A/N - Written for Round 11 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. This round was all about siblings and my prompt was Next Gen Potters or Weasleys. I went with Albus and Lily. Enjoy!

Big Brothers

May 2008

"It's a girl?" James said wrinkling his nose as he looked at the small bundle in his mother's arms.

"Yes, James, this is Lily," Ginny replied, giving her son a small smile.

"Girls is dumb," James said grouchily, crossing his arms over his chest. Harry chuckled.

"Your mum is a girl," Harry pointed out. "Do you think she's dumb?"

"She's not a girl, she's Mum!" James exclaimed in exasperation. Ginny shook her head fondly and looked at her younger son. He was standing on his tiptoes, craning his neck to get a better look at his baby sister.

"Do you want to climb up here next to Mummy, Al?" Ginny asked and Albus nodded his head enthusiastically. Harry helped his son up into the bed and Albus snuggled into his mother's side. "Would you like to hold her?" Albus nodded again.

"Hold your arms out like this," Harry demonstrated and Albus mimicked his father. Ginny gently placed Lily into her brother's arms, wrapping an arm around her son to continue to support the baby's head.

Albus stared at his sister, his small brow furrowed in concentration as Lily began to work her mouth in her sleep. He looked up at his mother in surprise, who smiled and Albus looked back down at Lily. One little hand reached out from under her and gently touched her tiny forehead, then her cheek and her nose. Ginny smiled as she watched. James had inched closer to the bed and now leaned with his elbows next to Albus, still scowling at his new sister.

Lily began to squirm and soon let out a loud cry. James immediately covered his ears and backed away from the bed grimacing. Ginny made to take the baby back, but Albus kept a hold on her and patted her stomach.

"No ty Lee-lee," he whispered. "Al takes tare of you." Ginny's eyes glistened and Harry put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. Lily turned her head at the sound of the voice and her eyes opened. She seemingly stared at him for what seemed like the longest time as Albus continued to talk quietly to her. Finally, he turned to his mother. "Lee-lee's my baby." Ginny smiled and leaned over and kissed her son on the top of his head.

June 2008

"Mummy," Albus whined, pulling on her robes. "Where my Lee-lee?" Ginny glanced down at Albus. She had brought the children to Harry's office, for Lily's first official visit. Harry's secretary Marie had taken Lily less than five minutes after they'd arrived to show her off to everyone in the department and a few others besides, Ginny suspected.

"Marie is taking her around to meet a few people," Ginny explained. "She'll be back soon." Albus crossed his arms and stuck out his bottom lip.

"Lee-lee my baby," he said with a growl and Ginny bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"I know she is, but we have to share her, all right?" Ginny said.

"No," Albus protested. Ginny looked at Harry who was currently hanging James upside down by his feet over the rubbish bin. James was squealing in delight. Ginny rolled her eyes and sat down in one of the chairs in front of Harry's desk. She pulled Albus onto her lap.

"I know you love your sister, Al," Ginny said. "But other people like to have a chance to know her too."

"She comin' back?" Albus asked, his lip quivering. Ginny hugged him tightly.

"Of course she is, sweetheart," she assured him, kissing the top of his head. "No one will take Lily from us, I promise." Albus buried his face in his mother's shoulder, shoving his thumb in his mouth and playing with a strand of her hair with the other hand. Since it was nowhere near his naptime, Ginny knew that he was anxious. She caught Harry's eye and gestured to Al with her head. Harry looked at him quizzically and Ginny mouthed 'Lily' to him. Harry nodded and set James back on his feet, then left his office to round-up his wayward secretary.

As soon as Harry returned with baby Lily in his arms, Albus smiled widely, jumped down off his mother's lap and climbed into his father's. He held out his arms for his sister and Harry complied, one arm around his son and the other around his daughter as James played with the parchment airplane Harry had made for him.

July 2010

"S'okay, Lee-lee," Albus said, patting his sister on the back while she sniffled. James rubbed his stomach where Albus had punched him.

"I'm tellin' Mum," James said indignantly.

"So?" Albus said, sticking out his tongue. "Mum told you to leave Lee-lee alone. You're not s'posed to keep knockin' her over."

"I wasn't knockin' her over. We're playin' quidditch and she's the snitch," James said as if his brother was stupid. "And her name's Lily. Why do you still call her Lee-lee like a baby?"

"I'm not a baby!" Albus insisted.

"Yes, you are," James taunted. "Baby, baby, baby!" Albus growled and made to punch his brother again, but a hiccup from Lily kept him at her side.

"Al not baby!" Lily exclaimed. "An' I not snitch. I Lee-lee." She stood up and stomped her little foot, her face an angry scowl. "You mean, James." James stuck his tongue out at his sister, who returned the gesture. James stomped off, his pride wounded more than his stomach. Lily turned around and threw her arms around Albus. "I loves you Al."

"I love you too, Lee-lee," he said.

August 2013

"Al?" Lily said quietly into the darkened room of the Burrow. There was a grunt and a snort and then silence. She worried her lip between her teeth before creeping further into the room. "Al?" she said again.

"Lily?" Albus' tired voice replied. He yawned widely. "What's a matter?"

"My room's too dark," she whispered. "How come Mummy and Daddy had to go on that trip anyway?" Albus yawned again.

"I don't know, Grandma said even mums and dads need a vacation sometimes," he replied with a shrug. "And you don't have to be scared. That's Mum's old room, you know."

"I know, but it's lonely in there," Lily replied.

"But you have your own room at home," he pointed out.

"It's not so big," she pouted. Al smiled in the dark. He knew for a fact that Lily's room at home was bigger than their mother's old room at the Burrow. Their mother had said so many times herself.

"Should we go get Grandma?" Albus asked. Lily shook her head.

