Lily was outraged when Albus and James had returned from Hogwarts. Normally, she'd have been glad, thinking that there was only a year left till she finally went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But this time was special.

"So Fred was like, BOOM!" James yelled enthusiastically over the dinner table.

"James..." Ginny warned, sounding exasperated.

"Aw, Mum!" James said. "I'm just telling Lily how it was. After all," he gave a smirk, "she doesn't know how it went since she couldn't go."

"Got your death wish, have you?" Lily muttered under her breath.

"Albus, what's your tale to tell? You know, something I don't know."

"Um..." for some reason, Albus Severus Potter looked very nervous. "Um, Dad? Mum? Do you still hate the Malfoys?" he asked.

"Well," Harry said thoughtfully. "We did come to something like a truce."

Albus relaxed. "But Ron doesn't think like that," Ginny interfered. "He still glares at Draco Malfoy whenever we meet. He hates them. His whole family."

"But they didn't do anything wrong, right?" Albus asked anxiously.

Harry glanced at him curiously. "Yes..." he replied.

"What's up with you, Al?" Ginny asked. "You're acting a bit weird. Why did you ask about the Malfoys all of the sudden?"

"Nothing." Albus said quickly. "I'll talk to you after dinner."

Ginny opened her mouth to assumably protest, but closed it, thinking against it. But Lily wanted to know. She would ask herself, then.

"C'mon, tell me!" Lily complained.

"No, Lily Potter." Albus said, glaring at her. "You can't know. I don't want you to know. Go away."

"What?" Lily's bright brown eyes narrowed. "I'm eating dinner at the time!" she said indignantly.

"Anyway, I'm just saying it's not for you to know. I mean, I don't want you to know/ It's my private business."

"Then why're you telling it to Mum and Dad?" Lily challenged.

"Because they're my parents, Lil. They need to know, but little sisters don't need to," Albus snapped.

"Albus," Ginny said slowly. "Imagine if James said it to you. How'd you feel like?"

"Mum-" Albus stopped, as if remembering his mother's six older brothers. "Okay, okay." he grumbled. "Fine. But I'm still not telling Lily."

"Fine!" Lily replied. "I'll find out anyway."

"You can't. Mum and Dad'll put a spell on the door so you can't eavesdrop or listen with the Extending Ears."

Lily frowned. "We have them at home?" she asked. "I thought Mum banned them."

"Yes, I did!" Ginny agreed. "Albus? James? Do you have them?"

"I don't," Albus replied. "But James does."

James glared at him. He put his hands up in the air and said, "Caught. Greatly caught, Mum. But it was Fred who got them in the first place. He nicked them."

"I don't care who put it in, James Potter. Your cousin nicked them from his father? But honestly, I think banning things makes you want to do it more." Ginny narrowed her eyes. "It's off, for now," she decided finally.

"Yes!" James grinned. "But if you put one limb out of the line...!" Ginny threatened. Then she smiled. "Well, we know how infuriating this is."

"This is great luck!" James whispered. "To have a mum and dad who'd got problems with adults not listening to them and not telling them ANYTHING."

"Yeah, did you hear about Teddy?" Albus asked. "Mrs. Tonk's got him pretty secured. I think she's got a trauma because of her husband and daughter."

"She must've," Lily sympathized. "If I were her-"

"If you were here you'd be horrible."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, stop interrupting!" Lily said crossly. "I want to talk about this before I start eating again! You remember the Battle of Hogwarts story we listened to?"

" Um... probably," James admitted.

"But probably he didn't listen." Albus added. "That didn't come up in class yet."

"Yeah, that comes up in the second year. Although you don't know, you can't go to Hogwa-" James caught his mum's glare and fell silent.

"I meant those bedtime stories Mum and Dad told us!" Then Lily sat up straight. "What House? I remember that Teddy was kinda distraught when James wasn't in Hufflepuff. I think James was thinking you'd be in Gryffindor, Albus. Did you make him distraught? Probably not, but..."

"He wasn't distraught." Albus interrupted.

"So you got in Gryffindor? Ooh, great, I wish I was in Gryffind-"

"I got in Slytherin." Albus said darkly.

"What?" Lily's eyes widened. Her jaw fell and stayed that way, and she dropped her fork. James frowned.

Albus scowled. "Yeah, I'm a Slytherin. Potter in Slytherin! How natural? I got teased, okay? Don't do it."

"I wasn't going to!" Lily called back hotly, but no answer came back. She faced James. "Did they really tease him?" she asked. "Were you one of them?"

James nodded. "They did. Honestly, though, it's weird."

Lily frowned. "You're so mean."