"We'll be back right after dinner, Mrs. Tonks. Owl me if you need anything or send Kreacher, okay?"
Harry had Teddy's baby bag slung on his shoulder. The baby was snuggled up protectively in a light blanket. Both were ready to Floo themselves to the Weasley's Burrow for brunch.
"Don't worry about me, dear boy. I'll be fine. You two take care now." Andromeda Tonks planted a kiss on her grandson's cheeks and gave Harry a warm hug.
"Ready, Teddy bear?" Little Teddy Lupin whose appearance still imitated Harry's gurgled in his godfather's arms. With a smile Harry casted the Bubble-Head Charm on his godson's face, pinched some glittery Floo Powder.
"The Burrow!"
Both godfather and son were enfolded with bright green flames leaving Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.
"I think I did it right, mum. It doesn't taste funny or anything. I hope I made it just the way he likes." Ginny said, her eyes and taste buds in quiet consternation. She was surveying the treacle pie she just made. It was her third attempt since having been up early just to get it right. "Have a taste, mum, and tell me what you think. Mum?"
Mrs. Weasley has left her post on the kitchen table where she was mixing up the salad. She was standing near the hearth going over the numerous family pictures in their quirky frames that practically covered the mantel. Ginny noticed that her mother's attention was focused particularly on the picture taken some years ago where the whole family went to a trip to Egypt. Mrs. Weasley picked up the picture and dusted the non-existent dust on it with her sleeve. She stifled a sob.
"Oh, mum. Don't cry!" Ginny rushed to her mother and hugged her by the waist resting her redhead on her shoulder. "Don't cry. You're going to make me cry!" Ginny can already feel a lump forming at the back of her throat and the stinging in her eyes from unshed tears.
"I'm sorry, dear. I just can't help it sometimes," Mrs. Weasley said, clutching the photo and her daughter at the same time. "If only I could turn back time when you were all kids again, when I could easily protect you, never keep my eyes off you –"
"Please, mum. Don't do this to yourself. We're all still here. Fred's still here with us. Our love ones' never truly leave us, remember? Please, mum…"
"Oh, Ginny, dear. I know, I know. Who do you think taught you those things? He just had so much going on for him! I can't stop thinking the "what ifs'" if he was here! And I don't think I can ever recover from this loss – your dad and me. Everyone seems to move on so quickly and I'm not sure if I should be happy or worried. Look at your brothers! Bill's honeymooning, Charlie's off to train dragons, Percy's still fresh from his promotion, George is broken but at least he can pretend to be happy, and Ron's in love." Mrs. Weasley burst into heart wrenching sobs, the most grief-stricken that Ginny had ever heard. The same cries that she heard during Fred's funeral.
"It's okay, mum. I'm here. I love you very much, mummy." Ginny didn't really know what to do so she embraced her mother closer, hoping it'd give her some comfort.
It took a few minutes before mother and daughter recovered from the emotional tirade. With a fleeting kiss on her daughter's forehead, both went back to the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley congratulated her daughter for her successful treacle pie.
"So when are you going to tell me?" Mrs. Weasley asked her daughter while they were setting the table.
"Tell you about what?" Ginny asked back, her expression confused.
"About you and Harry. You know you can't hide things from your own mother, missy." Mrs. Weasley smiled at her daughter.
"It was never a secret. I know that you knew. It's only been a short time, mum. And with the war and everything that has happened in between… well, it's been difficult. But don't worry so much. We're trying," Ginny said quietly.
Molly examined her daughter for a while, reminiscing the times when she was about ten and couldn't stop talking about the famous boy wizard – Harry Potter – since she saw him in Platform 9 ¾. She remembered how Ginny would constantly ask Ron about Harry the summer after his first year in Hogwarts. She remembered the time when Harry spent his first summer with the Weasleys. Ginny would barely go out from her room or was extra clumsy and turned amazingly red whenever Harry Potter was within her visual vicinity.
"Well, just be extra careful, dear. That boy's been through possibly the worst there is in life. It will take more than love to heal his wounds. He needs time, patience, understanding and many other things he's been deprive of since he was born." Molly's eyes met her daughter's. She didn't know what to expect to see in them but there was strength in those youthful brown orbs. There was strength that has long been underestimated by her brothers and many others, maybe even by her, her own mother.
"I know, mum."
