I'm Lily Luna Potter. The Chosen One, Harry Potter's third child and his only daughter. I know your whispers; they're the ones that are constantly around me. I know the expectations the Wizarding World has placed upon my shoulders. The ones that have weighed me down for all my life, but have pushed me harder than anything. But I'm not alone in this, the heavy expectations that the world has on me weigh down on every child in my family born after the Wizarding War. Children born to the war heroes.
To the magical world, Harry Potter is a hero. He defeated Voldemort at seventeen, he broke into Gringotts, and he is the youngest Head Auror. He has spent his whole life hunting down dark wizards and trying to make the world a better place. But to me, Harry Potter is just my daddy. Harry Potter is man who left in the middle of an important meeting because his oldest son was sick and spent the next 24 hours by his side. A man who comes home after a long day of work but still has time to teach his children how to fly. A man who let me paint his nails bright pink and sat down to tea parties with me. Daddy is a sucker for us and his many nieces and nephews, and we love him for it. Daddy is also married to the most beautiful red head in the world.
I may be a little biased, but I really do think Ginny Potter (nee Weasley) is amazing. Mum also had a huge part in the Second Wizarding war, co-leading Dumbledore's Army and staying to fight, though she was only sixteen. She still looks like she's in her twenties with long fiery red hair and a fit figure. Mum has a temper that can only be challenged by her own mother, Grandmum Weasley, but she's also the most loving mother anyone could ask for. She's always open to talk to her children or nieces or nephew about anything with a cup of her famous hot chocolate at the ready. She used to play for the Holyhead Harpies, but now she's a healer at St. Mungo's. Which, as it turns out is incredibly beneficial for my brother James, who is constantly getting himself injured.
James is the oldest of the Potter kids; he's just turned nineteen. He looks a lot like the photos of Granddad Potter with his mischievous hazel eyes and messy hair, except his hair is reddish-brown and he has the Weasley freckles. He's incredibly at Quidditch and is playing for the Chudley Cannons, much to my Uncle Ron's delight. He plays chaser, it's only his second season and he's a starting chaser! Just like Mum was when she played for Holyhead. Like his namesake, Sirius Black not James Potter, James has a girlfriend every week. Mum's starting to worry he'll never settle down, but James just laughs it off and tells her he's got years to go. I don't think that makes her feel any better.
A year younger than James, Albus is the middle child and the quietest of us three. Albus is very much like Dad, in temperament and appearance. Physically, they are practically identical. Albus inherited the same messy black hair and green eyes as Dad, but he's a little shorter and of course he doesn't have a lightning bolt scar. Though when we were kids, he used to draw one in pen to pretend he was Dad. They both have the same calm attitude and are easy to get along with. It's hard to rile them up, but when you do –run! Albus isn't into quidditch the same way Dad, James, and Mum are. It's not to say he doesn't like it, and he's a naturally good flier, he would just rather read a book or play chess.
"Lil!" I blinked, just noticing that someone was waving a hand in front of my face. I rolled my eyes when I realized who it was, "What Albus?"
"Dinner at the Burrow? Remember? We go every Sunday?" I slapped my hand against my forehead, "Oh yeah! I knew I was forgetting something!" Albus laughed and shook his head in amusement. "That's why Mum told me to come up and remind you, so get dressed Lily Lu! We're going soon." He ruffled my hair as he walked out, dodging my hand as I reached out to slap him away. I ran across the hallway into the bathroom and raked a brush through my dark red hair and then pulled it back into a ponytail. Running back into my room and pulled on some dark jeans and an emerald green blouse. "Lily! Are you ready?"
"Coming Mum!" Running down the stairs and suddenly lost my footing and landed face down on the carpet. "Lils, you'd think you would have learned by now," I looked up to see my family laughing at me. Props to Mum who was at least trying to hold back the laughter. "May I present to you, the next Nymphadora Tonks!"Albus held his stomach laughing. "Stuff it Albie," I scowled at my brother as he leant me a hand. Grabbing a handful of floo powder from the flowerpot on the mantle and throwing it into the fireplace, I stepped through yelling "The Burrow!"
