A/N: I am just a billion times sorry that this has come out so late. But, this is the last chapter so the wait will be no more! It is actually three chapters in one that took me eternity to write due to cases of writer's block, ten page essays on the history of medicine and having only 48 seconds a day to breathe. But I have been sick for the past three days and have finished! Thank God for contagious diseases.
"Outnumbered"
Day 3- Sunday Noon
Harry heard heavy footfalls, cautious and unreasonable. The door creaked open only a bit, but just enough to see one cherry-wood eye staring back at him, confusion and frustration evident in her gaze. She looked back at him for a little while before slowly opening the door, keeping her eyes averted to the floor while he stepped past her and into the orange and violet room. Naresha left the door and stood in the middle of the area, arms crossed over her chest and her weight balanced on one leg. She just continued to scowl at him while he pulled up her desk chair and sat down.
"Naresha, I think that we started off badly." Harry started. He looked at the floor, waiting for her response.
"Well, yes." Naresha answered coldly. Her tone was icy, and the glare she gave Harry could freeze hell.
"Where did you meet Mal... the boy?"
"He is in seventh year and is captain of the Quidditch team. He gets good grades and is liked by most of the teachers." Naresha said innocently, trying to make this snake sound like gold. But this was only too familiar.
"Sounds like a good kid." Harry said, trying to sound as oblivious as possible.
"Yes, he is. He is one of the most fancied boys in school and he happens to like ME, Dad. ME! Naresha Potter! Who am I do be liked by such a person."
"Naresha, don't ever say that. I am surprised at you!"
"Why, because you always thought that I was one of the golden daughters like Asenath, Sonia or Corliss? No, Dad, I'm not."
"No, Don't be stupid. I'm just surprised that you are thick enough to think that a Malfoy is better than you."
Naresha stared at her father in surprise.
"There is something that I would like to tell you about the Malfoy family. They might be extremely rich, good looking, smart and even somewhat talented, but trust me, you don't want to be touching one, even with a three-mile long wand. The only thing Malfoys are good for is making more Malfoys and bouncing ferrets."
Naresha looked at her father blankly. "What do you mean, they make good bouncing ferrets?"
Harry smiled inwardly as he colorfully imagined that glorious day in the great hall with Mad Eye Moody and the little white weasel.
"When I was in my fourth year, the most amazing thing happened..."
For an hour and a half, Harry sat on the violet bed with his daughter laughing at the tales he was recalling from his childhood of the Malfoys. Naresha confessed that she had met Mr. Malfoy once, and how he just looked at her with disgust. Laird just said that had been hit with a curse that messed up his face and that his grimacing scowl was actually a brilliant smile. Harry burst out laughing when he heard that. Apparently, the boy had inherited his mother's wit, which wasn't saying much, seeing that it was a certain numb skull named Parkinson.
After another fit of giggles from Naresha, she looked at her father and put a hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I really didn't mean any of the things that I had said. Honest. It's just that, well, I'm really stressed out and I don't know whether snogging Laird is really helping my problem or just making me sink lower into it."
"Naresha, you are sinking. Even standing in the same room as a Malfoy and not being bothered by it is considered temporary insanity." He smiled at his daughter again and gave her a hug.
"You see, your old man isn't that bad when it comes to gossip."
"No Dad, too bad it happened almost twenty five years ago. I think you need to catch up a bit, eh?"
~*~*~*~
"Look at the lovely zebra, Mabel! Isn't it just lovely?"
"Yes, Uncle Ron! I love zebras! I would like to hug one!" Mabel said loudly. Ron picked her up off the ground and placed her on his shoulders. Mabel giggled as he spun around in a circle.
Ron's eyes quickly darted to a quite attractive young woman wearing a yellow dress under a white coat and scarf who was conveniently in hearing range of them. She was looking at him and smiling. Score one for Ron Weasley.
"Aww. Is that your daughter?" she asked, smiling and waving at Mabel who was holding on to Ron's fiery red hair.
"No, this is my best friend's youngest daughter. I'm not married. Or dating." He laughed as she continued to smile at him.
"Oh, that is so sweet of you!" The woman cooed.
"We were just going to meet up with the rest of the group for pizza, would you care to come along?" he asked her, trying to sound innocent.
"There are more?"
"Oh yes, around twenty two more."
"Well then! Your friend must be a very busy man!"
"Oh no! They are some friends. Only five are his. I decided to take them out for the day. They all love their uncle."
She giggled and looped her arm around his.
"Shall we go then ladies?" Ron asked as he looked up. Mab enthusiastically nodded her head in agreement while the lady smiled brilliantly.
"I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley."
"Scarlet, Scarlet Whiteman."
"Well then, Scarlet, shall we be off?"
~*~*~*~*~
"Are you sure you want to do this, Dad?" Naresha asked as she stood next to the fireplace.
"Of course, dear. If you are going to be dating this boy, then I am going to have to get used to seeing him more often than I'd like. Malfoy or not, I'll try and bear the pain of being in one's presence..." Harry put on a pained look and put a hand to his forehead for a dramatic effect.
Naresha rolled her eyes at her childish father and laughed a little, finally noticing that he wasn't that bad when she listened to him.
There was a sudden burst of green flames and a figure appeared, emerged in the intense light.
"Laird!" she squealed as she ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Harry looked away, it physically hurt him to see one of his children even standing in the same room as a Malfoy and not flinching. He stood up and walked over to the two young people and held his hand out to Laird.
"Hello, Laird. I would first like to apologize for the way I acted, it was completely uncalled for." Harry winced as the words uttered forth from his lips.
"That's alright Mr. Potter, I had figured that your first reaction would be like that." Said the platinum blond boy.
Harry looked at the boy as if he were seeing him for the first time. He had was a replica of his father, as most Malfoys were, tall with silver-blond hair falling past their steel gray eyes, a muscular build and a slender face. But this boy wasn't as rigid as his father was. His stance was laid-back with an idle attitude and careless gestures, it seemed as if the young Malfoy and the older weren't even close to being related. They were completely different people, but not.
"So, Laird, I heard that you like Quidditch?" Harry asked. He was going to question this boy until his ears fell from his pretty head.
"Yes, sir. I'm actually captain of the Slytherin team and keeper."
"Your father was seeker, did you know that?"
"Actually, he reminds me almost every day that I'm at home. Tells me how he was one of the greatest seekers that Slytherin had ever had."
Harry nodded his head and sat in concentration.
"I somehow doubt that." Laird continued.
Harry laughed and patted the boy on the shoulder. "We are going to get along quite well, Mr. Malfoy. Very well indeed..."
The continued to talk about Laird and his life in Hogwarts when more green flames began to lick the stone fireplace again. A tall man stood in the midst of the ash and dust, his billowing black robes behind him, his hair, a silver mop over his gaunt face.
"Malfoy, I didn't expect to see you in my house." Harry stated as Draco walked over to where they all sat.
"Well, I thought that I would see what my no-good son was up to." He drawled lazily. He began to look around at the large house and smirked.
"Quite humble surrounding, Potter. I thought that 'the-boy-who-lived' would be much better off than this."
