A/N: I do not own Harry Potter. I know this will come as a shock to some of you but my name is not J.K. Rowling and it never will be. I really want to thank everyone who has reviewed; it really does help me.

Ihope4Anarchy: You take laziness to a whole new level with this not signing in thing. Is something bad going to happen? I'm not telling; you'll just have to wait and see. (Who says I haven't committed murder? You haven't excavated my backyard yet.)

SnowHedwig05: Anna is Oliver's younger sister; Annie is Katie's younger sister who got married in chapter three. Anna is eighteen; Annie is twenty-eight. And they look nothing alike.

Roe Merrifield: Katie and Oliver live in my brain; of course they have quite a time ahead of them. Let's see if your conclusions come to reality.

I love you guys!

Warning: This chapter is going to talk about God. I know He technically doesn't exist in the Harry Potter world but as a Catholic, I like to incorporate my faith into my writing as much as I can. Also, my brother and I have been having a lot of talks about St. Augustine of Hippo lately, so that sort of thing has been floating around in my head lately.

Chapter Five: Mary Poppins will come work for us

Thursday, September 15, 2005: 6:29 PM the Woods' House

The Wood family was eating dinner together, or at least, Katie, Oliver, Christopher, Mary, and Emma were eating. Kiernan was refusing to eat on the grounds that he hated his siblings. What one had to do with the other was completely irrelevant in his mind. The fact of the matter was Kiernan was refusing to eat on the grounds that he didn't like his siblings. No matter what his parents said or did Kiernan would not eat. "Mummy," he protested. "I don't want to eat chicken and peas; I want a ham sandwich."

"We don't have any ham," Katie replied calmly. "And besides, you have two options. You either eat your chicken and peas or you go to bed hungry. What do you want to do?"

"Eat a ham sandwich!" Kiernan yelled back. "Mummy, I hate your chicken and peas! They're disgusting! I hate your food and I hate you!"

"Kiernan Thomas!" Oliver yelled. "Go to your room now! You will not talk to your mother like that."

"No!" Kiernan yelled. "I don't have to do what you say. Just because you're my daddy doesn't mean I have to listen to you."

"That's it!" Katie yelled. "Kiernan, you will not talk to your parents like that, ever! Go to your room."

"No!" he screamed. As he screamed, his mother picked him up and started carrying him up the stairs to his bedroom. He was kicking and screaming as she went and one of his kicks hit her abdomen. She set her son on his bed, shut the door, and ran downstairs to Oliver, clutching her abdomen.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked the minute he saw his wife. "What happened?"

"He kicked me in the stomach," she replied, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her deepest fear was that she would lose the baby.

Oliver wrapped his arms around his wife and guided her to a chair. As he settled her in the chair, his mind flew to all the possible ramifications of his son's kick. Katie could lose the baby or the baby could be fine. He was scared of losing his child. They'd come close enough to losing Emma a year and a half ago; he did not need to deal with losing this child. He needed to get Katie to St. Mungo's.

Thursday, September 15, 2005: 10:27 PM St. Mungo's

Oliver had taken Katie to St. Mungo's, leaving Anna Wood in charge of their children. The healers were examining Katie, but Oliver had to wait in the waiting room. His mind was filled with all the horrible things that might have happened to his wife. He was twisting his fingers when he heard a familiar voice. "You shouldn't do that; you'll break your fingers. Katie would kill you if she knew you were doing that."

Oliver looked up and smiled. "Hey, Mark."

Mark Bell sat down next to him. "Have you heard anything yet?"

Oliver shook his head. "Not yet. How'd you know I was here?"

"Brotherly intuition."

"Really?"

Mark shook his head and laughed. "No, I stopped by your house and Anna told me what happened and where you were. I figured you could use some moral support."

"Some company would be nice," Oliver consented.

"Scared?"

"Terrified," Oliver told his brother-in-law. "What if she loses the baby? What if something happens to my Katie? What am I going to do?"

"Have faith," Mark replied. "You're going to have faith that your baby will survive. Oliver, I know you're not much for God, but sometimes praying really does help. I know you don't like the idea of trusting someone you can't see, but trust me when I tell you that praying can help. Even if you just talk, talking to someone can help."

