Birthday Surprises Chapter 44

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

Ok, just a few quick notes - firstly to Naomi/Gnomsie. Hey sweetie, thanks for your reviews - they made me laugh ;-D by the way, the vote count currently stands at 50 - 10 in favour of Harry/Ginny.

Another common point made in my reviews was the fact that the kids were being used as study aides - not true. Harry was exempt from the assignment on the grounds that he already has kids and therefore, it would be a bit futile. As for Parvati, she's supposed to be more of an observer - due to the fact that they are Harry's kids, she really doesn't have much say in...well, anything, really. Not that she realises this, of course. As for Ginny, there wasn't much she could say, without arousing suspicion, not to mention the fact that as yet no one apart from the Weasley's, Harry, Hermione, Lupin and Tonks know that Ginny's the mother. Oh, and Fudge of course - but let's not go there. Grrr.

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Harry wasn't looking forward to that night - he had a feeling that Parvati would be insufferable, and with everyone looking after his or her own babies, there would be no one to back him up. Sure enough, Parvati came bouncing up the stairs as soon as the other babies were activated.

"Harry? Can I come in?" She asked, knocking at the door loudly. Harry sighed as the triplets began to howl.

"I suppose." Harry said, rolling his eyes. Parvati's face was shining with enthusiasm, and she went immediately over to the cradle.

"It's ok. Don't cry." She said, picking up Leah, who promptly screamed even louder. Harry scooped up the other two and calmed them quickly. Parvati stared at him and tried to copy what he was doing, only she looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"Here, give her to me." Harry said eventually. Parvati handed her to him, looking upset.

"Hey Leah, there now. Hush." He murmured, kissing the top of her head. Leah sniffed and hiccoughed.

"There's a good girl." Harry said, sitting down and summoning her owl. Leah gurgled happily, and Harry looked up to see Parvati looking shocked.

"How do you do that?"

"Practice." Harry said as he put Leah into the cot once again.

"Harry!" Ron said, hurrying in looking panicky. "Help me!" He moaned. Harry laughed as he took the doll from him.

"You have to make them feel safe. You can't hold them at arms length and expect them to stop crying." Harry said, the doll was miraculously realistic, Harry thought.

"Oh. Can I stay up here, please? It's mad in the common room - only Ginny's managed to get her baby to shut up. She went to hide in the dorms so that people would stop annoying her."

"How's Hermione doing?" Harry asked.

"She's on the verge of a nervous breakdown already - even though she's been living in the same house as triplets for the last month almost!"

"Yeah, but neither of you have really dealt with them - remember what happened when you held Leah for a few minutes?"

"Oh yeah. That was horrible - not even mum could get her stop crying."

"She's a daddies girl." Harry laughed. Parvati looked relieved, but also determined.

"So, tomorrow, can I take Leah to class?"

"I'm not sure..." Harry began. Then he ran through the classes he had with Parvati the next day - all of them except one. "Fine. But we'll have to take the three of them - we can't leave one alone with Dobby. It's not fair. You can take Leah to class when we're not in your class."

"Can you imagine Snape's face? No only a class full of students, but a class full of students with screaming kids!" Ron said gleefully. Harry groaned. He didn't want Snape within twenty foot of his children.

***

That night, it took Harry an hour to convince Parvati to leave his room and go up to her own dorm. It took him even longer to convince Ron to leave.

"You'll be fine - just imagine that it's one of the triplets."

"Why? I'm useless with them too."

"No you're not." Harry said, "You just need a little...practice." "Whatever you say." Ron replied.

***

In the morning, Harry put all three of the triplets into their carrycot. He tried to go down to breakfast without Parvati spotting him, but he failed miserably, and she walked down with him, Ginny, Ron and Hermione. All of them looked tired, but Ginny looked more angry and annoyed than tired.

"Hey babies, did you miss me?" Parvati crooned. Harry closed his eyes, willing her to disappear. At breakfast, Sally came up to him again, once again staring into the cot.

"Can I have a word?" She asked. Harry glanced from Parvati to the babies.

"Make sure that Parvati goes nowhere." He told Ginny before standing up. "Back in a minute."

"Umm...I wanted to know...I still really like you...."

"You do?"

"Yeah. D'you want to get back together?"

"Back together? Er...I don't know....give me a little time to think about it, ok?"

"Sure." Sally said, smiling at him.

***

"What did she want?" Ron grunted.

"To get back together." Harry replied. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Parvati stared at him. It was Ginny who spoke first.

"Have you?"

"Not yet - I said I'd think about it." Harry replied, breaking up a sugarquill for the triplets.

"You can't give them that!" Parvati said, looking scandalised. Harry looked up, his eyebrows raised.

"Why not?"

"It's bad for their teeth!"

"They don't have teeth."

"No, but you shouldn't give them too much sugar!"

"Excuse me, but as their father, I think it's up to me to decide." Harry said in a frosty tone.

"And I'm playing their mother - shouldn't I have a right to an opinion?" Now everyone on the table was staring between Harry and Parvati. Ginny made a small choked noise in her throat, looking as if she was about to slap Parvati.

"Playing their mother?" Harry asked, his eyes flicking towards Ginny.

"Yeah." Parvati replied, apparently missing Harry's dangerous look.

"Look, I really couldn't care less what you think is appropriate and inappropriate for my children. You have no right at all to tell me what to do."

"Oh don't I?" Parvati asked, her eyes glinting dangerously. She stormed out of the hall to find Madam Pomfrey. Harry groaned. This was all he needed.

"Who in Merlin's name does she think she is?" Ginny fumed.

"What are you going to do?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Let Leah take care of her." Harry said, smiling. Ginny frowned at him.

"You're putting her in charge of your only daughter?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Don't look at me like that - Leah likes making a lot of noise. Besides, she has a time limit of fifteen minutes before I go and get her. Then it might be me going to Madam Pomfrey." Ginny's face lit up with mischief.

"That sounds like a good idea - she doesn't know that you have the monitor, does she?"

"Nope." Harry grinned.

"Well this is going to be interesting." Ginny said. "I expect a full report of this."

"You'll get one." Harry promised.

***

Parvati stormed away from the hospital wing, almost in tears. Madam Pomfrey had scolded her for being childish and silly - of course Potter knows how to look after his own children! She had said to her before ushering her out. "A little sugar will do them no harm."

"But shouldn't I have an equal say in this? I am supposed to be looking after them too!"

"These aren't dolls we're talking about, young lady, these are children! You will do as Harry says, because he knows what they need better than you do. Now get back and apologise." Parvati slunk back into the hall, searching the table for Harry's distinctive mop of jet-black hair. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Ginny, have you seen Harry?"

"They've gone to Potions already." Ginny muttered.

"Oh. Thanks." Parvati said, hurrying off to the dungeons herself.