HP Life after Hogwarts
Chapter 23
Giving Thanks
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This next chapter has some first for the girls and more…
Notes:
Italic wording is ones inner thought also
: : Telepathic thought
( ) My little creation that I do in the stories it's called a twin link.
--
A few days later at Sanctuary
Dani was up on all fours pondering her next move, while her parents sat with her sisters on an activity blanket laid out on the Common Room floor.
"She's gotten the hang of staying up it looks as though she's gonna attempt her first crawl." Harry grinned at Hermione.
She was encouraging Ally and Mia to interact with the Deluxe Baby Gym that she had set up on the blanket. "These two are exploring the new activity center, so crawling is the last thing on their minds."
Ally kicked a button with a flashing rainbow on it and outshone a rainbow. She kicking another button and giggled with joy. The result was bubbles of all shapes sizes and colors. :That pretty I like new toy.:
Mia zeroed in and kicked the button with a fluttering iridescent butterfly on it. To her wonder and delight shimmering butterflies flew all around them. :This be fun!: She clapped her hands in delight.
"Fred and George are getting brilliant at coming up with new toys for the little ones." Hermione kept one eye on Dani, rocking on all fours, and kept an eye on Ally and Mia. "The girls love what they've created."
"Those two are on a mission, now that they're gonna be the proud fathers of baby girls." Harry watched as Dani started to crawl after a butterfly. "There's my girl and yes I agree that's a pretty butterfly." Harry was getting all of it on his Digital Video Recorder.
"Well done Dani. Mummy's very proud of you." Hermione encouraged her.
Ally and Mia rolled onto their stomachs and decided that what their sister was up to was more fun.
"Wolfe, look our other two are making a go at it as well." Hermione was beaming with pride as the two of them crawled over to their sister.
"Well done Ally and Mia! Daddy is proud of all of his brilliant little girls." Harry was beyond pleased with this turn of events.
:Dada! Mama! I crawl!: Dani smiled her toothy grin at her parents.
:I do it too!: Mia chimed.
:I like Dani! I crawl too!: Ally was pleased with what she had just did.
Hermione was walking alongside the three of them and Harry continued to preserve the moment forever on DVD. "Yes and the three of you are doing a wonderful job of crawling too."
"We're home!" Rory and Wills walked in from the entryway.
Dani upped her speed and zoomed over to her Aunt and Uncle.
"She's crawling!" Wills eyed the little one coming towards the two of them.
"All three of them are." Rory knelt down and held out her arms. "Come to Aunt Rory you wonderful little girls you."
"They just achieved it about four minutes ago." Harry chuckled when Ally and Mia let Rory cuddle them, but Dani played hard to get for Wills.
"Dani likes her freedom I see." Wills followed beside her.
"She wants to explore her new surroundings." Hermione giggled when she stared wide-eyed at the doors leading to her Grandparents wing.
:I show Gram. Open door please.: Dani sat down on her tush and pointed to the doors.
"As you wish your majesty," Wills opened the doors.
Lily was reading the first draft of Harry and Hermione's book in the Common room. James was snoozing on the couch with the twins.
"Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is that my Dani crawling towards me." Lily set down the laptop and got down on the carpet so Dani could crawl to her.
Mia and Ally were right behind their big sis.
"All three achieved this momentous step together?" Lily looked up at Harry, Hermione, Wills, and Rory.
"Dani achieved it first, so the other two chose to follow suit." Hermione answered softly as not to awaken James or the twins.
"She's loving her taste of freedom and doesn't wish to be picked up." Harry chuckled softly when Dani crawled under the coffee table instead of into the arms of her Grams. "Now the other two never say no to a good cuddle." Mia and Ally were in Lily's arms.
"You did the same when you learned to crawl. You kept at it for hours till you tuckered yourself out." James opened his eyes to look at them. "Well hello there pumpkin." He smiled down at Dani.
Dani stared up at him. :Grandada look I crawl!: She proudly smiled showing off her new teeth.
"Yes pumpkin. I can see that you've mastered the art of crawling." James chuckled when she zoomed off. "Have fun exploring."
Ally and Mia crawled over to greet him as well. :We crawl Grandada.: They chimed.
"And you're doing a smashing job at it too."
Fluffy, snoozing behind the couch on his pillow, playfully nuzzled Dani when she crawled passed him.
Lady and Rad were shadowing Mia and Ally.
"I hope the two of you know that you're going to be run ragged now." James arched a brow at Harry and Hermione.
"Well, we know that both baby brother and baby sister love a good challenge." Wills smirked.
"Be nice. The two of them are just enjoying the girls and how amazing the three of them are." Rory watched as the trio crawled back into the main wing with Fluffy and the pups in hot pursuit.
"The pups and Fluffy make excellent baby-sitters." Lily smiled. "They'll keep them out of mischief; after all they had plenty of practice with the twins.
"That and the entire manor is baby proof, so it's safe for them to explore." Harry watched as the trio thought about how to go about conquering the stairs. "Stick with the downstairs, you three aren't ready for stairs yet."
The trio crawled off to explore the main Common Room where Henry and Dromi were coming down the stairs that led to the East wing.
"Well, hello ladies. Are we enjoying our first taste of freedom?" Henry sat down on the bottom stair.
:We Crawl!: They chimed.
"Yes, we can see that and you three are mastering it wonderfully." Dromi conjured bubbles for them to chase after.
"Unreal, crawling at nearly three months. What's next walking at five? You three need to pace yourselves." Henry got up to walk along beside them.