I tumbled out, coughing up dust. "Here, let me help," a kind voice, accompanied by the scent of roses, giggled. I looked up and grinned at my older cousin who was tugging me up, I tackled her in a hug, "Rosie!" She laughed.
"Hi Lily, I was wondering when you guys were going to arrive! James has been here for at least an hour and a half, it'll be a miracle if there's any food left, even with Grandmum's cooking!" I snorted,
"Sounds like him, and come on Rosie, you know it takes Albus years to get anywhere!"
"Shut up Lily!" Albus joined the conversation as he stepped out of the fireplace, shoving me away to give his best friend a hug. "Come on Rose, let's leave my stupid little sister behind, I have to tell you something." I stuck my tongue out at him as he rolled his eyes and started dragging Rose outside. "Sorry Lils, catch up later?" She called out already half way out the door. Rose and Albus were born a few weeks apart and have been practically inseparable ever since they met. They're both ridiculously smart and I think the whole family was surprised when they ended up in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw. Rosie is even more of a bookworm than Al though, like her mum, Aunt Hermione. She looks like Aunt Mione too, with light brown eyes and a creamy complexion. Her hair is dark brown and curly, but it isn't bushy like her mums. She's also incredibly tall, like Uncle Ron.
"Lily Lu!" The air in my body was knocked out as a giant tackled me. No just kidding, just Hugo. Rose's little brother and one of my best and oldest friends. Hugo has red hair like his dad, but with gorgeous curls that shouldn't be gifted to a boy. He also has Aunt Mione's eyes, and Uncle Ron's freckles and height. Hugo takes more after Uncle Ron; he's the Gryffindor Quidditch team's keeper and is pretty relaxed about schoolwork, much to Rosie's chagrin.
"Hey Hugo," I stood on the tips of my toes to hug my tall cousin, "you promised you would write this week!" I glared at him, and then pouted as he laughed.
"Sorry Lily, I was caught up in Emmy." Emmy, short for Amelia, is his girlfriend and has been for a year and a half now. She's Neville Longbottom's daughter and my god sister. She's sweet but very shy and I still can't quite figure out how she ended up with the boisterous Hugo. But they adore each other so I can't complain. "So Hugo," I stopped when I heard some Muggle song playing. "Sorry Lils, that's Emmy, I'll be back. Hey Em!" And then he was gone. I snorted; lovesick boys are ridiculous, and plopped down into a well-worn chair. I closed my eyes and listened to the loud chaos that was the Weasley-Potter-Lupin family.
I jumped in surprise when I felt something tug at my shoulder, and opened my eyes to find my baby cousin Lucy looking at me. "Can I sit with you please?" I opened my arms to pull her up onto my lap, "Of course you can Lucy-bug!" I closed my eyes and laid my head on top of hers. Lucy is the youngest in the family at only nine years old. She wasn't planned for but everyone absolutely dotes on her. She's tiny and reminds me of a little doll with soft light brown hair and clear blue eyes. She's shy unlike her big sister Molly.
Molly is twenty years old and looks a lot like her namesake. She works in the Department of Magical Education in the Ministry, much to her father, Uncle Percy's, delight. Molly can be incredibly bossy and intimidating, but she's protective of her family especially her baby sister. She was in Hogwarts for the first five or six years of Lucy's life and tries to be home as much as possible now to make up for lost time.
Sometimes I worry about Lucy, because all of her cousins are at Hogwarts now, but she seems happy enough to spend time with Grandmum and Grandad during the day when her parents are working. "Lily?" I heard quiet voice that did not belong to the little girl snuggled against my chest. Which means it could only be Louis. I opened my eyes to find one of the few non-red headed cousins I had. "Hi Louis, do you want to sit here too?" He nodded enthusiastically and squeezed in next to Lucy, who had moved over to make a little more room. Louis is the youngest of the Weasley-Delacour children, and being part veela (Which surprised all of us because he is a boy)–is absolutely gorgeous. With his silvery blonde hair and cornflower blue eyes, he's growing into quite the charmer. "Lily, I don't know if I want to go to Hogwarts." I tightened my grip on the little eleven-year old boy. "Why not sweetie?"
