Draco hurried into the room, a small blonde girl clinging around his neck, her familiar face buried in his collar. "What's wrong with Lilie now?" She asked impatiently.
"Ryan decided to tell her that she was born to the same ogre's that had Andrew and that's why they look so different from the rest of them. I've spent the last half hour convincing her she's really ours."
"Oh, wait till I get that boy later. He told James the same story the other day and Trae and Talon the day before. I don't know where he got it from," Ava shook her head. "RYAN! TRAE! TALON! JAMES! ANDREW!" She called out to each of her sons. "GET IN HERE NOW!"
One by one the boys piled into the room, lining up around their parents, waiting for their guests to arrive. Ryan was giggling maliciously as he glanced around at his siblings. Lilie had calmed down, but would still not let go of Draco. Draco waited by the door, while Ava waited by the fire. Sure enough people soon began to pour out of the fire, each greeting one another, while the few without children apparated outside the front door before ringing the bell.
"Ava! So good to see you. It's been too long," Aubrey said, greeting her best friend.
Ava and Aubrey were both from prominent pure blood wizarding families and their parents had been best friends along with Draco's. The two grew up as the best of friends, despite being sorted into opposing houses in Hogwarts. Ava, despite being from a long line of Slytherin's had ended up in Gryffindor, while Aubrey had been named a Slytherin at once. It was in fact Ava who was the one who had introduced Aubrey to her future husband.
"You mean since we saw each other at work yesterday?" Ava joked. The two both worked as Auror's at the Ministry of Magic.
"Well it's been too long since we've gotten together outside of work."
"I suppose it has been. I don't even remember the last time we got together just to socialize."
"Yes, well brave one you are for having this. I couldn't do it," Aubrey laughed. "Too much drama involved."
"I'm afraid to see what's going to break out tonight."
"Well my bets are on a massive fight between your husband and everyone else."
"He's already been fighting about it for the last week. He keeps bringin the children into it. You know, he favors Lilie and Andrew so much. It's becoming obvious to the others more and more so lately. Ryan has cooked up this story that the other's are from Ogre's and that he's our only real child because he doesn't look like the others. Well, I told him it was nonsense, he's obviously got the same eyes as all the others."
"I know, Harry and I have been having that argument lately too. But he doesn't show it in front of the kids. I do catch him giving Patrick a bit of a glare once in a while."
"What were we thinking having so many children?"
"I don't think it was kids we were thinking about," she said with a wink.
"I just don't know what Ryan will do tonight when he realizes he looks like Oliver."
"Do you think he'll notice?"
"Oh yes, he's quite the little smarty. And what on earth I'm going to do when Americus' children all get here and are in a room with mine, I just don't know."
"WELL! Why don't YOU stop having children with MY WIFE!" Draco yelled at Harry loud enough for Aubrey and Ava to hear him from across the room. Everyone in the room stopped mid sentence and stared. Ava and Aubrey rushed to their husbands at once.
"I will if YOU do the same!" Harry yelled back, his wand at the ready.
"Now, now boys, you're attracting attention to yourselves," Ava said sweetly as everyone resumed their conversations. Lilie was looking at her father bewildered about his yelling. "I'll take Lilie," she said as she held out her arms and the little girl now clung to her.
"He started it," Draco huffed, crossing his arms and glaring at Harry. Harry glared back.
"Can't we all just get along?" Aubrey asked. "Just for one night," she pleaded mostly with Harry.
"Mummy," a seven year old boy who was unmistakably Harry's son, said to Aubrey, "Ryan Malfoy told me that his brother James is really my brother. Is that true?"
Aubrey and Ava looked at one another knowingly.
"Don't be silly," Harry said. "James is Ryan's brother, not yours."
"Are you sure? Cause he pointed out that we have the same hair."
"Hmm.. imagine that," Draco said, shooting a look at Ava. Ava shot him one back.
"Keep out of this Malfoy. I'm pretty sure this doesn't involve you," Harry said with a glare.
"Ryan, go back and tell Ryan to stop spreading lies or he's going to spend a week doing the house elf's job," Ava said shooing the boy away.
"And I'm pretty sure it does involve me, Potter," Malfoy said with a sneer before turning on his heels and heading to the living room.
"I'm sorry about him, he's got his panties up in a bunch lately."
"Did I hear you threatening that boy with house elf work?" Hermione butted in to the conversation.
"No, Hermione," Harry, Ava, and Aubrey said at once. Ron snickered in the background.
"Because I do think that would be a good idea. Teach him what it's like to be a house elf. It'll make him appreciate it more. Although the fact that you still have house elves is absolutely horrendous. Especially after all those years I spent educating you on the life of a house elf and how horrible it is."
"Oh, please Hermione. They ENJOY what they do!" Ron said. Hermione glared at him.
"He's right," Ava added. "And please don't try to set mine free. I'd be lost in this place without them. There are more bedrooms than I have finger and toes."
"You should pay them."
"They don't want it!"
"Hermione, just butt out. Stop sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong. It's not nice to eavesdrop." Aubrey narrowed her eyes at the woman.
Hermione shot her a glare as well. "Come on Ronald. Lets go say hi to your brother's." They all shot Ron a sympathetic look and shrugged as he reluctantly followed his wife to the other side of the room to greet his twin brothers.
"I knew she was going to go off about the house elves tonight," Ava shook her head as Cedric walked over to them. He exchanged hellos with all of them, giving Ava and Aubrey hugs and Harry a nod.
"How's Ella?" He asked Ava and Aubrey raised her eyebrow.
"Good. She's asleep now. You can see her when she's up."
"Good. I'd like that. Wonderful thing you've got going on here. Amazing place."
"Thanks," Ava said. "Well, I better get everyone into the living room and the children into the playroom and get the drinks started."