A smile slowly appeared on his face as he stood and wrapped his arms around me and hugged me.
"My love this is wonderful news."
I giggled and nodded. The kids would be so excited about having a new little sibling. He kissed me softly and dashed to the kitchen to make ma a cup of tea. I sat on the couch and got comfy and sighed happily. I loved my family, I loved how my family grew over the years. Alastor and myself would be celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary that coming August. I looked over at the coffee table a saw a little brown envelope. I picked it up and looked at it. It read.
Mr. A. Moody II. The middle bedroom. 714 Archdale Road,
Dulwich. London.
My eyes widened, It was Jr's acceptance letter from Hogwarts. I was shaken from my thoughts as my husband sat down the cup of tea that he had made for me.
"He's been accepted."
I said with tears in my eyes, our second born was going to Hogwarts. He smiled and nodded. I stood and hugged him.
"Let's give him the letter first and then tell them the news."
I nodded agreeing to this. This would make them both happy.
"Where are the children anyway?"
I asked seeing no sign of either of them, the house was as I had left it and their shoes were also missing.
"Bradly took them out for ice cream. He had the day off and wanted to spend time with them."
That was fine with me, they loved their "uncle" Bradly, and this way I could spend some time with my husband. We cuddled on the couch watching movies and talked about the baby. We didn't care if it was a girl or a boy as long as the baby was ours and was happy and healthy. He smiled as he laid his hand on my flat belly and kissed my forehead. I was about to fall to sleep in his arms when I heard the front door open and slammed shut. I heard Alastor sigh heavily.
"You two, in here now!"
He said in an angry tone but then winked at me. Katie and Jr shuffled sheepishly into the living room knowing that they were about to get yelled at for slamming the door.
"We're sorry daddy, we forgot."
Stated Katie sincerely, Jr nodded.
"We won't do it again…Honest!"
Alastor stood and crossed his arms over his chest towering over our children and nodded.
"Aye, Jr, I've heard it all before. But I will tell ya what I'm going to do so it doesn't happen again."
Jr looked up at his father thinking that he'd get a swat to the bottom, sent to the corner or have the rest of his summer taken away. That last one was usually used for something far more serious. Instead Alastor handed our son the letter facing down so he only saw the flap.
"W-what's this?"
I saw Katie's eyes widen and then saw the mischief in her fathers eyes, she smiled slightly knowing what this was.
"Well lad turn it over and read it."
Jr raised an eyebrow giving an unsure look and then turned it over, gasped and then quickly opened it and read the letter.
"I-I've been accepted to Hogwarts! "
He said shouting as he began to cry happily. Alastor knelt down and hugged him close.
"I'm so proud of you son, you're going to have a wonderful time at school."
Jr hugged his father back sniffling and nodding. Katie hugged her brother, she was happy for him too.
"Ah I've forgotten one more thing."
He said as he slowly stood. About a year or two after Katie was born he traded his staff in for a cane in which he used to help himself stand, it was smaller, easier to use and took up less space. It had a long black body and a wooden handle with a celtic design craved into it and metal wolves head. Katie helped her father stand, she hated it when he got down on the floor like that always worried that he might not be able to get back up. He smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you lass. Now your mother and I have something very important to tell the both of you."
I smiled and stood next to Alastor wrapping my arm around his looking at the confused faces of our two children.
"…Are we moving?"
Asked Katie, she had a bit of a fear of leaving her childhood home. Alastor chuckled.
"No darling we're not moving."
"Are we getting a dog?"
Asked Jr excited.
I laughed at that. Jr had been asking for a pet for almost a year now.
"No Jr, we're not getting a dog."
"Well, what is it? Please tell us!"
Katie said excitedly. I smiled up at Alastor.
"We better tell them before they get too excited."
"Oh no, wouldn't want them waiting too long."
"Oh come on! Tell us! Pleeeeaaaassseee?"
Pleaded Jr, almost jumping up and down. Alastor laughed.
"Alright alright, calm down. Well you're going to have to anyway, and you're going to have to be very quiet when the time comes."
I giggled at their confused faces.
"What your father means is, in a few months we will be adding another addition to the family."
I watched the confusion on their faces for a few moments and then saw the realization come to Katie's face. She got excited and smiled.
"You're pregnant?!"
She shouted, almost jumping up and down. Jr's eyes widened.
"Wait…what….You're kidding right?"
I shook my head.
"No buddy I'm not. You're gonna have a little brother or sister."
Jr just stood there taking this all in. He was like his father when it came to hearing news about something. He stood silent for a few minutes, sighed and said.
"Well it better be a boy..Girls are annoying!"
We both laughed at this and Katie rolled her eyes. He hugged us, he didn't seem very excited, it took him about a month or two for the realization to kick in. While that went on he was accepted into Ravenclaw house with his sister. His father and myself were so proud of him. We tucked him and his sister into bed that night before we left. He made friends easily and adjusted easily and absolutely loved the freedom it gave him. He did well in all his classes especially Herbology and Defense against the dark arts. He wanted to play quiddach like his sister but he had to wait a year. Jr's excitement began to kick in by the time I was about seven months along, I was a little bigger than normal. He would ask every day when we would find out if it were a girl or a boy up until I was about six months along. Well as it turned out, we were going to have a little girl and Jr and Katie would be the first to find out.
One cold Satuday in November we came down to the breakfast table in our cottage and told them the news. No we didn't have some type of cool gender reveal like they do now. It was just my husband, our two kids and myself.
