#10 Christmas in Japan

[Lena]

It was a bit of a blur after arriving in Japan.

The Twiggs family managed to floo to Tokyo with minimal incidents, though ended up wandering the snowy and unfamiliar streets for over an hour in search of their restaurant -- made difficult by their lack of a guide, and apparently the restaurant itself was magically hidden away. As Alan delightfully discovered, Japanese wizarding folk had a different way of doing things, so it took some trial and error to figure it out.

Ushering cold children inside, they were treated to a deliciously simple yet warming meal of a broth with noodles and dumplings. Their trip being paid for, they had the basically unheard of experience of being allowed to eat as much as they wanted while dining. That only ever happened at Hogwarts, though their meals at home granted seconds at least.

The food and atmosphere was new to them, but the Twiggs group adapted well and enjoyed their night. But the travel and excitement had worn them out, especially after trekking around the streets in the cold weather -- so they headed off to their rented holiday house for the night.

There were only three bedrooms, unfortunately. Alan and Molly of course got the master bedroom, whereas the other rooms were delegated to prevent any sibling wars to decide who slept where. Martha, Samual, and Tobias shared a room -- leaving the other room to Joshua and Pierce. The beds were strange to them, being that they were actually a wooden block with a mattress. It was spacious and heavenly-comfortable, but certainly strange to sleep so low on the floor.

Furniture was sparse but they had everything they needed, and each bedrooms had its own bathroom -- which, to a family of seven who shared one small bathroom at home or one bathroom among five other dorm-mates at Hogwarts, this was the height of luxury. 

There were a lot of partitions and less walls, with doors that slid open rather than on hinges. The whole design felt so fancy it made them a bit more wary of being their usual chaotic selves. Everything was one one floor too; no stairs. There were no chairs, either; the tables had short legs and were surrounded by comfortable cushions to sit on instead.

Though it was early, Molly was busy preparing breakfast -- while Alan finished tucking presents under a small, makeshift Christmas tree in the corner of the open Living Room. It was nice to have plenty of space, but everything reminded them that they were on the other side of the world from home right now and in unknown territory.

Whichever Twiggs kid was the first to emerge, they were encouraged to check everyone else was awake too. How they did that was open to interpretation...

[Tobias Twiggs]

The rest of the night had been a mixture of emotions for the youngest of the Twiggs clan. Initially, he had been excited by the prospect of exploring a new country, it was exciting to visit a place that he'd never been before. That excitement quickly shifted once they spent a seemingly endless amount of time attempting to locate their restaurant. Tobias had never been one to complain about the cold, but by the time they arrived, he could've sworn that he was half frozen.

Thankfully, the food was warm and tasted good - though Toby had quite been looking forward to his mother's cooking after being at school for so many months without it. Toby at least recognized that the atmosphere was nice enough that he should behave appropriately, and tried to eat as cleanly as possible (though still managed to spill a splash of the broth down his shirt).

By the time they left the restaurant and headed to their holiday house, Toby couldn't keep himself from yawning every few minutes. He quickly excused himself once he was shown where he would be sleeping and crawled into bed - which was comfortable, but felt weird compared to his bed back home. Nevertheless, he barely had time to think about it before drifting off to sleep.

--

When Toby first awoke, he was met with the startling realization that he was not in his own bed. Blinking against the early morning light, he glanced around the strange bedroom, at the strange beds where he saw Sam and Martha sleeping. Slowly the events of the previous day began to come back to him, the trip to Japan, walking for a millennia through arctic conditions to find their restaurant, arriving at their holiday house...

Allowing himself a moment to relax upon realizing that he had not been kidnapped - though that had never really been a possibility in the first place, Toby propped himself up on his elbows and had a good look around. He had never seen a place quite like this one, why was everything so low to the ground?

By now he was aware of the sound of his mother moving around elsewhere in the house, at least, it sounded like his mother. She was probably making breakfast, or-

Wait a second-

The reason they were on vacation...

IT WAS CHRISTMAS!!!

It was as though Tobias Twiggs had never felt sleepy at all in his life, the speed in which he leaped from his bed was unheard of, even for a child like him, who had never been known to sit still a day in his life.

There was no clue as to if his attack was targeted, or if just leaped at the bed closest to him but first he launched himself Sam, landing on his older brother without remorse as he began to shake him in what had to be the rudest wake up call of all time.

"Sam! Get up! It's CHRISTMAS!" He announced, loud enough that he'd probably be heard throughout the entire house - his parents were likely rolling their eyes even as the exclamation left his lips. Then he practically flew across the room to subject his sister with the same attack.

"Martha!! Rule number one of Christmas is no sleeping in!!" they still had to wake the others up, if they weren't awake already. Honestly, how could anyone oversleep on Christmas Day? Especially this year when they had the extra excitement of being on vacation.

If Joe and Ryan were here, they'd have all been awake ages ago - honestly, his family were an odd bunch.

[Pierce Twiggs]

Pierce had finished writing down his notes just in time to continue their travels. Upon arriving in Tokyo, it took him a few moments to adjust to the different surroundings, but soon he made mental notes of the streets.

Like his Dad, Pierce was excited about discovering the Japanese way of hiding things from Muggle eyes and eagerly helped in their search for the restaurant; his notes of the surroundings actually came in handy for it.

Finally able to escape the cold outside, Pierce gladly settled down at a table. Eying the foreign food in front of him warily, he could barely refrain from quizzing the waiter about the meal. Luckily for them, he was too hungry to delay the much-needed nourishment any longer.

He took a bite and immediately decided it was to his liking. To his surprise, there wasn’t even a restriction of how much they were allowed to eat. So, to take this chance and because the whole day had left him quite hungry, he, of course, took seconds.

