Chapter 4: Open Heart Surgery

A week has since passed from the day the boys went home from Hogwarts. Christmas was just around the corner but the Potters never realized they haven't done their shopping yet, until one lazy Saturday afternoon after a number of Quidditch games in their especially made pitch.

Harry has taken a 2-week vacation to spend some quality time with his family, and Quidditch sure thing was a reasonable reason the parents and the kids were having the best times of their lives.

Ginny on the other hand, asked a permission from her chief editor as well, for a much needed break from her work. And being Harry Potter's wife has its share of advantages and this was no different. Her boss gladly accepted her leave of absence if it will mean she was spending her time with the Hero of the Wizarding World.

The whole family was scattered everywhere beneath the pitch, too tired to even go inside the house. James and Lily, together with their broomsticks, were both lying carelessly, with closed eyes, being watched by their brother's occasional glances behind the book he was reading, while Harry and Ginny sat beside each other, savoring every moment they were with their children from quite a far, smiling once in a while.

"No doubt that these kids truly came from us," said Ginny, that made Harry laughed. His days wouldn't be complete without his wife's clever and funny commentaries about anything and everything under the sun.

"How can I ever disagree with you, my Honey bee?"

Ginny smirked with the term of endearment, but ignored it instead. "Harry, do you realize we're behind with this Christmas shopping?"

"Christmas shopping?"

"You know, new clothes and dress robes hunting…gifts fetching… we even haven't decided what to give the kids this Christmas yet."

"Christmas shopping, of course," agreed Harry, half-attentive, half-drifting.

Ginny tugged his right ear. "Hey, Potter! Do you actually hear what I said? I said…"

"Mum, can I go to my room first before we eat dinner?" said Albus loudly, after seeing his parents confined in their own world and haven't noticed he was walking towards them.

"Of course, Sweetheart. Fix yourself and we'll be expecting you to go down as soon as you can."

"Thank you," he replied, clutching his enormous book Teddy had just purchased for his 11th birthday.

"The little guy is as proper as ever."

Ginny chuckled, perfectly aware her husband was telling the truth.

"He's your son, so don't wonder."

"You think I'm that proper?"

"When you were still a kid, yes, now, questionable," said Ginny, waggling her eyebrows.

"Oh really?" Harry replied, preparing to get even but she cut off his ideas.

"Harry, come on! I'm serious. We are so dead because a couple of days from now, we need to get those things done."

"All right, when do you want to go to the Diagon Alley?"

"Diagon Alley? I think I have a better idea."

"Ginny…"

"Mummy, why do we have to dress like muggles?" asked Lily, staring at herself in front of her parents' full body mirror in their walk-in closet.

"Don't you three look gorgeous?" Ginny replied as if she didn't hear what her daughter had just said and continued checking every details of her children's outfits.

"Mum…"

"Alright, alright! I just think we can shop for our new things in London, as in muggle London."

"What??" The children exclaimed with their mother's outrageous idea.

"But Mum, how can we pick the things we wish to have on Christmas if we are in the muggle world? Sure, I may love Granddad's contraptions, but that's just it. I want to have a new broom and there is no way we can ever find a magical broomstick in there!"

James said more audible than he was supposed to speak with his mother, that's why it caught his father's attention from the bathroom.

"Young man, your words! That's not the way you can possibly talk with your Mum!"

"Dad, look, do you honestly think this is one of Mum's best ideas? I think not!"

Harry decided to check on his family before anything might happen further. He walked towards the matrimonial bed where his wife was currently sitting, unaffected with the kids' dislike of her plans.

He held Ginny's right hand and brought it to his lips as she grinned lovingly at her husband. He always knows how to get through me.

"I must admit, at first I thought it was incredulous. But come to think of it, your mother has got a point. We've been doing the same things over again for the past…what? 12 years of James, 11 of Al and 9 of Lily's life? It doesn't hurt to try something new this year. After all, you might surprise yourself if you find that what we're going to do is just as much as exciting on what we used to see and have."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," agreed Ginny, thankful Harry was the man she had married. He loved her and the children more than she can imagine and he had enough sense to not oppose if he thought the matter was considerable.

"How do you know? Is it because you already experienced some things in there that made you long to come back?" Albus asked with curious eyes. He didn't talk as much as his siblings but when he did, the majority of his words was either, sensible, heartwarming or just plain innocent.

Ginny chose to reply after a shared look with Harry. "Maybe yes, maybe not. I took up Muggle Studies back in my Hogwarts days and got an O in OWLs and so was in NEWTs, I love Daddy and his muggle loving trait, but I know I have yet to learn. So maybe we can learn together and open up our hearts that both worlds exist with each other. Believe me, Sweethearts, we have been there but Christmas season is the best!"

A pregnant silence engulfed the young Potters, until Lily's decision was voiced out.

"I'm in!" Harry and Ginny smiled widely while James' face still wore a confusion.

"Me too!" It's Albus turn.

"Do I still have a choice?" asked James, just to question, but he knew there was nothing he can do to make his parents and siblings change their minds. And yes, he admitted, they were all correct.

"I'm afraid you don't have, Sweetheart."

True enough, the children forgot all their musings as soon as they stepped up in the muggle London. Their mother was right, they've been here but it was totally different when this time of the year was looming around the corner.

They got so excited when they entered an enormous toy store with high technology gadgets, as what the lady told them. Having just a faint idea of what she was talking about, they decided to roam around. A particular so-called video game caught James' eye sight and made him giddy. It was believed to be the latest for the muggle kids and James must admit, it was kinda cool. It even gave him a hard time deciding on what he would want this Christmas, the new top of the line broomstick or this Nintendo Wii.

