Harry woke to the sound of shuffling feet and boyish laughter running past his bedroom door. He rolled over to cuddle with his wife, but Ginny wasn't there. He remembered, with a smile, the pleasurable way she'd woken him a couple of hours earlier. The physical exertions had made him fall back to sleep, and he would have liked to have woken up next to her warmth this morning. Still, as he lay listening to the sounds of his family, he knew one of them would have had to get up for the kids.
He got up to pee then decided to be a bit indulgent and go back to bed. It was only eight on a Sunday morning, after all. He'd been on holidays the last week, and last night fire-called Kingsley, almost begging for another week off, which Kingsley had granted in a heartbeat. Nobody had accumulated as much leave as Harry, and Kingsley didn't want him burnt out already.
Harry had thoroughly enjoyed being home with his family and just doing the every day things with them. It was the little things he missed while he was at work, often being in the office before the kids all awoke, and sometimes, when he was deeply involved in a case, he came home well after the kids were in bed asleep. James was now eight, Albus, six and a half and Lily, four. In no time at all, James would be off to Hogwarts. Harry feared he was missing out on his children's childhood, and had taken the week off.
This week he'd been able to accompany Ginny as she took the boys to their school, then Lily to kindergarten. They boys had been proud to show off their dad, and Harry had been able to put faces to the names of various boys that James and Al spoke about at the dinner table when he asked them how school was. He chatted with their teacher too, trying to ignore her blushing as she spoke with the Harry Potter.
He'd returned home and had pounced on Ginny, making the most of their alone time in their own home. It had been ages, way too long since they had made love during the day. Harry tried to show Ginny in every way how much he loved her, and she did the same for him. In the end, they had to rush to get dressed to go pick up Lily, who only did two half days during the week.
Harry didn't know how Ginny did it, day after day. They taken the three children, plus Teddy Lupin, clothes shopping, a trial in itself. Harry had then taken them all out for lunch before they returned Teddy to Andromeda.
The next day he took his boys to see his old Quidditch captain, Oliver Wood, train with his team, Puddlemere United. Oliver came over to greet Harry and the boys after, and even took them for a fly around the grounds.
Since then there had been household chores to help with and the weekly grocery shop. He'd managed to catch up with both Luna and Neville for lunch, attend an art show for Dean and fire-call Seamus, congratulating him on the birth of his first daughter after four sons.
Yesterday he and Ginny had taken Teddy and the children, along with Ron, Hermione, Rose and Hugo to the zoo in London. Harry enjoyed the anonymity and freedom of just being able to walk around. He realised he hadn't thought about his job once this last week.
So now it was Sunday; the traditional 'day of rest'. Harry put his hands behind his head and contemplated the day ahead.
His bedroom door opened, and Harry watched as James snuck in. He seemed surprised to see Harry awake and still in bed. "Oh, hey Dad," he greeted. He came over to sit on the side of Harry's bed.
"Morning, James. What mischief are you up to this morning?" asked Harry, with a chuckle.
"Whatever you heard, or may hear, it wasn't me," grinned James. He was a true grandson of a Marauder.
"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER, GET DOWN HERE NOW!"
"What did you do, son?" asked Harry, amused despite himself.
"Me?" dead-panned James. "Why, it couldn't have been me, I've been up here with you, Dad," he grinned.
Harry just shook his head. "You know, your mum knows all the tricks of the trade. She did grow up with Uncle's Fred and George and, don't tell her I said this, but she's a lot like your Grandma Weasley. You know nothing gets past her."
James paled. "Think I'll go to my room. If Mum asks, I've been asleep all this time."
He hurried out.
"Great, now I'm his accomplice. He should know I can't lie to Ginny,"mumbled Harry to himself.
"What's James done now?" asked Albus, standing in the doorway.
"How did you know I meant James?" asked Harry, patting the side of the bed.
Albus came over and lay next to Harry, curled into his side.
"Just a lucky guess. Dad, what are we doing today?" asked Albus.
