I was starting to get into the car again when I heard my name being called. I turned around in despair, just wanting to get home, and was faced with Helen again. What does she want now? She smiled a most unflattering smile and beckoned me over. I shook my head and silently indicated that Liam and Mabel were actually in the car. She scowled, and most unfortunately decided to walk over to me.
"Now, now Katie. I know you've got some sort of contact going on with the red headed family" she said, smiling sweetly.
"I wouldn't say contact. Yes, maybe I've spoken to them once each. But that's all." I snapped back, done with her nosiness. She continued to smile, and she nodded.
"Ok dear, but please confide their names, I think we would all like to know" Her subtleness was unbearable. I gave in.
"The younger woman, the boy's mother, is Ginny Potter" I said, huffily, but clearly so I wouldn't have to repeat myself, "and the older woman was Ginny's mother, Molly. The children are James, Al and Lily Potter" I could practically hear her brain store away this information and I noticed that she had picked up on something.
"No Father? Has he abandoned her and left her with 3 kids?"
Of course, I forgot to mention Harry Potter, James' Dad. I grimaced at her.
"No, I don't think so. Molly mentioned that he worked very high up in the police department and this morning Ginny said he had an emergency at work, so he couldn't drop of James" I decided to tell her the small amount of information I knew to get Helen of my chest for the week. I noticed that as I spoke, her face grew stonier and stonier.
"Police ay?" she said, hiding her surprise. Helen's husband was immensely rich. He was the owner of a large Shampoo company and lived in a large house not to far away. Helen often boasted to the other parents whenever something significant happened to them. Only last term did she announce that her husband was going to buy the new BMW z4 roadster. She never would have thought someone could suddenly appear and threaten to compete with her husband's wealth.
"I didn't see that Ginny woman drive here. They probably don't even own a car" she snickered at her own little joke.
"She probably didn't want to drive with the baby" I replied, rather defensively.
"The 'baby'. How young can the baby really be?" she asked.
"13 days" I said coolly. She seemed surprised by my sudden change of tone and I thought for a moment that I had defeated her but, a second later, she had gotten into her husbands' car and roared away. I stood rather shocked for a moment before I shook myself back into present and got into my own car (a Ford Focus).
"Well, Liam, how was school today?" I asked, when I had driven onto the main road.
"Wicked! Me 'n James had potatas at Lunch!" he immediately answered, beaming with pride. I smiled softly. The arrival of James Potter had already had a huge affect on Liam and I was very pleased.
"James says I can come over to his house an' see his room" he continued.
"No. James Mummy invite you over first" added Mabel happily. I breathed in as I sensed Liam's harsh reply on his tongue.
"Mabel has no friends, Mabel has – " He started singing again so I interrupted him.
"James' little brother Al is Mabel's friend Liam, so you need to be quiet and stop teasing your sister" I lied easily. Liam looked wide eyed at me.
"Why can't I have broder?" he asked again. I sighed and ignored him. He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.
When we got home, I ended up being the donkey and carried everyone and everything into our house. As soon as I unlocked the door, Liam kicked of his shoes and thundered up the stairs.
"Don't run" I yelled. Mabel sat on her bum and attempted to unbuckle her own shoes but she was defeated and with a yell, called me over.
"Please don't yell" I told her. She looked quizzically at me.
"Mumma yelled at Liam" she told me. I inwardly kicked myself.
"Well, Mummy can yell in certain situations" I made up.
"And what situations would that be?" said a voice by the door. I grinned as Mabel leapt into her Daddy's arms. I hugged him and prised Mabel of so he could take of his shoes.
"HIYA LIAM DID YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY AT SCHOOL?" Robert hollered up the stairs. Mabel glared at him.
"Only yell in certain situations" she told him seriously. Robert grinned at me and walked into the kitchen, ready to have dinner.
The next day, Robert left early for work so I was left to get Liam ready for school. I was busy, hairpin in teeth, putting Mabel's fine blonde hair in pigtails when Liam approached me, looking apprehensive. I turned to look at him.
"You ok Li?" I asked, knowing something was up.
"I don't wanna go to school" he whispered. Mabel wiggled away as she felt I had finished with her hair and she scarpered of to fit in 5 more minutes of playtime.
"Hey," I said, pulling my eldest into a hug, "James will be there and you can draw more pictures! You were scared yesterday too but at the end of the day you said you had the most amazing day!"
I felt him sob into my shoulder and I leaned out the hug. I thumbed the tears away from his perfectly blue eyes and spoke softly.
"It will be okay, OK?"
He nodded and took my outstretched hand. I called to Mabel an put on my kids shoes, before loading them into the car, making sure Liam had no woodlice crawling out his pockets.
