Sock clad feet slid silently over the polished wood floor, approaching a certain white door. The owner of those feet could only hope it was unlocked, or the plan would be ruined. A hand reached out and tentatively turned the knob. A puff of air escaped the figure's lips in relief. In one swift movement, the figure leapt forward and pounced on the bed.

"Wake up!" Avery screamed in her cousin's ear. "Danny will be here any second, you lazy bum!"

As expected, her cousin smacked her off the bed, resulting in her falling on the floor as a tangle of limbs. Hearing a sigh of content, Avery lifted her curtain of hair with her arm and glared at Alle. She would get up. Growling a bit like a dog, the girl launched herself at the lump under the covers. The two scuffled until they heard a familiar pop! They turned their heads to look at each other before climbing over the other to reach the door first.

"He's my brother!"

"Well he likes me better!"

"Liar!"

"Shut up!"

They stopped fighting as a pair of boots appeared at eye-level. Looking up, they saw a tall man with shaggy blonde hair and blue-green eyes, which shone with laughter. A huge grin was on his face as he took in their position. Alle had strands of Avery's hair in her hands, while Avery's palm was planted firmly on Alle's cheek. He held out his arms expectantly.

"Well?" he asked them in amusement.

They immediately leapt up and ran into his embrace. The elder girl was happy to see her best friend, and younger was happy to see her brother. The man ruffled Alle's hair as he dropped a kiss onto Avery's head.

"Danny! It's so good to see you!" Avery cried while tilting her head back to grin at him.

"And you, Squirt." He turned to smirk at Alle. "We have lots to talk about, Albert. First, though, how about some breakfast? I'm starved. That took a lot out of me."

Avery eyed his bags. She didn't doubt he was, she just doubted it was because of his trip. Howevershe just picked up one of his bags, almost falling over in the process, and started tugging it into his room. It felt as though he packed his entire mass of fans into it. Knowing him, he probably tried.

"Squirt, wanna see if you still have what it takes to follow in your brother's footsteps?" Danny asked after breakfast.

"Danny, we both know I'm perfectly capable of doing any trick you throw at me."

"As it just so happens, I have a new one. Wanna try it out?"

That was how, brooms in hand, the two of them ended up in the yard behind the house. Alle, situated under their large tree, opened a book to pass the time as they goofed off. Danny glanced back at her.

"You sure you don't wanna join in, Albert?"

She shot him a look, telling him she was quite sure. Avery rolled her eyes, eager to get up in the air. Alle never wanted to join in, but Danny always asked. Sometimes it made the young girl wonder if he much preferred Alle's company of hers.

"Fine then. Okay, Squirt. Let's start off easy."

Danny lifted up and circled over his sister's head a few times. She watched as proceeded to do a barrel roll followed quickly by a loop. He sent her a cocky grin, which grew as she replicated the move easily. She was able to follow in his footsteps. They spent the next half hour showing off his tricks, Alle rolling her eyes at their antics, especially when Avery fell into a nosedive before pulling up at the last minute.

"Enough with the baby stuff," Danny called up to Avery. "See if you can do my new finale!"

The girls' eyes widened when he stood on his broom, loosely grasping the stick. Avery felt dread bubble in her stomach as he zoomed away, performing loops and barrel rolls. She only relaxed when he landed safely on the grass.

"Think you can pull it off? Or have you reached your limit?"

Avery took a deep breath before shakily standing up on her broom. She felt her balance slip, but she grabbed the stick tightly, quickly righting herself. Alle closed her book and set it down beside her, focusing her attention solely on her younger cousin as she attempted to replicate Danny's trick. Avery was almost through with the last loop, about to throw herself into the flips, when her fingers and feet slid from the broom.

The quiet atmosphere was pierced by her terrified scream as she plummeted towards the ground, which suddenly didn't look all the cushioning. At the last possible minute, Alle yelled a spell, and Avery's descent slowed, just before she crashed into the ground. She let out a shriek as she landed on her arm awkwardly. The three of them were still and quiet for a few moments, until the youngest suddenly started laughing hysterically.

Danny and Alle rushed to her, gently pushing her onto her back. Her right arm was sitting at an awkward angle, and her entire side was covered in bruises and scrapes. Her laughter dissolved into quiet whimpers and heavy breaths.

"We need to get her some help," Alle told her male cousin.

"St. Mungo's?" he offered.

"Too far away. The local muggle hospital is only a few minutes away by car."

"Car? I don't know how to drive!" His voice started rising in hysteria.

"Then we'll carry her! Hurry up!"

Avery sat pouting on the sofa. She glared at the yellow cast mocking her from its place wrapped around her right arm. She had broken it. After falling off a broomstick. Of courseshe had to have it treated the muggle way. St. Mungo's, the only place they knew of which could magically reset and strengthen her arm, was in London, and none of the occupants of the household knew of any spells to help her. So she was carried, quite jarringly, to the muggle hospital about a mile away, where they reset her arm and wrapped init stupid plaster or whatever it was. It itched like mad, and she would like nothing more than to take her wand and itch it to her skin's content. Howeverher brother and cousin wouldn't allow her to do that, as they were watching over her like hawks.

"Stupids," she insulted to herself through the slight haze.

Yet another thing the muggles insisted she do. Take something called "painkillers." She didn't know exactly what they were, but she inferred enough from the name to know they would help her through the agony that was a broken arm. Speaking of, they were starting to wear off. She wondered if it was time to take them again. Where are Alle and Danny? They're supposed to be bothering me, forcing me to take those stupid "pills."

After almost an hour of increasing pain, Avery decided to look for them. She was almost positive it was time to take her painkillers. She rose to her feet, the sweltering blanket falling to the floor, and made her way to the stairs. Perhaps they were napping. Having pushed their doors open, she quickly eliminated that possibility. She climbed the ladder to the attic, her special haven, but they weren't there either. Finallyshe decided to check outside. As she approached the tree, and the hand-built house nestled in its branches, she thought she could hear laughter. Avery felt more than a bit left out. They always did this! Disappear to hang out, and leave her out in the dust. Her parents had assured her it was just because they were older, and that when she got her wand too, they would invite her. Obviously that wasn't the case.

"Danniell? Alle?" she called up hesitantly. They probably wouldn't appreciate her barging into their little talk. Well excuse her for feeling cut out of her own family!

"What is it Avery? Is it your arm?" Danny asked her, poking his head out of the floorboards.

"Obviously," she muttered under her breath irritably. "I think my painkillers are wearing off," she told them loudly.

"What time is it?"

"I don't know!"

He glanced at his watch and started climbing down the tree. Avery stepped back as he jumped down to land at her feet. She glared at him before stalking back into the house in front of him. Was her pain making her react angrier than she would normally? Of course! However she was tired of being ignored.