We stayed at the park for a good amount of time until I realised, we hadn't actually had lunch. I quickly packed away our things and called over to Mabel, who was on the slide. She had a minor tantrum until I promised we could go to Toys Я Us. After I said that, she gladly took my hand and let me lead her to our car.

I wanted to go to McDonalds because I really couldn't be bothered to cook anything and there was one in the Shopping Centre.

As I pulled up, I saw a painfully familiar car. That BMW z4. Typical. A day out with my only daughter and Helen just happens to be here. I vowed to avoid her at all costs, even if she walks up to me.

I helped Mabel up the escalator and pointed out the McDonalds to her and she cheered as McDonalds was usually only a very special treat. I got her a Happy Meal and myself a burger and we chatted about, you guessed it, Barbies.

"Kim is my favrit. She has long sillkey hair that I can brush." She told me sincerely. I nodded, not really listening. Mabel reached into the box and pulled out her Happy meal toy. Her face fell.

"Mummy, its not the one I wanted" she said, holding it out for me to see. It seemed perfectly alright to me. I took it and turned it over.

"Its fine Mabel" I said, handing it back to her, "Anyway, were getting you a toy from Toys Я Us so don't complain. Its only plastic sweetie" I explained, when she looked down. She looked happier when I mentioned the toy shop though. Kids these days I thought.

I stood up and lead Mabel towards the big, exploding with colour, toy shop.

"Right, Mabel," I said, "ONE thing only OK?" Mabel nodded with wide eyes and flew into the shop at top speed. I sped after her, as fast as I would go, and trust me, there's a reason why I took us crochet rather then jogging, I'm not very fit. Mabel skidded to a halt in front of the baby dolls.

"Mabel don't you have enough dolls?" I panted. Mabel shook her head.

"I want one with red hair like Lily Al's shiser" she told me. I sighed. Dolls were expensive.

"Can't you get a barbie with red hair?" I pleaded, Mabel shook her head again.

"Lily is a baby, not a grown up. Barbies are grown ups Mum" she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I grinned, before realising what that meant.

"So you have to buy a baby doll?"

"Of corf I do" she replied, pointing to one with red hair. I tutted to myself but got the doll from the shelf and flipped it over. I gaped at the price.

"£39.99!" I cried, looking at Mabel. She shrugged and held out her arms to receive it. I gave up work when Mabel was born and Robert's job as a Tesco worker meant that money was tight.

"Mabel I'm sorry this is too expensive" I told her, guiltily.

"I take it" she said, looking me in the eye. The look she gave me next made me give in.

"Fine" I said, "Just this once" She grinned big at me and walked up to the counter. I gave in my debit card and payed for the doll. Mabel was the most persuasive person I knew. We walked out the shop and I bumped, quite literally, into Helen. I groaned, knowing it was going to take me forever to get out now. I forgot my vow and apologised.

"Sorry, oh, um, Helen" I stuttered. She scowled, before realising about what happened this morning.

"That's alright dear" she said, "You sped of in such a hurry this morning I didn't get the chance to speak to you"

"About what?" I heard myself say.

"About what happened this morning with Ginny Potter"

I frowned, wondering where this conversation was going.

"What about her?" I asked.

"I feel like she's hiding something"

"Well I don't think its any of your business if she is" I said, rather coolly. I surprised even myself. Her face contorted with frustration as she fought to remain calm.

"Its none of yours either, Katie" she spoke softly, but with dagger like composure.

"I know it's none of mine, she tells me things, I don't ask them"

Helen was sharp with answering.

"What does she tell you"

I decided I wanted to play a bit. I'll be fun winding her up, pretending that I knew lots about the Potters.

"Oh she tells me quite a lot" I said, fiddling with my fingers. She looked at me in surprise.

"For example?" she pushed me on. Oh this was so much fun.

"Family life, problems," I decided to push it to the maximum, "How much Harry earns"

She sneered at me before strutting off.

I heard a small rip and looked down to see Mabel opening her doll right in the middle of the shopping centre.

"Oh Mabel" I sighed, picking her and her doll up off the floor. She giggled as she waved around the doll still attached to the box with its strong plastic fastenings.

Mabel and I were at the Shopping centre for a decent amount of time and before I knew it, it was time to pick up Liam from school.

I arrived at the school in good time and I was one of the first parents there. I looked around for Ginny, but I saw only her Mother. I realised she was speaking into some strange phone. It was thin and flat and looked like it was made out of some glossy wood. I popped out of the car and maybe accidently on purpose started listening to the conversation.

"-for goodness sake Harry, Ginny's fine. Come and collect your son from school" I heard her say, quite aggressively. For a moment I had to remember who's Mum Molly actually was. She was speaking to Harry like he was her son. The reply on the other end of the phone was inaudible but it made Molly scowl.