"This is home, I don't think that having a six story mansion stuffed to the brim with priceless rubbish will amount to anything more." Harry responded calmly.
Draco sneered at him and then turned to his son. "Laird, we're leaving now."
"But, Father, I was just spending time with Naresha and Mr. Potter." Laird said, not budging from his seat.
"Leave the boy alone, Malfoy. I invited him here. But I can't remember saying anything of that sort to you, so why don't you just sod off, eh?"
"What a terrible host you are, Potter! I expected at least a warm greeting from an old school friend." He planted a sarcastic smile on his face and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Oh, shut it, Malfoy. I really am not in the mood for your stupidity, today. Talk to me on Wednesday."
Draco's smile faded and he glared at the black haired man with malice. "You never learned any matters, didn't you, Potter?"
"Why are they only on a last name basis?" Naresha whispered to the boy next to her. He only shrugged his shoulders at her and continued to watch the two men bicker.
"Ripticentra!" Draco shouted. Harry went soaring through the air and landed flat on his back right on a wooden table, breaking it in half on impact.
"DAD!" Naresha screamed as she ran to her father who was half conscious on the floor. "Are you alright?" she asked while trying to help him sit up.
Harry looked up at his daughter with fire in his eyes. Naresha, having never seen Harry like this before, was startled by the intense anger. She gasped and stepped away from the raging man, practically terrified of him.
"You'll pay for that Malfoy." Harry said as he stood up and wiped away a trickle of blood from his lip. Draco threw three knuts at his feet.
"That's for a another table, I think that you might need a new one." He said as he smiled maliciously.
"Diffendo!" Harry hexed.
The two men took their turns spinning and flying across the room, breaking and scattering furniture as they went. The room was filled with utter chaos for ten minutes.
Harry aimed and yelled, "This is to make up for when it hadn't worked the first time. Eat slugs, Malfoy!!"
A yellow light hit Draco right in the stomach and he bent over in pain.
"Dad? Er... You're turning green..." Laird murmured as he watched his father kneel on the floor in pain.
"Accio camera." Harry whispered in the direction of the stairs. In seconds, a small wizard camera came whizzing down the carpeted steps and into the palm of Harry's hand. With a quick flash, all of Harry's dreams had come true.
"Keep them coming, Malfoy! You're doing wonderful!" He said excitedly, continuing to snap the photos.
"I'm going to *burp* kill you, *burp* Pott *burp* er..." Draco wheezed as the slugs continued to pop from his mouth.
"Come on then, Father, let's go home." Laird sighed as he led his father back to the fireplace.
"You might want this, Malfoy!" Harry tossed him a large bucket. "And don't worry. It only took Ron six hours to recover, you'll be fine!"
Draco stabbed Harry with his venomous eyes and turned back to the fireplace, but not without spitting out one more slug right on Harry's shoe before leaving.
~*~*~*~*~
Harry and Naresha were sitting at the kitchen table, sipping at their tea when they heard the fireplace burst with intrusion again. Narehsa poked her head around the corner to find Ron and the girls back from the zoo.
"What did I miss?" Ron hollered. He was staring, wide-eyed and gaping at the muddled room, broken tables, chairs and lamps were scattered about the room, in a sea of glass shards and splinters.
"It was priceless, but don't worry, I have pictures!" Harry shouted back as he got up to see his friend and daughters.
"What was priceless?" Ron asked.
"DAD! There's a slug on my shoe! EWWW! Gross!" Candace shrieked as she kicked the slimy creature off of her.
"No." Ron stated plainly. "Did you?" he pointed to the flying slug.
Harry nodded.
Ron threw his fist in the air and whooped for joy. "I can't beli... How? Why? HA!" Ron was a jumble of confusion and glee that such an event could have ever occurred so he went up and hugged Harry as hard as possible. "I love you like a brother!" he shouted again. Harry was smiling just as broadly.
"So girls, how was the zoo?" Harry asked once Ron had finally collected himself again.
"It was nice." Sonia commented.
"Beautiful day." Asenath agreed.
"I liked the zebras." Candace chimed.
"I liked the apes. They looked like Candace. Especially the one with the big red bum." Corliss replied.
"Corliss, that isn't nice." Harry scolded. "Wait, where's Mab?"
"She's here somewhere." Ron said as he looked around. "Maybe she's in the lavatory."
Harry went to the bathroom and knocked on the door. The door slowly swayed open to reveal that no one was inside.
"Mabel!" Harry shouted from the stairs. "MABEL!"
"Ron, she isn't here. Where is she?" Harry asked again, this time panicking. He began to frantically search the house, turning over cushions and chairs as if he were searching for a lost sock.
"RON! YOU LEFT MY DAUGHTER AT THE ZOO!" Harry screamed at his friend.
"I'm sorry! I thought that she was with us! I swear! I was just busy with Scarlet and..."
"BUSY WITH SCARLET! RON! YOU. LOST. MY. DAUGHTER!!!" Harry began to turn red for the second time that day. Naresha looked at him and backed away again.
"She's still at the zoo, we should go back and find her." Ron suggested.
"YES RON! I THINK THAT WOULD BE A SPLENDID IDEA!" Hermione would have his skin if he had lost their youngest daughter in the London zoo. No, she would have his skin if she knew that he had trusted RON to losing their daughter in the London Zoo. "Asenath, Sonia, come with me..."
They both nodded their head and the four quickly apparated to the zoo where the smallest Potter might have been waiting, alone and lost in the big world of muggles where she didn't belong.
They all met behind one of the main buildings and began to plan. "Ron, you check the primate house and the main shops. Asenath, if you take the North end, and Sonia, takes South end, then I'll go to West end and the aquarium. Everyone meet back here in one hour, alright?" They all agreed and then parted on their directed paths, seeking out the missing Potter.
~*~*~*~
Harry walked over to the West section of the zoo where the larger animals were kept. He frantically searched ever crook and nanny of the buildings and the pens, praying that his daughter would come running to him, safe and free from any harm.
"Have you seen a little girl? She's about this tall and has black hair, green eyes. Please, has anyone seen my daughter?" He would ask all the people passing by. Most shook their head at him and some, the women in particular, puffed out their chests and stalked by.
"What a horrible man!" They would say to their husbands, " Loosing a poor little girl in the middle of London Zoo. If I were his wife, I'd let him have it!"
"Yes, dear." The husbands would reply. Most of them slowed down to give Harry a sympathetic glance and a squeeze on the shoulder. He just wanted to scream! All these people judging him when all he wanted was his daughter back! He didn't even loose her, Ron did.
~*~*~*~
After a quarter of an hour of searching the zoo, high and low, Harry finally came to the last place he had to search, the reptile house. He quickly jogged through the double doors and began to look around. Children were surrounding the tanks and pressing their faces to the glass, pointing and tapping while the snakes and lizards would sit on their sticks and continue to ignore the mobs of heads.
He passed the smaller tanks and to one of the larger ones where a boa constrictor was resting lazily on a branch.
"Excuse me, can you please tell me if you have seen a small girl, about this tall, black hair, green eyes, wearing a pink jumper, blue coat with a pink scarf and jeans?" Harry hissed to the snake.
"Yesssss." She replied. "Over there."