"I don't think your Mum and I made any plans yet. What would you like to do?" asked Harry.
"Can we go back to the zoo, Dad?" asked Albus.
"Al, we went yesterday. We'll do something else today,"said Harry. His legs couldn't take another day of walking around the zoo.
"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER, IF YOU'RE NOT DOWN IN HERE IN TEN SECONDS, I'M COMING UP. TEN, NINE, EIGHT..."
"Uh-oh, this can't be good if Mum's counting. James is in big trouble," said Albus.
"James? Why, he's been asleep all this time," said Harry.
Albus chuckled. "Right, Dad. When Mum asks, try not to blink so much, it's a dead give away." He hugged his dad and got up to go. At the door he stopped and looked back. "This has been the best week, Dad. I wish you were home all the time." He smiled and left.
Harry sighed. His boys were great. Sure, James could be a handful, but his pranks were harmless; never malicious. Albus was the peacemaker, the gentle one. And then there was -
"Daddy! Daddy, you're here!" Lily Luna rushed to the bed and climbed up, sitting on Harry's stomach.
"Mummy's mad," she said.
"So I can hear,"| agreed Harry.
"James did somefing," she said.
"Are you sure it was James? Maybe it was Al, or maybe it was YOU!!"Harry started to tickle her, and she giggled.
"No, Daddy, not me, was James," she giggled. "I sawed him." She climbed off Harry and lay next to him.
"What would you like to do today, sweetie?" he asked.
"Pway wiv Daddy," she said. "Cook wiv Mummy."
"What would you like to play?" he asked.
"Tea parties," she said.
They were interrupted by James and Albus running back to Harry's bedroom. Albus jumped into bed next to Lily, while James tried to hide under Harry's side of the bed.
"What's going on?" asked Harry, cuddling Lily close.
"It's Mum, she's coming. Listen!" said Al, frantically.
Sure enough, loud thuds came down the hall. Harry could picture an angry Ginny stomping down the hall.
"YOU CAN'T GET AWAY FROM ME,"cried Ginny.
Al pulled the covers over his head and Lily buried her face against Harry. They all jumped as Harry and Ginny's bedroom door burst open. Al peeked out from under the covers and gasped. Lily let out a little squeal, while Harry tried not to laugh. Harry felt James bump his head from under the bed.
"WHERE IS HE?" demanded Ginny.
Lily was the only one brave enough to respond. "Mummy, what's all over your face?"
"That, Lily, is your breakfast," said Ginny.
Lily made a face. "I like my bweakfast on a plate, not on your face, Mummy," she said.
"Is that so, Lily," said Ginny, coming closer. She noticed Al huddled under the blankets and guessed James couldn't be too far away. She winked at Harry to let him know she wasn't really mad.
Harry couldn't help but laugh. Ginny had pancake mixture all over her face and hair. Only her eyes and lips were visible.
"Let me guess, exploding fry pan?" he asked.
Ginny nodded. "Do you think it's funny, Harry?" she asked dangerously.
Harry tried not to laugh too hard. "Come on, Gin. It's a little bit funny. You look very tasty."
Ginny climbed onto the bed. "Think I look tasty, do you? Well, how about you find out for sure?" She climbed onto his stomach like Lily had and began kissing him all over his face.
Lily laughed, so Ginny started to kiss her too. "Mummy tastes of stwawbewwy," she said, trying to push her mummy away.
Al peeked his head out. "Albus Severus, were you hiding from me?" teased Ginny. She ducked under the covers, tickling Harry and Lily before finding Albus and smothering him with kisses too.
James crawled out from under the bed. He stood at the side of it, his hands on hips. "So, you're not mad?" he asked in disbelief.
Ginny collapsed in laughter on the bed, her arm around Al. "Mad at myself. I should have known it was too good to be true when you came home from Grandma's with a new fry pan for me."
"Does that mean I'm not in trouble?" asked James, unable to believe he'd gotten away with it. When his mother shook her head, he leapt onto the bed, laying across all of their legs.
Lily climbed onto his back. "Go, horsey." She bounced up and down.
