TEDDY
It was a Monday morning, and Harry Potter was in the kitchen, shoving papers aside in his satchel to make room for his lunchbox; leftovers from his dinner last night. Ginny had already left, unapologetically taking the larger portion left for herself, but she'd kissed him and promised to make it up to him tonight, so he really didn't mind.
He'd just slung his satchel over his shoulder and was sliding his wand into the holster he wore under his arm when the fireplace lit up, and he heard Teddy's frantic call.
"Harry, Ginny, are you there? Bother – no, don't cry, please sweetheart, daddy will fix it, I promise, just, no tears. HARRY, GINNY, ARE YOU -"
Harry knelt in front of the fireplace. "Teddy, I'm here, what's going on?"
Teddy's face relaxed somewhat, but then Harry was confronted with Teddy's eldest daughter's face.
"Hi Grandpa!" she said.
"Hi, sweetheart. Everything all right over there?" he asked
She shook her head but Teddy responded before she could reply.
"Dora, love, can you go sit quietly, they, oh hell, Harry, please, can you come over, I need your help," he implored.
" Of course." Harry glanced at the clock. Minutes ago, he'd had the luxury of taking his time to get to work but a stop over at Teddy's would make him late. Oh well, he was the head of the department, and family always, always, came first with Harry.
He stood and threw the floo powder down, ariving in Teddy's lounge. He winced at the noise level, although Dora was seemingly unaffected, sitting and reading a book. There was no sign of Teddy.
She looked up, closed her book carefully – Hermione would be so proud – and came over to him.
He picked her up and hugged her. "All right?" he asked.
"Daddy's not coping," she told him, sounding more like a 25 year old than a 5 year old. Something told him she was mimicking someone else's words, probably her grandmother, Fleur.
From down the hall, Harry heard pleas from Teddy and both giggles and protests.
"The twins, huh?" he guessed, and Dora nodded solemnly, wiggling to be put down.
Sure enough, Teddy emerged seconds later, walking funny, because he had a giggling little girl attached to each of his legs.
"Harry," he said, almost in relief, "Help!"
"What seems to be the trouble here, Teddy," grinned Harry.
The two terrors attached to his legs looked up at Harry, and immediately let go.
"Gwampa!" they cried in unison, running over to him and straight into his arms.
Little arms encircled his neck as they plastered sticky kisses over his cheek.
"Harry, I need your help," begged Teddy.
"Of course, what is it?" asked Harry, kissing first Aimee, then Remy, on the cheek.
"Can you help me plait their hair?"
"Pardon?" asked Harry.
"Victoire plaited Dora's hair before she left for work, and now the twins want their hair plaited too. I have to get Dora to school in " – he checked the clock – "twenty minutes and I still have to get Henry ready."
Harry thought about his latest Lupin grandchild, his namesake. Technically, he was Henri, for both Harry and his maternal great grandfather, but here in London, he was known as Henry.
"Well, I could give it a go, although it's been awhile since I did Lily's though," mused Harry. "Vic didn't leave any instructions, huh?"
Teddy shook his head as he took Remy from Harry and settled her in between his legs on the sofa, with a hair brush in his hand.
Harry copied him with Aimee, grabbing the spare brush and began brushing.
"Today's Vic's first day back at work since Henry's birth," reminded Teddy, as he began splitting the little girl's hair into three separate sections. "I thought I could handle it. I told her I could handle it."
Harry knew that Teddy and Victoire had talked long and hard about Victoire going back to work and Teddy being a stay at home dad. He knew Teddy wouldn't want her to think he couldn't cope.
"Daddy, we're gonna be late," singsonged Dora.
"No we won't, sweetheart," assured Teddy, "I promise. Could you go check on Henry for me please?"
Resigned to being late, she nodded, leaving the four alone.
Harry and Teddy spent the next couple of minutes plaiting the twin's hair, occasionally stopping to check with the other they were doing it right. The twins wiggled and giggled, sometimes twisting to check on the other's hair.
"Daddy, I wanna wear blue," said Remy, wiggling in between her daddy's legs, as he finished plaiting.
"Can't we change after we drop Dora to school?" pleaded Teddy.
"Nu-uh," insisted Remy. She twisted to look up at him. "Pwease?"
Harry chuckled as he saw Teddy's heart melt as she batted her eyes at him. "Go on then," offered Harry, tying Aimee's plait. "I'll go get Henry ready."
"Henry just needs a nappy change, I'll give him a bath when we get home," said Teddy.
