the reach and height advantage, so Cody wasn't going to get a clear shot at his head without exposing himself to some damage; he'd have to wait.

As the fight dragged on, both boys were perspiring profusely. Dudley was getting frustrated at not being able to land anything, and the body blows were beginning to take their toll. Cody caught a quick glance at the adults, Petunia had the same concerned look as before, Jennifer had her "this is looking good" face, and Vernon was beginning to look worried he might see his son fall. The tide of the fight had definitely shifted. The arrogance that Cody felt from Dudley at the outset had vanished, and Cody had the slightest of desires for this to just be over. Unfortunately, nobody was going to stop this until someone was bleeding, or picking themself up off the floor.

It only took a couple more solid shots to the midsection before Dudley let his guard down and his head was exposed.

Sorry, Dudley, if it's gotta be you or me, it's gonna be you, Cody thought before landing a combo of punches to the face ending with a solid uppercut. He didn't have enough force to knock the bigger boy out, but he had enough to put him on his hands and knees, blood dripping from his nose. Vernon was quick with a towel—surely he had anticipated needing to use it to sop up Cody's blood.

'Well, that seems like enough violence for one day,' Petunia said with slight disapproval.

'I'm ok!' Dudley tried to claim through the towel covering his nose and mouth, though nothing but a muffled grunt made it through.

His mother just shook her head, 'No, I will have no more bloodshed today on my freshly cut lawn. In the house with you. There is a steak in the fridge you can put over your eye, it might slow down your bruising.' Vernon went in the house with his son, looking like he had been personally defeated.

'I'm guessing you've been in more fights than you've told me about,' Jennifer said with a hint of accusation, but her face told him she wasn't really mad.

'Yeah, I guess I learned to defend myself and didn't want to worry you,' he said, feeling admonished.

'A mother. Not worry. Ha!' she scoffed.

'I'm sorry it had to come to this. I didn't realize Vernon would put Dudley up to this. So, though I'm not particularly happy, I'm glad you came out ok. Are you attending the same school as Lily?' Petunia asked quietly.

'Yeah, Hogwarts.'

'That's right. I was so jealous of her, I tried to go myself. That rejection hurt so bad, I almost never forgave her. Even though she had nothing to be forgiven of. We fought all those years. I was cruel, but she was stubborn and gave it right back. I thought our parents coddled her, but now I think they were just making sure she still felt like family, since she was the one that was different. I resented that too. Please, forgive my husband. He probably will have some more respect for you now, though I doubt he will ever show it.'

'It's no problem. I've had to deal with bigger problems than a silly backyard boxing match before. And thanks for telling me about my mom. No one knew much of anything about her family, so it's nice to hear stories.'

'Anytime, dear. You are welcome anytime. I think Dudley will come around to you. We haven't told him anything about the magic, so maybe when he is older, if you are closer. That's your information to share,' she said sweetly.

'Yeah, it would be nice to have a cousin. I mean, well you know what I mean.'

'Yes, we know what you mean and I believe it is time for us to be returning, we have a long trip ahead of us,' Jennifer said.

'Thank you for coming,' Petunia said, giving both of them a hug and squeezing Cody extra tight. Were these the kind of hugs his mom gave? He wondered.

'It was nice to meet you and your family,' Cody replied, as they made their way through the house.

He shook hands with Vernon, who had the same expressionless face he had when Cody first arrived. Dudley was sat on the couch with the steak over an eye. He gave Cody a knowing nod. Maybe they could be friends, or at least friendly with one another, even if they came from separate worlds, in more ways than one.

He and his mom walked up the street to find a secluded spot where they could apparate from.

'I am not condoning violence at all, but that was awesome! Dudley was a little hesitant at first. I could tell he didn't really want to participate, but then he got a little smug. But his dad! Oh my! He could use a few good smacks to the head. I was this close to giving him my own "one-two" after you got hit that first time. But you sure let the air out of that pompous windbag. Petunia is a sweetheart though. I wonder how they even got together. I'll have to ask her next time we get together. I think she's right, Dudley will come around once he learns he doesn't have to try and please his dad with every decision,' Jennifer said without taking a breath.

'Mom. Breathe. You're rambling. Here, let's go back home.' They went down a little alley and he grabbed her arm before apparating them back to the flat. They found Sirius howling with laughter at the movie he was watching.

'You guys have to see this,' Sirius cried. 'My face hurts. I haven't used these muscles this much in a long time.' He pointed to his cheeks and you could even see remnants of the tears of joy that had streaked his face.

'We've seen it before,' Cody said with a smile. It was good to see Sirius this happy and carefree. 'We've got a good story for you, but I think my friends would like it too so let's get going.'

'But I want to see the end,' Sirius whined.

'Just pause it, then take it out of the VCR. We can take it with us and finish it later.'

'Alllllrighty then!' Sirius said in his best Jim Carrey impersonation.

'We've unleashed a monster,' Jennifer laughed.

