Sun was streaming through the crack in the heavy, white curtains and created a long, illuminated panel of light on the floor. Poppet squinted as she sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles, groggily. James was lying in the bed next to her, still sleeping heavily. His hair stuck up at odd angles and he was facing her, his right arm resting above his head on the pillow. He breathed heavily; in and out. Yawning, Poppet slipped out of bed and pushed her feet into her fluffy slippers. Padding quietly along the carpeted bedroom floor, she escaped into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She used the toilet and then stared at her reflection in the mirror for a few seconds. Honestly, she couldn't stand her appearance in the morning. Her uneven, make up-less skin donned several spots, her eyes looked lost without eyeliner and her hair was frizzy, knotted and disgusting. Poppet ran a brush through her hair, splashed water on her face and unlocked the bathroom door.

James was still sleeping soundly in their bed when Poppet left and crept out onto the landing. She could hear movement downstairs so she went on a mission to find herself some breakfast. She wasn't going to wait around for James to wake up. Who knows how long he might take. Teenage boys aren't good at much but sleeping.

The kitchen of Shell Cottage was a hubbub of activity on that Sunday morning. Ginny was making pancakes, flipping them expertly in the air using her wand. Poppet thought that the pancake-flipping spell was the most ingenious spell that had ever been created in the history of magic. She was sure Professor Binns would disagree, but it made breakfast a much less stressful affair. Poppet's eyes panned to Harry who was drinking a cup of tea and reading the morning's Prophet. Albus was helping himself to a glass of orange juice from the fridge while Lily was sat on the floor, teasing a fluffy tortoiseshell cat with a piece of string.

"Good morning, Poppet!" Ginny exclaimed, looking around from her frying pan of pancakes. "Would you like some pancakes?"

"Yes, please," Poppet said, smiling warmly at Ginny. The clock on the wall read twenty past nine but everyone was looking at Poppet as if she'd slept in until midday.

"I'll get another batch on now," Ginny said, waving her wand. Ingredients soared from the cupboards and threw themselves in a bowl. A whisk began to stir them all together, messily.

"Did you sleep well?" Harry asked, looking up from the paper.

"Yes, thank you," Poppet said, taking a seat at the table opposite Harry as Ginny slid a cup of tea in front of her nose, "did you?"

"Excellent, thank you," Harry replied, looking back down at the Prophet in his hands. Hermione Weasley's face was plastered on the front page.

"Anything of interest in the news today?" Albus asked, bringing his glass of orange juice and a slice of burnt toast back to the table with him. He sat now next to Poppet, offering her a toothy smile which she returned. "Apart from Aunt Hermione and her elf-work, of course."

"No," Harry said, tutting, "I think it's a slow news day. I'd get more out of reading Witch Weekly. At least then I'd know which international Quidditch star I was destined to be with."

Albus and Poppet laughed. Ginny walked back over to the table with a huge stack of pancakes on a blue plate. "I think you already know which international Quidditch star you're destined to be with," she said, her hand on her hip.

"Of course I do," Harry beamed up at his wife, adoringly, "Viktor Krum, of course!"

Ginny threw her head back and laughed, hitting her husband playfully on his upper arm. Poppet greedily helped herself to three pancakes and covered them with lashings of maple syrup, licking her lips.

"Any sign of James, Poppet?" Harry asked, folding the newspaper and helping himself to a few pancakes as well.

"No," Poppet shrugged, "he was still fast asleep when I left the room."

"Typical," Albus snorted through a mouthful of toast. Lily looked up at him with an expression of pure disgust on her face as a piece of soggy toast landed on the floor next to her, where she was still tempting the cat with her twine. Poppet suppressed a giggle.

"I'll wake him when I go upstairs to get dressed," Poppet promised.

Harry nodded. "So, what's on the agenda for today? It's a beautiful out!"

"James wants to take Poppet to the beach," Albus said, "I'll go too. I want to go for a swim."

"Sounds nice," Harry commented, taking another bite of pancakes.

"What about you, Dad?" Albus asked.

