"Excuse me, coming through. I have a famous author with me. Thank you. " Harry announced loudly to the crowded ship as he searched for some open seats.

"Harry, would you shut up?" Ron hissed, the tips of his ears blushing red.

"Nah, I'm having way too much fun with this." Harry replied with a chuckle, "Author of "Little Bites of Magic", Ronald Billius Weasley, right here. Haven't heard of him? He's not Ed Sheeran, but his food is so good it's music for your soul."

"Embarrassing Ron again, are we?" Ginny asked, appearing next to them as they finally found seats. "Oh look, she has your book, Ron." she observed as she waved to the elderly lady across the aisle who was gazing starstruck at Ron and holding out a copy for him to sign.

"Where are the kids?" asked Harry, taking the seat next to Ginny as Ron signed the lady's book.

"Said they wanted to stand by the railing and watch. A few minutes of peace and quiet sounded too good to pass up so I said fine."

"Are they arguing over Lily's sorting again?" Ron questioned as he rejoined them.

"Yep. The boys both want her for their house quidditch team. So Al's trying to convince Lily that she should join him in Slytherin and Jamie is trying to convince her to become a Gryffindor."

"And let me guess, Lily is antagonizing them by saying she's going to Ravenclaw?" Harry chuckled.

"Hufflepuff, actually. She wants to be like Teddy." Ginny said with a small roll of her eyes and a laugh.

Harry looked around, making sure his children hadn't creeped up nearby without him noticing, before asking, "Think we should tell them about the family betting pool?"

"Of course not. Lily would find a way to rig her sorting so George wins since she knows he would split the winnings with her." Ron replied. "How much is the pot up to now anyway?"

"150 galleons if you get the house correct, and an additional 10 if you predict how long it takes. McGonagall promised to keep time for us this year since Neville screwed it up last year." Ginny said with a pout.

"Never seen the poor guy so scared as when he had to relay that news." Ron commented.

"Gin is bloody terrifying on a regular day. Add in the competitive Weasley streak and her win on the line? Ha. I'm surprised he didn't faint." Harry said with a laugh.

Suddenly Lily came running up to the group, Al and Jamie following behind her at a much more respectable pace.

"Mom! Dad! We're here! The boat just docked in and now we get to see Auntie Mione and Lydia! I am so excited! Aren't you excited Uncle Ron?" The words tumbled out of Lily's mouth as she bounced on her toes in excitement.

"Of course I am, Lily Lu! Now how about you help your favorite uncle down the dock?" Ron asked with a grin, rising to his feet and offering her his arm.

"You might want Jamie and Al to go with you too, Ron. They can act as your bodyguards and protect you from all your adoring fans." Ginny laughed, eyeing up a large group of women whispering and giggling to each other like school girls, as they shot not-so-subtle glances his way.

The small group made their way off the ship and onto the dock where they began searching for a familiar head of curls.

"Will you look at what the tide washed in?"

The group turned around to see Hermione walking up to them, a huge smile on her face.

"Aunt Mione!" Lily yelled as she threw herself at her favorite aunt and gave her a giant hug. Hermione wrapped her arms around her goddaughter saying, "Lily! I swear you get more and more beautiful everytime I see you." She then stood up and turned to her two godsons. "Jamie, congratulations on getting prefect! I am so proud of you! And Al, I swear, you must have grown a foot since I've seen you last. Merlin, you are almost taller than me now!" she gushed as she pulled each of them into a tight hug.

"Ok, that's enough of my children. My turn." Ginny announced with a smirk before crushing Hermione in a tight embrace. "Godric, I've missed you."

Hermione chuckled, "I missed you too, Gin."

"Um, are you forgetting someone? Honestly, we've only been your best friends for roughly thirty years."

"She moves away and has a kid and suddenly forgets all about us. Makes me feel like one of Hagrid's flobberworms."

"Oh shut up, you prats, and get over here." Hermione said before throwing her arms around Harry' and Ron's necks in a hug. "You know you're my favorites so stop being such babies. Think of the example you are setting for your impressionable children. And you were just here for Christmas!"

"Hear that Harry, not even five minutes and she's already lecturing us." Ron teased, before yelping and yanking away as Hermione pinched his side in retaliation.

"You're horrible." Hermione said, but the smile on her face betrayed her joy at seeing her closest friends again. "Now c'mon. Let's head to the house. Lydia and Teddy should be there already."

The group began walking away from the pier and toward the apparition spot, when Ginny got a suspiciously innocent smile on her face.

"So Mione, any attractive singles of independent means in the area?"

"What, is one husband not enough for you, Ginny?" Ron laughed.

"Yeah, are my "green as a fresh pickled toad" eyes and "dark as a blackboard" hair not good enough anymore? I'm offended, Ginny." Harry said with a smirk and a teasing twinkle in his eye.

"Can you just drop that all ready? I was eleven!" Ginny groaned. "And it's not for me, it's for Ron. Now that his book is a bestseller and he's got everyone begging him to open a second restaurant, I've decided to play matchmaker."

"Gin, just drop it. You sound like Mother. I am perfectly content with my bachelor life. I'm a lone wolf."

"Well since you refuse to date with any of the perfectly lovely women I've tried to set you up with back home -"

"Perfectly lovely? Ginny, you tried to set me up with Millicent Bulstrode!" Ron reminded her exasperatedly.

"She's a lot nicer now than she was in school and she's grown into her looks."

"She spent all of dinner showing me pictures of her cats. You know how many cats she had? Twenty-five and she was getting another that weekend so she could complete the alphabet."

"Oh, do you remember the time she tried to set you up with Madam Rosmerta?" Harry said, chuckling.

"What? It wasn't that bad. I was in Hogsmade visiting the boys and she asked about you! It's not my fault. Plus, she's divorced."

"Yeah for the sixth time. And she's the same age as mum."

"Well she looks great and it's not like you were having much luck with women your own age!"

"Or that girl with the giant 'Ron Weasley' shrine, complete with an entire wall covered in your chocolate frog cards, who tried to cut a lock of your hair? " Hermione joined in with a giggle.

They all start laughing as Ginny glared at them all with a pout, before finally giving up and joining in.

"Well, on that note, we should be good to apparate here. Lils, you coming with me?" Hermione asked.

Lily nodded her head eagerly and latched on to Hermione's outstretched arm as the others paired up and apparated away to the Granger household.