Everyone started to laugh.
"Does your Nana make nice food?" Liam asked James, and the latter nodded in extreme enthusiasm.
"Nana makes food nicer than Mummy and Daddy." James giggled, looking sheepishly up at his Mother, but she only grinned.
"No offence taken, Jamie, and I'm sure Daddy won't mind either." She told him, and James giggled again.
"Is Daddy coming too?" James asked after his laughter had bubbled back down.
"Yes," Ginny nodded, "He's coming at 5."
"What's the time now?" James questioned.
"It's 3:37." Ginny replied, "So he'll come in about an hour and a half."
"I can't wait that long for food!" James yelled, looking incredulous. Ginny laughed.
"There'll be a snack when we get there." She told him, and his face relaxed.
"Good," He breathed, "Can we go now?"
"Sure," Ginny nodded, "Bye Katie, see you tomorrow" she added, addressing me.
"Yeah, have a nice evening," I smiled, "Make sure James gets that snack."
"He won't let me forget." Ginny grinned, clasping the handle of Lily's pram.
"Bye Liam!" James said, the two boy's hands colliding mid-air in a solid high five.
"See you tomorrow," Liam grinned, waving as Ginny led James off. We watched the Potter's drive away, then made our way to our own car.
"I suppose you want to go to the butterfly garden too." I half asked, half stated when we had officially rambled out the school gates, and our car was comfortably cruising on the winding lanes.
"Yeah," Liam nodded, peering out the window.
"How was school?" I asked, feeling the tension in the car.
"It was fun!" Chirped Liam at once, "Mrs. Haymann looked at my ladybirds."
"Yeah?" I answered, noticing the tension falter, "And what did she say?"
"I got them all right!" He announced proudly, sitting back up in his seat.
"I told you you would!" I laughed, glancing up at the rear-view mirror. Nothing was out of the ordinary; just a C Class black Mercedes. I narrowed my eyes a tad, observing the slightly shifty look of the man inside. I inwardly shrugged and carried on driving.
As we got to the fork junction, I turned left, and the car behind, right. I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding and drove the last 2 minutes to our house.
"Right," I announced, turning off the engine, and twisting my body around to face my kids, "What'd you want for dinner?"
"Pasta!" Mabel said seriously, and I wrinkled my nose.
"Too simple."
"Guacamole and chips!" Liam offered, and I shot him a bemused look. When had we ever had guacamole and chips?
"No, too random." I told him, "What about cottage pie?"
"Ew." Stated my daughter, pushing her foot into the back of my seat.
"Fine," I sighed, "We'll have pasta and be done with it."
"Cool." Mabel smiled, making Liam scowl.
"Copycat," he muttered, "Only I say cool."
"You don't own the word, Li." I told him, lifting up the handle of the door, "Lots of people say cool."
"It's my word." Persisted Liam, "Mabel can't say it."
"I can!" Mabel shot back, "Not your word!"
"You can't say it!" Liam yelled back, starting towards his sister.
"Hey! Hey hey hey hey hey, hold on." I said, pulling Mabel out of her seat, and placing her securely on my hip, "Don't start that Liam. James says cool too, I heard him at school, is he not allowed to say it either?"
Liam furrowed his brows, "Yes, he's my friend."
"And Mabel's your sister, so that's that," I told him firmly, bending down to put Mabel back on the floor.
"She's not my friend." Grumbled Liam, and I frowned.
"That's enough, Liam," I stated, shutting the boot door with a thud.
"Fine." He huffed, bending down to pick up a pebble, before lobbing it into the road.
"Liam!" I groaned, "Please don't throw stones."
"Fine." He repeated, rolling his eyes, and dragging his bag to the front door. Who said boys were easier to raise than girls?
"Are you feeling alright, Li?" I asked, watching as his bag skimmed across the stones.
"Yes, 'm fine." He said stubbornly, hammering on the door.
"Daddy won't be in," I said to him, placing Mabel on the porch beside me, and pulling out my key from my pocket.
"I know." Liam said shortly, tracing the faint outline of a chalk butterfly on the wall, – Harlow, Clayton, and Archer were showing Mabel and Liam how to use chalk on the walls last week – staring at it sadly.
I finally opened the door, and both my children shot inside, kicking off their shoes, and darting into their respective bedrooms.
"Ridiculous." I mumbled to no one in particular, "Didn't even put their coats on their pegs."
After the dinner was made, and the 'too simple' pasta had been demolished, I gladly settled my children into sleep.
"Goodnight, Mabel." I whispered, quietly shutting the door, and turning around, almost smacking straight into Robert. I stumbled, but he caught me just before I fell.
"You're welcome." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Thanks," I grinned, "but it was your fault I fell in the first place."
"I'll take that excuse." He grinned in reply, before leaning in to kiss me. "How was your day?" he muttered.
"Good, actually." I smiled, strutting off back into our bedroom.
"What did you get up too, don't mind me asking." Robert chuckled, chasing after me.
"Nothing worth your time," I told him, jumping, face first, onto the bed.
"Oh, seems enjoyable, then," Robert replied, flicking off the main light, and switching on the little one on the bedside table. He then proceeded to jump into bed beside me.
"You're going to bed early," I commented, rolling over to face him, and raising one of my eyebrows.
"Good observation, Katie." Robert snickered, making me scowl.
"Alright, smart arse," I muttered, stretching my arms, "But you'll-"
But I didn't ever get to finish my sentence, because a tiny voice at the doorway interrupted me.
"Mummy, Daddy, I can't go to sleep."
Both me and Robert glanced at each other, before beckoning Liam over to us.
