A Year in the Life

"There's some stuff to make pasta set out on the counter," Ginny said an hour later, as she and Victoire stood in the center of the Potters' living room, just minutes after Victoire had arrived. "No matter what Albus tells you, he likes it."

"Right." Victoire smiled.

"We're not really strict about their bedtimes," she continued as she straightened out her dress robes. "But nothing too late of course, and oh, James refuses to go to bed at the same time or before Albus and Lily. So, just make sure they're down before you start pestering him about going to bed. He'll most likely go up to his room on his own anyway, so it's not a big deal."

She nodded.

"It's not even worth arguing with him over that sort of thing anymore," she said with sigh. "Now that he's at Hogwarts, he's ever so grown up."

"Ahh, I see," she said.

"James and Al will busy themselves with this model castle sort of thing they're trying to build together, and Lily will most likely read the entire night. If James and Al do start fighting, or if they gang up on their sister, just tell them that we're not taking them to the Cannons-Wasps match tomorrow if they don't behave."

"They've been arguing a lot lately," said Harry as he walked into the room, wearing dress robes of his own.

"James seems to be on a bit of power trip over his brother and sister, now that he's in school and has a wand," Ginny added as she shook her head and looked at Harry. "Fred and George were the same way with Ron and I."

"Speaking of which," Harry said, "if James brings his wand downstairs, and in anyway threatens to curse Al or Lily, he's grounded."

"Got it," Victoire said.

"They're a handful," he said with an encouraging smile. "But we really appreciate you doing this for us on such short notice. Trust me, if I had my way, I would have said 'sod the whole thing'! I'm not a fan of these Ministry banquets."

"It's my pleasure," Victoire said. "I could use the money."

"Great," he said as he smiled at Ginny. "We should probably get going then."

"Hey guys!" Ginny called up the stairs as Harry went to grab their cloaks. "We're leaving! Vicki's here."

The sounds of shuffling feet and doors opening and shutting were suddenly heard from the upper half of the house. Seconds later, a small red-headed girl came running down the stairs.

"Victoire!" said an eight-year-old Lily Potter as her bright brown eyes twinkled and the smile on her face grew wide.

"Hey Lil," Victoire said as she leaned down to hug her.

"You look so pretty," she said, still smiling at her before turning to her parents in the entrance hall. "Oh Mum, you do to!"

"Thank you, sweetheart," she said as Lily ran over to hug her mother and father goodbye. Victoire watched as Harry took a few steps to the side and suddenly looked up the stairs towards the second floor. He turned back towards Victoire and pointed up. She looked as well and saw two dark haired boys peering over the edge of the banister and down at the group standing below them.

"Hi guys," Victoire said with a wave.

"Hi," Albus said with a shy smile. James said nothing.

"Are you guys going to come down to say good bye?" Ginny asked as she too looked up at them.

Albus made a gesture to move, but James stuck out his arm to stop him. He looked hesitantly from his brother down to his parents.

Harry sighed. "Something wrong, James?"

"I'm too old for a babysitter."

Ginny and Harry exchanged tired looks. "We know, but we already told you that Vicki's not here for you. She's here to watch Al and Lily."

"But she's still watching me," he said.

"We weren't leaving you home alone to watch your brother and sister," Harry said in a matter-of-fact way. "There would be no home to return to."

James sighed overdramatically as he suddenly disappeared from the banister and a door quickly slammed. Albus had turned to watch his brother disappear before he made his way down the stairs.

"And he's not even a teenager yet," said Harry as he rubbed his eyes.

"Bye, Mum," Albus said, standing on his tip toes to kiss her cheek.

"Don't let your brother mope all night," Harry said as he turned and kissed both Lily and Albus on the tops of their heads. "And be good."

"I will!" Lily said eagerly, as both Harry and Ginny waved goodbye to the group and headed out of the door.

"We'll be home around midnight," Ginny said.

"If not before if I can help it," Harry added from somewhere out of sight.

