The Kind Hufflepuff

Chapter 50: James Potter's Home

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The Kind Hufflepuff - Year Three

Chapter Fifty: James Potter's Home

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The summer had come by too quickly for Cali Higgs as much of the summer had spent with her in her bedroom, hiding from the rest of the family as she engrossed herself in various books and muggle music that Daisy had been sending her vinyls of. Cali was positive that Daisy spent the entire summer glued to her vinyl player but she wasn't willing to complain considering she now had a growing collection.

When her parents received an owl, she hadn't been expecting it to be about her. She had spent a decent amount of time with her head inside the fireplace, talking to Greta and Regulus for the most part. Daisy's home unfortunately didn't have a fireplace and had decided to write letters via the muggle way and had owled Greta instructions for Cali to actually retrieve the letters the first time around as she didn't think muggle post would arrive to her home.

"Calista!" Cali's mother called out and Cali sighed, heading downstairs, stopping at the top of the staircase to look at her mother from the banister with a questioning look.

"James Potter and his family have invited you over the remainder of the holiday," her mother informed her and Cali's eyes widened, surprised by this information. "It actually works with your father and I if you do choose to leave to meet with this family," she continued, flattening the paper that she held in her hands.

"It is?" Cali asked, surprised.

"Yes," she confirmed. "We no longer have two children to drop off so really, it saves us time if you stay until it's time to leave for school," her mother continued firmly and Cali smiled brightly. Despite the fact that she wasn't the closest with the Potter boy, she was excited about leaving her home to do something for the summer.

"Thank you!" Cali squealed, rushing down the stairs to quickly hug her mother before rushing back up.

"Please dear, remember your training bras," her mother shouted just as Cali closed her bedroom door and despite the fact that nobody had heard her mother, her cheeks were enflamed with embarrassment. It was true that she did kind of need training bras at this point though, while she was behind Greta who had begun wearing training bras the Christmas break before, her budding breasts had certainly grown to the point of needing them at this point- something she was both excited and deeply embarrassed about. 

Cali quickly got ready before grabbing Bas and spinning around the room as he protested loudly, mewling in her ears in complaint before Cali promised to spoil Bas when they got to the Potter home as an 'I'm sorry' for putting him back in the crate that he hates so bloody much. "I'm so sorry," Cali whispered to Bas, kissing his forehead before gently shoving him into the crate. "I love you," she added once the door was locked.

"It's wild that I'm not following you," Bertie interrupted at the doorway. "I never actually expected to graduate Hogwarts."

"I know, I actually kind of forgot that last year was your last," Cali admitted. "I'm going to miss you."

"We barely spent anytime together, I have regrets about that actually," Bertie shrugged.

"Well we still have the rest of our lives," Cali smiled. "It's not like us no longer going to the same school means we'll never see each other." Bertie didn't say anything, just staring at his younger sister for a moment before sighing, bringing the girl into a hug.

"I love you, Cali. Don't forget that, okay?" Bertie whispered, his chin on her head. "And don't get any taller, okay? I want you to be this small forever."

"I can't make any promises," Cali shrugged. "But I love you too."

"Ok, you should probably get going. Merlin knows you'll probably get lost in the floo network." Cali slapped his chest, scoffing loudly as she grabbed her things while Bertie laughed at his little sister. 

"Whatever," Cali groaned. 

"Oh, you're 'whatever'ing me now. Who do you think you are? A teenager."

"I am a teenager for your information," Cali rolled her eyes.

"I know, you've been acting like one too. Holed up in here," Bertie laughed. "Never expected you to be a typical teenager honestly."

"Yeah, well I gotta go, like you said," Cali shrugged before heading down the stairs.

"The floo powder is on the mantle," her mother called out to her.

"Thank you!" Cali shouted as she walked into the fireplace. "The Potter home!"

It had always been apparent that James Potter came from wealth, and when she arrived in the fireplace of the Potter family home- she wasn't that surprised. It was huge but not in the way that her family home was huge or even in the same way as Sirius'. Their homes were ornate and larger than life, never able to be truly filled and looking as though it's a museum rather than a home. This place was different- clearly a home of an older couple with it's frilly lace and bubblegum pink decor that cluttered the home. Despite the size of the home, it was filled to the brim and heavily decorated. But mostly- it seemed like an actual home.

"Hello dear," the voice of a sweet older woman interrupted her inspection of the home. She looked over to see a small woman with grey hair though she seemed to be clear of wrinkles so Cali was not positive how old the woman actually was. She was standing proudly- clearly from a prestigious family though it seemed obvious that she did not follow that path any longer. Her clothes were that of muggle attire - a knee length dress that had a waffle pattern on it and the color of her own decor which was a bright bubblegum pink.

"Hi," Cali greeted nervously. "I'm Cali, uh, Calista Higgs."

"Nice to meet you, I am Euphemia."

"James' mom?" Cali guessed.

"Astute observation," Euphemia laughed. "Come dear, I just made chocolate chip cookies."

Cali blushed, not wanting to tell the woman that she was vegan as she nervously followed after the woman, wringing out her hands as she wondered how the woman would react when she refused to eat the dessert. "Where's James?"

"Probably eating all of the cookies, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't any left. Well, besides the vegan ones. James and Sirius both made sure to tell me that you were vegan and made sure that I made cookies that you would be able to eat." Cali blushed at that.

"Cali?" Sirius called out, his head poking out from a room. "Hi!" He greeted, laughing as he went in for a hug. "Regulus is going to be quite jealous that I got to see you before he saw you," he laughed maniacly. 

"He's not here?" Cali clearly deflated at this but still kept a smile on her face.

"No," James laughed. "No Slytherins allowed!" Cali glared at the boy at this though didn't say anything.

"I'm surprised you invited me," Cali admitted.

"My mother wouldn't let me come otherwise," Sirius admitted. "She's an awful prat but she likes you so it works out for me."

"Not enough to let me see Regulus," Cali sighed.

"Enough of this Regulus talked," Sirius groaned, "Let's eat cookies!"

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A/N: Cali's growing up.