However, like at Hogwarts, he decided not go overboard. Thinking and sleeping with an overfull stomach would be difficult. And who knew if his stomach was able to handle this new food.

Only when they headed to their holiday house did Pierce notice how heavy his body suddenly felt. Even the backpack seemed to have gained a few more pounds. The day had drained all the energy out of him.

Not making any comment about the room distribution (though he was glad he had not to share it with Toby), he shuffled into his room. He registered the weird furniture, but his tired mind was able to produce only useless thoughts. Pierce just shrugged and embraced the foreign but comfortable bed before slipping into slumber.

A lot shout jerked Pierce awake, and he sat bolt upright in his bed, mumbling some curses.

That had sounded like Toby…

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and automatically reached for his glasses – but grasped into emptiness. Huh?

Pierce turned to his side just to find that there was nothing there. Not his glasses, nor the nightstand he had expected in his room at the Burrows.

It took his mind a moment to remember that they weren’t at home – they were in Japan!

Recalling yesterday, he reached to the other side of the bed and found his glasses straightaway. After slipping them on, his blurry view finally cleared up, and he took in his surroundings.

Right, the weird furniture. All so close to the ground… Why? What purpose did this serve?

Pierce had looked up some information about Japan before their travels, but mostly about the country itself, not the culture. Perhaps Dad or Mum knew…

His gaze fell upon the other bed in the room.

“Hey, Joshua, you’re awake yet?” he asked while he tried to get up from the bed. No easy feat considering it was unusually low.

[Joshua Twiggs]

Joshua hadn't minded their lost wandering around the streets of Tokyo at all.
Why would he?

Everything was new and fascinating to him, from the strange writing to people's fashion, he took it all in, barely even noticing the cold.

And when there wasn't much to see, he liked to think back to that awesome dragon they had seen, though he made a point of rubbing his ribs where Samuel had smashed into him in the carriage, as though it still hurt (it didn't).

Nevertheless, he was glad when they at last did find the restaurant, having grown quite an appetite throughout the day. He could not remember the last time he had eaten that day and slurped three servings of broth and noodles with no thought of consequence to his stomach.

When they arrived at their holiday home, Joshua accepted the rooming situation with a shrug and hidden smile.

Sharing with Pierce only meant that his chances of getting a good night's sleep were rather high, at least.

It had taken him a while to fall asleep however, being way too excited to have lights out too soon.
He had busied himself with doodling the dragon as best as he could, as well as little notations about its appearance and way of movement.
He'd have to report back to Amber about it, she'd love to hear it.

---

Joshua had managed to fall asleep after all, however, he had woken up in cold sweat twice.
The first time he had had a terrible nightmare about having forgotten to hand in his Transfiguration assignment, and he'd stared at the unfamiliarly close floor in anguish until he remembered that there hadn't been any assignment due in that class.

The second time he'd sat up straight when he couldn't remember who was feeding the chicken in their absence and he felt lament at the thought of the poor birds being left all alone to fend for themselves -- but it wasn't like Mum to not think of it, so he managed to fall back asleep rather easily. Not without scolding himself for being silly, however.

His subconscious seemed to cling to the thoughts of chicken however, as he had a rather funny dream about Caine climbing the chicken coop to crow the Burrow awake in a poor impression of a rooster.

It was about the time shouting from the other room crept into his dream and Caine on the chicken coop merged into a red rooster with Tobias' face -- an unsettling sight right before Joshua blinked his eyes awake into daylight.

He huffed and snuggled deeper into his blanket, reminiscing about the fact that he could not much further away from both his chickens and Caine. At least not without leaving the planet.

Perhaps they'd have their next vacation in space, he thought sleepily.

Joshua startled at Pierce's voice and flung his head around to blink at his brother through a currain of untidy hair.

"Mh, yeah. Super awake, Piercy. Happy Christmas."

He watched his brother struggle to get out of the low bed and his lips curled into an amused smile. His brain was too sleepy to come up with a fun comment however, so Joshua instead did as Pierce did and flung the blanket away and crawled out of bed with little to no grace.

Yawning and stretching, Joshua put on the first best jumper he got his hands on and staggered towards the sliding door.

With a glance to see if Pierce was decent, Joshua slid it open and made his way towards the community area of the house.
He thought he could smell breakfast and for a moment felt bad, as though he had overslept.

"Morning," he greeted his parents.
He rubbed his eyes and attempted to comb his hair with his fingers.

"Happy Christmas," he finally found his grin, as he noticed what his dad was doing.

"Anything I can help with, Mum?"

[Samuel Twiggs]

Sam's initial babbling excitement faded away quickly as the family adventured through Tokyo - there simply wasn't room in his brain to obsess over the dragon when his eyes darted to the buildings, to the funny tanuki statues hidden here and there, to the confusing menu options at their restaurant. 

By the time food arrived, Sam was trying not to let his head droop into his serving of miso soup; as they sat in the warmth, Sam wanted nothing more than a good sleep as soon as possible. He wormed his tired body into bed that night with his jeans still on.

The night was passed with deep, dreamless sleep until he was violently awoken by a knee in the stomach and hands shaking him into consciousness.

"Euuugh, GERROFF TOBY!!" He growled, outraged as only a tired older brother could be. Toby darted away to subject Martha to his horrific attack.

Sam swung his legs over the side of his bed and lauched his blanket at his younger brother, draping him completely before Sam reached over with his arms and legs and dragged him away from Martha.

"Happy...Christmas!" Sam grinned, trapping Toby in a koala grip. 

[ooc: attacked with permission!]

[Martha Twiggs]

Thank Merlin they used Floo to get to Tokyo -- that was something Martha had experience with and a bit of confidence she would get it right. Even if she hadn't been here before.