"Have fun," Victoire called after them as she turned and shut the door behind her and found both Albus and Lily staring at her expectantly.

"So, how have you two been?" she asked.

Albus shrugged. "OK."

"I've been good!" Lily said. "I've been reading this really wonderful story about dragons."

"That sounds fun," she said as she started walking towards the living room. "You both have gotten so big since the last time I saw you."

"I've grown almost half a foot in the last year!" Albus said as he stood up straighter.

Victoire smiled. "You definitely look much taller."

"He always looks the same to me," said Lily as she stared at her brother.

"So what do you two want to do tonight?" she asked. "I mean, you can do your own thing or perhaps we can play a game?"

"Do you know how to play Extreme Exploding Snap?"

"Umm," she said. "Is it anything like regular Exploding Snap?"

"Not at all," Albus said as he shook his head. "It's so much more fun. James taught us how to play when he got back from school."

"You have to play with two decks of cards," Lily explained, "and the goal is to explode as many cards as possible."

"I thought the point of the game was to not be caught with the exploding cards?" Victoire said.

"Yeah, but that's why this is more fun," Albus said as he went over to a nearby desk drawer and pulled out two brand new packs of cards. "Just got these for Christmas!"

"All right, I'll have a go," she said as they all sat down to play. After forty-five minutes, Victoire found herself brushing the card ash out of her hair and checking to see if her eyebrows were still on her face. She had no idea whether she was winning or losing terribly, but Albus and Lily seemed to be enjoying themselves. Their laughter even seemed to pique their brother's curiosity from upstairs.

"Hi James," Victoire said as she noticed him slowly making his way down. "Do you want to play?"

"No thanks," he said as he walked into the living room cautiously. A card suddenly exploded in Lily's hand and she giggled madly as Albus scored a point for her.

"Who's winning?"

"I am," Albus said checking his list. "Then Lily and then Vicki." He glanced at Victoire. "You're not very good at this."

"I know," she agreed. "I'm hopeless."

"Don't say that," encouraged Lily.

"What's for dinner?" asked James.

"Pasta of some sort."

"I hate pasta," Albus said making a face.

"You do not," James said as he watched the back of his brother's head. "You just like to be difficult."

"I like to be difficult?" Albus said as if he had just been challenged. He reared around on his brother.

"Hey guys," Victoire said not liking where this was potentially going. "Are you hungry?"

"Not for pasta," Albus said.

"I am," Lily said.

"Me too," added James.

"Well, then I'll start dinner," she said as she stood, "because I'm getting hungry as well."

"I'll help," said Lily as she threw her cards down. Several of them exploded.

"Those don't count because you already quit!" Albus said quickly. "So that means I'm the winner!"

"Aren't you special?" James said sarcastically as Albus cast him a dirty look.

"So tell me, James," Victoire said as she made her way to the kitchen. "How school's going for you?"

"What's to tell?" he said as followed her. "You go. You know what it's like."

"I know," she said as she pulled out a small cauldron and started filling it with water from the sink, "but I was just wondering how it was for you."

"Why don't you use your wand to do that?" he asked as he watched her fill the cauldron.

"I'm not allowed. Not for another three days anyway."

James stared at her. "So does that means dinner's going to take fifteen minutes or something?"

"Can you possibly make it that long?" she joked. Lily giggled from the nearby table, but James didn't seem to find it as funny.

"I like Transfiguration," he continued as Albus entered the kitchen, "and Astronomy. I hate History of Magic."

"I never liked that class much either," she said as she started to boil the water.

"Potions is OK, I guess," he added as his mood suddenly seemed to brighten. "And the same with Herbology, but I don't think I'd like it as much if Professor Longbottom didn't teach it."

"I've always liked Professor Longbottom, too."

"He's really nice, but I've known him since before I started school there."

"Oh, have you?" asked Victoire with a smile.

"He's friends with Mum and Dad," he said. "He was in Dad's year at school."

