Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights belong to their respectful owners. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes.
Gotta hold on easy as I let you go
Gonna tell you how much I love you
Though you think you already know
I remember I thought you looked like an angel
Wrapped in pink, so soft and warm
You've had me wrapped around your finger
Since the day you were born
You beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road
That'll lead you home again
Go on take on this whole world
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl
"Happy birthday, darling," Ginny exclaimed at she pulled her youngest child into a hug from behind. Lily tightly held onto her mother's arms in return, never taking her gaze from the scene in front of her. Lily was young and had only remembered seeing so much and so many presents at Christmas. She couldn't even begin to comprehend that everything she saw was all for her.
"Happy birthday, Lily," James smiled from his seat. He held his younger sister's gaze for only a moment before returning his attention to the food that currently decorated his plate. He loved birthdays merely for the reason that it was a day he could eat anything and everything he wanted and his mother could not scold him.
Albus, with food currently clogging his mouth, nodded vigorously to agree with James. He was happy to celebrate his younger sister's birthday, but, like James, was even happier to eat all the food.
Ginny smiled at her children, rolled her eyes, and then glanced in the direction of her husband. Harry was currently leaning against a wall, arms crossed over his chest, taking in the whole scene. He couldn't believe that his daughter was turning three today. He didn't want to believe it. Yes, Lily was only turning three, but soon it would be thirteen. He didn't want to watch her grow up and he most certainly did not want to let her go.
As he watched Lily, he wondered where the days had gone. It seemed that just yesterday she was a tiny newborn baby. He could still remember the way she felt cradled in his arms. She had been so soft, so warm. Lily being his third child, he was used to holding babies by then, but there was something different about her. Holding a small girl wasn't the same as holding a small boy.
He remembered that when he first held James, Harry thought of him as a miracle. Even from the moment Ginny had told him she was pregnant, he had never fully believed. He had never fully believed that he could be a father, that he would now be responsible for another human life. But he was and he loved his son more than anything. And when Albus was born, Harry had the same feeling—not fully believing, but completely loving the child in his arms. But when Lily was born, he felt a different sensation all together running through him. This baby, this little girl in his arms, wasn't just a miracle—no, she was far more than that. She was an angel, sent straight down from heaven. She was sent to prove to him the good he had done in his youth and she was sent to grace his life with her very presence.
There was no denying that Harry thought his baby held the moon and could no wrong and was going to make an amazing young woman one day. But that still didn't mean he wanted to watch her grow up.
When you were in trouble that crooked little smile
Could melt my heart of stone
Now look at you, I've turned around
And you've almost grown
Sometimes you're asleep I whisper 'I love you'
In the moonlight at your door
As I walk away, I hear you say
'Daddy, love you more'
You beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road
That'll lead you home again
Go on take on this whole world
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl
Harry was thankful that the summer had finally come. When all of his children had started going to Hogwarts, he was thankful for the quiet. He loved all of his children dearly but sometimes he just needed some peace. But he had been without children for the greater part of the year for five years now—he missed the noise and antics that came with his children. He would never admit it to anyone, but he mostly missed Lily.
For the first two years that Albus was at Hogwarts and Lily was the only child left home, her and Harry had gotten even closer, even though many people didn't think that was possible. When Lily had turned eleven and was accepted into Hogwarts, a part of Harry's heart had broken. And now that it had been five years since he'd had her home all alone, he missed her even more. Of course since Lily was fifteen, Harry knew she wouldn't be home much. She had already spent the greater part of that night's feast to inform her parents about all the plans she'd already made and many of the plans she was hoping to make in the very near future. From her chatter, Harry had learned that even though she was home for the summer, he would probably only see her a few times a week.
Harry watched his children. The Potter family was currently relaxing in front of the fire place, just enjoying the fact that they were finally all back together again. Currently, his children were laughing and reminiscing about the year that had come and gone in the blink of an eye. It reminded him of his days at Hogwarts, how he always missed the place during the summer, and not just because of the horrid conditions in which he lived when he was away from Hogwarts. He genially missed his friends, the professors, the feasts, and just about everything else. It made him both proud and nostalgic that his children seemed to be the same way.
"Well," Lily announced once she had stopped laughing from the lasted memory James had shared from his times at Hogwarts. "I don't know about the lot of you, but I'm beat. I'm heading up to bed."
