Happy Birthday, Hermione!

A wish materialized

Mum was always the stern parent, whenever someone had to put some order with us the children, it was her, with dad trying to reconcile with both sides by giving reasons for everyone to be right, he never wished to see his family in any kind of trouble.

She loved us all of course, without favorites, without mercy when it came down to studying, she was our mother and we were her children and she adored us, just like she adored dad.

Hermione Potter was and still is one of the most important women in Wizarding Britain, a war Hero, an Auror, later on and author of books and eventually the Minister of Magic who "hired" dad as the Head of the Security office, Mum is the woman who brought laws in support werewolves, elves, goblins, centaurs and other beings that make me so proud to bear the name she bears..

Of course I am proud of my father too, Harry James Potter is the man who got rid of Tom Riddle and saved us all –even if he insists that he wouldn't have made it without mum- -and mum insists that it was all him and the way he feels love- whatever, this argument has been on for decades, the point is, my father is one of the most powerful wizards, an amazing and the perfect dad.

While on war, they had once escaped in this very forest and mum had suggested between all seriousness for them to stay here and grow old. I like to think dad kept that in mind for years on, even when they were not a thing and that's why our family house is here now, in the Forest of Dean.

Uncle Ron had needed months to accept the fact that his two best friends were in love with each other. He had needed even more months to notice aunt Luna, but now it didn't matter and all that was known to us after we graduated Hogwarts even if there were always the rumors and whispers and lets be honest, if you picked up one of the many unauthorized biographies of both mum and dad that exist in the shelves of Florish and Blotts you would know, especially the multiply edited "the Potters now and forevermore By Rita Skeeter" you would be completely into every detail… even if most of them are false…

'Rose, can you help me here?' Mum's voice snaps me out of my stupor as I have remained to stare at the magical frames of my family before me on the fireplace's rail.

'Coming mum!' I call out and turn around to find my younger siblings all staring at me.

'Always first to arrive.' James points out as I rush close to him and hug him tightly, I missed the little jerk just like I missed Lily and my baby brother, Sirius who just got in the Academy of Aurors, not a baby anymore.

'You know I like to play nice,' I counter as we all move to the kitchen. Lily like she did when she was younger jumps on James' back and he holds her legs around his waist as she wraps her arms around his neck like a monkey would do on his back. She will never grow up, mum is right about it.

'All my sweethearts are here!' Hermione Potter exclaims like only members of her family have seen her doing so and I smile at my husband as he grins at me from behind her back. The moment she met him he charmed her with his skills in the kitchen, the sly Slytherin and his ways. I smile as I make room for the rest of my siblings to greet mum, after she scolds Lily for getting off her brother's back before the national Quidditch player of the house gets his back fractured. After mum, my siblings greeted Robert with smiles and pats on the back, jokingly asking about how close he's to kill his new wife. I just glare at them as mum pats my own shoulder.

'Don't mind them.' Mum says soothingly as only a mum would, I don't, I was always patient with the little brats.

'When dad will be here mum?' Lily asks as she steals a cupcake with the skill only her own Seeker hands can have, it's a shame she hasn't been summoned by the National team as of yet. Maybe because she's still too young for it.

We're not far apart in age, as uncle Ron jokes about it, when mum and dad decided to make a family, they weren't kidding. I was the firstborn in 2002 with James following in 2004, Lily in 2007 and Sirius in 2009.

'He'll be here through the portkey in a few minutes with everyone.' Mum said as she still held Sirius by the shoulder, the last of her little birds flying out of the nest had been bad for her, last summer but Sirius had to move to London for his Academy and mum had to deal with a few things like she's only forty-eight and has finally plenty of time to have fun with dad now that we're all out of the house.

'I always liked how they arrived all at the same time.' Lily said as she smiled, 'gave us plenty of time to have a couple more cupcakes before uncle Ron could get in and eat everything.' She went on and everyone laughed as she wriggled her eyebrows. It was true, mum always wanted this portkey solution for everyone to move in for parties at the same time so she could have everything prepared without turning into a dictator like grandma Molly did every time there was a special occasion at the Burrow.

'How's the hospital?' James asks as I move close to the window, too many smells of foods around one room. I smile as Robert realizes I don't feel well and moves closer, rubbing my back casually for the rest not to notice.

'Crazy as always, with the upcoming World Cup here in England… lucky me and the extra hours in the injury department.' I sighed and even if James seems sympathetic, he will be in our team after all, Lily grins and pats his back.

'Maybe next year I'll be next to you, and finally this team will be complete with two Potters in it.' Lily grins and James laughs and ruffles her cut short messy black hair. James is a chaser for the team, it would be nice to see that little devil next to him as the seeker indeed.

'Family! We're here!' a voice from the living room is heard before an onslaught of more voices follows and we all grin as we move out of the kitchen. Everyone rushes close to mum while dad comes closer to us.

'My Hogwarts offspring,' dad says with affectionate humor and we all hug him at once. It was always his favorite "title" when we're all gathered as somehow, all Potter kids ended up in different houses of Hogwarts. I was the first to get there and got shorted in the proud house of Slytherin, James was a Hufflepuff and we all agreed the Hat was right as my brother had the kindest of hearts a man can have. Lily ended up in sharp Ravenclaw and Sirius finally got sorted in Gryffindor. It was fun encountering them all in the Quidditch pitch, especially after quarrels where I got to blast bludgers at them without getting to detentions… only an earful from mum…

Soon everyone was getting to catch up with everyone and it was the moment I found the chance to get close to my husband again. He smiled at me as he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my lips softly. The music on the background along the rest of the world fading in my mind as I remain in his arms.

