Harry Potter woke to the sound of giggling females. He groaned and stretched, glancing at the clock. Merlin, seven o'clock, in the morning!
He scratched himself, and half sat up. "Hello? Who's there?" he called.
More giggles. "It's us, Papa."
"Well, come in, us," teased Harry.
His bedroom door flung open and two girls ran in and jumped on his bed, both hugging him at the same time.
"Happy Birthday, Papa," they said together, as they often did.
Harry hugged them back, and kissed each one on their cheek. "Thank you, my girls."
"We made you breakfast, Papa," said one.
"Dobby," called the other.
POP Dobby appeared,, carrying a tray. "Many happy wishes to you on your birthday, Master Harry," he said grandly, making the two girls giggle again.
"Thanks, Dobby. My word, my breakfast looks delicious," said Harry, enthusiastically.
"Really, Papa?" asked one girl. "I made the pancakes."
"I told her Papa, that eggs and bacon would be better, but she insisted. I made the tea," said the other.
Harry looked at the tray. The three misshapen pancakes still looked a bit wet at the edges, and the tea was way too milky for Harry's tastes, but he took a sip and a bite and proclaimed it the best breakfast he ever ate.
"That's what you said last year, Papa," giggled one girl.
"Is it better than last years?" asked the other girl, worriedly.
"Of course it is. My girls are a whole year older, and make better breakfasts now," praised Harry, sipping his tea.
"We forgot Papa's card and present," said one girl.
"Let's go and get it now," said the other, and the two girls jumped off the bed and ran to their bedroom.
"A thousand apologies, Master Harry. They forbade Dobby from helping them," said a distressed Dobby. He clicked his fingers and the pancakes were light and fluffy, and the tea was exactly as Harry liked it.
"Thanks, Dobby. But mum's the word, okay?" said Harry, tapping his nose to indicate it was a secret. He hungrily gobbled up the pancakes before the girls returned. When they did, he was finishing off his tea. Dobby had taken the tray back to the kitchen.
"Here, Papa, here," cried one girl excitedly, as she climbed onto his bed again, stumbling a bit. Both girls settled either side of him, cuddling with him as he looked at his card.
"I drew the front," said one girl. She pointed at the stick figure with black hair. "That's you, Papa, crying cos you're old," she said.
"Why, it looks just like me," said Harry, in astonishment.
The girl beamed. "Open it up," she said excitedly.
"I drew that picture, Papa," said the other girl, pointing to the picture on the left side. "That's you, me and Teddy."
"Me and my two girls," said Harry. "It's brilliant! But who's this?" he pointed to another female figure standing next to him.
"We drew that together," they both said.
"See, that's me and Elly, Papa," said Teddy, pointing. Harry nodded.
"And that's you," said Elly, pointing to the familiar stick figure with black hair who now had a happy face.
Harry nodded again. "I'm happy again! But who's this? Don't tell me I have another daughter?" he teased.
Elly giggled. "Silly Papa, there's only me and Teddy."
Teddy nodded. "That's your birthday present. A wife for you-"
"-and a Mum for us," they chorused.
Harry was surprised. "A-a wife? Well, where is she? Did you wrap her up?" He looked around the room.
Teddy and Elly giggled. "Silly Papa, we haven't found her yet. We thought you should help us. We know what we want in a mum, but we don't know what you want for a wife."
"I don't know. This bed is only big enough for us. If I had a wife, I'd need a bigger bed," said Harry.
Teddy shrugged. "So get a bigger bed. I want a mum."
Harry smiled, that was his Theodora, practical as ever. Just like Remus, although she was as clumsy as Tonks.
"Mums and dads spend a lot of time in bed, so a bigger one would be good," said Elly. "That's what Vicky told us," she said, when Harry looked at her in surprise. She blushed slightly, and her hair changed to a silver blonde, like Victoire Weasley's. Harry smiled at her, his Elladora, so like her mother, Tonks, although she shared her father's love of learning.
"Well, if I see someone who I think will make the best mum for you, I'll let you know. Right now, I have to get up and go to work," said Harry, pretending to get up.
The girls laughed and pulled him back down. "Papa, it's a holiday today, remember? For your birthday! Grandma Molly told us," said Teddy.
"Well, so it is. Hmm, Grandma Molly must have forgotten, because she usually invites me over for tea and a big birthday cake," said Harry, frowning.
"She didn't forget, Papa, but it's a surprise," said Elly, earnestly.