"Why can't you go to sleep, Li?" I asked him, and he snuggled into my lap.
"I had a nightmare." He whispered into the covers.
"Want to talk about it?" I whispered back, but he shook his head firmly.
"It helps, you know," Robert told him, running a hand over Liam's hair.
"You'll laugh at me." Liam muttered, shifting further under the covers.
"No, we won't." Robert assured him, but Liam shook his head.
"Can I sleep with you?" He asked, only his hair visible from under the covers.
"Only if you tell us what you're worried about?" Robert said calmly, pushing the covers down again.
"You'll laugh." Liam whimpered again, looking apprehensive.
"If I laugh, you can pinch me," Robert said, and a small grin flitted across Liam's tired face.
"I'll pinch you anyway." He giggled, and Robert frowned.
"Be serious, Liam."
Liam let out an almighty sigh, before pressing the balls of his palms into his eyes.
"I don't like butterflies." Liam whispered, "They scare me."
I exchanged a bemused, yet concerned, glance at Robert, who looked curiously at Liam.
"Since when?" Robert asked.
"Since now." Liam deadpanned, his eyes glazing over, before darting back under the duvet.
"What triggered this, Katie?" Robert asked me quietly.
"I don't know," I muttered, "But I might be something to do with the school trip to the Butterfly Garden."
"Eh?"
"He got a letter – today – saying about the class trip to Crayford Butterfly experience," I explained, "But he seemed really excited when he told me after school."
"Maybe he was putting it on for James?"
"I don't know."
"I d-o-n-'t like them." Came Liam's voice, muffled from under the layer of cotton.
"Why not?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"They flutter too quick, and they're creepy, and there's too many," Liam said in distaste.
"Should we be concerned?" Robert murmured, glancing at me.
"I'm not sure, but I'm going to google it," I mumbled back, starting to get up.
"Fine," Robert replied, yawning as his head fell back on the pillow. He pulled up an arm and wrapped it around Liam, who's eyes were lulling shut.
I grinned and walked out of the room to the computer downstairs. I turned it on and Googled 'What is it called if my child is scared of butterflies?' in the search bar.
I squinted my eyes and read the screen, the darkening outside creating a slight glare on the screen, and felt a small panic arise through my chest as I processed what I was reading.
Lepidopterophobia.
Apparently, my son had lepidopterophobia, whatever that was.
'The fear of butterflies and moths is called lepidopterophobia. While many people see butterflies as cute and harmless creatures, some people are afraid of how they look and skittish by their behaviours.'
The description fitted what Liam was telling us minutes before on the bed, and so I clicked the link, in order to find out more.
I didn't keep a conscious track of the time, and by the time I was almost certain that Liam had 'lepidopterophobia', it was past 10 O'clock.
I logged off the computer, and quietly moseyed back upstairs to the bedroom. Liam was still in there, his body curled up into Robert's, and looking incredibly small.
"Oh Liam," I whispered to him, "We'll work on your phobia, sweetheart."
He rolled over, eyes still firmly shut, but I'm still convinced that he smiled.
Liam awoke first.
Obviously.
I felt him wriggle from in-between me and Robert, before he clambered over my chest, landing on the carpet with a soft 'thunk'.
"What's the time?" Robert mumbled, stretching his arms, and pushing his hands into the headboard.
"I dunno," I answered sleepily, "You have the clock."
The covers shifted again, indicating that Robert was leaning over to check the clock. He groaned.
"It's 6:30." He said, "Damn it, Liam."
"You can always go back to sleep," I suggested, but Robert shook his head.
"That won't last very long, will it," he answered, "Mabel'll be up soon."
"She plays in the morning."
"With the kitchen utensils, yes." Robert frowned, and I shot him a bemused glance.
"Since when does Mabel know how to get into the drawer?" I asked him, and he shrugged.
"I dunno," he sighed, "But I think we'll both agree on the fact that our 3-year-old daughter shouldn't be playing with knives and forks at 7 in the morning."
"How do I not know about this?" I asked, incredulous.
"I've fetched her from downstairs the past week, and I suppose it just slipped my mind." He muttered.
"Fair point." I grinned.
We were silent for a few minutes, dwelling on our own individual thoughts before I popped the bubble.
"I think Liam's got lepidopterophobia," I told Robert, who looked at me quizzically.
"I didn't know you took up Mandarin, Katie."
"What – oh, shut up." I scowled, "Do you want me to repeat it?"
"Go on,"
"I think that the reason that Liam is scared of butterflies is the fact he has lepidopterophobia," I said slowly.
"Lepi what now?" Robert said, looking bemused.
"Lepi – dop – tero – phobia," I said slowly, "But it's not funny, I think it's pretty serious."
"I wasn't laughing," Robert protested, lifting his hands in surrender, "I was just a little confused."
"Fine, yes, ok." I sighed, pushing back the covers, and sliding my feet into my slippers, but Robert caught my wrist and pulled me back to him.
"If you want to speak to me using a word like lepidopterophobia, you've got to at least explain yourself a bit further." He said, grinning slightly.
I rolled my eyes at him but told him none the less.
"It means he's scared of butterflies, or moths, or flying bugs."
"So he likes normal bugs, just not ones that fly?" Robert queried, and I nodded.
"That's as much as I gathered, anyway," I said, and Robert grunted.
"That'll be great in summer, when the wasps and bees are out." He said, and I pouted.
"Don't remind me, thanks," I muttered, thinking back to last year when a stubborn wasp has chased me around the park, eventually stinging me on the ear lobe. I inwardly winced.