Their restaurant was a bit elusive, however. Martha didn't mind the first ten or twenty minutes as they walked along the streets of Tokyo. New sights and sounds were enough to keep her preoccupied, but tiredness quickly set in as they approached the thirty-minute mark of their walk.

When they finally arrived at the restaurant, Martha didn't have the brain power to really study her surroundings and was thankful when a warm bowl of something delicious was placed in front of her.

She had a bit of trouble figuring out the chopsticks and picking up the noodles, but the gyoza were her favourite part of the meal. She probably ate more than she normally would, but it was hard to resist them.

Luckily, it was easier for them to make it to their holiday home and she was very intrigued about the custom of removing shoes and putting on house slippers.

Then they were told their rooms, and her stomach sank a little. Martha wasn't exactly thrilled she had to share a room with Tobias. Sure, she could understand her parent's reasoning if they offered it, but... Martha sighed, too tired to speak up for herself, and just accepted it.

Somehow she managed to get changed for bed and dropped over pretty quickly.

But whatever restful sleep she was enjoying was disrupted by a weight on her bed and Tobias' excited yelling. She groaned and tried to brush her brother off so she could sit up, at least.

However, Samuel came to her rescue, "Thanks. Merry Christmas, you two."

Martha yawned, stretched and rubbed her eyes. She took a second to remember where they were and why Tobias was being so loud. Well, he never needed a reason to be obnoxious, but she could forgive him this morning.

Christmas was pretty exciting, after all.

"Come on, let's see if the other two are up and find our parents." Martha reached over to mess with Tobias' bed hair even more and grinned at Sam.

She pulled on the slippers she had picked last night and slid open the door to their room, letting Tobias have a chance to escape into the hallway.

[Pierce Twiggs]

Pierce frowned at the nickname but instead of a retort he just sighed. A second later, though, his face displayed a genuine smile directed at Joshua.

“Merry Christmas.”

He heaved himself out of bed, then bent down to take the duvet, neatly folding it up and laying it back on the mattress.

By the time Pierce decided to throw a jumper over him as well, Joshua had already left their room – his blanket lying half on the bed, half on the ground. Pierce let out another sigh and took it as his duty to bring order to this chaos. Otherwise, he couldn’t stand it.

While setting down the folded blanket, Pierce’s gaze fell upon a piece of paper beside Joshua’s bed. A quick glance revealed his scribblings of the dragon from yesterday. Insufficient notes in Pierce’s eyes.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

How would his brother be able to properly remember the whole encounter and learn something out of it? Definitely not this way!

Determined to help out his older brother, Pierce took another piece of paper and jotted down the notes, to every last detail, the same ones he had written down just yesterday. To make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, he even compared his notebook entry with the notes in front of him.

It was perfect.

Satisfied he placed his and Joshua’s piece of paper on his brother’s nightstand, followed by tucking away his writing utensils. Pierce then took a moment to actually groom his hair with the comb taken out of his backpack before he decided to finally follow Joshua.

He slipped through the sliding door and padded to the living room. The smell of breakfast rose to his nose, which resulted in a loud stomach growl before he could even greet anyone there. His cheeks took on of a hint of red, though his face didn’t show any reaction otherwise.

However, a warm smile spread over his face as his gaze fell onto his parents and Joshua.

“Merry Christmas!” Pierce wished and made his way towards his mother, while curiously scanning the room. He hadn’t had the time to do so yesterday.

Everything was different, amplifying his awareness of them being in unknown territory far from home. However, the prospect of discovering new experiences today excited him even more than Christmas, despite him loving celebrating the holiday with his family.

[Lena]

There was a chorus of "Merry Christmas" every time someone entered the main room. 

Despite being away from home or Hogwarts, the atmosphere was warm and cozy. Alan or Molly handed off gifts from under the tree, not at all acknowledging that it was the first year they weren't evenly distributed; there were noticeably less for Tobias, and his Japanese snacks are a bit lackluster compared to the other bonus presents.

It was a bit quiet at first, as the Twiggs children opened their gifts and were surprised with more bought than made items this year. Alan and Molly's smiles helped ease some of the guilt, with reminders that they could afford a little extra this year thanks to the Grand Prize win. 

Any gifts from their own family or otherwise had found their way under the tree as well; the owls clearly knew they weren't in England right now, and adjusted accordingly -- though Alan expressed frequent sympathy for them, having flown so far and through the cold weather as well.

The lack of neatness of the gift pile indicated he'd once again carefully inspected each of them just to be safe, sometime before the sun had even broken the horizon. Then he'd made sure to send those poor owls off with a warming charm and some treats.

Halfway through the gift-opening, which always littered the floor with torn wrapping paper and now-tangled ribbons, Molly returned to the kitchen to check on breakfast -- and Alan was seriously distracted by the Daily Prophet that had arrived at some point earlier.

He sighed, gravely setting it aside -- already dreading his return to work after their holiday. He kept the newspaper around though, in case anyone else wanted to give it a read.

Christmas Day

As today is Christmas, below are a list of gifts found under the tree. These may not be their only gifts (you're welcome to mention more), just those specified from NPCs or were pre-arranged. How / when you RP opening them, or if you choose to simply mention you've done so, is totally up to you.

Any "knitted" item was lovingly made by Molly Twiggs. Main colours change, but the letter (from their first name. Such as "R" for Ron) is always golden yellow. The jumpers (also know as sweaters) are an annual tradition since birth, inspired by the classic Weasley ones from HP.

Martha Twiggs received:

• Chocolate, and a beautiful Sewing Kit from Sophia Rhynhart
  
  
• Teal knitted jumper, marble-style leather-bound book (A Historic Exploration of Curse Breaking), Japanese ceramic wind-chime with floral design, and a box of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum from Mum & Dad.

