Harry Potter yawned as he walked down the hallway of his house. I had been a very long day. The midwife had left only two hours earlier. He looked around his house. It had changed quite a bit in the past ten years. He remembered the day he and his beautiful wife Ginny had moved in. The dark blue carpets and the sunflowers... their small but cozy bedroom in the back corner...how she used to sprinkle rose petals dow the hall when she knew he'd had a particularly hard day at work. Now instead of roses the hall was littered with toy trains and cars. The dark blue carpets had faded from scrubbing stains and the patter of feet. Harry looked at his own reflection in the hallway mirror, he had only just truend 28 years old, but alread he could see the signs of age on himself. Slight grey was creeping into his jet black hair around his ears, and there was one stuborn streak right through his bangs covering his very unique scar. Ginny said it made him look distinguished, he privately thought it made him look like a skunk. Harry smiled at the though of his wife and walked towards his bedroom. It was not the cozy little room in the corner of the house anymore. Just the past winter they had had their house magically expanded and their new bedroom was large and airy. Nesteled right off the back of the house with windows all around it gave one the feeling that they were actually in the woods. Harry pushed the door open and saw his amazing wife sitting at her mirror brushing her long hair up into a ponytail. Even after ten years of marriage she never failed to stop his heart and take his breath away. He couldn't imagine ever loving anyone else.
"Ginevra Molly Potter!" Harry said in a stern voice, and Ginny jumped and smile up at him, but Harry continued, "You just gave birth two hours ago! Why in the name of Merlin's beard are you out of bed?"
"Because someone has to take care of you boys." said Ginny with a tired smile.
"I think I can handle taking care of our boys for a few hours Gin," said Harry, "you should rest."
"Harry please don't fuss. I had two children before little Lily, she honestly wasn't that much effort." smirked Ginny.
"Where is out little Lily anyway?" said Harry with a smile.
"I've put her down in her crib about a half hour ago, but I was just about to go check on her. She should be getting hungry again soon." said Ginny.
Harry and Ginny made their way into the room that used to be their bedroom. It was now a beautiful nursery. The walls were a warm soft lilac. (The minute Ginny found out she was having a girl she flatly refuse to paint the nursery pink.) On the walls were painted soft white lillies, and little fairies that darted around magically from flower to flower. They walked to the crib on the far wall and looked at their sleeping daughter. Her hair was the same red as her mother's though it was only a soft tuft on the top of her head. She was the only one of their children who had inherited the bright flaming red hair. She sighed in her sleep and then opened her great liquid brown eyes and looked at Harry.
"Hullo angel..." said Harry with a grin so big it hurt the corners of his mouth, but he didn't care.
Lily Potter grabbed his finger as he reached his hand out to her, and began to gum it abesentmindedly as she looked from him to Ginny. Suddenly she let go of his finger and made a unhappy face as she began to whimper.
"There you are... I knew she'd be getting hungry." said Ginny scooping the tiny squirming baby into her arms and walking to the rocking chair, "I'll feed her and be down in a bit. Go make sure those boys of yours aren't demolishing my house." she said with a smile.
"Will do." said Harry with one last loving glance at his wife and daughter, before he shut the door.
Harry turned down the hall in the search for his son's and godson. He poked his head into the first on the right. This room had once been Harry's office, he had given it up two years ago when his son Albus was born because it was decided that James, Albus, and Teddy couldn't all share one room. Teddy, who lived with them on weekends and most summers had taken over this room. If one walked into the room they might think they had jsut stepped into the middle of a Halloween party from the vast amounts of orange and black that adorned every inch of the room. Teddy Lupin was eleven and a half, and had been an avid Chudley Cannons fan since the age of eight, co-erced of course by his Uncle Ron. Ron had since bequeathed all his Chudley Cannons paraphanalia to Teddy, much to the relief of his wife Hermione who was worred they'd be holding onto that rubbish (as she called it) forever. Harry closed the door on the orange explosion realizing that Teddy was not to be found in his room. He walked down the halld to peek into the room of his two sons. The door read "James" in large red letters, and "Albus" in large green ones. As he entered the room Harry chuckled, his two sons could not be any more different. There was a set of bunk beds against the far wall. The bottom bunk was made to perfection. Even at the age of two Albus always insisted on making his bed every morning, with his father's help. his toys were neatly stacked on thier shelf and his favorite books were arranged carefully by his bed. Harry's eyes moved to the top bunk. The blankets were hanging off the edge and a sheet had been tied up to make a sort of tent/fort over the bed. The bed itself was so littered with toys, books, and even sweets that Harry often wondered how James even slept in it. Teddy swore he found a Christmas cracker in James's bed when he was helping him clean it out in April! Harry shook his head in amusement as he shut the door. Harry had known that soon they were going to have to give the boys thier own rooms. The more they grew, the more they drove each other mad. So as soon as Teddy left for Hogwarts the following day James would move into his room.
