Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing of Harry Potter.
It was the summer, and Ron was upset. He had gone down to breakfast that morning, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. He had whistled softly so as not to wake the girls while he made their favourite breakfast of pancakes. Later they were going to Diagon Alley for a day of shopping with the Potters and Malfoys and the day would end with the family of three watching some new muggle movie on the telly.
He had grabbed a couple of eggs from the fridge and was just about to place them on the counter when he saw it. It was a handsome tawny owl that he didn't recognize, which was mildly puzzling but he assumed it was the Prophet owl. How wrong he had been.
It flew through the window and Ron recognized the colour of the fine green pen on the outside immediately. He dropped the eggs which promptly exploded goo all over the kitchen floor. He jabbed his wand angrily at it before stalking over to the offending letter.
The flying egg had spooked the owl and it had flown off, but not before dropping the letter in its haste to get away. Gingerly, Ron picked up the corner of the envelope and turned it over in his hand. A pang went through him at the words. It was addressed to Miss Rose E. Weasley, the Second Bedroom, 6 Marigold lane, Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon.
He was being stupid. She was eleven, he should have been expecting this. Logically, he knew that being away from his parents hadn't stopped him loving them, but he didn't want to let her go. Once he let her go it was only a matter of time before Izzy went and he was all alone. He shivered and pushed his emotions aside. This was about Rose, not him.
"Dad?" Her voice floated down the stairs. "Are you alright?"
"Fine." He said. "Come on down, you've got mail." This proclamation was answered with a shriek and a thundering down the stairs. He grinned, remembering the day his own letter had arrived. He had been so excited. He shook his head. Poor eleven-year-old Ron had no idea what had been coming when he sat across from eleven-year-old Harry on the train.
Rose skidded into the kitchen, normally glossy waves of red hair utterly tangled, bright brown eyes wide with excitement. The air seemed to be crackling around her, her excitement igniting her accidental magic and making her hair stand even more on end.
"Is it here?" She gasped. Ron nodded and jerked his thumb towards the table.
"See for yourself." She sprinted to the table and ripped open the letter.
"Dear Miss Weasley," she read. "we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" The last part ended in a squeal and Ron winced as Izzy appeared disgruntled in the doorway, her usually bone-straight black hair sticking up at the back.
"I don't know why you're surprised. Your first bout of accidental magic was at the age of two and you apparated." Ron informed her. She grinned before running across the room to squeeze her sister.
"I'm going to Hogwarts Izzy!" Isobelle smiled wistfully. "I have to write Al and Scor!" She exclaimed.
"No need." Ron informed her. "We're all going to Diagon Alley later today." He frowned. Come to think of it, that was probably why they were going to Diagon Alley. But Rose was already halfway up the stairs. Izzy looked glum at the thought of a whole day talking about Hogwarts when she still had two years to wait.
"If you're good, maybe I'll buy you a Pigmy Puff." He said knowingly. Her eyes lit up.
"Really?" He nodded.
"Thanks Daddy!" She hugged him tightly for a second before releasing him to grab a couple pancakes. "What house do you think Rose will be in?" She asked, pouring syrup on the stack of pancakes in front of her.
"Gryff…" he began automatically before closing his mouth. He figured he out to prepare himself for her being in a different house. Daphne had been a Slytherin, after all. He frowned at the thought of her. Merlin both of the girls were starting to look like her. Rose had her eyes and her smile, and Izzy looked so much like her he sometimes had to do a double-take. And they were still young.
"Daddy?" She asked when he didn't respond.
"Gryffindor." He replied. Not because all he Weasley's had been but because she totally was one. "But it doesn't matter to me what house she's in."
"That's good to hear." Rose said as she re-entered the kitchen. "Maybe I'll join Scor in Slytherin." Auror training kept Ron's eyes from bulging.
"If that's where you're meant to be." He said carefully.
Both girls dissolved into giggles. "Merlin Dad I was joking." She turned to Izzy. "Did you see his face? 'If that's where you're meant to be.'" she mocked. He pursed his lips grumpily, turning to hide the smile spreading across his face.
"Seriously though. I'll still love you if you're in Slytherin." He eyed both of them and they nodded.
"We know Daddy." Izzy responded. "I agree with you though, Rose is such a Gryffindor." Rose grinned, too excited about going to Hogwarts to be offended by her sister's tone. They ate pancakes in relative silence and they both bounded up the stairs to get ready after, leaving him to clean up. He couldn't believe how old they were getting. Nine and eleven. He felt so old. More than half of the grandkids would be at Hogwarts this year. And he, Hermione, and Harry would all have a kid at school now. Harry and Hermione would both have two gone and all three of them would only have one still at home. It felt like only yesterday that they were falling through the trapdoor to try and get to the Philosopher's stone.
He picked up Rose's list and found that it was almost entirely the same as his had been. He turned the page to the usual warning about brooms and beamed at the addition to the note about pets. Underneath cat, rat, and toad, was pygmy puff. It filled him with pride to see it added. He had bargained with McGonagall for years and this year she had finally conceded. Tons of kids had been taking them anyways, and he knew she had a soft spot for WWW products.
He hadn't told George, he wanted it to be a surprise. Right on cue, his fireplace lit up. "RON!" His brother's head bellowed through the fireplace. "Pygmy puffs are a legitimate pet for Hogwarts!" Ron grinned.
"I know. I got them on there." He answered. George looked flabbergasted.
