I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

Extended Family

Chapter 53 – First Flight

Starts when Katie is pregnant with Dahlia.

"Love, you know it'll be a while before the baby will need this right?" Katie asked in a deeply amused voice, holding up a toy broom.

"I know," Harry said sheepishly. "I just saw it while getting things and got really excited."

Katie laughed and pulled him close, kissing him on the lips. "Hey, me too, don't get me wrong. But we don't want to rush it."

"No you're right." Harry sighed. "What if the baby doesn't like flying or Quidditch?"

"That's normal because it'll be a baby," Katie said. She frowned. "Now if they don't like it as they get older, we'll deal with that when it happens but hope not. I mean, we're both flyers and Quidditch fanatics, there's no chance the baby won't like flying, hopefully."

"We'll see, like you said," Harry said. "No sense fretting now. How old were you when you started flying?"

"I was around 7 or 8 I think. Lyla never was all that interested in playing herself so she didn't try flying until a little older."

Harry smiled softly, suddenly remembering something. He went to the bookcase and pulled out a photo album and went through the pages, finally stopping at one. He showed Katie who started laughing, seeing a baby Harry zooming around on a toy broomstick.

"Oh you were adorable!"

"Were?!"

"Still are," she smiled, patting him reassuringly. "Also, you were way too young to be on a broom."

"I think Sirius got it for me and Mum sent him a letter. Apparently I almost took out the cat." He and Katie chuckled.

"And you never rode a broom again until school." Katie shook her head. "Now that's flying talent right there. With you and me, there's no way our baby won't love flying."

They looked around the nursery. Luna had painted the walls like an open-air pitch. Towers went up the walls with hoops on the north and south walls. All four Hogwarts Houses pennants were shown as well as Pride of Portree colors. They already set up the crib and the changing table and a large rocking chair for them.

"Do you feel like we are forcing them to like our likes?" Harry asked.

Katie snorted. "Not really. I guess we could have painted in just soft colors and animal decorations but that's boring."

He hugged her. "I can't wait."

Her eyes shone. "Me neither."

-0-

A year and a bit later

"Nothing is working right now," Katie said tiredly. "Dally is very cranky."

Harry was walking around slowly, humming softly. Normally that was enough to soothe Dahlia but today she refused to be mollified, fussing and crying without stop. He and Katie had exhausted all of their ideas to try and appease her but all had failed.

"Too bad we don't have a car," Harry joked. "Hermione said that's how her parents put her to sleep sometimes, driving around with her inside. Something about the vibrations."

"Finally, a reason for magicals to learn how to drive," Katie grinned tiredly. She looked at her and Harry's brooms mounted on the wall. "Think a broom vibration is the same?"

"Probably not," Harry said. He gave them a considering look and looked at Katie. "If we're really careful?"

Katie rolled her shoulders. "I feel like I'd disagree more if I was less tired but we've tried everything and I'm desperate. Let's try it."

They swaddled Dahlia securely and placed her carefully in her sling, which they stuck to Harry. The two then took their booms to the back garden and very slowly lifted into the air, stopping at a few feet over the ground.

"I don't believe it," Katie gasped.

Dahlia was still in her sling, no longer crying. She looked around for a bit before making much softer noises, her eyes starting to flutter.

Harry and Katie flew slowly around the house, never going any higher. Harry grinned with pure delight watching his daughter fall asleep, comfortable and content. "This is incredible," he said.

"Mum is going to love this when we tell her," Katie laughed.

They continued to fly long after Dahlia fell asleep, enjoying the night air and being together. "I guess we had nothing to worry about," Harry said to her. "She loves it."

"Yeah she does," Katie said happily.

-0-

A few years later

"I've been so excited for this," Angelina said, practically jumping up and down.

"Who's more excited: you or Hailey?" Katie asked, smiling.

"Pretty equal honestly," Angelina laughed.

"I still say we could have done this sooner," George sniffed. "Me and Fred did and we turned out okay."

"That's debatable," Alicia said snidely. She smiled cheekily at his look.

"You two also had older sibs that…allegedly did things in a safeish way," Angelina said.

"You've met Bill and Charlie and Percy doesn't really fly," Fred snorted.

"That's why I said allegedly."

"Why didn't we do this at the Burrow?" George asked.

"After you showed me every tree that you and Fred bashed your heads into while learning to fly, no thanks," Angelina retorted.

"That's fair," George and Fred laughed.

