Sixth Year II
The first week with the babies was the hardest of the project so far. None of the babies seemed to sleep much, and they needed constant attention. Teddy got absolutely no sleep unless he walked with baby Aurora or rocked her until she fell asleep. She wouldn't sleep for Toire, and therefore Toire got plenty of sleep.
Orion had it worse. With two babies in his house he had twice the work. He went through twice the diapers, twice the formula, twice the amount of shirts with spit up on them. The worst was twice the crying. Both he and Andi were getting no sleep and extremely tired at school. The teachers however were getting their usual nine hours of sleep and perfectly fine with the way they were teaching their classes. Classes didn't change with the new responsibilities of the project.
James and Elaine had assigned nights that they altered for Charlie, and so did Murphy and Tanya. The first week, as difficult and tiring as it was passed quickly. Everyone could see that the kids were gaining weight, and Orion's twins were the first to sleep through the night making him quite chipper on a day when the rest of the students weren't.
The next Wednesday when Charlie was almost a week old, or a month and a half, they had their second class with Professor Weasley. This week everyone had their children and they all sat at little tables with their children in either strollers or carriers.
"Hello Class!" she said opening the class brightly. Very few students were able to return the response as happily. "It seems all of you are experiencing the wonderful first month or so after a baby is born and are finding it more difficult than you thought. It is hard work to wake up every time your child needs something and to learn what their crying means. Do they need burped, changed, fed, or are they tired? Things like that. Today I'm going to be explaining the different stages of this project and what to do for each part."
"The first part of this project is infancy which is from birth to a year old which for this project is about until Christmas. During this period it is important that you take good care of your baby physically. Talk to your baby and repeat sounds to it to teach it language skills, play music to make them smarter, read to your baby to teach it language and sounds, cuddle and play with your baby. I'm going to be handing out a book on stages of child development and milestones that should occur for every age. By Christmas there will be final evaluations for your babies to see if they have reached these stages. Every week your child will also have a spell performed on them to see if it has been neglected and left crying for more than ten minutes, or unfed or unchanged. If you are taking good care of your baby, your grade will reflect that, however if you are not, your grade will be very poor in this class. You are graded in this class and while we have never had anyone fail, it is required that you complete the course for the ministry."
After class James and Elaine went home, James with Charlies' carriage, and Elaine reading the developmental book.
"By next week he should be able to stand with someone helping him. Like, he should press his legs to a hard surface. And he is going to start babbling like Virgo and Leo. That was sooo annoying during potions. Ohh and he'll be able to play with his rattles."
"Great, one more noise for him to make."
"James, be nice," she scolded looking at the baby and making a funny face causing him to smile. "LOOK! He smiled! Aww his first smile!" she said.
"Take a picture, it lasts longer," said James who was very tired from being on baby duty the night before.
"I just might," she snapped as she pulled out her wizarding camera. He rolled his eyes and wondered if she would be this grumpy tomorrow.
Two days later Elaine was doing her homework while James played with the baby. He was being funny and making faces at Charlie who sometimes would smile between his blabbering. Suddenly there was a knocking on the door. It was late, perhaps ten, but James went and got the door.
"Hey James, wondering if I could stay here tonight," said Orion stepping into the house with a bag over his shoulder.
"Why are you here?" asked James as Orion plopped himself down on the sofa loudly earning an angry look from Elaine.
"Not much, Andi's a psycho bitch, that's all."
"Umm… so why are you here?"
"Well, I sort of set Virgo on the counter when I was getting a bottle for her, and she sort of rolled off or something and she almost fell if it hadn't been for my amazing quidditch skills I wouldn't have caught her, but Andi's really mad and I already got yelled at for twenty minutes straight and so now I just want to stay here tonight."
"Ohh well… that was sort of stupid, but I guess you can stay here for tonight only. The couch is yours."
The next week seemed to go so fast too. When they weren't doing homework they were taking care of the baby, cleaning the house, at quidditch practice, or sleeping. Elaine got excited every time that Charlie accomplished one of the mile stones that was mentioned in the book such as responding to her playing peekaboo with him.
By the third week, the babies were growing fast and soon their clothes were fitting tightly. Another shopping excursion in the great hall was in order, however with the babies this time it was much harder and more eventful. The girls spend at least two hours each picking out clothes for the kids, trying them on the crying babies, and estimating how much they would grow in the next few weeks. James knew it was starting to get cold out. He was making sure that they would be ready for winter. He was the one who thought to buy the heavy blankets and coat for Charlie and the heavier winter cloaks and blankets for them and the house.
By the last week of November the babies were getting really fun. They slept through the night and were starting to eat normal food. They could roll over and laugh. They would play little games on the floor at night, and the dinner parties every day had started up again. The main problem was that they were becoming more and more difficult to control in classes as they were becoming more active.
It was one night at Murphy's house after dinner. The four boys were sitting next to the fire while the girls were in the kitchen doing the dishes and gossiping. Orion was making faces that Leo and Virgo were imitating while Teddy was rocking a tired Aurora. Charlie was playing with some of Donovan's toys while Murphy was bouncing Donovan on his knee. The four marauders were alternately laughing at the funny sounds Donovan was making and the funny faces that Virgo and Leo were making. Murphy picked up Donovan and tossed him lightly into the air making him squeal with laughter.
Tanya ran into the room not sure what the fuss was about closely followed by the other girls. Murphy was just tossing the small four month old in the air a second time causing Tanya to gasp in horror before he caught the boy again.
"MURPHY BRIAN FINNIGAN! Just because you named him Quaffle doesn't mean you get to treat him like one! There is to be no tossing of the baby! You're going to drop him on his head and then what will we do? Fail the project? You are such a moron! And look at your moron friends! Orion stop making hideous faces! You're scaring the children. Seriously! James watch Charlie! He's getting into everything and making a mess with the toys. Teddy is the only innocent one here and Aurora's asleep!"
The rest of the marauders mumbled goodbyes to Murphy and hurried out of there in the next two minutes, the girls going willingly. When they got outside James couldn't understand why Tanya had reacted so horridly. He was watching Charlie. Toys were meant to be played with and make a mess! What was her problem?
"She's failing three classes, Divination, Transfiguration, and History of Magic," said Elaine quietly surprising James who hadn't realized he had asked the question aloud.
"Ohh," said James as they reached their house a few minutes later. He took Charlie's stroller inside and put it in the closet and then unbundled him taking him up to bed.
He liked to put Charlie to bed. He would zoom him around the nursery and then fly him into bed causing him to laugh. He would then get his pajamas on him, and take him on his lap for a story. His favorite was a muggle book called Goodnight Moon that James read almost every night. Then James would put on the bedtime music Elaine had gotten and tuck Charlie into bed with his snuggly stuffed hippogriff. James liked this because he got to spend some time with Charlie, and Elaine liked this because she got an extra time to do homework.
James had to admit that Elaine did get Charlie up in the mornings, and fed him all of his meals and overall watched him more of the time so he liked to give her the evenings off to do homework.
The working as a partner thing was going well, but there was something looming ahead that he was a little uneasy about. The Christmas Dance. Sixth Years were encouraged to attend and their children would be baby sat by Professor Weasley for a small fee. Orion had already asked hufflepuff Karsyn Vine to the dance, and Murphy was going with Rachel Davies again. It was to be a masquerade ball with costumes, and everyone was looking forward to it.
Two nights later Orion was playing solitaire when he heard a knock at the door. It was James without a coat in the early December cold. And he needed to stay the night.
"She said no?" he asked. James nodded.