Harry now trumped down the steps. He had a sneaking suspiscion he knew where the boys would be. He walked through their bright kitchen to the back door, which he opened and walked into the back yard. Sure enough there were the boys. Teddy and James were zooming around the backyard on broomsticks. James's was only a training broom, it rose only four feet off the ground and was often shown up by falling leaves and butterflies, but it was just was well seeing as James was only four. Teddy's broom was completely regulation, a Nimbus Two Thousand and One that his gram had bought him for his tenth birthday, but he knew the house rules. He was only allowed to fly it in the back yard and below the level of the hosue. Harry never worried though, Teddy was never one to have probelms following the rules. Gentle, kind, but exceptionally clever jsut like his father. Harry wouldn't be at all surprised if Teddy followed in his father's footsteps and became a Hogwarts prefect in a few years. He and James were gliding smoothly around the garden tossing an apple back and forth between them. One thing James had inherited from his father, along with a tendency to bend the rules, was an incredible amount of skill on a broom. He had been flying un-aided on his training broom since he was two and a half. Ron often called him a prodigy, and bosted James would grow up to be ten times the Seeker that Bulgarian git, Viktor Krum was. This always earned him a slap in the head from Hermione.
Harry looked down at his youngest son who was squatted by the edge of the proch examining a large frog. At the age of two James would probably have been found poking the frog with a stick trying to make it croak, but Al was much different. He was stroking the frog's back with his index finger and seemed to be talking softly to it. Harry walked to him and looked down.
"Makin' a new friend there Al?" said Harry.
"Hi Daddy!" said the little boy, "Dis is Hoppy. He my fweind."
"Oh really?" said Harry sitting down on the back step and pulling Al into his lap, "and where did you meet Hoppy?"
""He went like dis..." Al made a hopping motion with his hands, "Hop..hop... wight to me... he wants to be fwiends!" said Al happily, his green eyes sparkling.
Harry laughed adn hugged his son. Everyone said that his son James was a carbon copy of his grandpa, James the first, especially in michievous personality. Yet Harry wagered to guess that Albus was channeling the quiet gentle nature of his grandmother Lily. Harry had never met his mother, but as he watched his son grow up. He saw his kind patient heart and his bright curiosity and he had a feeling Albus shared a lot more in common with his late grandmother than jsut their bright green eyes. Just then Teddy and James landed in front of them.
"How Aunt Ginny doing?" said Teddy with a wide grin, just like his mothers.
"She's fine." said Harry, "She's upstairs feeding Lily."
"But why is she a giiiiirl...." whined James, "I needed another brother... Al is boring."
"AM NOT!" said Al hotly.
"Hey now..." said Harry, "Your sister is exactly what our family was supposed to have. And you never know James, having a sister might be exciting."
James looked unconvinced.
"Yeah and besides James, we couldn't have another boy like you around, one pig is bad enough!" said Teddy, and with that he morphed his nose into a pig's snout and snorted teasingly at James who glared back. Al on the other hand burst into giggles, and after another moment James began to reluctantly chuckle as well.
"That reminds me I have a bone to pick with you Mr. Lupin." said Harry, giving his godson a stern look, "Why is it that none of your things are packed yet? You know we're leaving at nine tomorrow morning."
"Oh... right..." said Teddy with a guilty grin, and he propped his broom by the back door and headed inside. Harry stood up, still holding Albus and follwed him in, with James traling behind.
