A/N: Holy crap. I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a week but my laptop could not find a signal so I haven't had Internet since Sunday. I don't know if it will connect any next week when I get home but I will update again tomorrow since I'm at a place with Internet for the weekend.

Dinner was as normal as a dinner with a bunch of Weasleys and their friends could be. The people were crowded around the tables that had been gathered and everyone was chatting loudly to one another. James sat with a sheepish looking Freddie and Adam and a completely un-sorry Sarah.

"I can't believe you people," James scolded them as they ate. "I ask you to do one thing-get Amber away-and what do you do? You stand there, chatting, like a bunch of idiots. I'm particularly disappointed in you Freddie."

Freddie ducked his head, knowing what was coming.

"What happened to 'I'm always on your side, James?' I'll tell you what happened; it was a pack of lies. LIES!"

"Can't I be on your side and tell the story of when we turned all of the headmaster's quills into fish?"

"No, you can't…not unless you wait until I'm there to help tell the story."

"You know," Adam spoke up, "I never got to hear the end of that story."

"Well," Freddie began. "After the headmaster found out that all the quills on his desk were fish he-"

"Now is not the time Freddie!" James yelled.

"I'll tell you later," Freddie whispered to Adam who nodded.

"What about you?" James asked, turning to Sarah, who hadn't said anything since they had sat at the table. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Sarah slowly took a bit of her food as she deliberated what to say, James waited impatiently for her to finish. Though when she did he didn't like what she said. "I think that you are overreacting."

James opened his mouth to point out that not wanting Amber to talk to Charlotte was perfectly normal but she raised her hand to silence him. "I'm not saying that I don't understand why you don't want Amber talking to Charlotte. Because I do, I wouldn't want Ethan talking to any of my or Adam's ex's. But-from what I gather-you and Charlotte have never actually dated. Therefore there are no intimate details that Charlotte could divulge."

"Besides," she went on. "From the conversation I had with Charlotte she seems like a very nice woman. I'd invite her over for tea sometime if I didn't know you would freak out, James. Merlin knows I need some female friends," Sarah made a point to look around at the three men that she was sitting with.

James ducked his head, knowing that she was right but he also lapsed into a very convenient coughing fit that sounded a lot like 'dirty traitor.'

Sarah, who had had enough of James' childishness for the moment picked up her plate and went to sit with Charlotte, Rose, and Scorpius a few tables over.

Adam sighed, "Mate," he said to James. "I'm sorry that I got caught up in the conversation when I was supposed to be saving Amber, I am. But if I don't follow Sarah in her storm off then there will be dire consequences."

James sighed. "There must be special treatment for our married comrades," he agreed. "You can storm off, I won't take offense."

"Thanks mate, I knew you'd understand." With that Adam stood up and followed his wife.

Soon after everyone had eaten it was dark enough to shoot off fireworks. Freddie, George, Ron, and Roxanne went to shoot them off as the rest of the family-and the Austin's and Charlotte's family-stayed at the tent, waiting anxiously for the first burst of light.

After Freddie left to work on the fireworks James-who didn't want to be left alone-had to suck it up and join Adam and Sarah, who just happened to be with Charlotte.

James had done some thinking and Sarah was right, there wasn't any reason he should be avoiding Charlotte. They were both adults and she had made it abundantly clear eleven years ago that nothing would happen between them. So James decided that he would not think of her as the Charlotte he had fallen in love with but as just another woman. Beside, for all he knew she could be a completely different person. A part of him truly hoped that she was and another would mourn if she were.

"Why are our kids so much older than every one else's our age?" Adam wondered aloud as he watched Ethan and Isaac trying to find Amber and Sophie in the dark, neither knowing that the girls had followed Rom into the tent to swindle extra ice cream from Fleur.

"Because we had ours as horny teenagers?" James guessed, making Adam laugh while Sarah rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't a horny teenager when I had Ethan. Adam and I made the adult decision to start a family," Sarah told James.

"Really," James asked, doubt written across his face.

"Really," Sarah said.

"So you weren't nineteen when you had Ethan? Because I know Adam was."

"I was almost twenty." Sarah said as though that explained everything. "At least I wasn't barley nineteen like you when you got Amber. If I remember correctly you were eighteen when Amber was conceived and had just turned nineteen a few weeks before she was born."

