Going Home
A/N: The new husband and wife pick up Daniel and Erica before heading home at last.
Daniel and Erica were eating lunch in Kevin and Arabella's kitchen when the flames in the fireplace blazed high and green to admit a familiar figure. "Ma!" "Mum!"
Minerva smiled and caught her children in a tight hug, even as she moved them away from the fireplace. "Hello, Rica, Danny-boy. I missed you two."
Before either twin could reply, the flames blazed high and green again to admit another familiar figure. "Hello, Daniel, Erica."
"Papa!" Erica disentangled herself from her mother and brother to hug her stepfather.
Daniel moved more slowly than his sister, but disentangled himself from his mother nevertheless. "Hello, Father."
Albus smiled as he gathered his newly-adopted son to him for a warm hug. Minerva felt a lump form in her throat at the sight of the three. The twins may not be Albus' biological children, but he loved them as if they were.
"Min, Uncle Albus." Arabella's voice interrupted them and all four turned to the doorway.
Minerva's deep blue eyes widened when she got a good look at her younger sister. "Bella, how long have you been pregnant?"
The younger woman smiled as she walked over to hug her sister. "About four months now, Min."
Minerva placed her hand on her sister's rounded stomach. "Wow."
Arabella laughed as her new brother-in-law walked over and kissed her forehead in greeting. "That was Kevin's reaction when I told him I was pregnant."
Albus chuckled, wrapping his arm around Minerva's slender shoulders, the other hand on one of Daniel's shoulders. Minerva smiled as Erica latched herself onto her mother's hip. As she patted the girl's back, Minerva asked, "Did the children behave themselves?"
"Rica did," Arabella replied, smiling at the picture the family in front of her made, "but Danny didn't."
Daniel buried his face in Albus' midnight blue robes, trying to avoid his mother's stern gaze. Unfortunately, his stepfather didn't cooperate, moving away and scooping up Erica in the process. "Laddie."
Daniel looked up at his mother. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and her eyes were stern. "Yes, Mum?"
"What did I tell you last week?" she asked, the corners of her mouth twitching.
"To be good for Aunt Bella and Uncle Kevin," he mumbled, looking down at the toes of his shoes.
"Why didn't you?" Minerva struggled to keep her voice stern.
"Because I was so happy," the boy admitted.
"Oh?" Minerva crouched down in front, bringing her down to his eye level. "What do you mean, Danny-boy?"
His gray eyes were earnest when they met her deep blue ones. "I was so happy to have a father again that I had to do _something_, so I went flying."
Minerva raised a black eyebrow, the corners of her mouth curving up in spite of herself. "Indeed?"
He nodded solemnly. "I didn't mean for the Muggles to see me, it just happened."
Minerva looked up at her sister, who stood nearby, watching mother and son quietly. "I hope the Muggles were taken care of."
Arabella nodded. "Yes, a couple Oblivators came out and took care of it."
Minerva nodded back. "Good." She turned back to her son. "Danny-boy, I don't blame you for being happy, but please try to be more careful in the future," Minerva instructed him.
He nodded solemnly once again. "Yes, Mum."
Minerva ruffled his messy hair and stood up. "Well, shall we go home now?"
"Yeah!" Both children nodded eagerly.
"Go get your things, then," Minerva told them.
Daniel charged from the kitchen, followed by Erica once Albus set the girl on her feet. Arabella sat down at the table with a sigh. "It's obvious you two are happy together."
Minerva smiled as Albus' arm stole around her slender waist. "Yes, very happy, Bella."
"That's all I want for you, Min," Arabella told her sister quietly.
"Thank you, Bella," Minerva's smile widened as her husband of one week kissed her temple.
"You're welcome, Min."
Daniel and Erica clattered into the kitchen at that moment, each carrying a bag containing their belongings. "Okay, Ma, I'm ready."
"So'm I, Mum," Daniel added.
"Okay." Minerva picked Erica up, bag and all. "Daniel, go with Papa."
The boy allowed himself to be scooped up into his stepfather's arms. Albus threw a pinch of Floo Powder onto the fire. It blazed high and green a third time. Holding Daniel firmly, Albus stepped into the flames. "Leómann Cottage!"
Minerva waited a few moments after her husband and son had disappeared before tossing another pinch of Floo Powder onto the flames (which had returned to normal). For the last time, they blazed high and green. Erica held tight in her arms, Minerva stepped among the flames, "Leómann Cottage!"
Arabella was left alone in her kitchen, staring into a normally-blazing fire. "It's about bloody time."