"Oh, I forgot, sorry." Robert grinned, eyes crinkling in mirth.
"Lucky you," I replied hotly, glaring at him.
"It was pretty funny, Kate," I told me, biting his lip to hold in a laugh.
"No, it wasn't." I persisted, "It was bloody terrifying."
"Personally, I-" Robert began, but I pushed my hand over his mouth.
"Eff off," I stated, removing my hand, and strutting out the room.
"I was only joking!" I heard Robert yell from the room, but I ignored him, not wanting to go through the mental pain and humiliation of that wasp sting again. I huffed down the stairs and started to boil the kettle.
I made myself a strong cuppa and then sat down at the table, taking the letter from Liam's school off the counter as I went.
I read it through again, worried for what Liam's new opinion on the trip was going to be after he discovered his hatred of butterflies last night.
"Hey, Li," I called, "Come here for a minute, please."
Liam wandered tentatively into the kitchen, eyeing me suspiciously.
"What?" he said, and I beckoned him over.
"Do you still want to go to see the butterflies with the class?" I asked him gently, and Liam shuddered before he started to cry.
"I don't like them, Mummy," he wailed, "They really scare me!"
"Hey," I soothed, "Hey, you don't have to go."
"But James will be lonely," Liam sniffed, "And I'll be left out!"
"But if you're scared of them –" I began, but Liam shook his head.
"I still wanna go." He said stubbornly, and I sighed.
"Listen, Liam," I told him, "If you don't like them, you won't have to go, I promise."
"But James-" Liam cried.
"James will be fine, Liam. His Daddy might be coming too, so he won't be lonely." I said firmly, pulling Liam onto my lap. A spark went off in Liam's eyes.
"Can my Daddy come too?" He asked, fidgeting slightly.
"Well, not really, Liam, no." I said regretfully, "But me… well… I could go if you really wanted."
Liam's eyes widened, and he nodded furiously, "Yes! Yes, I do! I really really want you to come, Mummy! I do!"
"Fine, I'll volunteer today." I sighed. I really would do anything for my children.
"I love you, so much." Liam smiled, wrapping his arms around my neck, "But I don't love the butterflies."
"We'll work on that, I promise," I assured him, and he nodded again, before hopping off my lap, and hurtling back up the stairs to his room.
I pulled the letter closer to me and wrote my name in the 'Parent helpers' box. I then grabbed my cheque- book from the drawer on my left and signed off £15 – for the Butterfly Garden, and the coach trip there. I pushed my cup of tea away, and put the letter back into Liam's bag, ready to be handed to his teacher at school today.
I crossed paths with Robert in the hallway, his Tesco outfit on, and his bag slung over his shoulder.
"I'll see you tonight, Katie." He smiled, leaning forward to kiss me.
"Yeah, don't be back too late." I grinned, resting my head on his shoulder.
"I won't, don't worry." He muttered, pulling away, and grabbing his keys from the peg, "HAVE A GOOD DAY AT SCHOOL, LIAM!" he added, yelling up the stairs.
"I WILL!" Liam hollered back, and I winced.
"What is it with you two and yelling?" I said, rubbing my ears.
"It's a dude thing, don't you worry." He chuckled, opening the door, and giving me one last wave, before driving off to work.
Because of my early awakening, I managed to get Liam and Mabel dressed, give them breakfast, brush Mabel's hair, and scrub their teeth, all before 8 O'clock. I let them have 10 more minutes of extra play before I called them back down to get into the car.
"I've put the Butterfly letter saying that you can go, and I'll come too, in your bag, so don't forget to give it to Mrs. Haymann please," I told Liam as he began to walk out the house, he nodded briefly and opened the door to the car.
"Can I bring Rabbit?" Mabel asked me, sitting on the floor, trying to do up her shoes.
"No, there's not enough time, Mabel, come on," I said, getting a tad impatient.
"I want Rabbit!" Mabel wailed, screwing up her face, and stomping her foot against the floor.
"Fine, you know what, just get it." I snapped, and Mabel smiled sweetly. She pushed herself up, and hurried back up the stairs, carrying a –
"Mabel?" I gasped, goggling at the bright pink iridescent plush rabbit.
"My Rabbit." Mabel shrugged, waggling the rabbit by its ears.
"Yes, I know that, Mabel, but why is it bright pink?" I asked her, not knowing if I was ready to hear the answer.
"I coloured her in." Mabel said proudly, "White Rabbits aren't good, so I coloured her plink."
"With what?"
"With Liam's pens." Mabel giggled, showing me her hand, which was also pink.
"Oh my god, Mabel." I groaned, picking her up under the armpits, and carrying her outside to the car.
"It's pretty." Mabel insisted, waving the pink rabbit in front of Liam's face.
"Ew. Mabel! Why is it pink?" Liam said in disgust.
"Pretty pink." Mabel sang as I strapped her in, "Pretty pink, pretty pink."
"UGLY PINK, UGLY PINK!" Roared Liam, drowning Mabel's chants with his own. Mabel scowled and raised her voice.
"PRETTY PINK!"
"UGLY PINK!"
I sighed, and opened the driver's door, shutting Mabel's as I went.
"Please stop, you two," I said loudly, and the chanting stopped.
"You like my rabbit, Mummy?" Mabel asked smugly, as if she knew exactly what she did was wrong.
"You'll be sad in a couple of days, I guarantee, Mabel. And you won't get a new white one – they're expensive toys, those Jelly-Cats." I said truthfully, making Mabel furrow her brows.
"I like pink." She said decisively, shoving the ink dyed Rabbit's ear into her mouth.