"Really?" Charlotte asked, she had known that James had to have been pretty young when his daughter was born but she hadn't bothered to do the math and now she was curious.

Needless to say this was not a subject that James wanted to discuss with Charlotte, "What about you?" he asked her to get the heat off of himself. "How old were you when Isaac and Sophie were born."

Charlotte thought for a moment, "I was twenty two when I had Isaac and almost twenty four with Sophie. So I wasn't a horny teenager, twenty two and twenty three, that's adult-ish."

James laughed, "The key suffix there is: ish," he pointed out.

"Ignore James," Sarah commanded. "He's just jealous that he was the only one of us that didn't plan his kid."

James threw a panicked look at Sarah and she quickly put her hand over her mouth as though she could force the words back in. She looked, wide eyed, at James, trying to apologize for not thinking before she spoke with her eyes.

This was one of the many reasons why James didn't want Charlotte around.

"What did you say?" Charlotte asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Nothing," Sarah said too quickly. "How old are your kids?"

Any idiot could tell that Sarah only asked this as a distraction and James wanted to choke her for her lose lips.

"Isaac is eight and Sophie will be seven in two months," Charlotte answered, glancing wearily from Sarah to James.

James could just hear the gears grinding in Charlotte's head and he, Adam, and Sarah waited anxiously for the questions they knew were coming. Charlotte opened her mouth to ask what James could only guess was the question that he didn't want to answer when there was a loud whistle and then a big bang which illuminated the whole field with light.

Bless Freddie's impeccable timing.

Amber and Sophie ran out of the tent at the sound of the explosion. Amber stood in front of James and looked up at the fireworks. James wrapped his arms around her, using her as a shield from Charlotte's curiosity. Charlotte wouldn't possibly ask such questions with Amber around. Would she?

Ethan and Isaac came from the field and looked disbelievingly at the girls.

"Where were you?" Ethan asked. "We looked all over the field!"

Amber looked at him with the most innocent expression that she could muster. "Oh," she said. "You were looking for us? Well, we've been in the tent this whole time, we thought you would come and eat ice cream with us but you never showed up."

Sophie, who clearly wasn't use to acting innocent in order to not get into trouble, giggled.

"You know perfectly well we were playing hide-and-go-seek," Ethan reminded Amber. "Hiding in the tent is off limits, and therefore, Isaac and I win."

"Actually," Amber said, "we weren't hiding in the tent. We were sitting in plan sight. Had you come and looked for us there, as you should have, then you would have found us easily. So we win."

Ethan looked like he was going to protest but Isaac cut him off, "Your logic is all screwy," he told Amber. "But I guess your right."

Just then more fireworks were set off, distracting the kids from Amber and Sophie's trickery.

James looked over at Charlotte who was sitting on the ground now, with Isaac and Sophie beside her. He would have mused at the way the light from fireworks illuminated her features, her hair, and her tired eyes, if it wasn't for the fact that James could practically see the wheels turning over the previous conversation in those eyes.

He turned back to the colorful sky silently fuming.

Charlotte had no right to be curious about what he had done after she had went and gotten married to some guy that he didn't even know if she was still married to or not. Not that it mattered, it wasn't any of James' business just liked Amber wasn't any of Charlotte's.

James kissed the top of Amber's head where the pony tail that he had spent so much time on that morning was falling out of the bow that tied it. She looked up and smiled at him.

After the fireworks Amber went right back into play mode despite the late hour. "What now?" she asked the other kids. Ethan and Isaac looked at each other as if to ask, 'there's more?' and Sophie was fighting to keep her eye lids open as she sat in her mother's lap.

"Amber it's pretty late," James said, trying to fight a smile at her hyperactive nature. "You have to get up early tomorrow morning if you want to watch the game. Besides, I think you've run your friends to death." He motioned to the exhausted Ethan, Isaac, and the now fast asleep Sophie.

Amber pouted up at her dad, "Your going to make me go to sleep aren't you?" she asked.

James smiled but I was Sarah who answered. "If he didn't then you never would."

"Just one more game of tag?" she begged. She looked pleadingly at Ethan and Isaac, "You two can handle one more can't you?"