She lifted her head and pointed it to the large python take that stood in the middle of the next room.
"Thank you." He nodded courteously and quickly ran to it. Harry figured. Of course he could get better answers from snakes than anyone else in the London crowd...
There she was, pressing her small face to the glass and hissing at the snake, wrinkling her brow in frustration and confusion when the snake didn't even budge.
"Come on!" she finally shouted at it.
"Mabel! I have been looking all over for you!" Harry shouted as he grabbed the little girl and hugged her tightly. "Why did you leave, Uncle Ron?"
"Sorry, Daddy. I didn't know that he had gone. I just wanted to talk to the snake, like you."
"Oh, honey! Just promise me that you will never wander off again! You almost gave daddy and heart attack, and Uncle Ron could have been severely mutilated."
"Sorry, Daddy." She said as she hugged his neck.
"It's alright, Mab."
"Daddy, why can't I talk to the snake like you?" she asked him. Harry put her on the floor as he knelt down to her level.
"Mab, it isn't the greatest gift ever given. It nearly had me killed when I was a kid. Why do you want to talk to snakes so much?"
"Because, Asenath, Sonia and Candace are smart like Mummy, Corliss is good at Kiddich like you, and Naresha can sing like Grandmum Lily. I can't do anything."
"Mabel! You are four years old! You will find out what talents you have soon enough. Until then, how about we talk to this chap?" Harry nodded towards the snoozing snake in his tank.
"Hello there, sir. My daughter would like to speak with you." He said to the animal.
The large snake opened one small beady black eye, staring at Harry as if he was anything usual, then closed his eye and continued about his business.
"Well thanks for your time. Ruddy bastard..."
"What did you say to the snake, Daddy?"
"Oh, er... I told him to continue sleeping, he was awfully tiered. How about we chat with the lovely boa over there. She's much more awake than he is." Mab took her father's hand and led him to the boa.
~*~*~*~*~
"MABEL! There you are, honey! I was so worried." Ron said as she and Harry came walking down to the building where they had agreed to meet.
"Shut it, Weasley, you're still dead meat." Harry threatened. Ron swallowed hard and then looked pleadingly at Asenath. Both the girls giggled and shrugged their shoulders at their helpless uncle.
"Don't worry, mate. I'll only give you a nasty boil, or break your arm. Nothing much."
Harry held Mabel in his arms and they all apparated back to the Potter home, safe and sound with all Potters accounted for at last.
~*~*~*~*~
Sunday - Afternoon
The phone rang.
"Hullo, Potter residence." Harry said into it.
"Harry! Goodness, it's good to hear your voice again." Said the voice on the other end.
"Oh, hullo, love. How has your vacation been?"
"Wonderful, Harry. I'll be coming home tonight, right before dinner. Hope you're making something special."
"I miss you. A lot."
"I miss you too, love. How are the girls?"
"Splendid."
"Any trouble?"
"No. None at all." Harry hated having to lie, especially to Hermione.
"That's odd. I expected there to be at least one lost child, one broken bone and a couple more accidents. Really? The girls have been good?" She sounded completely surprised.
"Really, they've been wonderful."
"Did you tie, bound and gag them in their rooms?"
"No."
"Well, I guess I was wrong, Harry. You can take care of the house on your own. I'm very proud, love. Oh! I'm bringing back a surprise for you all!"
"Really? What is it?"
"I'll show you when I get home, alright?"
"Fine then."
" I'll see you tonight. Good bye, Harry."
"See you, Hermione." With that, they hung up. Did she really believe that everything was alright? Hermione wasn't stupid, she knew something was up. Harry decided that it was a real shame she quit divination, he thought that she could have really excelled in it.
Harry walked into the kitchen to tell the girls that their mother would finally return and everything would go back to normal on Monday. There would be no more broken bones, no more burnt chickens, and no more lost girls for the rest of his life. The girls were sitting at the table, laughing and cheering as Corliss and Ron were throwing peanuts in the air and catching them in their mouths. There was no possible way that this would lead to something good.
"Oh, really mature, Ron. Thanks for setting a wonderful example for the girls," Harry shouted over the cheers. Corliss picked up the last peanut in her bag and threw it up in the air.
"It's Corliss' last!" Candace shouted.
"Uncle Ron still has three to go!" Sonia laughed.
Candace caught it and swallowed!
"I WIN!" she hollered, throwing her arms up in the air triumphantly, standing up and dancing around the kitchen. Suddenly, she stopped cheering and began to cough, slowly turning purple.
"Oh! Corliss! Dad! She's choking!" Screamed Sonia.
"Oh God. Corliss." Harry ran to his daughter and started patting her back.
"DAD! That's not working!" Naresha observed, everyone was beginning to panic as Corliss continued to turn colors and cough violently.
Harry pushed Corliss, back down so she bent over, he then went in front of her and sat on the floor, looking up at her. "Corliss, open your mouth, wide." He commanded.
She did as she was told, still coughing and holding her throat.
Harry took out his wand and pointed it at her mouth. "Accio peanut".
The little nut came flying out of her mouth and right into the palm of Harry's hand in a small puddle of saliva. Corliss stopped coughing and color slowly came back to her face.
"Dad, that's gross," said Naresha, staring at the wet peanut in Harry's hand.
"Trust me, Naresha, you have spit up more disgusting things all over me. This is nothing." Harry wiped his hands with a napkin and stood up. "Alright there, Corliss?"
She nodded as Asenath continued to rub her back, gently.
"Ron, can I see you in the other room, just for a second." Harry stared pointedly at the terrified man in the center of the room, fear evident in his large brow eyes. They slowly walked together to the other room Ron behind Harry, throwing pleading back-glances at the girls.
"Face him like a man, Uncle Ron!" Corliss wheezed.
There was a long pause of silence, the girls looked at each other, holding their breath and hoping that their father would let their uncle Ron off easily. There was a distinct fizzle sound with a short spark before the eerie silence resumed. Harry came back into the room with Ron, and a large boil in the middle of his forehead. All the girls burst out laughing at the sight of him.
"How are you going to hide that one, Uncle Ron?" Candace asked as Ron pulled out a chair from the kitchen table.
Ron just gave her an angry look and sat down as they all began to laugh again.
~*~*~*~*~
Sunday - Night
Harry, Ron and the girls were setting the table while Candace and Sonia slaved away in the kitchen. Pouring over sizzling pots and steaming pans filled with creamy sauces and delicious food. Then sent drifted into the eating area where the rest of the happy family was setting the table. They all stopped to inhale the luscious aroma and smile at the thought of finally sitting down to a real meal. Harry put the last of the nine setting out when there was a loud knock at the door.
"I'll get it!" Asenath said excitedly. She smiled giddily while straitening her robes and smoothing down her hair before opening the door.
Harry and Ron poked their heads out to the hallway, curiously, just to see whom it was. Asenath was speaking with a young man, around twenty-six years old; he had light brown hair, slicked back and sparkling blue eyes.
"Oh, Dad. This is Jean-Claude Arrete, the one from the ministry. He came over to drop off some papers that are due next Monday, but would it be alright if he stayed for dinner?" She asked innocently.
Harry knew she had planned this, clever little witch.
