A/N: I had no idea what to name baby Diggory, so I left it up to you guys, and I got a few responses. So thank you to everyone who messaged me their suggestions! The winning name is...
"Kateri!" Lexi shouted out the back door of the Diggory house. The house was full of guests for her daughter's third birthday. The back yard was less occupied, the chill February air kept most people inside. Lexi had been searching for the girl for almost ten minutes and there was no sign of her. She started to panic. It was unreasonable for her to worry so much, but she had been paranoid about loosing her daughter since the death of the little girl's father.
"She's over here, Lex!" Patricia Stimpson, one of Lexi's best friends, called from where she stood in the dead-looking garden, talking to a group of friends.
Lexi sighed in relief and walked out into the garden just in time to see her daughter's long curly chestnut hair disappear behind a tree.
"Kateri." Lexi called her again. The tiny girl's head popped out from behind the tree, her smile stretching from ear to ear, her gray eyes sparkling. Lexi held out her arms to her. "Where have you been, baby girl?"
Kateri ran as fast as her little legs could carry her into her mother's arms. Lexi picked her up and hugged her tightly. "I was pwaying hide and seek with Ruby." came her bubbly, soprano answer. Ruby was Lexi's six year old sister, and Kateri's aunt in a technical sense.
Ruby ran outside from the house. "Lexi! You ruined the game!"
"Mum's looking for you." Lexi informed her sister, ignoring her whining. She had very little tolerance for her family, although that was hardly Ruby's fault. Lexi tried not to think about the time after her parents found out she was pregnant at the age of seventeen, it brought out a negative side to her character. She looked down at her daughter for a distraction. "Why are you out here without a coat, Kateri? You know better than that."
"I didn' have time." she looked at her mother innocently. "Ruby counts too fast."
She was too cute. Lexi and the people around who had been listening burst out laughing.
"What does Mum want?" Ruby inquired.
"She and Dad are leaving."
Ruby groaned as they stepped into the house. Their parents were saying good bye and thank you to the Diggorys when they entered.
"Mum, I don't want to go." Ruby complained, tugging on her mother's arm, trying to get her attention.
"Too bad, It's getting late." she replied, then turned back to Mrs. Diggory. "Thanks again, Catherine. We had fun. Now, where's my big granddaughter?" she turned to Lexi and held out her arms, expecting Lexi to pass Kateri to her.
The memory was hard to suppress this time.
Lexi woke up when the drapes on her windows were suddenly thrown open, letting the blazing sun shine into her room.
"Get up!" her mother snapped at her.
"No." Lexi covered her head with her pillow. Her mother yanked the pillow off her head and threw the sheets off of her. Instinctively, Lexi pulled her arms around her stomach, protecting the small bump that was forming there.
"Yes. We have to go school shopping today. It's the only day your father has off."
"What?!" Lexi stared at her mother in confusion.
"School shopping. You're going back to school in a week."
"We've talked about this a million time, Mum. I'm not going back to school."
"Honey, you should have thought about that before you got yourself pregnant."
"You're not making any sense." Lexi crawled out of her bed and followed the smell of freshly made eggs to the kitchen.
"No, you need to take some responsibility. You got yourself into this mess, now you're going to have to deal with the consequences." her mother told her pointedly. She saw her father sitting at the table, slowly eating his eggs, while trying to feed some to Ruby as well. Jake and Russell were plowing through there portions. They were anxious to get to Diagon Alley because this was going to be their first year at Hogwarts. But Lexi was in no mood to eat anymore, she felt sick at her mother's words.
"You think I don't want to go back to school because I'm embarrassed?"
"It doesn't matter what your reason is, you're not throwing away your education because of your…situation."
"Mum, my fiancé died at that school." she choked on the last few words and felt tears coming into her eyes. "You really can't expect me to go back there."
"Lexi, you were with Cedric all of two months, and in that time he managed to get you pregnant and screw up your entire life. I'm not going to let that happen to you."
"You're mother is right, Lexi." her father piped up.
"I can't believe this." Lexi looked between her parent. "I told you I would get a job so I can get my own place. I'm not asking you to help me support my child. How am I not being responsible?"
"Because you don't understand the depth of this situation, Lexi. Raising a child is a big deal. You need your education. And Hogwarts can help with the baby after it's born. They have everything you need there. Why can't you see that this is your best option?"
"Why can't you see that Cedric died there?!"
"Lexi, if you're going to live your life to the fullest, you need to move on from Cedric Diggory."
Lexi stopped moving. She glared hard at her mother.
"I've made up my mind, Lex. You don't have to go to school, but if you don't you do not have a place to stay under this roof."
Lexi saw what she was doing. She was trying to force her into going back to Hogwarts using threats. Well, two could play at that game.
"Fine."