Liam was very quiet on the journey there, not caring (as he usually does) about Mabel's talk of Barbies. He just stared out the window. I wondered what had happened to make him so nervous.
As we pulled up at the school, I spotted the bright red hair of Ginny. She was talking to someone I thought was called Zara Melbourne. James was standing surrounded by lots of 4 and 5 year olds, talking enthusiastically. I suddenly realised why Liam was so down. I turned around and spoke softly.
"Are you worried that he's not going to talk to you because the other girls and boys want to talk to him too?"
"He's pocuner" he said, pointing out the window. Even though his speech came out quick and hurried, I understood well enough to know that James was adored already in the class.
"Well, we have to get out!" I said, reaching round to unbuckle Mabel in the back. I held Liam's hand as we approached the crowd and I kept a firm eye on Mabel, who was slightly ahead. As soon as Ginny spotted me, she waved, and I waved back. I saw her grab James' attention to point me out and I heard a screech of excitement.
"Mummy Mummy Liam's here!" I heard him yell. Liam's face lit up as James ran towards us, skidding to a halt infront of Liam. Liam let go of my hand and smiled at James.
"Are yous coming to my house?" James asked Liam.
"My Mummy says no you have to inblite me" Liam answered, rolling his eyes at me. I grinned as I reached Ginny, who was rocking Lily in a car seat by her feet. She grinned in reply and excused herself from Zara, who looked rather annoyed.
"Hi Katie" she said.
"Hi" I replied, smiling down at a sleeping Lily, who looked so tiny and pure, huddled in the pink blankets.
"She was up so much last night" she said, following my gaze, "Wailing and crying every hour. Utterly exhausting. Harry and I are going insane."
"She's worse then James or Albus then?" I asked sympathetically.
"James was OK, and Al was a little angel but Lily," she sighed, "she just wants her Daddy all the time. Got him wrapped around her tiny finger as well" she added with a grin.
"That's the same with Robert and Mabel" I said, smiling back. Al had peeped round Ginny's legs and was eyeing Mabel, but Mabel was too preoccupied with Lily to care. A bell rang, and Liam ran up to me.
"ByemummyigottagoJamesisgonnashowmesomeingloveya" he said, incredibly fast, and with that, he grabbed his bag and ran into the classroom. I shook my head, laughing and turned back to Ginny, who had crouched down and was whispering something in James' ear. I saw James scowl and reach into his pocket. Ginny's hand lay open but I didn't see what James had placed there. Ginny curled her fist around the thing and placed it deep into her pocket.
"Sorry Mummy" he said, hugging her. Ginny kissed his head before she straightened up.
"I love you," she said, "Daddy will hopefully pick you up later ok? Off you go" she said, giving him is bag. He smiled and waved as he ran to join Liam.
"Is everything OK?" I asked Ginny, out of curiosity.
"What? Oh, yes, sorry. James had something of his Dad's that he shouldn't" she replied, absent mindedly. Albus was playing with Lily's tiny fingers and Ginny bent down again to slowly prise him off.
"Al, not when she's sleeping OK?" she sighed. She then resumed the rocking of the car seat with her foot. It was starting to get awkward before Ginny blurted out,
"I'm so sorry if I'm being rude or frustrating, its just, the big move was meant to be so smooth and James starting school was meant to be a breeze but then Lily came early, and Harry got called onto a dangerous case and, well, its all getting a bit much. That's why called my Mum over yesterday" she said. Anyone, anyone she could have told about her worries and she chose me. I listened to her closely, wondering if I could do anything to help but when I asked, she replied,
"Thank you but, I really don't think there is"
"Can't Harry give the case to someone else?" I asked. She shook her head.
"No, but he usually does. He hasn't been on the front line of the action for a while now. Before Albus was born." She said, with a small smile.
"Why did you have to come early eh Lily?" she asked her baby, who was yawning.
"Silly Mummy. Lily don't talk yet" said Albus, giggling. I realised then I hadn't heard him talk yet. He had a soft voice that portrayed the wind in the breeze. His speech was almost perfect for such a little boy and he pronounced each letter with precision and purpose. Ginny grinned down at him and lifted him up. She started tickling him all over that caused him to laugh.
"No no no!" he cried, eyes shining, as Ginny put him down again.
"I forgot to ask, how old is Mabel?" Ginny said, waving at my daughter.
"She's three, only just though. She was three mid-March" I said, stroking Mabel's hair, "How old's Al?"
"Two. He's three in December" she smiled, kissing Al's forehead as he looked up at her. She looked down at her watch and gave a start.
"Merlin, we've got to go! The painters are coming in 10minutes to paint the walls!" she cried, giving me a quick 'goodbye' before grabbing Albus' hand and Lily's car seat and disappearing down the lane. I had to admit, the use of the word 'Merlin' had me stumped.