He had just put Charlie to bed, and had come downstairs to find Ellie in front of the fire finished with her homework. He had smiled at her and she had smiled at him over her cup of hot chocolate. He saw that grey eyed smile as an opening and he sat down.
"So, Christmas is coming up." She nodded. "Are we going to have my grand… Professor Weasley watch Charlie for the Dance?" She nodded. "Do you want to go with me?" Her eyes widened, turning a murkey green, a warning sign he chose to ignore. "I mean we are partners and all and it's natural for us to go together…"
"If you think that us being partners means anything you are sorely mistaken! I am not your wife, or the mother of your child or anything to you other than your partner for a school project! I refuse to go with you to the dance!"
"But why?" he asked, upset at the sudden rejection.
"Get out of this house you arrogant, obnoxious, toerag!" He looked at her wondering why the sudden outburst. He merely stalked out of the house heading to Orion's and that was the story Orion got.
James moped for the next few days and finally on Saturday afternoon when Orion came over and all James would do was bounce a quaffle off his bedroom wall, Orion decided it was time for Marauder intervention. In no time at all James had been brought to the bright kitchen in the Shrieking Shack and was moping in his usual chair. He had a full bottle of firewhiskey in front of him and the other boys were looking at him expectantly.
"Stop moping. She said no, nothing new. This can't ruin the James Potter we know and love!" said Orion angrily. "She's a bitch and a slag and she breaks your heart on a weekly basis but you're James Potter. You bounce back, you aren't affected by it!"
"Come on James," said Teddy. "We need you to be normal! Do something!" James picked up his firewhiskey and downed half the bottle in a single swig. The three boys looked at each other nervously. "Well, that is something."
"I know what will make you feel better!" said Murphy. The other two boys looked at him expectantly. "Prank." They nodded suddenly seeing what Murphy's brilliant plan was.
"We'll get your favorite buddy Farty and some of his green friends!" said Orion slapping James on the back.
"What to do though!" said Teddy happily knowing that the boys hadn't been able to do their Halloween prank. They had decided that it was impossible with being stuck in the village for the project. And so even though they hadn't done it, they said it didn't count as a true fail.
"It has to be big, and funny, and somewhat vengeful," contemplated Orion.
"HAHA!" exclaimed Murphy. "I've got it! It's a muggle prank, but we've sort of done it before. It was one of James' favorite pranks ever!" The boys looked at him again expectantly. "We can TP all of the slytherin guys' tents! Remember when we used the sticking charms on the TP in the great hall? It will be awesome! Come on James! It will be so fun! Remember how good at it you were cause it was like chucking the quaffle? It will be sooo fun!" The other boys were nodding excitedly at the idea and Orion looked at James who took a drink of his firewhiskey finishing the bottle.
"Okay."
"YESSS!" exclaimed Orion jumping up and hugging him. "He speaks!"
"Gerroff me!" said James pushing him off. "NO slash!"
"Anyways, how about I run to my house and get some TP and then bring it back here to duplicate. We'll put it in some trash bags! This is going to be AWESOME!" said Teddy.
"All right, we'll stay here and decide who all we are getting!" said Orion pulling out a quill and some parchment writing FARTY GREENASS at the top of the paper.
"Dolohov! He's a jerk! Especially during matches!"
"Krum. Arsehole if I ever met one!"
"Carrow is such a suck up and slimy git! Get him!"
"I'm back! Got the TP. How much do you think we'll need to duplicate?"
"Two thousand or so?"
"Yeah. About."
As expected James was amazing with the throwing of the TP into the many trees in the slytherin's yards. They got Farley alone with over 1000 rolls, and even though it hadn't snowed and the ground was barren and the trees leafless after autumn, the next day several people looked out their window and thought there had been a blizzard overnight. The boys had put sticking charms on all of it and it was going to be up for a while. They didn't miss the opportunity to get pictures with their handiwork, and James cracked his first smile in days. He couldn't help but laughing out loud the next morning when he saw Farley in his pajamas hopping around his yard angrily.
The next day, Sunday, James was moping in the living room still. Ellie had gone out with Charlie to Frank Weber and Sarah Albright's to see their baby Alice who Charlie liked to play with now. Suddenly the bell rang. Getting up he went to the door to find someone he had NOT expected to see.
"What are you doing here? How did you get here? Get inside quick before someone sees you! You shouldn't be here!" he exclaimed ushering the visitor into the entryway quickly and looking around to see if anyone was watching.
"Hi James, nice to see you too! I've missed you too! I'm all right, how are you?" she said sarcastically with her hands on her hips angry at the rude greeting.
"Sorry, it's just you're not supposed to be here. Why are you here?"
"Excuse me?"
"Lily! It's soo good to see you! I've missed you so much! How is your school year going?" he said hugging her. She smiled smugly and hugged him back.
"I'm okay. Just a few problems. Nothing my big brother can't fix."
"Okay, good. Then how did you get here?"
"I walked."
"How did you find me?"
"That was the tricky part. You are one difficult guy to track down. However, using that wonderful map you gave me, I soon discovered you couldn't be found on it. I modified it a bit. I added the forbidden forest to it and wallah! James Potter appeared on the map and I, Lily Potter, followed my dot to where I am now which is quite a strange place. Where is this and why are you here James?"
"You cunning little slytherin! You used my own map against me! Anyways, this is top secret and none of the younger years are supposed to now about it. You can't tell anyone what I tell you now." She nodded. "This is the mysterious sixth year project." She gave him a look as if to say no duh! "We all get a partner and together we live in these tents for the year and have to use salaries to pay for stuff and teach us to be adults while we raise babies and learn to be parents. It's about responsibility and stuff."
"That's cool, so who's your partner. I feel bad for her."
"Elaine."
"NO! They wouldn't dare put you together!"
"Yeah well, they did. And we were actually getting along well until a few days ago when I stupidly thought she might start liking me and want to go to the dance with me. Obviously not," he said darkly.
"Aww James. You're so loveable and a great brother and a great guy. She'll see that soon enough. Who are you going to take instead?"
"No one. I'm sick of settling for a second choice. It's not very fun and in the past two years it hasn't made her jealous. I'll go alone or not go at all. What are you doing that night? Maybe I'll hang out with you! I haven't seen you enough this year!"
"Did you know this year the theme is a costume ball where you dress up in costume. Albus and his date are going as Mom and Dad, the famous couple Harry and Ginny Potter. It's going to be very funny, while Scorpius and Rose are going as friends and are going as Romeo and Juliet from some weird Muggle play. There's a couple of seventh years going as King Arthur and Queen Guinevere and I know that this one slytherin is taking six dates and going as King Henry VIII. I feel bad for whichever one is Anne Boleyn. Hopefully she doesn't get beheaded," laughed Lily. By now James had lead her into the family room and had gotten her a cup of tea off the stove and they were talking comfortably.
"Hmm… well then. I know who I want to go as." Lily nodded. "I'll be Apollo god of the sun, and you my sister can be Artemis, goddess of the moon, hunting and fertility in Greek mythology. They were Zeus and Leto's twin siblings!"
"WHAT? Me go to the ball?"
"Well, you can have mum send you one of your dresses, maybe your Silver dress that you wore last year to the New Year's Party. I'll have mum order me some gold robes! It will be perfect!"
"You want to bring your sister to the ball?"
"Sure, why not?"
"OHH ITS GOING TO BE SO FUN! I COULDN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR AND NOW I GET TO DRESS UP AND THANK YOU JAMIE!"
