December 19, 2009 - Potter Manor

James was confined to his house for the day. No leaving it, not even to play outside. His parents were furious at him after yesterday. So today, he was forced to play inside, where there was nothing to do; for he wasn't aloud to prank anybody either.

"Aaargh," James groaned from inside Lily's room. Since there was nothing better to do, he had decided to play with Lily.

"This dolly!" Lily had been searching through her toy chest for a dolly for James to play with.

"What do I do now?" James looked at Lily quizzically.

"Play!" Lily took her doll over to her doll house, and began to quietly act out her two dolls.

James just sat there starring at his little sister.

"Jemmy!" She called out to James, who slowly approached Lily.

"Hi." James used a high-pitched girl voice to act out his doll. "I'm Suzy." Lily laughed, and moved her dolls around. Lily had a very active imagination, even if she couldn't talk. After a few minutes of just watching her, James sighed,

"Lils, this is boring. Let's play war with Al." Lily looked quizzical for a minute then nodded her head, and made a swishing motion with her hands, pretending to swing a wand. James had taught her how to "play war", and the often did.

"ALBUS!" James called loudly into the house. James got up and stuck his head out of Lily's bedroom,

"ALBUS!" He called again. After a moment, Albus appeared coming up the stairs.

"What James?"

"Me and Lily are going to play war, wanna play with us?" Albus' face lit up,

"Okay!"

After James explained the rules to Lily and Al; who most likely didn't listen, or understand, they began to play.

Ginny was in her office working on a report for the Daily Prophet, when she heard shrieking.

'Oh great,' she thought, 'I can't believe I expected James to be good for one day.'

When Ginny exited her office, and walked up the stairs, the sight she saw lit up her whole face, and made her heart melt.

James was actually playing nicely with Albus and Lily. They each had their fake wands, and were pretending to cast spells on each other. The shrieking she had heard, had been shrieks of pleasure.

'What a Merry Holiday Season this is.' Ginny thought to herself.