Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, brilliantly created by J.K.
Rowling. Most situations are based on those created by J.K. Rowling.
Chapter One: The Invitation
It was a quiet Saturday morning in April in the home of Ron and Hermione Weasley. Four-year-old Emma Weasley was playing with her blocks in the living room, and nine-month-old Olivia was still snoozing away in her crib. Ron and Hermione sat in the kitchen in a comfortable silence. Hermione was reading, sitting with her feet propped up on Ron's lap. Ron was alternating between doodling a picture on a paper napkin and sneaking glances at his wife, smiling when she would scrunch her nose up at something she read that she didn't like. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, causing Hermione to look up from her book.
"Something wrong love?" she asked him.
He looked at her. "Nothing," he said. "It's just nice, getting to sit here. I don't have to work, you don't have to work, and the girls are being quiet."
"Shhh!" Hermione said sharply, but still with a smile. "You'll jinx it!" And sure enough, from upstairs they heard a soft cry. Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron, and stood. "I'll get her," she said, and she headed out of the room. Ron smiled and watched Hermione walk out of the kitchen, and then he headed into the living room.
Emma had moved on from blocks and was now setting up what appeared to be a tea party. "Hi daddy," she said when she saw Ron come in. "Want to have tea with me?"
"Of course," Ron said, and instead of sitting on the couch, where he had been headed, he sat on the floor in front of the coffee table. Emma smiled at him - his smile, he knew because Hermione made mention of it often - and handed him a pink plastic teacup.
"Thank you," Ron said, and Emma sat down across the table from him, and pretended to pour tea from the matching pink teapot. She was about to "drink" when her face lit up, as though she remembered something.
"Wait!" she exclaimed, and without explanation she stood and ran out of the room, only to return a minute later with hats.
"Are those your mum's?" Ron asked her.
"Yes, but she said I could use them," Emma explained, and she placed one of the hats on her head. She took another and promptly planted it on her father's head before sitting back down. She looked up at him with a serious face. "You have to wear hats when you have tea," she said.
Ron fought the urge to laugh. "Is that right?" he asked her. Emma nodded, then picked up her teacup and pretended to drink. Ron watched her, and again marveled at the fact that she belonged to Hermione and himself. She was so much a part of both of them. She had inherited his smile and his red hair (though a slightly darker shade of red, and it was full and slightly bushy, though less than her mum's had been when she was younger). She had Hermione's eyes though, and the ability to give him the same looks her mother could when she was frustrated with him. She also had some of their personality traits. She loved sports, and attended all the Quidditch games with Ron, but then she always looked forward to coming home and reading stories with Hermione.
"Daddy?!" Emma exclaimed suddenly. He looked at her. "You're supposed to drink. This is a TEA party."
"Sorry," he said to her, and he pretended to drink from the cup.
"That's a nice look for you, Ron," came Hermione's voice suddenly. Emma looked up and smiled.
"Mummy! We're having tea!" she exclaimed. "You need to have some too. And Olivia."
"Okay," said Hermione, and she walked to the coffee table and handed the baby to Ron. He smiled at Olivia and she smiled back, and attempted to pull the hat off of Ron's head. Meanwhile, Emma made sure that her mum's head was well-adorned with another hat.
"Da-da," Olivia said as she snuggled her head into her father's neck. Hermione smiled, and reached out a hand to smooth down Olivia's hair (whose own red tresses were closer in color to Ron's).
"She was asking for you upstairs," Hermione said. Whereas Emma had clung to her mother almost nonstop as an infant, Olivia always seemed most comfortable when she was with Ron. Ron responded by reaching the infant into the air and "flying" her around with his arms, causing her to laugh.
"Daddy!" Emma exclaimed. "That's not proper for a tea party!"
"Really?" Ron asked her, smiling and with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "I think someone is a little jealous." He handed Olivia back to Hermione. "I think someone just wants to get in on the fun!" He stood and crossed to the other side of the table and picked Emma up and started to swing her around the room. She started to protest but soon was overtaken by a bout of hysterical laughter, until she and Ron fell onto the couch, still laughing.
