This story, the fifth in my Next Generation series, is for Love from a Muggle's Based on a True Story Challenge.
The characters of the Harry Potter universe belong to Ms. Rowlings, and I'm borrowing them for my own imagination.
Enjoying Family Time
"Aren't you excited?" Hermione heard her three-year-old Rosie asked ten-year-old Teddy as she hopped up and down next to himholding tight to her father's hand. They stood off to the side while Hermione was in the concession line of the Muggle cinema.
"Yeah." Teddy replied grinning at Rosie's enthusiasm. "But I think you are excited enough for all of us."
"It's a movie about puppies." Rosie said pointing at the poster for 101 Dalmatians. Hermione wanted to raises her children to fit in both the Magical and Muggle world, and had deemed Rosie ready to attend her first Muggle movie. Rosie had been allowed to invite one person to come along and she had chosen Teddy. They had dropped Hugo off at Hermione's parents before coming to the cinema.
"Teddy, can you help me?" Hermione asked, and he moved to her picking up the cup tray with four drinks while she carried two tubs of popcorn.
They found four seats together, Ron leading the way in followed by Hermione, Rosie then Teddy. Hermione settled back into her chair as Ron draped an arm around her shoulder. Hermione knew that Ron was trying to act cool, but he was just as excited as Rosie was. They had been to a few Muggle movies, but the experience never grew old for Ron.
Hermione snuggled closer to Ron as the movie began smiling as she watched out of the corner of her eye as Teddy placed the popcorn tub he was sharing with Rosie securely between them so they both could concentrate on the movie.
She only had to quiet Rosie once when Cruella Deville arrived on the scene and Rosie stated a little too loudly that she 'didn't like that mean lady'.
They had come to the point when Pongo, Perdi and the puppies were on the run from Cruella, Jasper and Horace. Having rolled in soot, the puppies were sneaking over to catch a ride in the back of a van. Cruella has spotted them and the van has started to leave but Pongo and some of the pups are not on the van yet. Pongo leaps up to catch the van and jumps handing the last puppy to Perdi then it looks like he is going to fall off the van. Hermione could feel Ron tense up and placed a hand on his knee as a reminder that is was make believe.
She heard Rosie call out, "No! I help you!" Then Rosie leapt off of her seat and over Teddy into the aisle and starts to race toward the screen her hands outstretched to help Pongo onto the van. A second later Teddy went after her and caught her and lifted her up to carry her back to the seat. Hermione could hear others around chuckling in amusement at Rosie's antics.
"Pongo is safe on the van now, see." Teddy told her as he sat on the seat next to Hermione with Rosie in his lap. Rosie relaxed against him, but Hermione could see that Teddy kept his arms wrapped around her waist to hold her in place.
"You thought I would be the one to over react." Ron whispered in her ear. She knew he was grinning amused by his little girl's outburst.
Hermione just shook her head and enjoyed watching the end of the movie as the dogs arrived home and Roger sang about a dalmatian plantation. This would be a story to retell over and over again.
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Harry set one-year-old Lily on the floor next to her toy bin before settling into his favorite chair to read over a few reports. Five-year-old James and three-year-old Albus were sitting on the floor nearby playing contentedly with the set of Legos Hermione had given them for Christmas. Ginny had gone to the Harpies game to interview the players and report on the game for her column, leaving him in charge of the kids for the day.
Albus grinned up at him before placing another block on the wall he was building. James had told him they were building The Burrows, only for little people.
Harry settled into reading his reports glancing up occasionally to check on his children. They seemed to be contentedly playing until her heard James say, "No, Lily. They're not for babies."
Lily had crawled over from her toy area and was trying to grab at the Legos. Harry was relieved that James remembered Lily wasn't allowed to play with the small toys.
James stood up and lifted up Lily, carrying her like a flour sack back to her toy bin. He carefully set her down then rejoined his brother in Burrow making.
Harry watched amused as Lily let out a huff and started to crawl toward James again. Once again as Lily went to grab for the Lego, James stopped her and carried her back to her own toys placing several around her before returning to his spot.
