Written for QLFC; Daily Prophet Issue #2 Competition: "Celebrate Good Times"
Position: Keeper for the Appleby Arrows
Prompt: "An Anniversary"
Words: [2122]
Summary: Harry and Hermione lived happily ever after once they survived school, and today, they and their growing family get to celebrate a very special anniversary. Aka: the 17th anniversary of Crookshank's "Gotcha!" day. (Voldemort-Free AU) Based in my "A Word of Harmony" drabble series. Same universe, different snippets in time.
Gotcha!
Harry stretched languidly as he laid along the entirety of the couch in the receiving parlour. Crookshanks curled up on the settee with a yawn, just as relaxed as his male human, content in the relative quiet in the cat's favorite room of the house. Hermione wasn't due home for another twenty minutes, choosing to go to work on a project at Gringotts instead of taking the day off like Harry had. The kids were all excited to be heading off to school in one more week, and were, for once in their lives, being courteous and stomping all over other parts of the house, instead of disturbing their father on his day off.
That is to say, the morning flurry of excitement when they found out Dad was staying home didn't disturb him, just his attempt to sleep in. Today was a special day, after all, and once Hermione had Flooed off to work, Harry had let his children in on the secret.
They were celebrating an anniversary today. Aster Sirius and Bryony Luna, the twins, were the eldest at 11 years old, and while excited for Hogwarts next week, they had confided in him that they wished they could take Crookshanks along as their pet. They had to deal with a couple of his kittens, barely a year old, however from a recent litter from under their garden shed. Bluebell and Socks were Bryony and Sirius' pets respectively, and the twins had fallen in love with the two half-kneazles. There were three left in the litter, and the Dame had wandered off as soon as the kittens were old enough to fend for themselves, ultimately leaving them in the capable hands of the Potter family. Iris Ceres, 8 years old, and Rosalind Viola, 4 years old, were completely content to play with the other three kittens, who had affectionately been dubbed Bottlebrush, Niko, and Chaucer, the last named lovingly by Hermione. Jameson Hugo, barely 2 years old, didn't care about the cats too much, since he got to have all of his Grampa Pa'foo' and Grampa Pongs attention for being the baby of the family. And when Grampa Pa'foo' could turn into a dog, well, what need would Jameson have for a cat?
The youngest was currently off at Potter Manor with James and Lily, and Harry could only assume that his godfather would be there as well, to play with his youngest. With Bryony and Aster taking after Hermione in talents and Harry in looks, while it looked like Iris and Rosalind were the complete opposite, the Marauders were already trying to influence young Jameson Hugo to be as much of a pranking Quidditch fanatic as his grandpas. With red hair as bright as his grandmother's that slowly started to fade to a brown, Jameson looked like a brilliant cross between Hermione and Lily. The elder of the two women always teased her husband and his best friend that if they didn't watch out, Jameson would turn into another genius bookworm like the two women in the family. Privately, all three men agreed that having the brains from the women of the family, and the Potter charm from the men, would ensure this kid could wrap anyone around his tiniest finger, even Grandpa Severus. The dour Potions Master had buried the hatchet with James Potter and Sirius Black, when Lily pressured them all to apologize to each other. In her words, "I'd rather you all be friends for my sake, than for each other!" And somehow, that arrangement worked better for them. They were polite, they were nice for Lily's sake, and eventually it became such a habit that they continued, even when Lily wasn't there to remind them.
Harry always had to laugh at his family's plans for his youngest son getting into Quidditch, for Iris was quickly proving to be as much of a Quidditch fanatic as her Uncle Ron, much to Hermione's consternation. Harry was equal parts pleased and terrified. After all, if the Potter luck held up with Quidditch, his daughter might end up in the Hospital Wing much more than he ever did.
His parents and Sirius were scheduled to come over for dinner, bringing Jameson with them. Harry's siblings, Lotus and Alder, couldn't make it today, since Lotus currently worked for the MACUSA in New York, and Alder was off playing Quidditch for the Appleby Arrows as a Keeper, and couldn't get away for a night. Both were still unmarried, however, if Lotus' letters were anything to go by, there may be a possible new Mrs. Potter in the future.
The kids were currently busying themselves up in the second floor living room, making banners and decorations and gifts for Crookshanks, who treated today as a second birthday of the year, letting Harry relax with the old cat. Crookshanks was moving slower nowadays, and Harry, while only having to deal with the death of his dear Hedwig, knew that dreaded day was coming. Crookshanks was over 17 years old already, and Kneazles lived the normal lifespan of a common house cat.
Pounding feet down the hallway signaled a rush towards them, and Harry shook his head to dispel the bittersweet thoughts of the end of another pet and friend. Today was all about celebration, and as he leaned towards Crookshanks to give him a good scratch under the chin, the twins burst through the door loudly, holding their gifts in fisted hands. Iris came in at a more sedate pace, with little Rosalind, Rosie for short, at her side. Between the two youngest girls, they carried a paper chain garland that looked like it would easily stretch to the other side of the house. Getting to his feet, he waved his hand and the garland lifted from the girls' hands to float in the air.
"Alright, let's start with this first," he stated with a grin as his children gathered around him. Bryony and Aster pouted, but their projects went onto the table furthest from Crookshanks. It wouldn't do for the Cat of the Hour to know his surprise ahead of time, now would it?