"So I'll talk to you."

Mark sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's not the same. Just give it a shot, Oliver. Try it out for size and see what happens."

"I don't know. I'm just not into God."

"Fine, you do what you want, Oliver, but I'm going to pray for my sister."

"You do your thing, Mark, and I'll do mine."

"Which means I'll pray and you'll worry; that's a great plan, Oliver."

"I don't mock your beliefs, so don't mock mine."

Mark Bell sighed and the two men settled into an uncomfortable silence. Mark was praying and Oliver was worrying.

The pair sat like this for over two hours. Finally, a healer came in. "Mr. Wood," he said. "You may come see your wife. She's resting peacefully now."

"And my baby?" Oliver asked, the fear evident in his eyes. "Will she carry the baby to term?"

The healer looked at him sadly. "We aren't sure yet. So far, the baby is hanging on, but we're going to have to monitor Mrs. Wood very closely for the next seven months. I would recommend that you hire a nanny or have your mother move in with you until after the baby is born."

Oliver nodded. So his wife would get her way and Anna would have to move in with them. He wasn't crazy about the idea of a nanny, but if it would help Katie stay healthy and let them keep the baby, so be it.

Friday, September 16, 2005: 1:03 PM the Woods' House

Oliver brought Katie home the next day to a house filled with worried people, especially Kiernan. The little boy was terrified when he realized that he was the reason his mother had been taken to the hospital. In addition to Annie Bell-Gilbert and the children, Katie's mother, Oliver's mother, Angelina Weasley, Alicia Weasley, and most of Katie's sisters were waiting in the house. Mark Bell was also there, but he was off where his brother-in-law couldn't see him.

The minute Katie was inside the house, their family was attacking them. "Is she all right?" "Is the baby all right? "Did I kill Mummy?" The last came from Kiernan.

Oliver knew that he would have to have a long chat with Kiernan that evening. "No, darling," Katie said. "You didn't kill me. I'm quite alive."

"Mummy!" the small boy cried out, running to his mother. "Mummy, I'm so sorry. I'll never be bad again. I promise you I'll be good forever. I'll never yell at you or refuse to eat my dinner again. I'll be the best little boy you've ever seen."

Katie smiled and hugged her son. "I forgive you, Kiernan." She kissed his forehead. "You're my son, Kiernan, and I love you."

Kiernan spent much of the rest of the day either clinging desperately to his mother or following her around like a lost puppy. But the most prevalent thought in his parents' minds was the concept of hiring a nanny. The family needed a nanny now that the healer wanted Katie to be under as little stress as was possible.

Friday, September 16, 2005: 10:30 PM the Woods' House

In their bedroom that night, Oliver and Katie discussed the prospect of hiring a nanny. "Do you still want to hire Anna?" Oliver asked. "I talked to Mum today about it today and she said Anna has a job working at Quality Quidditch Supplies, but she would be willing to quit to come work for us."

"She's a possibility," Katie agreed. "Or we could hire someone else. I'm not exactly sure I want a member of our family as a nanny. I think Anna would have trouble disciplining the children and they might have trouble letting her discipline them. We might be better placing an add in the Daily Prophet."

"What if we get some kind of evil nanny?"

"We fire her," Katie replied. "Besides, who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky and Mary Poppins will come work for us."

"Mary Poppins? Katie, please be sensible. Mary Poppins is merely a character in a book and a movie," Oliver scoffed. "She is not going to come work for us."

"How do you know?" Katie replied. "She is a magical being."

"Just wait and see," her husband told her. "We are not getting Mary Poppins as a nanny; trust me."

"We'll see about that."

Monday, September 19, 2005: The Daily Prophet Classifieds

WANTED: A nanny for four children, two boys and two girls, between the ages of one and five. A wealthy couple living in northern Scotland, with their four children, is looking for a nanny for their four children until for the next year and possibly beyond. The children are twin five-year-olds (a boy and girl), a three-year-old boy, and a seventeen-month-old girl; the mother is currently expecting a fifth child due in April. To apply for the job, please send your resume to The Daily Prophet.