--

Samuel Twiggs received:

• Purple knitted jumper, vibrant book (World Records & Famous Feats of the Last Century), blue and green striped Zori Japanese slippers, and a box of Honeydukes' raspberry chocolates from Mum & Dad.

--

Joshua Twiggs received:

• Red knitted jumper, thick book (An Encyclopedia of Craft Materials & Where to Find Them), Japanese Magical Origami Kit, and a box of Ice Mice from Mum & Dad.
  

--

Pierce Twiggs  received:

• Yellow knitted jumper, quality telescope with Goblin-cut glass, Japanese Tea Leaves Set (20 different flavours), and a box of Cauldron Cakes Mum & Dad.

--

Tobias Twiggs  received:

• Gobstones from Ryan Barrow -- attached note reads: Happy Christmas, Toby. We miss you!
  
  
• Blue knitted jumper, Japanese rice cracker snacks, and a box of Jelly Slugs from Mum & Dad.

--

Each child also once again received a box of homemade fizzy fudge from Great-Uncle Otis.

Note: Fizzy Fudge is a new (less than 4 years) yet very expensive wizarding treat which the Twiggs children only had the fortune of trying last Christmas. It's nearly impossible to replicate, and highlights Otis' magical baking skills that his version is still moderately close to the real thing.

'Toby, come here.' Alan beckoned his youngest to where he and Molly stood off to the side of the room.

Each grinning with anticipation, they stepped aside to reveal a small table behind them. On it was a long, wooden box wrapped in a scarlet bow. It was the sort of thing one would expect to see a brand or logo on, given the craftsmanship and exclusive look, but they'd positioned it so he didn't notice one.

'Go ahead.' Alan nodded, encouraging Tobias to open his special gift. 'And not to worry, it's not too much. We got quite the deal, and were given a rare opportunity to make it happen.'

That was added because the gift was completely out of out of place for a Twiggs. Never had they gotten such luxurious gifts, nor did they expect it. They were always humble and appreciative of everything they received -- be it knitted socks or otherwise.

Alan and Molly hoped the others understood and weren't jealous. The gifts this year were a considerable upgrade, yet they were never a family to buy something for the sake of it. Every gift was chosen with love, but recent events allowed for the kind of gifts they never imaged being able to give them.

It was no secret how passionate Tobias was about his future career. The fact that Joshua had won a free broomstick upgrade recently, and would be handing down his Ashstorm to Samuel... that was what made this gift possible for their brother.

Inside the box was something only ever present in Tobias' wildest dreams. It was a broomstick -- brand new and its letters shining with no spared expense or material. A Seahawk, which was the bare minimum broomstick required to play Quidditch professionally.

It was an investment in his future.

'Expect mostly socks and toffees for the next foreseeable years,' Molly said, tone firm to humble him. 'This comes with the condition that you apply yourself to your studies, understood? We expect your best efforts each year, to have earned this broom.'

Despite that, her ears were teary and smile poorly concealed.

'An early investment, but we can see that you're serious about this and we support that dream,' Alan added, placing a warm hand on Tobias' shoulder. He gave the others a pointed look; they supported him too, right?

A Twiggs who made Captain or Prefect were granted a special reward -- like Martha, who received her lovely owl over the summer. This gift was no exception, apart from that he was given an advance on its arrival.

Tobias was only twelve; a risky age to trust his career plans won't change by O.W.L year, but it was yet to waver since a very young age. It was a gamble they were willing to take, as an opportunity like they'd made may not come up again -- and they were fortunate enough to have some extra funds.

But there was no doubt in their postures and tones that it came at a hefty price to offset the privilege he'd received. In the summer, Tobias would be a teenager; until now, he was the baby of the family. He was the loudest one, who often sought trouble or it found him. He preferred to play and have fun, which sometimes his chores or studies suffered for.

Now, he had certain expectations on his head. His dream of becoming a Professional Quidditch player was no longer something he simply imagined and hoped for. It was time to start working towards it, and that meant he had to get into the Academy. Growing up was never easy, but things were changing for him now.

A little less play, a little more hard work. That was the true cost of the stunning broomstick in front of him.

'It's quite the responsibility this early on.' Alan sighed, though it wasn't as if the older kids were exempt from such expectations.

They always encouraged them to do well and study, but perhaps being the youngest made them a little more lenient on Tobias. Especially after the trouble he'd caused last year. There was a hidden layer of hope in giving him this gift, which he knew wasn't easy to afford nor without sacrifice, would help mature him a bit as well.

'Do you accept it?' he asked, awaiting Tobias' official promise to focus more on his studies for the sake of his future. 'The most successful dreams are usually the ones we fight for.'



[OOC: note that accepting this gift requires a 200 Galleon discounted broomstick upgrade fee. If Tobias chooses not to accept it, he must keep his current broomstick until at least the summer before 4th year in which the Seahawk may be offered again.]

[Tobias Twiggs]

He was in the process of waking Martha up when suddenly the world went dark as a blanket fell upon his head, obscuring his vision. Then he was brutally tugged off the bed with said blanket, as he thrashed wildly to free himself from his entrapment. If the price he had to pay for getting older was to be this grouchy on Christmas, then he would make a solemn vow never to get older!

"SAM! LET. ME. GO!" He bellowed as his brother trapped him in a vice like grip, and he wriggled with all the strength and energy that he had in order to be freed. He wanted to escape to experience Christmas morning and he could not do that while his brother was hugging him - and it wasn't even a brotherly hug, it was one of TORTURE.

When he finally managed to escape Sam's grip, Toby scrambled out of the now open door - courtesy of his sister (she always was his favourite), and practically tumbled out to reunite with the rest of their family as they were exchanging good mornings.