"NO! Mabel!" I cried, spotting her in the wing mirror, "Don't chew it, please! Take it out!"
"Why?" Mabel asked stubbornly, continuing to chew the Rabbit's ear.
"It's poisonous!" I told her, thanking Jesus that we had finally arrived at the school. I parked in the space closest to us and instantly twisted in my seat, tugging the rabbit from Mabel's mouth.
"Oh my." I groaned, noticing the pink rim of ink flooding the outside of Mabel's mouth, "Open your mouth, Mabel."
She did as she was told, and to my horror, her usually white teeth were now a terrible hot pink. Her gums looked redder than usual, and her tongue looked incredibly supernatural.
"Why? Just why?" I said, exasperated, to a giggling Mabel.
"Pink, pink, pink!" she chanted quietly, and I sighed yet again.
"Can I get out?" Liam asked me, and I nodded. He unstrapped, and pushed open the door of the car, not realising that it swings back if you don't open it far enough. It came flinging back, and I didn't have to grab Liam before it hit him on the head.
I heard a dull 'crack' as the inside of the door collided with Liam's head. I yelped in terror and immediately ran to retrieve him.
To my relief, he was still conscious, however, he was clinging onto his head, tears pouring down his face.
It was a mad frenzy, and I don't even remember Harry coming to my side, and gently bending down beside me.
"Are you ok?" He asked, and I nodded briefly, still fussing over Liam. Harry stood back up slowly, and went over to the other side of the car, taking Mabel from her seat, and placing her on his hip.
"Thank you." I breathed, wiping a tear from my own eye away.
"What happened?" Harry asked, and I saw concern in his startlingly green eyes.
"I, well, I don't know." I said stupidly, taking Liam into my arms, "I'm such a mess today."
"No, I understand," Harry said quickly, "Is Liam alright?"
"I think so," I muttered shakily, guilty that Harry had to take care of my daughter, because I seemed unable too, "He just had a bad bang on the head from the car door."
"I thought so," Harry nodded, "Are you ok here while I get James and Al out the car?"
"Yes, I'm fine." I nodded again, feeling horrible that Harry had seen me struggle, and went to help me instead of getting his own children out the car.
He placed Mabel on the floor beside me and strode back to his car, which was parked a few metres off. I took this time to examine Liam's head. I could already see a nasty bruise beginning to form against his pale skin, and he looked a bit dazed, the tracks of his tears creating silvery paths on his cheeks.
"Are you ok, Liam?" I asked him, trying to stay calm.
"Yeah." Muttered Liam, eyes focused on a nearby tree.
"Liam!" a voice cried from the distance, and we all looked round to see James straining against Harry's grip. Liam saw James and started to wriggle away, pushing against my hold.
"Put me down." Whined Liam, so I put him gently back on the ground, eyes never leaving the bruise on his forehead. He swayed on his feet, his face instantly paling before he violently threw up in the car park.
Mabel screamed and tried to dash away, but Harry caught her before she could do so. James' eyes widened in alarm, and didn't take another step forward. Albus clung onto Harry's leg, looking petrified, and I felt sadness flood my body for my sick child.
"Liam?" James said quietly, glancing at his best friend. By now, I was predominantly back on the floor with Liam, watching as he rocked backwards and forwards on his feet.
"Watch out," Harry warned, watching Liam's lethargic movements, "He might pass out."
I was amazed at Harry's sixth sense, because no more than a moment after he had said this, Liam fell into a crumpled heap in my arms.
"Take him to the hospital, Katie." Harry muttered, "I'll take Mabel back to the Hollies if you like, and you can come collect her when you're sure Liam's alright."
"It's all my fault." I whispered, placing Liam's head on my shoulder, and standing back up, "If I hadn't –"
"Don't blame yourself," Harry said gently, "It was an accident. These things happen."
"But If I'd-"
"Listen, Katie," Harry interrupted, "Just stay calm, and it'll be fine."
"He'll be ok," I said to myself, and Harry nodded in agreement.
"Mabel can come back with me, like I said, and you can pick her up when you're ready."
"I'm so sorry," I said, "I didn't mean to burden you with my daughter like this."
"I'm sure you'd do the same if it was with James or Al," Harry said quietly, and I nodded.
"Right, Mabel, I'll see you later, sweetheart," I told my daughter, blowing her a kiss.
"Where I going?" she asked, looking worried.
"With Al," I answered, putting Liam back into his seat, adjusting his head.
"Oh." She said, looking down, "Li not go school?"
"Liam ill," Al said quietly, and Mabel's eyes widened.
"I ill? I haf pink teef?" she told me innocently.
"Oh. I forgot about your little incident, Mabel." I sighed, before turning to Harry.
"Mabel decided to eat pink ink, so I don't know if you'll be able to find a way of sorting her out, but-"
"How bad is it?" Harry asked, a slight grin forming on his face.
"Open your mouth, Mabel," I instructed, and I moved her chin so that Harry could see the amount of pink ink Mabel has sucked into her mouth.
"Ah, yes," Harry grinned, "James did the same thing, so we know how to get that off, don't we?"
"Brilliant." I sighed, "I'm so sorry about this, Harry."
"I've told you, it's absolutely fine, I promise." Harry assured me, glancing at his watch, "But I do need to get James inside the classroom."
"Go, I'll see you later." I nodded, kissing Mabel on the top of her head, "I love you, Mabel."
"But I don't want to go to school!" James announced, "If Liam's not going, I'm not either!"
"Liam's ill, James, and you'll be fine," Harry said resolutely, lifting Albus onto his hip, and taking Mabel's hand.