"No problem." He said and extended his hand to the man. "I'm Harry Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Yes. Likewize. I am Jean-Pierre Arrete. It iz a pleazere to meet you and your family at last!" He shook Harry's hand and then turned to Ron.
"Oh, Ron Weasley." Ron shook his hand. They all noticed that Jean-Claude was staring at Ron's oversized boil.
"Zat'z iz a pretty bad boil. A hex?" He asked.
"Yes." Ron replied, looking at Harry with a meaningful glare. Suddenly, the chimney burst into green flame.
"Hermione?" Harry called from the entrance.
"Sorry, Mr. Potter, it's just me again." Laird said as he stepped into the room.
"Laird!" Naresha squealed as she walked into his arms.
"I just wanted to apologize for my father's behavior. He doesn't believe that I am being wise, investing my time and emotions on a Potter. But he can go suck a house-elf." Laird muttered that last part under his breath.
"Well, I accept your apology, Laird. Would like to stay for dinner too?"
"Sure. Thank you."
Harry went and set two more places at the table when there was another knock at the door.
"Who now..." He grumbled while walking over to answer the door. There stood a beautiful woman bundled up in a red coat and white scarf, her flowered dress being blown behind her by the cruel winter winds.
"Scarlet!" Ron exclaimed. He fumbled with one of Harry's caps to try and cover up his enormous boil.
"Hello Ron! You're Harry Potter, am I right?" she asked.
"Yes, Scarlet, Ron has told me about you. Please, won't you come in?" He stepped aside for her to enter.
"Hullo, Ron!" She embraced him warmly kissed his cheek.
"Glad you came, Scarlet." He said.
"So, is it alright if you come out to dinner with me?" She asked, running her finger over his jaw line seductively.
"Well, I was actually staying here, but I'm sure Harry would love to have you too! Come on then, we'll put an extra setting for you as well."
Harry rolled his eyes and whipped out his wand and cast a spell over the table, extending it another two feet to accommodate the new group of guests. He was beginning to think that Corliss would invite the group of girls from last night over for dinner as well
"How did you do that?" Scarlet stared in amazement once the table had finished growing.
Harry's eyes widened as he quickly understood and hid his wand behind his back.
"Ron, can I speak with you again?" Harry said, motioning to the kitchen. Once they were in, he let it out on Ron once again.
"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME SHE WAS A MUGGLE!" he screamed.
"No! She isn't just a muggle, she's a beautiful muggle!" answered Ron. "It slipped my mind."
"A lot of things are slipping your mind, today. You know what we're going to have to do."
"I know. But at least I'll have had one good date out of this."
Harry punched his friend in the arm and came back to the dining room to see Scarlet talking to Jean - Claude and Asenath and holding Mabel on her lap.
"Dinner should be ready soon!" Candace shouted from over the oven and stove.
Everyone began to pile into the eating area when there yet another burst of green flame from the fireplace.
"Hermione!" Harry shouted as he walked over to embrace his wife.
"Oh Harry, it's so good to see you! I have missed you all far too much." She said as she hugged her husband and placed a small kiss on his lips.
The girls came over to their mother as fast as possible, happily smiling and calling her name.
"Oh, girls! How have you been?"
"Wonderful. Dad has actually taken wonderful care of us." Asenath said as she hugged her mother tightly.
Corliss snorted and tried to conceal her bout of laughter. Harry turned to her and gave her a very warning glace, one similar to the one that he had given Ron quite a few times that day.
"Hello, Hermione, welcome back." Ron said, stepping in from the back of the room.
"You too, Ron! Glad you made it."
With all of the 'welcome home' s and the 'glad to have you back's were completed, the groups finally were able to sit down for their lovely dinner.
The talk between the people was extremely random and, at times, amusing.
"Ron, why are you wearing that cap on at the table, I think you should take it off." Hermione scolded from the end of the table where she sat with Harry and Candace.
"Er... if it's alright with you, Hermione, I would rather leave it on." He pleaded while giving her wide and begging eyes.
"Yes, Ron. Do take off your hat." Harry encouraged, trying to hide his snickers by covering his mouth with his napkin.
Ron gave Harry one last dirty look before complying. He slowly removed the hat and cast the large boil for everyone's view.
Hermione couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing, Harry along with her. Ron began to turn red all over, slowly matching the color of his hair, so no one knew where his skin ended and hair began.
"Oh, it's a bad looking boil. But with a little oil it might go away." Scarlet sympathized with him. She turned in her chair and kissed his cheek, patting back his hair. "You look more adorable without the hat anyway."
~*~*~*~*~
After dinner, everyone had settled down into the parlor where Hermione retold the tale of her long vacation.
"And then Roule gave me a bag of tropical fruits and nuts, and I was finally on my way home."
"Wow, Mum. Sounds like you had a wonderful time." Naresha sighed as she imagined a tall dark and handsome wizard hand feeding her exotic fruits. Laird turned his head to stare at her blankly.
"Yes, it was wonderful. Oh! But I have a surprise for all of you!" She went to her bag and pulled out a dark yellow envelope tied with brown string.
"I just got this yesterday." She handed it to Harry who slowly opened it. The envelope and its contents fell to the floor.
"Dad? Dad, what is it?" Sonia asked, trying to move closer to her father and the envelope.
Harry's mouth was open and his eyes were wide with shock.
"It's an ultra-scan, girls! I'm pregnant!"
The girls began to cheer and laugh. Congratulations were being thrown about the room, and everyone seemed to be thrilled about the news, except Harry. Ron walked up to his friend and put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed it.
"It's alright, mate. You've gotten through six, one more isn't going to kill you. But I'll tell, you. Hermione has to me one of the most fertile women in the world, right next to my mum, that is." He said sympathetically.
"I'm going to be a big sister, Daddy! Isn't that great?" Mab shrieked as she jumped up onto Harry's lap.
"Wonderful, honey. Just wonderful..."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Well, that was the longest chapter I have ever written and you all deserve it.
I actually hadn't thought of the ending until four minutes ago, I just thought of the most ironic thing and made it happen. Ha. Poor Harry. I actually had this whole conversation in French between Asenath and Jean - Claude, but all the translations and stuff got a little complicated and it barely helped the plot, so I took it out.
I actually have a couple namesakes in here that I would LOVE to share with you:
Asenath means 'Father's Daughter'
Sonia means 'Wisdom'
Naresha means 'Ruler of Men'
Corliss means 'Hearty'
Candace means 'Clarity'
Mabel means 'lovable'
Laird means 'Lord of women'
And Jean-Claude is just a random French name that I like. If you are DYING to know its meaning, it's 'God's grace' for Jean and 'Weak' for Claude. I don't think I like that name anymore. I like God! But Scarlet comes from book 4 when Ron tells Hermione that his mum calls girls like her, "scarlet women." I thought of a hooker woman for the girl that Ron goes with, so I named her Scarlet.
I would like to thank all those who have stuck by me all the way! I have appreciated your enthusiasm and want to thank you a million times!
Be sure to look at my newest story, "To be a Hero". You are put in Harry Potter's shoes and you have to choose what you will and will not do, or who you are in love with. It is really fun and it only takes about 7 minutes to do. I DID NOT copy it from the Goosebump books. I didn't even know that they had this kind of thing until some one told me on my review. Oh well.