"Angelina and I learned via our older siblings too," Oliver smiled. "I remember us sharing our experiences and they were remarkably similar."

"Go up, go down, don't fall off, don't tell mum," Angelina said and she and Oliver laughed.

"Knowing your older brothers, that tracks," Alicia sighed. "How'd you get into this by the way, I don't know if I ever asked," she asked Katie.

"One summer, Mum and Dad took me on different trips to find me a hobby or something. At a Quidditch camp I was hooked the second I flew," Katie said. "How about you?"

"Oliver taught me of course," Alicia said. "Forced it on me really."

"I don't recall that," Oliver protested. "I remember you following me around and getting mad that I was flying without you."

"We'll have to agree to disagree," Alicia said. She smiled as Harry walked up with a large bundle and Hedwig sitting on his head. "Thank you again baby bird."

"Nothing but the best for the bunnies," Harry said emphatically. "I didn't want a broom for myself, my Firebolt is still great, but don't mind using my name to get them the safest and best practice brooms." He opened the bundle and made the wrapping float in the air like an impromptu table. The team gathered around to inspect the brooms.

"Nimbus made these?" George asked.

"Yup. Told them about my old 2000. I actually showed them the toy model Luna made for me from the pieces and they got almost as teary-eyed as I did."

Oliver whistled as he looked over one of them. "I was expecting like a kid broom. These are practically re-sized full models."

"I'll say, this is better than my current one," Fred admired. "Gosh, maybe I should replace mine one of these days. Don't use it as much obviously these days but maybe I could find more time if I did."

"Each has been triple checked and came with instructions on how to safe-proof them some more. Like altitude limitations, speed limitations, that sort of thing," Harry said. "I still paid for them what they were worth, didn't want to be beholden, but they're the best that can be done."

Hedwig made a very condescending noise.

"The girls don't have wings," Katie said, patting Hedwig's belly. "They have to learn how to fly on these."

Hedwig rolled her eyes but nodded in an agreeable way.

After the team inspected the brooms, they called the girls over. Dahlia, Hailey, and Hadley came dashing over, excitement and eagerness written across their faces. They all wore shrunken down jerseys from their mothers' time on the Gryffindor team, as well as new padding.

"Alright bunnies, let's go over some basics," Harry said with the biggest smile. They taught the girls how to summon the brooms off the ground and they all swelled with pride as each broom answered the girls' command of 'Up' on the first try. They taught them how to mount and grip the broom which led to a small argument between the twins and Oliver about the best kind of grip to use.

"Right, you ready to try lifting off?" Harry asked.

Dahlia licked her lips, looking a little nervous. "I think so," she said.

"I got you Dally, don't worry. When you're ready, give a gentle push off the ground, like when you life yourself up the steps." Harry held her upper arm and smiled encouragingly.

Dahlia nodded and took a deep breath. She bent her knees slightly and pushed off, first one foot then the other. She squealed happily as she found herself floating off the ground. "I'm flying!" she shouted.

"That's my baby!" Katie squealed and kissed her cheek.

Soon Hailey and Hadley joined her in the air, hovering a bare foot off the ground and the team celebrated with them. They taught them how to land and push off and with each repetition, the girls gained confidence. They walked around the back garden slowly, teaching them how to accelerate a little and how to maintain forward momentum. Hailey had a moment where she over-accelerated due to nerves and excitement, leaping out of Angelina's grasp. Luckily Fred was flying on his broom and was able to dive in and help her stop safely.

"Okay! You can take long slow circuits around the garden," Harry said. "Follow Flight Mistress Hedwig and mind her as much as you do us, okay girls?"

Hedwig flew into the air and flapped lazily, gliding back and forth at a smooth and sedate pace. The girls followed dutifully after, more chicks than bunnies at the moment. Fred and George and Oliver took to the air on their own brooms and followed them, keeping an eye out.

"Miss flying?" Angelina asked Alicia.

Alicia smiled softly. "Times like this? Yes actually. Maybe Oliver and I can fly with Hadley here and there. Not a lot of space for it where we live but we can always go to his family home."

"And here of course," Katie said.

"Yes of course. Thank you for this. I was getting a little worried how this would go. I had nightmares that I'd return from something and Hadley had broken a bone because her bonehead father and uncles decided to teach her erroneously."

"Didn't they teach you?" Angelina asked.

"Yes but they were rather intimidated by their mother and listened to her warnings to teach me properly very well," Alicia smiled.

"And they're not intimidated by you?" Angelina snorted.