A/N: The new husband and wife pick up Daniel and Erica before heading home at last.
Daniel and Erica were eating lunch in Kevin and Arabella's kitchen when the flames in the fireplace blazed high and green to admit a familiar figure. "Ma!" "Mum!"
Minerva smiled and caught her children in a tight hug, even as she moved them away from the fireplace. "Hello, Rica, Danny-boy. I missed you two."
Before either twin could reply, the flames blazed high and green again to admit another familiar figure. "Hello, Daniel, Erica."
"Papa!" Erica disentangled herself from her mother and brother to hug her stepfather.
Daniel moved more slowly than his sister, but disentangled himself from his mother nevertheless. "Hello, Father."
Albus smiled as he gathered his newly-adopted son to him for a warm hug. Minerva felt a lump form in her throat at the sight of the three. The twins may not be Albus' biological children, but he loved them as if they were.
"Min, Uncle Albus." Arabella's voice interrupted them and all four turned to the doorway.
Minerva's deep blue eyes widened when she got a good look at her younger sister. "Bella, how long have you been pregnant?"
The younger woman smiled as she walked over to hug her sister. "About four months now, Min."
Minerva placed her hand on her sister's rounded stomach. "Wow."
Arabella laughed as her new brother-in-law walked over and kissed her forehead in greeting. "That was Kevin's reaction when I told him I was pregnant."
Albus chuckled, wrapping his arm around Minerva's slender shoulders, the other hand on one of Daniel's shoulders. Minerva smiled as Erica latched herself onto her mother's hip. As she patted the girl's back, Minerva asked, "Did the children behave themselves?"
"Rica did," Arabella replied, smiling at the picture the family in front of her made, "but Danny didn't."
Daniel buried his face in Albus' midnight blue robes, trying to avoid his mother's stern gaze. Unfortunately, his stepfather didn't cooperate, moving away and scooping up Erica in the process. "Laddie."
Daniel looked up at his mother. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and her eyes were stern. "Yes, Mum?"
"What did I tell you last week?" she asked, the corners of her mouth twitching.
"To be good for Aunt Bella and Uncle Kevin," he mumbled, looking down at the toes of his shoes.
"Why didn't you?" Minerva struggled to keep her voice stern.
"Because I was so happy," the boy admitted.
"Oh?" Minerva crouched down in front, bringing her down to his eye level. "What do you mean, Danny-boy?"
His gray eyes were earnest when they met her deep blue ones. "I was so happy to have a father again that I had to do _something_, so I went flying."
Minerva raised a black eyebrow, the corners of her mouth curving up in spite of herself. "Indeed?"
He nodded solemnly. "I didn't mean for the Muggles to see me, it just happened."
Minerva looked up at her sister, who stood nearby, watching mother and son quietly. "I hope the Muggles were taken care of."
Arabella nodded. "Yes, a couple Oblivators came out and took care of it."
Minerva nodded back. "Good." She turned back to her son. "Danny-boy, I don't blame you for being happy, but please try to be more careful in the future," Minerva instructed him.
He nodded solemnly once again. "Yes, Mum."
Minerva ruffled his messy hair and stood up. "Well, shall we go home now?"
"Yeah!" Both children nodded eagerly.
"Go get your things, then," Minerva told them.
Daniel charged from the kitchen, followed by Erica once Albus set the girl on her feet. Arabella sat down at the table with a sigh. "It's obvious you two are happy together."
Minerva smiled as Albus' arm stole around her slender waist. "Yes, very happy, Bella."
"That's all I want for you, Min," Arabella told her sister quietly.
"Thank you, Bella," Minerva's smile widened as her husband of one week kissed her temple.
"You're welcome, Min."
Daniel and Erica clattered into the kitchen at that moment, each carrying a bag containing their belongings. "Okay, Ma, I'm ready."
"So'm I, Mum," Daniel added.
"Okay." Minerva picked Erica up, bag and all. "Daniel, go with Papa."
The boy allowed himself to be scooped up into his stepfather's arms. Albus threw a pinch of Floo Powder onto the fire. It blazed high and green a third time. Holding Daniel firmly, Albus stepped into the flames. "Leómann Cottage!"
Minerva waited a few moments after her husband and son had disappeared before tossing another pinch of Floo Powder onto the flames (which had returned to normal). For the last time, they blazed high and green. Erica held tight in her arms, Minerva stepped among the flames, "Leómann Cottage!"
Arabella was left alone in her kitchen, staring into a normally-blazing fire. "It's about bloody time."