The sunlight rained upon them in a kaleidoscope of colours, filling every inch of the small garden with brightness. Over to one side of it, a small white marquee was covering the food from the heat and the many buzzing, whirring insects that flitted around the tidy flower beds. if Victoire screwed up her eyes slightly she could also just make out the haze of the shield charm put around it to protect it from the army of small , hungry boys thundering around – Well , most of them were small.
"Can we have the food now Uncle Ron?" Teddy's hair was rather tousled from sitting in the "tent" he had constructed out of some chairs and an old picnic blanket out on the lawn, and his cheeks were slightly reddened due to both exertion and light sunburn.
The man bent down slightly so that his face was on the same level as Teddy's.
"What did I tell you when you asked me that three seconds ago?" His mouth was in that stern line so beloved by fathers, but the blue eyes were twinkling with amusement.
Teddy looked at the ground and shuffled his feet awkwardly.
"That we couldn't until the guest of honour arrived…."
Ron nodded encouragingly. "And?"
"To stop badgering you"
"And?"
"That next time I asked you'd turn me into a flobberworm" Teddy looked up for a moment in bright interest. "Can you actually do that?"
Ron tapped him on the head playfully "That's for me to know and you to find out – now go and do your job – or aren't you old enough for Bill and Fleur to trust you to keep an eye on the midgets?"
"Ron!" Auntie Hermione was there now, rolling her eyes and slightly cuffing her husband on the shoulder. "It's bad enough you call your own children that without forcing it on other peoples!"
He dodged another blow, laughing, and dramatically shielding himself with his arms. "Alright – the Children then, and you'd better hurry up – it looks like Dominique wants another piggy back ride." He winked teasingly at the boy, whose expression had turned horror struck, and then returned to his conversation with the other adults.
As if on cue, a small, cross face appeared out of the folds of the "tent".
"Teddy…."
The boy sighed and as he turned to look at her his hair darkened from turquoise to navy. "What's wrong poppet?"
"Louis said I smelled and James laughed!" Dominique's eyes were large and wounded and Teddy's resigned tone softened.
"Well don't worry about them – they're just being silly" The little girl nodded but her bottom lip had started trembling dangerously, causing Teddy to add "want a piggyback?"
Within seconds Dominique had climbed up him like a monkey and was grinning smugly from where she sat perched on his shoulders, both arms wrapped around Teddy's thin chest. He grimaced extravagantly at Victoire who giggled, feeling warm inside.
She felt a slight tugging on her sleeve and turn away, her shiny, strawberry blond hair fanning out around her as she moved, to see a small, red haired girl starring up at her in hardly concealed awe.
She bent down to her level, mimicking her uncle and whispered "What is it Rosie?"
Rose gave a small smile of heart-breaking sweetness, one of her fiery curls springing back into place from where it had been tucked behind her ear, before pointing to what appeared to be a flailing ball of limbs – Louis and James had obviously forgotten their recent camaraderie over teasing Dom. Enough was enough.
"Auntie Hermione, Uncle Ron!" she called, "the boys are fighting again!"
She saw her aunt look up and hand baby Hugo to Luna, who already had a twin on each hip, before coming to stand over the still wrestling pair. They seemed to feel her shadow over them and hastily disengaged – a look of pure terror on each face.
"HOW DARE YOU!-"
"We're here!"
The cheery voice sounded from the front of the house –cutting Hermione's rant off before it had really begun, and Victoire immediately ran to the gate, shortly followed by Teddy – who was hampered slightly by Dominique, now wailing to get down- with the adults and smaller children bringing up the rear , Hermione still muttering threats under her breath.
Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny were standing next to a long black car with "MOM" printed on the doors that looked quite out of place in the little country lane. Ginny didn't respond to their presence with her usual wave and grin a mile wide, but simply smiled and put one finger to her lips. In her arms was a small bundle wrapped in a white blanket with bones and wands on it and Victoire hung back for a moment; being the second oldest of the group she had been present for many unveilings such as this , but each of them still held its own magic , just as she knew the children did.
She let the others go in front of her , the adults to croon endearments and offer their congratulations , the children to gawp and poke at the new arrival , just savouring the moment. It took a moment for her to realise that Teddy had stayed back to wait for her, his face showing a glow equal to her own. Dominique had now joined the crowd around the baby but Rosie was now holding onto his hand; He held out the other for her and she took it – feeling the blush light up her cheeks. They waited until the throng started to move towards them – chattering and laughing with the baby in the centre. Uncle Harry spotted them and waved them over to him, grinning so much that his glasses kept slipping off his nose and with Al now sitting on his shoulders.
"I know you've been through this a million times, guys, but don't you want to say hello to our new one?"
Victoire nodded and a minute later he had gently removed the baby from Ginny and placed it in her arms. The heavy warmth felt comforting and familiar but a fold of blanket hid most of the infants face from view so she had to nudge it away with her cheek – her arms being full. She was beautiful , her skin so thin and features so impossibly small and delicate that she almost felt as if she shouldn't be allowed to hold her , but it was her hair that made her gasp , a little tuft at the top of her head , barely more than peach fuzz and yet-
"Look" she whispered, gaping up at harry for a second, and as she did so a strand of her own bright hair – neither quite red nor golden – fell onto the baby's blanket , an exact match to the child's .
"I know," said her said the new father "I think you might have a little friend there, Vic, her name is Lily."
"Lily" she repeated in hushed tones, gazing at the little girl. She felt someone else come to lean over the little one and drew back her head slightly, only to see it was Teddy. His hair was faun coloured now and his eyes glittered as they met hers, as if they both knew a great secret. She wondered if it was possible for two people to wind their way into your heart in one day.