"You're all crazy," said Hermione, and she stood herself and joined them.
"But you love us," said Emma, matter-of-factly.
"Yes, I do," said Hermione with a laugh. Ron smiled at her and kissed her, and they enjoyed a few more moments with their girls before getting up and truly starting the day.
* * *
A few miles away, the morning was starting out differently for the Potter family. Harry had to head out for an early morning practice session with the Canons, and he was hurrying to get the kids ready for a trip to the Burrow with Ginny. At the moment he was standing in his son's room, trying to persuade the little boy to get dressed.
"Come on James," he said. "You need to get ready to go."
"I want to go with you!" the six-year-old protested.
"I know you do," said Harry. "But you can't today. I'm going to be running around. Besides, your mum is taking you to see Grandma and Grandpa."
"Is Uncle Ron going to be there?" James asked, hopefully. He had always loved being with his father and Ron when they were together, and if he couldn't spend the day with his father, he hoped Ron would be there to keep him company.
"I don't think so," said Harry, "but maybe you could ask him if he would come. I'm sure your grandma would love to see all of you."
"Okay," said James. "I'll ask him then." Harry said nothing else. The tone of James' voice seemed to say to him that the matter was closed. He walked to his dresser and began taking clothes out.
"Aren't you two ready yet?" asked Ginny. Harry and James turned to see her standing in the doorway, holding 11-month-old Lily.
"We were just negotiating," said Harry. "Would you mind calling Ron and see if he'll go to your mum's with you."
"Sure," said Ginny, smiling. "I'm sure Emma will be happy." She turned to her son. "James, you want to see Emma today?"
James nodded, and then went back to the task of pulling out clothes. Ginny sighed. "Here, let me help you with that." She gave the baby to Harry and then came all the way into the room to find something suitable for James to wear.
Harry smiled, "I'll leave you two to the task. Has Lily had breakfast yet?"
"Not yet," said Ginny.
"I'll take care of it," Harry said, and he walked out of the room and downstairs to the kitchen. He placed Lily in her high chair and smiled at her. She smiled back.
"So, Lil, what'll it be today?" he asked, then he noticed the box Ginny had left out on the counter. "Oatmeal?" Lily smiled at him again.
"Omeal," she repeated.
"Oatmeal it is then!" Harry exclaimed, and with a few flicks of his wand he started to cook breakfast. "Better make enough for your brother, whattaya think?" Lily responded with another big smile.
Ginny and James came into the room and James quickly sat down at the table. He requested a picture book to look at while he ate his breakfast. As he read, he scrunched his eyes close to the book. Ginny observed him for a moment, and said, "It looks like he might need glasses," she said. "That'll be scary. He'll look more like you than he already does. It seems neither of our children has taken after me."
"That's not true," said Harry, and he gestured towards Lily. "Look at that face. That's your face. You just can't see it because she doesn't have red hair like you do."
"No, it seems as though you have dominant gene in that department," Ginny said with a smile as she looked at the jet black hair both of her children possessed.
* * *
Back in the Weasley house, Ron and Hermione had the girls sitting at the kitchen table and they were eating breakfast as a whole family, which was a rare occurrence, especially with the hectic work week they both had. Emma was munching away on some scrambled eggs, while Hermione attempted to feed Olivia some baby food from a jar. "Why don't you just make it?" Ron had asked her once, disliking when he had to go to the muggle supermarkets to buy it. Hermione had put him in his place by requesting that HE make it, and after his first attempt he appreciated the fact that muggles had thought to put food for babies in jars.
In the middle of the meal, a noise was heard outside the window. "Oops," said Ron. "Forgot to leave it open for Southworth." The noise had been the family owl, Southworth, trying to get in with the post.
"The post! The post!" Emma happily exclaimed, as Pigwidgeon also came rushing into the room, leaving a letter in front of Emma and then settling on her shoulder. When Ron and Hermione had decided they needed a bigger owl for the family, they had turned Pig over to Emma, and she used him mostly to send short notes between her and her cousins.