"Elly! You told," scolded Teddy.
"I didn't tell him about the party," said Elly, defensively.
"Well, you did now," scowled Teddy. She shrugged as she looked at Harry. "We're having a party at the Burrow for you."
"A surprise party," corrected Elly.
"Not any more," said Teddy.
"I'll pretend to be surprised, okay. Grandma Molly will never know I knew about it," said Harry.
"So what else are we going to do today, Papa," said Elly.
"Anything my girls want," said Harry.
"Can we go to Diagon Alley? Maybe we'll find a wife for you there," said Teddy.
"Is there a new shop at Diagon Alley that I don't know about? Do I get to pick out a wife from a catalogue?" teased Harry.
"There should be a shop like that," grinned Elly, excitedly. "One for wives and one for mums."
"You girls really want a mum, hey?" asked Harry, curiously.
Both girls nodded vigorously. "Plus a wife for you, Papa. You've been all alone for a really, really long time," said Teddy.
"I'm not alone, I've got you both," said Harry.
"It's not the same," said Teddy, wisely, as both girls shook their heads.
"Papa, we're nearly eight, soon we'll be off to Hogwarts, and you'll be all alone," said Teddy.
"and lonely," said Elly, grabbing his hand and holding it in her little one.
"I'll have Dobby," said Harry, although he hated reminders that the girls were growing up so fast. What would he do when the girls went to Hogwarts?
"Don't worry, Papa. We'll find you the best wife," said Elly, squeezing his hand.
"And mum for us," reminded Teddy.
"Then we'll be a family, a real family with a mum and a dad," said Elly.
"Just like that," said Teddy, pointing to the stick family drawn on his card.
"They do look happy," mused Harry. He shrugged. "Okay. Operation Find-a Mum-"
"and a Wife," reminded Teddy.
"Operation 'Find a Mum and Wife' is on," nodded Harry. He put his hand out. "Who's with me?"
Elly lay her hand on Harry's, and Teddy placed hers on top of Elly's. "Go, team," they chorused.
"Now, let's get dressed and...what do you say to a day at the zoo and a picnic before we go to the Burrow?" asked Harry.
"Yay," they chorused, scrambling off the bed to go and get dressed.
Harry took his time getting out of bed. As he showered he pondered what the girls had said.
He had to admit, he did get lonely for female companionship at times. The girls were great, and he'd been their sole parent for most of their lives, after their grandmother had died six months after the final battle. It had been quite an adjustment to his life, but one he had never regretted.
He had the occasional date, but there weren't too many he trusted with the care of the girls, and none of the women he'd dated were interested in becoming instant mothers to twin girls. In the end he decided it was easier to meet someone who he had sexual chemistry with, and who knew the score. Dinner, then back to hers, to sate his natural base urges. No fuss, no muss, and he was good for another month or two. The longest he'd gone had been about six months.
He'd always worried that he wasn't enough for the girls, but both Molly and Hermione told him he was doing wonderfully with them. The three were a team, Team Potter, as he had officially adopted them. He loved them as if they were his own, yet never let them forget Remus and Tonks.
He would do anything for his girls, and if that meant finding them the best mother he could find, then he'd certainly give it a try. He knew they were getting to the age where they'd need a woman's guidance. Elly had already mentioned a boy she liked at her school, and Harry wasn't looking forward to manouvering the teenage years. He could definitely use some female assistance.
After all, he reasoned, the fringe benefits for him were a bonus.
/*/*/*/*
Harry left the girls with Hermione, as they ' had things to do', which Harry took to mean wrapping his real present. Hermione promised to bring them through the Floo just as soon as her boyfriend, Simon, came to her apartment.
Harry Flooed to the Burrow, happy to be spending the end of the day with the people he considered his family. With today being a national holiday in their world, most of the Weasleys would be there. Harry wasn't sure if Bill and Fleur had returned from France, where they visited her family this time every year to celebrate their anniversary. The only other absent Weasleys were Charlie and Ginny, with one in Romania, and one in America.
Ginny. Harry was surprised how much he missed her when she first left. They'd become close friends his sixth year, her fifth at Hogwarts, and after the battle she'd been one of the ones he'd been desperate to see, to make sure she was all right. He'd stood by her, offering her comfort and support during Fred's funeral. She'd reciprocated, being his pillar as he dealt with grief and the public invasion of his life. With Ron and Hermione, finally together and in Australia looking for her parents, Harry and Ginny spent more and more time together.
