AN:

Timelines- May 2009

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAISY!" Mrs. Vivian Fitzgerald shouted lovingly as Mr. Victor Fitzgerald played the birthday song from his phone.

Daisy thanked Mrs. Fitzgerald rather reluctantly, having spent the day dealing with her daughter walking up to random students to let them know it was Daisy's birthday and then waiting for an uncomfortable amount of time relenting only when they wished Daisy. Daisy had been worried that Vanessa, who had been trying to sincerely follow in her mother's footsteps. She wasn't sure how many more girls Cookie and she could row with in the bathroom for making fun of Vanessa before actually talking to her about being way too grown up. Daisy glanced to her side at the bunch of her classmates sniggering as they waved her goodbye. She blushed uncomfortably and waved back as she slid into the back seat of the silver Honda.

"Good afternoon, Mr. And Mrs. Fitzgerald." Daisy said, a small smile on her face. "You didn't have to go through the trouble of picking me up today. I know Vanessa and Valerie are both at the advanced Math class. I told Vanessa that I would just walk home. We live a lot closer now."

"Nonsense." Mrs. Fitzgerald said, waving her hand dramatically. "We wouldn't dream of letting you walk back home on your birthday! Today is your day!"

Daisy suppressed a giggle as Mr. Fitzgerald coughed, trying to do the same. Dr. Vivian Fitzgerald was a leading Neurologist working as the Head of Research for a government run facility. Her name was almost always given credit for any major breakthrough research, as most of the base outlines were drawn up by her. Tough as nails, she regularly mentored her researchers to expand their mental horizons. But Mrs. Fitzgerald was a different woman when it came to birthdays. Even the mention of a birthday got Mrs. Fitzgerald childishly excited. She loved planning birthday parties. Valerie's and Vanessa's birthday parties were always the highlights of the year.

"So.." Mrs. Fitzgerald started, as Daisy rummaged through her bag for her new phone, a birthday gift from Ginny. She was the first one to get a phone in her class but the last one to get one working in their own bedroom. Daisy had spend the last few months dropping heavy hints about wanting a working phone irrespective of the model. And finally, she was the owner of a brand new Sony walkman phone, the only phone which received a one bar signal at the magic fortress she called home. But she couldn't complain. It was one of the few equalizers for the crazy amounts of perks that Aurors like Harry got. She smiled as she admired her reflection on the screen.

"I know Harry said you're going to have your birthday party next weekend." Mrs. Fitzgerald said, as she kept slyly glancing at Mr. Fitzgerald. "And I know we also decided that we would make your favorite cake on the morning. But... It's your birthday today, Daisy. And I just couldn't bear to not see that face..."

Mrs. Fitzgerald suddenly turned around with a small slice of chocolate ice-cream cake in her hand. Daisy's face lit up as she slid closer. Mrs. Fitzgerald laughed as she pecked Daisy's forehead.

"Happy 8th birthday, sweetheart." Mrs. Fitzgerald said, as she gave Daisy the slice. Daisy pulled Mrs. Fitzgerald into an awkward one armed hug, Mrs Fitzgerald contorting her body at odd angles.

"Thank you" Daisy said, her voice squeaky. "Thank you so much. I was.. Thank you! I'm so glad you made this today. My birthday's are incomplete without your ice cream cakes!"

Mrs. Fitzgerald smiled as she blew Daisy a kiss.

"So, it looks like we have about an hour." Mr. Victor Fitzgerald said, as he crossed a busy intersection going a little bit deeper into London. "We will just pick up the smoothies and circle back to the birthday trifecta smoothie. So indulgent, so rich, that we're allowed to have it only on birthdays. Val has been looking forward to that all day. I reckon that should be enough time for you guys to have the smoothies before we get to your place. I know you have a big family dinner tonight and we would hate it if you were late because of us."

Daisy nodded as she licked her fingers, cleaning away the last of her cake. Mrs. Fitzgerald loved watching the girl's gorge on the birthday cakes she made specially for them. Though she wouldn't allow it any other day, she agreed that licking the cake which is stuck on the plate and the fingers is the best part of eating a birthday cake. Nevertheless, she had Purell and wet wipes ready to wipe down Daisy after she was done with the messiest cake of them all. On Daisy's part, she used her napkin effectively and managed to keep her dress clean.

"Vanessa said you got a phone for your birthday?" Mr. Fitzgerald asked, as Mrs. Fitzgerald wiped Daisy's cheeks. Daisy nodded as she showed it to him.

"Good model." Mr. Fitzgerald said, nodding approvingly. "Strong and sturdy."

"I love the sound it makes." Daisy said, as she offered an ear piece to Mr. Fitzgerald. The two talked about phones for a while before Daisy's phone buzzed alerting her of a new message. She politely slid back into her chair as Mrs. Fitzgerald started talking about the meeting she had later in the evening.

Daisy scrolled through the group chat that Valerie had started that morning.

Valerie: I'm dying here! X-X

Valerie: Did they talk about St. Catherine's? I know they probably already did.

Vanessa: Calm down Val! It's only been 15 minutes. Unless mom had to back-out last minute, she just probably stopped singing Happy Birthday.

