Mara's Magic

ii - an upside down christmas

"Mara! Guess who's here?" Molly called from downstairs. I slumped back into my bed with a sigh. 

"Who, Mum?" I called back. 

"Who'd you think?" I looked up and spotted a very familiar face standing in my doorway. His fiery red hair, face full of freckles, eyes nearly matching mine, and a dragon tooth necklace that did match mine proved to me that this was, in fact, who I thought it was.

"Charlie?!" I exclaimed, jumping out of bed. I ran into his arms as he bellowed a great laugh. 

"Good to see you too, kid," he chuckled, hugging me back tightly. He pulled away after a few moments. "Come on, let's go downstairs. Bill's also here."

I lit up again and grabbed his arm, dragging him downstairs with me. He nearly tripped as I pulled his arm, but he just kept laughing. I bolted into the kitchen, looking quickly around the room for a specific head of red hair. 

"Billy!" I shouted. He turned around with an excited grin and I repeated what I'd done with Charlie. He laughed loudly as he returned my embrace, petting down my wild hair. 

"Hey, Mars," he said. "Happy Christmas! How've you been?"

I pulled back with an annoyed look on my face, causing my two older brothers to laugh. 

"How do you think I've been?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow. "Mum's barely let me leave my bedroom, let alone the house. I haven't seen anyone in a month. I've been diagnosed with a deadly curse that is hard to control, as you know personally Charlie, and I'm apparently adopted. I've been better."

"Glad to see your sarcasm is still intact," Bill laughed, patting my head as he made his way to the counter. He grabbed a roll and began munching. 

"It's the only thing I've got left of my dignity," I mumbled, the only person hearing it being Charlie. He burst into laughter and wrapped his arm around my shoulders again.

"Oh, I've missed you, Mars," he said. I rolled my eyes and laughed. 

"Missed you too, Char," I told him.

"We've got one more visitor tonight," Molly called from the other side of the kitchen as she stirred a pot of mashed potatoes. "Him and his family insisted on coming. They're bringing the ham."

"Oh yeah?" I asked. "Who is it?"

"They should be here any minute," she mused, scraping the potatoes into a large, decorative bowl and setting the spoon in it.

"Okay, but who is it?" I asked. I looked around to see Arthur, Bill, and Charlie all giving each other similar smirks. "Hello?"

A knock sounded at the door and Bill and Charlie's heads snapped to each other, a challenge in their eyes. 

"I've got it!" They called in unison. Immediately, they began playing an intense game of rock, paper, scissors, and when Bill won, Charlie groaned dramatically. Bill bolted to the front of the house and quickly threw open the door. 

"Happy Christmas!" I heard. I knew that voice. 

"You must be...?" No way. His dad. 

"Bill, their oldest. Hey, I remember you. A lot older, but the same kid for sure."

"Oh, yeah. We were only in school together for two years." No. No, no, no. "I'm Oliver."

"I know."

I turned to Charlie with a desperate look. "Charlie, you've got to apparate me upstairs," I whispered.

"Why's that?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"It's Oliver, that's why," I hissed. "I look like a mess and I can't get to my room without passing the front door."