The Best Day
.
.
.
.
.
Lily was five years old the first time she went to get pumpkins with her daddy. Teddy, James, and Al ran ahead, screaming in delight, while Lily hung behind, holding her father's hand. Harry Potter, Lily's father, made no comment. He knew that Lily was quiet, and when she wanted to join her brothers and Teddy in the fall leaves, she would go.
Ginny, Lily's mother, kissed the little girl's auburn hair and tucked a small lock behind the girl's hair. Lily smiled shyly, but didn't move. Harry lifted Lily into his arms, and sat her on his shoulders. She let out a cry of delight, giggling. Harry let out a chocked laugh at his baby girl's reaction. He watched his boys from the corner of his eyes, but when Ginny ran and jumped into leave pile after them, he knew they would be just fine.
"Daddy!" Lily cried, seeing her mother throw red and gold leaves at Teddy, who retaliated with dumping a huge pile on her head. "Daddy, let's go play in the leaves!"
Harry glanced up at her, and then grinned. He lifted her up and swung her around, then let her down. Laughing, she ran towards the leaf pile and leapt in, her hair flying behind her. He took off after her, and buried himself in the leaves, then surprised Ginny by lifting her up out of the pile and into his arms. She let out a cry as Teddy, James, and Al roared with laughter. Lily stared into the sunset.
.
.
.
.
.
When it was time to leave, Lily was yawning, while Al was asleep on his feet. James, being older than both his sibling at age ten, walked back to the tractor that would take them back to their car. Teddy beat him to it, having the most energy at age thirteen.
"Daddy," Lily mumbled as the climbed into their seats.
"Yes, dear?" Harry asked, running his fingers through her hair, getting out twigs and leaves as he went.
Lily licked her lips and yawned tiredly. "Why do the leaves change? And how far away is Snow White?"
Harry frowned. "Well," he began, glancing down at her. But he just smiled fondly and looked at Ginny, who held Al to her chest while James and Teddy talked quietly about the golden sky. Lily was already fast asleep.
.
.
.
.
.
Lily didn't return home as happy camper. In fact, when Harry saw her at King's Cross Station, picking her up for Spring Break, she had tears in her eyes as she stormed away from her friends. Harry's concern spiked when she just wrapped her arms around him, leaving her bags behind her. She sniffed and cried into his shirt, grabbing at it desperately. "How can they be so mean to me, Daddy?" she asked quietly.
Harry knew he had to do something. Lily hadn't called him Daddy since she was seven year old. She was thirteen now. Something was definitely wrong. He just wrapped his arm around her shoulder and shrunk her bags with his wand. He stuffed them into his pocket and glared at the girls Lily called friends as he guided her away, still crying.
Harry made sure Lily was secure in the passenger seat before he got in and drove from the Station. Lily sniffed as they patrolled the streets of London, something that Harry normally found tedious, and she knew it. Lily sniffed again, her tears drying as they pulled into a dirt parking lot outside downtown. "Why are we here, Dad?" she asked.
"I thought you could use a break, sweetheart. Com'on, we're going to forget whoever or whatever made you cry and just have some fun. Sound good?" Harry said, slipped the keys for the car into his jacket pocket and held out his other arm for Lily to take. With a smile, Lily took it, and Harry led her into town.
It wasn't an hour later that she was laughing, her tears long gone, and Harry knew he'd solved the problem for now.
.
.
.
.
.
Lily was fifteen when she found the video labeled "Daddy's Princess Paints". She knew she was 'Daddy's Princess', but she couldn't recall ever painting. Al looked over her shoulder and laughed. "I remember that, Lily," he told her. "Put it in, it's so funny."
She shoved her brother and heard him stumble, clearly having not expected it, and she slid the tape into the video player.
It was fuzzy at first, but the video cleared. Lily recognized her house's kitchen. Teddy was standing off to the side with James, arguing over something, and soon, Ginny joined the scene and broke the fight up. They were sent to their rooms, and Ginny sent the camera holder an exasperated look before disappearing again. "Daddy! Daddy!" a girl's voice cried. The camera turned to face the younger Lily, who was drenched in different color paints. She was stomping her foot in frustration, and the camera shook as Harry laughed.
"Oh, Lily," he said, and the video ended there. It was clear that he'd gone to clean her up, and Lily felt the memory come back to her. She'd painted a picture of a girl in a high tower- a princess- being held captive by pirates while the prince was waiting to get the princess to safety. She smiled, and felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see her father, with his eyebrows raised. She just gave him her brightest smile and left for her bedroom.
.
.
.
.
.
My dad is amazing, understanding, wonderful, and just plain brilliant. Everyday is a whole new adventure, and he gets it. He really does.
A memory of a time a pumpkin patch came to me late last night. I asked him why the leaves change in the fall. I know, logically, that it's because of the colder weather, but I like to think of it, sometimes, that they change simply because people expect them to. A stupid notion, really, but a nice thought all the same.
I love you, Daddy. Thank you for giving me a thousand and one "Best Days"
Lily closed the diary and smiled sadly at the cover. She was nineteen now, and was engaged to be married to a wonderful boy named Xavier. But she'd never forget her childhood, she knew. Lily just hoped she could live up to her parents and give her future children the best time they could ask for.