"Merry Christmas!" he skipped forward, not at all acknowledging the commotion they'd likely heard from the bedroom and gave both of his parents a hug before carefully examining the presents that his mother passed to him.

If he noticed that he seemed to have less than his siblings, he didn't say anything - being the youngest of five, he was used to getting hand-me-downs and had been taught to be grateful for the things that he got.

He didn't always love his second hand robes or books, but he knew that his parents tried really hard and complaining would be pointless and selfish.

Opening his gifts, Toby immediately pulled on his new jumper that his mother had knitted - this was his favourite Christmas tradition and he still had last years sweater in his trunk somewhere, though it had started feeling a little tight.

He'd even gotten a gift from Ryan! Some gobstones, which made him frown in spite of himself - the note was brief, but made him aware of just how much he missed his friends. He knew they couldn't visit every holiday, but that didn't make him miss them less. He wondered what they were doing without him, if they were having a good Christmas and starting the day with heaps of chocolate and sweets.

If he got to have Christmas at school, that's definitely how he'd start the day.

Piling his gifts to one side (neatly and with much affection), he then gathered his torn wrapping paper and began to scrunch it into a big ball - that was about as tidy as he could be without being prompted.

Hearing his dad call to him, Toby looked around and saw his parents waiting for him together. Quietly popping a piece of fizzing fudge into his mouth (hoping to be discrete, he wasn't sure this was allowed before breakfast), he got up and walked over to his parents. His initial thought was that he must've done something wrong, he'd always done something wrong, even at times when he hadn't been meaning to.

But they were smiling. They never smiled when he was in trouble.

He looked up at them expectantly, returning their smiles though his was rather apprehensive. Then they stepped aside to reveal a box. A long wooden box. A long wooden box that looked way fancier than anything he'd ever been invited to look at before.

Toby looked quickly back to his parents, his eyes wide and glistening. Because he had an idea of what might be inside the box, something that he'd been yearning for all year but that he'd never dared to hope for. He was the youngest, that meant he got the hand-me-downs, the stuff that was worn out long before it ever made its way into his possession.

Reaching to open the box almost painfully slowly, Tobias couldn't hold back a gasp when he saw the polished surface of the broom inside. It was magnificent. He'd never even held a Seahawk in his very own hands, let alone been anywhere close to owning one and yet, this was his? All his? With no expectations of sharing it?

He felt tears well up in his eyes as that realization set in. When he had hoped for an eventual upgrade, he'd assumed he'd settle for an Ashstorm, the same broom Josh had had until recently. Toby felt as though he should pinch himself to prove that this wasn't all a big dream.

Toby could hear his mum talking, explaining that his future presents would pale in comparison to what he'd received this year, and probably every year before then. But he didn't care about any of that. Before she'd even finished speaking, he had thrown his arms around her in one of the biggest hugs he could muster, concentrating on pouring as much love into the action as possible.

"You don't have to get me another gift ever again!" he promised, blinking back his own tears as he buried his face in her clothes.

Then he threw himself at his dad with the same enthusiasm "I promise to work hard at school! Even in potions!" anyone who knew Tobias remotely well would know what a promise that was.

There was very little on the planet that the kid hated more than potions and its teacher - Snape.

Releasing his father from the hug, he bounced back to look at the broom some more, even stroking a hand along its polished wood - though he was hesitant, as if expecting to damage it merely by touch. What he wouldn't give to fly it now, but nobody else had a broom with them and he wasn't sure what the flying rules were in Japan.

Looking back to his parents he nodded so hard that he almost hurt his neck "I do. I do accept it, and I promise not to let you down."

This was the start of something great, he would put all his efforts into achieving his goals and making them proud - even if the process of doing so sucked.

[Martha Twiggs]

Martha let out a soft laugh as Toby whizzed past her and into the main living space of the house. She followed and joined the many choruses of "Merry Christmas!"

She settled down on a comfortable cushion next to a low table and thanked her parents as they passed her some gifts. Martha, despite being the oldest, never expected many things when it came to Birthdays or Christmases.

Being a girl, it was hard for her to pass down many of her clothes unless she received something more neutral coloured, but she was always keen to share what she could with her brothers.

Opening the first gift, Martha grinned when she saw it was from Sophia, and she hoped her friend enjoyed the blanket that Martha had sneakily crocheted for her. It had taken many months, and she mostly worked on it when Sophia was busy with other things, but she was glad she had finished it on time.

She opened the sewing kit and marvelled at all the amazing threads and other bits and pieces inside, "Mum, look!"

If Molly wanted to check it out, Martha set it on the table, opened up to show everything that was inside. Next, she looked at the chocolate and grinned. Martha knew Sophia was the person to go to about the best treats and snacks!

So she was determined to savour the chocolate as long as possible. Sorry brothers, but she wasn't sharing this!

Martha opened up the first of many gifts from her parents. Her jumped was immediately put on and she smiled as Tobias did the same.

Then she noticed her parents showing something to Tobias.

Her gifts were abandoned for a second as Martha got up to see what Toby was getting, and she gasped, "Oh, Toby, that's wicked awesome!"

If anyone deserved a new broom for working hard and improving themselves, she knew Toby did, "You'll be leaving everyone in the dust with that one. Sophia better watch out."

She was happy to see her baby brother getting such a big gift, and his happiness only added to her own.

This Christmas was special for a number of reasons but knowing how many years they had gone with the bare minimum (and even being realistic and knowing they wouldn't have another big Christmas like this for a long time) made Martha more appreciative for the sacrifices her parents made for them.

Tears spilled over her cheeks as she opened a fantastic looking book and a delicate wind chime from her parents as well. They had even included some of her favourite sweets, a rare treat of Drooble's Best.

She wiped away her tears, sniffling a little, and hurried to hug both her mum and dad once they were done with Tobias, "Thank you so much for everything."