Valerie: YOU BETTER NOT BE BACKING OUT ON ME POTTER!

Vanessa: Watch out! Mr. H!

Daisy: Seriously, Val? I literally just ate my cake. Can I have a few good moments with your parents before I violate their trust and privacy?

Daisy: Your Mom baked the cake. THE cake. Just for me. If my protests weren't strong enough this morning, I would like to officially launch a new wave. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS! WAIT LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE!

Valerie: I CAN'T WAIT LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE! I WANT TO KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO LET ME GO.

Vanessa: Can we not shout?

Valerie: Listen to me Potter. And listen to me well. Sister Catherine's is the best school in the country. They're are on the forefront of the feminist movement, educating and empowering young women. I have been accepted to join an year early! Do you have any idea what an honor it is?

Daisy: Are you gonna do the speech again?

Vanessa: Nooooooo! Anything but the speech! But seriously, Daze. Just listen in on them. Maybe then we can actually talk without Val interrupting.

Daisy: I don't know about this...

Daisy glanced up to see Mr. And Mrs. Fitzgerald deep in conversation. Her finger rested on the volume button, hesitant. She took a deep breath as she reduced the volume of the song she was playing, her ears tuned to the conversation.

Daisy: Your mom seems really happy that you got accepted, Val. She really adores her Alma Mater.

Vanessa: If dad's name didn't start with a V, I would probably be Catherine and Val would've been Katherine. She lives for that place.

Daisy: But your dad doesn't seem like he is NOT into it. He was bullied in secondary? Damn! I really don't wanna listen any more.

Vanessa: Bullied? Dad? I know he skipped a few grades, but to be bullied. Daze, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN!

Daisy: I don't want to

Daisy: What the hell is Val typing? Is she actually typing the speech?

Vanessa: Forget her. Listen, Daze. PAY ATTENTION! Is Dad OK?

Valerie: Founded in 1907, the Sisterhood of St. Catherine Convent for Secondary Education has been at the forefront of revolutionary and progressive education since inception. The first mother superior, Sister Catherine, saw the importance of expanding the minds with the right balance of spiritual and scientific pursuits. With the motto, "Discovering Humans and God", the Sisterhood maintains an exclusive position in the British society and in extension, the world. Nurturing the potential of their students with holistic approaches, including family and community building. Sister Catherine posthumously received a Sainthood for reinvigorating religion as a yet to be proven doctrine of science, bringing in a lot of religious scientists into the forefront of scientific and cultural advancement.

Valerie: Wait. What's going on?

Vanessa: Read!

Vanessa: Daze? You there?

Daisy: Sorry, sorry. Just got the smoothies. Listen, we're circling back. And I think you should get back to class. We can talk in detail later. I'm going to send you snippets.

Daisy: So, yes. Looks like your dad was bullied because of the age gap. He is over it. Made amends.

Daisy: He doesn't want Val to go thru the same. You mum is talking about the sisterhood. I'm guessing that's what students at 's call themselves.

Valerie: For life.

Valerie: And...

Valerie: Helloooo?

Valerie: It's been 10 minutes! What's going on? Are you doing a stupid suspense building thing cause I swear if I find...

Daisy: Your dad agreed. You're going when term begins next year.

Daisy: Ness, looks like the school wants to advance you a couple of years too...T-T

Daisy: Don't go!

Vanessa: Class just ended. We're on our way out. Be cool. I'm not bloody going anywhere. I'm gonna go tell Val to at least try and ACT casual. XOXO

Daisy put her phone away as the car slowed down, rounding the curb back to school. As the car stopped in front of the halls Daisy had roamed a few years, Daisy's world span a bit. Her mind was consumed with the thought of Vanesa and her not being in the same class anymore. She watched as Valerie spoke excitedly to a blonde haired boy as Vanessa looked on. Daisy had hoped the sad expression on Vanessa's face was for her. But before she could form that thought her eyes quickly darted back to the blue eyed blonde haired boy with the dimple on his left cheek. She watched as he laughed at something Valerie had said. And Daisy's eyes were glued. She simply couldn't look away from a sight so dazzling.

Daisy's and Vanessa's normal classes ended a lot earlier than the older kids. Normally, Daisy and Vanessa would hang out in the car with the driver, waiting for Valerie to be done before going home. The driver parked the car a little ways ahead to avoid causing a congestion. Valerie walked till the car.

On her 8th birthday, Daisy realized how stupid it was to wait in the car. She could have instead looked at the blonde-haired-blue-eyed-dimpled-smiled-thick-lashes boy more often. She chided herself for following the school's strict restriction for students below 8yrs of age to access the wing with the older classes. Maybe she would have noticed him sooner. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks as her heartbeat quickened. She looked away when Valerie spotted the car and the sisters started walking to the car, waving their goodbyes. Valerie was doing a very poor job of hiding her elation. Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald looked at each other and smiled a little. But Daisy was looking at the blonde-haired-blue-eyed-dimpled-smiled-thick-lashes-perfect-teeth boy.

Valerie hugged her mum from her window side before getting into the back of the car, gladly accepting the M&Ms loaded smoothie from her dad.