Harry nodded and headed down the hall to the nursery. Dora was sitting near the crib, holding her brother's hand as she talked to him. Harry smiled and peered into the crib, smiling at the eight month old baby boy.
Henry looked up, smiling at the familiar face. His hair changed from sandy brown to messy black.
"Good morning to you too, Henry," cooed Harry, picking him up and laying him on his change-table.
"Grandpa, I've got a clean nappy ready for him," Dora told him.
"Thank you, sweetheart, that will save some time," praised Harry.
He quickly changed Henry, pleased that he was such an easy going baby, particularly after the twins. He zipped him back up, and picked him up, bussing his cheek.
"Let's go get Dora to school," he told him and the baby gurgled his agreement.
Dora ran out of the room to pick up her bag again, and Harry followed her.
"Thanks Harry," sighed Teddy, in relief, as Harry helped him get the baby in the carrier on his chest.
"T'anks, 'arry," parroted Aimee, giggling. Her grandpa tweaked her nose.
"Can we go now?" asked Dora.
"Yes, sweetheart, we're going. Thanks again, Harry, I hope we haven't made you late to work."
Teddy took Aimee's hand, while Dora took Remy's hand.
"Er, lock up for me, will you?" asked Teddy, hurrying out the door.
"Bye Gwampa," chorused Remy and Aimee, waving goodbye.
Harry stood at the Lupin's front door, waving goodbye, till they were mere specks in the distance, for they lived within walking distance to the local school. He then locked the front door, and headed back to the fireplace, calling out, "Ministry of Magic, Head Auror's office."
The flames carried him away, and he stepped out into his office, confident no-one would even know he was late.
Except the Minister of Magic herself was waiting in his office, rifling through his paperwork.
"All right, Hermione?" he asked, dropping his satchel as he sat down, wincing at the many memos that awaited him in the middle of his desk..
"I could ask you the same thing, Harry," she replied.
"Family stuff," he told her, " but everything's all right," he hurried to assure her.
"Good. Pity I can't say the same about your paperwork," she said, looking at the pile of files he had taken out of his satchel and lay on his desk, as if they had personally offended her.
"It'll get done," he assured her.
"By the end of the day," she warned.
"Sure," he quipped.
She looked at him, knowing he was placating her. She sighed, but knew there was nothing more she could say.
"Have a good day, Harry," she said breezily.
His snort behind her as she closed the door let her know he would spend most, if not all, of the day doing that paperwork.
JAMES
"It hurts, Mum. It really hurts."
James Sirius, always known for his dramatics. Only this time, Ginny knew he really was hurting. With his head on her shoulder, she kissed the top of his unruly hair, so like his father's.
He always came home to his parent's, to his old home. Mum would be there, a shoulder to lean on. She'd tell him funny stories in an effort to cheer him up, while his dad would listen and feed him, cooking all his favourite food. They were always on his side, but they also reminded him it wasn't the first time he'd found himself like this.
Heartache was a bitch, but James had been there before. He had always worn his heart on his sleeve, falling in love too quickly, too often during his Hogwarts days.
But this time he'd sworn she was the one...and Harry and Ginny, despite their misgivings of the girl in question, had hoped for the best for their son's sake.
And now, here they were. Her son was in pain, and Ginny tampered down the real urge to find the girl and hex her for hurting her son.
He was still young but he had longed for that special connection for awhile now, always enjoying the stories of his parent, his grandparents and uncles, finding their special person at Hogwarts.
Harry and Ginny had tried to tell him it wouldn't always happen like that, citing Rolf and Luna, and Percy and Audrey. But James refused to listen, instead, dating as many girls as he could, so much so that, at one stage, all the girls in his year banded together and took a stand – not one of them would date James Sirius Potter in his last six months at Hogwarts.
Even the one that had loved him from afar for so long and had gone unnoticed.
As he always did, James recovered from this heartbreak and moved on, finding it easier now he wasn't at Hogwarts. At first he threw himself into his work – physical demands of a Quidditch career excelled at that, as well as the travel that took him away from wizarding London.
It was in Paris he bumped into his old Hogwarts friend, Cara Finnegan-Thomas at a party. She'd moved to Paris after Hogwarts, where her adopted fathers Dean and Seamus, were based. She'd hoped distance would make her forget her feelings for James.
James had met Dean and Seamus several times before, so felt completely comfortable talking with them at the party at the gallery. Dean was showing some of his art, and James had tagged along with Victoire and Teddy on a family holiday, and were visiting her Delacour grandparents and aunt.