"I'm sure your mother and I will find something to do," Harry said, looking over at Ginny who nodded curtly in response. "What about you, Lil? What do you want to do today?"

"Dunno," Lily shrugged. The cat had been successful and had managed to wrestle the small piece of twine out of Lily's hands. It was now chewing it, looking at Lily with a look of sheer pride in its eyes. "I might watch some muggle TV."

"What's that muggle saying? If you watch too much television, you'll get triangular eyes!" Ginny said, nonchalantly flicking her wand which was in control of the pancake flipping.

"Square eyes, Ginny," Harry corrected, with a laugh. Poppet had forgotten that Harry had been raised by muggles. She wondered why there wasn't more muggle technology in the Potter's family home. Maybe Harry wanted to forget his time in the company of the muggles.

"Same difference," Ginny said, tipping pancakes out of the pan onto a plate. She seemed to have made enough to feed a small army. Poppet had only had three and she was already full. "My point still stands. You have to go outside today, Lily – even if it's just to read a book in the sunshine."

"Fine," said Lily, jutting out her bottom lip and sitting up at the table. She piled pancakes onto her plate. The girl was small, but she could eat!

Poppet drained the last of her tea and thanked Ginny before making her way back upstairs to get herself changed. James was lying in their bed, still fast asleep. Not for long. Poppet smirked as she carefully climbed across the bed until she was very close to James' face. He stirred a little, but didn't wake completely. She carefully positioned herself so that her legs were either side of his body and then leant down, so her nose was half an inch from his. "Good morning," she whispered, giggling. James' eyes snapped open, initial alarm plastered across his face. When he worked out what was happening, his expression softened.

"Good morning." His voice was husky and groggy. He smirked, looking up at her and then grabbed her wrists, pulled her down and kissed her on her lips. She kissed him back, hungrily. This'll wake you up. Her held her waist and flipped her over onto her back. Suddenly, he was on top of her. Her hands found his back and slid up them, under his grey pyjama top and then it was off, lying crumpled on the floor next to the bed. James' hand was on Poppet's bare stomach, underneath her white t shirt. His touch sent exciting thrills up her spine, as if her nerves were dancing. "Your lips taste like maple syrup," James murmured between kisses. His lips were on her neck now. She shuddered. James pressed kisses on Poppet's collar bone. His breath tickled her neck and she sighed. Wandering hands moved further up her shirt and she let them. She moved her hands to the waistband of his pyjama bottoms, teasing them with her index finger. James suddenly pulled away.

"What's the matter?" Poppet breathed. James pulled himself off of her and sat down on the bed, his back propped against the headboard. His eyes had darkened; they were no longer ablaze with playfulness.

"Nothing," James said, pulling the duvet over his lap, as if he was hiding something. Poppet had already seen what he was trying to hide, however, unless that really was his wand in his pocket.

"Okay," Poppet said, pulling herself off the bed and pulling some clean clothes and underwear out of her case.

"I'm not frigid," James said, suddenly. Poppet turned around to face him.

"I didn't say you were," Poppet replied.

"You were probably thinking it," James grumbled.

"I wasn't," Poppet said, "I over-stepped the mark. I'm sorry."

"Because I've had lots of sex before... you know, with Jeanette," James said, hurriedly. Poppet's stomach twisted. She didn't want to hear this. Why would he even say that? She turned around and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking the door behind her. She heard muffled footsteps running across the room and then James began to pound on the bathroom door. "Hastings! I'm sorry! I don't know why I said that! I'm sorry! Please – come out!"

Poppet twisted the lock and opened the door a crack. James, still shirtless, was standing sheepishly in front of her. "I'm trying to get changed."

"So, you're not mad at me?" James looked hopeful.

"I'm mildly irritated," Poppet said, sharply, "I have some advice for you, James. Don't talk about the sex you had with your ex-girlfriend with your current girlfriend. It won't go down well. Now will you please leave me alone so I can get dressed?"

