Holly laughed loudly when Cynthia said this because it was exactly the opposite with her and her brother. Except that not only one but both of her parents believed her more than her brother.

Alfred just rolled his eyes and murmured, "Just because I lied once too much”, he added as an explanation to this, “if I had always told the truth, they would have ruined all my fun."

Holly also added while still giggling, “Since the time of the let’s-see-if-little-Holly-can-fly-incident, they haven't believed him a word he says.”

“Oh, come on, nothing happened, you fell into the bushes.”, He tried to justify himself… His mother stood behind him.

“It was a thorn bush.”, came from his angry mother, so not only did he flinch, but Holly also hadn’t seen her mother coming either. She even squeaked out of surprise like a mouse.
“How do you always come up with these ideas?”, Charlotte continued, “Use the hammock as a catapult.”, the shock was still written on her face, “What's next? A lava staircase slide?”

Alfred's eyes began to light up, “Woah, thanks Mum. I haven’t thought of that!”
The what-have-you-done-look was a mixture of shock, annoyance and frustration, but that perfectly described Holly's facial expressions.

Charlotte was about to scream and shout when William stepped in. He hadn't noticed much about the situation, or rather, he had just noticed that they had come here in the first place, but he just wanted to announce his message, "Food is ready." but when he looked at his family, the question still came, "Did I miss something?"

“Not much”, answered Holly, “I'm starving, you too?”, this question was addressed to Abbey.

Holly
Alfred
Charlotte
William

@Abbey Thompson

Julian laughed a little to what Alfred had to say. “My Parents usually believing me the most, has been the reason for my fun.” He smiled thinking about all the times he had blamed his little siblings for things they hadn’t done. “Whatever I say is always the truth in my parents eyes when it comes to fights and arguments I’m involved in.” The proudness in his eyes showed. He was proud he had been able to do so for so long without his parents ever hesitating if what he said was really what had happened.

Julian turned his attention from Alfred to Holly. This incident seemed interesting and he wanted to know more about it. He had a lot of questions when Alfred said she had fallen into the bushes. From how far? How did she fall? Why? When? Her brother trying to make her fly and then her falling into some bushes sounded dangerous.

Cynthia and Abbey had seen Charlotte walk over so they weren’t surprised of her sudden appearance. Julian in the other hand jumped a little and placed his hand dramatically on his chest. “Ahhh!” He screamed. He had been so focused on what Alfred and Holly was talking about that he hadn’t bothered looking around at what was happening. Julian stood right next to Alfred and Charlotte right behind him. He looked surprised up at the woman and then took his hand off his chest pretending nothing had happened. Abbey laughed quietly at Julian for his dramatic reaction to Charlotte’s appearance.

Julian had now gotten most of the answers he wanted about the story, but was too embarrassed and shocked to ask the rest of the questions he had.

Both Cynthia and Abbey understood that Charlotte was about to scream and shout so they mentally prepared themselves for the worst. Luckily William came to the rescue. The food was ready and at the perfect timing too. Cynthia smiled at William as Holly answered him.

“Same!” Abbey answered. She walked over to the grill. Cynthia and Julian both following behind her. Both of them hungry and thirsty.

Abbey
Julian

@Holly Adams

To avoid further conflict between siblings and to protect her vocal cords, Charlotte filled the plates for her children. A little of everything, but equal in each case. Otherwise, they would give each other nothing without arguing. And honestly, she didn’t have the nerve or the strength to do it. Not today. Not when they meet with friends and their loved ones, especially if she likes them so much that she doesn’t even feel the urge to quarrel with them.

Alfred and Holly took their plates and waited for their friends.
Then Charlotte looked at Abbey and she pointed to the grill with a grim face. “This facial expression”, Holly once explained some long time ago, “is the closest thing you'll ever see to a smile.” It is a bit weird, but something is obvious, when you get to know her, you realize that Charlotte is like thunder, loud but harmless. (At least as long as you don't hurt anyone she cares about. Otherwise, you will know how the lightning goes.)

