A/N: Well, this is the next part; nothing special happening, but I thought
I couldn't very well ignore Harry's birthday completely.
July 31st, 1980
"I wish these machines didn't make such a noise," Prudence complained as a huge motor bike thundered past them. "It'll wake her up, and I'm sure she's terribly tired after this long day at the zoo."
But Hermione didn't stir, there even appeared something like a faint smile on her face.
"No wonder she's tired," George agreed, "It was absolutely amazing how she kept running around all over the place. Gosh, I am tired, beats me how she kept it up. What you think she liked most?"
"I'm not so sure, she seemed interested in pretty much everything. But ... I believe she liked the lions best. Remember how she stood there gaping at them? Quite out of behaviour for her age... "
"She also seemed to be quite interested in the snakes. Had to hold her up to the boa constrictor's window for hours; my arms still hurt. Yes, she doesn't behave like her age at all ... But don't worry, there used to be report in 'Science', children like her ARE unusual, but there are several reports ... "
"Oh, you and your 'Science'!" His wife punched him playfully. "As long as everything can be explained scientifically you're happy. Do we really want explanations for everything? Why not just be thankful for having her and try to do whatever we can to make her happy?"
"Of course you're right, darling," he replied meekly, "like always. I've just been wondering ... if she goes on like this, she'll have her MD at the age of seventeen."
"Or be an artist, a writer or a dancer, ... "Pru continued dreamily. "No matter," she added, shaking herself out of her reverie, "what we all need now is dinner."
*
"What's up with you, Peter?" Sirius asked his friend, who was standing apart from the group gathered around Lily's bed. "I've been wondering ... you've been looking rather under the weather recently ... is there anything wrong? You can tell your friends, you know, don't you?"
"What?" Peter seemed to come back suddenly from very far off. "No, no, I'm fine ... been working a lot ... I'm all right, no need to worry about me." He smiled with ill-concealed effort. "A beautiful baby, really ... "
"Well, if you say so." Sirius looked at him doubtfully. "I suppose you know what you're doing..."
"I do, believe me ... "
At this moment, James Apparated in the middle of the room, brandishing a large bottle of champagne; distracted by his noisy appearance Sirius' attention turned away from Peter, who heaved a huge sigh and turned to leave the room. As everybody was gathering around James, talking at the same time, noboy noticed his quiet exit.
*
"Rrring!" Typical, wasn't it, that the blasted thing had to go off just when the nuisance of a baby had stopped howling his head off! The last thing he wanted was for the bloody noise to start again. Vernon Dursley practically made a dive to pick up the phone, swearing under his breath.
"Yes?" he barked.
"Hello Vernon," a man's voice came from the other end of the line that he couldn't place at the moment. "How're you doing? Petunia and the baby okay?"
"Potter!" Vernon's voice was near a growl. "What do you want?"
"Come on, old boy, "James replied soothingly. "What's eating you? Bugs me why hearing my voice always gets you up the wall. What have I ever done to you?"
Vernon's reaction was a nondescript sound, far from friendly.
"Well, have it your own way. Just wanted to let you know we've finally got our baby. Healthy boy, we're going to name him Harry. Lily's fine, too, sends her love to her sister. Tell Petunia, will you? .... Just thought you'd like to know," he added a bit lamely after another growl of Vernon's. "We're all family, after all, aren't we?"
"Some family!" Vernon slammed the receiver down so hard that the phone crashed to the floor from the small table it had been sitting on.
"God, no, the blasted brat's starting again!"
*
July 31st, 1980
"I wish these machines didn't make such a noise," Prudence complained as a huge motor bike thundered past them. "It'll wake her up, and I'm sure she's terribly tired after this long day at the zoo."
But Hermione didn't stir, there even appeared something like a faint smile on her face.
"No wonder she's tired," George agreed, "It was absolutely amazing how she kept running around all over the place. Gosh, I am tired, beats me how she kept it up. What you think she liked most?"
"I'm not so sure, she seemed interested in pretty much everything. But ... I believe she liked the lions best. Remember how she stood there gaping at them? Quite out of behaviour for her age... "
"She also seemed to be quite interested in the snakes. Had to hold her up to the boa constrictor's window for hours; my arms still hurt. Yes, she doesn't behave like her age at all ... But don't worry, there used to be report in 'Science', children like her ARE unusual, but there are several reports ... "
"Oh, you and your 'Science'!" His wife punched him playfully. "As long as everything can be explained scientifically you're happy. Do we really want explanations for everything? Why not just be thankful for having her and try to do whatever we can to make her happy?"
"Of course you're right, darling," he replied meekly, "like always. I've just been wondering ... if she goes on like this, she'll have her MD at the age of seventeen."
"Or be an artist, a writer or a dancer, ... "Pru continued dreamily. "No matter," she added, shaking herself out of her reverie, "what we all need now is dinner."
*
"What's up with you, Peter?" Sirius asked his friend, who was standing apart from the group gathered around Lily's bed. "I've been wondering ... you've been looking rather under the weather recently ... is there anything wrong? You can tell your friends, you know, don't you?"
"What?" Peter seemed to come back suddenly from very far off. "No, no, I'm fine ... been working a lot ... I'm all right, no need to worry about me." He smiled with ill-concealed effort. "A beautiful baby, really ... "
"Well, if you say so." Sirius looked at him doubtfully. "I suppose you know what you're doing..."
"I do, believe me ... "
At this moment, James Apparated in the middle of the room, brandishing a large bottle of champagne; distracted by his noisy appearance Sirius' attention turned away from Peter, who heaved a huge sigh and turned to leave the room. As everybody was gathering around James, talking at the same time, noboy noticed his quiet exit.
*
"Rrring!" Typical, wasn't it, that the blasted thing had to go off just when the nuisance of a baby had stopped howling his head off! The last thing he wanted was for the bloody noise to start again. Vernon Dursley practically made a dive to pick up the phone, swearing under his breath.
"Yes?" he barked.
"Hello Vernon," a man's voice came from the other end of the line that he couldn't place at the moment. "How're you doing? Petunia and the baby okay?"
"Potter!" Vernon's voice was near a growl. "What do you want?"
"Come on, old boy, "James replied soothingly. "What's eating you? Bugs me why hearing my voice always gets you up the wall. What have I ever done to you?"
Vernon's reaction was a nondescript sound, far from friendly.
"Well, have it your own way. Just wanted to let you know we've finally got our baby. Healthy boy, we're going to name him Harry. Lily's fine, too, sends her love to her sister. Tell Petunia, will you? .... Just thought you'd like to know," he added a bit lamely after another growl of Vernon's. "We're all family, after all, aren't we?"
"Some family!" Vernon slammed the receiver down so hard that the phone crashed to the floor from the small table it had been sitting on.
"God, no, the blasted brat's starting again!"
*