Lily banged her hand down on the floor and looked over at her brother. Once again she started to crawl but in a slightly different direction. She approached the other side where Al was intently following James directions in building the house.
"Lily, no." Al said when his sister started to reach around him to grab the block. Not being able to lift her like James could, Al carefully pushed her back. Not to be deterred, again she inched closer and tried to grab the blocks. "No, you'll make it fall." Al said gently pushing her back again.
Lily yet out a growl of frustration and swung her fist at Al, only coming up with air.
Harry let out a bark of laughter as he stood up and retrieved Lily and rescued Al before her second attempt to hit him. He lifted her high above his head then lowered her, he blew raspberries in the side of her neck.
"You're so much your mother's daughter. It is scary." Harry told her and he carried her over to her toy bin and sat on the floor with her in his lap. "How about you play with me and let Al and James complete their masterpiece." Harry pulled out her soft baby blocks and together they would a build a tower and then she would knock it down with a wicked laugh. "Yes, you're Ginny's daughter."
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Teddy rode down the country roads in the old truck with Draco, Astoria and Scorpius. Knowing a little of Draco's history, Teddy thought it odd today when they had arrived to pick him up in the beat up truck. Draco had explained that when he was on magical restrictions after the war, he had taken the Muggle driving test and purchased the truck as a way to get around. He had kept the truck because he actually liked driving, and it annoyed his father.
While the exterior of the truck had seen better years, Draco had magically extended the truck cab so that the four of them including Scorpius's booster seat could sit in the cab safely and in comfort.
They were heading home from a day at a magical amusement park. Teddy's eleventh birthday was coming up soon, and Draco and Astoria made a point of doing something special with him either shortly before or after his birthday since Teddy and his grandmother usually celebrated his birthday at the Burrows.
"Come, Draco." Astoria said, "This is a good place to stop and try." She had been making these little comments for the last half hour.
Teddy glanced out the window and saw only fields of grain and the lonely country roads.
"Teddy, we need to decide what game we are going to see before you head off the Hogwarts." Draco said ignoring once again his wife's pleading.
Astoria huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I read everything you asked me to. I don't see why you won't let me try. I thought you trusted me."
Draco gave a low growl to which Scorpius giggled. Draco rolled his eyes and huffed, "Fine." He pulled over to the side the road and got out of the truck.
Astoria squealed with delight as Draco came around the truck and opened the passenger's door.
"Teddy, you need to get out for a minute." Draco said.
Teddy did and Draco got in and helped Astoria maneuver over Scorpius's booster seat and into the driver's seat. Draco got out his wand and with a wave Astoria's seat scooted closer to the steering wheel. Draco sat back and buckled his seat belt.
"Climb on in and buckle tight." Draco said to Teddy.
Teddy leaned forward as much as possible to watch as Draco gave Astoria instructions on starting and driving the stick shift vehicle. It took four lurching tries, but Astoria finally got the truck started and moving.
It felt like he was still on the roller coaster at the amusement park. The vehicle would lurch when she would stop and start again and when she shifted gears. When she took corners, Teddy could feel himself slide toward Draco or worse, be crushed when Draco slid toward him. Teddy hoped that Draco had magically sealed the door, Teddy really didn't want it coming open on him during one of the turns.
They had been driving for about fifteen minutes when once again Astoria had stalled the engine while shifting gears, when he heard Scorpius speak his own thoughts out loud, "Mummy, can you let Daddy drive again. I'm getting squished."
Astoria and Draco both burst out laughing as Astoria agreed to relinquish the driving back to Draco. Draco agreed to give Astoria more lessons when the kids weren't around.
After they had returned to their original spots, with Draco back the wheel, both Teddy and Scorpius fell asleep exhausted from the day at the park and the ride with roller coaster Mummy.
A/N: These three tales are based on real life experiences. In the first, my brother reacted just like that seeing 101 Dalmatians the first time, and in the last he was Scorpius in the situation and I was Teddy being crushed between Dad and the truck door. The middle story occurred when I was babysitting my three youngest cousins. I can still picture my youngest cousin Alex taking as swing at her brother.