CHAPTER THREE.
Summary: Harry and Ron discover that having a daughter can prove more problematic than they thought.
Genre for this chapter- Humour. Tongue firmly in cheek. Anyone who has ever suffered adolescence will enjoy this.
The last week in July and things were so quiet at the Ministry that Harry took a day off work to spend with Nat. Ron was away in Germany again, the Death Eaters over there weren't giving in gracefully and Ron was having to work very closely with his German opposite number, Fraulein Brunner, their Ministry's finest Auror.
The day promised to be a fine one and Harry was looking forward to having a day, just him and Nat.
" What do you want to do today, sweetheart? " he asked her at breakfast. " I've got some tickets for the United match."
" No thanks, Dad. I think I'll go back to bed. "
Harry stared at her. Now he could see her properly she looked unbelievably pale and as he watched, she winced and went even paler.
" You look awful. What's wrong? "
" It's nothing. It'll pass, honestly. I'll just..."
Nat got up from the table and swayed dangerously. Harry caught her before she hit the floor.
" That's it. " he said firmly. " I'm getting the doctor. "
Nat's feeble protests went unheard as Harry tucked her back into bed and stood looking at her. She'd never seen him so scared in her life. She would have laughed, only it would have hurt. He might be one of the greatest wizards in the country but, right now, he looked like every father when confronted with his daughter's growing maturity. Clueless.
Her friends at school had whispered about this under cover of darkness, what it was like, how much it hurt. Nat had scoffed. //Nothing// could be that painful but now she was ready to eat her words. She winced again as another cramp seized her.
" I wonder if Seamus is on duty..." muttered Harry.
" Dad, I //don't// need a doctor! It's perfectly natural. If you want to help me, ask Grandma to come over. "
Harry still looked completely baffled but waved his wand at the fireplace in her bedroom and muttered //Incendio//. Once the fire was cracking merrily he threw a pinch of Floo Powder into the flames and stuck his head in, muttering the charm that would connect him directly to the Burrow.
Molly Weasley was, as ever, busy in the kitchen but turned immediately at the noise to see Harry's head sitting on the fire.
" Hello, dear. " she said, smiling.
" Sorry to bother you, Molly, but Nat's, er, unwell. She won't see a doctor. She wants to see you instead."
Molly's kind face creased in concern.
" I'll be straight over. " she said, pulling off her apron. Harry's head vanished with a small pop.
Molly Apparated in Nat's bedroom. She took in the sight of a terrified Harry, who had reached the hand-wringing stage, and her exceedingly pale granddaughter.
" Go away. " she said to Harry. He turned and fled. She perched on the side of the bed and smiled down at Nat.
" Is this your first one, dear? " Nat nodded.
" It hurts. " she hissed, gritting her teeth.
" Yes, it does. But there are ways round that. " smiled Molly. " I'll send your useless father out for painkillers and I'll get everything else you'll need. There's a very good Muggle chemist not far from here. I'll see to it that those two give you a small Muggle allowance to get what you need every month. They're totally hopeless. Didn't they tell you //anything//? "
Nat shook her head, a ghost of a grin forming on her lips.
" Let's face it, Grandma. Women are a total mystery to both of them. "
" True. But I thought Ron...oh, never mind. I'll be back shortly. "
In the kitchen Harry received a hard clip round the ear.
" Ow! " he protested. " What was //that// for? "
" For frightening me to death, Harry Potter. "
" What's wrong with Nat? " he asked, his expression so pathetic that Molly couldn't help but smile.
" In pain, but you'd better get used to it. She'll be the same every month from now on. "
Harry still looked completely baffled. Molly sighed; it looked like she'd have to spell it out for him.
" She's menstruating, Harry. She's having her first period. "
Relief swept over Harry's face followed by horror and extreme embarrassment.