He'd missed her when she and Hermione returned to Hogwarts, then, with the death of Andromeda, she'd helped him with the girls the summer months before she started with the Harpies. She'd had two good seasons with the Wales based team, before
she'd been offered a trade to an American team. To everyone's surprise, she accepted.
Trips to America became a regular thing for the Weasleys, to visit their daughter and sister. Harry had always intended to go too, and take the girls, but his new position as part time Auror trainer had needed him to stay in England over the summer. When Molly had offered to take the girls to give him a break, he accepted. Somehow he had never gotten to visit Ginny, although she wrote often to him and the girls, who adored her, and spent the few weeks after their holiday talking about her.
She'd never married, but had a daughter. Elly and Teddy had gushed about how cute she was, suggesting they should get a new baby. As Fleur had just had Dominique, and his girls had a love/hate relationship with Victoire, Harry had brushed it off. Still, he would like to see Ginny again, and the girls would have fun in America.
" Who're you?" The voice was not welcoming, but suspicious.
Harry looked down. A little girl, red hair in two plaits stood there, hands on her little hips as she looked at him suspiciously. She had on a Harpies jersey, and looked like a mini Ginny.
" I'm Harry," he said, smiling at her. He moved to go past her, wondering if she was one of Molly or Domi's friends, she was about the same age.
She moved to block him. " You can't go in dere," she said.
" I think they're expecting me," he said, stepping to the left.
She moved to the left, too. " You can't go in dere," she said stubbornly. She pulled out a WWW toy wand. " I'll hex you," she threatened.
Harry held up his hands. " Fine, you got me. I won't go in there."
She eyed him cautiously. " You can't leave, but."
Harry wanted to chuckle, she was so cute. " Where should I go?"
She took his hand. " In here," she said, opening the large walk in pantry. "We're waiting for Nebil to come, then we get to yell surprise for him and you."
Harry heard Molly call out.
" I gotta go. Stay here," she said, shutting the door. He heard her small footsteps run away.
He stayed there for several minutes, looking at the food in Molly's pantry. He found his birthday cake and a treacle tart, which made his mouth water. Just as he was deciding to risk the wrath of a little girl, the door opened.
" Hey, can I-" he began, when Neville was ushered in, and the door was slammed shut behind them.
" Hey, Happy Birthday Harry," chuckled Neville.
" You too, for yesterday," said Harry, and the two men shared a hug, just as the door burst open.
Harry and Neville stopped and stared.
" Am I interrupting something?" drawled Ginny, amused.
" Gin?" asked Harry, taken aback to see her standing right in front of him after just thinking of her.
" I think it's about time you two came out of the closet," she grinned. " Unless you wanted some privacy."
" Bite me, Weasley," said Neville, grinning as he pushed past Harry to get to Ginny. He picked her up and hugged her, spinning her around till she shrieked for him to stop. "Besides, it's a pantry, not a closet."
Harry stepped forward. " Ginny."
Ginny turned to him, smiling. " Harry. Merlin, it's been too long."
The two friends hugged tightly, then pulled apart. " I've missed you so," she admitted.
He hugged her again, inhaling her familiar flowery fragrance. " This is the best birthday present I could have got," he told her softly.
She laughed. " I'm not your birthday present, but speaking of...Happy Birthday! Oh, Merlin, the party."
" Mummy?"
Ginny, Harry and Neville turned to see the little girl standing there. " Grandma said when Harry and Nebil get here, we can start the party. So come on," she gestured.
Ginny picked her up. " Thank you, sweetheart. Did Elly and Teddy come through with Aunt Hermione?"
The little girl nodded, looping an arm around her shoulders.
" Gin, this is your daughter?" asked Harry.
Ginny turned, and Harry could see the resemblance. " Yes, this is my daughter, Em. Em, this is Harry."
" Hi," the little girl said, wriggling to get down. She grabbed one of Harry's hands, and one of Neville's. " Come on, everyone is waiting." She dragged them outside. " They're coming," she called out.
" Surprise!" every one yelled.
Harry and Neville both laughed as their friends and family surrounded them, to hug and kiss the birthday boys. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Ginny approach his daughters to smother them in a typical Weasley hug, which the girls happily reciprocated.
" Come on, eat, there's plenty of food," encouraged Molly, gesturing to the over laden tables.
Harry grinned at Neville. Just another typical celebration at the Burrow.