-1Disclaimer: Not mine, of course!
A/N: A short, Harry/Ginny next-generation oneshot, focusing on the Potter family and children. Mentions of Harry/Ginny, Albus/Sandrine (my OC) and James/Alice (OC).
Thank you's: A Catholic Girl, to whom the Alice I mentioned belongs.
'Everyone, this is Sandrine Jordan.' Albus gestured proudly to the woman beside him. She smiled gingerly. Harry shook her hand, beaming warmly at her. He knew how daunting this would be for her. All of the vast Weasley connection in one place was a daunting thing for anyone to go through. She knew George, who was good friends with her father, Lee Jordan, and some of the younger family members from Hogwarts, but to most, she was just the stranger Albus had talked of many, many times.
Albus Severus Potter looked just like his father, only less scrawny, of course, thanks to Molly's cooking. At first, he had been a shy, nervous child, but it hadn't taken long for him to come out of his shell. He wasn't as loud or direct as James, but he was very warm and open.
Harry threw his arm around his son's shoulder as Sandrine was hustled away for questioning by the Weasley and Potter women. Albus smiled at him, his face bright and open, but his green eyes anxious.
'I remember a time when you thought this would never happen,' Harry said, nodding slightly towards where Sandrine was sitting with Lily, Roxanne, Ginny, Hermione, Angelina and Fleur. Harry looked fondly at Ginny and Lily, especially. They were his girls.
'There were so many times when I felt like giving up, you know? But being with her just makes everything worthwhile. After all those years, I don't feel any less love for her. I'm going to marry her, Dad.' Albus said, honestly.
'Already?' Harry grinned at his son. It was his first summer out of Hogwarts after his Seventh year, but Harry wasn't surprised that he had already found the woman he wanted to marry. It seemed to happen early with Potter men. He had found Ginny, and James Sirius had found Alice Longbottom. Even his dad, James Potter had found Lily in Hogwarts. Actually, Harry thought this story sounded awfully familiar.
'Not yet, no,' Albus laughed, 'but one day, I hope.'
'I'll await the day, then! You'd better go and rescue her, you don't want the relatives to scare her off already.' Harry could see Sandrine getting thoroughly questioned. All of them knew to expect it. After all, it had happened to James with Alice early on. But then, they had got together earlier than Al and Sandrine.
He saw his son offer the girl his hand. She seemed to accept, but did not seem to shaken up by the girls. That was good. Yes, Harry thought, She'll be good in this family.
He saw Alice rise, and move to sit by James on one of the armchairs. She entwined her hand with his, and he looked up at her lovingly. They were a good match, too. Alice was Neville daughter, she had his kind nature, but her mothers looks. She seemed to calm James down, and the family loved her, too. Ginny had told Harry to expect them to announce an engagement. The were only nineteen and twenty years old, but they had been together for five years, after all.
Harry had acted surprised when Ginny had told him, but secretly he'd been delighted.
His youngest child, Lily Luna, was still in Hogwarts, and would be going back to her sixth year. Harry didn't want to know about her romances. She was only a baby. But then, she would always be Harry's baby. She was sitting by her mother, who she was taller than. She flicked her long, red hair over her shoulder as she laughed at something Angelina had said.
When had this happened?
When had his beautiful little family grown up?
Harry remembered when he had married Ginny. When James had been born, then Al, then last, Lily. He remembered James taking Al flying on their toy broomsticks, as Lily took her first steps. He remembered each of their first days, pulling his children into crushing hugs, trying to hold back tears, and doing a better job of it than Ginny. He remembered Ginny sending James his first Howler for dung bombing Filch. He remembered first talking to Albus about Sandrine when he was thirteen years old, telling him not too loose hope. He remembered Lily getting onto the house team as seeker, the only one of his children to play his old position.
He looked at them now. They weren't children anymore. They weren't his babies.
Harry shook his head sadly. This was everything he had ever wanted. A family to love and to call his own. He couldn't help but feel that his family was slipping away from him.
Ginny slipped her arms around his waist. He hugged her close. Even after all this time, she just seemed to get more incredible every day.
'They're growing up, aren't they?' Harry said sadly, stroking her hair.
She nodded into his shoulder. 'Yes, yes they are. But they're so happy. We did well, Harry.'
'I know, Gin, I know. Cant we keep them young? Just for a bit longer?' He asked.
'Oh, Harry…'
'It's gone so fast,' Harry continued, 'It doesn't even feel like five minutes since they were so little, and I brought them to see you play with the Harpies, and now they're grown up, and leaving Hogwarts and falling in love. I'm not ready yet, Gin.'
'Of course not, love, but we wont ever be ready, will we?' Ginny said, hugging Harry tighter, 'Besides, we aren't loosing them. They'll always be our babies.'
Harry kissed Ginny gently on the top of her still-red hair. He knew she was right.