"I know," she said still smiling at him. "You know, when you get to your fifth year, he'll actually tell you some stories about the Battle of Hogwarts and his role in it all. He does it to help lightened people's moods before O.W.L.s."

"Dad's told me a lot about that night," said James. "He knew I'd hear about it at school."

"He won't tell us," Lily said with a pout.

"Because you're too little," said James obviously.

"I'm sure your dad will tell you all about it before you head off to Hogwarts too," Victoire said as she poured a box of pasta into the boiling water. "By the time you get to be my age, you'll have heard it a hundred times."

"Do we have anything else but pasta to eat?" Albus asked as he stared rummaging through the pantry.

"Your mum said this was what dinner was."

"Ugggg..." he said as he slammed the pantry door shut. "Gross."

"You're being a brat," James said.

"You are a brat!" Albus countered.

"If you guys fight," Victoire said, "I'm supposed to tell you that you don't get to go see the Quidditch match tomorrow."

They both threw each other annoyed looks, but stopped arguing.

"Do you think they mean that?" asked Albus several minutes later as Victoire dished out hot pasta to the three of them.

"Mean what?"

"That they won't take us tomorrow if we're bad?" He started to drive his fork around his plate in an effort to avoid eating what was on it. "I mean, they've already got the tickets."

"Mum can get tickets to any match," James said with his mouthful. "She has people giving them to her all the time."

"So?"

"Sooooo..." said James, "it means she doesn't care about throwing these tickets out if she has to."

"I think he's right," Victoire said as she folded her napkin in her lap. "Actually, I know he's right."

"Don't fight," Lily snapped at her brothers. "I want to go tomorrow."

"Then all you have to do is be good," said Victoire. "And you all have been so far, so just keep it up."

"James is kicking me," Albus said suddenly as he looked under the table.

"No, I'm not," he said. "It's probably Lily."

"It's not!" she yelled. "My legs aren't long enough."

"Someone's kicking me," said Albus. "Stop it."

James smirked. "You're probably imagining it."

"I know it's you," Albus said as he glared at him.

"It's not!" James said as he continued smirking.

"Whoever it is better stop," Victoire said as the group suddenly got quiet.

"Victoire?" asked Lily as she adjusted herself so that she was now sitting on her legs. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Not at the moment."

"Why not?"

She laughed. "I really couldn't answer that, Lil."

"I heard some boys saying they fancied you," said James.

"Oh, did you?" she asked with an amused grin. "Were any of them over twelve?"

James considered this. "One of them is a third-year. They were just talking about how they think you're really pretty."

"That's because she is!" Lily said.

"Tell them to come around in about five years and perhaps we'll talk," Victoire joked as she chewed her pasta.

"All of the girls fancy that one boy," James continued. "I don't know his name, but he's the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain."

Victoire smiled and dreamily said, "Stuart Reynolds."

"I guess so," he said with a shrug. "They're annoying when they talk about him."

"Is he handsome?" Lily asked Victoire.

"Very," she said giving Lily a smile, "very, very, very."

"Do you fancy him?" Albus asked with a laugh.

"That's not something I'm going to talk about with you three."

"Why not?" asked Lily in a disappointed tone. She seemed to be extremely excited at the prospect of talking about this.

She laughed. "Well, do you have a boyfriend, Lily?"

Albus and James laughed as Lily shook her head.

"I don't really know any boys who aren't them"--she pointed at her brothers--"or my cousins."

"I remember that feeling," she said. "Oh, except I did have Ted around when I was little."

"Did you ever fancy him?" asked James.

"Maybe when I was a little younger than Lily," she said. "He was the only boy I knew."

"Ooohhh..." Albus teased.

"Oh, don't even start that," she said as she stood to wash her empty plate off.

"I think Lily fancies a Muggle boy who lives down the street," said James said as he examined a piece of pasta on the tip of his fork.