Monday, September 19, 2005: 9:05 PM the Woods' House

The Daily Prophet had been swamped with applications almost from the minute the morning paper had gone out. And those applications had been forwarded on to Oliver and Katie who were starting to go through all the resumes. "This is so infuriating," Oliver sighed.

"What?" his wife asked looking up at him.

"All these women who have no credentials, but they want a job working for a wealthy family. What the devil are we supposed to do with them? Do they actually think we would trust our children to them?"

Katie shrugged. "I don't know." Suddenly, she pulled an application out of the pile. "Look at this. You said we wouldn't be able to find Mary Poppins."

Oliver took the parchment from his wife and began reading it.

Mary Elizabeth Poppins

Professional Au Pair based out of London

147 Diagon Alley

London, England

Practically Perfect in Every Way

Most Recent Position: I have spent the past ten years in the employ of Robert and Alice Banks. I have worked with various generations of the Banks family on numerous occasions over the past two hundred years. The reason I must resign from this position is the simple fact that their younger child, Michael, just turned eleven and went off to Hogwarts. Please contact them for references.

Most Difficult Position: For about two weeks twenty years ago, I was in the employ of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Do not ask them for references, but then they are impossible to contact as they are in Azkaban.

For more information, contact me.

Oliver looked at his wife. "This has to be a joke."

"We could contact Robert and Alice Banks to find out," she replied.

"Write them a letter tomorrow morning."

Tuesday, September 20, 2005: 6:05 PM the Woods' House

When Oliver walked into the kitchen that evening, he saw a letter lying open on the kitchen table. "What is it?" he asked his wife.

"Read it," she replied.

Dear Mrs. Bell,

My husband and I were delighted to hear that you and your husband are considering hiring Miss Poppins as an au pair for your children. She was my husband's nanny many years ago and we've been positively thrilled to have her in our employ for the past twenty years. Our oldest daughter, Jane, is a product of Miss Poppins and her fabulous childcare; Jane is a perfect lady. Our three sons, Michael, Robert, and James, are also wonderful, fine young gentlemen. Miss Poppins works wonders with children. If she will agree to work for you, you must hire her. She is phenomenal.

Sincerely,

Alice E. Banks

Oliver gasped. "Is this for real?"

"So it would seem," Katie replied. "We should hire her."

"If we can get her, fairy dust is hard to pin down."

His wife rolled her eyes at him. "Oliver, you are such a cynic. I have my days when I wonder how I fell in love with you."

"It was my charm and good looks," he replied. "You took one look at me and you knew that you had to spend the rest of your life with me."

"Oliver, you have such a large ego that I have to be careful what I say for fear it will increase your ego. You see I learned many years ago that if a beautiful woman, such as myself, told you that she loved you your immense self-love would only increase."

Oliver shook his head and laughed. "Katherine Suzanne Bell-Wood, what on earth am I going to do with you?"

"Sell me on a street corner for large quantities of money."

He kissed her nose. "I need to write a letter to your brother otherwise I might take you up on that. I'll be back in a little bit."

Oliver went to his study and sat down at his desk. He began writing a letter to Mark Bell, a letter he'd needed to write since Friday.

Dear Mark,

I want to thank you for staying with me Thursday night and for praying for Katie and our baby. I firmly believe that it was only because you were praying for them that they survived. As you know, I'm not much for God; my father's death and my mother's rejection of me were responsible for that. But I don't know; something you said that night clicked with me. I'm starting to wonder if God didn't let my dad die just because He hates me. I'm starting to ask questions about God within myself and you're the only person I know who I can talk to about this. Katie and I have never really talked about God, but I'm starting to wonder if trusting in God would help me get through this next seven months. It's going to be a hard time, but if you would pray for our family, especially for me, I would really appreciate it. Maybe I could start asking you my questions about God sometime.