Dani had stopped in front of the Baby gym and happily sat down in front of it to push the colorfully animated buttons. (I push. You chase.)
(Bubbles!) Ally squealed in delight when Dani hit the bubbles button.
(No pretties!) Mia happily chased after colorful butterflies.
"Now this is what I call a fascinating baby toy." Henry sat down beside Dani.
"Fred and George are taking muggle baby toy ideas and developing their own wizarding versions of them." Dromi watched after the other two.
"So each button creates a special effect?" Henry pushed the flashing rainbow and out arched a transparent stream of colorful light. "Now what do you imagine the musical note is gonna do?" He pushed the button and the result was a happy tune with musical notes floating around them that changed colors as the tune played on.
:Uncle Henry…Dani likes.: She hit the button again and this time it played a classical music piece.
"See Mione, they included the classics as well as kids songs and the girls love it." Harry scooped Ally up into his arms.
"Classical music is good for them." Hermione was cuddling Mia.
:Again!: Dani hit the button out played the Quidditch fight song. She hit it again and it was Hogwarts school song.
"Yeah, just like I said all sorts of music." Harry rolled his eyes.
"I was thinking that since we have so much to give thanks for this year that our own version of thanksgiving is in order." Rory suggested.
"Uh, sure Sis…" Harry looked over at Wills, who was not so positive about her idea. "I think that can be easily arranged."
"She and Dromi wish to cook it themselves." Wills gave them an idea about why he wasn't all smiles about this dinner.
"Uh, really…well, then that's great." Harry forced himself to smile. Yeah, like I wish to spend another week in hospital because of severe food poisoning…Not in this lifetime!
"Dromi and I have been learning from Aunt Mattie and Uncle Paddy. We aren't going to be sending anyone to St. Mungo's." Rory growled.
"No of course you aren't." Hermione glared at Harry.
"The result is usually minor stomach aliments." Henry winced when Dromi glared at him.
"Wills thought what we made last night was good." Rory pouted
"It was a wonderful dinner, dearest." He had never eaten such dry roasted chicken in his life, the rolls had been a tad on the hard side, the veggies half-cooked, but dessert had been a wonderful triple chocolate truffle cake.
"Oh yeah, it was very good." Henry lied through his teeth to save his skin.
"It's a shame that Mione, Mum, Dad, and I missed it." Harry acted like he was disappointed.
"Yes, it sounded lovely." Hermione smiled.
"The two of us can go fix us all lunch." Rory and Dromi smiled.
"Lunch?" Harry and Hermione looked at each other. "We'd love to, but we've got Quidditch practice this afternoon for our four day European series."
"The two of you have to eat." Dromi frowned.
"We're going to Draco and Ginny's for lunch." Harry went about putting away the triplet's toys.
"So, who'll be watching the girls this weekend?" Wills frowned.
"Our plan is to apparate there, play the match, and come home. Aunt Mattie and Uncle Paddy are going to watch them during the short time we're away." Hermione handed Henry, Mia, so she could pick up Dani.
"We assumed you four would wanna watch the match?" Harry finished stowing away the toys.
"We do love watching all of you play." Henry set Mia in her swing. "We're just used to how muggles deal with away games."
"Karkaroff is still at large in Europe, so the girls are staying here where it's safe. We're playing France's Quiberon Quafflepunchers on Friday. Then Germany's Heidelburg Harriers on Saturday. Sunday it's Luxembourg's Bigonville Bombers. Finishing it out on Monday with Poland's Grodzisk Goblins. So, you see a few hours away during their naptime will be nothing to the triplets." Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Then the following weekend it's Portugal's Braga Broomfleet, Lithuania's Gorodok Gargoyles, Norway's Karasjok Kites, and my least favorite of them all Bulgaria's Vratsa Vultures."
"That's right this year's jammed with matches because of the World Cup in July." Wills set Ally in her swing. "So, in that case off to practice with you and we'll watch the girls."
"Dinner will be ready when you get back."
"Have a good practice. We shall see you all at dinner." Dromi took Dani from Hermione and set her in a swing.
"Uh…thanks." Harry reluctantly kissed each of the girls on their downy haired heads. "Be back in a bit, be good for everyone…Love you."
"Yes, my darling girls be good while we're away at practice." Hermione did the same.
:We be good.: The girls chimed. The three of them knew what practice meant, so they weren't going to throw a fuss when their parents vanished.
--
"So what's for dinner tonight?" Wills asked.
"Hot roast beef sandwiches, mash, and trifle for dessert." Rory answered.
"Will the two of you be fine while we make lunch?" Dromi asked.
"Oh, don't worry about us we'll be fine." Henry smiled.
"A sandwich and crisps sounds good for lunch." Wills suggested. "Now as for the other we'll be fine."
"Very well, but call if you need us." Rory and Dromi left to go make lunch.
"Quick thinking, Wills. I mean how can they possibly go wrong with cold sandwiches."
"I hope they can't, but as for dinner, well, I'm dreading every second of it." Wills picked up the copy of The Pendragon Legacy and sat down to read while the girls napped in their swings.
--
Later that evening
Harry eyed his watch, practice had been over for hours, but they were hiding out in the Guest Cottage. "Can't we just gather up our girls and claim exhaustion?"
"You don't even know if dinner is going to be horrid or not, besides it will hurt their feelings." Hermione munched on an apple.
"St. Mungo's wasn't pleasant last February. I don't wish to revisit it."
"Henry and Wills managed to survive last night, so maybe that's a good sign." Hermione frowned. "Now let's quit stalling and go see our daughters."