"Who's the letter from?" Hermione asked her.
"James," Emma said. James was by far Emma's favorite cousin, even though there were two years between them. "Can you read it to me dad?" Though Emma could read the name of her cousin and a few other words, she had yet to be able to read a book or even a note on her own.
"Sure," said Ron, and he took the note from Emma. "It says, 'Hi Emma. I want to know if you can come to grandma and grandpa's house today. We're going. From James.'" When he looked away from the letter, Emma was looking at him expectantly. "What do you think Hermione?" Ron asked his wife. "Want to go?" Ron looked up at Hermione, but she was reading a letter with a smile on her face. Ron was instantly curious. "What is it?"
"It's an invitation," Hermione said.
* * *
"We've been invited to attend the Hogwarts Class of 1998 ten year reunion," said Harry as he showed the letter to Ginny.
"Wow," said Ginny. "It's been ten years since we graduated? Well, okay, nine for me."
"Of course we have to go," said Harry.
"When is it?" Ginny asked.
"June. Two months away," said Harry. "That gives us enough time. Do you think your mum will watch the kids when we go?"
"Of course," said Ginny. "Mum never misses and opportunity to spoil her grandchildren. I bet she'll even take Emma and Olivia."
"Seems like a lot of work," said Harry.
"Harry, my mother raised seven children," she said. "With a set of twins, mind you. I think she can handle four, even though two of them are quite close in age."
Harry smiled, "S'pose you're right," he said, and he kissed her. When they pulled away his eyes caught sight of the clock. "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to be late!" With a rush, he kissed Lily on the forehead, gave James a quick hug, and then kissed Ginny again before calling out, "I'll see you tonight. Have fun at your mum's!" and he disapparated.
Ginny looked at her children once Harry was gone. Lily had oatmeal in her hair and James had spilled a glass of juice all over the table. "All right, you crazy kids, let's get ready to go to grandma's."
* * *
Molly Weasley was busy dusting the knick knacks in the living room of the Burrow when she heard the snap that signaled the arrival of her daughter and grandchildren. The family had taken advantage of the Ministry of Magic's new portkey system, allowing wizarding families to set portkeys up to each other's homes. It made traveling with children so much easier.
Mrs. Weasley walked into the kitchen, where she was greeted not by her daughter's face, but by her son Ron's, and he was accompanied by Hermione and the girls.
"Oh! Ron!" she exclaimed happily, and she hugged him. "I didn't know you were coming today!"
"It was a last minute decision," said Hermione as she walked forward.
"Give me that baby!" Mrs. Weasley said immediately and she reached for Olivia. "Hello Olivia dear!" She rubbed noses with the baby, and then felt a tug on her skirt. "And I would never forget you Emma!" She knelt down with the baby and embraced the older child as well. "This is such a lovely surprise. Ginny and the children will be so pleased. I expect them at any moment." Sure enough, a few minutes later the snap was heard again, and Ginny, James and Lily appeared. Mrs. Weasley was suddenly caught up in excitement as she greeted and spoke to her daughter and grandchildren. She was soon holding the two infants in her arms.
"Let me take them out into the yard," she said. "It's such a nice day, and I've got a special area for these two to play in. Come along James, come along Emma." The older children followed their grandmother out into the yard. Their parents stayed behind to greet each other.
"Did you get the invitation?" Ginny asked.
"To the reunion?" Hermione asked. Ginny nodded.
"Are you going?" she asked.
"Of course," said Ron. "Wouldn't miss it."
"We're going too, of course," said Ginny. "I just said to Harry this morning that I'm sure mum would be more than happy to take the children for the weekend."
"Great," said Hermione. "We should make plans to travel together."
"We should wait until we can sit down with Harry to talk about it," said Ginny.
Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway. "Well, now, I've got all these children outside on this lovely day, and their parents seem to prefer standing in the house! Come on, I'll get us all some drinks."
Hermione, Ron and Ginny headed back outside, excited for the upcoming reunion. They were going to go back to Hogwarts!