~Birdie
"Outnumbered"
Day 3- Sunday Noon
Harry heard heavy footfalls, cautious and unreasonable. The door creaked open only a bit, but just enough to see one cherry-wood eye staring back at him, confusion and frustration evident in her gaze. She looked back at him for a little while before slowly opening the door, keeping her eyes averted to the floor while he stepped past her and into the orange and violet room. Naresha left the door and stood in the middle of the area, arms crossed over her chest and her weight balanced on one leg. She just continued to scowl at him while he pulled up her desk chair and sat down.
"Naresha, I think that we started off badly." Harry started. He looked at the floor, waiting for her response.
"Well, yes." Naresha answered coldly. Her tone was icy, and the glare she gave Harry could freeze hell.
"Where did you meet Mal... the boy?"
"He is in seventh year and is captain of the Quidditch team. He gets good grades and is liked by most of the teachers." Naresha said innocently, trying to make this snake sound like gold. But this was only too familiar.
"Sounds like a good kid." Harry said, trying to sound as oblivious as possible.
"Yes, he is. He is one of the most fancied boys in school and he happens to like ME, Dad. ME! Naresha Potter! Who am I do be liked by such a person."
"Naresha, don't ever say that. I am surprised at you!"
"Why, because you always thought that I was one of the golden daughters like Asenath, Sonia or Corliss? No, Dad, I'm not."
"No, Don't be stupid. I'm just surprised that you are thick enough to think that a Malfoy is better than you."
Naresha stared at her father in surprise.
"There is something that I would like to tell you about the Malfoy family. They might be extremely rich, good looking, smart and even somewhat talented, but trust me, you don't want to be touching one, even with a three-mile long wand. The only thing Malfoys are good for is making more Malfoys and bouncing ferrets."
Naresha looked at her father blankly. "What do you mean, they make good bouncing ferrets?"
Harry smiled inwardly as he colorfully imagined that glorious day in the great hall with Mad Eye Moody and the little white weasel.
"When I was in my fourth year, the most amazing thing happened..."
For an hour and a half, Harry sat on the violet bed with his daughter laughing at the tales he was recalling from his childhood of the Malfoys. Naresha confessed that she had met Mr. Malfoy once, and how he just looked at her with disgust. Laird just said that had been hit with a curse that messed up his face and that his grimacing scowl was actually a brilliant smile. Harry burst out laughing when he heard that. Apparently, the boy had inherited his mother's wit, which wasn't saying much, seeing that it was a certain numb skull named Parkinson.
After another fit of giggles from Naresha, she looked at her father and put a hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I really didn't mean any of the things that I had said. Honest. It's just that, well, I'm really stressed out and I don't know whether snogging Laird is really helping my problem or just making me sink lower into it."
"Naresha, you are sinking. Even standing in the same room as a Malfoy and not being bothered by it is considered temporary insanity." He smiled at his daughter again and gave her a hug.
"You see, your old man isn't that bad when it comes to gossip."
"No Dad, too bad it happened almost twenty five years ago. I think you need to catch up a bit, eh?"
~*~*~*~
"Look at the lovely zebra, Mabel! Isn't it just lovely?"
"Yes, Uncle Ron! I love zebras! I would like to hug one!" Mabel said loudly. Ron picked her up off the ground and placed her on his shoulders. Mabel giggled as he spun around in a circle.
Ron's eyes quickly darted to a quite attractive young woman wearing a yellow dress under a white coat and scarf who was conveniently in hearing range of them. She was looking at him and smiling. Score one for Ron Weasley.
"Aww. Is that your daughter?" she asked, smiling and waving at Mabel who was holding on to Ron's fiery red hair.
"No, this is my best friend's youngest daughter. I'm not married. Or dating." He laughed as she continued to smile at him.
"Oh, that is so sweet of you!" The woman cooed.
"We were just going to meet up with the rest of the group for pizza, would you care to come along?" he asked her, trying to sound innocent.
"There are more?"
"Oh yes, around twenty two more."
"Well then! Your friend must be a very busy man!"
"Oh no! They are some friends. Only five are his. I decided to take them out for the day. They all love their uncle."
She giggled and looped her arm around his.
"Shall we go then ladies?" Ron asked as he looked up. Mab enthusiastically nodded her head in agreement while the lady smiled brilliantly.
"I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley."
"Scarlet, Scarlet Whiteman."
"Well then, Scarlet, shall we be off?"
~*~*~*~*~
"Are you sure you want to do this, Dad?" Naresha asked as she stood next to the fireplace.
"Of course, dear. If you are going to be dating this boy, then I am going to have to get used to seeing him more often than I'd like. Malfoy or not, I'll try and bear the pain of being in one's presence..." Harry put on a pained look and put a hand to his forehead for a dramatic effect.
Naresha rolled her eyes at her childish father and laughed a little, finally noticing that he wasn't that bad when she listened to him.
There was a sudden burst of green flames and a figure appeared, emerged in the intense light.
"Laird!" she squealed as she ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Harry looked away, it physically hurt him to see one of his children even standing in the same room as a Malfoy and not flinching. He stood up and walked over to the two young people and held his hand out to Laird.
"Hello, Laird. I would first like to apologize for the way I acted, it was completely uncalled for." Harry winced as the words uttered forth from his lips.
"That's alright Mr. Potter, I had figured that your first reaction would be like that." Said the platinum blond boy.
Harry looked at the boy as if he were seeing him for the first time. He had was a replica of his father, as most Malfoys were, tall with silver-blond hair falling past their steel gray eyes, a muscular build and a slender face. But this boy wasn't as rigid as his father was. His stance was laid-back with an idle attitude and careless gestures, it seemed as if the young Malfoy and the older weren't even close to being related. They were completely different people, but not.
"So, Laird, I heard that you like Quidditch?" Harry asked. He was going to question this boy until his ears fell from his pretty head.
"Yes, sir. I'm actually captain of the Slytherin team and keeper."
"Your father was seeker, did you know that?"
"Actually, he reminds me almost every day that I'm at home. Tells me how he was one of the greatest seekers that Slytherin had ever had."
Harry nodded his head and sat in concentration.
"I somehow doubt that." Laird continued.
Harry laughed and patted the boy on the shoulder. "We are going to get along quite well, Mr. Malfoy. Very well indeed..."
The continued to talk about Laird and his life in Hogwarts when more green flames began to lick the stone fireplace again. A tall man stood in the midst of the ash and dust, his billowing black robes behind him, his hair, a silver mop over his gaunt face.
"Malfoy, I didn't expect to see you in my house." Harry stated as Draco walked over to where they all sat.
"Well, I thought that I would see what my no-good son was up to." He drawled lazily. He began to look around at the large house and smirked.
"Quite humble surrounding, Potter. I thought that 'the-boy-who-lived' would be much better off than this."
"This is home, I don't think that having a six story mansion stuffed to the brim with priceless rubbish will amount to anything more." Harry responded calmly.
Draco sneered at him and then turned to his son. "Laird, we're leaving now."