"Can I sleep with you?" she asked.

"James snores," Albus said. Lily glanced at her other brother in the bed across the room.

"I don't care," she said.

"Okay, climb in then," Albus replied, flipping the covers back. Lily scrambled up next to him and snuggled into his side.

"Night, Al," she said with a yawn.

"Night, Lee-lee," he whispered, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep once more.

August 2017

Lily sniffled again. She was sitting on the floor of Albus' wardrobe under her dad's invisibility cloak. She had nicked it out of James' trunk while he was searching the house for his Transfiguration book. It wasn't fair that both James and Albus got to go to Hogwarts and she had to stay home. So what if she was only nine? The rule that you had to be eleven was stupid. She could already do magic. There wasn't any reason for her not to go now.

"Lily, I know you're in there," Albus said, standing in front of her with his arms crossed. He reached out and grabbed hold of the cloak and pulled it off her. "James is going to pound you if he finds out you took this."

"I don't care," Lily said indignantly, crossing her arms in front of her. Albus sighed and sat down on the floor facing her.

"I know you're mad Lil," he said. "But two years really isn't so long."

"You told me that you wouldn't go to Hogwarts without me," she pouted. Albus rolled his eyes.

"Lil, I was four," he said in exasperation. "I didn't really understand maths yet."

"I know," she said with a sigh. She scuffed her shoe into the side of the wardrobe. "It's just going to be so boring around here without the two of you."

"Well, you will have Mum and Dad all to yourself," Albus pointed out.

"I suppose," she said with a long-suffering sigh, but Albus could tell that she was pleased.

"Come on, get out of there and go put this back before James finds out," Albus said, handing her the cloak. Lily sighed again and scrambled out of the wardrobe. She moved to the door, but stopped and looked back at Albus.

"You'll owl me right?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Of course," he assured her. "I'll owl right after the feast and tell you where I got sorted." Lily nodded. She stood near the door for a few more seconds, then turned and ran back to Albus, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I'll miss you Al," she whispered.

"I'll miss you too, Lee-lee," he replied, hugging her back.

June 2024

Lily climbed the stairs to the Astronomy Tower, not surprised when she saw the silhouette standing near the wall. She walked towards her brother, rubbing her arms against the wind that whipped her hair across her face.

"I figured I'd find you up here," she said, when she reached Albus' side. He didn't say anything, just stared out over the grounds. Lily sighed. "I'm sorry, Al. I should have told you sooner." He snorted.

"Why didn't you?" he asked.

"I figured you wouldn't believe me," Lily said. He looked at her incredulously. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Come on, Al," she scoffed. "Can you honestly tell me that if I'd come to you and told you I saw Selena with her tongue down Lucas Pucey's throat that you would have believed me ?" Albus opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again. His sister was right, he probably wouldn't have believed her.

"I'm that blind, huh?" he said instead. Lily shook her head.

"You love her," she said simply.

"Yeah," he said with a sigh. "I do." He stuck his hand in his pocket and fingered the box there again. "Bloody hell," he whispered. Lily put an arm around him and leaned into his shoulder.

"I really am sorry, Al," she whispered.

"Not half as sorry as I am," he said, taking out the box and handing it to Lily. She took it from him and opened it, gasping at the ring she saw sitting inside.

"You, you were going to ask her?" she said. Albus nodded grimly.

"On the train on the way home," he admitted.

"Oh Al," Lily said, throwing her arms around him and hugging him. He held her tightly for a moment before she looked up at him. "Do Mum and Dad know?" He shook his head.

"I saved up the money I made this summer working at Uncle George's shop," he said. "I bought it last Hogsmeade weekend. I thought we'd get a flat together since we're done with school and all and then maybe get married next summer." Lily said nothing, just kept her arm around him. "I was so stupid." He snapped the ring box shut and shoved it back into his pocket.

"You're not stupid," Lily insisted. "She's the stupid one."

"James will never let me live this one down," Albus said with a sigh.

"James isn't that much of a git," Lily replied. Albus looked at her in surprise. She laughed a little. "I mean sure, he's tortured me since I was born practically, but he's there when it really counts. You know that."

"I guess," Albus said.

"I know," Lily said again. Albus nodded. "It'll be all right Al," she said. "I know it doesn't seem like it now, but it will." Albus sighed, resting his head on the top of hers.

"I know, Lee-lee," he replied. "I know."

October 2030

Lily stood nervously in front of the mirror in her mother's old bedroom at the Burrow. She adjusted her veil once again. There was a quiet knock on the door and then Albus stuck his head inside.

"Everything all right?" he asked. She smiled at him. He stepped fully into the room. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," she said, biting her lip.

"Having second thoughts?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

"What?" she asked. "No! No, of course not."

"What's wrong then?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's stupid," she said shaking her head.

"Come on Lil, you know you can tell me anything," Albus said in concern.

"It's just," she paused, biting her lip again. "I don't know, I mean, I know we're all adults, but it's just, it's different today somehow."

"Maybe because you're finally all grown up now," he teased. "No more hiding in my wardrobe pouting because you can't go to Hogwarts." She punched him lightly on the arm.

"Prat," she said. He grinned. She smiled back, but then her mouth began to quiver and her eyes grew bright.

"Hey," he said, putting his hands on her arms. "What's wrong?"

"It's just, you've always been my big brother, you know?" she said.

"Lily, I'm always going to be your brother," he replied. "It doesn't matter if we're married or have dozens of kids, I'll always be here for you."

"Promise?" she asked.

"I promise," he said, hugging her.

"Even when we're 100?" she continued, her voice muffled in his dress robes.

"Even when we're 150," he replied.

"I love you, Al."

"Love you too, Lee-lee."