Disclaimer: nothing is mine. Nothing at all!!!

A/N: I had installed a better office program on my computer which means I won't be needing to land my brother's laptop anymore, I hope. Work has been taking most of my time again but since it the holiday season here in the Holly Land of Camels and … other desert related stuff.

Anyway I'm going to have a lot more time to write for now and I want to finish the story before term starts at the university.

I have no idea why I'm you all of this but hey! I'm the writer I'm almighty when it comes to this fic! Yay me!!!

Joy to the world you may precede to reading.

P.S

A big thank you to those who read and reviewed and to those who read and didn't, because you took you're time and read it.

Chapter Three

Say a Prayer for Me Tonight

* *

* *

* *

* *

* *

* *

* *

Dumbledore once said that there will come a time when we have to make a choice between what it right and what is easy. I hate it when he's right. Yes, even after all this time.

"Harry?" Ah, my wife and love of my life, giving me that all too familiar annoyed look I've long since grown to know and love. "When are you planning on finishing staring at the fire and sulking and join me in bed?"

"Who said I'm sulking?" I am sulking but she doesn't need to know the truth.

"I think it might be the fact that this lovely cup of tea has been sitting here untouched since I've brought it to you an hour ago." She said, "And may I point out that you have been a fowler mood ever since we got back from The Burrow. " She walked over to my chair and set on its arm and ran her hand through my hair. "You're not making it any easier on them if you keep pouting every time Lily and Scorpius are around, which as you might as well already know going to be quite a lot, now that there a-"

"Wedding." I said, irritated. "I know I know."

Ginny snorted. "It doesn't seem that way." She cupped my face and I looked up at her, her dark brown eyes twinkled at me. "It was bound to happen, Harry, one way or another it was always there."

"I know, Gin, I'm not blind."

I really am not.

"And then, Teddy said to Vic: 'I wouldn't worry so much about my robes as much you should worry about your hair!' and that's when she found out Roxy has cut her hair when she fell asleep!" Lily rolled out laughing, having spent quite a day at Teddy's with Roxanne and Hugo while Victoire took a break from Healer training. "Boy did she have a fit!"

"I bet she did." I nodded and smiled at her while cutting the potatoes for dinner. "What did Vic do?"

"Screamed while Hugh and Roxy and ran and hide." She shrugged. "Who knew she'd be so mad about hair. Only after Teddy calmed her down and told her it looked nicer short and that she need to relax."

"And how did you contribute to this lovely tale?" Ginny turned from the stew and asked. "Knowing you, I'd bet you handed Roxy the scissors."

Lily blushed, always a giveaway when it comes to her, and mumbled. "Teddy's wand."

"Lily!" Ginny cried her hands on her waist as she turned to face our ten year old. Our very frightened ten year old. "What have I told about using someone else's wand for pranks?"

She looked down. "It was only Vic's hair. It can grow back."

"How would you feel if Al and Scorpius magically cut your hair-"

"Scorpius will never do that!" Lily called suddenly and Ginny raised her eyebrow at her. Lily's face turned ever redder and she looked down at her shoes.

"Scorpius will never do what?" Albus asked as both he and the boy in question walked in. If possible, I could've fried an egg on my daughter's face.

Al paused and looked at Lily and then at his mother and surprisingly enough at Scorpius, who was rather confused. "Did you do anything?" He asked Scorpius.

"Of course not!" Ginny called, "Don't be silly. I'm just telling your sister that the prank she pulled-"

"Helped." I corrected her, upon which she turned to give me her 'don't-mess-with-me' look. "I'm just saying." I held my hands up and winked at Lily.

"Who did you prank?" Scorpius asked.

"Victoire. Well actually it was Hugo and Roxanne but-"

"Lily gave them Teddy's wand to charm Victoire's hair and cut it off." Ginny finished for her.

There was a silent pause and then both Al and Scorpius burst out in laughter. Both boys reached for Lily and draped their arms around each of her shoulders. Lily smiled shyly as Scorpius grinned at her. "We also turned it purple." She whispered so only he can hear. (or so she thought).

He squeezed her shoulder affectionately. "That's my girl." Lily gave him a big smile.

There must be some law to hex a twelve year old to oblivion. If there isn't, I'll make one.

Times have changed.

"Dad?" A small hand appeared before my face and I woke from my reverie. I was in my office and the small hand that awoke me, belonged to Lily. "Is the Phoenix home?" she laughed and set back in front of me.

"Sorry, Snitch, a bit of daydreaming." I set up in my chair and took the parchment Lily had brought with her. "Is this the report on the Newcastle riots?"

She nodded. "It wasn't easy, I say. But those bloody-" I gave her a look. "Those bloody pity excuses for wizards tried to fight us back!"

"How long did it take you to arrest the last one?" I said reading the report. "You shouldn't have chased him while not attending any help to those muggles they attacked."

"By the time we got there the muggle authorities were already there! I can't obliviate their healers-"

"Doctors."

"Whatever. Knowing they were getting help while I can go and finish that ruddy scum off was only helping us!" She rose up from her seat, her hands on the table and her eyes narrowed. "There is only as much as we can do!"

"Where was Scorpius?" I said calmly.

