Ch 107: Kids Come Home

They had gone around and around debating whether or not to bring the babies to the platform to meet the train bringing Rose and Hugo home for the Christmas holidays. And, they had each changed their mind at least ten times with no brilliant breakthrough. Was it better to keep their newest additions out of the eyes of the press and therefore the awareness of the public? Or was it better to ignore the paparazzi and live their life on their own terms and not let the Rita Skeeters of the world keep their family of six apart any longer than necessary? Even the morning the kids were arriving, they still hadn't made up their minds.

In the end, London traffic made the decision for them. Hermione was maneuvering their new people mover, which her mum still referred to as a minivan from her time living in America, through the streets of London. Whatever it was called, Hermione figured that, magic or not, it was the only way she could figure out how to move two adults, two school aged children, two infants in car seats and two school trunks around London. But, despite the larger car and magical talents, they found themselves sitting in traffic as the clock ticked towards the arrival of the train.

Ron had started off in the passenger seat up front, but had moved to the back when Hazel spit out her dummy and started fussing loudly. He had just calmed Hazel down when Ryan started fussing as well, apparently not satisfied that his sister had gotten some attention from their dad when he hadn't. Hermione watched through the rear view mirror, shook her head and chuckled quietly as Ron tended to the two babies.

"They really have no idea what's coming, do they?" she asked.

"Well, I am not sure which pair of kids you are talking about," Ron laughed. "But, either way, I couldn't agree more."

"I still can't figure out if the babies are going to fall instantly in love with their big brother and sister and chuck us to the side, or if they will be furious at the new strangers moving in on their parents."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ron shrugged, again reaching for a dropped dummy.

"And I also think Rose and Hugo will be enamored for at least a few days, but I have no bets as to whether or not they'll be glad to get back on that train in a few weeks or not and leave the terror twins to us."

Ron looked at his watch for the twentieth time in two minutes and sighed. "We're going to be late. The train will be there in four minutes and we still have at least ten city blocks to go."

"Well, unfortunately the seven hundred cars in front of me really don't care," she reminded him.

"I know, I know. I'm not blaming anyone. Well, ok, maybe I blame Hazel just a smidge for spitting up over everything just as we were ready to walk out the door on time. But, even I can be forgiving. But I can't stand the idea of them getting there without being there to see them get off. It's Hugo's first time coming home on the train!"

"Well," Hermione grinned, "you are a wizard. Go on then. Guess Rita Skeeter can't photograph the babies if they are still stuck in traffic. Maybe this is the universe solving our dilemma. You apparate and fetch them and I'll pull up outside the front. Hopefully I'll beat you there, but if not, you know I'll be there shortly."

"You ok with just them?"

"Yes, Ronald, I can handle my kids too. I have driven with them alone before, you know."

"Ok, Ok. Just checking. Alright, I'm going. Thanks, love."

With that, he turned in his seat and disapparated to Kings Cross Station. The babies startled at the popping sound and the sudden disappearance of their dad and instantly started crying, making the experienced mum just shake her head and turn up the radio.

Ron sprinted from the apparition point to the platform, stepping through the barrier just as the train came into view down the track. Sighing in relief, Ron smiled and walked over to stand with his sister and brother in law.

"Thought you weren't going to make it. Where are the three I really want to see?"

"Missed you too, Gin," he scoffed. "Let's say Hazel was not on the same time schedule as the rest of us. And then we hit traffic, so Hermione is going to meet us out front."

"I think that is for the best," admitted Gin. "I haven't seen Skeeter yet, but I am sure she is lurking around somewhere. I still can't figure out how that woman remains unseen."

"Well, either way, I cannot wait to get my hands on Rose and Hugo. I have missed them so much."

"You've seen them like five or six times since they left for school, Ron."

"Well, ok, but only once since the babies came home," he protested.

The train arrived and screeched to a slow halt, with hundreds of kids suddenly pouring form its doors and waving from windows. With all of the voices yelling "mum" or "dad," it was hard to make anyone out. Ron was tall enough to see above the crowd, but was somehow still surprised when Hugo snuck up to him from the back engulfing him in a tight hug.

"Dad!"

"Hugo! I didn't see you! Oh how I've missed you, little man," Ron said as he turned around, crouched down and hugged his son fiercely, only letting go when Hugo did.

"Me too," smiled Hugo.

"Have you seen Rose?"

"I'm here," she said as she walked up to him. Ron hugged her but laughed as she pulled away searching for the scene stealers. "Where are Hazel and Ryan?"

"In the car with your mum. We got caught in traffic so she's meeting us out front."

"Oh," she said sadly. "I was hoping Scorp could meet them too."

"He will. Just not here, ok? We need to find a place more quiet and more private. Maybe he can come over and visit. And if not, you'll at least see him at New Year's."

"OK," she said sadly. "Let me tell him bye, and I'll be right back."