"Front and center you two. We're family if we go down then we go down together." James growled from outside the doors.
"Yeah, what Dad said." Ron and Draco growled.
"Busted," Harry grumbled opening the doors.
"See Dani, Daddy isn't leaving you nor is your Mummy." James had Dani cuddled in his arms.
:You promised to come back after. You no break promise!: She glared at them.
"I know princess and we're sorry." Harry took her in his arms.
"Daddy just fears dinner." Hermione smirked.
"So far it smells really good." Ron as usual was starving.
"It looks edible." Draco nodded.
"It is edible. I fixed their bungles while they were taking a tub before dinner. Shoe leather isn't my idea of a meal." James confessed.
"Oh, thank you for saving us all a trip to St. Mungo's." Harry visibly sighed in relief.
"I've been there myself remember." James grinned. "They might not be wonders in the kitchen for making the main meal, but like their mother dessert is going to be brilliant."
"This little switcheroo may have worked this time, but it shant save any of us during Rory and Dromi's special giving thanks dinner." Hermione vanished
"Oh, gods as usual she's right…" Harry groaned. "Eventually we're all doomed."
"Last night's meal wasn't perfect, but Henry and I survived eating it. The roasted chicken was dry, the veggies may have needed cooked and seasoned more, the rolls might have nearly chipped our teeth, but dessert was out of this world good." Wills had drunk two bottles of stomach soothing potion, but he had supported Rory's efforts to cook him a meal. "The point is that we supported their try at cooking us a meal."
"Yes, we both bit the bullet as it were." Henry nodded. "Dessert was a divine chocolate trifle with raspberry filling and the remedy potion isn't bad tasting either."
"All right you win we'll support them even if it means a week in St. Mungo's with severe food poisoning." James, Ron, Draco, and Harry all grumbled.
"Now that we have that settled let's go eat dinner." Wills pointed towards the main house and all of them headed towards it.
--
The following Tuesday all of them were pretty much beat from four hard fought victories in a row.
"Do we have to?" Harry eyed the invitation with dread.
"Yes, we have to, besides you promised remember." Hermione was already dressed for dinner. "Now get dressed."
"Four glorious victories only to come home to impending doom," Harry grumbled as he got dressed for dinner.
"You don't know that, so behave." Hermione growled in his ear.
"I saw their tries at roast beef, chicken, and ham. I dread what will become of the turkey." Harry left to go peek on the girls.
"The girls are fine; now let's go join the others for dinner." Hermione dragged him from their room.
--
Everyone was lounging in the Common Room including Severus and a very pregnant Sibyll, Arthur & Molly, Sirius & Jenna, Remus & Gene, in other words the whole family.
"Hello everyone," Hermione dragged Harry along beside her.
"You okay son? You look a little peaked." James tried not to smirk.
"Yes, honey. Are you coming down with something?" Lily frowned.
"Now that you mention it I am…" Harry gritted his teeth in pain when Hermione dug into his foot with the heel of her slingback. "Fine just tired." Harry glared down into her defiant amber eyes. :You'll pay for that later lioness.:
"Four smashing victories will do that to a chap." Sirius saluted him with his Butterbeer.
"You put all the other teams to shame." Jenna agreed.
"You were all wonderful." Molly smiled.
"Yes, it was a brilliant job of playing Quidditch." Arthur agreed.
"All of you do a smashing job as a team." Harrison nodded.
"Yes, more so than the other teams," Violet smiled.
"You did a fabulous job." Gene agreed.
"Come July you are a sure in for the World Cup." Remus also saluted them with his Butterbeer.
"Thanks for the support, we'll try to live up to that." Draco, Ron, and Logan smiled.
"So, has anyone checked on Rory and Dromi to see if they need any help?" Hermione changed the subject. :Behave or I'll do more than just squash your foot with the heel of my slings.:
"We tried, but they booted us out." Wills and Henry shrugged.
"Mattie is in there as are Winky, Dobby, and Kreacher. Dinner should be a smashing success." Stephen told them.
"All of them?" Harry saw a light at the end of the tunnel.
"That's right they've been with them all-day." Anna nodded.
"No men allowed is what they growl at ya." Paddy grumbled.
"Oh really," Hermione arched a brow at them. "Then I shall go peak in on them myself."
"We'll come too." Luna, Thea, Ginny all left the room with Hermione.
--
"Relax kid." Max smirked. "No one is going to St. Mungo's tonight."
"Harry James you need to have more faith in your sisters." Lily narrowed her eyes at her son.
"It smells wonderful." Harley smiled serenely.
"Yes, it does smell divine." Sibyll, who had been having the occasional twinge or two, winced in pain.
"Sibyll?" Severus had seen her wince.
"It's just a twinge darling." She smiled serenely. "I'm fine."
"Aunt Sibyll?" Trista frowned.
"If you are in pain then no you are not fine." He saw her wince again.
"My back is causing a twinge every once in a while, but its fine so relax all of you…" Sibyll gasped when her water broke. "Oh, my stars I should have read my tea leaves this morning. Cynthia wished to surprise us earlier than expected." She wasn't the least bit flustered.
Severus went unglued at the thought of the baby coming early. "She's three weeks early! Something could be wrong! We're going to St. Mungo's!" He looked scared out of his mind.
"Nonsense darling, we've a house full of Healers, so St. Mungo's isn't needed." Sibyll smiled serenely at him.
"Sorry that we're late, but we had to drop the girls off at my folks place." Oliver and Lucy had arrived.