"Fine," Ethan sighed, getting up to stand beside Amber. Isaac looked pleadingly at his mum. "Just one more?" he asked.

"One more," Charlotte sighed. "But as soon as you're done we have to go back to our tent." Isaac nodded and ran off into the dark field with Ethan and Amber.

Sarah yawned a big fake yawn and James glared at her, knowing what she was doing and not liking it. "Well," she said. "I believe were going to go say goodbye to everyone before Ethan is done. It was a pleasure meeting you Charlotte, see you tomorrow James. Come on Adam." She grabbed Adam's hand and they ran off faster than any tired person could.

Charlotte struggled to stand up with Sophie's added weight and James couldn't help but laugh. "Do you need any help?" he asked.

Charlotte smiled sheepishly, "If you could just grab her for a moment so I could get up I can hold her from there."

James bent down and lifted the sleeping Sophie as Charlotte stood up from the ground. She wasn't a heavy child, about the same size Amber was at that age.

"Thanks," Charlotte muttered as she held her arms out for her daughter. James put her back in her mother's arms but noticed how Charlotte seemed to sag under her weight.

"Are you sure you don't want me to hold her?" he asked, partly concerned for Charlotte's back and partly that she would drop Sophie.

"No, thank you," Charlotte grunted, "I've got her."

James turned away so Charlotte wouldn't see his smile and he watched the faint outline of Ethan, Isaac, and Amber running around the dark field.

Apparently, Charlotte was watching too. "She's a lot like you," she stated looking in the direction that James assumed Amber was in.

"Poor kid," James laughed.

"Did she inherit anything from her mum?" she asked, slyly trying to get information on how James had acquired a kid that was older than her own children since the last time they spoke.

James shrugged, "I wouldn't know," he mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"I said that Amber's mother didn't contribute much."

"Oh," Charlotte realized that she wasn't going to get anymore out of him on this subject and shifted Sophie's dead weight from one side to the other.

"What about Isaac and Sophie's dad?" he challenged. If she could ask then so could he. "I don't think I ever got his name, but why isn't he here with you three?" James knew that he would probably regret asking that as soon as the words left his mouth, what if the guy was dead?

"We got a divorce five years ago," she said looking fixedly at Isaac who as far as James could tell had just been tagged.

"Oh," he knew that was a stupid thing to ask. "I'm sorry."

"It was my idea," she stated, still not looking at James.

"Then I'm not sorry."

The game of tag ended soon after that because Isaac just couldn't go on. He staggered to his mum and clutched onto her side for support. Charlotte, who was already staggering under Sophie's weight, looked like she wouldn't be able to walk with Isaac clinging to her too.

"Are you sure you don't need my help?" James asked as Amber said a quick goodbye to Ethan, who had went to find his parents and came back to say goodbye to Isaac.

"I'll be fine," Charlotte assured him. "Our tent's not that far away."

"I hope I see you guys tomorrow at the game," Amber said sincerely. "I had a lot of fun today."

Charlotte laughed. "I'm sure Isaac and Sophie would share your sentiments completely if they were awake enough to hear you." Isaac gave a feeble nod and muttered something incoherent. "I'm glad I got to meet you Amber," Charlotte said.

Amber beamed up at Charlotte, "It was nice meeting you too."

"It was good too see you again James," Charlotte said.

James smiled, "You too, Charlotte."

And he wasn't lying, it was good to see her, it may have been a little awkward at times but at least it wasn't as painful as he had thought it would be. He remembered how he had reacted so may years ago when he had seen Isaac's birth announcement in the Prophet. If James would have had to guess he would have thought that seeing Charlotte with two kids would have been as painful as that.

But it wasn't, because her kids were just too great for James to feel any pain at their existence.

Charlotte went to her tent after they said their goodbyes. The next day during the game Amber looked all over for Isaac, Sophie, or Charlotte but she couldn't spot them anywhere in the crowd of people. James knew that Amber truly wanted to see her new friends again but he couldn't help the feeling of relief that washed over him. He had made it through his first encounter with Charlotte with minimal damage and he would never have to do that again.

A/N: Now I have brought divorce into the wizarding world and therefore sadness and emo kids (no offence to my emo readers).

Review please!