Cody portkeyed them to the Statue of Liberty. Sirius wanted to stay and admire the view but he was outvoted and they quickly went on to their Los Angeles apartment. Cody immediately called his friends, but there was no answer on either line.

'They have a wrestling tournament. I know they are expecting you,' Jennifer said.

'Ok, cool. But I'm starving. Where should we take Sirius to eat first?' Cody asked as he looked to his mom.

'There's only one place for a first meal here,' Jennifer prompted.

'In-n-Out!' Cody cried before looking at Sirius. 'But we need to get you some clothes first.'

He went to his room and came back with a t-shirt and jeans. He had Sirius hold them up, and Cody enlarged them to the right size. 'Now you look somewhat respectable,' he said after Sirius had changed.

They drove to a restaurant that was in the direction of the wrestling tournament. Sirius had all kinds of questions as they drove through the city, it should have been annoying but his questions came so rapidly the responses were mainly just laughter. They arrived at the restaurant and the aroma of grilled beef patties assaulted their olfactory systems. The crackling sound of freshly cut potatoes falling into the boiling oil filled the air. Their salivary glands began to work in anticipation of the forthcoming meal.

They approached the counter and Sirius pointed out the meal that he wanted. Cody leaned over to him and said, 'Get your fries animal style.' Sirius returned with a confused look. 'Tell them you want your fries animal style,' Cody prompted again.

'That's not funny. You can't say stuff like that,' Sirius whispered.

'Oh, please,' Cody said with an eye roll. 'Just say it.'

'I feel like you're setting me up for something,' Sirius said in accusation.

'No, it's like a secret menu. Only the cool people know about it.'

'Ok, now I know you having me on. That sounds just like something James would say, something I would say,' Sirius said knowingly.

'I'm not. I'm trying to build up your trust so I can get you with the ultimate prank,' Cody teased.

'That's not very convincing.'

'It's true. The menu thing, I mean. I can't comment on his ultimate prank plan,' Jennifer said with a smile.

Sirius feigned a scowl, then gave a questioning look to the girl behind the counter who was trying to contain her own laughter.

'Would you like the animal style fries, sir?' she asked.

'So it is a real thing, or are you in on this too?'

'Yes, it is. It's a real thing,' she squeezed out through her snickers.

'Ok then, I'll have those,' Sirius said.

They placed their orders then found a table together and sat down with their food. Sirius took his first bite of the hamburger and his eyes popped open wide as saucers. 'This is amazing!' he exclaimed.

Cody and Jennifer smiled at each other as they watched Sirius devour the burger, and then move on to the fries.

'You know the best part about eating as. . . me, is that I can slow down and enjoy my food. Padfoot just inhales everything,' Sirius said.

'That was slow?' Cody asked sarcastically. He and his mom were not yet half way done as Sirius was putting away the final crumbs.

'Uh, yeah. Well, I thought I was taking it slow, but maybe I got carried away. That was so good. How do you not eat here everyday?' Sirius asked incredulously.

'It loses its novelty if you come too often. It's fun to enjoy it sparingly,' Jennifer explained.

'It's kinda like school, some things that I find really interesting, others find boring because it's so normal for them,' Cody said.

'I can see that.' Sirius said.

While Cody and Jennifer finished eating, Sirius tried every flavor of soda from the fountain machine. He was fairly easy to please and enjoyed the majority of what he tasted.

'Thanks for warning me,' Sirius said accusingly.

'Warn you about what?' Cody asked.

'The die Coke drink.' Sirius said with a face of disgust.

'You mean Diet Coke,' Cody corrected.

'Oh, I know what it said, but I think I'd rather die than ever drink that again.'

'I'm with ya, that stuffs nasty,' Cody sympathized.

'You shut your mouth young man,' Jennifer scolded playfully.

'Careful what you say about it. Diet Coke is like a religion to her,' Cody warned while jabbing a thumb toward his mom.

'I don't care if that is milk from the bosom of Morgana, I'm never touching it again. I can still taste it,' he said while scratching his tongue.

'That's the aftertaste. It takes a little getting used to, but once you do, it's like drinking rain drops from heaven,' Jennifer said blissfully.

'I don't see why anyone would willingly suffer through that just to get used to it,' Sirius replied.

'They use a different sugar, so it doesn't have the calories of other drinks,' Jennifer said.

'Well, luckily Sirius doesn't need to avoid calories,' Cody said with a smile.

'I'm guessing you're making skinny jokes,' Sirius said. He got nods of affirmation. 'If that means I can never drink that refuse ever again, I don't mind. Now, I need another refill. And I need to use the loo, that stuff runs right through you.'

When Sirius returned they were ready to leave. They drove the rest of the way to the wrestling tournament. They found seats near the top of the bleachers and Cody tried explaining the rules to Sirius as they watched. In between rounds he was met by Stephanie, Sierra and Chelsea on his way down the stairs.

'Cody! Hi, it's so good to see you,' Stephanie said, giving him a big hug.

'Yeah, letters just aren't the same,' he said. Their letters had gotten spaced out more and more as the year went on.

