Birthday Surprises Chapter 21

Usual disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Please. Wish it were mine though. Ah, if only. Lolly, xxx.

Ok, look, here's the deal - two chapters instead of one today to make up for yesterday's non-posting. Hope u like it - remember to review, please, please, please!

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When he reached his room, Harry found Leah screaming as loud as her little lungs could manage. Harry immediately picked her up and proceeded to try and calm her. For the next five minutes, Harry gently rocked her and spoke to her until her sobbing subsided into sniffles.

"There now, it's ok. I'm here. Sshh. What's wrong, Little One? Bad dream?" Leah's sniffles died down as she began to fall asleep again. Harry sat down in the chair beside the cradle with Leah in his arms. She snuggled closer to him, giving a small sigh. Harry smiled down at her, wondering why anyone would give up such precious things. Again, he wondered about their parents. Why had everyone thought that they were his? He looked carefully at the sleeping child - he knew their eyes were the same colour, and now he came to think of it, she had the same black tufty hair as he had - all of them did -

"How odd. Very curious." He muttered.

"What's curious?" Ginny asked from the door.

"How much Leah looks like me." Harry said. "I can sort of see why everyone thought I was their father."

"Do you know anything about their parents?"

"Not a thing. I wondered, but Professor Dumbledore wouldn't tell me."

"Weird. You're sure that you didn't get anyone pregnant?"

"Well unless someone completely wiped my memory of the entire thing, then yeah, I'm sure that I didn't."

"It could happen you know - obliviate and everything." Ginny suggested.

"Gin, you're scaring me now. Can we please change the subject? Unless you know something that I don't?"

"I know lots of things that you don't, but not about these three. Sorry."

"Hmm."

"So, what did Dumbledore say to you while you were at Hogwarts?"

"Erm...well, I'm head boy."

"You are? That's wonderful! Just one thing though - don't do a Percy."

"I won't." Harry laughed. "He also asked about the monitor I made for the triplets."

"Monitor?"

"Yeah, it tells me when they need something - if they're crying or anything." Harry said, fingering the wristband.

"That's a great idea - when did you come up with it?"

"At the Dursleys - Muggles have versions of them, only they're usually like small radios. This had to be small enough to carry around, and silent, so that it didn't disturb anyone."

"So you made it?"

"Yeah - Dumbledore reckons I should market them, but I'm not so sure - I mean, it's not as if I need the money."

"No, but a lot of people could do with those." Ginny reasoned.

"Yeah, I suppose."

"You should think about it."

"That's what Dumbledore said." Harry replied.

"Well there you go then." Ginny laughed. "You have no idea how weird it is to see you holding her and looking so...at home."

"Actually I think I do - it was weird seeing the picture of me with the triplets that Madam Pomfrey took."

"Can I see?"

"Sure. It's in that drawer." Harry said, nodding to the drawer beside his bed. Ginny opened it to find a few photos. She took them all out. First was the one that Ron had sent him for his birthday, then the one that Remus gave him, the picture of Leah hugging Pig ("Aww - that's adorable!" Ginny cried), one of the triplets in their cradle, snuggled together, and finally the one that Madam Pomfrey had taken while he was asleep. Ginny stared at it for a long moment before turning to Harry.

"I want a copy of this. Mum will too." She said. Harry raised an eyebrow but shrugged.

"Ok." He pulled out his wand and muttered an incantation. A second and third copy appeared beside the original, and Ginny picked them up.

"Thank you." She grinned. "C'mon, we'll go and give this to mum. No - don't put her down, she looks so peaceful." Harry began to laugh quietly.

"What?" Ginny demanded, her hands on her hips.

"You - when did you get so bossy?" He asked, his mouth quirking into the grin that Ginny hadn't seen in so long.

"I've always been bossy - you try living with six brothers and not being bossy!" She said indignantly. Harry was still laughing, and he had accidentally woken Leah up. She looked up at him, her green eyes wide. It crossed Ginny's mind that perhaps Leah hadn't seen Harry laughing before. She began to sniffle.

"Hey, it's ok. Auntie Ginny's just being funny." Harry said, his grin widening. Ginny couldn't help but smile as Leah gurgled, her tiny fingers reaching for Harry's face. Harry bent down and blew across her face, making her gurgle even more.

"C'mon, you. Let's go." Ginny said, pulling Harry's arm. As they started to leave the room, Leah cried out, looking slightly annoyed. Harry doubled back for a moment and came back with not only Leah, but her small fluffy owl as well. Leah was now apparently quite content.