'How are you feeling?' he asks and I smile tiredly at him.

'As long as I don't look at my uncle, just fine.' He chuckles as we both look at our parents' best friend and dad's distant cousin, Ronald Weasley can eat literally anything. 'And we're not on the actual dinner yet.' I comment as Rob laughs again and gives me another kiss.

'Ok, everyone, lets move outside to the garden for drinks and cut the cake, lets not waist this fine evening of mid-September, we won't be seeing many more of them very soon.' Dad invites everyone and opens the large French windows of the living room that lead to our garden, enclosed by the rest of the forest, my siblings and I grew up in the perfect, peaceful place.

For the day, dad has installed thousands of magical lights around the place, among the trees and many little blue ribbons –mum's favorite color- are dancing from the brunches of the trees, a large table is set with drinks and there is a vacant place for the cake that is to be cut later on in the evening.

Everyone starts giving their presents to mum and I feel lightheaded as my turn approaches, I keep moving in the back, suddenly butterflies fill my stomach as I see everyone gathered, literally everyone, from friends of mum and dad's from the ministry up to the Headmistress of Hogwarts Minerva McGonagall and my herbology teacher, Neville Longbottom or for me, Neville as he was always a friend of the family.

Most of the gifts for mum –like every year- are books, except a strange jewel aunt Luna gives to her and a beautiful emerald necklace dad has bought for mum and puts it around her neck while everyone smiles and some of dad's friends, Ron included, joke about the reasons mum promoted dad as the Head of the Security office. These people will never let dad rest for his sappiness when it comes to mum. My siblings have given their own gifts and now give me strange looks as I hold nothing in my hands for her. Lily narrows her eyes at me and I look at her, she suddenly knows, maybe because she remembered an old conversation we had months ago, or maybe because her brain works like mum's with a Ravencalw speed. She suddenly smiles and gives me a sharp gesture for me to take my ass and go close to our parents. I finally do, my hand almost crushing Rob's as we both approach and everyone halts as they're always curious about what the eldest child will give to her mum.

I'm on the verge of tears.

Mum realized my discomfort and dad already looks at me with concern but I finally take a deep breath and feel Rob's hand squeezing mine.

'OK, mum, dad,' I start and my voice is calm, I need to use all that Slytherin calmness. I was always the stoic one, the older one, the child my parents learnt to be parents with. And these two people before me, of which I inherited the brown curls and green eyes, are the people who love me and my siblings before than anyone else in their lives and they have proven it.

'My gift to you will be here with a delay of a few months.' I went on and Mum knows before I say it as dad watches oblivious. 'Because I am pregnant, three months along,' I finally say and Mum is hugging me already, tears running down her eyes as dad remains still for a moment more, looking at me completely lost.

'I'm going to be a grandpa…' he whispers and I nod as mum still hugs me while everyone claps and moves closer to congratulate Robert as I'm still wrapped in my mother's arms. 'At the tender age of forty-seven…' dad adds and both mum and I laugh out loud at his completely shocked expression. 'Oh my God, come here,' he finally commands as mum releases me and dad hugs me tightly in his arms like he always did, for him, I will always be his little pumpkin as he called me. 'And again I will have to threaten all boys if it's a girl,' he adds and I laugh and nod as dad had been held back more than once by mum when Lily and I had our own share of heartbreaks as teenagers in our school years.

Mum and dad hug Robert and congratulate him while I am getting lost in my siblings' arms. Then it's the rest of our extended family, my maternal grandparents as well with grandma Jane still in tears like Mum. Everyone is happy and I know my baby will be raised in a loving family.

'So the serpent will have a baby snake.' Uncle Ron jokes, it's been years and he still can't accept his Godchild got in Slytherin. I laugh and hug him as his son and my first childhood best friend, Arthur claps my back like he always did with the rest of the boys, for him I was always his buddy.

'Lets hope your little Raven will one day give you lions, Uncle.' I retort as Amanda, Ron and Luna's daughter and my other best friend comes close and starts jumping up and down in excitement like we did when we got out new broomsticks for our respective teams at school, her large blue eyes inherited by her mum and the strawberry blond hair make her look like a pixie, especially with all those piercings around her face.

'I'll be the Godmother, negative response is not accepted.' She says as she hugs me tightly and laughs as I struggle to get her off me, for a tiny girl, she's too strong.

The party has new high spirits and I laugh as Robert dances with my sister in crazy rhythms while Sirius has Amanda spinning while James laughs with the Weasley grandchildren, he's the star of the year with his promotion to the national, but I stole just a bit of his glory this time. I smile as I notice mum and dad in a corner, watching everyone, their hands –like always- are linked and dad looks at mum with warm eyes.

She smiles up at him and he hugs her closer, both their hair have the first strikes of white and dad's scar is just a bit more prominent now that his skin ages along the rest of him. Of course they're both still so young, close to the end of their forties and with a grandchild on the way but I understand why they rushed to make a family. Death had loomed over their heads for far too long and in a very young age. I still remember my fear to send the letter announcing my sorting in Slytherin, the house most of the bane makers of my parents' lives had resulted from but they had both been proud and happy. After all dad himself had been that close to get to Slytherin.

I was happy to see them through the years, raising their family, shaping the society we function in and rebuilding their world. Now they had achieved so much and they deserved all the happiness of the world.

I am so happy to see my mum's wish materialized, they stay in the Forest of Dean, together, and they grow old.