"So, does this mean there's no pancakes for breakfast?" asked Albus.
Ginny shook her head, sending pancake mix all over the sheets. "There's no mixture left, but we have bacon, sausages and eggs. Who makes the best breakfasts?" she asked.
"Dad! Daddy!"cried James, Albus and Lily.
"I guess my lazy Sunday morning just got shot down," grinned Harry.
"I'll help, Dad," said Al, getting out of bed.
"And James can help by tidying up. I don't know how you're going to get all the pancake mixture off the ceiling, but knowing how clever you are, I'm sure you'll find a way," said Ginny to her first born son.
"Think I need to go fire-call Uncle George," groaned James. He and Albus left the bedroom and went down the hall.
Ginny lay with her head on Harry's shoulder. Lily straddled his stomach again. "Daddy and me play tea parties. Mummy play too?"she asked.
"I know who would love to play tea parties. Lil. How about we take a picnic lunch and go to Hogwarts and see Hagrid. We can take the boys flying, and there's lots of room for them to run around. It's been ages since we saw him," said Harry.
"That sounds great. Lily, why don't you go and tell your brothers we're going to Hogwarts," said Ginny.
"Fleas, too?" asked Lily.
"No, we'll need to leave Fleas home," said Ginny, referring to the family cat.
They'd found an old abandoned cat prowling around the perimeter of Harry's parents house in Godric's Hollow one day. They'd asked around and put up posters, but nobody came to claim him. He was brought home to the Potter's house, where Ginny, in a fit of inspiration after seeing the stage play,'ÇATS', named him Mistoffelees. Naturally, the children couldn't pronounce that, so he was soon dubbed Fleas. Sadly, it was an apt name, but a quick trip to Hagrid soon put Fleas right.
Lily pouted, but under her mother's look she nodded and ran out to find her brothers. "Hoggy, Hoggy, Hogwarts," she sang.
Ginny sighed and moved closer to Harry. "You'll probably be glad to get back to the office and away from all this bedlam," she said, "but it's been great having you home this week."
"I'd rather be here than anywhere else in the world,"' said Harry, " which is why I've decided to take an extra week off."
"Really? Harry, that's brilliant. The kids will be so happy," beamed Ginny.
They didn't tell the children until bedtime that night. It had been a full on day at Hogwarts. The boys and Harry had flown while Ginny and Lily went for a walk to visit Neville in his greenhouses. When they'd all sat down for a picnic lunch outside Hagrid's cabin, Ginny had opened the hamper and Fleas had jumped out, licking his lips at the feast he'd had while being stuck in the hamper. Everyone turned to look at Lily, who shrugged.
"How did he get in there?" she wondered aloud, then smiled her angelic smile that she knew her parents couldn't resist.
Luckily, Headmistress McGonagall invited them all up for lunch. Fleas was shut up in Hagrid's cabin and Lily rode on Hagrid's shoulder as they all made their way up to the great castle.
Professor Flitwick and Neville joined them too, and the meal was sumptuous. James and Al couldn't believe you just had to ask for what you wanted and it would appear.
"I can't wait to come to Hogwarts," said James. Albus nodded, his mouth full of Shepherd's Pie.
Lily fell asleep on Hagrid's lap. He gently carried her back to his cabin where the Potters packed up their hamper and looked around for Fleas, who had managed to escape the confines of the cabin. He was found near the Forbidden Forest. James grabbed him and held onto him tightly, making the old cat hiss and snarl.
Harry shrank the hamper and put it in his pocket before taking a sleeping Lily from Hagrid. With promises to see him again for Harry's birthday, the Potters farewelled Hagrid and set forth for home.
They bought fish and chips for tea, then bathed the boys and Lily. It had been a big couple of days for them all.
"I guess you won't be here when we wake up tomorrow," sighed James. "Could we, maybe, fly after you get home from work, Dad?"
"I'll miss you tomorrow, Dad. I liked you taking us to school and picking us up. Could we go to the zoo next time you have a day off, Dad?" asked Albus.