Sincerely,

Oliver M. Wood

Oliver nodded as he finished the letter. It would do; he really was starting to wonder about God. Thursday night had inspired questions in his mind that he desperately wanted to ask someone. He only hoped that Mark could help him.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005: 11:09 AM the Woods' House

Oliver stayed home from work on Wednesday to help his wife interview the applicants. Miss Poppins was due to arrive at eleven-fifteen. "What if she doesn't come?" Oliver asked.

"She'll come," Katie replied. "She's Mary Poppins."

"And I suppose Tinker Bell will come and work as our nanny?"

"I don't think so," his wife replied. "Tinker Bell was a little bit of a slob; Wendy was the neat and tidy one in Peter Pan."

"So, she'll come and be our maid?" Oliver teased.

"Yes, and I think that Snow White will come and cook for us," Katie teased back.

Just then the doorbell rang and Katie went to answer it. "Behave," she whispered.

Then she opened the door to reveal a tall, slender woman with jet-black hair in a perfectly precise bun and kind blue eyes. She was holding a black umbrella, a carpetbag, and a piece of parchment. "Is this the Wood residence?" she asked in a crisp British accent. (If you've seen Mary Poppins, you know what I'm talking about.)

"It is," Katie replied kindly. "Won't you please come in?"

"Certainly, are you Mrs. Wood?"

"I am."

The woman extended her right hand. "I am Mary Poppins."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Poppins," Katie replied. She led the woman into the living room. "This is my husband, Oliver Wood."

Mary Poppins extended her hand to Oliver. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Wood."

"Nice to meet you, too," Oliver replied. "Won't you take off your coat and sit down?"

"Thank you," she replied formally. She took off her coat and handed it to Oliver. Then she set down her umbrella and carpetbag and sat down.

Oliver hung up the coat and returned to his seat beside his wife. "My references," Miss Poppins said as she handed the piece of paper to Katie. "As you will see, I am well qualified for this position."

Katie read over the paper. "You're very well qualified. Would you like to meet our children?"

"Certainly, the advertisement said you had a pair of twins, a three-year-old, and a child about seventeen-months-old. Are the three older children all toilet-trained?"

"Yes," Katie replied. "And we were planning to start toilet-training Emma, our youngest, after her birthday in April."

"Very good," Mary Poppins replied. "And the advertisement also said that Mrs. Wood is expecting; when is the new baby due?"

"In April," Oliver answered.

"Very well, I will stay for at least a year," Mary Poppins told him. "Now, where are the children?"

"I'll go get them," Oliver told her as he stood up and left the room.

"So, the doctor has ordered you on bed rest?"

"Sort of," Katie answered. "He wants me to take it easy for the next few months and bed rest for the final three months. We were originally considering hiring Oliver's younger sister, but we thought that the family relationship would make discipline difficult."

"I see."

Just then, Oliver returned with Emma in his arms and Christopher, Kiernan, and Mary following him closely. "Miss Poppins, these are my children Emma, Christopher, Kiernan, and Mary. Children, this is your new nanny, Miss Poppins."

Mary smiled, Emma hid her face in her father's shoulder, Christopher stared at Mary Poppins, and Kiernan looked at his mother. Mary Poppins smiled at them. "It's nice to meet you all. I know we'll have a wonderful time together."

"Do you make biscuits?" Mary asked.

"What kind of biscuits?"

"Chocolate chip."

"I do," Mary Poppins replied.

"Goody!" Mary squealed. "I like you."

Kiernan spoke up. "Mummy, is she going to be nicer than Aunt Annie?"

"Yes, she will," was his mother's promise.

"Okay, she can stay," he replied. "Aunt Annie made us go to bed at seven o'clock."

"I firmly believe in an eight o'clock bedtime," was the new nanny's reply.

"I like her," Christopher injected.

Emma looked at Mary Poppins and reached out her arms. Mary Poppins stood up and walked over to Oliver; then she took Emma in her arms. Emma snuggled up against her new nanny. "I think this might work out," Mary Poppins said. "Now, I'll take the children upstairs. Kiernan, lead on."

A/N: Okay, so first off, a huge thanks to my new beta Sweet Sour Blood. And I'd love it if everyone would review.