'No, they're not, but you better keep writing. Even though I know I'm not the best at responding in a timely manner either.'

'I will, for sure. But I need to get down there. It was great to see you. You too, Sierra and Chelsea. See you around.'

'Yeah, see you later,' Chelsea replied.

He went down to floor level and caught up a bit with old teammates and his coach. Then he brought Victor and Jamal up the stands with him to meet Sirius. After the introductions Jamal noticed the bruise developing on Cody's face.

'What happened to your face?' Jamal asked.

'My cousin,' Cody said.

'The cousin you just met? You got in a fight?' Sirius asked in surprise.

'Not like that. He's a boxer and I kind of implied I thought I could hold my own, not realizing they had a couple sets of boxing gloves at home. I couldn't turn down the challenge,' Cody explained.

'So, you meet your cousin for the first time and he beats you up, awesome!' Victor said with a chuckle, earning him a side-eye and a scowl from Cody.

'What Cody isn't saying, is though he may have a little bruise, this is a classic case of "you should see the other guy."' With pride, Jennifer recounted the fight between the two cousins, full with blow by blow imitation.

'Looks like I taught you something,' Victor claimed.

'You only taught him how to get into fights, I'm the one who taught him how to win them,' Jamal countered.

'Well, you taught him good. I think Dudley's dad's pride was hurt more than his honestly,' Jennifer added.

'I hope so, I could tell Dudley's heart wasn't really in it. At least until we actually started fighting,' Cody said.

'Well, I better get warming up. Jamal doesn't have to 'cause he's in the finals. Are you gonna stay?' Victor asked.

'Yeah, as long as I can stay awake,' Cody replied with a yawn.

'Oh yeah, that time change is brutal,' Jamal said. 'I better get down there too. You know how Coach is, gotta keep the team together.'

'Yeah, I know. Good luck.'

Cody and Sirius both dozed off for stretches. His mom would wake him up to watch his friends' matches. Jamal won first place and Victor took fourth in their respective weight classes. They left the gym after Jamal's match, no need to stay for the rest. He managed to catch his friends' eye before leaving and left with a nod of acknowledgment.

Cody and Sirius slept much of the drive home, and had no recollection of entering the apartment or where they crashed for the night. Cody made it to his bed while Sirius ended up on the couch.

Cody didn't know exactly what time it was but it was definitely too early when he was awoken by a scream from the living room. He bolted from his bedroom to see his mom holding her chest and taking deep breaths. On the couch Padfoot was groggily blinking his eyes.

'I thought I told you he could turn into a dog?' Cody asked.

'Yeah, but I wasn't expecting a bear dog, nor did I expect him to be sleeping like that,' Jennifer said in between breaths.

'Yeah, why are you sleeping like that?' Cody asked Sirius curiously.

'I woke up in the middle of the night and realized I was too tall for the couch, so I transformed. If I don't have a comfortable bed I sleep much better as Padfoot, and I don't wake up with a sore back,' Sirius explained.

'Well now we know what to expect in the morning. I'm going back to bed,' Cody said.

'No you're not,' Jennifer declared. 'You're never going to adjust if you sleep in too much. You're already up, your friends will probably be over anytime.'

Knock knock knock knock

'Speak of the devil,' she said with a smile. Cody ran to the door and let his friends in. They spent some time catching up on things.

'Two weeks, what are we gonna do?' Victor asked.

'Gotta give Sirius the California experience,' Cody said.

'If it's anything like In-n-Out I can't wait. When can we go back?' Sirius asked with great anticipation.

'Eventually, there are some other things on the list,' Cody said.

'I would say a football game, but both teams left Los Angeles this year,' Victor said, disgruntled.

'Yeah, that would've been great,' Cody agreed.

'So, no football. What about Disneyland?' Jamal asked.

'Well, that would be good, but that's the one place we know we could run into some wizards. And technically Sirius is still a criminal, so I think we avoid that place for now.'

'Chelsea's not gonna be happy about that,' Victor teased.

'Would she be happy about Six Flags?' Cody asked.

'She'll be here any minute. You can ask her yourself.'

'Ask me what?' Chelsea asked as she walked into the room at just the right moment, the door had been left slightly ajar anticipating her arrival.

'How'd you like to go to Six Flags instead of Disneyland?' Cody asked.

'It wouldn't be my preference, but I'm guessing you have a reason if you're suggesting it,' she said.

He introduced her to Sirius and he couldn't quite remember how much he had told her about him before, so he gave her the complete rundown. If she wasn't amenable to going before, she was now.

'Well, no point in sitting around here. Are we going or what?' Victor asked. No one needed any more persuasion. They had been once before so he was able to portkey them to a secluded place they had scouted out.

Usually in these situations it's the kids that wear out the adults. Today it was Sirius that had the kids telling him to slow down. Food, water, bathroom breaks; those were all just distractions and wastes of time compared to the roller coasters. He was like a niffler in Scrooge McDuck's vault.

'Just one more ride,' Sirius pleaded.