" Oh. " he said, avoiding her eye. " I didn't know. How could I? I never had any sisters. "
" She'll be fine in a day or two. Get her a hot water bottle then go straight to the apothecary's and get her something for the pain. I'll see to the rest. "
" The rest? "
She explained her errand and Harry went even redder.
" You don't want to have to go and buy //them// for her, do you? "
" God, no!" he exclaimed, horrified at the very thought.
Molly tucked the bottle in beside Nat.
" I think I've embarrassed your Dad enough for one day. " she said with a chuckle. " Just make sure they cosset you for a while. And don't be too worried if they seem scared of you, men find this kind of thing hard to handle."
Nat hugged her grandmother very tightly.
" Thanks Grandma. "
" Try and get some sleep. I'll see you before you go back to school. " said Molly as she turned to leave the bedroom.
" Just one more thing. Have they told you about the birds and the bees yet? "
Nat giggled.
" No. I really can't //wait// for //that// discussion! "
* * * * * *
In the last week of the summer holidays, Nat and Ron went to Diagon Alley to get her school supplies. Nat had been to see her Grandma the week before and had received some very frank advice about certain matters, one of which she was going to sort out today.
Once she was loaded up with quills, parchment, ink and Owl Treats for Circe, she checked her list again.
" I've still got to get my new books. Oh, and we need to go to Madame Malkin's. "
" Why? " asked Ron. " Your robes still fit you, don't they? Anyway, I thought I was buying you your broomstick today? "
Nat grinned in spite of herself. When she was eight she had found her Dad's old Firebolt and had taken off. It had been the most natural thing in the world to her, the thrill of the wind rushing through her hair, the houses of Stoat's End Lane becoming like toy houses. She wouldn't forget the sight of her Pa, absolutely furious, yelling himself hoarse at her to come down //right// //now//. He had yelled at her even more once she was safely back on the ground and muttered dire retribution once her Dad got home.
Her Dad had hugged her and said angrily to her Pa,
" What do you expect? It's in her blood. She'll probably be as good as Viktor was. We can't stop her flying, Ron. "
And they hadn't, though a Shooting Star had been deemed fast enough for her. Today she was hoping for a new Nimbus so she could try out for the Gryffindor team.
" Yes, I know. But I //really// need to go to Madame Malkins as well. " she said stubbornly.
Half an hour later with her new books from Flourish and Blotts and a brand-new Nimbus 3000 tucked under her arm they pushed open the door of Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.
" Hello, dear. New Hogwarts robes, is it? " asked Madame Malkin.
" I dunno. " said Ron in the hearty voice he used when he was talking to strange witches. Nat glared at him and said in a clear voice.
" I've come for a fitting. For some underwear. "
Finally the penny dropped and Ron went so red it clashed horribly with his hair.
" Ah, yes. " said the witch, giving Ron a filthy look. " Most girls bring their mothers but I see you're a special case. This way, dear. "
Ron was mortified, even more so when Nat emerged from the back room clutching a handful of flimsy items made of lace and silk, very like the only garments his mother refused to hang on the washing line. In a daze he gave Madam Malkin a handful of Galleons and Sickles and they left the shop.
" You might have said. " muttered Ron, still beetroot with embarrassment.
" You'd have run a mile if I told you I was going to buy my first bra. " said Nat sagely. " It's easier this way. I don't have to bother Grandma or Aunt Ginny. "
" Next time, a little warning would be nice. " said Ron, ignoring the grin on his daughter's face.
That night he snuggled up to Harry in bed.
" I've never been so embarrassed in my life. " he fumed.
" How do you think I felt? " asked Harry, grinning in the dark. " At least your Mum didn't come and clip you round the ear for being a thick git. "
" True, that. " said Ron ruefully. " And we thought it'd get easier as she got older. "
" Just wait till she brings home her first boyfriend. " chuckled Harry.
" I don't even want to //think// about that. " said Ron despairingly. " Let's get over these shocks first, eh? "
The Weasley-Potter household slept.
