Chapter Five: Time to Become a Cowboy

Little over Six Years Later…

Rose's P.O.V.

I moaned as I stood up and rubbed my back. I forgot how much a pregnancy hurt and how restricted I was. Being eight months and a week along wasn't fun to say the least. It hurt to walk, I couldn't go riding with the kids, and Sirius' was becoming overbearing. Fatherly instincts were in overdrive for him.

I was about to make lunch when I felt someone tug at my sleeve. I looked down and saw Harry, who looked like he had been crying lately. I got down on my knees to look him in the face, even though it was hard on my back. "What's wrong Harry?" I asked.

"I miss Hot Chocolate," he squeaked.

Oh. I had almost forgotten that Hot Chocolate had passed. He had a large tumor in his neck and his hips had been getting bad when we decided it would be best to put him down. That pony had been Harry's best friend and I remember watching the two practice barrel racing in the apple orchard behind the barn. "He's in Pony Heaven now baby," I said, "No more pain,"

"I know," Harry said, "But I miss barrel racing with him and just going for small rides with the triplets and Uncle Padfoot,"

"I'm sorry honey," I said, a plan forming in my mind, "But even in the darkest of the night, there is a light. We all have our time to go to different lights and we're never sure where they lead, but they normally lead to prosperity,"

"What's pros… pros…?" Harry stuttered.

"Prosperity Harry," I said.

"Yeah, what's that?" he asked.

"Goodness and being able to thrive where you're at, Harry," I said.

"Oh," Harry said.

"Come on Harry," I said, "I'm about to make some grilled cheese if you want some,"

He smiled and followed eagerly. I was going to have to talk to Sirius about this. I had forgotten that Harry couldn't act like he normally does without his own horse. He was our little cowboy.

One week later… Harry's P.O.V

I grabbed the bracelet Uncle Sev had given me for my seventh birthday and put it on. It had a horse and a shooting star on it and it had been giving me good luck ever since I had gotten it. I loved it more than any of the other gifts I had gotten, even though the snowy owl plushie I had gotten from the triplets and the actually snowy owl chick I had gotten from Draco were pretty cool.

Uncle Padfoot said that he had a surprise for me in the barn and that I was going to have to take good care of it if I was going to keep it. But, now I wasn't sure if I was going to see it today because Aunt Rose had to go to the hospital because her water broke. They had been gone since yesterday morning and I was getting tired of playing hide and go seek with the babysitter.

"Harry!" Whitney, the babysitter that Aunt Rose and Uncle Padfoot found, yelled, "There's someone at the door wanting to see you!"

"Coming!" I yelled and dashed down the stairs. I really hope it's the Weasleys. Whitney is so boring!

I opened the door and gasped. Uncle Moony had come from Europe to visit! "Uncle Moony!" I shouted and leapt into his waiting arms, "What are you doing here Uncle Moony?"

"I came to see Sirius," he said, "Do you know where he is?"

"He's at the hospital," I said, "Aunt Rose is having another baby,"

"Who's watching you?" Uncle Moony asked.

"Whitney," I said, "But she's real dull,"

He smiled and I led him into the kitchen where Whitney had left some homemade cookies. Lyra, Alcor, and Zi all jumped at Uncle Moony the moment he walked in and told him he had to have some cookies. He took one and Zi put three more into his hand. "Mummy said that she needs to fatten you up," he said.

"I'm fine Zi," Uncle Moony said, "I just hope you dad hurries home. I promised to help him with some surprise,"

"I bet it's that surprise he was talking about for Harry," Lyra said, "Harry, can you tell us our bed time story tonight? Whitney never tells the good ones. All she talks about are sheep and trains. We like the witches and wizards and the werewolves!"

"Sure thing Lyra," I said, "Al, you know what mom says whenever you stick your fingers in your mouth you can't grab anything else until you wash 'em,"

Al stopped shoving food in his face mid bite. It was hilarious, except for the fact that we could see his food. "Al, swallow your food and wash your hands," Uncle Moony said, "Harry, help clean up Lyra and Zi so they can go outside,"

I nodded and led the two to the bathroom. Zi squirmed when I tried to wash his face, but his sister reminded him that, if he let me clean him up, Uncle Moony might let him ride Firebolt, his pony. I had fight back tears as she said this. I still wasn't over Hot Chocolate and I missed being able to ride with them. I mean, who else is going to show them the river this summer? Not Uncle Padfoot and defiantly not Aunt Rose. Plus, all the horse ran away from Uncle Moony, though I don't know why.

I led them into the yard and saw Whitney leaving. "Where are you going?" I yelled after her.

"Home!" she said, "Your uncle can watch you four!" With that said she hopped into her car and drove off. I was relieved she was gone, but it worried me that she might leave when it was someone we didn't trust.

Uncle Moony led the triplets' ponies out and I led the three around once they were on. I was just about to take them down the trail when Uncle Padfoot came home. "Daddy!" they shouted and jumped off their ponies. I was about to put them away but Uncle Moony said he didn't want to ruin my surprise, so he took them into the barn.