"Well sis, it looks like you're gonna be working tonight." Katie winked at her.
"Sibyll?" Lucy went over to check on her.
"My water has broken, but other than that I am fine." Sibyll was still serene as can be.
"She needs to go to St. Mungo's." Severus raked his fingers through his hair.
"Severus Samuel Princeton Snape, Cindy and I are fine." Sibyll growled.
"Sibyll Calista Abigail Trelawney-Snape this is not up for discussion." Severus paced in front of her.
"Calm down Severus. Lily, Lucy, Gene, Violet, Anna, Ginny, and Hermione are all here." Remus had never seen him so unglued.
"Yeah, the Healers are St. Mungo's so try to relax." Sirius found himself slammed to the floor.
"You so deserved that you tactless moron." Jenna muttered under her breath.
"If I want your opinion Sirius then I'll ask for it!!" Severus had him pinned.
"Whoa there Severus, it's going to be okay. Ladies go get Sibyll settled in one of the guest suites while we calm our dad-to-be down." James pried Severus off Sirius.
Sibyll stood up and went over to cradle Severus' face between her hands. "I'm fine. We're fine. I promise that nothing is going to happen to either of us, so please calm down I need you to be able to do this."
Severus stared wild-eyed at her. "I can't lose either of you…" His voice broke and he had tears streamed down his cheeks.
"I'm not your mother. This is not the same, so calm your fears." She kissed away his tears.
Harry decided that some reassuring was in order, so he focused on the fire that flared to life with rich turquoise and gold flames. "Ease my Uncle's fears, show us please. As I will so mote it be."
The fire flared to life showing Severus holding a newborn baby girl in his arms while Sibyll held court next to him. She had a downy cap of golden blonde curls, and seemed content to sleep in her father's arms. Its task complete the fire returned to normal.
"There now you see no worries we're fine…" Sibyll gasped in pain. "She just wishes to see us is all..."
Severus swept her up into his arms. "Let's go get you settled."
"Mum I think she'd be comfortable in the Celestial Suite." Harry suggested.
"Oh, that sounds lovely Harry dear." The pain now subsiding she managed a weak smile.
"Yes, Harry that's precisely what she needs." Lucy smiled.
"We kept various aspects of school in mind when we designed the various rooms." Harry kept chatting. "I'll go get Uncle Albus and Aunt Minerva."
"I'm fine now." Severus carried her out of the room with Lucy, Lily, Anna, Violet, Molly, Jenna and Gene following him. "Thank you for easing my fears."
--
"No problem anything for family." Harry waited until they had disappeared up the stairs before looking at the others. "Uncle Albus and Aunt Minerva would want to be here."
"Sorry for the delay. The boys slipped Pendragon into the Gryffindor Common Room, after he followed Bianca home, and flew up to the terrace outside the Family wing." Albus and Minerva arrived.
"At this rate those three are going to break every rule by the end of next term and they were doing so well." Minerva sighed.
"Now Minerva they were coming back from detention and saw him fly to the tower. They couldn't escort him back, so they chose to smuggle him into the Common room." Albus wasn't the least bit upset.
"What about the Prefect's? They should have intervened." Hermione was not pleased.
"The students adore Pendragon and feel the boys received too harsh of a punishment, so it was a team effort you see." His eyes were twinkling with amusement.
"Albus they cannot sneak wild beasts into the castle no matter if it's snowing or not." Minerva scowled.
"Did he get returned to Empress?" Harry arched a brow at them. "A frantic Priss isn't a good thing."
"Fear not my boy. Charlie got him safely back to his mother. Now where is everyone?" Albus glanced around and saw that several of the family was missing.
"We're on baby watch tonight." James grinned.
"Sibyll's water broke and Severus went mental." Sirius's eyes danced with humor.
"He pinned Padfoot to the floor, it was quite fascinating actually." Remus smirked.
"He lost his mother and baby sister when he was a boy. She died as did the babe during childbirth. It does not surprise me that he would panic when Sibyll went into labor." Albus sighed. "I trust that everything is fine now."
"Harry used the fire to calm him down." Draco nodded.
"Aunt Sibyll was amazing with him as well." Harry shrugged. "Hey, I've been there I know what it's like to feel helpless, but I had dad give me a pep talk. It was obvious that you two had nothing and were only making things worse."
"His actions threw me is all that was. I've never seen him that unglued." Sirius shrugged.
"Laid ya flat is what he did." Ron smirked.
"Yeah, but Dad handled the situation brilliantly." Draco added.
"Yeah, you did good Dad." Harry agreed.
"Thanks boys. Although all Padfoot did was state the obvious." James stood up for his best mate.
"Gentleman focus on the situation at hand, Aunt Sibyll upstairs in labor and not about Uncle Severus' logical humanistic reaction to her water breaking." Hermione let them all have it before going up to see Sibyll.
"Yes, Hermione is quite right." Minerva followed her.
"Honestly, do you ever take things seriously or is life just a big game to all of you." Ginny wasn't pleased with them either.
"You know just once it should be the man who has to carry a babe to term and then go through the joys of labor." Luna narrowed her eyes at all of them. "Then you would see this all in a more serious light."
The two of them headed upstairs.
"They wouldn't last to the third trimester. Men are babies when sick or in pain. Harry not included of course. After all, he shared three quarters of Hermione's pain and didn't faint or whimper about it unlike someone I know." Thea also went to check on Sibyll.
"Katie Jane, what are you doing?" Fred growled at his wife.