As Harry lifted the garland and attached it to the wall where his children pointed with glee, Crookshanks got to his feet, stretched languidly, and then sauntered out of the room, off to who knows where. They knew he would be back. Dinner was in an hour, after all, and if anyone could ever accuse a cat of something, it would always be 'on time'.
Bryony's gift came next, and while she was originally as equally good as her mother at knitting, lessons with Grandma Molly began to improve her skills. Bryony had made Crookshanks a knitted cat couch with specially sewn on pockets and pillows for the elves to stuff catnip into. There was a specially charmed foam inside of it that was temperature regulated, allowing their old man cat to be as toasty warm as he wanted.
She had everything finished last week, but today was spent stuffing all of the pockets with as much crushed catnip leaves that the House Elves could find from last drying season. A fresh sprig would be tucked into a fold between the cushions right before gifting it. Bryony had badgered them for the softest yarn they could buy, and the charm work was done by Mr. Spell Crafter himself after his daughter deployed her trademark puppy dog eyes. With his own green eyes staring back at him, Harry knew he had no way to say no.
Aster's gift was purchased, but he spent the time upstairs wrapping it in as many layers of wrapping paper as he could get his hands on. One toy the family discovered Crookshanks had a love for was paper. Discarded issues of the Prophet, old flat wrapping paper, balled up wrapping paper, old Muggle school papers, the whole gamut! Since Aster didn't have a creative bone in his body-self-proclaimed, by the way, despite all of the hidden sketches Harry had found stuffed at the back of Aster's closet the other month-he had chosen to live up to the Potter and Marauder name and make the gift wrapping as obnoxious as possible.
Harry loved it.
The floo activated just then, and Hermione stepped out with a scowl on her face. Harry stepped to her to greet her first as she spelled away the soot from the fireplace, and managed to kiss her cheek in greeting first moments before the children swamped her.
"Mama, mama! Look mama, look! Iris and I made the garland!" Rosalind exclaimed excitedly, practically vibrating in happiness. Hermione's wide smile was all the answer they needed.
"Oh, my loves, it is gorgeous! Crooks will love playing with that later, if you will let him!" she replied as she crouched to give her youngest daughter a hug. Iris took that opportunity to jump onto her mother's back for a piggyback ride. With an exaggerated "Oof!" Hermione stood, securing Iris' legs so she wouldn't fall. Rosalind giggled and then tugged at Harry's shirt.
"Up, daddy, up!" Harry obliged as the twins grinned at the jungle gyms that were their parents.
"Mum, I finished up the couch for Crookshanks! Daddy helped me with the warming charm this morning, so I stuffed everything with catnip!" Bryony commented. Hermione replied with a great smile at the bulging couch.
"I'm sure he'll love it," she replied endearingly. Looking around, she lifted an eyebrow at her husband. "And where is our guest of honor?" she asked him, and Harry shrugged.
"He disappeared as soon as the menagerie stampeded down the stairs," he said and Hermione nodded. The elves could find him easily when they needed him.
"Alright, kiddos, time to jump onto dad while mum goes and changes out of work robes!" Hermione declared and, instead of groaning or grousing as they usually did, all four kids got a wicked gleam in their eyes before they ambushed him, Rosalind tightening her hold on Harry as her siblings rushed him. Hermione placed a kiss on everyone's brows, lingering on Harry as she did so, before walking out of the room to go change, laughing as Harry exaggeratedly collapsed under the weight of their children, everyone's laughter filling the hallway.
Dinner came all too soon, and along with it Lady Lily Potter, Lord James Potter, and Lord Sirius Black, with their young charge, Jameson. Crookshanks was found stalking a mouse nest near the wood pile in the garden, all five of his kittens behind him as they learned to mouse, and they were all swiftly cleaned up by the elves. His smushed face glared at Mipsy, who was in charge of getting the sand and dirt out of his fur, but quickly forgave the elf when she started brushing him with his favorite brush. Quickly enough, the cat of the hour was given his own lifted chair so he could see onto the table, and as the family dug into a fare of fish and chips, Crookshanks got his own platters of fish. Salmon, tuna, halibut (courtesy of Lotus from the East Coast), and lobster all sat in front of the cat, and Hermione managed to take the picture the moment when Crookshank's eyes went wide and large before he pounced on the portions in front of him. It was going to be a welcome addition into their photo album, and Hermione easily agreed when Lily leaned over to request her own copy of the photo.
The end of the night saw Jameson put to bed, and Rosalind falling asleep in her grandmother's arms as the family gathered around the parlour the kids had decorated earlier. The garland had been taken down, Aster's gift of new feathered cat toys overshadowed by the amount of wrapping paper the gift produced, and the cat couch had been brought down to Crook's level. With a content expression that only a cat could give, Crookshanks purred loudly as he let the warming charms on the couch do its magic, his kittens rolling around and tangling themselves up in the garland stretched around him. Hermione couldn't help her large smile as she knelt down next to her familiar to give him a hug and a large kiss on his head.
"Happy 17th Gotcha Day, Crooks!" she whispered to him, and he purred louder as he butted his head against her.
"And many more," Harry agreed, a smile on his face as he lounged on the couch, Iris snuggled up against him. And looking at his family surrounding him, Harry knew that no matter what happened in the future, Crooks would always be part of the family, and would always be with them. Many more years indeed.
Fin