"But, Father, I was just spending time with Naresha and Mr. Potter." Laird said, not budging from his seat.
"Leave the boy alone, Malfoy. I invited him here. But I can't remember saying anything of that sort to you, so why don't you just sod off, eh?"
"What a terrible host you are, Potter! I expected at least a warm greeting from an old school friend." He planted a sarcastic smile on his face and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Oh, shut it, Malfoy. I really am not in the mood for your stupidity, today. Talk to me on Wednesday."
Draco's smile faded and he glared at the black haired man with malice. "You never learned any matters, didn't you, Potter?"
"Why are they only on a last name basis?" Naresha whispered to the boy next to her. He only shrugged his shoulders at her and continued to watch the two men bicker.
"Ripticentra!" Draco shouted. Harry went soaring through the air and landed flat on his back right on a wooden table, breaking it in half on impact.
"DAD!" Naresha screamed as she ran to her father who was half conscious on the floor. "Are you alright?" she asked while trying to help him sit up.
Harry looked up at his daughter with fire in his eyes. Naresha, having never seen Harry like this before, was startled by the intense anger. She gasped and stepped away from the raging man, practically terrified of him.
"You'll pay for that Malfoy." Harry said as he stood up and wiped away a trickle of blood from his lip. Draco threw three knuts at his feet.
"That's for a another table, I think that you might need a new one." He said as he smiled maliciously.
"Diffendo!" Harry hexed.
The two men took their turns spinning and flying across the room, breaking and scattering furniture as they went. The room was filled with utter chaos for ten minutes.
Harry aimed and yelled, "This is to make up for when it hadn't worked the first time. Eat slugs, Malfoy!!"
A yellow light hit Draco right in the stomach and he bent over in pain.
"Dad? Er... You're turning green..." Laird murmured as he watched his father kneel on the floor in pain.
"Accio camera." Harry whispered in the direction of the stairs. In seconds, a small wizard camera came whizzing down the carpeted steps and into the palm of Harry's hand. With a quick flash, all of Harry's dreams had come true.
"Keep them coming, Malfoy! You're doing wonderful!" He said excitedly, continuing to snap the photos.
"I'm going to *burp* kill you, *burp* Pott *burp* er..." Draco wheezed as the slugs continued to pop from his mouth.
"Come on then, Father, let's go home." Laird sighed as he led his father back to the fireplace.
"You might want this, Malfoy!" Harry tossed him a large bucket. "And don't worry. It only took Ron six hours to recover, you'll be fine!"
Draco stabbed Harry with his venomous eyes and turned back to the fireplace, but not without spitting out one more slug right on Harry's shoe before leaving.
~*~*~*~*~
Harry and Naresha were sitting at the kitchen table, sipping at their tea when they heard the fireplace burst with intrusion again. Narehsa poked her head around the corner to find Ron and the girls back from the zoo.
"What did I miss?" Ron hollered. He was staring, wide-eyed and gaping at the muddled room, broken tables, chairs and lamps were scattered about the room, in a sea of glass shards and splinters.
"It was priceless, but don't worry, I have pictures!" Harry shouted back as he got up to see his friend and daughters.
"What was priceless?" Ron asked.
"DAD! There's a slug on my shoe! EWWW! Gross!" Candace shrieked as she kicked the slimy creature off of her.
"No." Ron stated plainly. "Did you?" he pointed to the flying slug.
Harry nodded.
Ron threw his fist in the air and whooped for joy. "I can't beli... How? Why? HA!" Ron was a jumble of confusion and glee that such an event could have ever occurred so he went up and hugged Harry as hard as possible. "I love you like a brother!" he shouted again. Harry was smiling just as broadly.
"So girls, how was the zoo?" Harry asked once Ron had finally collected himself again.
"It was nice." Sonia commented.
"Beautiful day." Asenath agreed.
"I liked the zebras." Candace chimed.
"I liked the apes. They looked like Candace. Especially the one with the big red bum." Corliss replied.
"Corliss, that isn't nice." Harry scolded. "Wait, where's Mab?"
"She's here somewhere." Ron said as he looked around. "Maybe she's in the lavatory."
Harry went to the bathroom and knocked on the door. The door slowly swayed open to reveal that no one was inside.
"Mabel!" Harry shouted from the stairs. "MABEL!"
"Ron, she isn't here. Where is she?" Harry asked again, this time panicking. He began to frantically search the house, turning over cushions and chairs as if he were searching for a lost sock.
"RON! YOU LEFT MY DAUGHTER AT THE ZOO!" Harry screamed at his friend.
"I'm sorry! I thought that she was with us! I swear! I was just busy with Scarlet and..."
"BUSY WITH SCARLET! RON! YOU. LOST. MY. DAUGHTER!!!" Harry began to turn red for the second time that day. Naresha looked at him and backed away again.
"She's still at the zoo, we should go back and find her." Ron suggested.
"YES RON! I THINK THAT WOULD BE A SPLENDID IDEA!" Hermione would have his skin if he had lost their youngest daughter in the London zoo. No, she would have his skin if she knew that he had trusted RON to losing their daughter in the London Zoo. "Asenath, Sonia, come with me..."
They both nodded their head and the four quickly apparated to the zoo where the smallest Potter might have been waiting, alone and lost in the big world of muggles where she didn't belong.
They all met behind one of the main buildings and began to plan. "Ron, you check the primate house and the main shops. Asenath, if you take the North end, and Sonia, takes South end, then I'll go to West end and the aquarium. Everyone meet back here in one hour, alright?" They all agreed and then parted on their directed paths, seeking out the missing Potter.
~*~*~*~
Harry walked over to the West section of the zoo where the larger animals were kept. He frantically searched ever crook and nanny of the buildings and the pens, praying that his daughter would come running to him, safe and free from any harm.
"Have you seen a little girl? She's about this tall and has black hair, green eyes. Please, has anyone seen my daughter?" He would ask all the people passing by. Most shook their head at him and some, the women in particular, puffed out their chests and stalked by.
"What a horrible man!" They would say to their husbands, " Loosing a poor little girl in the middle of London Zoo. If I were his wife, I'd let him have it!"
"Yes, dear." The husbands would reply. Most of them slowed down to give Harry a sympathetic glance and a squeeze on the shoulder. He just wanted to scream! All these people judging him when all he wanted was his daughter back! He didn't even loose her, Ron did.
~*~*~*~
After a quarter of an hour of searching the zoo, high and low, Harry finally came to the last place he had to search, the reptile house. He quickly jogged through the double doors and began to look around. Children were surrounding the tanks and pressing their faces to the glass, pointing and tapping while the snakes and lizards would sit on their sticks and continue to ignore the mobs of heads.
He passed the smaller tanks and to one of the larger ones where a boa constrictor was resting lazily on a branch.
"Excuse me, can you please tell me if you have seen a small girl, about this tall, black hair, green eyes, wearing a pink jumper, blue coat with a pink scarf and jeans?" Harry hissed to the snake.
"Yesssss." She replied. "Over there."
She lifted her head and pointed it to the large python take that stood in the middle of the next room.
"Thank you." He nodded courteously and quickly ran to it. Harry figured. Of course he could get better answers from snakes than anyone else in the London crowd...