'Aren't you tired?' Cody asked with exhaustion.

'How can you let something so menial get in the way of so much fun!?'

There was no way they could say no to him, not today.

'Ok, one more. But we might not be able to go to In-n-Out after,' Cody warned.

'You would make me choose?' Sirius pouted.

'As long as this really is the last one, no.'

They were all exhausted at the end of the day.

'Hey, can you Transfigure the couch into a bed?' Sirius asked Cody that night as they were getting ready to go to sleep.

'I don't think I've gotten that far yet.'

'Come on. You know what a bed is like, a couch isn't that far off. It doesn't have to be fancy, just long enough for me to lay on.'

'Ok, I'll give it a go.'

After a couple attempts he was able to get something resembling a bed. Sirius was so tired he barely cared and was just happy to be able to stretch out.

Cody also fell asleep with little effort.

Cody entered the kitchen late the next morning. His mom put a finger to her lips ensuring he kept quiet. Then she pointed towards the living room. On the couch, Padfoot was again curled up asleep. He shot her a questioning look and she just shrugged. It wasn't long before Sirius was awake.

'Just couldn't resist sleeping as Padfoot, huh?' Cody teased.

'Well, if someone hadn't transfigured the bed to change back half way through the night.' Sirius countered.

'You mean?'

'Yeah, if you heard a thud last night, that was me getting dropped to the floor when the bed turned back into a couch.'

Jennifer laughed, and Cody did a little but he was also somewhat embarrassed, 'Sorry. I didn't do it on purpose if that helps.'

'That's too bad. I was kinda hoping this was the start of a prank war.'

'I'm not dumb enough to start a prank war with you,' Cody said.

'So, what's on the docket today?' Sirius asked.

'Well, we need to get you some clothes, I'm done resizing mine for you. And I need to do some Christmas shopping.'

'Shopping? Ugh,' Sirius grumbled.

'Just wait till you see the mall. It's like five Diagon Alleys all packed into one building.'

They waited for his friends to arrive before they left.

'What are you getting your friends for Christmas?'

'That's what I've got to figure out,' Cody said.

'What do they like?'

'Gum.'

'You have to get more than that,' Jamal said.

'You could always get chocolate, everyone likes that,' Chelsea added.

'That's not a bad idea,' Cody said.

'Hey, get them those chocolate Santas,' Victor said.

'That's a good idea, simple too.'

'What about Celine?' Jamal asked.

'Uh.'

'You can't just get her the same stuff as your friends.'

'Is she your girlfriend?' Chelsea asked.

'We haven't really discussed what we are,' Cody replied.

'Are you thinking about kissing other girls while you're here?'

'No.'

'And would you be upset if she was kissing other boys while you were gone?'

'Yeah.'

'So, she's your girlfriend. As long as she feels the same way, and I'd guess she does,' Chelsea reasoned. 'Though having her confirm that wouldn't be a bad idea.'

'That's how girls figure this stuff out?' Victor asked. This was a light bulb moment for him.

'Yes, you idiot,' Chelsea intoned.

'This explains a lot.'

'Like how you can get girls to hate you so fast,' Jamal teased.

'Among other things,' Victor replied. 'What are you laughing at?' he asked Sirius.

'Oh, I'm just remembering having almost the exact same conversations with my friends. I think Chelsea is right, but even then, you're never gonna figure women out. They don't all play from the same playbook,' Sirius said.

'It's sad, but true,' Chelsea said.

'Ok, so say she's my girlfriend. What else do I get her?' Cody asked.

'Some simple jewelry would work,' Chelsea said.

'Right. . . What classifies as simple?' he asked.

'You are hopeless,' she laughed.

'I just don't have a lot of experience in the gift giving department,' he defended.

'Here, this is simple.' She picked up a gold chain necklace.

'Gold is simple?'

'Look over there.' She pointed to the locked display inside the jewelry store. 'Notice the price on those gold chains? Those are real gold, this is either coated or imitation metal.'

'So I should just get her something cheap?'

'Are you ready to spend that much?'

'Uh, not really.'

'See, this is exactly what the phrase, "it's the thought that counts" was made for. She'll know you were thinking about her and that's what matters.'

'Oh, I should've got more personal gifts for my other friends too,' Cody said sheepishly.

'Yeah, probably,' she agreed. 'Just remember that for next time.'

'Alright, thanks,' Cody said as he pondered the irony that the one gift he had actually thought about before coming home was the one he brought home for Chelsea.

They returned home, gifts in hand. Sirius had enough clothes to get him through the next couple weeks.

That evening they were sitting around as Sirius watched more movies.

'I know you think you know how to dance, but I think you should learn something a bit more advanced for the opening dance,' Jennifer suggested to Cody.

'Are you serious?' Cody asked.

'Yes, I don't want you to embarrass yourself.'

'I won't.'

'Well, then, I want you to impress,' she declared. 'After your little stunt with the dragon you could use a little good press to help people take you seriously.'

'I don't care what people think.'