"Okay, well we're going to have fun! You're the best little sister around so why wouldn't I ask you?"
"I'm your only little sister."
"True, but now that we've solved my problems, why did you find me? What's wrong with you?"
"Well, I was hoping for some more transfiguration help. I could come here every week or you could come see me, but the final is coming up and I want to do really well."
"No problem. I don't have quidditch on Wednesdays so how about before dinner because after dinner I have an extra class. Will that work?"
"THANK YOU SOO MUCH JAMIE! You're an amazing brother. I have to go, but I'll see you in a few days!" She exclaimed hugging him and rushing out the door after he gave her a hasty goodbye. Now he just had to figure out what to do about the tutoring he promised her.
The next day in transfiguration Teddy nudged James. "So Victoire asked me if I wanted to go to the Dance with her. Are you still going stag? No pun intended."
"Ha! No actually. I'm going as Apollo and my date is going to be Artemis. What are you and Victoire going as?"
"She's going to be Barbie and I'm going to be Ken. Cliché, but she picked it."
"Those are those muggle dolls Lily played with right?" Teddy nodded.
"Orion and Karsyn are going as Anthony and Cleopatra and Murphy and Rachel are going to be Godric Gryffindor and his wife. It's going to be good. But who is your Artemis?"
"Artemis is Apollo's sister."
"You're taking Lily?" James nodded. "I guess she'll have a good time, I'm just surprised. I thought you would eventually ask the prettiest girl you could find. Any girl would drop their date to go with you."
"It was Dridel or no one else would do. Except my sister but that's different."
That Wednesday James decided it would be better for Lily to meet him in the library and that was where they had their tutoring sessions for the next three weeks. The transfiguration she was doing was so simple for James, but she really appreciated the help and it wasn't too much effort for him. It was during the last of these tutoring sessions that he was interrupted by another person settling next to them at their table.
"I was a transfiguration teacher back in the day," said the visitor as James stopped his lecture to Lily. "And I know someone with a gift for transfiguration when I see one. Especially when I hear one speak so knowledgably about such a complex subject."
"Thank you professor McGonagall. It might be my favorite class. I just get it."
"I don't," mumbled Lily who resented the subject simply because it was the only class she struggled in at all.
"Your grandfather was quite adept in the subject. Possibly the best student I ever had the privilege of teaching however his activities outside the classroom weren't to be praised quite as highly. Lily, you take after your grandmother, not as great at it, but still willing to try and that is very important too. Keep up the good work both of you, but right now I believe we are missing dinner. So do come along." The two nodded realizing that she had found them at least twenty minutes into dinner in the deserted library. No wonder she had come to see what they were doing. James realizing he was hungry promised to continue the lesson the next week and Lily thanked him for the help as always before they parted with the Professor smiling after them.
The day of the Dance was the last day they were at Hogwarts before break. James was playing peekaboo with Charlie and playing with him on the floor. They were turning him in at three so that he could be assessed over break. He was going to be tested on things like responding to his name and the word no and seeing how his motor skills were. They were supposed to have been helping him work on standing and walking with them holding his hands. Charlie could say both mama, dada, ball, book (ook), gyffie (his stuffed hippogriff), Siri, Finny (Murphy), Weddy (Teddy), Yaya, (Tanya) and cup. Toire and Andi were a little harder and he couldn't really say them yet. He could drink from a cup with help and feed himself finger food. Most of these things were going to be what he was evaluated on. They would get grade cards on how well they were progressing with their child over break, and Elaine had been working with him lately to try and teach him more things. She was always naming things like book, spoon, chair, bed, shirt, shoes, toes, nose, ears, eyes, window, door and such for him. James knew Charlie was going to be smart.
At three James and Elaine dropped him off along with other pairs to Professor Weasley and Professor Prewitt. James then went over to Orion's to get ready. His mom had mailed him red, gold, and black dress robes that were very handsome. Orion had a crown of olive leaves and red cape over a white tunic type thing. It was still formal but costumish.
James left for the ball when Orion did. Andi was going with a seventh year slytherin boy as the lead singer and drummer from Three Cauldrons Down. He headed up to the castle and slipped on his mask he had gotten. It was gold and reminded him of the muggle hero Zorro. He picked up Lily in her silver dress and mask outside the great hall and they went and ate with his friends. Murphy and Rachel were dressed in very old fashioned dress robes and an old fashioned medieval dress, and Murphy was carrying a sword. Rachel was a supporter of the theory that Godric Gryffindor was married to Rowena Ravenclaw and so she was wearing her house colors. It was an interesting pair. The group ate their dinner and then the dancing started.
Lily was happily dancing with Rose, Victoire, and some of her older friends while James sat back and watched the party. Murphy, Orion, and Teddy were dancing with their dates or random girls and came to him at times to check up but for the most part of the first hour he watched. It was about eight thirty when a spot of blue caught his eye near the door. Wearing a silver mask and a light blue dress, a small blond haired girl glided into the room. She was dateless which immediately attracted James' attention.
He decided it was time to get up and stop sulking. He had seen Elaine earlier arrive with a seventh year boy who James didn't know. She had since disappeared but he hadn't really been looking for her had he. Therefore he crossed the room to see the girl who had just arrived.
"You arrive late and without a date? What is a guy supposed to think about that?" he asked quietly in her ear startling her.
"Cinderella didn't have a date," the blond replied saucily.
"Hmm… well she did dance all night with Prince Charming. Stupid fairy tales that don't give the guy a name. We do have names you know."
"You might have names, but maybe women just don't care to know them."
"Touché. Normally I would be offended, but I've been offended for too long. Tonight I guess I can be merely a nameless Prince Charming," replied James offering his hand in the gesture of a dance to the pretty girl. Her blue eyes twinkled mischievously at him.
"Who said you were charming, let along a prince, let alone my Prince Charming for the evening?"
"My mother thinks I'm too charming for my own good. I am arrogant enough to be a prince, and if you'll let me I'll be your Prince Charming tonight. Would you like to dance? I'm here with my sister and she won't mind." Cinderella nodded and they went and danced for the remainder of the night.
Normally the dance got over around two in the morning or so, but James could have predicted what would happen if he had thought about it. At midnight, Cinderella who he had been dancing and talking with for the past few hours pulled him off the floor.
"It's midnight, and since I'm Cinderella I better go. The spell is broken at midnight remember?" she laughed.
"Ohh right. Well goodnight Cinderella. See you around. I won't ask your name because Cinderella just leaves. And I'm doubting you'll leave me a glass slipper to remember you by." She shook her head laughing.
"Goodbye! Enjoy the rest of your evening," she laughed and he walked her to the edge of the Great Hall and watched her disappear up the stairs as the clock started striking midnight. James finished out the dance, happy for the distraction of the Cinderella girl. He only noticed Ellie two more times dancing happily with her friends and another guy. After the dance Lily thanked him for bringing her and was bubbling over with how much fun she had had.
He slowly went back to the village and to his tent. When he got inside he couldn't help but see Ellie asleep in the armchair, the fire dying out, her feet propped up on the coffee table looking like some sort of fairy princess in her beautiful green dress. James resolutely picked her up and carried her upstairs to her bed, covering her with a light blanket before going to bed himself. The next morning she was gone for the train by the time he woke up, and he didn't see her on the train at all. Neither did he see Cinderella, but he hadn't expected to either. She was merely a distraction from Ellie, but not real enough to last. Too bad because he probably could have liked her a lot.
"James!" exclaimed Ginny Potter as he stepped off the train to be enveloped in a bone crushing hug.