She disappeared into the crowd as Hugo dragged Ron to meet his new friends' families. After greeting Richard's parents and the somewhat overwhelmed muggle parents of their friend Ellen, Ron waved briefly at the Malfoys and the Scamanders and headed off with the two kids and two trunks through the train station.

Rose beat him out the front door and was standing on the curb searching for her mum when he caught up with her.

"I can't find her!" Rose complained.

"She's right there. We got a bigger car," Ron grinned.

Rose and Hugo took off toward Hermione who was getting out of the car to hug them. But, instead of embracing her, they both ran straight passed her and jumped into the car to see the babies leaving Hermione, alone on the curb with her arms opened for a hug.

Ron chuckled at her dejected expression as he pulled the two trunks towards the car.

"I'll hug you," he offered as he kissed her cheek.

"Hmph. Thanks," she scoffed. "I guess we know we are just background for the foreseeable future I suppose. Here to drive and cook and not much else. Throw those in the boot and let's go home."

Amidst a gust of cold December wind blowing up all sorts of wrappers and other rubbish, Ron packed up the trunks and climbed back in the front seat where he could see Hermione grinning as she listened to Rose and Hugo fawning over the babies.

"Do we have to leave them in the car seats?" Hugo whined.

"Yes," said Hermione firmly. "But as soon as we are home you can each carry them around as long as you like."

For the rest of the drive Ron and Hugo kept trying to drag stories out of Hugo and Rose, but all they wanted to do was talk about the twins. When they finally pulled into the driveway, Rose and Hugo each had the car seats unstrapped before the engine was even turned off. Hermione smiled and again shook her head.

"Ok. Your dad will get the trunks. You two take the babies on into the living room, but don't linger out here. It's far too cold and windy for three month olds to be outside for very long."

Ron grinned, got out of the car and headed back to the boot to unload it. He carried the trunks individually into the garage, but then as soon as he was out of sight of the street he levitated them both into the house. They hadn't exactly worked out the sleeping arrangements yet, so he left them on the floor in the living room.

With Christmas falling on a Wednesday, they had been able to come home on the Friday before the holiday and wouldn't have to return until the Sunday after New Year's. Ron was thrilled to have his whole family of six together for the first time under one roof. But despite the relief of finally having them all in one place, he couldn't shake the ball of tension that seemed to have come home from the train station with them. Blaming it on the stress of running late in muggle traffic, he tried to shake it off and focus on enjoying his family.

They ordered pizza from their favorite local place and ate together at the kitchen table. Rose fed Ryan and Hugo fed Hazel and then each baby fell asleep while the kids continued to eat with one arm each as they couldn't stand to put them down. Hermione insisted on capturing their first night together as a family on their new magical camera, so Ron charmed it to take a picture of the six of them, with Ron and Hermione standing behind the two kids holding the babies. The first few tries the flash seemed weird with a second flash after the initial one, so they tool several shots to be sure they got a keeper.

"So," said Ron as he sent the empty pizza boxes to the rubbish bin, "we haven't quite figured out the best way to house everyone for the holidays. Anyone have a suggestion?"

"We can put Hugo in his old room, Rose you can have the twin bed in the babies' room and we can put them in our room," suggested Hermione.

"Nooo!" protested Rose and Hugo together.

"Please, can I sleep in the babies' room? Pretty please?" begged Rose.

Hugo nodded next to her. "Me too."

"Yeah – Hu and I will sleep in there, and we'll take care of them if they need anything during the night."

Ron laughed heartily. "Well, trust me you two. Neither your mum nor I could possibly imagine a better Christmas present than a good night's sleep. But, as much as you can stay in there if you want, you won't sleep. Believe me. I've tried."

"Pleease!" they begged.

Hermione laughed and shrugged. "Have at it. But, if you both give in at 3 am, there is no shame in calling it quits and retreating to a quieter room."

"It's just we've missed so much already," Rose sighed as she brushed her fingers against Ryan's sleeping cheek. "We only get two weeks with them, so I want to spend every possible minute I can with these little munchkins."

"If that's what you two really want, we'll give it a shot tonight. I'll levitate Hugo's mattress in and then there'll be two twin beds in there. They usually sleep for a bit now and then we'll do a bath and another bottle when they wake up around 730, and then they'll hopefully sleep until about 3 am, then up for bottles and new nappies and then theoretically sleeping until seven in the morning."

"No problem," Rose declared confidently. "The big brother and big sister can totally handle it."

Hermione grinned at Ron who had a strange expression on his face as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"You don't think we can hack it, do you Dad?" asked Hugo.

"Huh – no - I never said that," Ron said distractedly, still strangely anxious. "But, I do believe that I said something similarly naïve and brash when these two adorable holy terrors showed up in November."

"Maybe we are naïve, but we are still doing it," said Hugo confidently. "And maybe what you really need is a Ravenclaw who can figure out a better way to get them to sleep through the night."

"Hugo, my man, I am absolutely counting on it," laughed Ron.