'Not now you don't, but you never know when the tide might change. I'm just saying, this plays to your strengths, no point in downplaying them. Minerva told me all about the Ball. I have just the idea for you.'

'What?'

'Well, you already know Ballroom and American. I think we can step it up to the Viennese waltz. It's quite a bit more complex but I think you can manage.'

'Fine,' Cody relented.

'Don't pretend that this is some sort of punishment. You will thank me later. Eventually we'll want to get Chelsea over here so you can get the feel for leading.'

Cody rolled his eyes.

'Unless you can convince Sirius to be your partner,' she said dryly.

'We'll call Chelsea,' Cody responded quickly.

He practiced that night with his mom, he wasn't quite ready to lead on his own yet.

The next day they had planned to go to the beach and Sirius was in heaven right away. A different kind of heaven from the amusement park, but heaven nonetheless.

'Sirius, it's not polite to stare,' Cody said, breaking Sirius from his trance.

'Have you never been to a beach before?' Victor asked.

'I have, but not the type where people are sunbathing. We heard about these beaches but by the time we were old enough to be able to go there were other circumstances that wouldn't allow it,' Sirius explained. 'This is amazing!'

'I knew you'd love it here,' Cody said.

'I just can't believe it's the middle of December. No wonder you wanted to come back for the break. This weather is unbeatable,' Sirius noted. They set up their spot on the beach and got ready to jump in the water.

'Sirius! You are so white!' Cody cried.

'He's not white, he's transparant,' Victor laughed.

'Hey, I don't exactly get much time to sit in the sun,' Sirius defended.

'I know that. But I have literally seen ghosts with more color than you,' Cody declared.

'Ha, very funny. The Baron's blood doesn't count,' Sirius retorted.

'Still, you are basically see-through,' Cody said.

'Well, are you going to keep harping on it, or are we getting in? How cold is it?' Sirius asked.

'It's warmer than the lake. Just jump in. You'll get used to it,' Cody said as they started sprinting towards the surf. They all plunged in, pushing through the initial shock of the chilly water.

'This is freezing!' Sirius cried when he came up out of the water.

'Stop being a wuss,' Cody shot back.

'I'm not a wuss!'

'Then jump in! It really does get better the second time,' Victor added.

Sirius did jump in and after a moment he did get used to the water. After a while they headed back to the sand to dry off and warm up.

'What is the island out there?' Sirius asked.

'Catalina,' Cody said.

'Hey, that would be a good place to open up your egg. Remember that beach we found? It seemed pretty secluded,' Victor noted.

'Did you bring the egg?' Jamal asked.

'No, it's back at the apartment,' Cody replied.

'Well, I want to hear this thing,' Sirius declared.

'Alright, I'll take you over to the island, then I'll go back and get it,' Cody said.

First, they had to trek down the beach until they came to the rocky cliffs and some seclusion. He dropped his friends off on the remote beach that they had previously found on Catalina Island, and went back to his apartment to grab the golden egg. His mom was home when he arrived.

'Where are you headed off to?' she asked.

'I'm gonna see if we can figure out this egg.'

'I can see that, but where?'

'Oh. On Catalina.'

'Hey, I'd like to take a trip to Catalina. Did you not consider that?' she asked with reproach.

'Oh, sorry. I didn't think.'

'Yeah, you're good at that,' she teased. 'Don't worry about it. Let me tell Elisa and Nique. They could use a beach day too.'

'You know Sirius is going to hit on them. I can't control him,' Cody warned.

'I'm counting on it, one of them could use the ego boost right now,' she said mischievously.

'I don't think you know what you are getting them into, but whatever. Go ahead.'

A few minutes later his mom returned and began to ready herself. It was a good twenty minutes before all the women were ready to depart. He popped them all over to the beach where his friends were waiting for them.

'Mom!' Victor and Jamal called out at the sight of their mothers.

'These lovely ladies are your mothers?' Sirius asked in his smooth tone.

'Yes, I'm Elisa.'

'And I'm Dominique.'

'Lovey names, too. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance,' Sirius said, kissing the knuckles of each. Elisa chuckled and Dominique also gave a little laugh but her eyes lingered on Sirius an extra beat.

'Sirius, you're at the beach, not some fancy event,' Cody said.

'You could learn a thing or two about manners and etiquette from him,' Jennifer countered.

'See, can't go wrong treating a woman like a lady,' Sirius said regally.

'Yeah, yeah, you're such a gentleman,' Cody said.

'Let's not spoil anything too quickly,' Sirius replied. 'Now, show me that egg.'

Cody handed over the golden egg and Sirius looked it over intensely.

'I don't see any clues on the outside,' Sirius said. 'And it makes a screeching sound when you open it?'

'Yeah, it was hideous.'

'Maybe you have to outlast it somehow,' Victor suggested. Cody gave him a curious look. 'Like you have to let it screech at you so long and then it'll stop.'

'I don't have any other ideas,' Cody acknowledged.

'Just take it over there, open it and run back over here,' Jamal said. 'I want to be as far away from that thing as possible.'