Summary: Harry and Ron discover that having a daughter can prove more problematic than they thought.
Genre for this chapter- Humour. Tongue firmly in cheek. Anyone who has ever suffered adolescence will enjoy this.
The last week in July and things were so quiet at the Ministry that Harry took a day off work to spend with Nat. Ron was away in Germany again, the Death Eaters over there weren't giving in gracefully and Ron was having to work very closely with his German opposite number, Fraulein Brunner, their Ministry's finest Auror.
The day promised to be a fine one and Harry was looking forward to having a day, just him and Nat.
" What do you want to do today, sweetheart? " he asked her at breakfast. " I've got some tickets for the United match."
" No thanks, Dad. I think I'll go back to bed. "
Harry stared at her. Now he could see her properly she looked unbelievably pale and as he watched, she winced and went even paler.
" You look awful. What's wrong? "
" It's nothing. It'll pass, honestly. I'll just..."
Nat got up from the table and swayed dangerously. Harry caught her before she hit the floor.
" That's it. " he said firmly. " I'm getting the doctor. "
Nat's feeble protests went unheard as Harry tucked her back into bed and stood looking at her. She'd never seen him so scared in her life. She would have laughed, only it would have hurt. He might be one of the greatest wizards in the country but, right now, he looked like every father when confronted with his daughter's growing maturity. Clueless.
Her friends at school had whispered about this under cover of darkness, what it was like, how much it hurt. Nat had scoffed. //Nothing// could be that painful but now she was ready to eat her words. She winced again as another cramp seized her.
" I wonder if Seamus is on duty..." muttered Harry.
" Dad, I //don't// need a doctor! It's perfectly natural. If you want to help me, ask Grandma to come over. "
Harry still looked completely baffled but waved his wand at the fireplace in her bedroom and muttered //Incendio//. Once the fire was cracking merrily he threw a pinch of Floo Powder into the flames and stuck his head in, muttering the charm that would connect him directly to the Burrow.
Molly Weasley was, as ever, busy in the kitchen but turned immediately at the noise to see Harry's head sitting on the fire.
" Hello, dear. " she said, smiling.
" Sorry to bother you, Molly, but Nat's, er, unwell. She won't see a doctor. She wants to see you instead."
Molly's kind face creased in concern.
" I'll be straight over. " she said, pulling off her apron. Harry's head vanished with a small pop.
Molly Apparated in Nat's bedroom. She took in the sight of a terrified Harry, who had reached the hand-wringing stage, and her exceedingly pale granddaughter.
" Go away. " she said to Harry. He turned and fled. She perched on the side of the bed and smiled down at Nat.
" Is this your first one, dear? " Nat nodded.
" It hurts. " she hissed, gritting her teeth.
" Yes, it does. But there are ways round that. " smiled Molly. " I'll send your useless father out for painkillers and I'll get everything else you'll need. There's a very good Muggle chemist not far from here. I'll see to it that those two give you a small Muggle allowance to get what you need every month. They're totally hopeless. Didn't they tell you //anything//? "
Nat shook her head, a ghost of a grin forming on her lips.
" Let's face it, Grandma. Women are a total mystery to both of them. "
" True. But I thought Ron...oh, never mind. I'll be back shortly. "
In the kitchen Harry received a hard clip round the ear.
" Ow! " he protested. " What was //that// for? "
" For frightening me to death, Harry Potter. "
" What's wrong with Nat? " he asked, his expression so pathetic that Molly couldn't help but smile.
" In pain, but you'd better get used to it. She'll be the same every month from now on. "
Harry still looked completely baffled. Molly sighed; it looked like she'd have to spell it out for him.
" She's menstruating, Harry. She's having her first period. "
Relief swept over Harry's face followed by horror and extreme embarrassment.