"Right now upstairs to pack Ted..." said Harry, "And don't jsut throw everything in your trunk pack it well!" he called after his retreating godson.
James had gone over and stuck his head in the cupboard no doubt rummaging for a snack. James was constantly hungry.
"No you don't little man, dinner is in an hour or two." said Harry addressing his son, "You get your little butt upstairs to, and clean you room, I saw what a disaster it is in there."
James trumped grumpily up the stairs and Harry watched him chuckling.
"Daddy what should I do?" said Albus seriously.
"You Mr. Albus Severus... can do whatever you like. All your chores are done." said Harry, he sat Albus on his feet and ruffled his hair as he ran happily off towards the livingroom.
"Looks like you really do have everything under control down here."
Harry looked up quickly and saw Ginny standing at the foot of the stairs holding a little bundle in her arms.
"I told you I would." said Harry cheerfully.
Ginny came over and sat down next to him at the table. Harry grinned reaching his arms out for his daughter.
"She still needs to be burped." warned Ginny.
"I think I can manage." said Harry with a teasing smile, as he took his daughter, postioned her on his shoulder and began to lightly pat her back. Burping babies was something he was very used to by now.
"So how's eveybody doing? Is Teddy excited about tomorrow?" asked Ginny as she sat down next to him.
"Yeah so excited he's forgotten to pack..." said Harry, "I've sent him up to do it now."
"Oh that's our Teddy, absentminded just like his Mum. I can't wait to see him Sorted though, I'm so glad we'll be there." said Ginny excitedly.
Ginny was the flying intructor and also referee and Head of Quidditch at Hogwarts. A job she had taken over four years ago when Madam Hooch had decided to retire. Harry knew that Ginny loved being back in the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts, and he heartily agreed. He had recently accepted a part time job as practicle Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for the sixth and seventh years, and he couldn't wait to get back.
"That reminds me Harry... did I tell you the news Professor MacGonagall gave us a few days ago?" said Ginny as she got up and began bustling around the kitchen making their dinner.
"Nope... what's up?" said Harry shifting his now happily cooing daughter to the crook of his arm.
"Well... it seems that Professor Flitwick has finally resigned." said Ginny.
"Yeah I saw that coming... he's the only teacher from our days who was left. Cept for MacGonagall but everyone knows she's never going to retire." said Harry.
"Yeah I expect she'll end up like Professor Binns, die in her office and then get up in the morning and go about her Headmistress duties unaware she's now a ghost." said Ginny, and they both chuckled.
"Anyway believe it or not they've asked Fleur to take over teaching Charms. Since Bill is already D.A.D.A teacher and MacGonagall knows charms are Fleur's specialty it seemed natural." explained Ginny.
"The poor boys... they'll be flunking for at least the first month..." said Harry shaking his head and chuckling, Ginny shot him a slight glare but he just shrugged his shoulder's and gave her a guilty look. His sister-in-law Fleur was part veela, which meant she had an enchanting effect on every male specimen that was near her, and if you were unprepared the effects could be quite mind numbing.
"Also...." said Ginny still rolling her eyes a bit, "Olympe has been made the new Head of Ravenclaw house."
"no way! good for her...." said Harry, but then he smiled slightly evilly, "you think that might cause a bit of competition between her and Hagrid?"
Hagrid was head of Gryffindor house, and Hagrid and Olympe had been living together for a little over ten years. While they had never gotten married they were for all intents and purposes husband and wife. They lived in what had once been Hagrid's one room hut, but had been transformed over the years into a sprawling stone house that sat nestled on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"I feel bad for poor Thaddeus next year. He's going to have to try and be sorted into Hufflepuff so neither of his parents can gloat." teased Ginny.
Thaddeus Hagrid, had been a complete and utter surprise to everyone. Hagrid had thought he and Olympe were far too old to have children, but low and behold just six months after they moved in together Thaddeus was born. They assumed it was the fact that they were both half giants, for one Olympe's pregnancy had taken the same time as a giant's would, and also giants were known to have much longer lives than humans. Thad was now ten years old and already bigger than half the teachers at the school. He was itching to start Hogwarts as soon as possible, and already had a bunch of friends in the upper grades because of his friendly, outgoing nature, just like his dad's.
