13 November 2013 (Wednesday)

7:09AM

Harry was packing lunches for his three children; peanut butter and honey sandwich for James, peanut butter and strawberry preserve for Albus, and peanut butter and Nutella for little Lily, with apple slices and a juice box for everyone. The Head of the Auror Department was tucking those three paper bags into three little knapsacks with various cartoon characters on them when his beautiful wife stomped down to the kitchen.

"So, how are our little monsters?" Harry said with a smile, a bit of preserve smudging his cheek.

"James keeps complaining about going to 'Muggle School'. Albus wants to bring his toys to school, which he can't do or he'll lose them." She wiped at the smudge with a spit-wetted thumb. "And Lily has disappeared again."

Harry sighed. James had trouble in school; he couldn't seem to focus, especially with the prospect of his Hogwarts letter looming. He would talk to James that night. If he can't keep focused they could always send him to a smaller Wizarding school, closer to home. Lily had always been a bit of a trouble child since she could walk, always disappearing and hiding under tables, inside cabinets, and up trees.

"Do you think you can gather the boys up? I packed their lunches. I'll try to find Lily."

"Hm." Ginny nodded, she planted a kiss on Harry's lips. "You have to take them up to school then."

"I hate having to find a place to apparate in Salisbury." The children went to a primary school there. Godric's Hollow didn't have a primary school.

"Take the car then." Ginny said as she went back up the stairs to gather her boys for school.

They did have a black sedan for family outings, Arthur and Bill had helped put some protection charms on it, but Harry thought it much too flashy. After more than ten years of living in the Magical World, he just didn't see the appeal of cars. He didn't have much choice right now.

Harry grabbed the keys off the hook, a bit dusty. He started looking in the living room, under the couch, under the coffee table, no little auburn-haired girl. He stood from his knees and headed to the study, and then he heard a little giggle. Harry looked about, he heard a door shut.

"Lily? It's almost time to go to school. Don't you want to go see Misses Farber?" No response, he was by the stairs, heading to the dining room.

Then his eyes fell on the cupboard under the stairs, he had told his children never to go in there. He knocked on the door.

"Who's there?" A muffled question followed by a soft giggle.

"Lily, didn't daddy tell you not to play in the stairs' cupboard?"

"Nooo." A little giggled followed her obvious lie.

"I'm pretty sure I did, sweetie. We're taking the car to school, don't you want to sit up front with daddy?"

"Okay!" Lily opened the door and jumped out of the cupboard.

Thankfully she was already in her uniform, though it was a bit crumpled with a cobweb on her skirt. Harry held out his hand, Lily reached up and grasped a few fingers, and they headed to the kitchen. Ginny was handing James and Albus their knapsacks. Lily ran over to get her bag and check her lunch; she liked it with the crusts cut. Harry went to talk with his wife.

"So, where was she?" Ginny asked sipping on her mug of coffee, now cold and bitter.

"She was in the cupboard, under the stairs." Harry said with a scowl on his face.

"I'm sorry, honey." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"I'll take them to school, we can have a quickie before I go to work, yeah?" Harry smiled.

"Cheeky." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "But alright, Mister Potter."