"Is Aunt Rose alright?" I asked.

"She's fine Harry," Uncle Padfoot said, "So is the baby. Little girl, seven pounds nine ounces,"

"Congrats," I said. But on the inside I was panicking. What if Aunt Rose and Uncle Padfoot decide five's too much and gets rid of me? I'm the only one who isn't related by blood and I have other relatives, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and their son Dudley. Would they send me to them? I always remember Aunt Rose saying that they're the kind of muggle she hated to see. She said they hated magic, so wouldn't they hate me?

I stopped thinking when I felt Uncle Padfoot shaking me. "Harry?" he was asking, "Harry, can you hear me?"

"I'm fine Uncle Padfoot," I said, "Just thinking about how different everything's going to be,"

He smiled and patted my shoulder. "Let's go see your surprise Harry," he said.

I gulped and followed Uncle Padfoot and Uncle Moony. That's why Uncle Moony was visiting. Uncle Padfoot was going to give me to Uncle Moony, so he could hand me over to my other aunt. My surprise was going to be a suitcase full of clothes and a plane ticket to Great Britain.

I was barely keeping the tears back as we walked into the barn. "Hold on Harry," Uncle Padfoot said, "I'm going to blindfold you,"

He wrapped a cloth around my eyes. Wow, he didn't even want me to see the horses. He didn't love me, neither did Aunt Rose. I was just a bloody orphan that no one cares about. I was about to start bawling as Uncle Padfoot led me to the stalls.

I shut my eyes, not wanting to see it right away. I didn't want to see my stuff, all ready for me to disappear forever. I don't even know why I was thinking all of this. Maybe I had been listening to Crazy Hank too long.

Uncle Padfoot took off the blindfold and my eyes stayed firmly shut. I wanted to feel the comforting presence of the barn a little long. "Harry, open your eyes," Uncle Moony said. I gulped a final time and opened my eyes.

But I didn't see bags. I didn't see anything saying that Uncle Padfoot didn't want me anymore. Instead there was a beautiful mare with a chestnut coat. She must have been a Quarter horse, one of the preferred horses for barrel racing. She was probably no older than two years with a star shape on her forehead. "Rose told me you missed riding," Uncle Padfoot said, "Plus we knew we couldn't get you another pony, that would be like replacing Hot Chocolate. So we found this little lady and Aunt Rose said she'll give you a few pointers for barrel racing once you got use to riding her,"

"Does she have a name?" I asked, reaching out to scratch her ear.

"I really don't like her old name," Uncle Padfoot said, "Toffee, yuck!"

"How about Butterscotch?" I asked, "She seems pretty sweet,"

"All up to you Harry," Uncle Padfoot said, "I guess she's Butterscotch,"

"Uncle Padfoot," I said, looking at him. "What would you do if raising five kids became too much?"

Uncle Padfoot raised his eyebrows and I heard Uncle Moony leave the barn. He must have figured this was an important conversation between me and Uncle Padfoot and he wasn't needed.

"Harry," Uncle Padfoot said, "Do you think I would give you away?"

"Only if it became too much," I admitted, "If you could only handle four kids, it would make sense to get rid of the one who wasn't blood related,"

Uncle Padfoot reached out and pulled me against his chest, rocking me slowly as I let a few tears escape. Those tears soon turned into full blown sobs and I knew I was soaking Uncle Padfoot's robes. Fizz wasn't going to be happy about having to wash salt water out of Uncle Padfoot's robes again. He hated it because, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of the salt part.

As my sobs decreased we heard a nicker. Uncle Padfoot let me go and I petted Butterscotch's nose. "I bet you want an apple, don't you girl," I said, grabbing an apple out of the basket we kept in the barn. I held it out for her and it was gone in a flash. I laughed and grabbed the bran so I could fill her food bin. Then I grabbed a bucket of water to fill her water bin.

Once she was munching on her lunch, Uncle Padfoot pulled me into the empty tack room. He put his hand under my chin and forced me to look at him. "Where did you get that idea Harry?" Uncle Padfoot asked.

"I've had why too much time to think Uncle Padfoot," I said, "Plus, I admit I've been listening to Crazy Hank a little more lately. Putting those two things together just gives you crazy ideas,"

He chuckled and pulled me into a hug. "You know we love you like one of our own," he whispered, "Nothing in the world could make us give you up. If we did, we wouldn't get to hear your laugh. Rose says it sounds like bells to her ears. We wouldn't see you ride anymore; we wouldn't see your hair look like an owl's nest every morning. But the most important thing, we wouldn't get to see that golden smile of yours and we'd never see that twinkle in your eyes when you're really happy,"

I couldn't help but smile. "Without you Harry, it'd be like losing your parents all over again," he said, "We love you Harry James Potter, never forget that,"

"I won't," I muttered and fell asleep in his arms.