Cody did just that, he marched across the sand, putting a good distance between himself and the group. He set down the egg, opened it and ran back to where his friends were all standing. They all covered their ears at first, the high pitch was still quite piercing.

'How long should we wait this out?' Jamal asked. Everyone that could hear him just shrugged. They stood there patiently waiting for any change, it was only minutes but it felt significantly longer.

Cody was watching the egg intently, looking for any visual changes when he felt an elbow in his side.

'Ow, what was that for?' Cody asked Jamal.

'Sorry, didn't mean for that to be so hard. Don't look fast, but check out the rocks out in the ocean,' Jamal said softly, before turning to Victor and passing on the same message. They played a game of telephone until all members of the group had at least part of their attention towards the water.

'I don't see anything,' Cody said to Jamal.

'Just keep watching. I know I saw something,' Jamal responded.

The group began coalescing so they could talk without shouting.

'I saw something that looked like a head,' Jennifer said.

'I think I saw a tail flip out of the water,' Victor said.

'Aren't there seals around here?' Dominique asked.

'I haven't seen any, and that would've been a big seal,' Victor replied.

'I see two heads!' Elisa proclaimed.

'Me too!' multiple people called out.

'They are looking at the egg,' Cody noted.

'Mermaids,' Sirius said. Everyone's heads snapped towards him. 'There's a colony in the Black Lake, and you can bet once we heard that we made sure to go check it out. Those are definitely mermaids.'

'Ok, but why do they seem so interested in the egg?' Cody asked.

'Are we really just going to ignore how casually we just learned that mermaids are real?' Dominique asked.

'If you think mermaids are amazing I have a whole world of things to show you,' Sirius said with a roguish smile.

'Oh, I could use a good adventure,' she replied with a smile of her own.

'Not now you two,' Jennifer snapped playfully, a small smile crossing her face. 'Go close the egg, Cody. I'm sick of that sound.'

Cody covered his ear as he ran over to shut off the noise. The heads that were peeking out of the water disappeared at his sudden movement.

The group gathered round the egg, there were no visible differences.

'Well, I don't know about waiting it out, but the sound seemed to attract those mermaids,' Cody said.

'Why would they care about that sound?' Jamal asked.

'Maybe they were just curious,' Cody replied.

'I don't know, I'd say they looked worried at first,' Jennifer said.

'Do you think they recognized the sound?' Victor asked.

'Sirius, what do you know about mermaids? You're the only one that has seen them before,' Cody said.

'That's all though, I've just seen them. It's not like I had any conversations with them,' Sirius said.

'They probably speak their own language,' Jamal said.

'That is some language,' Elisa noted.

'Mermaids live underwater. Is that right Sirius?' Dominique asked.

'Yeah,' Sirius answered.

'So, their language had to adapt to carrying underwater, which could explain the high pitch,' Dominique explained. 'Like whales and dolphins.'

'You're intelligent too?' Sirius asked in an impressed tone. Dominique had a coy smile on her face.

Cody's eyes rolled and he wasn't alone. And he spoke up before the conversation could be sidetracked. 'You think it will sound different underwater?'

'Everything sounds different underwater!' Victor declared.

'You know what I mean, you idiot,' Cody retorted.

'You asked the stupid question,' Victor said matter-of-factly.

'No such thing,' Cody replied.

'You're just digging your hole bigger and bigger. Might as well just take your egg to the water and see if you hear anything different,' Victor said.

'Come with me,' Cody said. Victor gave him a skeptical look. 'I need someone to watch my back, what if those mermaids come after me.'

'I'll go with you too. Let's go Vic,' Jamal said.

The three of them entered the water waist deep before taking a breath and submerging themselves. Cody opened the egg and there was no screeching. They all looked at each other and nodded in confirmation that they could each hear the song that emanated from the egg. They surfaced for air.

'Do you remember it all?' Cody asked.

'No,' Victor answered. Jamal shook his head.

'K, let's each try to memorize a different part of the clue,' Cody suggested. He then described the plan before they all went under again. After they listened to the clue again and each boy was confident in remembering his portion they grabbed the egg and went back to the beach.

'Did you get anything?' Sirius asked when they got back to the group.

'Yeah, come find us where we sing, not above ground,' Cody replied, scrunching his face trying to remember the exact words..

'Close enough,' Victor said. 'Then, you have an hour to seek and find something you'll surely miss. They're gonna take some from you.'

'After an hour it's gone forever,' Jamal added.

'You're sure that's what it said,' Sirius asked.

All three boys looked at each other and nodded.

'Yeah, that was it,' Cody said confidently.

'The mermaids are going to take something?' Victor asked.

'And hide it underwater,' Jamal added.

'Yeah, that'll definitely be in the lake,' Sirius noted. 'But what are they gonna take?'

'I have a pretty good idea. Considering this is a wizard tournament, there is one thing everyone has that is likely equally valuable. A wand,' Cody explained.

'But you don't even use yours,' Victor said.