"How did you know that she wanted the owl?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"I just.knew. Instinct." Harry said, smiling widely. There was no trace of the downtrodden three-year-old in that smile, just a content seventeen- year-old, who was freakishly at ease with children.

"Right." Ginny said, smiling back. Harry was right - it was in the past.

***

Molly was more than a little shocked to see Harry and Ginny come down the stairs, laughing and joking with each other. Harry was cradling one of the triplets in his arms, along with something - fluffy?

"Hello you two." She said. Harry looked up at her, his green eyes sparkling.

"Hi. Ginny wanted to give you something."

"You did too." Ginny said.

"Since when did I have a choice in the matter?" Harry asked. Leah joined in, babbling loudly.

"See, Leah agrees with me - Auntie Ginny's awfully bossy, isn't she sweetie?" Harry said, grinning at Ginny, who rolled her eyes.

"She's not old enough to understand you yet - she's just babbling because you're making her hyper."

"Huh! You hear that, Leah? Not old enough, huh? We'll show her, won't we?" Harry said. He moved closer to Ginny and whispered something to the child. She reached up and caught a piece of Ginny's bright red hair.

"Harry!" Ginny scolded, wincing as Leah tugged.

"What?" Harry asked innocently.

"You're corrupting an innocent child!"

"I'm corrupting her?" Harry laughed. "You're just grumpy because we proved you wrong."

"Ugh - I give up. Fine, she can understand you. Here you go mum." Ginny handed her mother the photo, and Molly found that it was a picture of Harry sleeping, with the triplets huddled around him. They all looked so peaceful.

"Harry, you look lovely with them." She said proudly, making Harry blush. She put the picture on the mantle piece, brushing a tear from her eye.

"Thanks." Harry said. Leah had stopped burbling and was drifting off to sleep again. Harry sat down on the couch, obviously wrapped up with Leah. Ginny stood beside her mother, watching him.

"It's bizarre, isn't it?" She whispered.

"He looks like he was born to be a father." Molly said with a sigh.

"Hmm." Ginny agreed. She watched as Harry's eyes drifted closed, lulled by Leah's soft rhythmic breathing. Hermione and Ron came in moments later. Hermione, who had been in the middle of an argument, stopped suddenly, melting as she saw Harry sleeping on the couch. Ron watched in amusement as the notoriously stubborn girl completely forgot about their argument, and whispered something to Ginny, who nodded to the mantelpiece. Ron followed their gaze and saw the picture. Even he had to admit that it was cute - he had never seen Harry look so peaceful.

***

"I have to get a copy of that." Hermione said. Molly took the photo and whispered the same spell that Harry had. She handed the copy to Hermione.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered. She tugged Ginny's arm and they walked up the stairs, talking quietly. Ron went to sit down, wondering when Harry would wake up - no sooner had the thought passed through his mind before Harry was blinking.

"Ron, do me a favour and hold her for a minute? One of the other two is awake." Before Ron could reply, Harry had placed the tiny baby in his arms, making sure that Ron was holding her properly before jogging up the stairs. He had only been gone for a moment when Leah seemed to realise that Harry was no longer cuddling her. Ron marvelled at how such a small person could make such a loud noise - or he would have done, had he not been panicking.

***

"Mum! What's wrong with her? Help?" He said, haphazardly rocking her. She squealed louder, protesting loudly. Molly clucked a little and removed the child from his arms, trying to calm her. Leah was for none of it. She just wouldn't stop crying. Harry came down minutes later, heading straight over to Molly.

"She won't stop crying - are you sure she's all right?" She asked worriedly.

"She's fine, just a little temperamental." Harry said, scooping up Leah. He held her for a moment before beginning to speak.

"You can't keep this up, young lady." He said. "What happens after the summer? You going to cry non-stop because I'm not there?" He murmured. Leah had stopped crying, and was hiccoughing.

"Now be a good girl and let Ronniekins hold you." He passed the child to Ron, who looked terrified. Leah immediately began to sniffle.

"Hey baby, I'm still here." Harry reassured her. Ron awkwardly held her for a few minutes before Harry took her back.

"Well done, see - he's not all bad, is he?" Leah babbled in agreement. "She doesn't bite, y'know? She doesn't have teeth yet." Harry said to Ron. Ron would've retorted, but seeing how comfortable Harry was with the child, he couldn't quite bring himself to.