To say the Ministry tripped over themselves to clear the way for Harry Potter to become a legal foster parent, was an understatement. Hermione made an enquiry – just an enquiry, nothing more – and the next day the completed forms were sent by owl. It required a signature and the job was done.

Hermione was unimpressed.

Molly was beside herself.

Harry was in love.

Charlie… wasn't sure. They had temporarily moved in with his mother and he had spent the weekend running between the flat in London and the cottage in Devon, trying to make sure the cat and the baby his husband were happy.

By Sunday night, chaos reigned.

"Alright!" Charlie yelled over the top of all the people who were talking very loudly in his mother's kitchen. "Alright. Shut up, all of you, just for a minute."

Lily was asleep upstairs in his old bedroom.

The room fell silent.

"I just need to think a minute," he muttered, feeling his face heat from the twelve pairs of eyes that had turned on him. "We have to work out how this is going to work. If this is going to work."

They were closing in on forty-eight hours with Lily and some of Harry's romantic notions about becoming a parent were wearing off. He looked tired, Charlie decided. Older, tired, stressed. On instinct he stood and walked around the table to where Harry was sat, put his hands on Harry's shoulders and gently rubbed.

"You can't leave your job," Charlie said when Harry twisted round in his seat. "I know what you're thinking, but you really can't."

A million years ago Harry would have clenched his jaw and defiantly done whatever it was someone had told him he couldn't do. Not any more, though.

"You made a promise," Charlie added.

"We'll take her."

Both Harry and Charlie looked over at Ron in shock. He had remained the least vocal of the assembled Weasleys, watching on in what Harry had interpreted as apathy.

"Lily can come home with us. We'll raise her with our baby."

Hermione took his hand and squeezed. "Ron," she started, but he shook his head, cutting her off.

"If you want to know she'll get a family who love her, then we can give her that."

"I know," Harry said. "You're the best parents I know. She's not my niece, though. She's my daughter."

"Harry," Molly said, her voice pleading. Begging.

"Harry," Charlie echoed. "Let's go outside."

It was a struggle, getting Harry through the narrow kitchen with the whole family watching. He made it, though, and sat on the kitchen step with a Muffliato cast against any potential eavesdroppers.

"This situation seriously sucks ass."

"And not in a good way," Charlie said with a sharp grin.

Harry laughed, then dropped his head to his drawn-up knees. "What are we supposed to do?" He looked up, over at Charlie. "What am I supposed to do?"

"The right thing," Charlie said sombrely. Harry laughed again – this time it sounded slightly desperate. "Ron was serious, you know. He wouldn't say something like that unless he meant it."

"Yeah. Yeah. That's probably the right thing. The sensible thing. But…"

"Lily."

"Yeah," Harry said helplessly. "Lily."

"How about," Charlie said, the words coming to him in the moment, painting the idea in the air as he spoke. It was only with more words that the idea took shape. "How about if we… got a nanny. Not like a full time thing… someone who would take care of her during the day. Then… then when Hermione has her baby they can both be looked after by the same person. Hermione could go back to work… You know she's been worrying about that. And it would mean that Mum doesn't have to take care of another kid during the day."

"I don't want to be a part-time parent."

"Neither do I, Harry. But… just think about it. You still have so much work to do, with the Animagus stuff with McGonagall and your lessons. It took so long to get us here we can't just throw it all away now."

Those were the wrong words: Harry bristled, the image cracked.

"She's worth it, I'm not giving something up, I'm gaining something new and amazing."

"Don't lose yourself in the process, though. Don't lose what we have."

"What do we have?"

This, Charlie was good at. "An amazing marriage," he said. "For a start. A family that loves us and puts up with crap like bringing an orphan baby back from Romania that no one knows what to do with. Friends. A home. A cat," he added with a smile.

"Kneazle?"

"Not sure," Charlie admitted. "Maybe. Never bothered to find out."

"Hmm."

"Think about it. We get to keep Lily, and we get to keep this world that we've made together. Everything changes and nothing does, all at the same time."

"A nanny."

"Yes."

"A very, very good one."

"Yes," Charlie said with a laugh. "The best. We can go and poach the Royal nanny if you want."

"Our daughter," Harry said.

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Okay."