"Dig in!" Mrs. Fitzgerald squealed excitedly, as the girls ripped open the packaging and simultaneously started slurping.

"Happy Birthday, Daisy!" Mrs. Fitzgerald said, ruffling Daisy's hair. Daisy looked up, her lips still wrapped around the straw, smiling.

"Congratulations, Heritage de Legacy!" Mrs. Fitzgerald said, as Valerie hugged her from the backseat. "Try not to make the younger ones spy for you anymore, OK?"

Valerie giggled, as Vanessa screwed up her face, ready to argue with her mom. She squeezed Daisy's hands, alerting her to be back-up.

"And Ness..." Mrs. Fitzgerald said, raising her hand as Vanessa tried to speak. "We want you to carefully consider advancing 2 years. You like the people in your advanced Math and English classes. But we don't want you to take it up halfheartedly, if you do decide to advance. You know you have our support but we would really like it if Daisy and you honestly weighed the pros and cons of advancing rather than just think about it from the view of sharing a class. After all, it's not school that made you friends."

"Or Daisy could advance with her..." Valerie said, her voice thoughtful.

"Whaaaa..." Daisy said, suddenly pulled out of a beautiful day dream involving the blonde-haired-blue-eyed-dimpled-smiled-thick-lashes-perfect-teeth-amazing-laugh boy. "I'm sorry? What? I'm not a genius like you guys. Potters are not great at Math."

"Don't say that, Daisy!" Mrs. Fitzgerald scolded, shaking her head. "Never put yourself down. And Maths is just a matter of practice and patience. That's all."

"Are we really discussing this? Daisy said, panicking a little. "They're never going to allow me! I'm sure of it."

"Not if we say its for St. Catherine's..." Vanessa said, joining the conversation. "You said it yourself. Just this morning, you said you wished your grades were good enough for St. Catherine's. Well, wishing isn't going to do anything."

"They take the test for new students in mid-July." Valerie said, taking out her organizer. Vanessa did the same while Daisy looked helplessly at Mr. Fitzgerald.

"It's May now.." Vanessa continued. "So that gives us 10 weeks. They test on five subjects, so that's two weeks per subject..."

Daisy laughed a little.

"We don't have school in June!" Daisy said, looking at Vanessa's organizer.

Vanessa looked up, her nose scrunched as she furiously worked out a schedule.

"Yeah.." Vanessa replied, as Daisy didn't look like she was going to add anything. "So?"

"You have me studying in the summer here." Daisy said, her voice a little high pitched. "Don't color code it! Nobody can study in the summer. It's supposed to be a rule."

Vanessa bit her lips, as her parents paid rapt attention.

"That's enough girls." Mrs. Fitzgerald said, before Vanessa could respond. "Like I said, make a list of pros and cons and work it out together. Make your choice after careful consideration."

Vanessa and Valerie nodded as they started writing furiously while Daisy kept muttering things like "Insane", "Ridiculous", etc.

"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Fitzgerald." Daisy said, as she hopped out of the car in front of her apartment complex. "I will call you after the party, Ness."

"Happy birthday!" Vanessa and Mrs. Fitzgerald said simultaneously, smiling widely as Vanessa hugged Daisy goodbye.

-X-X-

Daisy unlocked the door to her house and knocked before entering, a habit she had gotten into as Harry and Ginny usually Apparated home from work and left the main door locked. Daisy knew she had a bit of time before she had to get to The Burrow for the Triple Birthday Bonanza. Ginny had dropped James off at The Burrow before heading off to work. Harry was in Washington for a meeting with the MACUSA Aurors and was expected to pick Daisy up in a bit. She could have used that time getting ready for her party. However, she nervously paced the living room looking at the clock. In exactly 5 min after being dropped off, Daisy called Vanessa and disconnected in two rings. Vanessa called back a few moments later.

"Wassup?" Vanessa asked in a low voice. "I just got home. You know how Mom gets if we talk right after school! You're lucky she is busy getting..."

"What's the name of the guy Valerie was talking to after school?" Daisy asked, cutting Vanessa off. She wasn't the best at sneaking around.

"Who?" Vanessa asked confused.

"The guy.." Daisy said, her voice urgent. "The blonde boy." Daisy controlled her urge to talk more about it, lest Vanessa get distracted again.

"Blonde?" Vanessa repeated, still confused. "Oh! OH! You mean Justin? He is in Val's class. You know how my advanced Math class is normal math class for Val. Same for him. Why?"

"Full name?" Daisy asked, looking at the clock again. She knew she didn't have much time before Harry got home. She strained her ears for the pop of an Apparation.

"Justin Fletcher." Vanessa said, slowly processing and arriving at the right conclusion. "Whyyy..."

"I gotta go, Ness." Daisy said, hurriedly. A new idea had popped into her head and she didn't have much time.

She started walking across the house as she heard snippets of Vanessa's sing-song voice teasing her. She knew the signal would drop any second. Paradoxically, Daisy had figured out that she gets the best WiFi from the cafe across the street at a particular spot on the roof.