"What does it look like, Fredrick Arthur Charles, I'm writing a story." Katie had her Quick Quotes Quill off and running over sheets of parchment.
Trista was sketching a drawing of the reaction to their wives words; much like a muggle political cartoonist drew in the newspapers only hers was animated. "This is quite fun. I might draw your column every once in a while."
George glanced down at her work. "Come off it Mel. We or shall I say they didn't look like whipped puppies…No that's not right they did, but that's bellow the belt."
"I for one know that I would never survive the ordeal and am man enough to admit it." Wills finally spoke up.
"Oh, I second that completely." Henry nodded agreeing.
"I seriously doubt that any male who says otherwise is being completely truthful. It's not physically possible for us to do so nor do most males have the pain threshold to endure childbirth." Stephen growled.
"The truth is that we tend to not take this seriously until it's our turn up and when that happens it's just not funny anymore." Alex and Katherine had arrived for dinner. "So, I take it that Sibyll is in labor?"
"Yes, her water broke fifteen minutes ago." Trista nodded.
"Oh and you men stuck your feet in it when Severus lost his composure and they called you on it." Katherine surmised.
"They got their tails handed to them." Katie pushed herself up to her feet. "Let's go up and see Aunt Sibyll."
"Yes, come with us Aunt Katherine and we'll fill you in." Trista did the same.
"It's a pity Kate's at home finishing her Maternity and infant fashion line for the Charity show on Monday or that Lexi is just getting over a cold. They're missing everything…" Katie chatted with Katherine as they headed upstairs.
"Cedric is so loving and protective of her that he won't let her out on chilly nights, especially, now that she's six months pregnant with baby Rohan. It's the same with Seamus…" Trista sighed.
--
"We bundle them up nice and warm just as much as he does." Fred grumbled.
"Yeah, it's not like they're in another town! They live right on the bloomin lake." George felt as if his Melanie had slapped him.
"Cedric doesn't have to deal with chasing Katarina everywhere, because she's determined to chase after a story." Fred conjured an ale and took a healthy swig from the bottle. "Nor did she wait until she was almost showing before breaking the news either."
"And they call us bloomin cowards." George took a swig of his own ale. "At least Charlie, Logan, Draco, Seamus, and Harry got to know from the start instead of four months later hey guess what we're having a baby."
"Well, there was Ferria that clued us in. I already knew ahead of schedule, so that was a major factor for me. Now as for you four, well, that's simple you and Fred are busy, as are Katie and Trista." Harry felt a headache coming on.
:Dada! I wants held!: Dani paged him.
:Coming angel.: Harry winced, because he hadn't been ready for her mental summons. "Love to continue this conversation, but duty calls."
"That's what all of this is about. Never forget it. All that matters in the end is ones complete and total devotion to ones family." Albus headed upstairs.
"Dada!" The twins sent for James from the baby monitor on his hip.
"Dada!" A second pair of young cries echoed after them.
"Dada!" Nate chimed in as well.
Sirius, Remus, and James headed off to the west wing.
"I'm checking on Orry." Logan not wishing to take the stairs vanished.
A few seconds later Harry's voice filtered into the room from the intercom. "Logan...never mind…"
"That boys is what it's all about and there isn't anything like it in the entire world." Harrison and Arthur grinned.
"Savor that feelin, enjoy every second of it, and focus on your lassies and less on your work. They and your children are worth more than all the galleons in Gringotts." Paddy gave them some sound advice.
--
"Dinner is…" Mattie came out of the kitchen and saw only the men. "Oh my stars! Sibyll went into labor!"
"That she did my flower, so dinner is on hold for now." Paddy got up to hold her in his arms.
"The babies also paged their fathers." Stephen nursed his fire whiskey.
"Well, the ham will still be ready when everyone else is ready to eat." Mattie sighed. "Sibyll is who's important and our babies."
"Ham? What happened to the turkey?" Wills frowned.
"You'll be havin ham and like it. The girls bless them try, but are all thumbs in the kitchen. I saved the hams. Winky saved the rolls and vegetables. Kreacher and Dobby couldn't rescue the turkeys in time, but the desserts turned out wonderfully." Mattie sighed in defeat. "Alas like their Ma they aren't for cookin meals."
"Then it's fortunate that Wills and I are." Henry confided. "We might have the pleasure of personal chefs at the palace, but we can cook when we have to and Wizarding cooking is quite enjoyable."
"That's when Harry let's us have a go at it." Wills grinned.
Rory and Dromi walked into the room looking utterly defeated. "Our dinner was a wash, but Aunt Mattie, Winky, Dobby, and Kreacher made it so you won't starve." Rory pouted and sat down in his lap, "All this time you've been risking food poisoning just to humor the two of us."
"Our desserts look divine, but everything else turned out ghastly." Dromi sniffled and sat down in his lap. "We're failures at being wives, because we can't cook anything but dessert."
"Oh, babe that's nothing to be ashamed of." Henry crooned. "Dessert is ones favorite part of the meal."
"I don't understand what went wrong!!" Rory burst into tears.
"Oh, sweetheart it's okay." Wills soothed.
"No it's not! One week I can cook and now I can't! What if my magic is failing or something awful like that?" She wailed miserably. "Our chicken was edible I'll admit that, but then we got better and better each time we cooked. Why did this go so badly?!"
Draco and Ron looked at each other then at Rory and Dromi's miserable tear streaked faces.
"Uh, well, you see…" Ron started.
"You're not losing your magic…" Draco felt like the main culprit not just a knowing bystander.
