Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did, but I don't.
"I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.
You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.
How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.
Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon"
-Billy Dean
Flashback
Ginny was on her way to take Albus up to his crib when she tripped over one of James' toys for what felt like the millionth time that day. She tried to regain her balance without jostling Albus; and failed. He began wailing and she could hear James cackling from his seat on the couch. Someone would have to let her know why her misery was so hilarious to him.
"James honey, what have I told you about leaving your things on the floor!" she said frustrated. Albus was still crying; it was a phase he was in right now. "Teddy!" she called out. She continued bouncing Albus up and down and watched as Teddy stomped down the stairs moodily.
"What?" he spat. Clearly everyone was in a phase right now.
"Watch your tone Teddy Remus; I need you to watch James while I try to get Harry on the phone." Harry's voice was the only thing that made Albus stop crying and since Harry was off at work most of the time, they had gotten cell phones for times like these.
"Fine." Teddy huffed. He began picking up toys while she simultaneously rocked Albus and dialed Harry. He picked up on the first ring and Ginny could have cried herself from hearing her favorite voice in the world.
"Harry, it's Albus! He's crying again, and I can't get him to stop. Help me please?" she said.
"Sure Gin," he answered, "put him on."
"Al honey, its daddy," she cooed softly before holding the phone up to his ear. She walked back and forth and could already see Al calming down a little. She looked back at Teddy and saw that he had placed all of the toys in a bucket in the corner of the room. Albus' cries soon turned to laughter and she was about to do a happy dance until-
"No James!" she heard Teddy scream, before hearing hundreds of toys scattering on the floor. James had knocked over the bin of toys and began throwing them everywhere. He laughed happily as a stuffed hippogriff hit Teddy on the head, and she stormed out of the room.
"James, stop it!" she screamed, startling Albus and making him cry again and dropping the phone on her toe.
"No stop! James play!" he screamed while he began kicking at the toys. She had had it. She carried Albus up the stairs to her room and laid him in his crib. He was crying so loudly that she feared he might hurt himself. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door before lying down on the cold tile floor. She took a few steadying breaths as she could hear James throwing toys and Albus crying. Ginny couldn't hear Teddy, but that wasn't comforting; there was no telling what he may be up to. A drop of water rolled down her cheek and she looked at the ceiling to see if there was a leak. She couldn't see anything falling but could feel water and her vision was blurry. Was she crying? They had finally broken her; she couldn't take care of her kids alone. She closed her eyes and tried to regain control. She dialed Harry but he didn't pick up. She laid there for hours it seemed, and the silence was so comforting she could have drifted to sleep right there. Wait, silence? It was so uncommon in their house that she hardly recognized it. She'd really done it now. All of her children were dead; there could be no other explanation for their being "silence" in their house.
She pulled herself off of the bathroom floor and rushed out, but stopped herself when she looked across the room. Teddy was sitting in the rocking chair with James, but leaning his head on the crib so he was face to face with Albus. Ginny backed into the bathroom and cracked the door so she wouldn't interrupt their moment. Teddy was speaking to the boys and Ginny listened.
"I know you're too little to get it, but we need to talk." He started, "You guys have got to lighten up on your mum."
"Mama?" Albus gurgled
"Yes. You guys are lucky because you have a mum, but you're driving her nuts. I don't have a mum with me so I can't be sure, but I think you guys have the best mum in the whole world. Albus, could you please, please not cry unless it's absolutely important? I know you are little but I need you to just try ok?" he asked. Albus giggled adorably and started kicking his tiny legs in excitement. "I'll take that as a yes. And James, could you pretty pleaseā¦um well, could you just behave?" he asked practically begged.
"Buh-have?" James asked as if he had never heard the word before.
"Yes. Just pick up your toys, and stop throwing and kicking and do what your mum asks? It would make her really really happy!" he reasoned. James scrunched up his nose as if he was weighing options before giggling and nodding.
"Ok Teddy, James behave."
Ginny watched tearfully as her three boys drifted to sleep. She didn't take advantage of this situation and snapped a picture with her camera before snuggling into her bed; she wouldn't trade being a mother for anything in the world.
Ginny saw the train coming and was pulled out of her thoughts. He was home. The platform filled with kids eager to reunite with their families. She didn't see Teddy, but knew he was close by, because Lily ran off into the crowd. A few seconds later Teddy reappeared carrying an ecstatic looking Lily.
"Mum!" he called. She loved it when he called her mum, "Look at this adorable thing I found wandering on the platform! Can we keep it mum? Please?" He joked.
'Teddy!" Lily screamed, "it's me Lillian!" Ginny rolled her eyes; her name was not Lillian.
"Lily? That can't be you, the Lily I know is just a little girl, and you're a big girl!" he said. He placed her down before hugging James and Albus. "And how are you two doing?" he asked.
"Better now that you're here" James replied. "I can't take those two; they'll drive guy nuts!"
"Look who's talking" Teddy said shaking his head. "The girls were right behind me but only Merlin knows what's happened to them now. Where's dad?"
"Oh, he's just wrapping up a few things at the office; he'll meet us at home." She replied. She prayed that she could keep up the charade and that Lily or James wouldn't say that their dad was actually at home preparing things for the surprise party. "Well, let's be off then." She said. She picked up Lily and linked arms with Albus and apparated to Potter Manor, and a few seconds later Teddy appeared with James. They walked to the front door of the house and Ginny turned the key. She really hoped everything was ready. She motioned for Teddy to go in first and he turned the lights on.