Albus, who has always been the more studious of the three focused on what he remembered referred as laptop. He thought it would be essential on his interests and Mum's work. But of course, he also knew he couldn't bring it to Hogwarts as there was no electricity around and his Mum barely took advantage of the few gadgets they have at home.

Lily, in her own little world was geared up to the new collector's item Barbie Doll. Aunt Hermione had given her one the last time she visited her parents for them to see Hugo and thought she would like it as it looked like Ginny and her. She had a hard time choosing on what model did look best. Maybe she can ask Mum or Dad but she was more than sure they haven't had any idea for the reason both her parents was not fond on dolls. One thing that sets her apart from her mother.

"So I heard the news the children don't want to shop in here." Harry laughed as Ginny idly checked a particular weird ball from the basket full of different kinds.

"Yeah, I heard that too."

"It seems Mum strikes again, huh?"

"As always," replied Harry, amused with how Ginny held the golf ball as if she was holding a sick kitten.

"What is this, Honey? It's cute but honestly, how can you play with this tiny ball without wings?"

"I think you need this," A club was now in Harry's hands. He once saw Uncle Vernon watching a game on television but he didn't have any idea of the rules on playing.

"Sometimes I am amazed on how they survived without magic sometimes I am in awe on their weird taste of fun. Flying is fun!"

"Yes, I know, Honey, but the people on your back will make fun of you if they hear you said you can fly."

"Oops!" said Ginny, covering her mouth with widened eyes, giggling. Harry embraced her tightly and kissed her just below her ear, nibbling her earlobe. " Oh, I changed my mind, flying is not that fun, this is."

"Ewww! Mummy, Daddy, people can see you."

Harry and Ginny broke apart, still smiling but she stuck out her tongue on their daughter.

"What's with the eww, little girl? I thought you said you loved seeing me and Daddy like this. Don't listen to Uncle Ron that much. It's enough that James has his abilities too."

"Abilities on what?" James and Albus were on their way to where they were, couldn't held back their grin.

"Oh, never mind, Jamie," said Harry, right hand on Ginny's shoulder, close on her nape. "Anyway, have you find anything?"

"Daddy?"

'Yes, Al."

"If we ask some stuff in here, is that it?"

"What do you mean, is that it?"

"I mean, it's our Christmas present?"

"Of course! Unless you never find you want in here, you can have a look on Diagon Alley."

"As a matter of fact, I have. What about you two?"

"Yes I have also," answered James, without lending an eye to his younger brother, attention on the golf club his father was holding. "You, Lils?"

"Me too, Daddy."

"Oh, that's great! See, I told you, this is going to be fun!" Ginny excitedly said. "So let's talk about the stuff you loved most during lunch then we'll decide whether to take it or not. Deal?"

"Deal." Three little voices replied in unison.

Lunch has gone so fast as the Potters were enjoying their delectable meal in a fancy restaurant while exchanging their own stories over the past couple of hours. They were about to leave the place while struggling with their handful of shopping bags going back to the toy store to get what they wanted after plus and minus points discussed with their parents when Lily squealed suddenly making her parents and brothers automatically covered her for protection.

"Oh please, let it go! There is nothing wrong, I just forgot my gift for Grandmum on the hook under our table! Daddy, can I go get it myself?" she asked her father, weighing what her dad's answer will be. They have been overly protective of her, being the youngest and only girl of the family, just like her mum. But to her surprise, her dad allowed her without a chaperone.

Harry nodded but said, "hurry up, can you? We will be waiting outside."

Lily smiled then fled as fast as she can. Sometimes it felt so good being alone, no Daddy, no Mummy, no annoying older brothers tailing on you as if you were going to break as soon as their eyes left from where you were. I am perfectly capable, thank you. Just like Mum. Again. One of the several similarities we have. But like her, I also admit that I still need my family once in a while. That's why I said, sometimes.

With her petite frame, she had quite a difficult time locating their table with a clutter of people around the restaurant. Finally. She said to herself when finally realizing she was almost there. This place is huge, nothing like any restaurants in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. I wonder if the shopping bag is still…She immediately stopped when she saw an old lady opening it, checking the content. The little girl almost run and snatched it from the lady's hold.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but this is for my Grandmum." But before the lady can give her reaction, Lily covered her face with her hands, ashamed on her lack of respect. "I'm sorry, it's just…"

The lady laughed fondly, making Lily tongue-tied and that rarely happened in all of the 9 years of her life.

"It's all right little girl. I should be the one apologizing for my being nosy."

"Of course you are not nosy. You don't know what is inside that's why you are looking at it, right?"

The lady grinned feebly, smoothing the girl's shiny long red hair.

"You remind me of my sister. Talkative, polite, can't forgive herself if she accidentally made a mistake of being rude to other people, redhead…"

"Redhead? Really? Me and Mummy are redheads too!"

"So you obviously inherited it from your mother."

"Correct. Most of her in fact. From the hair, the eyes, personality, well, in the last one, my dad, my grandparents, my uncles, my aunts, say so, I don't have any idea I am."

The lady laughed at the little girls chatty behavior. She didn't know what was in the girl that making her stare at her like she was staring a part of her.

"Who's with you, Ma'am?"

"No one. I'm here by myself. And you?"

"I'm with Daddy, Mummy, James and Al, by the way, they are my older brothers, annoying older brothers who refuse to grow up."

The lady smiled again for the nth time.

"Harry, can you check on Lily? I wonder what took her so long just to get that bag."

James intruded. "I told you, Dad, that girl needs somebody with her. She has a tendency on clogging herself into something."

"All right, I'm going."

"Daddy, Mummy, James and Al, and what is your name little one?"

"I'm…"

"Lily! We've been waiting for you for ages! Mum is getting worried every seconds you're not…"

"Harry?"