Vanessa's call dropped soon enough. She quickly dropped her an apologetic text and started scanning MySpace for Justin Fletcher. The browser failed the search, asking if the search could be repeated when she was online. Daisy quickly opened multiple tabs and queued a lot of Justin Fletcher to be downloaded. Her hand hesitated as she decided against downloading his pictures. Though she didn't fully understand it, online privacy was sacred to Valerie. She wondered how Justin would react if he found his pictures all over a stranger's phone. Hogwarts wouldn't be far enough for Daisy to hide from that kind of shame.

She heard a faint pop as she reached the window in the attic. She hurriedly climbed up to the roof and got onto her spot, raising her phone high over her head. She smiled as she saw the downloads starting.

"DAISY POTTER!" Harry yelled as he stuck his head out of the attic window. "Get back here this instant." He said the last word in almost a hiss.

"In a minute.." Daisy said, over her shoulders.

36%. Daisy saw as she checked her phone.

"Make that two.." Daisy said, with her back still turned to Harry.

She heard the tiles groan as Harry stepped onto the roof. Daisy knew she didn't have much time. She took a step closer to the edge. She knew Harry would be careful to not spook her. And she also knew that his right hand was probably sweating on the clutched wand, ready to levitate Daisy if needed. Harry wasn't happy with this new side of Daisy which he had been noticing over the past couple of months. It looked like she was trying to undermine Harry's authority at every step. And Harry was starting to miss the times when the biggest problem with raising Daisy was that she used to float around.

72%. Daisy thought. Come on! Come on!

She could feel Harry closing in on her. When Daisy was younger, she used to wonder if it was the lightning scar that gave him the ability to sort of seem electrically charged when he was angry. She recently attributed it to magic, something for which she had slowly begun to form her own independent opinion.

The download completed as Harry clutched Daisy's shoulder. She allowed herself to be freely steered back inside, as she stuffed her phone down her pocket.

"How many times have I told you not to do that?" Harry asked, his voice a low hiss.

Daisy blinked at him, confused as they stepped into the attic.

"Don't look at me like that." Harry said, his teeth grit together.

"Oh!" Daisy said, obviously faking surprise. "Are you yelling at me? I thought you were speaking in snake language. Hiss Hiss..."

Harry's anger immediately died, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards.

"Come on, bro!" Daisy said, as she took Harry's arm. "It's my birthday! I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't get very bored at the party. I know I promised I would give it an honest try in exchange for the new phone. I just want to show you and Ginny how much I love you guys."

Harry looked at Daisy, biting his tongue at the sheer cheekiness. Daisy was after all the same baby who learnt to fly before crawling. Harry was suddenly almost sure she would've been alright. But Harry knew what he had to do.

"No TV or phone privileges for the rest of the week after your party at The Burrow." Harry said, as he waved his wand locking the house from both muggles and wizards. "You'll be un-grounded only during the muggle party next weekend and the punishment will end on Monday."

Daisy opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, thinking of a counter.

"I did warn you the last time." Harry said, interrupting Daisy's train of thought. "I told you the consequences would be really bad. Any more arguments or slip-ups and I will be forced to cancel the muggle birthday party next weekend. I hope we're clear."

"Ginny wouldn't stand for it!" Daisy spluttered, genuine shock in her voice. She couldn't remember the last time she was so unjustly punished.

"We will see about that." Harry said, as he prepared to take Daisy in side-along apparation. "You better consider being on your best behavior to get Ginny on your side."

With a small pop, the Potters left their home for the weekend.

-X-X-

Daisy switched off her phone the moment they arrived at The Burrow's doorstep. The phone had fritz-ed a little when they'd arrived and Daisy decided to switch it off for the time being, deciding to go for a stroll later to go through her downloads. Harry quickly scanned the area, his hand on his wand.

"We're not at war, Harry." Daisy said, as she held Harry's wand hand. "You really need to chill out a little."

Harry clutched Daisy's hand. It were moments like these that reassured Harry of the familial bond he felt when he first met her. No matter what, Daisy would never be mad enough at Harry to hate him. He thanked all the fates and fortunes for Daisy, who had filled a major hole in his heart. She allowed him to be confident enough to make decisions, some tough some really tough, on his own. She helped him rely on himself by simply reminding him that life isn't a struggle anymore. Life was now one of love, friends and family. By raising Daisy, Harry realized that his family was so big, the Mirror of Erised would probably just reflect him.

I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks. Harry recalled, a memory which Dumbledore had left behind for Harry. Harry looked at the mirror from Dumbledore's point of view almost 10 years after the incident. He watched a laughing Dumbledore surrounded by, as Harry later found out, his family. His family smiled as they took turns to hug him, Ariana, Aberforth and Gellert Grindelwald being the most enthusiastic of the lot. Harry had chuckled when he noticed that Dumbledore was wearing a pair of midnight blue thick woolen socks.

Harry ruffled Daisy's hair as they stepped into the backyard of The Burrow to the children eating chocolate frogs. Harry heard Daisy scream Ew! As she bolted into The Burrow even before Harry could turn his head.

"TEDDY LUPIN!" Daisy shouted, behind a closed window closest to them. "YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T ALLOW THAT DISGUSTING THING NEAR ME! THROW THEM AWAY!"