"I don't want to leave Lucy! And what if no one likes me?" I smiled into Louis hair, kissing him on the head. "Lucy will be joining you soon, and of course people will like you!" I couldn't see him, but I knew him well enough to know that he has biting his lip and thinking. Lucy shifted and wrapped her arms around her closest friend, "People will like you very much Louis! Besides, half of the school may as well be our family." I chuckled, "Very true Lucy-bug. See Louis? Nothing to fear." I squeezed my two baby cousins.
'LILY!" A loud voice that could only belong to Dominique Weasley interrupted the quiet (for Weasley Standards) atmosphere. Dominique is one of Louis's older sisters. He has two, Dominique and Victoire. Two extremely different girls. Victoire is a clone of her mother, Fleur. She's twenty-one, willowy and petite with a soft sweet voice. A sheet of silvery blond hair, like Louis's, cascades down her back and her cornflower blue eyes twinkle sweetly. She is a healer at St. Mungo's and works in the Children's Ward. A lot of people assume she's haughty, but she's incredibly loving and caring. Dominique is tall, athletic and very very loud. She is one of James's best friends. Like my mother, her Godmother, Dominique plays chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. Mum was ecstatic the day she heard the news. Unlike either of her siblings, Dominique did not inherit Fleur's Veela looks. She has wavy strawberry blond hair, which is usually up in a messy ponytail, and her father's dark blue eyes. She does attract a lot of attention, which she uses to her advantage quite a lot. Dom is also incredibly fun to be around, and always helped me pull pranks on my brothers. She also helped me sneak out to fly every night the summer I turned six, so I could challenge James and Albus, and boy were they surprised!
Oh that reminds me, "Lily! Where is that pixie we call James Potter?" Her face was flushed and she was panting. I propped my head on Louis's, "Sorry Dom, haven't seen him. What did he do this time?" She just growled.
"How did you miss it?" She pointed at her head, and I started to laugh. How had I missed the two pointy wolf ears sticking out of her head. "It gets worse," she warned and turned around. Louis, Lucy and I just about died laughing. Louis laughed so hard he fell out of the chair. Dom looked irritated, "Yeah yeah, laugh it up. I'm going to kill James!" And with that she turned around and sprinted to continue her mad James hunt, a fluffy wolf tail wagging angrily behind her. I looked at Louis still on the floor, then at Lucy who was wiping tears out of her eyes, and we burst out laughing again.
"Kids! Dinner!" Grandmum's voice rang throughout the house, even without magical assistance. Nudging Lucy off my lap, and helping Louis up, I grabbed both of their hands to join the rest of our family for dinner.
"Lils!" I grinned and ran Lucy and Louis towards Teddy Lupin to tackle him. I lied in a way, James isn't really my older brother, Teddy is. Teddy is Daddy's godson, who he took in after the war. Dad and Grandmum Andy decided it was for the best, as she wasn't sure she was ready to raise a young child at the moment, she makes sure to visit and spoil him all the time. But Teddy was really raised by Dad. He's a great brother, just as mischievious as James, as smart as Albus, and as loving as both Dad and Mum. When I was younger, if I was angry, Teddy was the only one who could calm me down. He's also engaged to a certain Victoire, which was just officially announced this afternoon.
"Congrats Ted, again!" I winked and punched him lightly in the arm.
He stuck his tongue out at me, and went to sit next to his lovely fiancé.
"Attention everyone!" Grandpa clanged his spoon against his wine glass. Over the low rumbling of the many voices at the table, no one listened, "Ahem! Attention!" He clanged harder and harder till the glass broke. That got everybody's attention. Grandpa blushed tomato red as we all laughed. "Reparo…" he muttered, "Alright! Now. A Toast! To my grandchildren's engagement!"
"We all knew it was coming! Lets eat!" James shouted. Grandpa smiled, as the rest of us roared with laughter.
"Alright alright very well, dig in!"