"Hullo Mum," he replied with the little air left in his crushed lungs.
"Ohhh you've gotten so big! You almost need new robes already! Goodness how you're growing! But I haven't heard from you much! So few letters this year!"
"That's a good thing right? No detention letters from Longbottom."
"Well if you weren't in trouble then something could be wrong. When isn't my little Jamie in trouble?" He groaned and rolled his eyes. Harry winked at him before saying.
"I told you he was fine. He's just getting better at not getting caught."
"Yeah," agreed James who was promptly ear cuffed by his mother.
"Don't say that! Let me at least think you were being a good boy this year."
"Haha! James, good, in the same sentence? No way!" said Al arriving with his trunk. "I'm sure he got in loads of trouble this year mum, just didn't get caught. In fact I barely saw him this year? Where you been hiding James?"
"I've been busy with the sixth year project and all. You'll know in a few years."
"Ohh you'll tell us all about it tonight won't you?" said Ginny looking for Lily.
"Right here mum," said Lily from behind them. Who knows how long she had been there. "James hasn't been in tooo much trouble this year. At least not lately because he's been busy tutoring me so I could get a 112 on the Transfiguration Exam!" She held out a piece of paper to James who looked over it excitedly.
"Good job Lils! I knew you could do it and I bet all that extra practice really made you confident." He said hugging her. Harry and Ginny smiled at each other knowing. James was being such a great older brother to Lily and he was, for all the trouble he got into, a great kid.
"So guess what!" said Al as they got into the Potter family car. The rest of the family looked at him. "Scorpius and Rose went to the dance together last night."
"Everyone knows that!" exclaimed Lily. "We were there and then mum and dad know from the fit uncle Ron threw!"
"Yeah but you guys don't know that afterward Rose kissed Scorpius on the cheek and ran upstairs. I think she likes him."
"ALBUS! Do not repeat that! If Ron gets wind of that he will flip!" exclaimed Ginny. Harry nodded and the family of five got caught up on the short ride home.
When they got home the three students barely pulled their trunks into the hall before pulling out their brooms and racing to the backyard with Harry and Ginny hot on their tails. These games were starting to become unfair with James and Lily improving so much in their chasing skills in the past few years. The chasers of course won and after Al caught the snitch the family went in for dinner.
"Those games are getting unfair. James and Lily are too good and then mom makes them even better and we can't win anymore! We haven't won since the summer before last!" said Al to Harry. Harry nodded thinking it over.
"Perhaps we need to change up the teams. Pull mom on our team? She could chase for us alone and James and Lily could goal keep and chase. Might be more fair."
"NO! Not fair we always have gotten mom!" said Lily.
"Cmon Lils, we can prove we're still better even without mum! We'll play you guys like that next time," said James between mouthfuls of food.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," scolded Ginny.
"Aww, you sound just like Elaine," whined James rolling his eyes.
"Why would she talk to you? She hates your guts. She's rejected you asking her out like five hundred million times," said Albus laughing causing James to frown.
"For your information she's only rejected me sixty-seven and a half times thank you very much."
"AHAHAHA! You counted! That makes it worse!" laughed Albus almost falling out of his chair.
"Elaine always has to tell him to chew with his mouth shut because she has to work with him for the sixth year project! They are partners of all people!" added Lily causing Al to laugh harder.
"What is this sixth year project all about?" asked Harry as Ginny smirked. Her mother couldn't be teaching the class without Ginny, her only daughter, knowing all about it.
"Well we are learning to be adults and Al and Lil, this is classified. We all got jobs the first day of school and our grades and our jobs determine our salary. Our salary is how we pay for everything from our food to our house, to everything else. I never realized how much stuff you have to buy, like toilet paper and cleaner and stuff. And then we live in these tents in a village in the forest that we make house payments on. And then the girls all had to be pregnant for nine weeks and had these fake babies that we are raising. Mine and Dridel's is named Charles David Potter and here's a picture in my wallet if I can get to it. Here. And he's super cute and he's aged to about a year old and he says things so funny and he's super cute. He sleeps with that little stuffed hippogriff that he's holding there and he calls it Gyffie. And we get graded on how well we are raising them and stuff. It's a cool project but it takes up a lot of our time and stuff."
"Wow, that is crazy. And I'm going to have to do this in two years?" asked Al.
"Yeah, it's not that bad, but it's sort of a secret from the younger students. That would be a mess if they were around all the time. I could use you guys to baby-sit when I'm at classes though. I'm so sick of trying to listen when all of a sudden WAHHHHH!"
"That would get annoying but I must say. McGonagall's idea to put in a parenting and life skills program at Hogwarts seems as if it is working very nicely. I knew they started one after they reopened the school after the Battle of Hogwarts, but I never knew exactly how it went. It seems as if it is teaching you a lot. A lot of things I never knew I was getting into when I married your mother and we started having you guys. Diapers cost sooo much!" said Harry.
"TELL ME ABOUT IT! It's ridiculous! And wipes too! Honestly!"
"What's your career?" asked Al curiously.
"I'm an auror and I make 10,000 galleons a year. It's one of the best paying jobs. Dridel is a healer."
"Who says you could be an auror?" joked Harry.
"I've got connections at the ministry," retorted James laughing back. The rest of dinner passed smoothly as the family talked and after dinner they had a wizards chess tournament which Al won in a decisive victory over Ginny.
The next few days were quiet ones. Harry was still working every day, and Ginny was busy getting the house ready for Christmas with Lily helping. Al and James spent some time playing quidditch and pranking their Mom and Lily.
On Christmas Eve it snowed for the first time all winter, but the ground was only a pretty white for a few hours. The Potter children played in it while it was still a pristine white with a snowball fight and the making of three snowmen in the back yard. By the next morning, the London soot and pollution had settled, turning it a dulled grey color.
However, on Christmas morning the family went to Ottery St. Catchpole to the Burrow. The snow there was perfectly white and pristine, with only the many tracks of the Weasley family to mar it. The quidditch match this year was intense, and for the first time he could remember, James' team lost. He had been on a team with Hugo as Keeper, he and Rose Chasing, and his little cousin Molly seeking. He had scored as much as he could, but Rose had been distracted and Hugo was about as good as Uncle Ron had been in his first game keeping with little Molly barely old enough to join the tournament. As the oldest on the team he had been captain and had lead his team through two defeats gallantly. When Lily, Al, Uncle Ron, and Victoire had won, not many had been surprised. Uncle Charlie's team had been a little disappointed, but had taken it in good measure.
Presents had been fun this year, but he hadn't gotten the usual. Of course he had gotten the big Scarlet and Gold J sweater from Grandma Weasley and some WWW products from Uncle George's family. Uncle Charlie had gotten him a really boring book on the dragon park where he worked and the types of Dragons it had. Uncle Percy's family had given him some sweets and unfortunately Uncle Bill's gift was about the same. Even Uncle Ron had only given him a dull book about Muggles. Normally he got tons of presents from his family and couldn't help but feel slighted when he saw all of the gifts his younger siblings were getting. He however did notice that Toire had gotten the same sorts of things and he realized that perhaps they were getting old for this type of thing. Just because his cousin Fred had gotten a new broom from his Uncles Ron, Charlie, and Bill with a set of balls from the Potters and Percy didn't mean that James should get such fancy gifts. However Victoire would later comment to him on the dullness of their gifts that year.
From his parents though, James did get a fairly nice gift. Some professional grown up robes with some ties and nice shirts. He got some dragon hide boots and gloves and a heavy winter cloak. He got some different new books on some things that James had a feeling had to do with aurors. Lily had gotten him some new quidditch gloves and arm guards, while Al had gotten him some sort of special glasses cleaner he had found that was specifically for quidditch players to repel bugs, water, fog, and prevent breaking. He had of course gotten Al some chocolate frog cards he knew his brother, an avid collector, was missing, and Lily a quaffle of her own to practice with so she wouldn't have to use the school's all of the time.
The next two days passed quietly at the house. James read and worked on some of his subjects mostly. It was just two days after Christmas when he was reading a muggle magazine about cars that he heard a soft knock at his door.
"What?" he called.
"It's me you old poop! Let me in!" said Lily from the other side. He crossed the room to open the door and see what she wanted.
"You look umm… different," he said not sure what to say. She must have been using the make up kit and hair tools and potions she had gotten from Aunt Fleur, and Aunt Hermione. Her face was done up like a dolls with pale purple eye shadow and some of her freckles magically gone. Her eyelashes were dark and long vs. the usual gold tipped red while her eyebrows looked oddly different. Her lips were shinny with gloss and her cheeks tinged pink. Her normally curly hair was stick straight and seemed glittery gold sparkles were in it.
"I'm just trying out my Christmas presents. Do you like it?"
"Didn't you just turn fourteen?" he asked. She nodded smiling. "I think you're a little young for that. Are you going to do that at Hogwarts?" he asked thinking of some of the girls who wore lots of make up at school.
"Maybe, so what if I do?"
"I like your freckles. I want to recognize my sister when I see her," he laughed hoping that she would agree. She was too young to wear so much make up. It made her look too old. She was already pretty enough, she didn't need even more guys after her. He knew they were.
"Anyways, here's your mail. Thought I would come bring it to you. Didn't think my new look would bother you this much. Tata!"
James grabbed the letters wondering when they had come. Post usually came in the morning and at lunch so perhaps they had been here a while. He noticed the one had the Hogwarts seal on it and opened it first.
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have passed your first examination for your sixth year project with flying colors. Your son Charles David was evaluated and given an O for his outstanding progress in language, motor skills, social abilities, and overall intelligence. Keep up the good work for his next evaluation on February 13-15 at the age of two years.
Your academic success in your normal classes is also amendable and your salary reflects that. For your wonderful grades you are to receive a salary bonus on top of your normal salary. Your bonus will be 1,000 galleons available in your bank account at the next shopping day. Congratulations and continue with the good grades.
Sincerely,
Professors Prewitt and Weasley
P.S. Love to you and the family from Grandma
Well, the bonus was unexpected, but he was doing very well in his classes this year. He was glad Charlie was doing so well too. He was sure Ellie would be proud. Looking to the next letter he realized it was from her and opened it hopefully.
Dear Potter,
I just got my letter about how well Charlie did at evaluation and I'm very proud and happy for us. I was also pleased to hear that my grades have been good enough to keep my salary for next semester. Tanya already wrote me, very upset. She said they fired her from her jobs for poor grades. I don't know what to do since she and Murphy need their income to pay for things. I was hoping that you could come up with something to help out both of our friends. I'll admit that you are good with coming up with ideas, even if sometimes your motivation and ideas aren't the best, such as pranks. If you can think of something I'll agree to come to the ball. I got the invitation yesterday.
Elaine L. T. Dridel.
The letter had both good and bad news. He couldn't believe Tanya had gotten fired from her job for poor grades. He knew how much Murphy made a year and he knew it wouldn't be enough to support them. No, this wasn't a good thing at all. Professor Prewitt had gone over what would happen. Repossession of household goods, like tables, chairs, beds, expensive things, followed by eventual failure of the project. She said it was rare that someone did very poorly on the project. She said that it was merely one grade, but it was important and they didn't want people to fail.
What could he and Elaine do, sure they had tons of money, but that wasn't really allowed, just giving money to friends. That wasn't how things worked in real life. In real life, they would have to find some other source of income, another job or something. Some other way to earn money on the side. Suddenly a conversation from a while back jumped into his head.
"Dearest Dridel,
I found the perfect solution. As you know, it's getting harder to deal with the kids in class. I for one am super frustrated with wailing and having to take care of the babies when we are in class. Especially in potions where I really need to focus my entire attention to the potion. Charlie always seems to crawl right near the flame or try and touch something he isn't supposed to. It's nerve-wracking and could end up dangerous.
Both Murphy and Tanya aren't in most of our classes, Potions, Charms, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, or Herbology. The perfect solution is to pay them to baby-sit Charlie, and maybe even some of the other kids while we are at class. Then the kids can play together and possibly learn some things while we are in class instead of sitting there being bored and doing nothing. We could pay five or ten galleons a class and that would be enough for Murphy to pay for groceries by the end of the week and more depending on how many babies he and Tanya watch. I think that plenty of people will sign up for the Finnigan Baby-Sitting Service. Orion and Teddy will for sure. I'll make sure they do. We four friends stick together and Murphy is going to need our help this time.
If you don't agree this is the perfect solution then you don't have to come to my New Years Eve Party, but if you think it's as great as I do, I hope to see you there. Dress formally, and why don't you have Tanya and Andi come too. Orion, Murphy, Teddy, and Toire already come. It will be a good time.
Your Friend,
James S. Potter"
December 31st, James still didn't know what Elaine had thought of his idea. He was planning on telling Murphy about it tonight. If Elaine and Tanya came he would talk about it with all of them. He was wearing a set of his dad's dress robes. His mom had brought them to his room the day before and suggested he try them on, only to find they fit perfectly. The robes were black, but after the flashy ones he had worn for the Christmas Masquerade, he was happy for the subdued color.
First to arrive were Teddy and Victoire who came about the same time with their families. Ironically both were wearing shades of purple robes. Victoire had exclaimed over the irony while James knew that Teddy had not picked them out and most likely his grandmum had.
James had immediately told them about Murphy and Tanya's situation with his proposal to solve it. They had agreed it would be perfect. A few minutes later, Orion arrived and they had told him about the plan too. At the last minute, before the group went into the party, Harry called his son over.
"A few more friends for you," he said to James who saw three well dressed witches at the door.
"You came," he stated looking at Ellie in a shimmery white dress, with her hair done up in curls and wearing pearls.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH!" exclaimed Tanya hugging James. "I don't know what Murphy and I would do! Your idea is so perfect!"
James nodded and looked at Elaine who smiled at him. She mouthed what James knew must be "thank you", and James led them to the others who were happy to see them.
"Dinner is first, then some dancing and stuff. Some of it's dull, too much ministry personel, but we'll make our own fun," he said leading the group to a table for the dinner the house elves had prepared.
Dinner went very well. The girls had been excited to talk about Christmas and the holidays. Elaine had been surprised at how many important people were at the Potter's party, and had embarrassedly been introduced to the Minister of Magic who had looked at her strangely and then gone off to talk to with Harry Potter, a concerned look on his face.
While Elaine refused to dance with James, she danced with the rest of the guys, but Tanya, Andi, Toire, and Lily all danced with him. But by about ten, the sixth years were getting tired of dancing.
"Let's go upstairs," suggested Orion as they met at the table. The group of eight trooped upstairs to James room. Toire flopped on the bed grabbing one of her cousin's chocolate frogs off his night table while the other three girls seemed a bit cautious to enter the boy's room. Elaine looked around her surprised to see all of the things James had in his large bedroom. She took in the quidditch posters on the walls, the desk in the corner with transfiguration books piled high on it with candy wrappers and papers, some crumpled, strewn over it. His owl's cage sat empty next to the window, a broom nearby. There was a bookshelf with some old text books, and other books on it along with plenty of pictures. She migrated over to the other side of the room to see the pictures as the others talked, not really listening to their conversation. There was a collage of James and his little sister, his sister always laughing and smiling with him. He and his brother Al playing quidditch with brooms when they were small. Pictures of him and his cousins and his family in frames. A good picture of him with Toire and Teddy when they were about six, and another of them on the first day of school first year. There were of course pictures of the James and his three best friends, even one from the world cup and another where they were in a pool. She was smiling at a picture of a toothless James with his mom when she heard her name. Whipping around she looked at Toire.
"I said are you going to play?"
"Play what?"
"Honestly Lainey, you are soooo daft sometimes. Truth or Dare!"
"Umm are all of you playing?"
"Haven't you been listening. Of course we are, we are going to the drawing room now, are you coming?" Elaine looked at the rest of the group looking at her from the door and nodded. Orion smiled and whispered something to Murphy who laughed.
"Okay," said Orion as they got settled in the drawing room. "Rule one, everyone must drink, makes it more fun. Rule two, Teddy's of age and he's going to cast a truth spell. If you lie his wand will glo blue. Rule three, if you don't do a dare you will get hexed. Rule four, everything else goes and I'm allowed to amend the rules as I please."
"Why do you get to amend the rules?" whined Murphy.
"Because I am PADFOOT!" said Orion gulping down his bottle of firewhiskey and looking at the girls who were staring at the bottles that had appeared in front of them.
"Drink up, we can't play until you do!"
Elaine frowned and looked at the other girls and Andi and Tanya drank theirs without hesitation and Toire looked at her before sending a silent toast in her direction and tipping the bottle to her lips. She grudgingly took the bottle and gagged down some of the harsh liquid.
"I'll go first!" exclaimed Orion who had finished his drink. "James, truth or dare?"
"Dare," said James bravely.
"Haha! I dare you to go spike your mom's punch bowl and Murphy has to go make sure you do it." James gulped.
"You want me to cross my mother? Virginia Molly Weasley Potter?" Orion smirked and nodded.
"Fine." And James did it. Without being caught mind you.
"Tanya truth or dare?"
"TRUTH!"
"Have you ever had a crush on Farley Greengrass?"
"No." Teddy's wand glowed blue and the group looked at each other in surprise. James hadn't really expected her to say yes. "Okay fine I had a crush on him second year when he sat next to me in charms and I thought he was soooo cute. URG!" she took a long drink out of her firewhiskey as if to get rid of the bad memory.
"Teddy truth or dare?"
"Truth?"
"Really confident there. Since your dad was a werewolf do you get any symptoms of that?" she asked.
"Umm… my patronus is a wolf, I get really hungry for red meat around a full moon, and sorta umm… hairy… I have to shave more often," he said blushing at the hairy part. Tanya giggled and he turned to Murphy. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"I dare you to write a love letter to Professor Prewitt and mail it right now."
"NO!" gasped Murphy as he was handed the quill and parchment.
"Yes, I'll dictate it to you. Dearest Tina, You are the absolute love of my life. I've realized it's not just that you teach my favorite subject, it's your dark luscious hair and stern gaze in class that makes me love you even more. The way you can discipline the worst of students with a gaze and your dominating personality are incredibly sexy. I can't hold back my feelings any longer. Love always and Forever, Murphy Brian Finnigan P.S. XOXOXOX"
"Dear Merlin I'm going to be in detention for the rest of the year," said Murphy finishing the letter with a flourish and giving it to James who sent it with the owl he had just brought from another room. "Truth or dare Toire."
"Truth," she said smiling sweetly.
"Umm… wow… uhh have you ever…. Been in love," he said taking a while to come up with it.
"Yes." She blushed as Teddy couldn't stop himself from asking.
"With who!?"
"I only agreed to one truth! Truth or Dare LAINEY!"
"D-dare," studdered Elaine looking at Toire with wide eyes of a pale green color. Her nervous or fearful green.
"I dare you to kiss James Potter, on the lips."
"No! I hate you Victoire Weasley!"
"It can't be worse than a hex. I mean what was the hex going to be? I vote one that colors your hair purple for a month."
"FINE!" she yelped grasping her long brown locks. "I hate you Victoire!"
"You're going to kiss me?" asked James. Instead of answering she was suddenly in front of him and had pressed her lips to his gently. James had never kissed a girl before but he just knew it was the best kiss he would ever get if it was the only kiss he ever got from Ellie. However brief it was, as Elaine pulled away almost immediately after their lips met she turned away blushing and wiped her mouth before looking at Orion and saying "Truth or dare?" James was still reeling from the kiss. Elaine Lovy Tamora Dridel had kissed him, James Sirius Potter. That wasn't something he would get over quickly.
"Truth."
"Have you ever actually liked any of the girls you've dated or are they just things to date and snog?"
"Yes, I've liked them, but I don't think I've ever met one that could hold my attention for longer than a snog. Honestly most of the girls I've dated have been shallow," said Orion, Teddy's wand remaining normal. "When I find a girl it won't just be for a snog."
"Well you pick the shallow ones," pointed out Andi causing Orion to turn to her and ask the big question. "Dare."
"I dare you to go up to the oldest guy in the room at midnight, which is in three minutes and ask him for a new year's kiss."
"EWWW You're ssssick!" she whined, slurring a little. "You can't be serious!"
"I'm Sirius," said James laughing.
"Fine…." And she did go kiss Arthur Weasley on the cheek. They weren't sure if he was the oldest, but he was old, and he was a good sport about it. He was a little tipsy off the muggle beer Harry had gotten for him to try.
When she got back she had made Teddy conjure up a toothbrush and was scrubbing her mouth between her words.
"Truth… or…. Dare." She said to James.
"Uhh…. Truth."
"Why do you like Ellie?"
"She's nice to everyone, even people that aren't very nice like Farley. She is probably the smartest witch in our grade and barely has to try. She is just so intelligent and you can have decent conversations with her when she's not mad at you that is… and she's funny… when she's not mad at you… sometimes when she is mad at you. Like our divorce.. that was funny. And then of course she's drop dead beautiful. Not even pretty or cute… she's got this hair and these eyes, but it's her smile… not that she smiles at me often. But yeah… that would be why I love Elaine Dridel." He said this the entire time looking at Ellie. From his voice you could tell he was getting a little drunk just like everyone else, but Teddy's wand didn't turn blue and three of the girls sighed.
"That'sss sso sssweet Jamess," slurred Tanya.
"Sso Romantic," sighed Toire.
"Truth or Dare Toire," he asked.
"Hell with it. Dare!"
"I dare you to go upstairs in the attic and see pet Buckbeak."
"BUT I'VE BEEN TURRIFIED OF BUCKBEAK SINCE I WAS THREE!" she cried. The Potters had never gotten rid of Buckbeak and he lived in their attic, going in and out as he pleased and being fed by Harry and ridden sometimes to and from work under a disillusionment charm.
"You need to get over that. Teddy and I will go with you."
Ten minutes later the three came back with Toire grinning ear to ear. "I did it! I bowed and he bowed and I pet him and he let me give him a fish! It was really cool!"
"Good job Toire!"
"Ahhah! Tanya! Truth or Dare!"
The game continued until about two in the morning when Toire was the first to fall asleep in her pretty dress against the drawing room couch. Tanya had laughed and pointed, a giggly drunk. Teddy who wasn't super drunk as he hadn't wanted Toire to see him cry picked her up and carried her with James into the spare bedroom where she always stayed.
"I'm going to go to sleep now too," whispered Ellie still in her white dress. "I'm super tired, and that way if Toire needs me I'm here with her." James nodded and motioned to the extra beds in the room for the three girls. The boys were staying in his room with him.
"Andi and Tanya will probably be in soon. I can lend you some of my sister's clothes, or some of mine. Just something to sleep in because those dresses, don't look.. comfortable," he said.
"Toire has clothes in the closet, she said she had enough for us for tomorrow too when we talked about what we were going to do."
"Okay, sounds good… I'll let you sleep now…" He turned to leave.
"James," she said stopping him on the landing. "About earlier," she began.
"I understand it meant nothing. It was a dare. I like your hair brown too… although you are one of the only girls I know who could look beautiful with purple hair."
"Ohh, okay."
The next morning the girls were gone by the time the guys woke up, each hungover. Victoire usually left early, so they weren't really surprised. What surprised them was when an owl arrived a little after breakfast. The boys were upstairs in James's room quietly not moving due to their headaches. They had drunk for a while after the girls went to bed… okay it was longer than a while. They had been wasted. After a while of laying there James looked up to see an owl at the window. He went to the window and opened it taking the letter before the owl flew off.
"Look, a letter," he said quietly.
"James," Teddy whispered nervously. "Is that a howler?" The hungover boys looking in horror as the letter folded itself into a pair of lips and began to shout in Elaine Dridel's voice.
"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER, I CANNOT BELIEVE I LET YOU GET ME AND MY FRIENDS DRUNK LAST NIGHT, LET ALONE PLAY TRUTH OR DARE. I DON'T ENTIRELY REMEMBER EVERYTHING BUT I SWEAR I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! IF YOU EVER TRY SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN I'M GOING TO GET YOU IN DETENTION UNTIL YOU GRADUATE! I AM STILL A PREFECT, THAT'S WHAT THOSE MEETINGS ON MONDAY NIGHTS ARE FOR! YOU'RE SUCH A GIT! I HOPE YOU'RE HEAD FEELS BETTER AFTER THIS!"
"Well, she seems happy," said James covering his ears with his eyes watering.
"I bloody hate her," moaned Orion clutching his head.
When term started back up after the holidays James was careful to avoid Elaine, but couldn't help when Victoire hunted him down.
"James," she said coming into the compartment startling Teddy who nervously straightened his robes. "I need to talk to you about Ellie."
"Yeah, I know she's going to kill me when she sees me. I won't go anywhere without an escape route."
"Actually we helped her remember New Years and she was really embarrassed, especially about the howler. I think it would be best if you just didn't say anything and pretended it didn't happen. She's the kind that if you bring something she's trying to avoid up she explodes. Like when you ask her out and she gets upset. Well… if you could just pretend it didn't happen that's what she's going to do for a while until she figures it out. That's just Ellie. She'll come around eventually. And sorry about the howler. We didn't know she would send one."
"Okay."
"HEY APOLOGIZE TO ME FOR THE HOWLER. I was the one who had to bloody suffer as I listened to it!" said Orion wincing at the memory. "My eardrums need mended from that Banshee's screams."
The day they got back it was weird to be in the sixth year village. The next morning before classes they picked up the kids at the village center, Charlie was babbling all morning in transfiguration, luckily it was James' favorite and easiest class. However, during Charms and Ancient Runes, Murphy and Tanya were watching him at their house. It was nice not to have to worry about Charlie during class and the ten galleons they gave Murphy were worth it.
As always the month of January went fast. They had a shopping day in the great hall where Elaine had found out about James' bonus money. She had immediately decided they would save it to redo Charlie's room when he was a little older. However, James bought a toy broom when she wasn't looking. It was a very safe model, he checked, that only hovered inches above the ground and was very slow. It had been 250 galleons but what Ellie didn't know, wouldn't hurt her.
James had another quidditch game, this time against Slytherin. The last week of January was a cold day but bright. The snow on the ground reflected the light making the pitch seem brighter than usual. It was a great game with Al catching the snitch quickly only allowing the gryffindor chasers to score six goals. At least James scored three of those. This time James went to the after party with the guys in the gryffindor common room because the girls had expressed a desire not to go and would watch the kids. When he got back to the tent late that night Charlie and Ellie were in front of the fire playing with his blocks making towers. He picked up a block and toddled to James.
"Block Daddy! C Charlie!" he said handing the block to James who looked to see that it had a large letter C on it.
"Yes, C for Charlie. Go ask mommy to help you find a D for daddy and a M for Mommy." Charlie toddled back to Elaine who handed him the blocks pointing out the M, helping him trace it with his chubby little finger.
"Will you put him to bed James? I'm tired and have that essay Professor Prewitt gave us to finish up before Monday"
"Come here Charlie, let's find gryffie so we can go to bed. What book do you want to read tonight?" he said zooming across the room and picking up Charlie in a swinging motion causing the boy to laugh.
"Gryffie" he said pointing to the kitchen.
"Is Gryffie in the kitchen?" asked James carrying the boy to the kitchen.
"GRYFFIE!" exclaimed Charlie pointing to the stuffed animal in his high chair.
"You're such a smart boy Charlie, you remembered where Gryffie was," praised James leaning over so Charlie could pick up his toy before carrying him upstairs.
When they got to the nursery James set the boy down and went to get some pajamas out of his dresser. "Come here Charlie, let's put these on," he said holding up the pajamas with hippogriffs on them. Charlie liked the animals due to his attachment to the cute stuffed animal he had had since he was born. Charlie toddled over with his Gryffie and set him on the floor before holding his arms above his head allowing James to help him change into his pajamas. James tossed the outfit Ellie had dressed him in that morning in the hamper and turned to find Charlie already by the books.
"What book do you want to read tonight?"
"Three brovers," said Charlie holding out a book to James who was already in the rocking chair. James took the somewhat heavy book Tales of the Beatles Bard from Charlie and hefted the boy onto his lap opening it to the familiar tale. Of all the fairy tales in the book it was his favorite as it dealt with the hallows and his ancestor was the youngest brother.
"Once upon a time," read James as Charlie snuggled into him holding his stuffed animal. At first Charlie turned the pages when James told him but as always before the end of the long story Charlie had fallen asleep on James' chest and so James closed the book and carried the boy to his crib, setting him in gently before leaving the room and turning off the light.
A few days later James was eating breakfast reading the daily prophet in the kitchen. Charlie was eating cherios off his tray in his high chair and drinking from his sippy cup while Ellie was upstairs getting ready for classes. He was drinking his orange juice when the doorbell rang. He went and opened the door to find Orion sitting outside holding Leo looking terrified.
"JAMES LET ME IN!" he was screaming as James opened the door. Orion Pushed James aside and stepped inside quickly. He rushed into the family room and set Leo in the playpen before turning to James. Ellie was just coming downstairs in her school clothes. "Dridel will you watch them. I have to talk to James!" Ellie nodded confused and Orion dragged James upstairs.
"I'm in deep shit!" he moaned reaching James' room.
"Why?" asked James rolling his eyes.
"Umm… Leo officially knows six swear words and Andi's about to find out any minute and then I'm bloody dead."
"How?"
"I sort of taught them to him as a joke but now he won't stop saying them!"
"WHAT!"
"Bloody Hell Fucking Arsehole Bastard Git."
"WHAT?"
"That's what I taught him."
"You didn't."
"I think we clarified that I did."
"Yup you're dead."
"YOU ARENT HELPING JAMES!"
"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER AND ORION ALPHARD BLACK!"
"Uhh ohh, that's Ellie, must mean he said it," said Orion.
"Damn you!"
The boys rushed downstairs to find Leo spewing the string of curse words and Ellie covering Charlie's ears. Charlie however was too involved with his cherios to care what Leo was doing. Ellie however was appalled.
"ORION! Did you teach him that? How horrid! I can't believe you would do that! If any of the other children pick that up you are responsible!"
"Well he's supposed to know at least two hundred words before the next evaluation, so I thought I would teach him a few choice ones. I didn't think he would actually repeat them!"
"He's almost two, he repeats everything, especially what he's not supposed to!"
"Andi's going to kill me right?" Elaine nodded.
"Now get out of here I don't want Charlie picking that sort of thing up!"
Orion was in the hospital wing for two days, and Leo had to have silencing charms put on him at times. It was like turrets the way he repeated the words.
Every Monday Ellie had a prefect meeting that she went to, so Mondays were fun nights for Charlie and Daddy. First thing they would do was eat desserts that mummy never let them eat. Pudding, cookies, cake, and ice cream. Then they would get out the broom and due to the winter cold, they would play in the family room after James pushed all of the furniture out of the way and put a cushioning charm on the walls and floor. He would conjure up a hoop and play with a little quaffle. Charlie loved Monday nights and he always went to bed so easily after them. They always reminded James of playing on his toy broom with his dad and later Al. After playing for about an hour they would clean up and go upstairs and be reading a book when Ellie got home.
One night after a particularly fun boys night for James and Charlie, James was reading Goodnight Moon when Ellie came home. She opened the door to the nursery and leaned in the doorway wearing her red sweater and warm robes, her hair in a messy pony tail with a matching red bow. James looked up and smiled at Ellie welcoming her into the room. Charlie was almost asleep so she took him from James and placed him in his bed tenderly. "Goodnight Charlie."
Soon it was February 13th and they were bringing the babies for their evaluations. They got an entire weekend with no kids, and it was also a Hogsmeade weekend so they could go into town. Elaine was excited because it was her birthday, she was turning seventeen. The babies were going to be evaluated on if they knew at least two hundred words, could walk, make simple associations, and had some people skills. Ellie and James knew that Charlie would pass, and were only worried about dropping him off. Boy did he cry, and Ellie was embarrassed, but eventually he let them leave. Grandma Weasley had a way with kids, especially those who shared her DNA.
"So," said James as they walked away from the Village Center, childless for the first time in a while. "Tomorrow is Hogsmeade and your birthday, seventeen you're going to be of age."
"Yup, I signed up for the apparition class that starts next week, how about you?"
"Same, but what are you going to do?"
"I don't know, have fun."
"Want to go on a date with me? That's fun."
"Not really," she said grinning at him. "But you can come to my party. It's tomorrow night at our house. I figured I better invite you since you live there and all."
"Ohh right, well thanks but I'm not sure I'll be able to make it. You know, duty calls. I'll try and stop by."
"Okay, well I'll look for you there. I understand… if you can't get out of the house you can't get out of the house. It's perfectly fine. I'll see you later, I'm going over to Andi's."
The next day James didn't go to Hogsmeade for very long. He went to Three Broomsticks for lunch with Lily and then met up at WWW with the boys for some pranking items after and some sweets in Honeydukes by himself. He didn't mind picking up a large assortment of candies for Ellie either. At the last minute he stopped in the bookstore and got her a book on Healing Charms he thought she might like. Before he knew it he was headed home to the party.
When he got there he could already tell there were tons of people there and he could hear music from outside. When he opened the door he found tons of sixth years dancing to a music player Tanya must have brought over. The house was decorated with balloons and streamers courtesy of Andi, while James knew that Victoire was the one who had made the cake.
"Hey James," came a voice from his right. He turned to see Orion holding a bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand. "This is a surprisingly good party for it being Ellie. Firewhiskey and everything. I'm so proud of her!"
"Give me some of that!" laughed James grabbing the bottle from Orion. "I'm going to need some. Where do I put her present?"
Orion motioned to the fireplace, and James went and dropped it off on the way to the kitchen where he found some firewhiskey and Elaine.
"James! You made it!" she said, her face slightly flushed. He could tell she had drank about one firewhiskey, but she wasn't yet working on another. He smiled at her.
"Lainey!" said Toire. "We're going to do the cake. James, help me light the candles! Teddy take the pictures!" Ellie smiled for the camera sweetly sitting at the table behind her cake as James lit the seventeen candles with his wand. Toire started up the chorus of Happy Birthday and everyone joined in over the music in the other room as Ellie blew out her candles happily.
"What did you wish for?" asked Toire excitedly.
"I can't tell you or it won't come true!" laughed Elaine as she got out a knife and began to cut the cake serving the first piece to James. "Thanks for coming James!" James smiled at her again and went and ate in the other room with Murphy who was laughing about quidditch with some Ravenclaw boys. This had to be the best party in all of James' years at Hogwarts because it had only their grade, and all of their grade. Literally everyone from the grade stopped by at sometime in the night, including Farley Greengrass.
By the end of the night James had danced with plenty of girls, including Ellie, drank five bottles of firewhiskey which he was holding quite well, eaten four pieces of cake and some other food that people had brought, and made snow angles in the front yard with Orion. The last one was shortly after the fifth firewhiskey.
Finally at three in the morning the party began winding down and before he knew it, it was just he and Ellie on the couch in their somewhat trashed tent. There were firewhiskey bottles all over, plates, cups, half eaten things covering every surface. The record player was playing a disk of slow songs and the fire was cackling after the last person had flood home.
"This place is a dump," laughed a half drunken Ellie. Three firewhiskies were enough for her.
"You won't think it's so funny tomorrow when you're hungover and trying to clean this up," he laughed back.
"Well, maybe I'll have you clean it."
"Maybe I won't want to," he laughed leaning toward her.
"Probably not. It was fun though," she said.
"Yes, a very fun party. I'm glad we had it. It was a great memory."
"Yes, everyone thought the house was very nice and so many people wished me a happy birthday."
"Everyone likes you Ellie. That's why I love you," he smirked.
"Not everyone," she grumbled leaning on James's shoulder as he set his feet on the coffee table and kicked off his shoes.
"Everyone," he mumbled even quieter than her as they both fell asleep on the couch in the midst of their messy living room, both half drunk.
The next morning he woke up to the clinking of bottles. He opened his eyes and took in his surroundings to find he was on the couch in the still messy living room covered with a large blanket and a pillow tucked under his head.
"Good morning James," came Ellie's quiet voice. "Didn't know when you would wake up, so I tried to be quiet."
"How long have you been up?" he asked looking at the clock seeing it was about noon.
"Two hours or so. The kitchen is cleaned up mostly. I just wanted to get that done first. All of the plates are washed or if they were paper, thrown away, the cake was all eaten, and all the bottles from there are cleared out. I wanted to start on this room though. Sorry to wake you, you looked so peaceful. I hope you don't mind I brought you a blanket."
"No thanks. Here let me help you clean up. It will go faster." They finished cleaning up the living room in the next hour or so and soon the house was back to it's normal spotlessness. While they worked they lapsed between periods of content silence and quiet talking. Not too loud. They were hungover after all.
"Thanks for helping me James."
"No problem Ellie, happy birthday."
"Thanks for the candy and the book. I opened my presents when I carried them upstairs while you were sleeping."
"You're welcome."
Reviews PLEASE! Ellie