"Boys what exactly has been going on and I mean all of it." Stephen narrowed his eyes at the boys.
"Well, you see the two of us aren't the ones who fixed our big sisters meals." Ron eyed him warily.
"No, but we kind of knew it was happening." Draco felt lower than Flobberworm mucus.
"Fixing our meals?" Rory narrowed her eyes at them.
"We were so terrible that our meals needed to be switched?!" Dromi was crying even harder now.
"Did you know about this!?" Rory pulled out of Wills arms and got up to glare at him.
"Now tigress no one wanted to hurt your feelings or end up in Hospital, so we switched meals while you were getting ready for dinner." Wills hated the look that she was giving him.
"We as in you and Henry or we as in Daddy and Harry?!"
"James and Harry have both ended up in hospital with severe food poisoning, so it makes sense that he would wish to prevent that from happening again." Stephen pondered their reasons for deceiving the girls. "He wouldn't want to hurt his girls feelings either, so no harm was meant."
"We're not delicate flowers!" Rory was not pleased. "We had a right to know the truth!" Rory ran up the stairs that led to their wing.
"Rory!" Wills chased after her. "Come on angel, don't be like this."
"She's right!" Dromi wrenched herself free of Henry's arms, jumped up to her feet. "Now we're humiliated because of this!" She raced up the stairs in tears.
"Dromi no one is disappointed that you can't cook!" Henry chased after her.
"Sometimes it's just best to bite the bullet as the muggles say and tell the truth rather than try to spare their feelings." Max conjured himself a fire whiskey and downed it.
"Yeah, we'll try to remember that." The twins nodded.
"Oh yeah, it's committed to my memory." Ron agreed.
"I try to be honest with Gin as much as possible, but then my Peaches can cook." Draco nursed his Guinness.
"All of you are new to the game, so you're bound to muddle it up during the first year." Wood, who had been keeping mum so far, finally spoke up.
"Sometimes a night on the couch is worth it to prevent something such as this mess." Alex agreed.
--
Harry rocked Dani, but it was no use his little girl was wide-awake. "So, you want to be night owl tonight." He patted her back.
"She thinks we're taking off again in the morning. Orry is the same way." Logan was also rocking his son.
"Ally and Mia seem content though." Harry was starving and to appease his stomach was willing to risk eating his sisters' food. "Dani even Daddy needs sleep. So, why don't you close your little eyes and dream of butterflies and rainbows?"
Dani babbled and patted his head. "…idditch."
Logan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That sounded verbally familiar not like baby babble at all."
Harry had also heard it. "It sounded like idditch." He had Dani cradled in his arms and she was staring intensely up at him.
"She might be trying to say Quidditch. Crawling at three months and trying speech as well she's out to topple milestones." Logan winked at Dani. "You carry on munchkin. Although, Dada or Mama is safer for your Dad, first word wise. Quidditch even though brilliant beyond means would frazzle your Mum's nerves."
"Dada…" Dani tried that word out.
"She said Dada!" Harry's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "That's right you wonderful little girl. I'm your dada." He kissed her tiny little fingers.
"And us with no video camera." Logan stared at her in disbelief.
"We have web-cams in case they do anything miraculous so we don't miss it." Harry pointed to various parts of the nursery. "Say Dada."
"idditch…" Dani babbled gibberish and then. "Dada…idditch..." This was followed by more gibberish.
"Daddy does play Quidditch as do Mama, Uncle Logan, Uncle Draco, and Uncle Ron." Harry kissed her nose. "Say Mama."
"Dada…nitch..." Dani pleased with her accomplishment blew raspberries at him.
"She means snitch." Logan chuckled.
"Yes, Dani. Dada catches the snitch when he plays Quidditch." Harry chuckled. "Now say Mama."
"Dada…dada…dada!" Dani babbled away.
"Mama," Harry tried again.
"idditch."
"You my friend are doomed." Logan smirked.
"It does sound like I coached her doesn't it." Suddenly this wasn't cute anymore.
"Oh yeah, buddy in spades." Logan nodded.
"Dani say Mama for Daddy or I'm doomed." Harry gave her a desperate look.
"Dada…dada…dada!" Dani loved the sound of it much more than what he kept saying to her.
"It's easier than the other three say Mama."
"idditch…"
"No honey, say Mama."
"nitch…Dada…Dada…idditch." Dani happily kicked her feet.
"Give it up Prince. She likes those words right now." Logan set Orry in a bassinette.
:Dani likes say Dada.: Dani's tiny bow shaped mouth formed an all too familiar pout.
"Promise Daddy that you'll think about it." Harry sighed in defeat.
"Dada..." Dani yawned sleepily. :I think about it. Dani sleep now.: She went back to sleep.
"Pray that Ally or Mia say Mama soon or you're dead my friend." Logan was highly amused.
Harry put Dani down for the night. "Daddy's proud of his baby girl, love you." He kissed her on the head, glanced into the cribs of his other two miracles that were still sound asleep, and left the nursery.
--
Who woke up?" Hermione asked softly from where she was standing on the second floor landing.
"Dani wanted a cuddle and is back to sleep." Harry pulled her to him for a kiss. "So how goes it upstairs?"
"Aunt Sibyll is about to be a Mum…" Hermione paused when a lusty cry of a newborn babe echoed from upstairs. "Correction is a Mum." She smiled happily.
"Wow she had a fast labor." Harry looked at his watch only three hours when Hermione's had been eleven.
Severus appeared on the top floor landing with a tiny bundle wrapped in pink in his arms. "Would you three care to see my own little miracle?" He sat down on the landing.