Throwing her hands up in frustration, Lily growled. "What is wrong with you? Why are you being so horrible? We did our jobs just fine. More than fine to be honest, but all you care is where Scorpius was?" she shook her head and turned to the door to leave. "If you even bothered to read you would have known by now that he was the one who got to Kelson at the end!" and with that she shut the door behind her.

Sometimes I wonder whether Hermione was wrong and it wasn't Ron with the emotional rang of a tea spoon, but me.

It's not a habit of mine to stay in my home office at such a late hour especially on Christmas Eve, however I was swept up with many reporting's about muggles being attacked since the last summer and their frequency was growing.

A shadow passing by told me I wasn't the only one awake. I looked out of the study's door and saw that Lily set herself on the living room sofa with a book in her hand. Not bothering any further I returned to my study.

I was so absorbed in my work that only the sound of talking startled my sometime later.

OoOoO

"Couldn't sleep." Lily said and moved to make place for Scorpius on the sofa. He flopped lazily and took the book which Lily put down.

"Alice in Wonderland? Don't you have any homework for the holidays?" He smirked at her, amusement playing in his eyes.

"Third years, Malfoy, aren't punished for the holidays as you fifth years do." Lily teased and poked him in the chest. "Prat."

"Oi!" Scorpius backed off a little. "I am a school prefect you know."

"Too bad we're not at school." She poked him again, and Scorpius frowned at her. "Don't tell I'm hurting you?" he was silent. "Merlin you're more fragile than a Bowtruckle!"

Scorpius protested "Am not!" His face flushing a light shade of pink.

"Right, you do let Cecilia Edwards-"

"That's different!" he said at once. "She's my girlfriend or something like that."

"Something like that?" she said, though without much conviction. "How would you call what you're doing?"

Scorpius picked a red lock at twisted it between his fingers. "Snogging. That's what we do most of the time."

"Mimicking eels more likely." Lily muttered and rolled her eyes.

"I didn't know you were paying us any attention."

"It's a bit hard to ignore it while working in the library or eating. Can't you wait till you're alone?"

Scorpius looked down. Lily's words weren't anything new to him; he knew how people felt about his and Cecilia's displays, lacking any other proper words. However, hearing that coming out of Lily's mouth, truthfully, it hit a nerve. Not that he'll tell her or anything. "When you got it flaunt it."

"You're so vapid." She slapped him lightly on the chest and he lay down on the sofa, playing wounded and hurt. "Bugger off!" she slapped him once more, only to be pulled down to lie beside him. Lily retaliated by poking him again, between his ribs this time.

Scorpius squirmed and cried. "Not fair Potter!" he propped himself and pulled Lily close to him.

"Whoever talked about fairness?" she flipped her hair out of her face and looked at him while snuggling into his side. He resumed playing with her hair. It smelled of something flowery that he always wanted to ask her about. It always made him feel confused and funny in a sort of way he didn't know how to cop with ever since he can remember knowing her.

"No one." He said, and fetched the long forgotten book of which Lily has been reading when he came. "Here." He handed it to her while Lily pulled a quilt over them. "You can read for us."

Lily chuckled. "You can read with me." She flushed. "Dad and I used to do it when I was little."

"Oh my ears and whiskers!" Scorpius cried.

"The White Rabbit does suit you," Lily said. "However, he's not in the part I was reading."

"So where were you?" He asked and Lily scanned the page to find the place where she got interrupted by Scorpius.

"There." She pointed at a line in the page. "I'll be Alice."

"Of Course you will." Scorpius cleared his throat. "The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.'Who are you?' said the Caterpillar."

Lily looked up at him and snuggled even closer. "This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I — I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'"

"'What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly.'Explain yourself!'" Scorpius read in a very serious voice.

"'I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, 'because I'm not myself, you see.'" Lily yawned feeling drowsy.

"'I don't see,' said the Caterpillar." Scorpius read and yawned himself, the warmth of the quilt and weight of Lily against him were starting to take it's affect on him.

"'I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very politely, 'for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'" she drawled the last part, her own eyes betraying her as they shut. She fell asleep as soon as she finished the sentence. Scorpius, blinked slowly a few times before he too, fell asleep.

"I wanted to apologize, Snitch." I said as I stood at the front door. I've been pacing around the building for the past hour and only got the nerves a few minutes ago.

"I was wondering when you were going to get up here." Lily said and moved to let me enter the flat. "Mum made you?"

"Nah, I sort of figured it out myself this time." I pulled out of my coat's pocket a chocolate frog and gave it to her. "Consider this as a peace token."

Lily rolled her eyes but took the frog nonetheless. "You're mantel, d'you know that Dad?"

"I'm allowed to." I said. "Part of the job's requirements." I reached and kissed her temple.

She kissed me on the cheek and went to the kitchen to make us some tea. "You're a nutter but you're still my Dad." I smiled down at her when I caught the picture of her and Scorpius, his arms around her and both were beaming at whoever who took the picture, probably Al or Rose, looking very much in love.

I sighed and looked away from the picture.

Love is wonderful. Until it happens to your only daughter.

A/N: the parts from Alice in Wonderland belong to Lewis Carroll and aren't my own at all, whatsoever as much as I want too.

More to read and perhaps we'll hear what the older brothers have to say and more Weasley Men Wisdom.

Reviews always make my day.

Loads of kisses!

SnowFlakeGinny!