Disclaimer: Definitely not mine. Except for the plot.

Back away slowly. Very slowly. Slow enough that they won't realize that I'm trying to make a run for it. It's not working. They're coming in closer, closer still.

I'm cornered.

And very, very intimidated.

"Er," I squeak, "I'll be going... er..."

I try to think of a possible explanation or a reason why I should leave. Then again, maybe I should get this over with. It's always worse if you let them stew.

Before I can reflect on this thought, Lily bursts into tears in her place in line. She's only seven, you know. We haven't really had enough time to teach her that you never ever show weakness in front of your Weasley relations. Ever.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" I coo in my dealing-with-children's-tears voice, and hurry through the crowd. I have to admit that this was the perfect moment.

"My knee hurts!" She cries, and I realize that I wasn't just imagining the blood on her leg. Huh. I guess I wasn't being a very attentive parent.

"Okay, honey, we'll go inside and I'll fix you right up," I say, grabbing her by the arm and leading her into the house before anyone really has a chance to react to this chain of events.

I lift her up onto the kitchen counter, and she sits there, sniffling away.

"What did you do to it?" I say, genuinely curious after my first inspection. It was one hell of a bleeder.

"Ran into a rock," she sniffles. Nice.

"Which one?"

"That really really big one that everyone always says to watch out for," she sighs.

Smirk.

Like mother, like daughter.

I can still remember my first encounter with that thing. Very deadly.

That rock should be taken away for security purposes. It's huge, and in the randomest place possible.

Still, it's daylight and she shouldn't have run into it. At least when I did it was pitch black.

"How'd ya manage that?" I ask casually.

"Dominique was chasing me," she mutters.

"Why was she chasing you?" I exclaim in outrage, as I pour some more potion onto the wound.

"Playing tag," she shrugs, "and she was It. As usual."

I have to admit, that this makes me laugh.

Dominique definitely didn't inherit the Weasley speed, and so is always It whenever there is some kind of game that involves running. She's even more proof that you don't have to be particularly agile to succeed in flying. She's awesome.

I'm loving that my seven-year-old daughter noticed this. Dom's own parents don't even know how much she sucks at running. Or at least they won't admit it.

Actually, I'm slightly surprised that Dominique got close enough to Lils that she would be desperate enough to run into a rock.

I bet that Fleur is doing agility runs just to make her faster. I will have to ask her one of these days.

Once this party is over, of course.
"Well," I say and set her back down on the ground, "you are good to go! How's that feel?"

"Great!" She giggles, and quickly gives me a hug. Aw. My little girl.

"Thanks, Mummy! You're my hero!" She exclaims and runs off to play like she always does. My heart feels fit to burst.

At least somebody still loves me.

I stand in the kitchen for a few minutes, revelling in the fact that my daughter thinks I'm awesome. Well, who can argue with that?

Oh yeah.

Is everyone still outside? Quite likely.

Typical outdoorsy Weasley behaviour.

I hear whispers in the hallway though. I peek through the door and see George and Angelina.

Snogging!

Ew, ew, ew!

My eyes are burning!

I back up quickly, and hurry out the other door to the entrance way when I hear even more words. This had better not be a snog session.

Otherwise, I will Floo home and sleep for a few days.

I recogize Al's voice. What's he doing, lurking around?

That's more of the kind of behaviour that I'd expect from my eldest, not my youngest son.

You know, complete randomness.

"Here's the deal," I hear him whisper. "We team up, and take them out."

Who the hell is he talking to?

"It won't work, Al," I hear another voice say, "and you know it. James will just beat you when you get home."

I can almost see the defiant look that Al must be wearing. So much like his father, he is.

That was kind of a Yoda sentence wasn't it?

Merlin, I love Star Wars.

I make a mental note to watch it soon. I'm not sure who will watch it with me, but I can always find a way to ground Jamie and make him watch it with me as punishment.

There's an idea!

"Mum and Dad won't let him when we're at home," Al says firmly. "They can control him in a closed environment."

"Maybe..." I recognize Hugo now. "Could we try to get the girls, too?"

"No!" Two voices say at once.

"That's against the code," little Louis Weasley declares. "The girls don't get included in the Weasley Family Party Battles. Remember?"

"Exactly," Al says grimly. "And that's exactly why we need to team up against James and Fred so that we can win."

"You haven't been here the last couple of times, Al! You have no idea what it's like!" Hugo sounds kind of desperate.

"I know," Al says, and he sounds kind of worried. "That's why we need to work together. I know Fred and James better than you two, but you guys know the whole party situation better than me."

I'm kind of curious as to what got my eldest son this kind of reputation, but on the other hand I'm pretty sure that I'd rather not know. Especially since I'd then have to punish him.

And if I didn't, it would just back up his idea that I'm weak. And that we can not have.

The other two agree, and begin their plot. Nice way of manipulating your younger cousins, Al.

Okay, so impressed is likely not the right kind of response. But it's the one I'd prefer to take. I don't want to have to punish him for genius, you know.

"It was rather well done, wasn't it?" A voice behind me says, and I almost scream.

Harry bloody Potter.

"Bastard," I say tiredly, "trying to scare me like that."

His green eyes glitter with amusement. "No, just trying to make an innocent comment about the activities of my own son."

I roll my eyes at that.

Jeepers, he's gorgeous.

"Don't test me," he grins, "now that I know your secret of eavesdropping on our family. Blackmail, my love!"

"Right," I say sarcastically, "because blackmailing your own wife is so smart."

"Sure, it means that I have her, my bloody gorgeous wife, at my mercy."

Well, I have to admit that I kind of like that idea.

Mhm, he smells just lovely. Kind of minty in an awesome way.

That was a very random thought.

He puts his arms around me and pulls me close.

"Mercy sounds like a good idea to me right now," I say faintly, and I watch his eyes turn a shade darker as he leans in.

I suddenly wish that we were in a private room instead of the kitchen.

I don't think I could look Mum in the face again if anything ever happened in here. It'd be too awkward.

Plus I'd always know that she had made our food on the table that we had... you know. Ew.

Imagine doing that on your parents' kitchen table.

Imagine your parents doing that on YOUR table.

Ah.

I bet you just grimaced, didn't you, dear brain?

It's not a good sign that I have mental conversations, is it?

"Me too," he admits to my delight, and he kisses me.

Don't judge him prematurely, just because of how Cho reputed him to kiss.

Nobody kisses more thoroughly than Harry Potter, I'll have you know.

Mhm.

AN

Truth is, I'm sorry that this is late. Like really. But life has been crazy, between tests, homework, driving practice, shopping, hockey games, etc. Yeah, it's been nuts, especially since I usually don't do that much so it's been like culture shock. But anyway, it's almost Christmas break, so hopefully there should be more time for writing soon. And I already have the next chapter done! (Which is why this was so late, I'm trying to keep ahead by one chapter at all times). But review, please and thank you, any author will tell you how motivating it is!