Dylan quietly put away the Christmas gift from his parents. After a moment of silence, he looked up at Hubert and said, "There aren't any other photos like that, right?"
Hubert let out a hearty chuckle.
"When you were little, I always thought you were different from other kids—mature, independent. I knew back then I had to keep as many photos of you as possible. So, when you were asleep, I snapped a few more."
Hubert winked, a sly grin spreading across his face.
Dylan: "…()"
He was completely dumbfounded!
Sure, he'd been conscious since birth, but his body had still grown from that of a baby. There were plenty of times he needed to sleep. Maybe because his infant body housed an adult soul, he was sleepier than most kids. So, when he was out cold, it was nearly impossible to wake him. If Hubert had really taken all sorts of embarrassing photos while he was passed out, Dylan might genuinely have no clue!
That's just evil!
His dad had been plotting to capture these mortifying moments since way back then!
Dylan's fingers twitched. For a second, he seriously considered doing the right thing and hitting Hubert with an Obliviate spell to wipe his memory.
But just then, Hubert spoke up, "I just keep these photos for when I'm old and want something to remember you by. My smart, kind, and adorable son wouldn't use his magic to attack his own dad, right?"
Seeing Hubert's earnest expression, Dylan's mouth twitched. He forced a smile. "Dad, what are you talking about? I'd never do anything to you. That hurts my feelings."
Hubert grinned, "I knew my son's the second-best in the world."
Dylan raised an eyebrow. "And the first?"
Hubert walked over to Maeve, wrapping an arm around her. "Who else? Your mom, obviously."
Dylan let out a dry laugh.
"Alright, let's eat before we have to reheat all this food," Maeve said, gently nudging her husband. She slipped out of Hubert's embrace, headed to the kitchen, and brought back some snacks.
Thankfully, no "Stargazy Pie" this time.
Dylan let out a small sigh of relief.
He glanced at the table: a big turkey.
Honestly, turkey wasn't even that tasty. Back in the day, they used to eat roast goose around here. But ever since America made turkey the star of the show, England followed suit, swapping goose for chicken. And not just any chicken—a turkey. Regular roast chicken could be decent, but turkey? It was… edible, at best.
While Maeve was grabbing dishes, Hubert leaned in and asked, "Hey, son, where's your little owl? And what about that black kitten you've got?"
Dylan blinked, realizing his dad meant Coal and Luna. "They're in my portable space."
"Portable space?" Hubert's eyes lit up. "Sounds pretty cool! Can I get one? Your mom and I could use it for traveling—no more lugging around tons of bags."
Dylan's mouth twitched. "Dad, you trying to get your son on the Ministry of Magic's wanted list?"
Hubert blinked. "That serious?"
Dylan stared at him. "What do you think?"
He could make his parents a small storage ring with an Undetectable Extension Charm, but if anyone found out, it'd cause a heap of trouble. Still, since his dad brought it up, he could probably whip up a space ring with some protective spells. Should be fine.
"Eh, forget it. A portable space isn't that big a deal," Hubert muttered.
Maeve, who'd overheard, shot her husband a look. "Why are you making our son do dangerous stuff? The Ministry's strict about that kind of thing. We're not wizards, so let's not drag him into trouble!"
"I wasn't trying to cause trouble…" Hubert threw up his hands, looking like he was begging for mercy.
Dylan rubbed his chin. "If you really want a portable space, Dad, I can make one. It's not a big deal for me."
"Really?" Hubert's eyes sparkled.
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?" Dylan nodded.
Maeve frowned. "Is that okay, Dylan? Didn't you just say—"
Hubert toned down his excitement. "Yeah, if it's risky, maybe we should drop it."
Dylan shook his head. "There's some risk, sure, but as long as you don't go flashing it in front of a crowd, it's not technically against Ministry laws. Wizards can give their families helpful stuff. I'll add some spells to the bag or ring to lower the chances of anyone noticing. Even if someone does, my charms will mess with their perception."
Maeve hesitated. "Still…"
"It's settled," Dylan said firmly. "I've given you magical stuff before, remember? Those jade bracelets and rings I told you to keep on you? Or the little trinkets I asked you to carry? Those are all magical items I made."
Seeing her son's confidence, Hubert chuckled. "Alright, son, we're counting on you."
Dylan nodded. "Don't worry, I'll handle it. I'll turn a ring into a portable space. It'll be easy to wear and use."
"Sweet!" Hubert rubbed his hands together, excited. "When can I get my hands on it?"
"Before I head back to school," Dylan said, rolling his eyes. "You're not that impatient, are you, Dad? Or are you planning to whisk Mom off somewhere for Christmas and leave me at home again?"