“I brought you chicken specially for you. You want some?”
Holly smiled at her mother when she heard that, that meant she made a real effort and not only that, she showed that she really liked Abbey.

To get the other’s attention, Alfred cleared his throat and asked, “What do we want to do after eating?”

Holly
Charlotte
Alfred

@Abbey Thompson

Abbey’s younger siblings, George, Emmet, Olive and Oscar, had already been given plates of food when Abbey and the others walked over to the grill. Holly and Alfred got their food first and waited for Abbey, Cynthia and Julian to get their plates too. Cynthia took a bit of everything. Some chicken and some vegetables and other delicious stuff like corn cobs. Julian garbed a burger and a big glass of soda. Abbey noticed Cynthia rolling her eyes at Julian judging his food choices.

Abbey looked at the food trying to decide what to eat when she saw that Charlotte was looking at her. Charlotte then pointed at the grill. Abbey listened to what Holly said and smiled at her when she had finished. Abbey believed her. She knew this about Charlotte. You had to be a really special person if you ever got to see her fully smile.

“Me?” Abbey pointed at herself not sure if Charlotte was asking her or Holly. She waited a little before answering, but when Holly just stood there smiling she understood that the question was for her. She answered with a happy smile. “Thanks, I would love some chicken!” she walked over to Charlotte and put the chicken on her plate. “thanks” she repeated once again with a smile.

Julian was the first one to answer Alfred. “What about we swim in the lake or play a game?” He suggested, then waiting for someone to share their thoughts. “We could play something with everyone?” Cynthia looked at Abbey and Holly. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but thought everyone doing something together could be nice. “Everyone? Like us plus George, Emmet, Olive, Oscar, William, Charlotte, mom and dad?” Abbey counted with her fingers as she spoke. “yeah, why not?” Cynthia answers raising her shoulders.

Cynthia
Julian
Abbey

@Holly Adams

“Don’t even think about swimming right after eating! You all will wait until at least an hour! Did you hear me?”, Charlotte scolded when she heard this.

“Yes, Mom!” answered her children like soldiers on command, who knew better not to challenge this.
Holly looked at Julian with an apologetic smile. So yeah, swimming was a thing, they could do later.

“But yes, we can all play a game together.”, Holly took ketchup for her meal, “But what do we want to play? Hide and seek?”

Alfred shrugged, “It would be more fun than playing catch, Mom scares me when she runs after me.”
Holly laughed at that “That's because she usually only comes after you when you've done something that we all know makes her angry.”, Al made a deadpanned face and commented almost annoyed, “So everything, always and around the clock? what a life.”

Holly rolled her eyes, by now with a smile on her face, “Well, there are other games as well.” Then something came to her mind, “By the way, I wonder, what do muggles play? Are there big differences? Can we play one of those games? Or at least try? Can we-”, “Shut it Holly.”, Alfred interrupted her, “You start asking so many questions again. That’s Annoy-”, “Shut it Alfred.”, his father interrupted him, “Be nice to your sister.”

Holly
Alfred
Holly & Alfred
Charlotte
William

Julian stood there looking at Charlotte. He was a bit confused to why they couldn’t swim right after dinner, but he understood that it was better not to argue about it. He half smiled back at Holly and then looked down at his plate and started eating again.

Julian smiled with his cheeks filled with food, Abbey chuckled and Cynthia laughed quietly to herself at Alfred’s reason for not wanting to play catch.

Abbey’s mother, Jane was sitting at the table next to her other children. She heard them talking about games to play and had a lot of ideas for them. Before she could share any of her ideas Cynthia answered Holly. “I don’t think we have a lot more different games then people in the magical world has.” Cynthia wasn’t sure and it was more of a question.