Harry smiled as Dominique and James, who grinned ear to ear, as they started biting bigger chunks of their squirming frogs, deciding to get rid of the heads first.

"Nikki!" Teddy said, stepping forward to Dominique as Victoire did the same to James. "We promised we wouldn't freak Daisy out this time. You know how she feels about eating things that are still moving. WE PROMISED WE WOULD PUT UP WITH DAISY'S CRAZY JUST FOR THIS WEEKEND."

"SHUT UP, LUPIN!" Daisy retorted, still inside the house. Harry smiled as he walked past the children, giving James a quick peck on the head as he joined Angelina and George, who was cooing at the year old Fred Weasley II.

Victoire was still trying to cajole James. She shot Dominique a very Fleur-like look, who gobbled up the rest of the frog and joined her sister in tackling James. James relented when Teddy joined in, sharing his chocolate with the other kids. Angelina, who had been closely watching this exchange, smiled as Teddy knocked on the window asking Daisy to come out.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The adults shouted collectively, as Daisy entered through the back-door.

Daisy smiled sheepishly as she muttered a quick thank you. The adults crowded around her, grabbing the opportunity of annoying cheek pinching.

"It's uncanny how much she resembles Lily." Mr. Weasley told Harry, as he pinched Daisy's cheeks. "But her eyes... they glint like James' did. It's strange, isn't it? Molly and I have children who look so alike. James and Lily created their own images instead."

"I got a new phone." Daisy said, as she took Mr. Weasley's hand and propped her switched off phone in his palm.

Immediately, the serious Ministry Department head transformed into an excited schoolboy as he ran his fingers on the numerous buttons. Muggle technology over the past decade had become more fascinating that ever.

"Can you really talk to anybody anywhere anytime?" Mr. Weasley quoted a popular mobile network advertisement Daisy had introduced him to, barely containing his excitement.

"Yup.." Daisy said proudly, as George hugged her for her birthday adding that he hoped Daisy would be a good older sister to baby Fred. "And I can send these short messages.. Sort of like talking letters.. Maybe I can show you near the cell tower..."

Mr. Weasley nodded excitedly as he carefully gave the phone back to Daisy. Mr. Weasley had first hand witnessed Daisy's old phone shooting out sparks when she tried to make a call at The Burrow on his insistence. They'd decided to see if the phone was alright near a cell tower a little further off. Unfortunately, that particular phone had to be exchanged in secret as Daisy was terrified she would never get another phone again, if Harry and Ginny were to find out.

The backyard slowly filled up, with Charlie and a very pregnant Ginny being the last ones to enter levitating a three-tier wedding-esque cake behind them. Fleur collected the kids around the table, which was groaning under the weight of the combined presents. Fleur cleared her throat as she tapped on her champagne glass. Angelina, who was having her first sip of alcohol in almost 2yrs, joined in enthusiastically. Ginny and Hermione, who was pregnant with her first, looked at each other and smiled halfheartedly.

"A toast." Fleur said, smiling as she raised her glass. "To Victoire. Mon cherie. We love you so much. Happy birthday!"

Everyone assembled cheered as Bill kissed Victoire on the cheeks.

"To Daze.." Harry continued, as he pulled a reluctant Daisy into a one-armed hug. "My lovely sister. My inspiration. And to be honest, the source of many of our treasured muggle friendships. You continue to amaze me with your compassion and unrelenting determined love. My little miracle. Happy Birthday!"

Daisy was once again surrounded by cheering and cheek pulling. But Daisy couldn't bring herself to join in on the laughter completely. That familiar feeling of not-knowing-something-important-which-EVERYBODY-else-seems-to-know was back. Daisy had been able to name this complex feeling only recently. But she vividly remembered the bedtime story from when she was 6yrs old, in which Harry gave a very unconvincing explanation as to how their parents had died 17yrs before Daisy was born. He mentioned something about a miracle and the power of their mother's love for her children. He said that their mother left him with an unbreakable protection in this world while she protected Daisy in theirs. And when their mother realized that the world with Harry was safe again and that Harry would need the love of his family to help him understand how much he truly meant to their parents, she sent Daisy to Harry. It was surely meant to be. Daisy remembered having a vivid image of a woman and a man who looked a lot like her parents did when they were at Hogwarts, smiling down from the sky as a cherubic baby slowly descended in a ray of light to a dark, deserted battle ground. That had made Daisy so very happy. But lately the explanation had seemed more and more unlikely. Daisy was especially concerned that her parents thought that Harry was safe and protected at the Dursley's. But she wasn't sure how to voice this.

"And to little Fred.." Mrs. Weasley said, as Charlie cooed at the chocolate skinned baby with the Weasley nose and blue eyes. "We've been waiting for you for a very long time. We love you so very much. Happy Birthday, sweetheart."

Daisy joined the others as they clapped and cheered, baby Fred laughing at the celebration.