In a few seconds time a puffing noise was heard from the family's living room hearth.
Teddy started to cry as Harry and he landed on the Weasley's living room hearth. Floo Network never agrees with Teddy but it was the safest way to travel for babies.
"Shhh. It's okay, Teddy bear." With a flick of his wand, Harry dissolved the bubblehead around his godson's face as well as the dust that slightly soiled both of their clothes.
"Harry, dear! C'mon in. Here, let me have the baby. You can put the bag there. Yes, thank you." After Mrs. Weasley gave Harry a hug she relieved him from Teddy who was still crying. "It's okay love, it's okay."
"Can I do anything to help?" asked Harry.
"I'll take care of Teddy. Ginny's in the kitchen, maybe she'll have something for you. Tables, I think. We'll be having it outside today. The others will arrive soon I'm sure."
"Okay. Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. See you later, Teddy bear." Giving his gradually placated godson a kiss on the top of his head, Harry left the living room.
"You okay now, little mister? I see you morphed yourself like your godfather. Barely recognized you until you started crying." Mrs. Weasley cooed.
"Hey."
"Hey." With a hug and kiss on the cheek, Ginny mustered the most radiant smile she reserves for Harry.
"You definitely look happy."
"Maybe."
"Am I early?"
"Just a little."
"So who else is coming over? This seems like a feast," said Harry who gestured to the different dishes that filled the entire kitchen table.
"Well aside from my parents, myself and Ron there's Hermione's parents, Percy, George, and the Lovegoods. Dad and Ron are at Hermione's picking up her parents. I hope they arrive soon though. The tables aren't ready yet."
"That's okay, I can start. Where to?"
"The tables and chairs are in the shed. I'll get to you with the rest of the stuff when I'm done with this." Ginny pointed out to his favorite treat that was half sprinkled with sugar powder.
"You made that?" Harry asked, his eyes green eyes gleaming.
"Mhmm."
And to Ginny's surprise Harry softly kissed her full on the lips and before shoe could react he then strutted way, hands in his pockets whistling cheerfully.
"I still think we should Apparate."
"I told you, Ron, mum's not good handling with its after effects," Hermione whispered back.
"Now, don't worry about anything at all, Will, Mary," Mr. Weasley said to the Grangers. "Traveling by Floo Network is the safest way to go."
"Yes, Hermione already briefed us," Mr. Granger replied. Although both him and his wife looked calm enough there was slight touch of worry in his voice. This was the first time they would be travelling in the magical way since having been always lead by their daughter, their Secret Keeper to the passages of the wizarding world.
"Very well. Okay, Ron, you first. Just to demonstrate."
Ron rook a pinch of Floo powder from leather bag his father held. After making sure his head doesn't hit the Granger's hearth, he arranged his robes then said in his clearest voice, "The Burrow!"
Green flames engulfed him and he was gone.
Mrs. Granger couldn't help but gasp.
"It's really okay, mum. Honest. We do it loads of times," Hermione said reassuringly.
"Of course, dear. Okay. I guess it's my turn?" Mrs. Granger started. Hermione couldn't help but smile at her mother.
"Okay, so I take a pinch of this Floo Powder. It's rather quite sparkly isn't it? Yes. And I step inside the fireplace. Oh! I never noticed how dusty it is in here. Maybe you can do something about this, Mione, when we get back. And then I state my destination and then issue this powder thing. What's it called again?"
Hermione stifled a giggle. It was just so her mother to talk a lot and go through things, she was always like this whenever she was nervous.
"The Burrow," Mr. Weasley replied. He too, Hermione, noticed was smiling to the edge of producing a chuckle.
"That's with a 'u' right? Not like 'I want to borrow a pencil'?" Mrs. Granger asked, her head peeking out from the mouth of the fireplace.
"Yes, Mary." Mr. Weasley replied quietly.
"Oh, get on with it Mary! With been through this for at least a day now." Mr. Granger said. But he too was sniggering in the inside.
"The Burrow!"
"It's your turn, Dad."
"So why isn't Mrs. Tonks joining us again?" Hermione asked Harry as brunch began several minutes ago. Everyone was engaged in their own circles of conversation in the Weasley's long table.
"She's resting. Getting some well-deserved peace and quiet. Teddy's a handful. I mean I play with him and stuff. I learnt to make his formula and even bathe and change him but I'm nowhere near how she does it. I was thinking of Kreacher to help her out but she doesn't want me to."