"No," James said obstinately, scowling.
"Yes, now come on." Harry sighed, starting to walk off. James let out an unsatisfied breath but trotted after his Dad.
I turned back to the car, checking on Liam in the back seat, before slowly driving off to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
After dropping off James, Harry gently guided Mabel back to his car, letting the little girl walk beside him.
"Liam ok?" she asked, looking up at Harry, her blue eyes wide.
"I'm sure he's fine." Harry nodded, lifting Albus into his seat, "You're coming back to play with Al, then Mummy will collect you later."
"I play with Al?" Mabel asked, letting Harry pick her up, and place her gently in James' vacated seat.
"You can play with Al all day if you like," Harry suggested, and Mabel smiled.
"All day." She repeated, swinging her feet, as she usually does in her own car.
The drive was relatively short – the children both silent – as Harry drove them back to the Hollies. He pulled up and switched off the engine.
He got Albus out first, and then unstrapped Mabel. Al ran to the door, but Mabel reached for Harry's hand. Harry accepted it, and they both followed Al.
Harry discreetly unlocked the door with his wand, and it flung open. Albus kicked off his shoes quickly and waited impatiently as Mabel undid her own.
"Hi," came Ginny's voice, and Mabel looked up suddenly. Her face suddenly lit up.
"Baby Lily!" she cried, and Harry grinned.
"You're smart, Mabel." He told her, making her smile.
"No baby Lily." Frowned Albus, as Mabel looked curiously through the doorway.
"Harry, who-?" Ginny's voice questioned, before Harry took Mabel by the hand, and led her through the doorway of the living room.
"Baby Lily!" Mabel said happily, running over to the sofa, in which Ginny was cooing over Lily. Ginny raised an eyebrow at Harry.
"Liam fell unconscious at school, so I volunteered to look after Mabel whilst Katie took Liam to the hospital," Harry explained, watching Mabel giggle over Lily. Ginny's eyes widened.
"Is he ok?" she asked, glancing at Mabel.
"He hit his head on the car door, and then proceeded to throw up. After that, he passed out." Harry muttered, sitting beside Ginny on the sofa.
"Blimey." Ginny murmured, leaning towards Harry.
"You reckon you can look after her and Al?" Harry asked her, their foreheads compelled together, "I've got to go to the ministry at 10:30, and I don't know when Katie will be back to collect Mabel."
"Yeah, I'll be fine. If it was James and Liam, then no, but it's only Mabel and Al." Ginny nodded, pulling Harry closer. She kissed him gently, "But maybe I'll call Mum over."
"I thought she was looking after Rose and Hugo," Harry said, surprised.
"She is, but I bet Rose will love hanging out with Mabel," Ginny told him, pulling away.
"Probably." Harry agreed, standing back up, and beginning to make his way to the door.
"What's happened to Mabel's mouth, by the way?" Ginny asked curiously, "It's bright pink. Did Al do something?"
"Uh, no. Apparently, she decided to drink pink ink this morning," Harry clarified, "I said to Katie I'd clean her up."
"Don't use magic," Ginny said warningly.
"I'll do it carefully, don't worry." Harry nodded, reaching into his inside pocket. He silently cast a charm over Mabel, and the pink loop around her mouth started to fade. Mabel must have felt something, for she tentatively touched her lip, looking confused.
"You coming, Mabel?" Harry asked as the little girl moved her hand away. Mabel looked up at him, and nodded, before running off to find Albus.
"Don't get them muddy if you're going outside," Ginny yelled, and Harry grinned.
"You read my mind." He laughed, blowing her a kiss.
"But seriously," Ginny said, lifting Lily into her arms.
"Even if they do get muddy, that's nothing a good old scourgify charm can't get off," Harry told her, but Ginny narrowed her eyes.
"What did I just tell you?" She said, exasperated.
"She's 3. Which muggle would believe it if their 3-year-old daughter told them that their friend's Father used magic to clean them up?" Protested Harry.
"Don't even try that with me, Potter." Ginny growled, "Put her in some of James' old clothes, they should fit her."
"Fine," Harry said, trudging up the stairs to James' room. He pulled out one of his old shirts (size 3-4) and a pair of trousers. They didn't have any girls' clothes that would fit Mabel, even if they did do engorgio, so Harry charmed the shirt pink, and the trousers green, to make them look more feminine for Mabel.
"Mabel!" Harry called, when he reached the bottom of the stairs, "Put these on, and we can go outside."
Mabel came hopping into the hallway, Albus hot at her heels, and grabbed the outfit.
"Thank you Al's Dad." She grinned, before putting the clothes on. They both were ordered to put on wellies and then waited impatiently by the back door.
"Right, let's go," Harry said, letting the two children out into the garden.
The view was beautiful. The Hollie's had a huge garden, that ran into a small woodland stream. The small gaggle of trees created a small arc of wood to the left of the garden and then rolled out into the public forest. In the spring, flowers such as bluebells, daffodils, and tulips, bust their way out of the ground and filled the woods with bright splatters of colour. The stream ran through the woods into a secluded lake, that the locals loved paddling in when the weather was nice.
A battered hedge divided the Hollies' garden from the rest of the woodland and offered a small amount of privacy to the people within the garden.
"River!" Mabel cried when she spotted the running water in the distance. Albus ran after her, crying out in joy as Mabel giggled.
Together they reached the stream, and Albus promptly pulled off his boots.
"Wait, Al!" Harry cried, reaching the children, "Roll up your trousers, and take off your socks."