"Thad knows his parents will be proud as punch no matter what House he's in, even if it's Slytherin." said Harry, thinking to himself how unbelievably lucky Thaddeus was to have a father like Hagrid. Harry thought Hagrid was probably one of the best dad's he'd ever known.
Just the then front door opened, and a very familiar voice called down the hall.
"Oi... where are the Potters? The Weasley's have come to visit their new niece and cousin!!" called Ron cheerfully.
"We're in the kitchen Ron!" called Ginny.
Ron Weasley entered the kitchen. Like Harry the signs of age were beginning to show on him. Harry often wondered if maybe it was all the harsh and painful trials they had endured in their young lives which had made them age more quickly. Ron's hair was still it's bright flaming red just like Ginny's but it was beginning to thin a bit on the top, and he had deep lines at the corners of his mouth when he smiled. He was at this moment in time, carrying a very chubby baby boy with wavy brown hair who was wearing red overalls and a very sad expression as though he's jsut been crying.
"Awww... what's wrong with my little Hugo..." said Ginny in a cooing voice.
"His M-U-M-M-Y, was held up at work again... so I had to pick him up from Grandma's, and he threw a fit when she wasn't there... he's gotten very clingy with her lately." explained Ron.
"Well she just started work again Ron... he's not used to being away from her. Separation anxiety is normal." said Ginny poking Hugo's nose and making him give a reluctant smile.
"Yeah well we never had this issue with Rosie..." said Ron.
As if on cue another little person wandered into the room. Her face was completely hidden by a large picture book that she was holding in front of her but a large amount of frizzy bright red hair could be seen over the top of it.
"Alright time to put the book away..." said Ron pulling it from her hands, she gave him a pouty look but he simply said, "You're here to visit your cousins! You can look at your books when you get home. Why don't you go in the livingroom and see what your buddy Albus is doing?"
"Ok..." she said happily, and she walked to the hallway and ran into the next room.
"I tell you what...." said Ron sitting down at the table, "I had to grab her back from walking into the street at least three times on the walk up here cuz she wouldn't take her nose out of that ruddy book. She can't even read yet and she already won't put them down. She is her mother's daughter to the core I tell you... Oh DAMN!"
At the sound of the word mother Hugo's bottom lip began to tremble and he whined, "ma ma!". He seemed to be gearing up for another crying fit but Ginny swooped him out of Ron's arms and began distracting him by making one of Al's trains zoom around the floor. In a few minutes, all thoughts of missing his mother were forgotten.
"Thank's Gin... you're a life saver..." said Ron with a chuckle, "Now let's see this little girl..." he said turning his attention back to the squirming bundle in Harry's arms.
"Here you are Ron... meet your niece Lily." said Harry handing her over. Ron tucked the little girl in the crook of his arm with ease. Harry smiled remembering how awkward Ron had been the first time he held his own daughter just two short years ago.
"Hello there little lady." said Ron into the blankets, "Bloody hell Gin, she's the spitting image of you..." he said with a grin.
"Yes she is..." said Ginny, "But you'd best watch your mouth, what would Hermione say if she heard you talking that in front of your son, and my daughter for that matter!"
"Talking like what?" came a crisp voice from the livingroom, where Hermione had undoubtedly just come through the Floo.
"MA MA!" squealed Hugo, who proceeded to crawl across the floor in the direction of her voice as fast as his little legs would carry him.
"Hello my hansome little man!" said Hermione swooping her son up and hugging him close while kissing the top of his head. "I missed you."
Hermione walked smiling into the kitchen. She too bore the sign of age more prominently than she should have for twenty nine years of age. She had the beginning's of crows feet on the corner's of her eyes, and her bushy brown hair, which was pulled into a sleek braid at the moment, had a few small wirey grey hairs around her temples. She also had one completely white streak in her hair on the left side just above her ear, but Harry knew this to be the result of a bout of intense torture she endured when she was eighteen. She smiled tiredly as she looked around at them all.
"Sorry I was late... got held up at the Ministry, honestly you'd think no one could put together a case without me.... Rosie was good at Mum's?" she added this last part to Ron as she leaned down to kiss him.
