Mockingbird
By Montley
"Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird won't sing, mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring," Ginny sang softly to her six-month old baby before she planted a kiss on the baby's forehead and laid her down in the crib as the child cooed and sank into sweet dreams.
"Mummy," little five-year old James called as he stood from the doorway, watching his mother, who he thought was the prettiest person he had ever seen. Ginny turned away from the crib, her hand throwing itself against her chest. But when her eyes landed on James she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh Jamesy, you startled me," she said, breathing slowly to herself.
"Do I get a mockingbird too?" he asked, his tiny head titled to the side.
"Of course, sweetheart, come here baby," Ginny answered, kneeling to the floor of the nursery, opening her arms for a hug. James rushed towards his mother, and she wrapped him in a tight hug. She maneuvered James to get her to face him, and he stared at his mother's big, brown eyes, the ones that matched his own. His mother started running her fingers through James' jet black hair, and she planted a small kiss on his cheek.
"When am I getting it?" he questioned.
"What Jamesy?"
"The mockingbird!" James groaned, stomping his tiny foot on the ground.
"Be quiet Jamesy or you'll wake Lily," Ginny warned, pressing a finger against James' lips.
James nodded his head and pressed a finger against Ginny's lips, and she quietly giggled before she stuck out her tongue and licked James' finger.
"Ew! Mummy, enough," James moaned, pushing his mother's finger away from his lips. Ginny kept giggling as she ran her fingers up James' sides and began tickling him. He tried slapping her hands away, but he crumbled to the floor and began laughing along with her.
"E-enough, m-mummy," James stuttered out through his laughs. Ginny hovered her face over James' and planted a kiss on his forehead, before exchanging eskimo kisses with him as he laughed with her.
"You know honey, I'm still mad for what you did to Albus today," Ginny announced to her son, whose face crinkled with disgust.
"I only drew a mustache on his face," James muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting his lips.
"That was wrong though, Jamesy. You have to learn right from wrong," Ginny told him as she sat him up and they were both kneeling on the ground.
"But Al was wrong too!" James insisted.
"Why? What did Al do?" Ginny questioned, slightly amused at her son's antics, holding James' hands in hers.
"He woke up Lily," James mumbled. "And I have to protect Lily."
"Why do you have to do that?" Ginny asked, becoming more entertained with her son.
"Because I'm her big brother," he claimed, pointing one of his thumbs towards his chest, which he stuck out proudly.
"And you're Al's as well," she mentioned.
"But Al's stupid," James moaned.
"Don't say that about your brother again or the tickle monster will return, but you will have to apologize to Albus," Ginny said with a Transylvanian accent, resembling Dracula's, and James laughed at his mother, staring into her big, brown eyes which he could not help but adore.
"Silly mummy," James said with a slight laugh.
"Ginny! Can you help me with Al!" James suddenly heard his father call from a different part of their home. James noticed his mother sigh before standing up and arching her back behind her as she stretched it out. James stood up with her and watched her start to leave the room.
"Oh, James, will you watch Lily for me," Ginny asked with a wink, and James eagerly nodded his head before rushing towards the crib.
He stared at his sleeping little sister, who was wearing a soft, cotton outfit and a small hat on the top of her head. James listened to her breathing in and out as he breathed along with her, trying to get them to maintain the same pattern.
He reached his hand inside the crib and placed his hand on top of Lily's. It was warm and soft, and James clutched it in his, not wanting to let go for he knew he had to protect her.
"Hush, little baby, don't say a word. James's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird won't sing, James's gonna buy you a diamond ring," James sang out of tune to his little sister.
Suddenly she stirred in her crib, and James's heart began beating faster, not wanting her to wake up, or his mother would be angry. He looked at Lily right as she opened her eyes, revealing her big, brown eyes that matched James's. She did not cry, not even a little, as she stared into her big brother's eyes, her lips forming a wide smile, the first one James had seen from her.
"I'm going to protect you, Lily," he declared to her in a whisper, and her teeny fingers grabbed onto his hand, and he bent his head towards his sister and kissed her on the forehead, not noticing Ginny and Harry at the doorway with doting smiles on their faces before they shared a kiss of their own.
A/N: This was written for the Fanfiction Tournaments Competition, the final round!