"Sure," James grumbled. Poppet closed the door and locked it behind her. She couldn't help thinking about James' actions just then. He went into a state of blind panic and then into a defensive rage just because there was some mild suggestion of sex. If he claimed to be a sex expert, why should the thought of sex panic him? She shrugged, pulling on her clothes for the day. James was sat on their bed when she re-entered the room.

"You better get dressed," she said, folding up her pyjamas and tucking them under her pillow, "I want to go down to the beach this morning."

James smiled and grabbed an armful of clothes before disappearing into the bathroom, wordlessly. Poppet rolled her eyes. Boys are so dumb.

Poppet sat on the sandy beach, wind whipping the hair into her face. She buried her bare toes into the cold sand, a book resting on her bare knees. James and Albus frolicked around in the ocean. Poppet looked up as James called her name. She waved, and he waved back frantically. Albus slammed into his side, knocking him over and submerging him in the salty waves. Poppet laughed, shaking her head and returning back to her book. She read for a little while longer when Lily sat down next down on the blanket next to her, also clutching a book. "Hi," she said, shyly, "I was told I had to come outside." Poppet smiled at Lily. She'd never really had a proper conversation with her before. She tended to avoid her brothers as much as possible when she was at school and Poppet couldn't blame her. Having two older brothers seemed like hell. Albus and James continued to muck around in the sea, pushing each other, splashing wildly and shouting. Poppet noticed Lily rolling her eyes and she had to suppress a giggle. "What do you see in him? He's such a buffoon."

Poppet laughed. "Trust me, I ask myself that same question all the time."

She'd quickly forgiven James for their spat this morning. She didn't want it to ruin their first day of their holiday. It seemed pointless. Boys say stupid, ridiculous things without thinking all the time and this was just another example of this. James had been extra nice today to make up for it. It was late afternoon and Poppet was sure that soon the boys would get cold and would want to come in but for now she was just happy sitting on the beach and watching their antics. She'd gone knee-deep in the sea before she decided it was too cold and got out.

James had stepped out of the sea and was making his way up the beach, Albus on his tail. James' hair was sodden, matted and plastered to his scalp. His board shorts were heavy and dripping with water. His body looked porcelain white and pale. Shivering, he reached for a towel. Poppet handed him one and he wrapped it round his shoulders tightly. Albus huffed, grabbing his own towel off the floor. James sat down on the blanket next to Poppet and she pressed the back of her hand to his face. It was like touching a block of ice. "James, you're freezing cold."

"That's because I just got out of the sea, you pillock," James' teeth were chattering. Poppet rolled her eyes.

"I think you need a hot, steamy, shower," she breathed in his ear, elongating the words 'hot' and 'steamy'. He swallowed hard. She wasn't sure why she did it, possibly for entertainment?

It seemed to tickle some people. Albus scoffed, "I don't know what you just said to him, Poppet, but I've never seen him make that expression before."

James shot him a glare. "Shut up, asshole."

"You're so touchy," Albus grumbled, wrapping his towel closer to his body.

"Stop bickering, you two," Poppet warned, lightly. James made a crude hand gesture at Albus but Poppet grabbed his hand in hers and lowered it, shooting him a cautious look. James smirked and stood up, pulling Poppet up with him. Suddenly, he had her over his left shoulder in a fireman's lift and was running down the beach towards the sea. Poppet shrieked bloody murder as James entered the water and threatened to drop her. "JAMES SIRIUS POTTER, IF YOU DARE DROP ME: YOU ARE DEAD!"

"I'm not scared. We Potters have a pretty casual relationship with death."

"I'M SERIOUS!"

And then she was submerged, icy cold water surrounding her. She resurfaced, screeching and swearing at James who laughed. She grabbed his legs and pulled and he toppled over and fell straight into the water. His head popped up from under the water, a huge smile etched across his annoying, stupid face. "Looks like we both need a hot, steamy shower now," James said, coyly, getting to his feet. He pulled Poppet up and they both waded back to the beach together.

AN: Hope you liked this. Next chapter is big. BIG BIG BIG. All my love. Lauren, Rose, Emily and Aliyah are bae af.