'That's hardly common knowledge. Most wizards are useless without a wand,' Cody replied, glancing at Sirius.

'It's true,' Sirius said in a resigned manner. 'I can barely do anything without my wand.'

'I've told you to keep practicing. I think you have a sort of mental block you need to break through,' Cody said.

'Yeah, yeah,' Sirius said as he waved off Cody's playful rebuke. 'But one hour to search for it.'

'Then it's gone forever,' Victor added.

'Will they really take someone's wand away forever?' Cody asked. 'That's like a huge deal for most wizards.'

Sirius shrugged. 'Honestly, I can't be sure, but this is the first time they've held this tournament in a long time. The last thing they want is for something permanent to happen to one of the contestants. And like you said, losing a wand would be pretty significant.'

'So, this is more like one of those empty threats parents give their kids to get them to behave,' Victor said with a grin at his mom.

'I can make it not empty, if you'd like,' she threatened teasingly.

'You're not supposed to admit you know that,' Sirius told Victor. 'And yeah, I'd guess this is just a motivator or something to raise the tension of the event.'

'We could be missing something,' Jamal added.

'Maybe. But I still don't think anyone is at real risk of permanently losing something of real value,' Sirius replied. 'There could be worse tasks. And now you have plenty of time to prepare,' Sirius said.

'That's true. So, should we just hang out here for the rest of the day?' Cody asked.

'I was going to suggest going back but I don't think we need to,' Sirius said with a not so subtle glance at the three women. The boys just rolled their eyes.

'He's not very subtle, is he?' said Elisa, just loud enough that Sirius could hear.

'Hey, when you go so long without human interaction you stop caring about traditional conventions,' Sirius said without shame.

'It's kinda refreshing to hear a man be honest with his feelings,' Dominique said with an impish smile. It was the ladies turn to roll their eyes, though it was accompanied by small smiles.

'See, you can learn a thing or two from me,' Sirius said to Cody.

'Oh, go jump in the ocean,' Cody said.

'No way, it's freezing.'

'That's the point.'

Later that evening after they'd all eaten dinner together the women presented each of the boys, including Sirius, with an envelope and a large grin.

'This is a little early Christmas present. Open it and you'll figure it out,' Jennifer said, her grin, as well as those of her friends, growing wider. The look of anticipation could not be hidden by any of the women.

The boys each looked at each other and then with a nod tore into their envelopes at the same time. It took them a second to read and comprehend the details of the ticket each of them had discovered.

'Green Day!?' The three young boys all said at the same time. All three of the moms gave enthusiastic nods.

'I know some of their songs, right?' Sirius asked.

'Yeah,' Cody said before telling him some of the songs he had played for him. 'And now you can hear them from the original artist with better instruments.'

This made Sirius get just as excited as the boys. He thanked the women profusely. This motivated the boys to also show their gratitude, much to the appreciation of their moms.

'We've tried for fifteen years to teach these boys how to be grateful and you just show up and they follow your lead,' Dominique said, impressed.

'Well, they obviously had already been taught, they just needed a little nudge in the right direction,' Sirius replied with a roguish grin, eliciting another round of eye rolls all around.

'It's tomorrow night too!' Jamal noted.

'What are we doing during the day?' Sirius asked.

The boys looked at each making pensive faces before they all started nodding and without prompting called out at the same time—

'Star Wars marathon!'

That's how they spent the next day, on the couch, watching Sirius react to the movie as watching the movie itself. It had become their favorite part of showing Sirius new things, watching his reactions. He was so animated and energetic, it was a breath of fresh air. Even the women made sure to come by and watch both forms of entertainment during the movies.

'That was great! And I still can't believe that Vader was his father,' Sirius said, throwing his head back.

'Yeah, that is a crazy plot twist,' Jamal said.

'Cody, you still have to learn Force lightning,' Victor declared.

'Yeah I do. Can I practice on you?' Cody asked.

'No thanks, you can probably do it on Padfoot.'

'Don't think so, kid.' Sirius said.

'Come on. I need to practice on somebody,' Cody said.

'Not on me. That looks too much like the Cruciatus curse,' Sirius said.

'I don't have to torture you. I can just incapacitate you,' Cody replied matter-of-factly. Sirius shook his head, though he did have a smile on his face.

'Can't you just do the lighting without it actually having an effect on someone?' Jamal asked.

'Yeah, I probably could,' Cody said. 'But you still probably don't want me to practice on you.'

They all shook their heads in response.

'Sorry, man. I don't think any of us want to be your test dummies for something like that,' Jamal noted.

'Alright, I'll have to find another way to practice. It's almost time to go to the concert. We should get ready.'

Cody was able to apparate them close to the concert venue for the show. They enjoyed the opening acts but really were just there for the main event.

'Cody, I still think you're pretty good, but that was incredible!' Sirius declared. He was almost skipping as they left the arena.

'I know, that was pretty awesome,' Cody replied.

'I still can't believe our moms got us tickets. That was so cool,' Victor said.

'Yeah, that was pretty cool of them,' Cody said.

