He’d never have gone so far as to call the Urquarts generous people, but after serving their Christmas dinner and finishing his chores for the day, he and most of the staff had gotten the rest of the evening off, and Aubrey had headed straight home. He’d not been sure what would happen, this year, without their parents to run the show: the old house wouldn’t be near the same without them.
Still, it was good for them all to put on brave faces for the little’uns, especially Henrietta, who’d not even gotten off to Hogwarts yet. She was a good kid, Aubrey reflected, as they sat about at the hearth, the drink he was nursing quietly the cause of his festive cheer.
At any rate, he beamed at his smallest sister and set the drink aside, glancing about for her present in return but not finding it in easy reach, so settling for taking the box from her, and pretending to rattle it by his ear. “Aw, Henry, you shouldn’t’ve,” he said, his tone teasing, if his words weren’t. “I already getta see you, what else d’you think I could be needin’?”
Still, it was good for them all to put on brave faces for the little’uns, especially Henrietta, who’d not even gotten off to Hogwarts yet. She was a good kid, Aubrey reflected, as they sat about at the hearth, the drink he was nursing quietly the cause of his festive cheer.
At any rate, he beamed at his smallest sister and set the drink aside, glancing about for her present in return but not finding it in easy reach, so settling for taking the box from her, and pretending to rattle it by his ear. “Aw, Henry, you shouldn’t’ve,” he said, his tone teasing, if his words weren’t. “I already getta see you, what else d’you think I could be needin’?”
Formerly known as Davis, Elijah Urquart's pet hedgehog.