Prompt - "You know you're my favourite, right?

"I better be."

*had another idea for this prompt so wrote it out*

Harry Potter loved his children, he really did, and nearly always wanted them around, but as he stood at the sink to wash the dinner dishes, and heard the bickering from the lounge, he really missed the peace and quiet when they were away at Hogwarts.

"I'm going to ask dad," he heard Lily declare and he braced himself for an onslaught of Potter proportions. He glanced quickly at the ceiling, hoping for the sound of Ginny coming down the stairs to come to his aid – two against three were better odds – but sadly he heard nothing.

Despite Lily's announcement, he jumped when the door separating the kitchen and lounge banged open loudly and his three offspring stormed in.

"Dad, tell the boys," ordered Lily.

"In your dreams, Lily," laughed James, always the confident one.

"Well, it's definitely not me," snorted Albus, and the three turned to look at their father, who was yet to turn around.

"DAD?" they chorused.

Harry turned. "Hmmm?" he asked, nonchalantly. He turned. "Oh, hello. Come to help me with the dishes?"

Sadly, none of them took the hint.

"Is Mum not down yet?" asked Albus, unconsciously copying Harry and looking up at the ceiling.

"She might be taking a shower, you know what's she's like after taking a Portkey," reminded Harry.

His wife had just returned from covering a Quidditch match in Brazil, and had caught three Portkeys to get home that night.

"Did she bring me anything?" asked Albus, who was a fan of the Chaser, Goncalo Flores. His mum had told him she'd try and get an autographed photo for him.

"What are you, six or sixteen?" scoffed James.

"We're getting off topic," sighed Lily, looking at both her brothers.

"Oh yeah, right," nodded James, and to Harry's bemusement, his three children all turned to look at him once again.

"Dad, who's your favourite Potter?" they chorused.

"And you can't say Teddy," warned Lily, hopping up on the counter.

It warmed Harry's heart that his children didn't even hesitate to consider his godson another Potter.

"You're ALL my favourites," he told them, knowing it wasn't going to satisfy them.

They sighed in disappointment.

"Told you he'd say that," said Albus.

"Come on, Dad, we all agreed we wouldn't get mad whoever you said. You can tell them Dad, it's me, it has to be me," said James, confidently.

"Has to be?" asked Lily, arching an eyebrow just like Ginny.

"I'm his firstborn, his precious baby boy," announced James. "When I was born I was on the front page for most of the first month of my life! The celebrations of my birth were legendary! You lot just got a week."

"That makes you the press's favourite, not dad's," said Albus.

"Daddy."

Harry looked at his daughter, nearly fourteen and his heart skipped a beat. She smiled prettily at him, while her brother's rolled their eyes.

"Here we go," they said, used to Lily getting around Harry like this.

"I'm daddy's favourite," she announced. "I'm the youngest and only girl, and I'm named for his mum, my own grandmother," she added.

"Nope, you can't use that." James shook his head. "We're all named for people that mean lots to daddy."

Harry tried not to grin.

"But his very own mum?" Lily asked dramatically.

"And I'm named for his very own dad," mimicked James, "AND godfather!"

Harry looked at Albus who shrugged.

"Hello family," called Ginny, breezing into the kitchen. "Lils, get off the counter please. James, help your dad with the dishes. Albus, you need a haircut again. And you," she said, with a fond

look at her husband.

"Yes, wife," asked Harry, amused as the kids did what Ginny asked.

She stepped closer and kissed him quickly. "You, I missed."

"Nice," sniffed James. "You only miss your husband, never mind your kids."

"I'm used to missing you lot, when you're away at school," shrugged Ginny. She picked up an apple and bit into it. "So what's going on around here?"

"Daddy was about to tell the boys I'm his favourite," announced Lily, looking triumphant.

"Is that right?" asked Ginny, arching an eyebrow as she looked at her daughter, then her husband.

"I never said that," protested Harry, laughing.

"Well it's obviously Teddy," teased Ginny.

"It cant be Teddy," chorused James, Lily and Albus in indignation.

"They were very clear on that," nodded Harry.

"Then there's only one possible answer," shrugged Ginny. "Me!"

"You?" gasped James and Lily, while Albus grinned.

"Of course, me. If I wasn't his favourite, none of you would exist," laughed Ginny. "Tell them, Harry."

Four sets of eyes that he loved dearly, all turned to look at him, seeking answers.

"A wise man once said, life is like a box of chocolates," he announced.

"Yes dear, we watched ''Forrest Gump' with you," said Ginny, placating.

"I love chocolate," he reminded them, "and I can never decide what flavour is my favourite. Is it peppermint, toffee, caramel – I can't decide! Now, you lot are like my own box of Honeydukes special edition."

"Well, Albus would be the nutty flavour," suggested Lily,

sticking her tongue out at him.

He nudged her. "Yeah, well, you're the sickening sweet one. Daddy," he breathed, batting his eyelashes.

"Oh, I do not sound like that," protested Lily.

"Yeah, you do, Lily," nodded James.

"Go on, off with you. Set up the cards, your dad and I will come in and kick your arses at Exploding Snap soon," said Ginny, waving them away.

She picked up the tea towel that James had been holding – he never actually dried any dishes – and she began drying and putting away while Harry completed the washing up.

"You know you're my favourite, right?" he asked her as they worked companionably together.

"I better be," she said, bumping her hip against his, "or somone won't be getting lucky tonight."

"Definitely you then," he nodded, eyes twinkling.

"Good answer," she quipped.