"Are you two ready to hear the news?"
"Yes! Please tell us!"
Said Katie, excitedly. Jr crossed his fingers, closed his eyes and chanted.
"Please be a boy, please be a boy, please be a boy…."
I shook my head and giggled.
"We're having a girl."
Katie shouted and squealed with delight and hugged her father and me. Jr just sat there, his face unreadable. A few moments later he sighed and nodded, smiled and then hugged us. I think he figured that having a baby sister wouldn't be so bad. He had a lot of questions. One day he went to his father after class figuring Alastor would be the best person to ask. Alastor had no idea what to tell him so he came to me.
"Uh… Lizzy…We need to talk."
"What's wrong?"
"Jr came to me after class today and wanted to know where babies came from."
Well he had almost reached the age that his sister asked this same question, she had also hit puberty a little early so we had to give her the talk. She thought it was the most ridiculous thing in the world and there was no way that we could be telling her the truth. We just shrugged and left it alone. She didn't believe us until she got her period almost two months later. I looked over at Alastor.
"And what did you tell him?"
"Nothing…I didn't exactly know what to say."
I sighed and shook his head.
"Well I think it's time you give him the talk."
He stood there and thought about it.
"Ah…Aye…That didn't occur to me…"
"Well he is 11."
He nodded sighing. Turned around and walked out of the kitchen to find out son.
"Good luck honey!"
"Thanks…"
He said as he left. They talked for two hours and then came back to the kitchen to have a strong cup of tea. I peeked in at them, Jr just stared at the floor looking a little shocked not saying a word. Alastor saw me and walked into the other room.
"Well how did it go?"
"Well….He hasn't said a word for about an hour now."
"Did he have a lot of questions?"
"Aye. And I answered as truthfully as I could. I told him to wait until he was old enough or to save it for the woman he married and he just nodded."
I nodded listening.
"Lets just give him some time. He'll come around."
In fact he didn't talk to us or even look at us for about a month and a half. He finally came to us one day in December, it was close to Christmas maybe two weeks away.
"Mum? Dad?"
Alastor put his book down and I looked in from the kitchen. Katie paid no attention and just stayed in her spot in the chair by the fire and read her book.
"Something wrong sweetheart?"
"No…Not really…I just…I thought about everything da said…about babies and stuff…And umm….It sounds absolutely ridiculous…."
Alastor laughed at this and hugged jr.
"Aye son I know it does but bloody hell am I glad you decided to talk again."
And we left it at that, he didn't ask any other questions about it. Christmas and new years rolled by and Into February. It was Valentines day and I was sitting at my desk watching the kids exchange small gifts and candies, a vase of flowers sat on my desk from my husband and some cards and sweet from some of the students. I winced feeling a quick sharp pain and felt something trickle down my leg, I gasped slightly realizing that my water had broken. I kept as calm as possible I looked over to where Katie was sitting, she was talking to some of her friends she looked over, smiled and waved. I motioned for her to come over, she smiled and did so.
"Mum what's wrong?"
I took a deep breath feeling a contraction.
"I need you to get your father and have Hannah run and get Madam Mable, please."
"Is it the baby?"
I nodded and she went to Hannah and they both left the room, none of the kids in the room noticed anything amiss. Nevel was told what was going on when he stopped Hannah and Katie who were running down the hall. He came in and had the students go to his classroom and wait, they were to have his class next anyway. He sat with me until the nurses and Alastor came.
"Elizabeth? Are you alright?"
I nodded breathing, trying my hardest to not cry out as a contraction hit.
"Ooh…It's time."
I was rushed to the infirmary. And two hours later I held our brand new baby girl in my arms. Rosa Marie Moody. We looked at the small bundle in my arms, she didn't have the striking red hair that our other two children had she had dark brown almost black hair like mine, brown eyes and her fathers nose and lips.
"She looked like you Elizabeth…She's beautiful."
Said Alastor with tears in his eyes. I nodded and blushed and agreed. A nurse took Rosa and cleaned her up while I freshened myself up. She was brought back and placed in my arms. Jr and Katie were aloud in and smiled when they saw her.
"Katie, Alastor. This is your baby sister, Rosa."
Katie smiled looking at her, Jr just stared at his baby sister quietly. Katie held and bonded with her. Rosa studied her sisters face and cooed quietly. Rosa was put back in her bassinette to get some sleep. Jr stood over her bassinette and watched her sleep.
"What do ye think lad?"
Asked Alastor, he was a bit worried about Jr, he hadn't asked to hold her or asked any questions about her.
"She's beautiful Da….She looks like an angle, she's so…Tiny."
I smiled hearing him say this and just watched a listened.
"Aye she does. You were about the same size when you were born."
"I was?"
Jr asked as he looked up at his father. Alastor nodded and told him about the night he was born.
"Mum said uncle Harry was being moved that week…."
Alastor nodded giving our son a hug. Jr calmly talked to Rosa.
"I promise I'll be the best big brother ever. I'll teach you everything I know. I love you Rosa."
I began to tear up hearing Jr talk to her. Katie and Jr finished their classes, allowing me to get some sleep but before I fell to sleep I heard Alastor give Rosa the same promise that he had given Katie and Jr.
Authers note: I'm sorry it took so long to update. I had a lot going on and went on a cruise in February. I hope this chapter makes up for it! Enjoy! R&R!