"Good night, dear," Ginny called, smiling lovingly at Lily; Lily returned the smile before she turned and headed out of the room.
"I think Lily's got the right idea," Albus agreed also standing from the couch. It had been a long day for both him and Lily, what with the travelling and saying goodbye to their countless friends. "I'm going to turn in, too."
"Are you heading up to bed too, James?" Ginny asked after Albus had followed his sister's trail from the room.
James shrugged, stood, stretched, and the turned to face his parents. "Why not? I might as well, seeing how there's nothing else to do around here." He grinned good naturedly at his parents, both of them returning it. "Good night," James left the room and Ginny turned to face her husband.
"It's good to have them back," Ginny confessed, sharing Harry's exact emotions.
"It is," Harry agreed. "Though it doesn't sound like they'll actually be around much." A frown found its way onto his face and Ginny laughed lightly.
"She's fifteen, Harry. You honestly didn't expect her to spend her whole summer with her old parents, did you?"
Harry didn't answer. Deep down he had known that this time when Lily came home from school, she wouldn't want to spend much time with him—she was too old for that now. But he had been hoping that she wouldn't have grown up so much at school and would still be the same little girl that had once loved spending every waking moment with him.
Soon, Harry and Ginny followed their children up to bed. It was late and they all needed rest. But before Harry himself retired to bed, he fell back into a routine he had begun when the children were young. Starting from the front of the hall going down, he peered into each of his children's rooms, just to make sure they were all right. When he reached Lily's room, he worked the door open quietly. He gazed at his little girl, sleeping like an angel for a moment.
"I love you." He whispered to her sleeping form
As he turned away from her and was about to shut her door, he heard her soft voice whisper back. "Daddy, love you more."
Someday some boy will come
And ask me for your hand
But I won't say yes to him unless I know
He's the half that makes you whole
He has a poet's soul, and the heart of a man's man
I know he'll say that he's in love
But between you and me
He won't be good enough
Harry eyed the man sitting across from him. He relished the way Scorpius Malfoy fidgeted under his scrutiny. It was his job to make the boy squirm. As he stared down the youngest Malfoy, his words rang through Harry's head.
"Mr. Potter, I love your daughter and I want to make her my bride."
He knew this day was coming. He knew someday some boy would come and take his Lily from him, but he had still hoped that it might have at least been delayed. Instead, Lily was fresh out of Hogwarts and Malfoy wanted to marry her. Just because he had graduated Hogwarts two years ago didn't mean his daughter was ready to marry.
But he knew that she was. He had seen it from the first moment Lily had brought Scorpius home, declaring him her boyfriend. The way the two interacted was if they were already married. Of course when Harry was first getting used to the concept of his precious Lily dating, this news had been a little much to take in. But he couldn't deny it, Scorpius did treat Lily with all the respect she deserved and more.
However, that didn't mean that Harry thought Scorpius was worthy of Lily's hand in marriage. In Harry's eyes, every man that took interest in his daughter was below her—far, far below her. Nobody was good enough for his Lily. Nobody was kind enough for her, nobody was smart enough to match her wits, nobody was funny enough to keep a smile on her face, and nobody could love her the way she deserved to be loved.
"Scorpius," It was the first thing Harry had said to the boy since he asked for Lily's hand in marriage. Scorpius's head instinctively snapped up to meet Harry's; the man in front of him held the key to his future, whether it would be marrying his beloved Lily Luna Potter or not.
"Yes?"
"You say you love Lily, right?" Scorpius nodded—he didn't just love her, he needed her. "You'll do anything for her?" Once again Scorpius nodded. "You'll love her unconditionally every day, even when things get rocky?" Another nod. "You'll do whatever you can to keep her happy and smiling?"
"Sir, I live for Lily's happiness."
Harry nodded, rubbing his chin. He knew in his heart that no man would ever be good enough for his daughter, but Scorpius came close. He promised to do everything he could for Lily and he made her happy—the thought that if Scorpius ever hurt his daughter he would hex him to no end brought a small smile to his face.
"In that case, Scorpius, you have my permission to do anything for my daughter, to love her unconditionally, to keep her happy and smiling, and care for her the way that she deserves."
"Thank you, sir."
Harry only nodded in response. He didn't want to do it, but he had to give his daughter away. He had to keep her happy and do what was best for her. But no matter what happened and how old Lily got, she would always be his little girl.
You beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road
That'll lead you home again
Go on take on this whole world
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl