"And what's this one named?" Harry asked Lily, holding up a stuffed unicorn.
"That's Dreamy," the three-year old told her father. "He's my favorite."
"Oh? Why's that?" Harry smiled.
"Because," Lily said. "He's the nicest one. He makes sure that all of the other unicorns always have friends to play with and helps them with whatever they need."
"Huh, that is very nice of him," Harry agreed. He looked at his watch. "Alright, Lil Bud, it's far past your bedtime now."
"One more story?" Lily begged, looking up at Harry with her big, brown eyes.
Harry sighed, defenseless against his little girl's sad face. "One more story. Go ahead and pick one out."
"Thank you daddy," Lily said sweetly, jumping down from her stepping over to the bookshelf across the room.
Nearly another half-an-hour later and three stories later, Lily finally lay sleeping in her bed. Harry smiled, closing the book and pulling the covers over his daughter as he kissed the top of her red head.
"Night, sweetheart," he whispered as he turned off the light. As he left the room, he stepped across the hall to Albus' bedroom. The light was still on, but Albus was fast asleep on his floor, where the half-finished model train that he had gotten his last birthday from his grandfather lay next to him.
Harry chuckled softly as he gently picked Albus up and placed him in his bed. Harry kissed his youngest son goodnight and silently left the room.
Next door, Harry opened the door and peered into James bedroom. The seven-year old was thankfully already asleep, and Harry had to hold back a laugh as he saw that James had tucked his junior Nimbus into the bed next to him. The boy truly couldn't be apart from his broom for a moment. After kissing him goodnight as well, Harry retreated back to his and Ginny's room, where his wife was sitting on the bed, flipping through a copy of the Quibbler.
"Don't tell me you've just finished putting Lily to bed," Ginny sighed as Harry sat down next to her.
"Alright, I won't tell you," Harry smirked playfully.
"Harry…it's an hour past her bedtime," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "Let me guess, she managed to coax an extra hour of play time out of you by showing you her drawings again."
"No, her stuffed unicorn collection, actually," Harry corrected her.
"Honestly," Ginny said, shaking her head, though smiling slightly. "That girl has got you wrapped around her tiny little finger. Are James and Albus asleep at least?"
"Yeah, I just finished checking on them," Harry said. "You'll be pleased to know that James is bound to be a Quidditch star just like you. He's curled up with his broomstick like it's a teddy bear."
"I'm not surprised," Ginny smiled. "I don't think he's put that broom down since he's got it. Imagine how he'll be once he gets a proper one."
"And we'll have to tell your dad that Al really loves that model train kit," Harry continued. "Little guy fell asleep in the middle of it. I'll bet you a galleon that he's up before the crack of dawn working on it some more."
"Very cute," Ginny said, looking back down at her magazine. "Oh, before I forget, this weekend you and I will need to go through the house and put all of our magical things in your office. Lily's got those muggle children coming by for her birthday party."
"Right," Harry nodded.
"I think it's best if we have the party with the family separately at the Burrow the following night," Ginny continued. "Considering some of them are not the best at hiding their magic."
"Lily won't mind," Harry said. "She'll get two cakes; she'll be thrilled."
He was silent for a moment. "Can't believe she's going to be four," he finally said.
"I know," Ginny said sadly. "Our baby isn't too much of a baby anymore, is she?"
"No," Harry said. "I suppose not. But um…I've been thinking about that a bit lately and I was wondering…what would you think about maybe having one more?"
Ginny closed her magazine and looked up at her husband. "One more?"
"I'm not saying right now necessarily," Harry said. "But maybe within the next couple of years. It's like you said, Lily's growing up. So are Albus and James. Hell, Teddy's a teenager now. You know the other day he asked me to show him how to shave?"
"He doesn't have a speck of facial hair," Ginny chuckled.
"Yes well, you try telling him that," Harry said. "But seriously, Gin, they're all growing up. I-I'd sort of like to have another baby around here. Wouldn't you?"
Ginny sighed. "Harry, I'm really sorry but…no. I wouldn't."
Harry's face fell. "No?"
"I love our kids more than anything in the world," Ginny said. "But love, I-I think that the three that we have are more than enough. Plus Teddy!"
"But don't you miss it when they were little?" Harry asked.
"Of course I do," Ginny said, taking his hand. "But Harry…I come from a family of seven children. Growing up with so many siblings like that it-it's not easy. Mum and dad did wonderfully with all of us, but still there were just so many times growing up where we all felt cast to side by one another. There simply were too many of us for their attention sometimes. I like how it is now; I like being able to give each of them as much attention as they need. I like that they don't have to compete with one another for us and that they'll never have to feel cast aside."
Harry nodded slowly. "I never thought about it like that."
"I'm sorry," Ginny said again.
"Don't apologize," Harry told her.
"I just feel awful now," Ginny sighed. "Knowing that you-"
"Hey," Harry said. "You have nothing to feel awful about."
"You're really not upset?"
Harry shook his head. "We have four amazing children now," he said. "What on earth do I have to be upset about?"
