Chapter Thirty-Seven: A New Puppy
"See Sally? Isn't this a pretty pink potty?" Lily questioned her now three year old daughter who was still very unwilling to be potty trained.
"No." Sarah replied with a shake of her head.
"Well Mummy thinks it is, and once you learn how to use it we can get you some beautiful underwear to go along with it." She told her.
Harry on the other hand was now fully potty trained as he was officially five years old today. A few moments later he woke up and used the bathroom like a big boy and then hurried down the hallway and sat at the breakfast table.
"See Sally? Harry's a big boy now and he can use the potty all by himself so he doesn't have to wear nappies anymore." Lily told him.
"I don't have to take them anymore at all either." Harry pointed out as Severus grinned while he walked over towards him and the food continued cooking itself.
"That's right, you're quite a big boy now. Happy birthday Harry. From now on when people ask you how old you are you get to hold up an entire hand." He told him when suddenly Tobey started crying.
"Oh dear, sounds like somebody is up from his nap. He'll need both feeding and changing." Lily said.
"Go ahead. I'll make sure that the children have their breakfast." Severus told her while bending over and picking up Sarah and hoisting her up inside his arms and placed her at his hip when suddenly the doorbell rang, and Harry turned his head to look back over his shoulder.
"Who's that?" He questioned.
"I don't know, I guess I'll just have to go check." Severus replied as he went to the door and answered it and Severus was standing there with a couple of packages and a tan envelope sitting on top of them.
"I do believe that there is a birthday boy and a birthday girl around here somewhere." He began before turning over to look at Sarah and smiled rather warmly and lovingly at her. "Now who would you be young lady?" He questioned her.
"Sawah." She replied with a grin.
"Really? You look way too big to be Sarah Potter." He told her while setting everything down at the door in front of him. "So how old are you today?" He asked her and she held up three fingers.
"I'm thwee years old." She replied.
"Three years old huh? Well I guess it's a good thing that I brought you something that I definitely believe that you'll like." He told her with a grin as Severus smiled and sat her back down while Sirius squatted down in front of her and handed her a brightly colored pink package. "Happy birthday Sarah." He said with a loving smile and as he turned around Harry was standing in front of him.
"Where's my present?" He questioned while Sarah sat down to open hers.
"Harry, that isn't very polite." Severus told him.
"No it's perfectly alright Severus as today is Harry's birthday as well and considering he's a big boy now I figured that he could use a big present." Sirius replied while setting a great big blue box in front of him and Harry widened his eyes in complete and utter shock and astonishment.
"That's even bigger than me." He said while Sarah finally managed opening her present and took out a beautiful China doll wearing a bright red dress.
"Ooh!" She exclaimed excitedly as Sirius smiled at her before turning back to look at Harry.
"Well come on lad, it's your turn." He told him and Severus smiled as Harry started to tear away the paper to reveal another great big box.
"It's a box." Harry said as Sirius chuckled.
"I think that it's more than a box Harry, why don't you open it up and see for yourself?" He questioned and as Harry did he removed a tiny black and white puppy with a bright blue ribbon tied around its neck.
"Oh my gosh it's a puppy!" He screeched and Sirius knew from just one glance over at Severus that if looks could kill he would have already been murdered.
"Doggie!" Sarah exclaimed excitedly.
"What's going on out here?" Lily wondered while she carried Tobey down the hallway before turning to look over at her other son. "Harry, why are you holding a puppy?" She wondered.
"Cause Sirius gave him to me." He replied as Lily turned her head over to look at him.
"Oh is that so?" She began questioningly before turning to look over at her husband. "Honey, do you mind holding the baby for a second? I think I need to have a serious talk with Sirius." She told him as Harry giggled.
"That's funny Mummy." He told her.
"Yes it is,.." Sirius began anxiously. "I take it that means that I'm not off the hook then right?" He questioned while Lily placed Tobey inside Severus' arms.
"Nope, not by a longshot." Lily told him while grabbing him by the ear and dragging him back to her bedroom.
"Ouch! Hey! Watch it!" He cried. "Damn it how did you get so strong woman!?" He hollered.
"Not in front of the children Sirius." She told him while closing the door behind them. "I've must have told that boy over a million times ever since he was a toddler that we weren't getting a puppy! Then what do you do!? You go behind my back and get him one anyways!" She cried as Sirius slowly got to his feet and stood up rubbing his ear.
"I'm sorry Lily but I was a boy myself once and I always wanted a dog but I was never fortunate enough to get one and I just wanted my godson's childhood to be better than mine." He explained.
"I didn't mean that we would never get him a dog, but Harry's still way too young and having a puppy around is a huge responsibility that's going to wind up falling on me and I already have three children to look after." She told him.
"Yeah, maybe you're right and I made a mistake and that Harry shouldn't keep him." Sirius said before he opened the door again and started walking down the hallway. "Bad news Harry, your mummy says that you can't keep the puppy. Sorry kiddo." He told him while walking into the living room.
"What!? Why not!?" Harry cried as he turned up his lower lip at him.
"Oh great, so you're going to go ahead and make me the bad guy huh?" Lily questioned while she followed Sirius down the hallway.
"Come on Lily, let Harry keep him." Sirius pleaded. "It's his birthday after all and you're only five years old once. Besides that, you just told me yourself that he's been wanting a puppy ever since he was a toddler." He pointed out as Lily heaved a sigh.
"Please Mummy." Harry pleaded. "I promise to take really good care of him." He told her as she sighed again and then she squatted down in front of him.
"Alright, for now we can keep him,.. but if he becomes too much of a hassle then we'll need to find him another family okay? So just think of it as we're fostering him for now." She told him.
"Okay, thank you Mummy I love you." He told her with a rather wide grin as she simply just smiled back at him.
"I love you too sweetheart." She began. "So what are you going to name him?" She asked him.
"Patches." He replied. "Since he has patches of black all over his body." He explained.
"Okay, Patches it is then. I just hope that Fluffy will be as welcoming to him as I am." Lily replied before ruffling his hair and kissing his head.