Her own gifts to her family were all hand made, but she knew they'd all appreciate them!

Mum got a crocheted shawl that was made with hundreds of little flowers that had taken Martha a long time to master and, for her dad, several pairs of cosy socks (Martha felt like a person could never have too many cosy socks).

For Joshua Twiggs she had crocheted him a personalized drawstring pouch for carrying any neat rocks or other small items he'd find while out collecting crafting materials. It had an elaborate looking, cursive J on the front.

Samuel Twiggs 's gift had been a little tricky, but Martha decided on a set of jar slings that could help hold jars for him when he was off collecting ingredients (or being adventurous in general).

Then wrapped up for Pierce Twiggs was a hand-stitched book sleeve, decorated with a magical library theme. It would fit any journal quite nicely and protect it from dings and tears.

Finally, for Tobias Twiggs she had carefully crafted three elaborate friendship bracelets. One in shades of red and two in blues that each had a charm that linked together. Hopefully he would know what to do with those.

Each gift had been neatly wrapped and Martha hurried to hand them out to their intended recipients, "It's not much, but I hope you like them!"

Nervous about their reactions, Martha popped a piece of the fizzy fudge in her mouth and fiddled with her new sewing kit again.

[Pierce Twiggs]

While Pierce received warm holiday wishes from his parents, yelling came from the other room, indicating one of their typical sibling quarrels. As he turned towards the open sliding door, Pierce rolled his eyes, though a slight smile played on his lips

It wouldn’t be a family vacation without a squabble, right? He just hoped he wouldn’t get dragged into one…

“Merry Christmas!” he greeted any appearing sibling, probably in unison with his parents.

When the time to open their gifts arrived, Pierce settled down on one of the cushions near the tree and just enjoyed the cosy atmosphere for a moment, letting his gaze wander over his family with a smile.

Yeah, despite being far away from the burrow, he still felt right at home. Because, after all, home wasn’t just a place where one lived. Home was where the heart was.

At least this proverb indicated it, though he felt it was true.

Upon receiving his gifts, excitement welled up inside of him. Still, Pierce carefully removed the ribbons, setting them to his side, before he gently opened the wrapping where the paper edges had been stuck together.

The yellow jumper emerged first, and he promptly exchanged it for the one he was currently wearing. It felt much warmer than the other and added to the festive Christmas morning atmosphere.

He smiled at the sight of the Cauldron Cakes, they were his favourite after all.

Pierce was unwrapping the tea leaves set and going through all the different flavours, trying to remember if he had ever tasted one of them before, when he noticed his parents beckoning Toby to them.

Curiously he watched the unboxing, and couldn’t believe his eyes after the broom came into sight. A gift well-deserved and needed, in his opinion. And hopefully a great encouragement to Toby and his future plans. Pierce smiled at the understandable excitement of his little brother.

“Congrats!”

As his parents made Toby promise to study seriously, Pierce smirked.

“If you need help with your studies – especially Potions – you can always come to me!”

While Pierce made his offer with a grin, his eyes showed he meant it in all seriousness. He of course would be there for his brother, but it would depend on Toby if he accepted the help or not.

Pierce finally grabbed his last gift and smoothly unwrapped it. His hands froze above the fabulous telescope while he stared at it with wide eyes. He had absolutely not expected this.

He looked up to his parents to confirm getting this gift hadn’t been a mistake or a burden. He wasn’t used to getting such grand presents, knowing exactly why. But his parents smiles were enough confirmation for him. Eagerly he took the telescope into his hands, examining it closely.

“Marvellous…” He murmured fascinated before he pushed down his glasses a bit to press the end of the telescope to one of his eyes to try it out.

However, he could only test how it felt because everything looked like a blur to him and he knew he needed two hands to calibrate it. Still, he took it to his heart at once.

Suddenly, he saw a movement right before his eye. Surprised he lowered the telescope just to see his sister before him, handing him a gift of her own. Carefully, he set down his telescope and took the present. From the wrapping emerged a book cover, hand-stitched. Decorated with tiny little details for… a library?

Pierce immediately knew what to do. He jumped up, rushed back to his room, grabbing his notebook. He gently tucked it into the new cover: It fit precisely.

Now, he didn’t need to worry anymore about his notebook getting damaged – not that he would ever allow it to happen, but one could never predict one’s surroundings or the actions of others.

Pierce returned to his sister and showed her the wrapped notebook with glistening eyes and a genuine smile.

“Look, it fits perfectly! Thank you, Martha!” he exclaimed with enthusiasm and gave his sister a gentle nudge, before he clutched the covered notebook to his chest.

It was a fabulous present. And he would cherish it. Like the telescope.

Pierce looked back to it, then to his parents, hesitating.

He still needed to properly thank his parents, though he wasn’t the type to show affection directly. It just didn’t come naturally him, despite his appreciation for receiving it – although he never would openly admit to it.

Yet, his parents had organised this whole trip for them and somehow made room for the presents as well. Combining it with the efforts of previous years, he knew how much work had been put into all of it. And now, it was time to show them his appreciation.

Pierce pulled himself together and approached his parents.

“Thanks, Mum! Thanks, Dad!”

He first gave his mother an awkward hug, then his dad. He didn’t say anything else, but hoped he had conveyed that the hug wasn’t just the presents, but for so much more.

With slightly flushed cheeks he settled back down to his pile of presents, folding the wrapping paper into a neat pile, though curiously looked at what his siblings had gotten.

[Joshua Twiggs]

His hekp did not appear to be needed and Joshua instead sat down criss-cross applesauce on one of the cushions around the table, though glancing at his mum in case she changed her mind about letting him help.