"I do not!" she yelled as her cheeks began to get red.

"I think so too," said Albus as he and James exchanged mischievous smiles.

"I don't!"

"She gets all giggly when she sees him down by the park," James added in a deliberate attempt to egg his sister on. Albus started making kissing noises.

"Stop it!" Lily said as her voice started to quiver.

"Leave your sister alone."

"It's the truth thou--" James began before he suddenly got a face full of pasta. Lily had just thrown a fist full at him.

"Lily threw food at me!" he said as he started throwing his own pasta back her. Albus's jaw dropped as he watched the display.

"Hey, hey!" Victoire said rushing over towards them. "Stop that right now!"

"They're both so mean to me!" Lily screamed as she threw her last handful towards Albus. Several pieces actually landed in his open mouth.

"Stop it now!" Victoire yelled as she managed to wedge her way in between James and Lily. It was at that exact moment that Albus chucked his own barely touched dinner directly at the pair of them. Only it hit Victoire in the side, and managed to slide down the entire length of her body.

"Oh, you're kidding me," she said as all three kids stared up at her fearfully.

"I didn't mean too..." Albus stammered. "I meant to hit--"

"Does it really matter who you meant to hit?" she asked.

"Lily started it," James mumbled sheepishly.

"Because you both were teasing me!" she said as tears started to roll down her cheeks. "And now we're not going to get to go and see Quidditch tomorrow."

Albus and James's faces suddenly went stark white. James started to look at the small mess of pasta on the floor and on the table.

"We can clean it up," he pleaded. "If we clean it up, and if we're really good for the rest of the night, will you please not tell Mum and Dad?"

"My clothes are covered in pasta, James," Victoire said as she brushed the pieces that were still stuck to her off and onto the floor. "How do you plan on cleaning that up?"

"You could use your wand and--" He stopped and suddenly realized. "Oh no..."

"It's all your fault," Lily cried as more tears fell down her face. Victoire took a deep breath and put a consoling arm around her.

"It's OK," she said rubbing her back. "We'll work something out. It's just a little pasta." She glanced at James and Albus. "You two better clean this up."

"Why doesn't she--?" Albus began before James kicked him from under the table.

"Are you going to tell our parents?"

"I haven't decided yet," said Victoire as she wiped tears and red sauce off of Lily's face. "If you're all on your absolute best behavior for the rest of the night, and you listen to everything I ask of you, I may not." She paused. "Now, clean this up and then both of you will wash up. Lily, follow me upstairs and we'll clean you up now."

Lily sniffled and stood as Victoire led her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"They're so mean," she said once they were upstairs and in the washroom. "I wish I didn't have any brothers."

"You don't mean that," Victoire said as she ran a washcloth under the faucet and then handed it to her.

"I do too," she said as she took the cloth and started wiping her face. "If I had sisters this would never happen."

"Sisters can be just as bad. Trust me," she sat on the toilet and found herself eye level with Lily, "sometimes worse. And your brothers will grow up."

She sniffled.

"You know, Dominique and Louis and I used to fight all the time when we were smaller, and now we get along for the most part."

Lily pulled the washcloth off of her face and looked at her.

"It's true," she said with a smile. "I can't even tell you how many pranks they used to pull on me. The fact that Uncle George would give them so much ammunition didn't help."

"James and Albus do the same thing to me. Albus got in trouble for giving me a Nosebleed Nougat last month and telling me it was a toffee."

Victoire smiled as she turned and started to run a bath. "Well, I can't make any promises, but I have a feeling things will work out one day."

"Are you going to tell Mum and Dad about all of this?"

"We'll see," she said as she laid a reassuring hand on Lily's head. "Don't worry about that right now, all right? Finish washing up."

Lily nodded as Victoire excused herself and made her way back downstairs to the kitchen. James was putting away a mop while Albus was wiping down the table. She sighed and the both of them looked up at her.

"Do you really have to pick on her like that?" she asked as she grabbed a towel and started helping Albus.