Everybody sang Happy Birthday as Victoire and Daisy cut the cake while baby Fred held onto his cousin Victoire's little finger. They smiled and posed for the photos, getting candid shots of Victoire feeding Teddy birthday cake, of Harry prying Mr. Weasley away from Daisy's phone with an image of Daisy running away from Teddy who had cake all over his face in the background. Even George was caught red-handed trying to put a whoopee cushion below Fleur, as she sat next to Ginny and Hermione, grinning at the camera. Slowly, the party broke into groups with the husbands rubbing the shoulders of their pregnant wives. Charlie and Angelina browsed through the photos, both sipping deeply from their champagne glasses. Pretty soon, the plates were cleared and the smell of warm apple pie and homemade vanilla ice cream (all non-jinxed for Daisy's comfort) hung heavy in the air.

Teddy and Victoire watched Daisy consume her second bowl of ice-cream, slurping down the melted remains. They giggled when they caught Harry's eye as he watched his two year old son eat ice-cream in a very similar way.

"It's about time isn't it?" Teddy said, looking at Daisy.

"Right about, I think." Daisy replied, as she wiped her mouth and washed her hands. "Fred's asleep and Mrs. Weasley has that look."

"I think Charlie is going to start it this time." Teddy said, eyeing Charlie suspiciously.

Victoire groaned and then immediately rearranged her features when Teddy and Daisy looked at her surprised.

"He starts pinching my cheeks mid-speech..." Victoire said in a small voice.

"We can just act sleepy too.." Daisy said thoughtfully, as she watched Charlie rise, a content grin on his face.

"No time!" Teddy said, his voice urgent as Charlie started saying Battle of Hogwarts. "Run!"

"Run?" Daisy said, raising her eyebrows. "Where? We're in the middle of nowhere!"

Teddy and Victoire both grabbed Daisy's hand and started running towards the back of the house, into the open plains. They knew they couldn't get too far beyond the reach of the charms. But Teddy had a knack of figuring out the exact border. They ducked behind a few trees, throwing furtive glances at the unsuspecting adults. They sighed in relief as Victoire giggled and propped themselves on the tree trunk, Daisy's phone in her hand again. Her hands felt empty without it.

"Is that what Grandpa Weasley was going on about?" Victoire asked, as the moonlight reflected on the glittering screen.

"Yeah.." Daisy said, as she wiped the screen with her sleeve. "Ginny got it for me. I haven't switched it on here yet but it's amazing."

"Muggles really are something aren't they?" Teddy said, as he carefully took the delicate object from Daisy's hands. "How does it work? Does the voice really come from outer space?"

"Outer space?!" Victoire squealed as she inched closer to the phone, though not daring to touch it.

"Not exactly.." Daisy said, as she tried to figure out for herself how phones worked. "It's not like I hear shouting from the... HEY! DON'T DO THAT! DON'T SWITCH IT ON!"

Daisy snatched the phone from Teddy's hand, slapping his hand away as he tried to balance the phone.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS?" Daisy shouted as Victoire recoiled a bit. "IT BROKE INSIDE THE BURROW WHEN MR. WEASLEY FORCED ME TO SWITCH IT ON! WHY CAN'T YOU WIZARDS JUST ADMIRE THINGS AND NOT BREAK THEM?"

Teddy recoiled as Victoire stepped forward trying to hush Daisy.

"Please, Daze.." Victoire begged. "Let's not fight. It's our birthday."

"Oh yes yes.." Daisy said, her voice bitter. "Our birthday. A birthday which we now share with Fred. Oh.. and what else? It's also bloody Victory Day. For the rest of our lives, our birthday is going to be bloody Victory Day. A day which..."

Daisy stopped in time looking at Teddy. But Teddy understood what Daisy had meant to say. Because he remembered crying about it not too long ago.

"Say it.." Teddy said, his voice furious. Victoire promptly placed herself between Teddy and Daisy.

"Say it.." Teddy repeated, inching forwards.

"A day on which so many people died is celebrated as a victory." Daisy said, equally furious.

"Or maybe you don't like this day because you don't care that we won." Teddy said, pushing Victoire away. Victoire landed poorly on the ground but sprang to her feet, trying to push Daisy away.

"You don't care about being a witch." Teddy continued, trying to get Victoire out of the way. "You spend all your time on muggle nonsense. You spend all your time at your stupid muggle friends house. You.."

"DON'T YOU HAVE A GO AT NESS!" Daisy shouted, as she launched on Teddy, tears streaming down her cheeks. Teddy's eyes widened in fear as they toppled over, stopping at the nick of time. They both shot back to their feet and scanned the area for adults. They'd in deep trouble if the adults caught them fighting.

"You know what.." Daisy said, instantly making up her mind. "I don't care. I honestly don't care. I don't like food that moves. I don't like pictures which are supposed to be a bit alive. I don't like the Weird Sisters. Just because I can do magic doesn't mean I have to like the ancient history books you guys live in. I mean... what sort of a game is Quidditch? And that, by the way, is your best claim to fame. If one day wizards are no longer in hiding, all they'll have to say is Duh! I can do magic. Duh! I need a stick though. Duh! I still use birds to talk to people. Duh! Duh! Duh!" when they realize how far us muggles have gotten."

"Us muggles?" Teddy repeated, hissing. "You're a witch!"

"Maybe I don't want to live in a history book." Daisy snapped back, tears streaming down her eyes. "Maybe I want to live in the real world like normal people instead of a freak in hiding!"