"You got them by McGonagall?" Ron nodded proudly. "Well this is amazing, thank you. I've gotta go, got customers to deal with! Enjoy your day off!" Ron grumbled as George disappeared, not entirely sure he was going to.
Eventually both girls were ready and he took one of their hands in each of his before turning expertly on the spot. His shoulder jumped involuntarily, yet another reminder of the war. Rose and Izzy dragged him into the Leaky Cauldron they were running so fast. They skidded to a stop and saw Hermione's hand waving at them from across the room.
"C'mon Daddy!" Izzy called, following her sister who was barrelling into the arms of Scorpius Malfoy.
"Scor!" He emitted a small off at the jarring impact the redhead caused but smiled as he hugged her back. Ron ignored Hermione's knowing look. He did not want his daughter to become a Malfoy, no matter that his best friend was one and he was friends with Draco.
"Hi Uncle Ron!" Aquila was the only one who called Harry and Ron her Uncles.
"Hey there Quila." He beamed, twirling her through the air as she giggled. "Harry and Ginny not here yet?" He directed this over her shoulder at her mother. Hermione shook her head.
"They'll be here in half an hour." Draco joked and Hermione tried to repress a smile.
"Hey! I heard that!" Harry complained from behind Ron. Ron turned to find him with a pig-tailed and tooth-missing Lily perched on his shoulders. Albus was walking calmly beside Ginny and James was already regaling Kassiopoeia, Scorpius, Rose and Izzy with some tale of mischief. Rn could hear every word of the ridiculous story as his nephew practically shouted it to the whole bar.
"It's Harry's fault we're always late." Ginny grumbled. Harry winked suggestively and Ron and Draco immediately pulled faces. Ginny rolled her eyes but she was smiling. "That's not what I meant and you know it Harry Potter." He smirked.
Lily disembarked her father's shoulders to join the rest of the kids and Ron put Aquila down. "So." Harry said conversationally. "We're all gonna have kids at Hogwarts this year." Ron sobered immediately.
"You gonna be okay Ron?" Ginny inquired. Ron grunted.
"I'll be fine." The others raised eyebrows but didn't comment. "But Merlin. When did we get so old?" Ron asked.
"Excuse you I am not old." Draco protested, pushing back a strand of his thick platinum hair. "We're not even middle-aged in wizard terms."
"That's right love." Hermione consoled him mockingly. He glared at her.
"You're older than me so you can't say anything." Hermione's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.
"Oh I'm older, am I?"
"Almost a year." Draco responded with a smirk and Ron once again marvelled at his constant challenging of Hermione that only worked for him. It was undoubtedly a reason why her and Ron did not work out right after the war.
"And much wiser." She nodded, proud of herself. Ron rolled his eyes but changed his face to neutral as she turned to look at him.
The rest of the day passed in the same such way and was extremely tiring with so many children, especially with their children. Trouble-makers, the lot of them. Finally, Rose and Ron broke away from the rest of the group.
"Daddy?"
"What's up Sweetheart?"
"Will you take me to get my wand alone?" He smiled warmly.
"Sure. You don't want Izzy to come?"
"I asked her but she said it was something special just for me and you."
"Alright." Ron looked at Ginny and jerked his head towards Ollivanders and she nodded. The rest of the Hogwarts-age kids had their wands. Ron and Rose slipped away silently. Ron pushed the door open and the wave of musty shop air brought back a wave of nostalgia. Suddenly he was twelve again and his parents were buying him his own wand. He had vowed none of his children would ever receive hand-me-down's unless they wanted them, and especially not wands.
"Ah, Miss Weasley." Ollivander loomed out of the shadows and Ron couldn't contain his grin. He nudged Rose forward and took a seat at the back of the shop. "I wondered when you would be in here." Rose's eyes were wide with wonder and excitement as he handed her the first wand to try.
Ron winced and ducked as she sent a couple of boxes straight as his head. The next one sashed the glass in Ollivander's booth. She tried wand after wand and soon it had been twenty minutes and she hadn't found one. Finally, he presented her with a willow wand like Ron's with thestrals hair core, which Ron found interesting.
It glowed in her hands and she beamed as she turned to Ron. He stood and put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll take it."
Rose was engrossed in her wand; new owl being pushed in a cage on the overflowing trolley that Draco was pushing. Ron caught Izzy's pleading gaze and softened. "Alright, let's go." He told her. "Time to see Uncle George!" He announced to the rest of the group. He handed his brother money as Izzy pet Henry, her new pink pygmy puff. George grinned at him.
"3 galleons." Ron rolled his eyes but played along.
"How much for me?"
"3 galleons."
"But I'm your brother!"
Fred shrugged. "8 galleons!" He declared.
"But I get an employee discount." Ron grinned, knowing he'd won.
Fred fake-pouted for an instant before beaming. "1 galleon!" Ron shook his head at his brother's antics and lounged on the outside of the shop waiting for everyone else. He spent enough time at the shop, he didn't want to be in there on his day off too. No matter how amazing and fun it was. He stood there contentedly people-watching.
He turned his head and caught the beautiful emerald eyes of Seraphina, the witch from the bar. She smiled and gave him a wave before venturing on her way. Ron's eyes watched her until she was out of his vision.
"Dad!" Rose shouted and he startled.
"What?"
"Come on we're leaving!" She pointed at the retreating backs of the rest of the party as she ran to catch up with them. Ron moved much more slowly, wanting one last glimpse of the bewitching woman who had apparently remembered him. He shook his head and caught up with his daughters. But no matter how he tried he couldn't stop thinking about her.