"Mum said she was great... nose in her books all day as usual." said Ron. Hermione smiled and then kneeled beside him to look at Lily, Hugo still firmly attatched to her hip.
'Oh she's gorgeous... what do you think Hugo? That's you're new cousin... isn't she pretty. I bet you guys are going to be great friends." she lifted Hugo up so he could stare curiously at the baby.
At four months old Hugo was the closest cousin to Lily's age, and if the way Rosie and Al had bonded was an indicator than it was more than likely Hugo and Lily would grow up to be the best of friends. Hermione sat down next to Ron and across from Harry. Harry looked around at them all and again for what felt like the thousandth time he marvled at how happy they all were. They had been through so much in their lives and not jsut the darkness of the war, even more recently they had endured hardships. Harry looked at Hugo bouncing on Hermione knee. He remembered the horrible day only nine months ago when Hermione had been here sitting in this very kitchen with them and she had started bleeding. They thought for sure she had lost her baby, but in the end the Healers at St. Mungo's were able to get the bleeding under control. He remembered the aweful decision that Ron and Hermione were faced with. The Healers told her that she would have to remain on complete bed rest for the last five months of her pregnancy, and that even then the chances of Hugo surviving were not good. There was also risk to Hermione if she tried to deliver him, if she bled again she could die. In the end they decided that they were keeping him, Harry knew it had never really been a choice with them. He was thier son from the day he was concieved and Hermione would have done anything for him. When Hugo was born five months later and both mother and child were pronounced perfectly healthy they had a celebration to end all celebrations, and Hermione always said that Hugo was her little miracle.
"Harry.... did you hear what I said?" asked Hermione.
"Er...what?" said Harry coming out of his stupor.
"I asked if they caught that man who's been breeding illegal creatures in Kent yet?" repeated Hermione.
"Oh... uh yeah... they did... we're just having to do a bit of clean up now. It's mostly Department of Magical Creatures, but they have a few Auror's on guard in case things get ugly." Harry answered her.
"Oh well that's good..." she said, "So where is little Mr. Lupin? Is he very excited about tomorrow?"
"He's upstairs packing his things... he's inherited the bad habit of putting everything off until the last minute just like his godfather." said Ginny with a teasing glare in Harry's direction.
"It's a big year this one. First of the grandkids going of to Hogwarts... you should have seen Mum... she's beside herself." said Ron.
Though Teddy Lupin was not actually Molly Weasley's grandchild just as the Potter's accepted him as a son, she accepted him as a grandson, and Harry knew that his soft hearted mother-in-law was no doubt shedding quite a few tears at the idea of her first baby heading to Hogwarts.
"She's losing three next year..." Harry pointed out, "the twins and Victorie."
"Good Lord they'll be no living with her..." said Ron, and they all chuckled.
Vicorie Weasley was the beautiful ten year old daughter of Bill and Fleur Weasley. While she was almost the exact likeness of her flawless mother, she had inherted a very stubborn tomboy streak and would often be found wrestling with the boys her silky blond hair muddy and in tangle, much to the dismay of her mother. She was also... incidentally Teddy's best friend in the world.
The twins Fred and Sirius Weasley, were now spoken of in the Weasley household with almost as much infamy as their predescessor's. Harry supposed that the combination of growing up in a flat over a joke shop and having George Weasley for a father was what made these two the unparalled trouble makers that they were. They often joked that Fred ad Sirius just might manage to out do the reptutation that Fred and George had left at the school.
"Yes well I doubt Hogwarts will ever be the same after Fred and Sirius Weasley get hold of it." said Hermione, as if reading Harry's thoughts.
"Yeah no kidding... oh lord 'Mione it's nearly six o'clock." said Ron looking at his gold wristwatch, "we'd better get Rosie home for supper and a bath before it's her bedtime."
"Right..." said Hermione, "Rosie... time to go home sweetheart!" she called into the next room.
Rosie came running in smiling followed closely by Al. Ron stood up and swooped his daughter up oto his shoulders.
"Let us know how the Sorting goes!" said Hermione, as she kissed Ginny's cheek and hugged Harry. Then with a hearty goodbye, the Weasley's made their way out the door and down the road towards their own home.