He chorused "Merry Christmas" at everyone who made their way into the main room, smiling brightly at his siblings.
Joshua wanted to wave for Samuel to come sit next to him, but was distracted by presents being handed out.

This got him up from his seat so he could properly celebrate this special occasion.
Joshua loved gifts.

He opened the soft one first, which revealed his new, knitted red jumper with the encrested 'J' and he did not hesitate to get off the one he was currently wearing, leaving it as a sad heap on the floor as he hurried to put on the new one.
Stroking down the seams, he smiled at his mum and then (with a glance towards Pierce) bent down to pick up the heap of old jumper and folded it uncharacteristically neatly and laid it down next to the table.

The next one he picked up was hard and heavy and suspiciously book-shaped.

His eyes went wide as he tore away the paper to reveal An Encyclopedia of Craft Materials & Where to Find Them.
He opened it immediately, forgetting about the other presents he had been handed for now, as he started to flick through the pages to see how the book was structured.

And there he was: Joshua Twiggs. On Christmas Day. Reading a book instead of opening presents.
Unheard of.

It was only when he heard Toby's teary voice that he looked up to see what was going on around him.

"Huh?!"

Joshua put down the thick book and jumped over towards his baby brother. Of course. The only thing that could grab Joshua's attention right now was Quidditch.

"Woah! That's awesome! You're gonna go real far with that!"

His heart was beating as quickly as though he had been given this gift - and task. Did he envy his youngest brother at this moment?
It would be a lie if he said he didn't.

However, he knew for a fact that Toby was a lot more talented at the sport than he was. His brother was also a lot more focused on it, this kind of investment made most sense to him.

But this was also a double-edged sword.

Joshua grinned down at his brother: "Say good-bye to free time at Hogwarts, Tobes."

Reaching to pat Toby on the back, Joshua returned to his remaining presents (plural, for some reason) and he opened did not hesitate to open his ice mice, yet cast an uncertain glance at his parents as the next one did not appear to be hand-made either.

"Oh, hey! That's awesome!"

He turned towards his mum, then dad, holding up the magical Origami kit. He was feeling a little ovwewhelmed with so many bought presents, though he figured the prize money played into that.

There was one more present left and Joshua gulped, almost guiltily as he saw it was from Martha.

"Mars, this is so thoughtful!", he had to clear his throat, as he had become a little emotional by this point.

Overwhelmed and emotional.

He reached out to embrace his sister in a hug, though gave her the option to squeeze out of it before he did. After, he got up to find his dad and then his mum for the same treatment (though he had a kiss on the cheek saved for his mum).

"Thank you, so much," he whispered.

[Samuel Twiggs]

The rooms were filled with the sound of his family greeting one another as Sam scooped his blanket over his head, holding it closed under his chin like a cloak. It was chilly and he wasn't quite ready to be done with bed, even though it was Christmas.

He padded barefoot out into the narrow hall and followed the noise to the main living space - the doors were already slid open as the family came and went in a flurry of activity. 

"Merry Christmas, Twiggs!" He said with a long yawn, tugging his blanket close. Sam was moving to settle next to Joshua when he caught the smallest movement - a slight droop of the shoulders as Dad sighed and set the Daily Prophet aside.

Sam frowned and reached out for the paper, letting the blanket fall to his feet as he used the other hand to give his Dad a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. The headline was worrying him, surely, as it often did. So much violence in front of Muggles...that poor community.

Sam bit down the urge to ask if his Dad knew anything more than wasn't in the paper - now wasn't the time for his curiousity - and settled down where his blanket puddled on the floor. 

"Ooh, excellent colour choice this year, Mum!" He cooed, casting the Prophet aside to pull on his purple jumper, morning hair growing wilder by the second.

Their parents had called Tobias over to them, and they talked conspiratorially over an elaborately wrapped gift. Sam pulled his gaze away - he was curious, of course, but this was a private moment for the youngest Twiggs.

The slippers were pulled on (surprisingly comfy!) as Sam tore into the paper wrapping another gift; a hefty weight of a book slipped out of the remaining shreds into his lap, cloth-bound in vibrant green and gold. 

"'World Records & Famous Feats of the Last Century' oooh, wicked! And chocolates too!"

He flipped through the pages, savouring the tart raspberry filling for a little too long before he remembered his manners. 

"Thanks Mum!" He said through a mouthful of chocolate, waddling over on his knees to hug his mum around the middle as she passed by. He ruffled Toby's hair, grinning with sibling pride, and transferred the hug to his Dad. "Thanks Dad!"

Sam shifted to a sitting position next to his dad once more, and noticed another present with his name on it. Guilt flooded his chest as he realised it was from Martha - his face burned with more than a little shame as he opened it and saw how perfect it was.

"Sis...wow!" He whispered, examining the jar bandolier with gentle awe. It was perfect for collecting treasures - but of course, Martha knew that. 

With a sheepish smile, Sam crawled to his sister as Joshua pulled away. He reached up and gave her a long hug, saying, "I owe you five million presents, you absolute angel."

He hadn't gotten anyone presents, but Sam noted that he was probably old enough now to start giving back to his family. They always gave each other things, but Martha's thoughtful gifts reminded him that he could always do better, and he would.

These selfless thoughts were quickly interupted by the sight of yet another present.

"Great-Uncle Otis' fudge!!" Sam cried, tearing into the package with a ferocious hunger.

[Lena]

Alan and Molly Twiggs were warmed by Toby's genuine reaction and promise, which they would be attentive to for the years to come. He was serious about his dream career; the broomstick was a solid investment. But beyond all of that, they just loved seeing how happy it made him.

Then, as per any typical day when the Twiggs clan were all together, it got a bit noisy and chaotic. Presents were unwrapped, hugs exchanged, jumpers pulled on, and everyone was having a great start to their Christmas morning.