"I go paddling?" questioned Mabel, as Harry helped Albus roll up the base of his trousers.
"Sure," Harry told her, "If you want. That's why we got you out of that dress."
"It not summer?" Mabel asked curiously, watching as Al dunked his barefoot in the water. He giggled in delight, before putting in the other foot.
"It's almost summer." Harry shrugged, offering Mabel his arm to hold herself up on, whilst she took off her wellies.
"So I paddle." Mabel nodded, copying Al, and pushing her socks deep within her boots.
Mabel walked to the edge, and carefully dipped her toes in the water.
"It's chilly." She shivered, making Harry smile.
"It's a bit cold," he said, sitting down beside her, "But it won't stay cold for very long, I promise."
"Ok," Mabel said, tentatively following Albus further out into the water.
Very inconspicuously, Harry cast a slight warming charm over the children's feet, so the cold wouldn't penetrate their desire to splash.
"It's very warm now." Mabel giggled, cupping her hand underneath the water, trying to catch a floating stick.
"I told you." Grinned Harry, leaning back; soaking up the sun.
I drove as quick as could – without breaking the speed limit – and got to the Hospital in about 12 minutes. In the back seat, Liam has slowly risen back into consciousness and was mumbling slightly about not knowing where we were.
"We're at the Hospital, Li," I told him calmly, "You're not very well at all."
"But school!" Liam said, looking stunned.
"Liam, you were sick," I said, getting out the car to salvage Liam.
"My head hurts," Liam told me when I opened the back door.
"I know, darling, that's why we're at the hospital." I nodded, carefully picking him up, and making him place his head on my shoulder.
"Oh." He said, linking my arms around my neck, "Where's Mabel?"
"Mabel's with James' Dad," I explained, going through the automatic doors, and reaching the A&E department.
"Hi," The woman at the desk said, looking curiously at Liam, "Is everything ok?"
"Uh, he had a bad bump in the school car park this morning," I told the lady, whose name badge told me her name was Aisha, "He was ok to start with, then started going white. He threw up once, and then fainted in my lap."
"Poor thing," Aisha said, looking at Liam sadly, "But there's a little wait to see the doctor."
"How long?" I asked.
"There are 6 people ahead of you, but we can do all the paperwork things now if you like," Aisha suggested, and I nodded.
"NHS, I assume?" Aisha stated, and again, I nodded, "What's his name?"
"Liam. Liam Williams." I told her, and she looked pleased when she saw his name in her records.
"Yep, you're all fine for an appointment," she smiled, "I've added you a slot, so you can just wait over there until your number is called."
Aisha handed me a small piece of paper, bearing a number 109.
I carried Liam to sit on the grey plastic seats, and placed him carefully on one by the water dispenser.
"Do you need anything, Li?" I asked him, but he shook his head.
"Can I go into school later?" he questioned me, looking upset.
"Probably not, but maybe tomorrow, if the doctor says you're ok," I told him, and he nodded in sad approval.
"I am ok."
"I'm sure you are, but we still need to check."
We waited for about 45 minutes, and finally, our number was called out.
"109, Liam Williams."
We followed the man into a room with 1 long white hospital bed.
"Liam, isn't it?" the tall man said, and Liam nodded nervously, "And you must be his Mum."
"Indeed." I nodded, taking the seat opposite the bed.
"So what happened?" the man asked, sitting down adjacent to me.
"He had a bad bump on the door of the car this morning," I explained, yet again, "It seemed all ok at first, before he suddenly paled, vomited, and fainted in my arms."
"Ouch," the man said, looking encouragingly at Liam, "How are you feeling now, buddy?"
"Ok," Liam said shyly, clambering onto my lap.
The doctor – Timothy – reached for a pen that lay on his desk.
"Can you see this pen clearly?" he asked, holding it about 2 feet away from Liam. My son nodded, and Timothy looked pleased.
"He's seeing things great, which is brilliant, and he's also speaking fine, which is encouraging too." He said to me, and I nodded in relief. Timothy turned back to Liam.
"Do you remember what happened?"
"I banged my head, then I forgot," Liam said quietly, and Timothy nodded again.
"Mentally, he seems ok. No brain damage, which is good. His skull did its job well, I see quite a nasty bruise coming."
"That's really good," I said in relief.
"Was there any blood, or anything?"
"No, just a big thunk," I told him, and he frowned. He reached forwards towards Liam, and carefully placed his thumb on the bruise.
"Ouch." Liam whimpered, and Timothy removed his hand.
"Sorry, buddy, but I think maybe we'll take you for an X-Ray, to see if he's had any internal bleeding, or possibly a skull fracture, though that's not likely, seeing as he's thinking, seeing, talking great, and there was no blood," Timothy said, glancing at me.
"I cracked my skull?" Liam asked, feeling the bruise for himself.
"Probably not, but it's always good to check, am I right?"
Liam nodded.
"Can I go back to school?" he asked Timothy softly, making the doctor smile.
"Missing your friends?"
"My friend James will be lonely," Liam said, and Timothy made a sympathetic face.
"I'm sure he's missing you very much, but I don't think school today will be very good. Maybe tomorrow, if you have a good night's sleep."
"Oh." Liam sighed, "If I sleep now, can I go in later?"
"You really want to go to school, don't you?" I told him, and he nodded.
"Tomorrow, Liam, if you're not sick during the night," I added, and he frowned.
"I won't. Just you watch." He said mulishly, making me grin.
"I will, now, let's get to that X-Ray."