"Quite understandable. Teddy seems like a behaved baby though. Well, except for that time he threw up on me." She glanced at the baby trolley that was position between her mother and Mrs. Weasley two seats away.
"He is now. Wait 'til you see him throwing a tantrum! I thought I'd lose it."
"I quite love babies. They are such lovely adorable little people. Did you know that some babies are smarter than an average adult?" Luna said.
"Really? I didn't know that," Hermione said politely.
"So what about school?" Ginny started. "Have you heard from Professor McGonagall yet? I heard we're suppose to receive a notice about the reopening of Hogwarts some time today."
"Well, nothing came in the mail this morning when I checked," said Hermione. "She finally gets to be Headmistress! I hope she decides to continue teaching us Transfiguration though. I really can't imagine someone else who will for us."
"I'm pretty sure if McGonagall leaves her post she'll hire someone who'll live up to her standards," Ron replied.
"Hey, you lot! You guys done yet? I want me some game of Quidditch!" George called out to them from across the long table.
The rest of the day was spent with more lounging, chatting and some good game of chess and Quidditch. Mr. Weasley showed the Grangers how to play with chess in the wizarding way, which the couple enjoyed immensely. The Lovegoods foraged the garden for the ugly potato like figure gnomes, Mr. Lovegood hoping to get bitten for luck. Mrs. Weasley was busy playing with Teddy and forcing more food down people's throats with her array of pastries and different cold juices.
The Quidditch game was played in teams of three. It was Harry, Hermione and George against Ron, Ginny and Percy. Harry and Ginny were playing as Seekers while the rest played as Chasers. The game had to end short without either Harry or Ginny catching the Snitch since Ron had accidentally hit Percy's face while passing him the Quaffle, giving him a bloody nose and a bruised forehead. Ron had apologized a couple of times to Percy who didn't seem fazed by his state maybe because he was too dizzy to notice. On the other hand Mrs. Weasley was ready to kill.
Dinner was something else altogether. Teddy started crying, which took about an hour for Harry, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley and even Mrs. Granger to placate. In the end it only took a baby-friendly magical firework display sponsored by George. In no time Teddy's eyes were glued to the colorful lights that softly popped once in a while around his crib. Percy looked much better although his voice sounded quite muffled from his blood-stuffed nose. Mr. Weasley, Mr. Lovegood, and Mr. Granger were in deep conversation about Muggle dental healthcare and airplanes.
At the end of the day everyone was well fed and happier with the plea sant turn out of the day's series of event. Ron and Mr. Weasley escorted back the Grangers to their place. The Lovegoods said their goodbyes; skipping on their way home with a handful of the garden gnomes they found that day. Percy and George decided to stay in for the night.
"Harry, dear, what do you want to have for your birthday? Maybe a little party? Invite your Hogwarts friends perhaps?" Mrs. Weasley asked as Harry was packing up Teddy's things.
"Oh nothing, Mrs. Weasley. You know me, I'm not really the one to celebrate."
"Are you sure? Just a little dinner then like you had last year. Please, dear, for me? It won't be so much trouble."
"Alright, okay, thanks Mrs. Weasley. Really."
And with a huge hug, she bustled to the kitchen probably thinking of the different courses she's going to prepare.
"I think he's asleep now," Ginny said. She was standing near the hearth with a sleeping Teddy in her arms.
"Good. I think today completely drained him out."
She slowly handed Harry the baby. Harry once again conjured a bubblehead around his godson's face.
"See you the soonest? That treacle pie was amazing by the way."
"Well, that was the goal, wasn't it? And yes, see you the soonest."
And with the kiss to both boys Ginny said her goodbye and regards to Mrs. Tonks as both the black-haired figures were engulfed in velvety green flames.
AN: This took longer because this chapter's longer than the rest I've written. As much as canon the story is, the names of Hermione's parents are totally my own. In Deathly Hallows, under the Memory Charm, Hermione's parents' new identities were Wendell and Monica Wilkins. Taking the first letters, I came up with the names Will and Mary. Names, I can safely say are the most 'normal' ones I could muster. In my own world of Harry Potter, Hermione's name was born due to her parents frustration of having an all too 'normal' name. Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed it. Reviews are appreciated!~ E