Home for the Summer
Chapter Thirty-Six: Muffled Cries
" Okay Hailey, we're going to try this again" Harry crouched down towards the floor of his empty Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Five feet away was his ten-month-old daughter. Her newly found self balance wasn't too stable, but her expression was determined enough. " Come on sweetheart, come on" he smiled.
With the tip of her tongue hanging out of the corner of her mouth, she lifted her right foot but fell over on her bottom before she could put it down. Hailey let out a frusterated grunt.
" Aw, don't worry, you'll get it" he stood and went to her side, " the sooner you walk, the sooner mommy and I are chasing you all over the place".
Though she hardly spoke, Hailey would giggle and laugh at the slighest amusement. She screamed and threw her arms outward, he already knew it was because Ron had walked in.
He picked her up and turned around, she tried turning herself to see him.
" Is she able to run a magical maze yet?" Ron asked smirking.
" No, it's weird. It wasn't like this with Ella".
Ron made faces at Hailey, who was trying to swat back. " Personally, I'm more afraid of the toliet training thing".
Harry grinned, " and you have a boy, so there's no excuse for Lavendar to do it".
" Yeah, yeah, yeah" he muttered, " we better get going, you know the consequences of delaying those girls day out or whatever it's called".
" All too well".
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Lavendar and Hermione were waiting for them in the Transfiguration classroom. With the close friendship of Ron and Harry, they formed one themselves. Hermione couldn't live with guys alone, and she walys looked forard to going to the Three Broomsticks, just them.
" That's odd, we werent expecting you until next year" Lavendar commented as Ron entered the classroom. She went to meet him, handing their baby son into his arms.
" See Harry, we're early" Ron said.
Ella ran over and attached herself to Harry's leg, he rested a hand on her head.
" Any luck?" Hermione asked, referring to Hailey's walking.
Harry shook his head, " not yet, but" he tickeled Hailey's stomach, causing her to scream in giggles, " she'll get it".
Hermione smiled, then looked past his shoulder to where Lavendar was reading a ' just in case' list to Ron. " Lavendar" he said, " you'll be gone for the afternoon, he's not going to battle Voldie. Only Harry's kids do that".
Lavendar went pale, " he's not gone". Before he could object, she fought back, " maybe we shouldn't go". It would be her first time leaving her family, even if it was for just a few hours.
Hermione grabbed her shoulder, " come on Lav, they'll be fine. They could get to us in a hearbeat if they had to".
" So could Lord..." but the two girls disappeared before she could finish that.
They both appeared in the Three Broomsicks, Hermione let go as they searched for their usual table in the back.
" Some guys, you can just tell if they'll be a good father. Ron's one of them" Hermione said, " he's new at it, and your children will grow to love him so much, they'll get away with anything".
" Hopefully as much as the girls love harry" Lavendar softly smiled, " I've never seen that kind of relationship".
Hermione gloomily agreed, " they really are attached to each other''.
Lavendar noticed her slight lack of attention, " what's wrong?".
She looked up, " nothing".
" Are you sure?",she nodded, " no you're not".
Hermione sighed, " it's no big deal".
" Hey, if it's bothering someone like you, it's a big deal".
" I feel stupid to even mention it" Lavendar was giving the ' try me' look. She took a deep breath, " has Harry been acting...weird to you?".
Lavendar thought for a moment, " no, not to me. Why?".
Hermione shrugged, " I don't know, he's just seemed really distracted lately, very distant".
" Maybe something with Lily?".
Not long before the current term started, Lily had moved away from them. She lived in a small cottage outside Diagon Ally. As comapny for being back in the magical world, Hermione had given her Crookshanks.
" No" Hermione shook her head, " she would have mentioned something".
" Are you two- doing alright?". When she didn't respond and only gave a blank stare, Lavendar took a hint, " oh".
" No, I think I'm just paranoid. But sometimes I struggle to find the differances between him and Draco Malfoy".
Lavendar shrugged, " well, for one thing, Harry's alive" but she saw that it didn't work, " hey, this isn't like him, he's probably going through some male mental thing".
" The last time he acted like this-" she looked up.
" Okay, I seriously doubt it, if Voldemort was taking over his body, you'd know. That Lord loves to make a grand opening".
" Openings" Hermione corrected.
It wasn't necessailry Lord Voldemort invading there lives as it is. His newest plan, which they couldn't identify just yet, would attack where they couldn't help it.