There she was, pressing her small face to the glass and hissing at the snake, wrinkling her brow in frustration and confusion when the snake didn't even budge.
"Come on!" she finally shouted at it.
"Mabel! I have been looking all over for you!" Harry shouted as he grabbed the little girl and hugged her tightly. "Why did you leave, Uncle Ron?"
"Sorry, Daddy. I didn't know that he had gone. I just wanted to talk to the snake, like you."
"Oh, honey! Just promise me that you will never wander off again! You almost gave daddy and heart attack, and Uncle Ron could have been severely mutilated."
"Sorry, Daddy." She said as she hugged his neck.
"It's alright, Mab."
"Daddy, why can't I talk to the snake like you?" she asked him. Harry put her on the floor as he knelt down to her level.
"Mab, it isn't the greatest gift ever given. It nearly had me killed when I was a kid. Why do you want to talk to snakes so much?"
"Because, Asenath, Sonia and Candace are smart like Mummy, Corliss is good at Kiddich like you, and Naresha can sing like Grandmum Lily. I can't do anything."
"Mabel! You are four years old! You will find out what talents you have soon enough. Until then, how about we talk to this chap?" Harry nodded towards the snoozing snake in his tank.
"Hello there, sir. My daughter would like to speak with you." He said to the animal.
The large snake opened one small beady black eye, staring at Harry as if he was anything usual, then closed his eye and continued about his business.
"Well thanks for your time. Ruddy bastard..."
"What did you say to the snake, Daddy?"
"Oh, er... I told him to continue sleeping, he was awfully tiered. How about we chat with the lovely boa over there. She's much more awake than he is." Mab took her father's hand and led him to the boa.
~*~*~*~*~
"MABEL! There you are, honey! I was so worried." Ron said as she and Harry came walking down to the building where they had agreed to meet.
"Shut it, Weasley, you're still dead meat." Harry threatened. Ron swallowed hard and then looked pleadingly at Asenath. Both the girls giggled and shrugged their shoulders at their helpless uncle.
"Don't worry, mate. I'll only give you a nasty boil, or break your arm. Nothing much."
Harry held Mabel in his arms and they all apparated back to the Potter home, safe and sound with all Potters accounted for at last.
~*~*~*~*~
Sunday - Afternoon
The phone rang.
"Hullo, Potter residence." Harry said into it.
"Harry! Goodness, it's good to hear your voice again." Said the voice on the other end.
"Oh, hullo, love. How has your vacation been?"
"Wonderful, Harry. I'll be coming home tonight, right before dinner. Hope you're making something special."
"I miss you. A lot."
"I miss you too, love. How are the girls?"
"Splendid."
"Any trouble?"
"No. None at all." Harry hated having to lie, especially to Hermione.
"That's odd. I expected there to be at least one lost child, one broken bone and a couple more accidents. Really? The girls have been good?" She sounded completely surprised.
"Really, they've been wonderful."
"Did you tie, bound and gag them in their rooms?"
"No."
"Well, I guess I was wrong, Harry. You can take care of the house on your own. I'm very proud, love. Oh! I'm bringing back a surprise for you all!"
"Really? What is it?"
"I'll show you when I get home, alright?"
"Fine then."
" I'll see you tonight. Good bye, Harry."
"See you, Hermione." With that, they hung up. Did she really believe that everything was alright? Hermione wasn't stupid, she knew something was up. Harry decided that it was a real shame she quit divination, he thought that she could have really excelled in it.
Harry walked into the kitchen to tell the girls that their mother would finally return and everything would go back to normal on Monday. There would be no more broken bones, no more burnt chickens, and no more lost girls for the rest of his life. The girls were sitting at the table, laughing and cheering as Corliss and Ron were throwing peanuts in the air and catching them in their mouths. There was no possible way that this would lead to something good.
"Oh, really mature, Ron. Thanks for setting a wonderful example for the girls," Harry shouted over the cheers. Corliss picked up the last peanut in her bag and threw it up in the air.
"It's Corliss' last!" Candace shouted.
"Uncle Ron still has three to go!" Sonia laughed.
Candace caught it and swallowed!
"I WIN!" she hollered, throwing her arms up in the air triumphantly, standing up and dancing around the kitchen. Suddenly, she stopped cheering and began to cough, slowly turning purple.
"Oh! Corliss! Dad! She's choking!" Screamed Sonia.
"Oh God. Corliss." Harry ran to his daughter and started patting her back.
"DAD! That's not working!" Naresha observed, everyone was beginning to panic as Corliss continued to turn colors and cough violently.
Harry pushed Corliss, back down so she bent over, he then went in front of her and sat on the floor, looking up at her. "Corliss, open your mouth, wide." He commanded.
She did as she was told, still coughing and holding her throat.
Harry took out his wand and pointed it at her mouth. "Accio peanut".
The little nut came flying out of her mouth and right into the palm of Harry's hand in a small puddle of saliva. Corliss stopped coughing and color slowly came back to her face.
"Dad, that's gross," said Naresha, staring at the wet peanut in Harry's hand.
"Trust me, Naresha, you have spit up more disgusting things all over me. This is nothing." Harry wiped his hands with a napkin and stood up. "Alright there, Corliss?"
She nodded as Asenath continued to rub her back, gently.
"Ron, can I see you in the other room, just for a second." Harry stared pointedly at the terrified man in the center of the room, fear evident in his large brow eyes. They slowly walked together to the other room Ron behind Harry, throwing pleading back-glances at the girls.
"Face him like a man, Uncle Ron!" Corliss wheezed.
There was a long pause of silence, the girls looked at each other, holding their breath and hoping that their father would let their uncle Ron off easily. There was a distinct fizzle sound with a short spark before the eerie silence resumed. Harry came back into the room with Ron, and a large boil in the middle of his forehead. All the girls burst out laughing at the sight of him.
"How are you going to hide that one, Uncle Ron?" Candace asked as Ron pulled out a chair from the kitchen table.
Ron just gave her an angry look and sat down as they all began to laugh again.
~*~*~*~*~
Sunday - Night
Harry, Ron and the girls were setting the table while Candace and Sonia slaved away in the kitchen. Pouring over sizzling pots and steaming pans filled with creamy sauces and delicious food. Then sent drifted into the eating area where the rest of the happy family was setting the table. They all stopped to inhale the luscious aroma and smile at the thought of finally sitting down to a real meal. Harry put the last of the nine setting out when there was a loud knock at the door.
"I'll get it!" Asenath said excitedly. She smiled giddily while straitening her robes and smoothing down her hair before opening the door.
Harry and Ron poked their heads out to the hallway, curiously, just to see whom it was. Asenath was speaking with a young man, around twenty-six years old; he had light brown hair, slicked back and sparkling blue eyes.
"Oh, Dad. This is Jean-Claude Arrete, the one from the ministry. He came over to drop off some papers that are due next Monday, but would it be alright if he stayed for dinner?" She asked innocently.
Harry knew she had planned this, clever little witch.
"No problem." He said and extended his hand to the man. "I'm Harry Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Yes. Likewize. I am Jean-Pierre Arrete. It iz a pleazere to meet you and your family at last!" He shook Harry's hand and then turned to Ron.