It turned out that 7 people were already in line for an X-Ray, so Liam and I ended waiting nearly 2 hours just to get a scan. Plus, it turned out Liam had nothing more than a slight bruise to the bone – something that would heal on its own – so our 2-hour wait was inevitably pointless.
"I wanna go to school!" was what Liam was saying over and over again as I walked with him back to the car.
"You heard the doctor," I said for the umpteenth time, "Not until you have a good night's sleep."
"But I'm fine!" wailed Liam, climbing onto his seat.
"I know that, but you'd only get about a couple of hours of school time anyway!" I told him decisively, shutting the door.
"I don't care!" insisted Liam.
"I do. And we need to collect your sister from James' parents' house." I said, switching on the engine after I had got in the car myself.
"Is James there?" Liam asked hopefully, watching as we drove out the hospital gates. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard.
11:57.
"No, he'll be starting his lunch." I told him, "And that reminds me, do you want McDonald's on our way home?"
"Yes! Yes please, Mummy!" Liam squealed, his face lightening up immediately.
"Right, we'll do that before we collect Mabel, ok?" I smiled, and took the second exit onto the B2190.
We went through the drive-through at Minster, and sat in the car park whilst Liam ate his happy meal – I didn't fancy eating right now. I was thinking of grabbing something from the Co-op as we drove past.
By the time I had grabbed a sandwich, and Liam had finished his nuggets and fries, it was quarter to 1.
"Right, you," I announced, "Let's go and collect your sister."
We drove the last 10 minutes to the Hollies, and I smiled when I heard the sound of giggling children in the garden.
I opened the door for Liam, carefully scrutinising the bump on his forehead, before letting him out completely. I could hear Mabel in the distant, screeching in joy, and I couldn't wait to hear what she had got up to. I reached the door and knocked twice.
Voices were heard within the house, and Ginny opened the door, holding a smiley baby boy in one arm, and looking spectacular.
"Katie!" she exclaimed, "I didn't realise you would be here so early!"
"His injury wasn't too bad, was it, Liam?" I smiled, placing a hand on Liam's head.
"How are you, Liam? Feeling better?" Ginny asked him, bending down to his level.
"I wanna go to school, but Mummy won't let me," Liam said sadly, watching the red-headed baby gurgle at him. I remembered the baby to be called Hugo – Hermione's son.
"I'm sure it's for the best." Ginny nodded, straightening back up, and inviting me inside.
"Mabel's outside with Rose and Al," she explained, "Sorry if she's a bit grubby. We gave her some clothes to borrow when she was out in the back."
"Sounds like she had a great time." I grinned, hearing the shrieks of laughter from the back of the Hollies.
"She did," Ginny agreed, "Harry left a few hours ago, but my Mum came over with Rose and Hugo at around 11."
"Mabel's been wanting to see Rose, you know," I told her, following her into the back.
"It must be hard not knowing someone around the same age and gender as you," Ginny said, "The amount of cousins James, Al, and Lily have is enough for a small community at this point. Though I'm pretty sure Lily was the last of the lot unless one of my brothers decide to knock up their wives again."
"How many brothers do you have, again?" I wondered, deciding to ignore the last part of Ginny's sentence, for Liam was staring curiously at her.
"I have Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, and Ron." Ginny said, counting each one off on her fingers, "Bill has 3 kids, Percy has 2, George has 2, as well, and Ron, well, you know about Rose and Hugo."
"So many cousins must be great for your kids," I said, and she nodded enthusiastically.
"It's brilliant unless you put Louis, Fred, and James together." She said slowly, a look of terror crossing her face, "3-way dynamo."
"There's no child in our family the same ages as Mabel or Liam," I said, "The youngest is 9, and he's a little rough with them."
"They still get on though, don't they?"
"Well, yes, in a way, but…" I started, unable to finish my sentence.
"I understand," Ginny nodded, adjusting Hugo in her arms. He cooed and shoved a fat hand in his mouth.
"How old's Hugo, again?" I smiled, watching the baby suck on his hand.
"He's just recently turned 8 months, didn't you, Hugo?" Ginny grinned, bouncing Hugo up and down, grinning as Hugo gurgled.
"Is all your side of the family ginger?" I asked, remembering Molly's red-hot hair, Ron's ginger locks, and Ginny's long tendrils of fire.
"Yes, actually," Ginny grinned, "Glad to see you made that connection. Even Fred and Roxy got away with the Weasley Red hair, and their Mother is dark!"
"That's a pretty rare complexion, you know." I nodded, "Are Al and James the only ones who are not redheaded?"
"No," Ginny replied, "Victoire is blonde, as well as Louis, and Lucy has brown hair like her mother, but everyone else, yes."
"Pretty dominant gene, yes?"
"It's crazy." Ginny beamed, "But I'm glad that at least one of my children got it. That way I'm not singled out."
At that point, Mabel Rose and Albus all came tearing into the kitchen, followed closely by Molly Weasley.
"Merlin, those kids wear me out." She breathed, before giving a start.
"Katie, dear, nice to see you!" she exclaimed, running over to give me a hug. You could tell that she had 6 children, for her maternal instincts were strong, "How's little Liam?"
"I'm fine." Huffed Liam, folding his arms over his chest.
"I'm sure you are." Molly agreed, before taking Hugo from Ginny. He clapped in enjoyment, prior to reaching out for his Grandmothers hair.
"I was going to take Rose and Hugo back, Ginny dear," Molly said to Ginny, and she nodded.
"Go ahead, I'll be fine now." Ginny grinned, waving to Rose, and hugging her Mum, "I'll see you on Sunday."
"Of course, dear," Molly smiled, "Come on, Rosie, let's go home to your Father."