"Don't try that with me Harry. I've heard it from George enough. Now come over to the school and pick up James! I'm not entirely responsible for him" Again, I couldn't hear Harry's reply but this time Molly grinned.

"Be quiet you. You're his Father, I'm his Grandmother, I don't have to take responsibility for him. George has already burdened me with Freddie." She glanced briefly at her watch, "And you might want to take that fast car, you're cutting it fine." And with that, she pulled the phone away from her ear and looked over at me. I looked away innocently, but she spotted me too soon. She strode over to me with a smile on her face.

"Hello. I remember you, you're Katie, aren't you?" she said. I nodded.

"You overheard me talking, didn't you?" she asked me. Again I nodded.

"Well, maybe I should explain then" she sighed, "Harry's home early today but he wants to be at home to look after Ginny! Like she can't look after herself, with 6 – I mean 5 – older brothers" she looked a bit upset when she mentioned her sons. I wondered why.

"Anyway, I told him he should pick up James, seeing as he's perfectly able too. I need to get back home. My son, Ron, wants me to look after his children for the night"

She waved me goodbye and walked away. I looked at my wrist and noticed Harry only had a few minutes to get here, but from what I remembered, Harry had a 'fast car'. It was only in my imagination by now of what car she could me talking about. I needn't have imagined, because as soon as Molly left, a Lamborghini the same scarlet as the Bentley came soaring loudly into the primary school car park. I was shaking. So was everyone else there. I've never seen one of these car's I real life and it looked magnificent. It gleamed in the sun and roared like a dragon.

Harry expertly moved the car to a halt and opened the door. Though it didn't really open. It flew up, making a wing on one side of the car. Oh, if only Robert, the car geek, was here. I grinned as I pictured his reaction. Harry looked very handsome in his uniform. It was the same uniform that I had seen on all those men at The Hollies earlier. I guessed a few of the other Mum's thought he looked good in it too because excited murmurs erupted from the gates. He smiled in a bored sort of way when he noticed me and walked over.

"Hello Harry" I said.

"Hi" he replied, looking glum.

"Everything OK?" I asked, rather like an overprotective Mum and to be quite frank, he was probably more then 10 years younger than me anyway.

"Ginny's Mum is quite aggressive when it comes to childcare. You may have noticed" he said, smiling a little.

"I heard the conversation" I grinned back, "Nice car by the way" I added, in spite of myself.

"Thanks. I don't use it often because it isn't very practical for the whole family. But I can use it for James now, and I usually use it for when my best mate comes over and we go out"

"Are you allowed to travel with James?" I asked, genuinely wondering. He nodded.

"Children have to be over a certain weight and James reached it half a year ago, so I can ride with him. Very slowly mind you"

I grinned, "Maybe you should take Liam, my son, in it one day. He loves fast cars"

Harry laughed. "That's probably why James and Liam get on so well. James loves going fast in things"

We barely started laughing again when we were crushed by children pouring out the gates.

"Mummy, Mummy did you see that shiny fast car!" Liam yelped.

"That's my car Liam!" boasted James, from his Fathers feet.

"No its not" said Liam, folding his arms.

"Yes, it is" James retorted back.

"It most certainly isn't your car James, its Daddy's car" Harry said, grinning at me.

"That's your car James' Dad?" wondered Liam. Harry nodded. James looked immensely smug.

"Wipe that look of your face James Potter. We've brought you up better" Harry told him sternly when he noticed. James did an upside-down grin as he looked up at his Dad.

"Tell me why you're so happy" laughed Harry. James held up his finger and showed Harry a ladybug that was crawling across his finger.

"Liam says it's a lady bug, but I think it's a man bug." James said. Liam laughed.

"You can't have a man ladybug James," he said, eyeing the ladybug carefully.

"Well this one is" James said stubbornly. Harry grimaced at me and indicated that he needed to go.

"Bye Liam!" called James, as he was helped into his Dad's car. Liam was too dumbfounded by the doors to speak, so he gave a feeble wave in reply. I crouched down and whispered in his ear,

"Wait for the engine to start". A second later, the Lamborghini's engine roared all over the playground, causing several older boys to gape and shout. Helen's son William was among them and he looked rather disgruntled. Maybe he, like his mother, thought they owned the nicest car in the area. I could see James excited face through the low window and grinned as I saw Harry flip on the music. I could distantly hear what sounded like a children's song play but the roar of the car was simply too loud.

I opened the door of our own car and helped Liam inside. I then got in myself and quietly slipped out the car park, my car sounding silent in comparison to Harry's. I switched on our own music and we sang all the way home.