"Momma," Hermione and Harry shouted in unison as she and Tom walked into the Hog's Head for the monthly family get-together. For decades the tradition continued and Minerva hoped it would continue for many more. She smiled happily as she wrapped her children in her arms and squeezed them tight.
"You are strangling them Minnie," her father had teased.
"I can't help it," she replied. "I haven't seen them for an entire week. Did you have fun at Black Island?"
"Loads," Harry exclaimed. "I managed to get Mione on a racing broom."
Tom looked at Harry in bewilderment. "How did you manage that," he asked. Everyone knew Hermione feared heights.
"Sirius bribed her with Opera tickets," Harry said with a grin.
"That sounds about right," Tom laughed. "Should I buy you some earplugs Sirius?"
Sirius Black smiled brightly before revealing, "I purchased two Opera tickets for Minerva's favorite play."
"Well played," Donavon Ross commented. "Minerva will be fighting you for the chance to take Hermione herself."
"That was the plan," he laughed mischievously. "Harry was happy to race with his sister, Hermione is happy to see an Opera, and I will be happy to stay at home while Minerva takes Hermione to said Opera."
"I expect dinner reservations at that upscale restaurant nearby as well," Minerva said mischievously.
"Are you sure you aren't a Maurader," Sirius asked with a grin.
"Positive," she said with a smile. "I never got caught." The room roared with laughter.
"Momma," Hermione drew her attention. "We brought something for you."
Harry dug in his pocket, pulled out a miniature wrapped gift and looked expectantly at Sirius. The wizard in question smiled and enlarged the gift for him. Harry held the present out to her and watched happily as she opened it. "We hope you love it," he said sheepishly.
Minerva smiled at her thoughtful children and lifted the lid to the gift box. She gasped as she saw the golden cup. "Where in the world did you find this," she asked excitedly.
"Mione found it in a muggle thrift store," Sirius said. "Can you believe that? One of the most prized wizarding Britain treasures was for sale in a muggle thrift stores."
"We thought you could display it in the Great Hall," Hermione said. "I'm sure protective cases could be erected."
Minerva pulled out Helga Hufflepuff's cup and stared in wonder. "I think that's a wonderful idea," she admitted.
"We can add Slythrein's locket to the display as well," Tom revealed. "I located that a little bit ago on my travels and forgot all about it."
"We can move Gryffindor's sword to the display as well," Albus said thoughtfully.
"That just leaves something from Ravenclaw needed," Minerva commented. "I shall ask Grandmother later." She pulled her children in for another hug. "I sure am going to miss this."
"Miss what," Harry asked confused.
Minerva smiled at Tom before answering, "Being a family of four. Baby number 3 will be here in the spring!"
Really," Hermione asked fearfully, her voice breaking from her emotions. "I didn't damage you beyond repair?"
"Really love," Minerva reassured as she wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her tightly. "That wasn't your fault. Your magic serves a purpose and I would gladly do it all over again."
"What's Hermione's magic got to do with anything," Isobel asked the question everyone wanted to know.
"Hermione's magic damaged my reproductive system when she was born but we had no idea of it," Tom answered. "Hermione knew though and worried herself about it silently. She never voiced her concerns with us."
"I didn't know how," she said with a quivering lip.
"We know love," Minerva reassured her child. "Do you remember that day when you lost control of your magic at Potter Estate over something Sirius said?" Hermione nodded yes. "You unintentionally pushed the information to Lilly. She worked healing magic into the spell she used to protect Harry. Lilly's spell and amulet reversed a lot of the damage done to my body. It took a while but it was enough. Grandmother said Lilly spoke with her regarding it and wanted to ease your mind."
Harry saw how his sister was struggling with her emotions and wanted to change the subject. "So are we getting a brother or sister," he asked with childlike excitement.
"A sister," Tom supplied. "We will be outnumbered son."
Harry grinned at his Daddy and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm pretty attached to our girls even if they do like to read too much. The new one will probably be just as good and maybe we can even get her to like quidditch more."
Tom's laughter errupted as he pulled Harry into a hug. "You make excellent points son!"
"Min," Fiona and Finley shouted happily as they walked into her office. She grinned as they raced to her and hugged her tightly. The soon to be 10 year olds were the spitting image of her. Dark raven hair and emerald eyes for both of them. Her dad liked to tease her that she had done more than carry the twins. He laughingly said she bewitched them to look identical to her.
"Hello my little loves," she said with a huge smile. She hugged them close. "What are you two doing here?"
"They begged for a visit," Isobel said as she came into the office. "Have time for a cup of tea?"
"Always Mother," she responded and lead the way to her living quarters. "How is the shop doing?"
"Fabulous," Isobel said. Tom had purchased the local Apothecary when it came up for sale. Isobel would run it but Minerva would help with research and brewing in the summer months. "I am going to have to hire some help at this rate. The WereGone potion is selling at astronomical levels."
"Really? What about taking on apprentices?" Minerva asked. "We can offer at least one a year to newly graduated students and offer them the rights to patent their own potions if they develop one while an apprentice."
"Maybe ask for a discounted rate of whatever they develop during the apprenticeship to be sold at the store?"
"Yes," Minerva answered. "Most masters take credit for the apprentices work so we would guarantee to keep an apprentice around with that."
"And possibly force other masters to offer similar in order to get a good apprentice," Isobel added. "Do you have a name or two I could contact now?"
Minerva nodded and wrote a couple of names on parchment and handed to her mother. "Now how about that tea and the real reason you came for a visit?"
Isobel sighed and gave her daughter a look before gesturing to the twins. "Heather would you escort Finley and Fiona to Albus' office? He received a new shipment of muggle candy that he needs help organizing," Minerva said with a smile. The twins grinned at her happily at the prospect of candy and gladly went off with Heather the house elf.
"Why do you insist on spoiling them," Isobel asked with a smile tugging on her lips.
"I take my job as big sister very seriously," she retorted.
"We both know you feel more for them then sibling love," Isobel said sadly.
"Aye," Minerva answered, Scottish brogue thick from her emotion. "However I see them is irrelevant. They are my siblings and I shall fill that role."
"How did you manage to carry them through a pregnancy if your reproductive system was damaged?" Isobel asked curiously.
"Poppy is amazed by that feat," Minerva informed her. "She speculates Hermione's magic caused the transfer of the twins to me so her magic bent back the damaged organs to accommodate them."
"Makes sense," Isobel said as she eyed her daughter. "I worried the heartbreak of giving up the twins to me marred your decision to not have more children."
Minerva shook her head no. "I have never doubted that decision," she said. "You were their mother regardless of who delivered them. They responded to your magic, your voice, your touch on my belly. The twins are exactly where they should be. I always wanted a large family but I didn't ask questions when I failed to get pregnant year after year because it didn't happen the last timeline either. I figured it wasn't meant to be and I locked my wants away. I had two wonderful children at home and I counted my blessings. Besides knowing just how old you were when you got pregnant with the twins, I have hope for that large family yet." Isobel laughed merrily at her oldest child.