Jane leaned a little closer to where they were sitting and suggested some games they could play. “What about you kids play hide and seek? Or capture the flag?” She didn’t know hide and seek was already suggested, but that was fine and understandable. “Capture the flag?” Julian looked up from his plate. He knew the game and the rules, but just hadn’t thought of it and didn’t know they had flags to use. “I’m in!” Cynthia smiled at the group. “Ever heard of it?” she looked at Alfred and Holly. She wasn’t sure if capture the flag was a muggle game. “Mom do we have flags?” Abbey looked up at her mother. “I wouldn’t suggest the game if we didn’t. I think we have some in the car from a very long time ago when we played it with another family we were meeting up with.” Jane answered then continued eating her food and turned her attention back to her other children. “I mean, why not? Capture the flag is a game I’m pretty sure most of us can play together, right?”

Julian
Cynthia
Jane (Abbey’s mother)
Abbey

@Holly Adams

Alfred and Holly looked at each other in confusion, “Do you know this game?”, asked Holly but Al answered, “No. You?”, “Nope.”
They turned to their parents, who overheard the conversation. Charlotte was getting very irritated alone of thinking of something she had no idea about and just said, “Eat your food.”

William at least tried to guess, “I think it's self-explanatory, you're trying to catch a flag like the golden snitch in Quidditch.”, Al complained, “Like Quidditch, huh? How is that a fair game we all could play? Mom is a fast flyer!”, now Holly was completely confused “Huh? Abbey, I thought Mrs. Thompson told us muggles can’t use a broom to fly?”, “What are you talking about Holly? Muggles have those metal-bird-thingy’s.”, “But Darling, Steven told me they are very big, how should the little ones manage that?”, “They can’t be that big, they drove a car to come here.”…

It wasn’t long before all the members of the Adam family were talking, then discussing, then bickering, then arguing, and now fighting. How they managed to eat as well, was training a guess, must not have been the first time.

About a half an hour later. As they ate the plates empty and at the same time had an increasingly bizarre image of Catch the Flag, they were suddenly silent in a jolt. Most likely because Charlotte finished the show with a deafening, “SILENCE!” and looked at Jane, “Sorry about all the drama. Would you please be so kind as to explain this game? Otherwise, trust me we will go insane.”

Holly
Alfred
Charlotte
William

@Abbey Thompson

What drama had Abbey and her family started now! Abbey sat there listening as the Adams family discussed what capture the flag could be and if muggles could fly. When they started fighting and arguing, that was when everyone’s attention was on them. Abbey’s little siblings looked confused and curious up at the family, staring like most curious kids did. Julian and Cynthia exchanged glances knowing this was somehow kinda their fault. Abbey tried to answer as many questions as she could hear being asked. “It’s not like quidditch” she quickly answered Alfred’s question before anyone else could say anything. “No, muggles can’t fly.” she also clarified before she could be interrupted. She didn’t expect any answers back. She was simply just trying to calm everyone down. While Abbey tried calming everyone in the argument down and answering as many questions as she could, Jane and Steven tried making their youngest children not stare at the family as they continued to argue about rather muggles could fly or not.

When the half an hour had passed the arguing and fighting had finally stopped. Who knew for how long, but it stopping for just a few minutes was better than never! Steven sighted in relief. “Thank god” he mumbled under his breath. He knew that when the Adams family was fighting, it was not much he could do to stop them and that the only thing he could do was to wait for it to end in a miraculous way.

Jane looked at Charlotte with an understanding smile as she spoke to her. She wasn’t sure how to describe the game, but after thinking about what to say, she answered hoping her explanation would make sense. “So Capture the Flag is a outdoor game where two or more teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base", or hidden or even buried somewhere in the territory, and bring it safely back to their own base. Steven looked at Jane with a smile before continued her explanation realising that Jane forgot to mention some things. “And If you're tagged or captured, stand still like a statue until a teammate frees you with a touch. The team that gets the flag first wins.” Steven said with excitement. “Understood?” He look At Alfred and Holly with a smile.