Logan, Harry, and Hermione tread quietly up the stairs to see the newest member of the family.
"She's perfect Uncle Severus." Harry whispered softly. "How is Aunt Sibyll?"
"She breezed through this like she does everything and is in perfect health, as is our Cynthia Raven Samantha." Severus was awestruck by the little bundle in his arms.
"That's a lovely name for a beautiful little girl." Hermione cooed at her.
"She's adorable." Logan smiled.
"Believe it or not Sibyll is famished, so if there is any dinner left could you please send us up a tray?" Severus arched a brow at Harry.
"Dani paged me and Orry paged Logan as far as I know dinner is still on hold, but I'll have Winky send up a tray." Harry grinned sheepishly when his stomach growled.
"We're all probably starving." Logan chuckled softly.
"Go see to that while I arrange for some things to bring up for Aunt Sibyll and the baby." Hermione headed back down the stairs to their floor and the nursery.
"Oh yeah, your doomed." Logan nudged Harry on the shoulder.
"Why? What happened this time?" Severus arched a brow at Harry.
"Nothing bad…Dani said a word or two out loud a while ago." Harry sighed in defeat.
"That's not supposed to cause impending doom. Jubilations and cheer yes, but not doom."
"She's trying Quidditch and snitch, but mastered the word Dada."
"Oh, I see. She has heard Quidditch and snitch constantly for days so that's a logical reason why she would try those words…" Severus smirked. "Dada is a more typical first word, but it does usually come after Mama."
"She's adorable. She says idditch for Quidditch, nitch for snitch, and Dada seems to be her favorite of the moment." Harry praised his little wonder.
"He all but begged her to say Mama." Logan headed downstairs.
"Dani is her own person. She'll say Mama in do time, but it does look bad." Severus stood up. "Almost like you coached her to learn those words first."
"Yeah, I'm innocent, but as usual doomed. I'll send that tray up. Give my love to Aunt Sibyll." Harry vanished.
--
Hermione loaded up the other changing table with newborn diapers and the works and then sent it up to the Celestial suite and a bassinette.
"Mama." Dani sat up in her crib.
Hermione raced over to her crib. "Did Mummy's baby girl say Mama?"
Dani blew raspberries at her. "idditch."
Hermione picked her up and went to rock her. "Oh, you mean Quidditch." She kissed her nose.
"acer…" She babbled on.
"That's Chaser brilliant girl, but good first try. Yes Mama is a Chaser and plays Quidditch." She smiled down at her.
"Mama…acer." She happily munched on a strand of Hermione's long tresses all the while babbling away.
"Yes darling girl Mama is a Chaser." She lifted her up and gave her another kiss on the nose. "Can you say Dada?"
"Mama…Mama…Mama…"
"Try Dada for Mummy,"
"idditch."
"Dada."
"acer."
"That's wonderful, but try to say Dada for Mummy."
"Mama…Mama…Mama." She loved this game and it was only fair to play it with her Mama to.
Oh frazzle this will crush him and it sounds as if I coached her to do this too. This is not good no not good at all. Hermione thought. "Please baby or you'll hurt Daddy's feelings. Say Dada."
"Mama." Dani was getting sleepy again. :Like saying Mama.: She blinked at her and yawned.
"Promise Mama that you'll think about it okay baby?" Hermione put her back in her crib.
:Okay night-night Mama. Loves you.: Dani drifted off to sleep with her bear and dragon cuddled in her arms.
"I love you too angel." Hermione kissed her goodnight then vanished from the nursery.
--
Harry was pacing the study as the webcam footage replayed on the computer screen. "It does sound like I coached her doesn't it?"
Draco, Ron, Oliver, Fred, and George were at a loss about what to say to him.
"Three words is a milestone, but it does sound like you coached her." Draco played it again.
"Hermione will be too busy jumping for joy that her darling baby girl talked at three months and it might not matter about the words." Ron tried to be optimistic.
"You don't believe that for a second little brother." Fred rolled his eyes at him.
"She'll be wantin her precious darling to say Mama first and as for the other two words, well, she might just go mental and banish you to the couch." George agreed.
"Oh, well, gee thanks a lot for the support." Harry muttered under his breath.
"She talked not one word, but three at three months, so who cares what word came first." Oliver stared at him in disbelief.
"I know and I'm over the moon about it, but Dani saying Dada first would bring up the whole she loves me more bit again." Harry sighed in frustration.
"Out with it Prince if she'd said Mama first you'd have been devastated. Admit it. You're thrilled that she said Dada first." Logan called him on it.
"Yeah, it would have upset me, but that isn't the point now is it." Harry walked over and saved the video file naming it snitch, so Hermione wouldn't bother to look at it, that done he threw himself down face first on his leather sofa. "At least this couch is comfortable." He muttered into a throw pillow.
--
Meanwhile out in the Common room Hermione is having a similar conversation with the rest of the family.
"What am I going to do?" She buried her face in her hands.
"Honey he won't be upset." Katherine tried to calm down her daughter. "You spoke at four months, so this isn't a surprise to Alex and I."
"Dani talked not one word, but three." Lily patted her hand. "One of the words was nearly Quidditch."
"She's his little shadow. He'll be devastated if she says Mama first. Her nearly saying Quidditch won't matter. He'll brood for weeks when he finds out that she almost said Chaser, because his dreams of her following in his footsteps will be dashed!" Hermione was near tears.
"Harry isn't like that." Anna reassured her.