"Daddy!" squealed Rose, grabbing onto Molly's arm.
"Bye!" Molly called, stepping out of the door, closing it firmly behind her.
"Mama!" Squeaked Mabel, hopping around on one foot to another. She was adorned in a pink top, and a pair of boy's green trousers.
"Hi sweetie, what did you get up too, I wonder?" I smiled, bending down to hug Mabel.
"We paddled, and played, and made oat cookies!"
"Sounds amazing!" I laughed, amused at the dance in Mabel's eye.
"You can have one if you like!" She told me, dashing into the room next door, which I only presumed was the kitchen.
"She's made herself right at home," I muttered, and Ginny grinned.
"I can't wait until Lily's that age." She told me, but I shook my head.
"I promise you that you don't."
Ginny snorted and led the way after Mabel.
The kitchen was big. Bigger than our living room and kitchen combined. The floor gleamed, and on the counter lay a plate full of cookies, in which Mabel was now helping herself.
"Nice kitchen," I commented, gazing admiringly at the crystal-clear surfaces.
"Thanks, but Harry's the cook in this house," she grinned again, "Certainly not me."
"It'd be great to have a husband that actually does something," I chuckled, "I swear Robert just leaves mugs out on purpose, just to annoy me."
"Harry's useless in the morning," Ginny laughed, "Won't get up unless it's for work, or the kids need him."
"Here, Mummy," Mabel said before I could make a comment on Ginny's sentence, "You can have this one."
She placed a half-eaten cookie in my hand and waited for my opinion.
"You've eaten half of this one," I said, looking down at the little cookie, a bit hurt.
"It's because I-" Mabel began, but a soft flutter broke her words.
An owl.
A huge beautiful owl fluttered softly into the kitchen, hooting gently.
"An owl!" gasped Mabel, scrambling to get to the creature. It hooted in fright and went on rest on Ginny's shoulder. She sighed.
"This is Moki," she said, quickly snatching something from the Owls beak, "She's a Eurasian Eagle owl. Nova's somewhere in the woods."
"Liam was saying something about owls the other day, actually," I remembered, watching Moki. I had never seen an owl close up like this before. She was beautiful. She was looking a bit nervous, hooting once in a while, and looking at me with huge orange eyes.
"I see owl," Mabel said, reaching up to touch Moki, but she fluttered away, landing gracefully by Al's feet.
"Hullo, monkey," Al said, waving at the owl, and it hooted back, looking at Mabel reproachfully.
"Owl fly away," Mabel said sadly, sliding back onto the floor.
"Nova's friendlier, Mabel," Ginny told my daughter, "Moki just gets a little bit shy sometimes."
"I see Nova?" Mabel asked hopefully, and Ginny smiled.
"I'll go get him for you, if you like, just follow me."
We all went out into the garden, and I took a minute to appreciate the beautiful landscape. Harry and Ginny had picked such a brilliant spot to raise their 3 children, and I made me wish that Robert and I had picked somewhere with a bigger garden. The grass seemed to go on forever, progressing out into the hills.
Moki took off from the ground, and flew to the treetops, instantly camouflaged within.
"Nova, come and meet Mabel and Liam," Ginny called, and I was a bit sceptical that she should summon an owl just like that. But, to my amazement, another Eagle owl flew up from the trees, before swooping down to us. Nova hooted from the air, before landing on my shoulder. The owl's talons clasped my shoulder, but the warm weight of it was vaguely relaxing.
"Owl on Mama!" shrieked Mabel, jumping up to try and touch the owl. I felt Nova's weight shift and saw him fly over to Ginny.
"Mabel, you have to be quiet." Liam scowled, watching Nova nervously, "Owls like the quiet."
"That's right, Liam." Ginny smiled, "But I'm sure that Nova wants to say hello."
She bent down, and Nova hopped onto her extended arm. Liam reached out a shaky hand and stroked the owl's feathery head.
"He's so soft!" He exclaimed, "He's a nice owl."
"Yes, he is," agreed Ginny, "And he likes you."
"He does?"
"Yes."
Suddenly, Nova took off into the air, screeching indignantly. Ginny watched his ascent, as he fluttered back into the trees.
"Something spooked him." She muttered, glancing around her, narrowing her eyes at the forest, "But I…" She stopped mid-sentence, in deep thought, but continued to gaze at the thin gaggle of trees.
"Is everything ok?" I asked, after a minute of quiet. Ginny gave a start and nodded slightly.
"Yes. I reckon… you know what, never mind." She sighed, taking Al's hand, and leading us back into the house.
"What happened?" I questioned, wanting to keep up with her conscious.
"I'm not sure." She muttered, shutting the door firmly behind her, and turning back around.
"Where's Lily, anyway?" I asked, sensing that the subject needed to change.
"She's sleeping in the living room," Ginny said, still looking preoccupied, "But I should really check on her. She's been sleeping for a few hours now. She was asleep the whole time my Mum was round."
We went into the living room and saw Lily sleeping soundly in a Moses basket by the sofa.
"Baby sleepy all day," Mabel told me, and Ginny nodded.
"She was," She smiled, reaching down to pick up the baby, "But I think there's time for one more feed before we pick up James, Al."
Lily woke up with a splutter, and began to cry, indicating that it was time for us to go.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Katie," Ginny said, reaching forward to hug me, "And you too, Liam and Mabel."
"Tell James I really really missed him," Liam said earnestly, and Ginny nodded in reassurance.
"Of course I will."
And at that, I stepped back out into the drive, and got into the car, loading in my children as I went.