Chapter One: The Invitation
It was a quiet Saturday morning in April in the home of Ron and Hermione Weasley. Four-year-old Emma Weasley was playing with her blocks in the living room, and nine-month-old Olivia was still snoozing away in her crib. Ron and Hermione sat in the kitchen in a comfortable silence. Hermione was reading, sitting with her feet propped up on Ron's lap. Ron was alternating between doodling a picture on a paper napkin and sneaking glances at his wife, smiling when she would scrunch her nose up at something she read that she didn't like. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, causing Hermione to look up from her book.
"Something wrong love?" she asked him.
He looked at her. "Nothing," he said. "It's just nice, getting to sit here. I don't have to work, you don't have to work, and the girls are being quiet."
"Shhh!" Hermione said sharply, but still with a smile. "You'll jinx it!" And sure enough, from upstairs they heard a soft cry. Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron, and stood. "I'll get her," she said, and she headed out of the room. Ron smiled and watched Hermione walk out of the kitchen, and then he headed into the living room.
Emma had moved on from blocks and was now setting up what appeared to be a tea party. "Hi daddy," she said when she saw Ron come in. "Want to have tea with me?"
"Of course," Ron said, and instead of sitting on the couch, where he had been headed, he sat on the floor in front of the coffee table. Emma smiled at him - his smile, he knew because Hermione made mention of it often - and handed him a pink plastic teacup.
"Thank you," Ron said, and Emma sat down across the table from him, and pretended to pour tea from the matching pink teapot. She was about to "drink" when her face lit up, as though she remembered something.
"Wait!" she exclaimed, and without explanation she stood and ran out of the room, only to return a minute later with hats.
"Are those your mum's?" Ron asked her.
"Yes, but she said I could use them," Emma explained, and she placed one of the hats on her head. She took another and promptly planted it on her father's head before sitting back down. She looked up at him with a serious face. "You have to wear hats when you have tea," she said.
Ron fought the urge to laugh. "Is that right?" he asked her. Emma nodded, then picked up her teacup and pretended to drink. Ron watched her, and again marveled at the fact that she belonged to Hermione and himself. She was so much a part of both of them. She had inherited his smile and his red hair (though a slightly darker shade of red, and it was full and slightly bushy, though less than her mum's had been when she was younger). She had Hermione's eyes though, and the ability to give him the same looks her mother could when she was frustrated with him. She also had some of their personality traits. She loved sports, and attended all the Quidditch games with Ron, but then she always looked forward to coming home and reading stories with Hermione.
"Daddy?!" Emma exclaimed suddenly. He looked at her. "You're supposed to drink. This is a TEA party."
"Sorry," he said to her, and he pretended to drink from the cup.
"That's a nice look for you, Ron," came Hermione's voice suddenly. Emma looked up and smiled.
"Mummy! We're having tea!" she exclaimed. "You need to have some too. And Olivia."
"Okay," said Hermione, and she walked to the coffee table and handed the baby to Ron. He smiled at Olivia and she smiled back, and attempted to pull the hat off of Ron's head. Meanwhile, Emma made sure that her mum's head was well-adorned with another hat.
"Da-da," Olivia said as she snuggled her head into her father's neck. Hermione smiled, and reached out a hand to smooth down Olivia's hair (whose own red tresses were closer in color to Ron's).
"She was asking for you upstairs," Hermione said. Whereas Emma had clung to her mother almost nonstop as an infant, Olivia always seemed most comfortable when she was with Ron. Ron responded by reaching the infant into the air and "flying" her around with his arms, causing her to laugh.
"Daddy!" Emma exclaimed. "That's not proper for a tea party!"
"Really?" Ron asked her, smiling and with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "I think someone is a little jealous." He handed Olivia back to Hermione. "I think someone just wants to get in on the fun!" He stood and crossed to the other side of the table and picked Emma up and started to swing her around the room. She started to protest but soon was overtaken by a bout of hysterical laughter, until she and Ron fell onto the couch, still laughing.