Cara had been a Ravenclaw, and a Seeker on their Quidditch team. She now worked for one of the big broom companies, one of which sponsored James, so the two had plenty to talk about.
Had her hair always shone so bright? Had her eyes twinkled that brilliantly back during their Hogwarts days? His eyes followed her as she moved amongst the invited guests, completely at ease in a way that he admired, as she made sure Dean was still eating while discussing his art, and Seamus wasn't drinking too much, nervous for his partner's sake. And the fact that she did it in such an endearing way, adding a plate to Dean's expansive hand gestures, or swapping Seamus' Guiness for water, won James heart that night, or so he'd tell anyone who asked him later, just when he realised he loved her.
And so it was to his parent's home he went, a year later, well after midnight, racing up the stairs and bursting into their room so that Harry woke suddenly and in seconds, had his wand pointed at his son.
"Whoa, it's me?" James surrendered, arms up. "Nice reflexes for an old man, though."
"Shit, sorry." He lowered his wand and nudged his wife. "Gin."
"Hmpf, not again, Harry, in the morning, I promise," she muttered, batting his hand away and turning over.
"Mum, wake up. Dad, wake her," implored James, ignoring the implications.
His dad leaned over and whispered something in his mother's ear. "Oh, and James is here," he added.
Ginny rolled over and cuddled against Harry's side. "What is it, love, what's wrong?" she demanded.
James shook his head, a beaming smile breaking out on his face.
"She said yes."
ALBUS
"Mum? Dad, Mum, are you there?"
Ginny lowered herself to peer into the fireplace to see her second born son, Albus Severus, a hint of panic in his eyes.
"It's Ella, can you come through?" he implored.
Ginny nodded immediately, his tone indicating urgency. Once Albus had stepped away, she went through the floo, stepping out into the Potter-Malfoy townhouse's lounge, where Albus awaited her, a whimpering toddler on his hip, her head on his chest.
"She's sick, she has a fever," explained Albus.
"Your husband is a healer, Albus," replied Ginny, stroking the little girl's hot head.
"Gwamma," said the little girl, opening her eyes at Ginny's touch. "Hot."
"Scorpius must be operating, he hasn't responded to any of my owls. What do I do, Mum?"
She heard the genuine concern in his voice; it was the first time Estella, or Ella as she was known, had become sick with Albus being the only one to look after her.
"How long has she been this warm?" asked Ginny.
"She woke from her nap half an hour ago and was warm then. She didn't want anything to eat or drink either," said a worried Albus.
"Have you given her a fever reducing potion?" asked Ginny.
Albus nodded. "Of course, about ten minutes ago."
Ginny relaxed somewhat. "It should take effect soon, then. Now sweetheart, how about a bath? That should bring your temperature down."
Ella nodded listlessly, but looked at her daddy. "Daddy baff too?"
Ginny held out her arms. " Come to Grandma while daddy goes and runs a bath for you both."
Albus handed his precious daughter to Ginny and disappeared to run the bath. Meanwhile, the fireplace flared and Harry stepped out.
He looked around, coming to Ginny's side immediately, cooing at his granddaughter.
"Hello, sweetpea. Uh-oh, someone's a bit warm," he said, kissing her cheek.
"Albus has gone to run a bath for her, she has a fever. Scorpius is operating and can't get away," summarised Ginny.
"Has she had a fever reducing potion?" asked Harry.
"Yes, we're just waiting for it to kick in. I thought a bath would help bring her temperature down," explained Ginny.
Albus returned to the lounge. "All ready, oh, hi Dad!"
Ella reached for him immediately and Ginny passed her over.
"I'll change her sheets and set them to wash while you're in the bath, Al," assured his mother.
"Thanks Mum, won't be long," said Albus, disappearing into the bathroom.
"Right then, I'll head home, I'm sure we have some chicken soup in the freezer," said Harry, " be back soon."
Ginny went to Ella's bedroom, stripping the bed and casting a cleansing charm on the mattress before remaking the bed. She then did a cleansing charm throughout the room and set out some clean pyjamas to dress her in.
"Mum?" It was Albus calling.
"Coming," she replied, leaving Ella's room and grabbed the clean pyjamas.
She saw movement from the lounge and thought it was Harry returning but it was Scorpius, stumbling out the fireplace.
"How is she?" he demanded of her, then amended after looking around, "where is she?"
Before Ginny could open her mouth, Albus called out, "Scorp, is that you? We're in the bath."
Ginny shoved Ella's clean pyjamas in Scorpius' hands, and he took them and headed straight for the bathroom.