Steven
Abbey
Jane

@Holly Adams

“I bloody knew it!”, shouted Alfred, but Holly interfered, “No you didn’t! You-”, “Shut it. Both of you.”, warned Charlotte in a threatening voice in a terrifying calm tone. At least it was a clear message for her children.

Now slightly friendlier did she sound like, when she nodded at Jane and Steven and replied to their explanation. “Sounds fun. How do we do the teams? Girls against Boys? Adults against Kids? Family against Family?”, then she remembered another factor and added fast, “With how many Teams do we want to start? Two? Three? Four?”

“I am for Boys against Girls!”, said Holly most likely because she wanted to be in the same team as Abbey and not in the same as her brother.

“I am for Family against Family.”, said Alfred. He just didn’t want to play against his mother. Or worse. His mother AND his sister.

“I am for Adults against kids.”, said Liam, but added that he didn’t mind any other version. It is clear to him that nobody can make everybody happy, so he makes himself ready when the Kids start arguing again.

Holly looked at Abbey and asked, “Do you have any suggestions? How do you normally play it?”

Holly
Alfred
Charlotte
William "Liam"

@Abbey Thompson

They all look at each other and think about how they all would like to have the teams. The one thing they all knew they agreed with was that they all wanted everyone around the table to join the game. It was so typical that one of the kids would blame them loosing on “unfair” teams, or that someone would leave and not want to play just because they didn’t get a “good enough” team. Something like that usually happened when the family was playing games together.

“I am for girls against boys!” Abbey answered Holly. She smiled after, knowing the girls would win if this was how they ended up doing it.

“No! Abbey!” Julian shouted also knowing the girls would likely win if it was girls against boys. Jane was really good at the game and he assumed that Charlotte would be good at it too. And being against Abbey was also something he didn’t want, because she was good at hiding the flag.

“I want to be on the same team as George!” Emmet said joining in from the end of the table. Everyone around the table knew he wouldn’t want to play if he didn’t get to play on the same team as him. Jane looked down at George ready to give him some sort of sign that she wanted him to say that he wanted to be on Emmet’s team too, but before she got to do anything George had already said it.

“And I want to be on the same team as Emmet!” George smiled and took his arm around his little brother. They were both like twins or a duo, because they were only one year apart in age. They loved being together and they always had to be on the same team or in the same group if they were playing a game together.

“I am for random picking of teammates.” the girl that wanted it all to be fair play said. Cynthia knew none of her siblings liked this way of choosing teams, but hoped one of the Adams would agree with her that this was the best way to do it.

“Not Happening” Oscar mumbled to himself at Cynthia’s idea. “I am for Adults against kids!” He knew the kids would win since they would be a bigger team then the adults would.

“Okey so I see there’s a lot of different options here.” she looked at all her kids saying. “Steven any ideas how to solve this?” she still looks happy, but now a little bit more nervous and worried. This could become a big argument if Steven didn’t have a good idea to save them all!

Steven thinks about it for a moment. He had been thinking about it the whole time the kids had been telling their wishes and about what they wanted, but had to think about how to say it right and he also had to go through it in his head making sure it wouldn’t be a bad team idea. “So I think we should do it like this… three teams.” He paused for a second before continuing. “Team one, Alfred, Holly, Abbey and Julian.” He paused again and looked at them to see if they agreed or hated it. “Okey and then team two could be, Jane, Charlotte, Liam and Cynthia.”

“What?! Why does Cynthia get to be on the adult team?!” Julian interrupted his father. “Because I’m more mature then you” Cynthia mocked. Julian just rolled his eyes and his dad continued with his suggestion.

“Team three would then be me, Emmet, Oscar, George and Olive” He said. He was once again interrupted by Julian. “That’s also not fair! I want to be on the team with the most people!” “So you would rather be on a team with four year old Olive then with me, just because that team has one more person!?” Abbey said shocked. She was holding in a little laugh when Julian realised how dumb it would be to change team.

Emmet
Julian
Abbey
Cynthia
George
Oscar
Jane
Steven

@Holly Adams