"How do you know you're a freak?" Teddy asked, his voice suddenly serious. "Did Harry tell you how you were born?"

Daisy stopped dead in her tracks, her feet in an awkward angle as she was ready to storm off. Daisy and Victoire shared a confused look and looked at Teddy, who looked like he would give up his magic just to be able to take the last few seconds back.

"Talk.." Daisy said, for the first time intimidating. Teddy weighed his options. He knew Daisy wouldn't give up until Teddy talked. If he didn't, she would go row with Harry. The option in which Teddy didn't get into trouble seemed obvious. He told Daisy the conversation he had overheard between his grandmother and a friend of hers. The friend's poor choice of words in idle gossip during which she referred to Daisy as a freak was imprinted in Teddy's memory. Though he wholeheartedly denied it, there was a little part of him that was curious about his friend.

Daisy opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to process the information. She could feel tears bubbling up but her mouth and eyes were unnaturally dry. She looked at Harry, thinking the dam would burst. She wanted to punch him till her hands hurt. But she didn't feel any of it. All she felt was hurt. Hurt that by hiding this from Daisy, Harry sort of meant that he thought Daisy might be a freak. Or maybe, worse.

Maybe.. Daisy thought, as she watched Harry talk to Ginny's belly. Maybe he thinks he had to wait and watch.

And that feeling mixed with the feeling of being left out in her own family was gut wrenching. The dam burst as tears flowed freely, her child-mind processing that she was her brother's project. Daisy pulled her hand away roughly as Teddy tried to reach it, pushing Victoire as a result, who walked through the magical barricade alerting the adults. Luckily, Mr. Weasley was the first to reach them. He looked at the scene confused as Daisy fumed at the quickly approaching Harry and looked at Teddy and Victoire, who had horrified expressions on their face.

"Can we go for that walk to the cell tower, Mr. Weasley?" Daisy said, through gritted teeth.

Mr. Weasley smiled a little and nodded. He wondered what could get a kid so worked up. He nodded at Harry as he took Daisy's hand. Harry turned his attention to the approaching Teddy and Victoire, ready to lecture them about leaving their sight. The night sky was a lot clearer near The Burrow. Daisy had always wondered why the stars blinked at her sometimes. And it was a muggle Mrs. Fitzgerald, who had explained that the tiny dots of ice in the sky are actually giant burning balls of gas.

"It's something else, isn't it?" Mr. Weasley said, looking up. "Forgive the ramblings of an old man, but you know what I think? I think that the stars, even though they're so far away, unites us. Muggles and wizards alike look up at the stars and feel only one of two things. Most of them will tell you that they feel humbled. But you'll find some who say they felt the exhilaration of flying. That imagining of looking down on themselves helped put their problems in perspective. It's weird, if you think how those two are actually opposing feelings."

"How do you feel, Mr. Weasley?" Daisy asked, her hazel eyes reflecting the night sky right above them. Mr. Weasley and Daisy stopped at atop a small hill, the cell tower in the horizon. He joined Daisy in the star gazing.

"I suppose I was misleading earlier..." Mr. Weasley said, in a while. He looked like her was trying to weigh his answer.

"I guess of all the young ones.." Mr. Weasley continued, as he smiled a little. "You'll be the one to understand it the best. I don't think about the stars. But I wonder about the number of people who have stood at the very spot I'm standing on, looking up at the sky for the grand questions. And that makes me think about how similar muggles and we are. The lack of muggle understanding, to me, is a lost opportunity. I mean, just look at your phone. Granted, magic interferes with muggle technology. But look at the barriers they overcome. And with such ingenuity. We could do with more witches like you Daisy. Young ones who will pull us into this new era. Forgive me when I say that muggles confound me as much as they fascinate me. I can't imagine speaking to someone as if we're face-to-face. I wouldn't even know what to say! But don't let Teddy or Vicky or Nikki or even little Fred grow up like me. Understanding muggles comes easily to you. More so than Harry."

Daisy nodded, suspecting the real intention of the speech. Had Mr. Weasley overheard Daisy? He didn't seem mad though. Was Daisy in more trouble than she was that afternoon. Mr. Weasley wistfully looked at Daisy's phone. She smiled as she took his out-stretched hand and reached a bench near the cell tower. They settled down as Daisy switched on her phone. Mr. Weasley squealed at the graphics. She ignored the messages from Valerie and Vanessa in the group for the time being, letting Mr. Weasley press the buttons to his hearts content. Daisy was confident that Mr. Weasley would be careful and he was. He gave the phone back to Daisy after a while, as he leaned back a little.

"I think your friend really wants to talk to you." He said, not looking at Daisy or her phone.

Daisy opened her phone, glancing sideways every once in a while.

Valerie: Why are you asking about Justin? Why are we not focusing on grade skipping?

Vanessa: Daisy and Justin sitting on a tree

Valerie: Stop it Ness! This isn't funny. Justin is weird!

Vanessa: K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Daisy: You told her?! TRAITOR!

Valerie: I heard her talking about Justin in the closet, dummy.

Vanessa: You should learn to trust people Daisy.