Hubert laughed awkwardly, his plan exposed. "No way…"
"Oh, please," Dylan said. "Every time I come home, I see you guys for a couple of days, then you vanish."
Hubert coughed. "Maybe you just sleep in too late, and we're up early. When we see you're still out, we just… go for a stroll."
Maeve laughed, shaking her head at their bickering. "Relax, Dylan. This Christmas, your dad and I are staying put."
"Really?" Dylan asked skeptically.
"Absolutely!" Hubert said quickly. "No plans to drag your mom anywhere."
Dylan squinted. "Or is it that you haven't figured out where to take her yet? Run out of nearby places and gotta go farther?"
Hubert froze. How does this kid know?
The boy was getting harder to fool by the day.
Dylan sighed. "If you guys want to head out in a few days, go for it. I might not be home much anyway—I've got stuff to do."
Hubert blinked, staring at Dylan. "So you're the one planning to run off, huh? And you're trying to shoo us out too? That's not cool, son. Just say it straight!"
Dylan didn't bother responding, just rolled his eyes and started eating. After a long day of travel, he was starving.
With a wave of his hand, he summoned Luna and Coal.
"Meow?" Coal lunged forward, nearly landing in the food.
Dylan quickly grabbed the little guy by the scruff. "Meow!"
Coal wiggled excitedly at the sight of Dylan.
Hubert made a few "tch tch tch" sounds. "Over here, buddy."
Coal glanced at Hubert. They were old pals by now, so Coal didn't resist, knowing this was his owner's dad. Couldn't afford to upset him.
"This kitten's such a good boy," Hubert said.
Dylan smirked, not bothering to correct his parents' assumption that Coal was just a cat. No need for them to know what he really was.
"Hoo hoo~" Luna fluttered onto the table, tilting her big head. Thanks to Dylan's care, she was much larger than a typical owl—way more than just a bit bigger. He occasionally fed her dragon chow, so she was thriving.
"Let Mom get you some turkey," Dylan said, understanding owl speech thanks to a spell involving a near-dead owl's soul. It worked for most owl species, including Luna's.
Luna hopped over to Maeve, beak wide open.
Maeve blinked at the oversized bird, chuckling. "Is she waiting for me to feed her?"
"Yup," Dylan said. "Just tear off some turkey. We won't finish it anyway—it's not even that good."
Luna glanced back at Dylan, eyeing the juicy turkey on the table but keeping her beak open.
Maeve smiled, cutting a piece of turkey leg with a knife and fork.
"No need for the leg," Dylan said. "That's the only decent part. Give her something else."
Luna whipped her head around, hooting in protest, "Hoo hoo! (I want this part!)"
Dylan rolled his eyes.
Maeve laughed softly. "It's fine, there's plenty. Let her have some."
Hubert started slicing turkey for Coal, but he went for the breast meat—tougher stuff they usually didn't eat, perfect for the pets.
Coal watched Hubert, then glanced at Luna getting her meat, looking a bit sulky as he turned to Dylan.
Dylan ignored him, focusing on his food.
Coal: (∧)!
Once the pets were fed, Maeve poured Dylan a glass of orange juice and red wine for herself and Hubert.
"Mom, I can have some wine too…" Dylan started. They'd shared wine before.
But Hubert cut in, "This is leftover from a while back. It'll go bad if we don't drink it soon. You stick with the juice."
Dylan: …
Coal snickered, then quickly buried his face in his turkey, pretending he wasn't laughing.
Dylan shot him a glare but forced a smile. "Alright, then—Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad?"
He raised his glass.
Hubert and Maeve raised theirs. "Merry Christmas, son!"
They clinked glasses and took a sip.
Maeve smiled. "Don't listen to your dad. This juice is fresh—bought today, just opened. The old stuff we didn't like got tossed by the housekeeper ages ago."
Dylan nodded, grumbling a bit as he dug into his meal.
It was evening now, the sky dark outside but lit up with festive lights and falling snow, creating a cozy Christmas vibe.
After dinner, Maeve started clearing the table, but Dylan waved his wand, cleaning everything with a spell.
"No need, Mom. I've got it."
Maeve, used to Dylan's magic, didn't argue. The dishes didn't even need washing—one spell made them spotless, another sent them neatly back to the kitchen.
"So convenient!" Hubert marveled. "If only your mom and I could do spells like that."
Dylan smirked. "You don't need them. You've got the housekeeper most of the time. It's just during the holidays when you're on your own, and I'm here anyway."
"Fair enough," Hubert sighed. "Just a thought."