The next few days passed a little less adventurously. They visited a few more sights, and Sirius was always impressed. They watched more movies, and listened to music together. Cody made some final preparations for the Yule Ball. His mom made him get a corsage for his date, and a matching boutonniere for himself.

'Mom, I don't think wizards do the flower thing like we do,' he complained.

'Well, this can be your form of rebellion then. Minerva already told me she doesn't mind people shaking things up a little bit. I think she has a little rebellious streak in her that she doesn't let on about.'

'Maybe I can find a more interesting way than flowers to shake things up,' Cody suggested mischievously.

'Don't press your luck.'

'But you just said—'

'I know what I said. And now I'm saying don't take advantage of that,' she replied sternly. This discussion was over.

Christmas Eve the whole group got together to exchange gifts. Cody would be heading to England in the late morning the next day, so they chose to spend some quality time the night before. They enjoyed a nice dinner and opened all the gifts. Music was the most common, CD's, portable CD players, vinyl records and sheet music, all changed hands, and they spent plenty of time listening and singing along to their new tunes. Chelsea loved her small potted rose plant. It was charmed to change color, so each new set of blooms would produce a different set of roses. It was going to be much less conspicuous in California where the growing season was much longer than the UK.

'Cody, I think this would be a good chance to do one final rehearsal of your dance,' Jennifer said.

'I think I'm good,' he replied. He didn't really want to put on a private performance for his friends.

'Think about all the people that are going to be watching you tomorrow.'

'Yeah, but I really don't care what they think.'

'So, if you can dance well in front of those whose opinions you do care about, think about how much easier it will be in front of those who you don't.'

'She's got you, man,' Jamal said.

'Yeah, you really should stop arguing with your mom. You rarely win,' Victor said with a laugh.

'You're not any better, son,' Elisa intoned, causing Victor to soften his countenance.

'Ok, I see your point. As long as Chelsea is ok with it,' he said while giving her a questioning look.

'I'm totally ok with it. Any mistake is your fault, not mine,' she replied emphatically.

That made him take a big gulp. She was exactly right, and her matter-of-fact tone drove home the point all the stronger. Maybe this would shake off any remaining nerves he might have about dancing in front of a crowd.

They cleared out the room, there wasn't a lot of space, and his mom said that would only make it easier when he was on a real dance floor since he wouldn't have to pay attention to potential obstacles as much. Cody and Chelsea took their places and his mom hit the music. They danced without incident, he lost himself in the movements and forgot people were solely focused on watching him and his partner. They moved about the fairly confined space, smoothly twisting and turning, avoiding walls, counters and table tops. When the song was finished Chelsea was beaming, as were his mother and the other women.

'That reminded me of the first time you came to dance with me,' Chelsea said, a slight glisten in her eyes. 'You are a much better dancer now though.' That drew some laughter and broke the sentimental feel that was growing.

'I'd say you are ready for the Big Show,' Jennifer declared. 'As long as your partner can follow a lead, that is.'

'She's pretty coordinated. I think she will do just fine. And yes, this was a good idea to practice one more time,' he admitted to his mom. 'Thank you.'

'You are welcome, son,' she said, walking over to give him a big hug.

That evening, after the group had gone their separate ways Cody set out all the gifts for his friends back in England and went to bed with an excitement he hadn't felt in years. He would have to go back to the last Christmas before learning about Santa that he had felt the same way. The thought of gifts just showing up in the middle of the night was exhilarating, even though he now had a good idea on how it actually happened. He lay awake in his bed listening for the sound of movement coming from the living room; the sound never came and he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning he awoke, and with a flash he was out to witness the assortment of gifts under the tree. He woke Sirius from his bed which now stayed transfigured the entire night. Soon, his mother appeared from her room and she gave them the go ahead to tear into their gifts, there were a couple for Sirius.

A book from Astoria, a broom from Daphne and Tracey, lots of sweets from his other friends.

'Who's the broom from?' Jennifer asked.

'Daphne and Tracey.'

'As if I couldn't like the girl any more,' Jennifer proclaimed playfully.

'It's a broom for flying, not for cleaning, mom,' Cody corrected.

'It's a broom. It could be made of 24 carat gold and its primary purpose would be to sweep,' she replied with playful arrogance.

'Don't get your hopes up,' he said with a shake of the head. His mom just laughed.

Soon he had to get ready to head to the Yule Ball.

'Sure you don't want to come hang out at the manor?' he asked Sirius, who had mentioned he wanted to explore the place he had called home for a time of his life.

'No, I think I'll hang around here. I'm sure I can find something more interesting than portraits to talk to,' Sirius replied, unable to completely prevent his grin.

'Yeah, I'm sure,' he said with a smile and a shake of the head.

'Have fun, Cody,' Jennifer said, giving him another hug.

'I will. Thanks, mom.'

He arrived in Professor McGonagall's office and she greeted him pleasantly, glad he arrived on time.

She gave him a few last minute instructions before ushering him out of her office and onto the antechamber where he would await his date.