Daisy: Are you saying that I'm weird then?

Vanessa: What's gotten into you? I know you don't like visiting your family much but still.. you're being downright mean.

Daisy read the messages a few times over. Why was she being snarky? Was it because she had to go back to The Burrow and spend a weekend surrounded by people who thought she was a freak? She looked at Mr. Weasley who was serenely studying his environment. Did he think Daisy was a freak?

Daisy: Ughhh.. I'm sorry. Rough day.

Vanessa: And that too on your birthday. I'm so sorry babes. We will have an extra great party next week to celebrate.

Daisy: I love you guys. I'm so sorry.

Valerie: Now back to the main topic at hand. Daisy, we really do need to work out a schedule if you want to clear the exam in July.

Vanessa: Val. I told you to drop it.

Daisy: Aren't you guys in the same house? Are you both in the same room?

Vanessa: Duh! We are. But you aren't. And both Valerie and I wanted to apologize for this afternoon. Mom made us realize how pushy we were being.

Valerie: I wasn't being pushy. Listen to me Daze. Third grade and fifth grade aren't so different. I know if you stick to the schedule you can progress with Ness. And then we can all go to St. Catherine's.

Vanessa: STOP TYPING VAL!

Daisy watched as Vanessa and Valerie typed and typed but no messages came through.

We can all go to St. Catherine's.. Daisy thought.

She pushed the thought away the moment it formed, knowing Harry would never agree. After all, he had been unreasonably excited about the fact that 1st September 2009 was only 3 years away. But Hogwarts had never really interested Daisy. She was truly excited when Valerie had described St. Catherine's earlier that day. She was excited about the campus. She was excited the thought of getting to live in central London and the opportunities to study a few semesters abroad. She was excited about the Music Appreciation Club. She didn't want to admit it but the Sisterhood (an association of hopeful future students, current students and past alumni) was the best thing she ever heard. But she knew excitement was one thing and actually getting there would be another. St. Catherine's was notoriously selective with their entrance exams being kept a strict secret. Valerie refused to tel Vanessa what she was tested on, only relenting to slightly smile and say "They don't measure only IQ". But when she thought about a life in Hogwarts with Teddy and Victoire and a life in St. Catherine's with Valerie and Vanessa, the choice became easier.

Daisy: You really think I can get into St. Catherine's?

Valerie: YES!

Vanessa: Daisy, wait. Can I call you? Think about this. Your summer... Plus Harry's school. You said you were already penned down for it.

Valerie: Which school is that? I'm sure it's nothing like St. Catherine's. It's not even a contest.

Vanessa: Will you stop messaging and give us privacy?

Valerie: No.

Valerie: I'm sure Harry would understand.

Vanessa: Val. I'm begging you. Stop this... Or I'm gonna tell.

Daisy: It's OK, Ness. I really do want to try. I don't know if it will work out but from now until St. Catherine's I accept you as my teacher. Don't let me down.

Valerie: Hey! I wanna be the teacher!

Daisy: :)

Vanessa: It's gonna be a lot of work. Early mornings and late nights. Are you sure?

Daisy: Yes. Yes, I'm sure. I wanna go to St. Catherine's with you, Ness! :)

Valerie: Awww. See, that is why I want you at St. Catherine's. You guys are so adorable.

Vanessa: I'm telling!

Daisy smiled as she got to her feet, Mr. Weasley following suite. She knew Vanessa never gave empty threats and the sisters were probably rowing in front of their Dad. She texted them goodbye and switched off her phone, as Mr. Weasley started talking about the time Harry and Ron had driven/flown to Hogwarts in his old Ford Anglia. Daisy smiled at Teddy, who had been waiting for them, as she approached the garden. She walked upto Harry and gave him a hug.

"You OK?" Harry asked, as he wrapped an arm around Daisy. Daisy nodded as Ginny smiled down at her.

"Did Harry talk to you yet?" Daisy asked, still clinging onto Harry.

Ginny nodded before replying.

"I talked to him and I agree.." Ginny started.

"It's OK." Daisy said, trying her best to be honest. "Harry is doing his best. I mean if I saw someone small like maybe.. James.. at the edge of the roof, I would get angry too. He just doesn't want me getting hurt."

"She was going to reduce your sentence." Harry said, grinning.

Daisy looked up at Harry. Harry frowned at the odd expression on Daisy's face. Had she ever been so tired that she didn't have a wise-ass comeback?

"I'm really tired.." Daisy said, after a brief pause. "Can I go to bed?"

Teddy and Victoire yawned at the same time. She smiled sheepishly at them. Were they still scared that Daisy would yell at them? But she was glad, nevertheless, that Teddy looked guilty and not angry. He didn't know that she wasn't mad anymore. She knew she had to treasure this sleepover.

Thank you for your kind review, Sakura Lisel. I'm glad you enjoyed the story. But for me, Harry HAD to work in the Ministry. Because that's what heroes do right? :)

We're almost at Hogwarts guys. Expect a lot of yelling next chapter. I hope the Daisy's feeling are in tune with what an 8-9yr old would feel. I know the reactions seem a bit mature right now, but all will be explained soon. (Mystery music playing)