"Oh, Ron Weasley." Ron shook his hand. They all noticed that Jean-Claude was staring at Ron's oversized boil.
"Zat'z iz a pretty bad boil. A hex?" He asked.
"Yes." Ron replied, looking at Harry with a meaningful glare. Suddenly, the chimney burst into green flame.
"Hermione?" Harry called from the entrance.
"Sorry, Mr. Potter, it's just me again." Laird said as he stepped into the room.
"Laird!" Naresha squealed as she walked into his arms.
"I just wanted to apologize for my father's behavior. He doesn't believe that I am being wise, investing my time and emotions on a Potter. But he can go suck a house-elf." Laird muttered that last part under his breath.
"Well, I accept your apology, Laird. Would like to stay for dinner too?"
"Sure. Thank you."
Harry went and set two more places at the table when there was another knock at the door.
"Who now..." He grumbled while walking over to answer the door. There stood a beautiful woman bundled up in a red coat and white scarf, her flowered dress being blown behind her by the cruel winter winds.
"Scarlet!" Ron exclaimed. He fumbled with one of Harry's caps to try and cover up his enormous boil.
"Hello Ron! You're Harry Potter, am I right?" she asked.
"Yes, Scarlet, Ron has told me about you. Please, won't you come in?" He stepped aside for her to enter.
"Hullo, Ron!" She embraced him warmly kissed his cheek.
"Glad you came, Scarlet." He said.
"So, is it alright if you come out to dinner with me?" She asked, running her finger over his jaw line seductively.
"Well, I was actually staying here, but I'm sure Harry would love to have you too! Come on then, we'll put an extra setting for you as well."
Harry rolled his eyes and whipped out his wand and cast a spell over the table, extending it another two feet to accommodate the new group of guests. He was beginning to think that Corliss would invite the group of girls from last night over for dinner as well
"How did you do that?" Scarlet stared in amazement once the table had finished growing.
Harry's eyes widened as he quickly understood and hid his wand behind his back.
"Ron, can I speak with you again?" Harry said, motioning to the kitchen. Once they were in, he let it out on Ron once again.
"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME SHE WAS A MUGGLE!" he screamed.
"No! She isn't just a muggle, she's a beautiful muggle!" answered Ron. "It slipped my mind."
"A lot of things are slipping your mind, today. You know what we're going to have to do."
"I know. But at least I'll have had one good date out of this."
Harry punched his friend in the arm and came back to the dining room to see Scarlet talking to Jean - Claude and Asenath and holding Mabel on her lap.
"Dinner should be ready soon!" Candace shouted from over the oven and stove.
Everyone began to pile into the eating area when there yet another burst of green flame from the fireplace.
"Hermione!" Harry shouted as he walked over to embrace his wife.
"Oh Harry, it's so good to see you! I have missed you all far too much." She said as she hugged her husband and placed a small kiss on his lips.
The girls came over to their mother as fast as possible, happily smiling and calling her name.
"Oh, girls! How have you been?"
"Wonderful. Dad has actually taken wonderful care of us." Asenath said as she hugged her mother tightly.
Corliss snorted and tried to conceal her bout of laughter. Harry turned to her and gave her a very warning glace, one similar to the one that he had given Ron quite a few times that day.
"Hello, Hermione, welcome back." Ron said, stepping in from the back of the room.
"You too, Ron! Glad you made it."
With all of the 'welcome home' s and the 'glad to have you back's were completed, the groups finally were able to sit down for their lovely dinner.
The talk between the people was extremely random and, at times, amusing.
"Ron, why are you wearing that cap on at the table, I think you should take it off." Hermione scolded from the end of the table where she sat with Harry and Candace.
"Er... if it's alright with you, Hermione, I would rather leave it on." He pleaded while giving her wide and begging eyes.
"Yes, Ron. Do take off your hat." Harry encouraged, trying to hide his snickers by covering his mouth with his napkin.
Ron gave Harry one last dirty look before complying. He slowly removed the hat and cast the large boil for everyone's view.
Hermione couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing, Harry along with her. Ron began to turn red all over, slowly matching the color of his hair, so no one knew where his skin ended and hair began.
"Oh, it's a bad looking boil. But with a little oil it might go away." Scarlet sympathized with him. She turned in her chair and kissed his cheek, patting back his hair. "You look more adorable without the hat anyway."
~*~*~*~*~
After dinner, everyone had settled down into the parlor where Hermione retold the tale of her long vacation.
"And then Roule gave me a bag of tropical fruits and nuts, and I was finally on my way home."
"Wow, Mum. Sounds like you had a wonderful time." Naresha sighed as she imagined a tall dark and handsome wizard hand feeding her exotic fruits. Laird turned his head to stare at her blankly.
"Yes, it was wonderful. Oh! But I have a surprise for all of you!" She went to her bag and pulled out a dark yellow envelope tied with brown string.
"I just got this yesterday." She handed it to Harry who slowly opened it. The envelope and its contents fell to the floor.
"Dad? Dad, what is it?" Sonia asked, trying to move closer to her father and the envelope.
Harry's mouth was open and his eyes were wide with shock.
"It's an ultra-scan, girls! I'm pregnant!"
The girls began to cheer and laugh. Congratulations were being thrown about the room, and everyone seemed to be thrilled about the news, except Harry. Ron walked up to his friend and put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed it.
"It's alright, mate. You've gotten through six, one more isn't going to kill you. But I'll tell, you. Hermione has to me one of the most fertile women in the world, right next to my mum, that is." He said sympathetically.
"I'm going to be a big sister, Daddy! Isn't that great?" Mab shrieked as she jumped up onto Harry's lap.
"Wonderful, honey. Just wonderful..."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Well, that was the longest chapter I have ever written and you all deserve it.
I actually hadn't thought of the ending until four minutes ago, I just thought of the most ironic thing and made it happen. Ha. Poor Harry. I actually had this whole conversation in French between Asenath and Jean - Claude, but all the translations and stuff got a little complicated and it barely helped the plot, so I took it out.
I actually have a couple namesakes in here that I would LOVE to share with you:
Asenath means 'Father's Daughter'
Sonia means 'Wisdom'
Naresha means 'Ruler of Men'
Corliss means 'Hearty'
Candace means 'Clarity'
Mabel means 'lovable'
Laird means 'Lord of women'
And Jean-Claude is just a random French name that I like. If you are DYING to know its meaning, it's 'God's grace' for Jean and 'Weak' for Claude. I don't think I like that name anymore. I like God! But Scarlet comes from book 4 when Ron tells Hermione that his mum calls girls like her, "scarlet women." I thought of a hooker woman for the girl that Ron goes with, so I named her Scarlet.
I would like to thank all those who have stuck by me all the way! I have appreciated your enthusiasm and want to thank you a million times!
Be sure to look at my newest story, "To be a Hero". You are put in Harry Potter's shoes and you have to choose what you will and will not do, or who you are in love with. It is really fun and it only takes about 7 minutes to do. I DID NOT copy it from the Goosebump books. I didn't even know that they had this kind of thing until some one told me on my review. Oh well.
~Birdie