"We were only joking," said James.

"She's eight, James," she said as she looked around. She wished she could use her wand and clean up this mess in one flick. "She's almost four years younger than you and she looks up to the two of you."

"She does not," said Albus as he rolled his eyes.

"She most certainly does. You really should be nicer to her. She's the only sister you have."

James and Albus said nothing and finished cleaning in silence.

"When your sister's done..." Victoire said once they had finished, "James, I want you in the bath first." She looked him up and down. "You're in far worse shape than Al is."

"Do I have to take a bath too?" Albus asked.

"Once James is done," she said with a nod. "Yes."

He made a face. "I took a bath yesterday."

"Another one won't hurt you," she said as she walked back into the living room. Lily had just returned downstairs wearing her night gown and robe. She was carrying a small teddy bear and had a towel wrapped around her head.

"James, you're up," Victoire said as he begun to make his way upstairs.

Two hours later, after everyone was bathed, clean, and pasta free, Victoire sat on the couch, braiding Lily's hair as she read a book about dragons and animatedly told Victoire random facts about them. James and Albus were stationed at the nearby dining room table quietly building a model of a castle together. Victoire had actually been startled by their voices once or twice as they corrected Lily on a dragon fact. She had almost forgotten they were there what with how quiet they were being.

"I think I'm going to bed," said Albus as he rubbed his eyes. Victoire looked up at the clock. It was a little after ten.

"That's probably a good idea for you too, Lily," she said as she tied an elastic band around the end of the braid in her hair.

"Do I have to?"

"I'd say so. You can read in your bed a little longer if you'd like, but it's about time we got you settled for the night."

Lily seemed to think this was fair and began to follow Albus towards the stairs. It was then that James suddenly spoke.

"Lily..."

She turned and looked at him.

"Sorry about earlier," he said without looking at her and instead focused on gluing something that was in his hand.

Lily smiled and looked at Albus. He shrugged and nodded his head in a manner that seemed to say he felt the same way.

"Thank you."

Victoire gave James a very pleasant smile as she followed the other two upstairs to tuck in Lily, as per her request. Albus had let Victoire know straight away that he was plenty old enough to tuck himself in.

"Night," he said before he disappeared behind his bedroom door. Victoire waved to him as she followed Lily into her room. It was decorated in purples and yellows and had posters of various horses and dragons on walls. There was a very neat and organized corner of her room where she had several framed photographs of various Quidditch players hanging on the wall. All of them were autographed to her.

"Are you going to read some more?" she asked as Lily went and climbed into her bed.

She nodded and Victoire pulled the blankets back on her. "Just for a little bit."

"All right then," she said with a smile as she made her way towards the door. "Not too long though, OK?"

"OK."

"Night," she said as she stepped out of the room and began to shut the door.

"Vicki?"

"Yeah?" she asked as she poked her head back into her bedroom.

She began twisting her blankets in her hands. "Are you going to tell Mum and Dad about earlier?"

"Between you and I?" She glanced out into the hallway to see if anyone was listening. "No."

Lily smiled widely.

"That doesn't mean I can't change my mind though," she added as an after thought as she smiled. "Good night, Lil."

"Night," she said as Victoire snapped the door shut behind her. She laughed a little as she turned and noticed that Albus's bedroom room door was cracked open. A pair of bright green eyes were staring back at her, but the second they made eye contact the door snapped shut.

"Good night, Al," she said as she walked past the door and knocked on it. She made her way to the head of the stairs where she suddenly met James coming up.

"Going to bed?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Not yet."

"Just going to hang out in your room then?"

He nodded. "Night."

"Goodnight," she said as she watched him walk away. "Oh, James?"

He turned and looked at her.

"That was very nice of you to apologize to your sister."

"I guess so."

"I think there's a good chance you may get to see Quidditch tomorrow after all," she added as she caught a glimpse of a smile before she made her way downstairs.