"I can see her uncles 'forgetting' what I say and being a bit too rough. It'd be a pity to send them to a healer but I'd do it," Alicia said, her eyes glinting dangerously.

"I knew I wouldn't let my brothers teach Hailey," Angelina laughed. "And well, the twins and Bill and Charlie are brilliant flyers, Ginny too, but yeah, hearing the horror stories from George made me not let them take her off let me tell you."

"Harry bought Dahlia a toy broom before she was even a few months developed," Katie laughed.

"I got excited," Harry laughed.

"We knew we'd teach her how to fly but we weren't in a real rush," Katie continued. "I think this is the best though. Good thing our girls liked flying and Quidditch enough to do this together."

"Hailey had no chance," Angelina smiled. "Between my job and her Quidditch fanatic family members from both sides of the family, she was stuffed with flying and Quidditch things from birth."

"Oliver was surprisingly good about it," Alicia said. "I fully expected him to go fanatic on her too but he never pushed it. He answered questions and took her to games and flying but never made any remarks about her playing in the future until she showed her own interest."

"How much did you try to put her off?" Katie asked, giggling.

"To her? None at all. Teasing Oliver about pretending to do it? A fair amount," Alicia laughed.

"Poor Captain," Harry snickered. He smiled when Dahlia flew back to him. "You're doing great, Dally!"

"It's so much fun!" Dahlia shouted.

"Mum! Fly with us!" Hailey shouted.

"You too!" Hadley said, giving her mother pleading eyes.

"I didn't bring my broom and I must admit, I haven't taken as good care of it lately," Alicia confessed.

"You can use mine," Harry said. "Just, mind the control a bit. It's a bit twitchy."

Alicia mounted the Firebolt and shrieked as her push-off took her a lot higher than she anticipated. "This is a bit twitchy?!" she said loudly. The broom moved a lot faster than what she was used to, the control of it was a lot more responsive. She flew erratically for a few moments, gritting her teeth at the guffawing twins.

"Guess we have to teach your mum how to ride a broom again too," Fred gasped to Hadley.

"I'll teach your arse to ride my foot again!" Alicia shouted as she tried to find her balance on the broom. Eventually she did and with some more tentative flying, she and Katie and Angelina started flying with their daughters.

Oliver's smile was from ear to ear. "Gosh, this is wonderful. It's been forever since she's flown again. Seeing her fly with Hadley is beautiful. I'll see if I can fix her broom up before getting her a new one."

"Maybe not a Firebolt though," George remarked.

After a while the women and girls landed. Alicia's smile was very broad as well and she handed Harry his broom back. "Thank you, Harry. Okay, I'll admit it, I miss flying. Maybe not so much playing but flying? I can do more of it."

"Want a Firebolt of your own?" Harry teased.

"Absolutely not! That thing is for idiots and Seekers. I want something solid like my old Arrow or something comparable." She wagged a finger at the girls. "None of you are to fly on that broom for any reason unless Papa Harry is with you and even then, less is more. If I catch any of you on that thing, I'll anchor you to the ground."

"Probably for the best," Harry agreed. "No one flies without one of us, preferably a few of us, around. Understood?"

"Yes Daddy/Papa Harry," the girls said. They paid close attention on how to care for their brooms and service them properly. After some happy chatter, the different families left and Harry, Katie, and Dahlia walked into their home with Hedwig riding on Dahlia's head.

Harry smiled as she ran to her room to hang her broom up. "I'm glad she loves it."

"Me too," Katie smiled. "The three of us flying around," a loud hoot cut through the air, "the four of us flying around will be loads of fun," Katie laughed.

"She has to teach her chick how to fly," Harry said, "a lot harder since she doesn't have wings sadly."

"A broom is close enough," Katie said happily.

-0-0-0-

Arnie1701 - Yes, living his good life.

diffident-serpiente - Yeah, wanted to do some extra posts this week to make up for next week. It was nice to do a day in the life for Ron, it felt right. Goldeneye is my fave Bond movie and glad you liked it. Valentin was such a fun character too, it took me forever to learn it was Hagrid. Thank you so much for the kind words. I just started a very short idea that'll be a few chapters that's more meandering and a bit more on magical theory, something you like if I recall. Not sure when I'll start it up but we will see.

DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - No problem on reviews, just glad to see you around. I thought Dilly Pickle would be a fun nickname.

alix33 - Cauldron food would be very satisfyingly and fattening.