"Daddy stay home wiv me and Mummy and James and Al," said Lily, tearfully. She hugged Harry tight. "No go to work."
"You're very much wanted around here," said an amused Ginny.
Harry sat on the couch, Lily on his lap. He patted the sides of the couch next to him. James and Albus sat either side.
"I've loved being home with you all this week. We've had lots of fun, haven't we?" asked Harry. The boys nodded glumly.
"I fire-called my boss last night, and asked him if I could have another week off," admitted Harry.
"What did Uncle Kings say, Dad?" asked James, perking up.
"He said...YES!" said Harry. "So you've got me home for another week."
" All right," said James, pumping his fist.
"Really?'' asked Albus, not believing it to be true. When Harry nodded, Albus hugged him. "Does this mean we can go back to the zoo?" Harry nodded and smiled at Ginny
over Albus' head as his son hugged him again.
"Daddy stay home and play?" asked Lily, excitedly.
"Daddy will stay home and play," agreed Harry. He glanced at the clock. "But right now, it's time for bed. Tomorrow is a school day."
"You'll take us, won't you, Dad?" asked Albus. Harry nodded.
"And we can fly after school, Dad?"' asked James. Harry nodded.
Soon, all the little Potters were fast asleep in their beds. It took some time for the boys to fall asleep. They kept calling out ideas of things they could do with their dad in the coming week.
"Sounds like you'll need a holiday to get over your holiday," grinned Ginny, as he finished his shower and readied for bed. "They've come up with some great ideas. You're going to be busy." She'd banished the dirty bedsheets from this morning and clean covers lay on the bed.
Harry shrugged. "Honestly, I can't wait. Sometimes I feel as though I've blinked and James is eight. Next time I'll blink and he'll be off to Hogwarts. Where has the time gone, Gin?" he asked, rhetorically.
"You've been busy doing important work, Harry," said Ginny, watching with interest as he dropped the towel and pulled on some clean boxer shorts.
"Nothing, nothing is as important to me as my family, Gin. When I go back to work, I'll make sure I'm home at a decent time. I'm going to put in to have time off from my birthday to yours. Maybe we could go away somewhere," suggested Harry.
"That sounds great, Harry," said Ginny, softly. She'd heard this before from Harry, so she didn't fully believe him. She knew he wanted to be home, but he would never shirk his responsibilities at work.
Harry got into bed and turned to his side, taking her in his arms. "I know I've said it before, but this time I mean it,"he said.
Ginny sighed. "The boys are getting to an age where they want their dad around more. Lily, well, she'll always be daddy's girl,"said Ginny. She turned her face into his chest and kissed it. "I'd also like to have you around more."
Harry rolled her under him. "Is that right. What fun things did you have planned for you and me, Gin?" he asked cheekily.
Ginny loped her arms around his neck. "Well, I quite like what we did this morning. So I'll take more of that," she quipped.
"Anything for you, Gin," he said, kissing her lips, her throat, her chest. He kept moving downwards. "Maybe next Sunday I'll get my lazy day."
"Good luck with that," said Ginny, arching into his touch.
"Miaow," said Fleas, jumping onto their bed. Neither Harry nor Ginny noticed, both too caught up in what they were doing.
"Rowl!" he cried a minute later when Harry, busy under the covers, accidentally kicked him off the bed.
He trotted down the hall, knowing there was always a spot for him on Lily's bed. After all, she had made sure he had plenty to eat while he was trapped in the hamper.
And he'd get revenge on Harry.
As he settled comfortably between Lily and her stuffed snitch, he flexed his claws.
No-one kicked Mister Mistofelees Potter out of bed!
A/N I know, it's very fluffy, but I've been annoyed at the lack of Hinny lately, so decided to post this. For my regular readers, I am currently writing two multi-chap stories. Unfortunately, both my desktop and laptop died within a week of each other, taking close to ten chapters of one of them with it. I am retrieving them but have decided to start fresh, so I won't be posting for awhile yet. Stay tuned xx