"You're all crazy," said Hermione, and she stood herself and joined them.
"But you love us," said Emma, matter-of-factly.
"Yes, I do," said Hermione with a laugh. Ron smiled at her and kissed her, and they enjoyed a few more moments with their girls before getting up and truly starting the day.
* * *
A few miles away, the morning was starting out differently for the Potter family. Harry had to head out for an early morning practice session with the Canons, and he was hurrying to get the kids ready for a trip to the Burrow with Ginny. At the moment he was standing in his son's room, trying to persuade the little boy to get dressed.
"Come on James," he said. "You need to get ready to go."
"I want to go with you!" the six-year-old protested.
"I know you do," said Harry. "But you can't today. I'm going to be running around. Besides, your mum is taking you to see Grandma and Grandpa."
"Is Uncle Ron going to be there?" James asked, hopefully. He had always loved being with his father and Ron when they were together, and if he couldn't spend the day with his father, he hoped Ron would be there to keep him company.
"I don't think so," said Harry, "but maybe you could ask him if he would come. I'm sure your grandma would love to see all of you."
"Okay," said James. "I'll ask him then." Harry said nothing else. The tone of James' voice seemed to say to him that the matter was closed. He walked to his dresser and began taking clothes out.
"Aren't you two ready yet?" asked Ginny. Harry and James turned to see her standing in the doorway, holding 11-month-old Lily.
"We were just negotiating," said Harry. "Would you mind calling Ron and see if he'll go to your mum's with you."
"Sure," said Ginny, smiling. "I'm sure Emma will be happy." She turned to her son. "James, you want to see Emma today?"
James nodded, and then went back to the task of pulling out clothes. Ginny sighed. "Here, let me help you with that." She gave the baby to Harry and then came all the way into the room to find something suitable for James to wear.
Harry smiled, "I'll leave you two to the task. Has Lily had breakfast yet?"
"Not yet," said Ginny.
"I'll take care of it," Harry said, and he walked out of the room and downstairs to the kitchen. He placed Lily in her high chair and smiled at her. She smiled back.
"So, Lil, what'll it be today?" he asked, then he noticed the box Ginny had left out on the counter. "Oatmeal?" Lily smiled at him again.
"Omeal," she repeated.
"Oatmeal it is then!" Harry exclaimed, and with a few flicks of his wand he started to cook breakfast. "Better make enough for your brother, whattaya think?" Lily responded with another big smile.
Ginny and James came into the room and James quickly sat down at the table. He requested a picture book to look at while he ate his breakfast. As he read, he scrunched his eyes close to the book. Ginny observed him for a moment, and said, "It looks like he might need glasses," she said. "That'll be scary. He'll look more like you than he already does. It seems neither of our children has taken after me."
"That's not true," said Harry, and he gestured towards Lily. "Look at that face. That's your face. You just can't see it because she doesn't have red hair like you do."
"No, it seems as though you have dominant gene in that department," Ginny said with a smile as she looked at the jet black hair both of her children possessed.
* * *
Back in the Weasley house, Ron and Hermione had the girls sitting at the kitchen table and they were eating breakfast as a whole family, which was a rare occurrence, especially with the hectic work week they both had. Emma was munching away on some scrambled eggs, while Hermione attempted to feed Olivia some baby food from a jar. "Why don't you just make it?" Ron had asked her once, disliking when he had to go to the muggle supermarkets to buy it. Hermione had put him in his place by requesting that HE make it, and after his first attempt he appreciated the fact that muggles had thought to put food for babies in jars.
In the middle of the meal, a noise was heard outside the window. "Oops," said Ron. "Forgot to leave it open for Southworth." The noise had been the family owl, Southworth, trying to get in with the post.
"The post! The post!" Emma happily exclaimed, as Pigwidgeon also came rushing into the room, leaving a letter in front of Emma and then settling on her shoulder. When Ron and Hermione had decided they needed a bigger owl for the family, they had turned Pig over to Emma, and she used him mostly to send short notes between her and her cousins.