Ginny was in the kitchen, rummaging around for something quick and easy to prepare for Albus and Scorpius when Harry reappeared, a bag in each hand.
"Here, chicken soup," he told her, handing it over.
"Perfect. I was thinking of doing some toasted sandwiches too," Ginny replied. "What's in that bag?" she asked.
"Sleepwear and a change of clothes and toiletries. We are staying the night, aren't we?" he asked in reply.
"Let's play it by ear for now," she told him. "Ah, here they are."
Harry and Ginny bustled around the kitchen while Ella enjoyed the attentions of Scorpius and Albus, who confirmed her temperature had already gone down. She was quiet and clingy throughout dinner, wanting only her daddies to look after her.
Albus and Scorpius took up Harry and Ginny's offer to stay the night, "just in case."
Later, settled in the guest bedroom, Harry slept soundly but Ginny couldn't. She decided to make some warm milk so quietly slipped out of bed, and out of the bedroom.
She thought she'd check on Ella on her way to the kitchen. The nightlight was on, and stars twinkled over her bed, all across her ceiling.
The little girl was nearly asleep, with Albus sitting on her bed as he sang her a lullaby; Scorpius sat on the bed too, stroking her hair. Ginny leaned against the doorjamb, watching and remembering herself singing the same song to Albus when he was a little boy. She wouldn't have been surprised to learn her own mother had sung it to her too.
Albus looked up, suddenly aware his mother was there. Ginny smiled softly at him, and he smiled back, before looking down at his daughter, who was now asleep.
LILY
"Dad, where are you?"
Harry was in his ofice, trying to get through more of the paperwork he'd brought home with him, before Ginny returned from a match she was covering for the Daily Prophet.
"Dad? Damnit, I was sure he'd be here."
"Lils, I'm in the office," called Harry, to his daughter. A minute later Lily entered, looking significantly happier than the tone of her last statement.
"Hi Dad, I need your help? Er, Mum's not here, is she?" Lily looked around nervously.
"No, she's covering this match." Harry indicated the wireless with his hand. "What's up that you don't want your mum involved?"
"It's not that I don't want Mum involved but I need you, your expertise," soothed Lily.
"What's up? Is it a Boggart? Do you need new wards cast on your flat?" asked Harry, already standing.
"No, no, nothing like that," said Lily, waving away his concerns. She walked around his desk, looking at the many photos, including the latest one of the Lupin family, and one of Scorpius, Albus and Ella and one of the whole family at James and Cara's engagement party.
"What's going on, Lily?" sighed Harry, sitting back down.
"I need help with cooking," she said. "A particular dish."
"Which one?" he asked.
"Your specialty dish, the one we all love. That curry one," she explained.
"Sure, when did you want to learn?" asked Harry.
"Now," said Lily.
"Now? We'll have to go do a shop first, we'll need –" began Harry, when Lily interrupted.
"I bought it already, it's in the kitchen," she said.
"But..." Harry looked at the mound of paperwork still covering his desk.
"Dad, I need it for tonight," said Lily. She grabbed his arm. "Please, Daddy."
Harry was reminded of little Lily doing the same, batting her eyelashes at him when she wanted to go for a broom ride with him, or stay up a bit later when Ginny wasn't home. Nothing had changed, years later, she still made his heart skip when she called him daddy.
"Fine, I could use a break anyway," he lied, standing and stretching his back.
"You should try yoga with Mum and I," advised Lily, tugging his hand and dragging him out of the office and into the kitchen. She watched as he examined the food she had brought with her, nodding to indicate he was happy with what she had.
"All right, so first off..."
Lily was content to follow her dad's instructions as they worked side by side, as they had done many times over the years . Although she had moved out to a flat with her friends not long after finishing Hogwarts, this house would always be home for her.
"So what's so important about this dinner tonight?" asked Harry, placing a pot on the stove and stirring it.
"It's...well, it's for Caleb, my boyfriend," admitted Lily.
"What about him? It's not his birthday or anything...is it?" Harry felt unsure, Ginny usually let him know before hand when their children's partners had special days like birthdays or anniversaries.
They had only met Caleb a couple of times, but James and Albus had given their parents their seal of approval of the guy, which impressed Harry particularly, as they seemed to be even more protective of Lily when it came to her dating than even he was, and that was saying a lot.
"No, no, it's just...this might be the night, Dad," explained Lily, flushing slightly.
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Sounds important."