"SURPRISE!" the family yelled loudly. Teddy was scared for a second before a look of realization crept across his face. He was attacked by the family with hugs and kisses and congratulations and gifts. All of the adults wanted to know how his last year was and all the kids wanted to know when he would play or talk with them. The party went on till around midnight when everyone started settling down. Most of the family had gone home, and Ginny, Teddy, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Victoire were in the sitting room exchanging stories with each other. Ginny couldn't explain what she felt when they were together, happy like this. Her Teddy was back; she had missed him so much and now he was all grown up. She decided to pay attention so she wouldn't start tearing up in front of everyone.
"So Teddy, what exactly are you planning to do now that you've graduated?" Hermione asked. He looked at Harry who gave him a supportive pat on the back.
"Well I was accepted into the Young Educator's program at the Salem Wizarding Institute in America, so I'm going to do their one-year program and then return to Hogwarts to teach." He said proudly.
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed. How so?
"America? I thought you were going into Auror training next year?" Ron asked confused.
"Well I was, and I'm very grateful to dad for the offer but, we talked about it and neither of us thinks I'm cut out to be an Auror really. I mean, could you see me doing that?"
"But America? Teddy that's like thousands of miles away! You can't go away for a year, that's ridiculous!" Ginny said getting angry.
"I've been going away to Hogwarts for the past 7 years. Is that not the same thing?" he challenged. "I know it's far but in hindsight it's really only a floo or apparition away. Plus its school, I'll get holidays off and everything."
Ginny looked around the room to see if there was anyone hearing how crazy this was. Ron was tapping his foot awkwardly, Harry had suddenly become very interested in his glass of fire whiskey, and Victoire and Hermione were nervously looking at the floor. Could she seriously be the only one that disagreed with this?
"No." she stated in a final tone. "You won't be going."
"Gin-"Harry started but was cut off.
"What?" Teddy asked "I mean, I think I heard you but I want to be sure I heard what I think heard." He said. She could see he was getting angry, but she went on.
"You will not be going to America." She said slowly and clearly.
"The hell I won't!" Teddy screamed. "Have you gone completely mental? This is an amazing opportunity and you just expect me to not go. What did you think would happen? That I'd come running back here and let you plan out the rest of my life? Or did you just want me to come back and do nothing and cook and clean all day with you?"
"Teddy!" Vic gasped.
"You will not speak to me in that tone Teddy Remus and I've made my decision; no child of mine will be running off billions of miles away and that's final!"
"Well then I guess it's a good thing that you're not my mother, then Ginny. Because I'm going and THAT is final!" he stormed out of the room and slammed the door. No one dared speak and Ginny herself couldn't even register what had just happened. What had she done? Victoire ran after Teddy and Ron stood up, clearly uncomfortable.
"Well, I think its best we go," he said. "I'll just go get the kids."
"Ginny" Harry said softly, "What is going on?"
"I really don't know Harry, something just snapped! I wasn't trying to upset him but I really can't imagine him being so far away. I love him so much!" she said. Harry began rubbing soothing circles on her back.
"I know, and he knows how much you love him too, but you can't hold on to them forever. Kids grow up; it's a part of life. Teddy is of age now and he's free to make whatever choices he wants." He said.
"I know, but that doesn't mean I'll like it."
"And you don't have to like it, but you owe it to him to give him support; that's all he really needs. Teddy turned out to be such a great man because you helped raise him, but it's time for him to control his life."
"I'll remind you of that in 15 years when some prat is asking you if they can marry Lily." She said.
"I know you will." He said before kissing her.
"How is it that you know everything? Don't you ever get sick of being the hero? "She joked.
"Nope, that's one of the perks of being Harry Potter." He said with a smile. "Now I think there's someone you need to apologize to."
She sighed headed towards the door Teddy went out of. She walked out to the back yard and made her way down to the lake where he was skipping rocks with Victoire. Stopping at a nearby tree she leaned against it and watched for about five minutes, and for the first time he didn't look like a little boy to her; he looked like a man.
"Vic, can I have a word with Teddy?"
"Sure" Vic kissed Teddy on the cheek and turned to walk back inside the house.
"Did you come here to forbid me from skipping rocks?" he asked sarcastically. She walked up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder.
"No, I came to apologize."
"For?" he asked.
"For everything; saying you couldn't go, not supporting your dream, acting like a complete prat. Should I go on?"
"No" he said with a laugh, "I want to apologize too. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that; it was out of line."
"You had every right to. I was being unreasonable, but I had a talk with Harry and he reminded me that you're old enough to make your own decisions. And I love you more than anything, so any decision that makes you happy makes me happy. I know I'm not your birth mother but I've always thought of you as one of my own; it was just hard for me to think of you going off on your own and being an adult." She said.
"Thank you. And, you may not be my birth mother but you are my mother in every sense of the term. If it wasn't for you and Harry I wouldn't be a part of this family, you've taught me so much about love and family when I had none; I'll be forever grateful to guys."
Ginny could barely hold back her tears. Teddy had gotten so wise and mature and she was extremely proud of him. "When did you get so grown up?" she said.
"I don't even really know." He replied, "But I do know that even when I'm old and married with kids I'll still be coming to you for advice."
"That's if James lets me live to see those days." She joked. "You're going to make an amazing teacher."
"You think so?"
"I know so. That's just one of the perks of being Harry Potter's wife; I know everything."
She gave him a long hug and they walked back to the house together. When Ginny sat on the couch in the sitting room, one of the picture frames fell on the floor. She went to pick it up and when she turned it over she saw a picture of Teddy, James and Albus. They were in her room what had to be about ten years ago and Teddy was silently speaking to the boys. She looked at the picture long and hard before placing back on the table; they all grow up too soon.
A/N: Aww, don't you just love those parent/child moments? Tell me what you think!
-Jazz