"He'll be happy that she said her first words." Alex agreed.
"He's Harry, so who knows how he'll react." Luna and Ginny said in unison.
"She talked this is wonderful news, so focus on that." Thea smiled.
"Yes, this is a momentous step in your daughter's life. Talking at three months is astonishing." Stephen was beside himself with pride.
James watched the webcam footage that Hermione had called up on the screen. "Harry played this game at three months where he would say Dada around me, but refused to say Mama unless he was alone with Lily."
"Our Harry was quite the character as a baby." Lily giggled. "James and I were beside ourselves with guilt for days, because neither of us wished to hurt the others feelings."
"James was pulling his hair out about it." Sirius smirked.
"So was Lily." Jenna's eyes danced with humor.
"The thing was that he said both to any of us…just not to James or Lily." Remus chuckled.
"So, she's playing some game with the two of us?" Hermione called up more footage from the webcam, but came up with nothing. "That's odd the footage of Harry and Logan in the nursery has been removed."
"Oh yeah, like father, so like daughter," James chuckled. "Junior is powwowing with the boys in the study about something and I doubt it's about Quidditch."
Hermione set the laptop back on the coffee table. "There's only one-way to find out." She got up to go find Harry.
"Well, at this rate it'll be midnight before we eat." Max was starving.
"We're all starving, but let them talk first." Molly growled.
--
"Harry?" Hermione knocked on the study door.
"Is it time to eat yet?" Ron opened the door.
"Boys go set the table in the formal dining room while Harry and I have a chat." Hermione eyed the boys.
"Sure Hermione no problem…" The guys left.
Hermione closed the door and walked over to where Harry was brooding on the couch. "Did Dani call you Dada?" She asked softly.
Harry grumbled something into the pillow, but didn't look at her.
"I'm not angry about it, so quit brooding, and talk to me." She sat down on the arm of the couch.
Harry rolled over onto his back and stared up at her. "I didn't coach her. She just said it. Please don't sentence me to the couch tonight." He sulked.
"Sentence you to the couch for saying Dada at three months, why whatever made you think that." Hermione found herself pulled down into his arms.
"She said more than Dada before that." He kissed her.
"So, you were so wary of my reaction to her saying Dada first that you erased her first words." Hermione sat up and frowned at him.
"No of course not I saved it under another file name." He pulled her back into his arms. "How did you find out? Logan was in here and Uncle Severus is cooing over baby Cindy, so how do you know?"
"She called me Mama while I was in the nursery and tried other words as well." Hermione laughed when his face went from puzzled to shocked in seconds. "Oh yes lion. She's playing us and she's only three-months-old."
"Let me guess. She wouldn't say Dada." Harry shook his head in disbelief when Hermione nodded.
"No, but she did say idditch for Quidditch and acer for Chaser." Hermione arched a brow at him. "So what was it with you?"
"She said nitch for snitch, but also idditch that was her first word or try at it anyway." Harry took a deep calming breath. "I'll show you."
The two of them walked over to the computer and played the media file called snitch. "Our daughter's first try at being a Marauder..."
Hermione watched the file then kissed his cheek. "You are such a love."
Harry viewed the media file of Hermione in the nursery. "She's really taking after the craftier sides of our personae." He chuckled when she was put through the same paces as he had been. "Oh, angel you care." He kissed her nose.
"Your Dad said that she's mirroring what you did at her age, so he was the one to figure it out." Hermione snuggled closer. "Can we go eat now? I'm famished."
"Yes please before I eat one of those fake fruit over there." Harry grinned sheepishly.
"Don't worry lion you'll be fed." Hermione paused before opening the door. "We're eating Aunt Mattie's, Winky's, Dobby's, and Kreacher's cooking, so you're going to be able to enjoy eating dinner without worrying about food poisoning."
"Bloody hell this is the last thing that I needed tonight! Are my sisters even speaking to us now?" Harry groaned.
"No, but Wills and Henry are taking the brunt of the abuse for not being honest with them." Hermione opened the door.
"Finally!! Let's eat dinner and be done with it!" Rory snarled at the two of them.
"I'm not guilty of switching your meals Dad is!" Harry wasn't in the mood to be lashed out at. "He only did it to spare your feelings and save our lives, so live with it! We are here to give thanks for all that we've been blessed with this year not to whine or brood over being beyond terrible cooks in the kitchen! Women in our family are fabulous at making sweets, but disastrous at the main meal! It's a known fact, so live with it and let's eat!"
"Next time tell us the truth." Dromi growled.
"And have the two of you banish Wills and Henry to the couch or worse because of hurting your feelings!? I hate to break it to you, but it is our job to make our wives happy and to support them in all of their endeavors!" Harry snarled at them. "But if you wish them to be heartless, unfeeling, cad's then they can do that too! That is up to you!" He stalked passed them and headed for the formal dining room.
"I hate it when he goes all noble and prince like on us." Rory pouted.
"I know, but he's right." Dromi sighed.
"He's also starving and exhausted from this weekend. All five of us are, but we are here at your request, so let's just eat." Hermione went to join Harry.
"Let's go you two." Wills and Henry escorted them to the dining room where everyone was seated and enjoying dinner.
--
Chapter24
Decking the Halls
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I do not claim any of JKR's characters only that I love being able to create my own kind of mischief with her beloved characters. I do not claim any other things that are owned by other companies that I may mention once and a while in the stories...Although the original characters and ideas are mine and I loved creating them. So please review if you wish but try not to flame me too badly.
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Cindra 2004-2008