Here is my entry for the Mother and Child Competition by My Dear Professor MCGonagall. My mother-daughter pair were Ginny and Lily. I had so much fun!
Disclaimer: HP is not mine!
Ginny yawned and streached before pushing open the kitchen door. It was past midnight, but she just couldn't sleep. The whole family was gathered at the Burrow for the Christmas holidays. Ginny had forgotten just how loudly Charlie snored, even from the next room. The first thing she notcied was the cold draught whispering around the corners of the room. She frowed and looked to the door. It was ajar, slowly swinging open and closed on it's hinges as the wind swirled into the room.
Ginny looked around the room, suspicious, and slowly drew out her wand from her pocket. She moved slowly towards the door, heart pounding, the bat bogey hex she still favoured on the tip of her tongue.
But as Ginny peered through the door her frown was replaced with a soft smile. Lily was walking off through the trees and into the orchard behind the Burrow, a dreamy look on her face. Carefully Ginny tiptoed back down to the cupboard and grabbed a big warm blanket. Then she shut the door quietly behind her and made her way down the path after Lily.
Lily wove between the trees and up the meandering path to the clearing where the Weasleys played Quidditch. She paused in the middle and spread out her arms, breathing deeply and spinning in a circle, a blissful expression on her face. Then Lily paused and stared up at the moon, the grin still wide as ever.
"Honey?" Ginny said softly, smiling in amusment at Lily's obvious happiness. Lily whirled around.
"Mum, you gave me a heart-attack! What are you doing walking around outside at night?" She gasped, a hand on her chest to slow her pounding heart, looking sheepish and slightly annoyed. Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"What am I doing walking arounds outside at night?" She asked, supressing a laugh. Lily stuck out her tongue as Ginny joined her in the middle of the field.
"You know what I mean." Lily insisted. Ginny stuck out her tongue back and Lily rolled her eyes. Nehind the humour thoughm Ginny noticed Lily was starting to shiver.
"I was following you- you forgot a coat." Ginny said firmly, wrapping her blanket warmly around their shoulders. The pair walked slowly up the orchard and sat under a tree at the opposite end, the Burrow visable through the dark in the distance. It was almost a full moon and the light glinted off the windows. It looked mysterious with the lights off, instead of glowing and welcoming as it was in the evening. But no one was awake now, and the house had fallen into darkness. It was so odd to see the Burrow looking empty, and a little disconcerting.
"How're you going at school?" Ginny asked. "I haven't a chance for a chat, you being off with your cousins all day."
"It's fine Mum." Lily answered. Being a good deal shorter then her mother, she curled up against Ginny's side and yawned.
"It's odd now Albus has left, and I miss him." she chuckled "Probably more then I missed James, because with Albus there's none of the relief in no longer having to watch everything you eat and everywhere you sit that softened James leaving."
Ginny smiled fondly, thinking of Fred and George in their school days, the familiar bitersweet pang rising in her chest at the memories. It had been the same for her when they'd left. "Oh, I know."
"It's odd being the only Potter at school though. I get all the stares from the first years who aren't used to it yet. They used to focus on Al because he looked so much like Dad."
Ginny planted a kiss on her head, "That's the hard part about being a Potter- you get stared at a lot."
Lily laughed and her eyes sparkled the same way Ginny's always did, drawing a proud smile from her mother.
There was a sleepy silence as the two looked out over the Burrow. From their spot on the Hill they could see a line of gnomes (all charmed flourecent pink by James and Fred that afternoon) tottering back through the hedge.
"What were you so happy about before?" Ginny asked after a long moment. Lily blushed slightly, her blush had never been the vivid red Weasley-blush her brothers had inherited, but it still glowed on her ears before creeping across her face.
"Nothing mum." She glanced suddenly to the side, where they could see nothing but trees. The direction, Ginny realised, of the Lovegood house, where Luna, Rolf and the boys were spending the holidays with their Grandad. "It's just..."
Lily trailed off again. Ginny watched the blush deepen and probed gently. "Does the house over the way have anything to do with it? The inhabitants of said house perhaps...?"
Lily smiled guiltily, half-giggled, and then said in a rush "Yeahsortofmaybe."
Ginny nodded encouragingly.
"I just – recently – it's just – well, Luna's your best friend and – The Scamanders have been coming over receently. And I see the boys at school. And I – Lorcan is – I really like him!" She stammered, embarassed and sort of seeking Ginny's approval. Ginny beamed.
"Oh honey, that's so sweet." She said warmly and enthusiastically, loving the idea of Lily and Lorcan. She smiled to herself at the idea of how Molly would react if they became a couple. She's love it more then anything for the Scamanders to become even closer family.
The Longbottoms would become official family soon if James would hurry and get around to asking, and Molly was already going nuts. Ginny could just imagine her delight at more new members of the Weasley clan. If Lily and Lorcan become an item things would be so pefect... But Ginny was getting ahead of herself. It was just a crush, nothing was happening... yet.
"He's so sweet." Lily said earnestly, and a little breathlessly. "It's like spending time with Lorcan is sort of perfect. And I like him more and more the more I get to know him. Though of course, I know him pretty well already!"
Ginny gave Lily another squeeze, thinking of those long ago days with Harry as the object of her affections, when she'd merely watch him from afar. "I know just how you feel."
"But Mum," Lily's tone was serious and she pulled back to see Ginny's face. "You can't intervene or try and match-make. James might have been dumb enough not to see what you and Grandma were doing, but I'll notice. And Lorcan's so perceptive. It'll be just embarassing if he works it out."
"Of course I won't get in the way." Ginny said sincerely. Lily smiled at Ginny's feverent tone. It was one of the things she loved about her mother, Ginny always understood how she flet being the only girl in a house of boys. She always understood Lily.
"Thanks Mum," Lily whispered. They fell silent again and in companiable silence Lily thought of Lorcan while Ginny thought of Harry.
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