Lily shrugged. "Maybe I'm reading too much into it. He sent me an owl, saying he wanted to discuss something with me tonight, and I thought...well, we've been dating awhile - "
"Seven and a half months," said Harry, adding coconut milk and stirring again. Already the aromatic flavours could be smelt throught the kitchen.
Lily shot him a curious look. "Yes, you're right, it's been over six months. I-I didn't think you'd know that."
Harry smiled. "I like to keep track of my kids, you know. So, do you think he's going to propose?"
Lily gasped. "No! I thought he might ask me to move in with him, but what if he does propose? Oh wow, I don't know what I'd say, am I ready for that?"
She began to pace around the kitchen, citing pros and cons for accepting Caleb's proposal. She completely forgot about helping her dad, as he continued on making the curry without her help while he half listened to her.
Harry was reminded of many nights when the kids were young, when he cooked a hearty stew or some other meal. The kids would wander in, sometimes to help chop vegetables, sometimes sharing a confidence or to ask advice It was a wonderful time before the kids went off to Hogwarts, with nights after dinner spent playing games and listening to Quidditch matches together as a family.
"Lily, relax," ordered Harry, filling a cup with water and handing it to her. "Breathe."
She took a deep breath and then lifted the cup to her mouth, drinking till the cup was empty. When done, she watched her dad move around the kitchen.
"Dad, you and mum like Caleb, don't you?" she asked.
"We've only met him a few times, Lil," Harry reminded her, " but from what we saw, yes, we do like him. Both James and Albus said – "
"Oh, you shouldn't listen to them, Dad," protested Lily.
"-that he was a great guy and treated you well," finished Harry, shooting her an amused look.
"Oh." Lily chuckled. "That was nice of them. Caleb likes them too, and Scorpius."
"Bring him over for dinner, just me and your mum and the two of you," suggested Harry. "Every other time there's been others around. Give us a chance to really get to know him."
Lily hugged her dad. "Thanks, Dad, I will, promise."
Harry hugged her back, then released her. "Now, all you need to do is let this simmer-"
"Merlin, is that the time?" shrieked Lily. "Dad, I really have to go. I'll take this and finish it at home, all right?"
She hurriedly kissed his cheek, then grabbed the pot right off the stove and headed for the fireplace. Harry followed her, throwing the floo powder in for her.
"Simmer for an hour and stir it every so often, all right," said Harry, as she stepped in, and he called out the name of her flat.
"I will. Thanks, Daddy." She smiled gratefully before she was swept away by the green flames.
Harry tidied the kitchen and returned to his study, intending to finish off more paperwork. However his eyes were drawn to the many family photos that were in the office, and he smiled to think that, despite the ups and downs his family had been through, his family were content.
Ginny found him in his office an hour later, flicking through Lily's baby album.
"Hey," she greeted, entering the office. "Paperwork all done?"
"No, barely even started," he replied cheerfully.
Her eyebrows arched in query. "You don't seem too concerned."
He shrugged. "It's just paperwork, it will keep till tomorrow."
She came to him, sitting down in his lap. His arms came around her, holding her to him.
"Do I smell your fantastic curry cooking?" she asked.
He grinned. "Lily came over and I showed her how to make it," he told her.
"Oh?"
"Caleb wants to talk to her tonight about something important," confessed Harry, " so she wanted to cook something special for him."
"What?" Ginny sat up abruptly. "You don't think he's going to propose, do you?"
"Lily thought it was more likely he was going to ask her to move in with him," replied Harry, rubbing circles on her back in an effort to calm her down.
" Oh, yes, I suppose that makes more sense," she said, relieved.
To Harry's regret, she stood and paced, stopping to look at a photo of the kids when they were little.
"We did all right with them, all of them, didn't we?" she asked.
He stood and came to her, slipping an arm around her waist. She leaned back against him as they both looked at a family photo of them all on a ride at Disneyland Paris.
"We did great with them," he assured her, " but I'm glad they still need us every now and then."
"Me too." She crossed her arms over his, content to be in his arms. "And you know I'm not going anywhere. Me, you're stuck with."
"I certainly hope so," he said, nuzzling under her ear.
She giggled; it tickled. "What's for dinner?"
"Anything you want," he told her.
"I have a sudden taste for curry," she told him.
"Take out?" he offered.
She twisted, her arms reaching up to encircle his neck. "Take me out," she amended.
"Whatever my wife wants," he told her.
While it was nice that their adult kids still needed them, it was also nice to have this time alone together, just like before the kids came along.
Him and Ginny, together, always.
~end~