Alan then urged everyone to help with cleanup, while Molly finalised things for breakfast. It was delicious, as always, though with some unfamiliar offers or flavours. Everyone was encouraged to have seconds, especially as they had a busy day ahead of them.

--

When the sun fully up, and their Christmas festivities enjoyed, the kids were told to go change into something warm and Muggle-worthy (meaning no robes or cloaks, mainly). Just as everyone was tying their sensible walking shoes, there was a knock at the front door.

Instead of answering it, Molly directed everyone outside -- after a last check that Pierce at a notebook and Muggle pencil, and having sent Toby back to his room for a scarf.

'Hello.' Masuyo, their guide, bowed and waved to them as they joined her outside in the snowy yet manageable weather. 

She was meant to meet them upon arrival yesterday, but got held up with personal matters. Still, they'd managed to find their restaurant then lodging okay. Today, she was very much needed -- as they'd be doing some sightseeing and properly exploring their unfamiliar surroundings. 

After a short chat (in Japanese) with Alan, Masuyo's enthusiasm might become infections as she beckoned them to follow her. The streets were picturesque -- cold and snowy, but beautiful. Muggles went about their festive day but somehow Japan blurred the lines a bit in being able to easily tell Muggle from Magical Folk apart. They couldn't pinpoint why.

'Our first stop is a highlight,' Masuyo proudly informed them. 'The Museum of Magical Artefacts.'

If anyone knew even some of their history, they'd recognise that name immediately. It was one of the few in the world, and a very prestigious place -- filled with relics of the earlier days of magic, inventions, discoveries, or Quidditch feats. Japan's was known to be the biggest, however. And the most protected; it was a rare gift indeed to visit such a place.

Alan walked proudly the whole way; they likely had such permission because of his status from working for the Ministry for Magic. A trusted observer, through which they could witness a special collection of magical history.

'Is there anything you're most curious about?' Masuyo asked the kids. 'A lot of magical firsts are stored in these museums, including more than a few mysteries yet to be solved or explained.'

[Pierce Twiggs]

Pierce had watched Joshua neatly folding his 'old' jumper for a change. His surprise in his brother doing it at all was not visible, as it was far outweighted by his gratitude for this action, only seen as an appreciative nod towards his brother.

During the whole chaotic unwrapping of the presents, Pierce'a gaze still somehow fell onto his two older brothers, both getting a book and even flipping or reading through the pages.

That fact alone made his esteem for his brothers increase by miles.

In addition, he made a mental note of the books his siblings had gotten. Perhaps if he asked nicely, they would even lend them to him to read? Pierce was really curious about the content of them, even though the topic of the books was tailored to his siblings' interests.

Without having to be asked twice, Pierce helped in cleaning up the piles of wrapping paper, then enjoyed the breakfast made by his Mum with a smile. No meal at Hogwarts could hold itself against her cooking.

Although the flavour was somewhat different compared to usual, it didn't detract from the overall taste.

But it made Pierce curious as to why. And of course, like every time something picked his interest, he had to form a question about it.

"Mum, the meal is great! But why does it taste so different? Did you use other spices than usual? Which ones? I like it! Can we do that more often?"

Pierce continued savouring his breakfast while eagerly awaiting an answer.

--

When told to get changed, Pierce took his presents and brought them back to the room he shared with Joshua, carefully placing them on the nightstand next to his bed.

Then he pulled new clothes out of his backpack and changed into them, though of course the yellow Christmas jumper stayed on him.

However, as always, Pierce was slow in getting ready. Even with years of practise, he needed more time compared to his siblings. Simply because he double-, or even triple-checked every garment put on, his hair and whatnot. Because for him, everything needed to be close to perfect.

This resulted in him never forgetting anything to take with him, but the time it took him to get finished... Better not count it.

Clad in a thick jacket and warm accesories, in one hand a pencil and his notebook wrapped in the new cover from Martha, Pierce followed his family outside into the snow to meet their guide.

He returned the bow with one of his own, though felt a tid bit awkward while doing so, probably because he wasn't used to it. Though he didn't care for long as was occupied with trying to follow the Japanese conversation between Masuyo and his Dad, but as it was merely a guessing game to him, he clearly lost it. Hopefully, his Dad would teach him soon some Japanese... Or perhaps the guide would?

However, Masuyo's enthusiasm made Pierce still cling to her words, eagerly following her along the streets, him trying to take everything in.

The snow, the people, the signs, the stores...

There was much to be seen, and Pierce's mind almost burst with questions, but luckily for the rest of the group there wasn't really time for it as his mind was constantly occupied with new impressions. However, he occasionally wrote his thoughts down, so his questions might come back later.

His excitement reached its peak when Masuyo mentioned there first destination: The Museum of Magical Artefacts.

Of course, Pierce had read about it. How could he have not?

It was one of the few locations he had always wished for to pay a visit as it was a place which valued history and knowledge. Like him.

It was filled with objects and information, one wouldn't be able to ever see otherwise.

There were a only few locations in the world such as this. Visiting even one of those museums had been a dream Pierce had thought would never come true. And especially not the biggest one of them in Japan. It seemed like a wonder to him.

The question from the guide brought him back down to earth from his astonishment, making him direct his attention back to her.

What they were most curious about?

Oh, in Pierce's mind a ton of thoughts appeared, battling against each other over which would get the priority to be called out. In the end, his favourite subject won: stars!

"Are there any magical telescopes for the sky? Or any other artefacts related to Astronomy?"

The most important question was asked, though it wouldn't be Pierce if it was the only one.

"What about relics for Divination rituals?"

This would great to know for class!

Pierce's mind didn't rest even after launching his barrage of questions, and he would surely come up with more if the others would let him...