Holy Holly Berries

Prompt #390: Wreath

Ginny Potter was not one to be frightened easily. She had a quick temper, but as a mother, she could handle her children's daily crises calmly and with a level head.

But when—on Christmas Eve, no less!—she found her two-year-old son, Albus, plucking bright holly berries off of the ornate wreath on the front door and popping them into his mouth, she panicked.

"Albus!" she shrieked, startling him. "Don't touch those!" she gasped, pulling the slightly crushed berries out of the little boy's hands. He began to cry loudly.

"Mummy! No, Mummy, no!" he sobbed angrily, reaching for the berries as she cast them into the snow drifts.

"Harry!" she called frantically, lifting Albus in her arms and running inside, not stopping to strip off the boy's boots as they created a trail of slushy puddles wherever Ginny went. "HARRY!"

"Blimey, Ginny, what'd I do now?" Harry groaned, exiting his little office off of his and Ginny's bedroom. One look at Ginny's face told him that something was horribly wrong. "Ginny, what is it?"

"Al… Albus…" she gasped out. "Holly berries—"

A look of horror crossed Harry's face. "Oh, no…"

"Gin? Gin, what's up?" Ginny spun around and saw George, his hair rumpled and untidy from sleeping on the couch, coming towards her and looking disconcerted.

"Albus ate holly berries," Harry said grimly as Ginny burst into tears, running into her brother's arms. Albus was now looking slightly sick as he clung to his father.

"We need to get that out of his system," George said, fully awake now, and ran back to the sitting room. He emerged a moment later with a Skiving Snack Box.

"Present for the kids," he explained when Harry looked at him, puzzled. "Puking Pastil should do the job…"

He popped the sweet into Albus' mouth. A second later, Albus' face went green and Harry dashed for the loo. Ginny dropped her head into her hands as she heard her son vomit into the toilet and begin to sob.

Some time later, Harry came out of the bathroom carrying a sniffling Albus, smiling slightly. Ginny, George, and James looked up expectantly.

"He got rid of all the berries, I think," he said. "But we'd better take him to St. Mungo's just in case…"

"Holy holly berries," James said in awe. "That'll be the best story this Christmas—Albus ate holly berries and lived!"

For a moment, everyone stared and James, and he began to go red in the face.

"Holy… holy holly berries?" George said, a huge grin spreading across his face. A snort of laughter escaped him and James looked relieved. Before long, everyone was laughing, including Albus—though Ginny doubted the little boy had any idea what was going on.

"We'd better get going," Ginny sighed, still smiling at James.

"I'll keep an eye on James here, if you like," George offered. "Someone should be here when Hermione and Ron get here, anyway."

Harry nodded. "Good plan. Thanks, George," he smiled. "James, be good for Uncle George, alright? No holly berries!"

George and James waved as Harry, Ginny, and Albus walked out onto the lawn and disapparated.

"Holy holly berries," George said again, and the two burst into gales of laughter.