Lexi didn't even bother changing out of her night clothes. She marched right out the front door and apparated to the house near Ottery St. Catchpole that belonged to the Diggorys. Nearly in tears, she knocked on the door. Mrs. Diggory answered it.
"Lexi?" she saw that Lexi was crying and pulled her into a hug. "Is everything okay, sweetie?"
"Can… can I stay with you for a little bit?"
"Of course, dear." Mrs. Diggory lead her into the house.
"Lexi." her mother called her attention back. Reluctantly, Lexi handed Kateri to her. She watched as the woman, who initially thought Kateri was an unfortunate event, kissed the little girl on her forehead. It made Lexi's stomach queasy. She had forgiven her parents for not being there for her in her time of need, but she couldn't forgive them for what they said in the beginning about Cedric and Kateri.
She saw Kateri squirming to get out of her grandmother's arms as she said good bye to Amos Diggory. Lexi took her back quickly; she knew Kateri didn't like to be held for long, Lexi being the only exception to that rule. Kateri loved being in Lexi's arms just as much as Lexi loved her being there.
The Beckhams took there leave, followed shortly by the rest of the guests, by which time Kateri was fast asleep on the couch. Lexi picked her up and headed to the front door.
"Here." Catherine Diggory passed her a magically wrapped plate with slices of birthday cake on it. "Amos doesn't need to be eating it."
"Thanks, Catherine."
Kateri stirred in her arms. "Momma, I wanna see Daddy." she yawned.
"Not tonight, sweetheart. Say good bye to grandma." Lexi kissed her cheek.
"But you pwomised." Kateri reminded her as she leaned over to give Catherine a hug. "Bye-bye, Granma."
"We can go tomorrow, baby girl." she waved good bye to the Diggorys and went out the door.
"Momma, are you going to appawate home?"
"Yes. Hold on tight."
Kateri's hold around her neck tightened, and Lexi spun on the spot. With a pop she was standing in front of a flat on the out skirts of London. Kateri's arms loosened.
"I don' like appawating." she told her mother.
"I know." Lexi put the cake plate on the kitchen counter and headed down the hall where both their bedrooms branched off.
"Momma, can I seep with you tonight?"
"Why don't you want to sleep in your room?"
"It's my birthday. Please?"
Lexi couldn't say no when Kateri gave her those pleading eyes. "Okay. But only tonight."
Kateri jumped out of her arms and onto the bed, no longer appearing tired at all. Lexi swept her off her feet and laid her down on the pillow. "First, no jumping on the bed. Second, just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you get to skip out on brushing your teeth. Now go get ready for bed."
Kateri jumped off the bed and ran down the hall towards the bathroom. Lexi sighed; it had been a long day. She sat on the edge of her bed and picked up the picture of Cedric she kept on her nightstand. She had vowed before Kateri was born that she would make sure her daughter knew who her father was.
She had started with his name.
Her face was hot and sweaty, and her hair was a clumpy mess, but after eight hours of labor she now held her knew baby daughter in her arms. The baby's eyes were closed, but her tiny hand was curling around Lexi's finger. She wished she could see the color of her baby's eyes; she prayed they belonged to her father.
"Do you have a name picked out, Miss Beckham?" the nurse asked her.
"Yes. Kateri Elizabeth…" Lexi hesitated on the last name, not sure which to give. Then she looked at the two people who had been in the room with her throughout the labor. Amos and Catherine Diggory were smiling down at their grandchild in complete adoration. "Does she look like him?" she asked them.
"Very much so." Mrs. Diggory ran her finger over her granddaughter's rosy cheek.
"Kateri Elizabeth Diggory." she told the nurse resolutely.
"Diggory?" the nurse looked at her, confused.
"Yes. Her father's last name is Diggory."
"Lexi…" both Amos and Catherine were looking at her in surprise.
"She's a Diggory, Amos."
He smiled at her, the proudest smile she had seen on him since the day they met.
Kateri came back into the room, styling her favorite purple nightgown. She did look like Cedric. Her prayer had been answered, Kateri had Cedric's eyes, and his nose, and his beautiful facial structure. But she had Lexi's smile, and when she used that feature her entire face would glow and everyone in the vicinity would have no choice but to smile as well.
She was smiling now. "Mum, can you tell me a story?" she asked as Lexi picked her up onto the bed beside her. Kateri snuggled into her mother's side.
"Of course, baby. What do you want to hear?"
"Tell me about Daddy and the dragon."
"You've heard that one a thousand times." Lexi exaggerated 'thousand,' making Kateri laugh, a light bubbly sound.
"I wanna hear it again." Kateri demanded.
Lexi pulled the sheets up and settled them both in. "You're spoiled rotten. You know that, right?"
Kateri smiled and nodded.
Lexi took a deep breath before delving into the story.
A/N: just in case you were wondering how to pronounce Kateri, its like cat-ur-IE. or like Katerina (NOT Katrina) without the -na. lol