"Who's the letter from?" Hermione asked her.
"James," Emma said. James was by far Emma's favorite cousin, even though there were two years between them. "Can you read it to me dad?" Though Emma could read the name of her cousin and a few other words, she had yet to be able to read a book or even a note on her own.
"Sure," said Ron, and he took the note from Emma. "It says, 'Hi Emma. I want to know if you can come to grandma and grandpa's house today. We're going. From James.'" When he looked away from the letter, Emma was looking at him expectantly. "What do you think Hermione?" Ron asked his wife. "Want to go?" Ron looked up at Hermione, but she was reading a letter with a smile on her face. Ron was instantly curious. "What is it?"
"It's an invitation," Hermione said.
* * *
"We've been invited to attend the Hogwarts Class of 1998 ten year reunion," said Harry as he showed the letter to Ginny.
"Wow," said Ginny. "It's been ten years since we graduated? Well, okay, nine for me."
"Of course we have to go," said Harry.
"When is it?" Ginny asked.
"June. Two months away," said Harry. "That gives us enough time. Do you think your mum will watch the kids when we go?"
"Of course," said Ginny. "Mum never misses and opportunity to spoil her grandchildren. I bet she'll even take Emma and Olivia."
"Seems like a lot of work," said Harry.
"Harry, my mother raised seven children," she said. "With a set of twins, mind you. I think she can handle four, even though two of them are quite close in age."
Harry smiled, "S'pose you're right," he said, and he kissed her. When they pulled away his eyes caught sight of the clock. "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to be late!" With a rush, he kissed Lily on the forehead, gave James a quick hug, and then kissed Ginny again before calling out, "I'll see you tonight. Have fun at your mum's!" and he disapparated.
Ginny looked at her children once Harry was gone. Lily had oatmeal in her hair and James had spilled a glass of juice all over the table. "All right, you crazy kids, let's get ready to go to grandma's."
* * *
Molly Weasley was busy dusting the knick knacks in the living room of the Burrow when she heard the snap that signaled the arrival of her daughter and grandchildren. The family had taken advantage of the Ministry of Magic's new portkey system, allowing wizarding families to set portkeys up to each other's homes. It made traveling with children so much easier.
Mrs. Weasley walked into the kitchen, where she was greeted not by her daughter's face, but by her son Ron's, and he was accompanied by Hermione and the girls.
"Oh! Ron!" she exclaimed happily, and she hugged him. "I didn't know you were coming today!"
"It was a last minute decision," said Hermione as she walked forward.
"Give me that baby!" Mrs. Weasley said immediately and she reached for Olivia. "Hello Olivia dear!" She rubbed noses with the baby, and then felt a tug on her skirt. "And I would never forget you Emma!" She knelt down with the baby and embraced the older child as well. "This is such a lovely surprise. Ginny and the children will be so pleased. I expect them at any moment." Sure enough, a few minutes later the snap was heard again, and Ginny, James and Lily appeared. Mrs. Weasley was suddenly caught up in excitement as she greeted and spoke to her daughter and grandchildren. She was soon holding the two infants in her arms.
"Let me take them out into the yard," she said. "It's such a nice day, and I've got a special area for these two to play in. Come along James, come along Emma." The older children followed their grandmother out into the yard. Their parents stayed behind to greet each other.
"Did you get the invitation?" Ginny asked.
"To the reunion?" Hermione asked. Ginny nodded.
"Are you going?" she asked.
"Of course," said Ron. "Wouldn't miss it."
"We're going too, of course," said Ginny. "I just said to Harry this morning that I'm sure mum would be more than happy to take the children for the weekend."
"Great," said Hermione. "We should make plans to travel together."
"We should wait until we can sit down with Harry to talk about it," said Ginny.
Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway. "Well, now, I've got all these children outside on this lovely day, and their parents seem to prefer standing in the house! Come on, I'll get us all some drinks."
Hermione, Ron and Ginny headed back outside, excited for the upcoming reunion. They were going to go back to Hogwarts!