" Oh. " he said, avoiding her eye. " I didn't know. How could I? I never had any sisters. "
" She'll be fine in a day or two. Get her a hot water bottle then go straight to the apothecary's and get her something for the pain. I'll see to the rest. "
" The rest? "
She explained her errand and Harry went even redder.
" You don't want to have to go and buy //them// for her, do you? "
" God, no!" he exclaimed, horrified at the very thought.
Molly tucked the bottle in beside Nat.
" I think I've embarrassed your Dad enough for one day. " she said with a chuckle. " Just make sure they cosset you for a while. And don't be too worried if they seem scared of you, men find this kind of thing hard to handle."
Nat hugged her grandmother very tightly.
" Thanks Grandma. "
" Try and get some sleep. I'll see you before you go back to school. " said Molly as she turned to leave the bedroom.
" Just one more thing. Have they told you about the birds and the bees yet? "
Nat giggled.
" No. I really can't //wait// for //that// discussion! "
* * * * * *
In the last week of the summer holidays, Nat and Ron went to Diagon Alley to get her school supplies. Nat had been to see her Grandma the week before and had received some very frank advice about certain matters, one of which she was going to sort out today.
Once she was loaded up with quills, parchment, ink and Owl Treats for Circe, she checked her list again.
" I've still got to get my new books. Oh, and we need to go to Madame Malkin's. "
" Why? " asked Ron. " Your robes still fit you, don't they? Anyway, I thought I was buying you your broomstick today? "
Nat grinned in spite of herself. When she was eight she had found her Dad's old Firebolt and had taken off. It had been the most natural thing in the world to her, the thrill of the wind rushing through her hair, the houses of Stoat's End Lane becoming like toy houses. She wouldn't forget the sight of her Pa, absolutely furious, yelling himself hoarse at her to come down //right// //now//. He had yelled at her even more once she was safely back on the ground and muttered dire retribution once her Dad got home.
Her Dad had hugged her and said angrily to her Pa,
" What do you expect? It's in her blood. She'll probably be as good as Viktor was. We can't stop her flying, Ron. "
And they hadn't, though a Shooting Star had been deemed fast enough for her. Today she was hoping for a new Nimbus so she could try out for the Gryffindor team.
" Yes, I know. But I //really// need to go to Madame Malkins as well. " she said stubbornly.
Half an hour later with her new books from Flourish and Blotts and a brand-new Nimbus 3000 tucked under her arm they pushed open the door of Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.
" Hello, dear. New Hogwarts robes, is it? " asked Madame Malkin.
" I dunno. " said Ron in the hearty voice he used when he was talking to strange witches. Nat glared at him and said in a clear voice.
" I've come for a fitting. For some underwear. "
Finally the penny dropped and Ron went so red it clashed horribly with his hair.
" Ah, yes. " said the witch, giving Ron a filthy look. " Most girls bring their mothers but I see you're a special case. This way, dear. "
Ron was mortified, even more so when Nat emerged from the back room clutching a handful of flimsy items made of lace and silk, very like the only garments his mother refused to hang on the washing line. In a daze he gave Madam Malkin a handful of Galleons and Sickles and they left the shop.
" You might have said. " muttered Ron, still beetroot with embarrassment.
" You'd have run a mile if I told you I was going to buy my first bra. " said Nat sagely. " It's easier this way. I don't have to bother Grandma or Aunt Ginny. "
" Next time, a little warning would be nice. " said Ron, ignoring the grin on his daughter's face.
That night he snuggled up to Harry in bed.
" I've never been so embarrassed in my life. " he fumed.
" How do you think I felt? " asked Harry, grinning in the dark. " At least your Mum didn't come and clip you round the ear for being a thick git. "
" True, that. " said Ron ruefully. " And we thought it'd get easier as she got older. "
" Just wait till she brings home her first boyfriend. " chuckled Harry.
" I don't even want to //think// about that. " said Ron despairingly. " Let's get over these shocks first, eh? "
The Weasley-Potter household slept.