I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

Extended Family

Chapter 87 – Units of Measure

Takes place after chapter 30.

"Harry, tell me you had nothing to do with this."

Harry looked at Ron. "Okay, I had nothing to do with this."

"Then why did they say you did?!"

"I don't even know what you're talking about! What's this? Who's they?"

"Then why did you tell me you had nothing to do with this?!"

"You told me to! You didn't ask me if I knew what you were talking about!"

Ron sighed and looked over at Hannah who came out from the kitchen and was giggling. "Aren't you supposed to be on my side on this?"

"You only have yourself to blame," Hannah smiled. "You're the one that jumped on Harry as soon as he walked in." She looked over at Harry. "Aw, no Dally?"

"Not today but I have a picture for you." Harry showed off his newest picture of his baby daughter and Hannah cooed at it.

Ron smiled when he looked at the baby cuddled against a very proud Hedwig. "Figures your owl is sweet to her."

"Yeah, she's the best." Harry smiled proudly. "Anyways, what are you talking about?"

"Apparently there's going to be a gathering of our House year and it was your idea."

"Oh Lavender mentioned it a while ago, last time I came to Diagon with Dally that day. I said that'd be fun. Mentioned it to Hermione too."

"Well looks like the girls decided to go through with it and want us all to meet up here and hang out and stuff. Reminisce and all that." Ron sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's only been a few years."

"It won't be that bad," Harry said. "Will it?"

"It'll probably turn into a giant wand measuring contest," Ron grumbled.

"I didn't know our wands change lengths," Harry said, looking at his wand with concern.

Hannah giggled harder. "I think Ron means the other kind of wand which is very rude to say about Lavender, Parvati, and Hermione."

"You know what I mean," he said crossly while Harry joined Hannah in laughing. "It'll be about comparing achievements and who's doing what and who's better and all that."

"Oh come on, you don't think you've done a lot to be proud of the last few years?" Harry asked. "The Cauldron looks great thanks to you two and business is good right?"

"More her work than me," Ron said. "I'm just here to look pretty and do the grunt work."

"And you do a wonderful job grunting about and a wonderfully adequate job at looking pretty," Hannah said, hugging him.

"That's something a bloke likes to hear from his wife," he sighed, relenting and kissing Hannah when she pouted at him.

"Katie says I'm adequate all the time," Harry preened.

"Well you have lowered expectations of yourself," Ron snorted.

"I'm okay with that since everyone else has raised ones for some reason." Harry grinned. "It'll be fun. I haven't talked to Dean and Seamus in a while and Nev's been busy a lot too. Same with Parvati and Lavender. I mean, we've all been really busy. It'll be nice to hang out for a bit."

"We already have the nicest room here set aside for it," Hannah said.

"I just renovated it too," Ron sighed.

"You'll have plenty to talk about and show off then," Harry smiled.

"And if all else fails, talk about the Cannons," Hannah suggested. "Not that you ever need a reason to usually."

"You're having quite the go at me!" Ron complained, glaring at Hannah who fled laughing. "You know where I can find a nicer wife?" he asked Harry, ducking when Hannah threw a towel at him from the kitchen window.

"Yeah, here after you go up the alley and pick her up a flower or two," Harry laughed.

"Thanks Harry!" Hannah shouted from the window.

"Is anyone on my side?!" Ron asked loudly.

-0-

"Hey, like what you've done with the place," Seamus said, looking about the room.

"Yeah it took a bit getting the old wallpaper off and redoing things, but it does look nice," Ron said proudly. "Tom said he never changed it before because he liked the old décor and it wasn't bad but I think it looks better like this."

"It does. Updated yet traditional." Dean gave the room a critical look. "It definitely feels like a tavern room."

"I hope so, it's a tavern after all," Ron snorted.

"I meant in comparison. Lots of wood furnishing, polished but not shining, no wallpaper pasted on top with bright colors. It looks homey," Dean sighed.

"Listen to this bloke," Seamus said, hiking a thumb. "He's all fancy now with his art and an expert on interior design and all that."

"I've always been into art, it just now applies to other things too," Dean sniffed.

"Next thing you'll tell us is that you're a fashion consultant," Seamus said snidely.

"I'm not but boy you need one," Dean retorted. "What's with the bright green robes? We get it, you're Irish."

"Don't have a go at me just 'cause I'm proud of me heritage," Seamus growled, thickening his accent.

Ron started laughing. "That brought back memories. Remember the time Alicia blasted you before the Ball?"

"Ugh don't remind me." Seamus shook his head and groaned. "She was right scary that one, and liked to stick her nose in it."

"If I remember right, you had a grand old time at the Ball and after and didn't your date like your new appearance?" Dean asked.

"Never said she wasn't right about it," Seamus muttered and punched the two other laughing boys.

"Now that's a familiar sight," Parvati said as she walked in. "Good to see you boys."

"Hey there," Dean greeted. "Good to see you too. Oh hey, you're a fashion consultant."

"Don't start," Seamus growled.

Parvati smiled. "I'm a fair one, yeah. Have to be running a clothing store."

"What do you think of Lucky's-I mean Seamus' robes?" Ron asked with a wide grin.

"It wears well," Parvati said. "It's well made." She smiled impishly. "Makes me want to hide my gold for some reason."

"Ha bloody ha!" Seamus glared as the others laughed. "You lot are terrible! Spread some of the fun about why don't you!"

"Aw, we started making fun of Seamus already?" Lavender smiled brightly as she bounced in.

"Do you lot ever stop?" he grumbled half-heartedly but hugged her readily. He waved at the person that walked in behind her. "Nev, you're not going to make fun of me like the others, will you?"

"For what? Your robes? I like the color green," Neville smiled.

"Sure looks like. That's a nasty bruise there, mate. What happened?" Dean asked.

"I really hope that's not from Ginny," Parvati said with a sly smile.

"I will kick you out and ban you," Ron said, face bright red. "I do not need to think about the connotations of what you said."

"Oooh now that's a big word," Seamus sniped.

Neville laughed. "No, this was from me breaking up a fight between the tentacula and the snargaluff stump. She got a little handsy trying to grab some fertilizer and he took offense."

"Who's she and who's he?" Lavender asked.

"The tentacula is she," Neville said.

"I feel like we should've known that," Dean laughed.

"Only if you paid attention in class," Neville grinned.

"What did I miss?" Hermione asked as she walked in on the others laughing hysterically. "I got caught finishing something for a case."

"Neville said something devastating," Lavender giggled. "Something you'd say actually."

"I said they'd know the tentacula was a she if they paid attention in class," Neville smiled proudly.

"Ooh very nice and you're right," Hermione smiled. "It's so good seeing all of you!"

"You also missed Ron using a very big word. And correctly as far as I know," Seamus snorted.

"I'll ban you too," Ron grunted.

"Don't worry, both Hannah and Ron have to agree to ban a person," Hermione said.

"Hermione!" Ron whined. "I don't need you undermining me too!"

"But isn't that like a big part of your friendship?" Parvati asked innocently.

"You're on a roll with your vocabulary," Seamus gasped.

"I don't go to your places to make fun of you but now I feel like I should!" Ron shouted while the others cackled and howled.

"Felix would kick you out so fast," Hermione snorted.

"He likes me better than you," Ron snorted back.

"Where's Harry?" Neville asked when the laughter died. "He's usually pretty punctual."

"I don't know but he said he was coming," Hermione frowned. "He was looking forward to it."

The door opened and they turned to watch Harry walk in. "Hey, sorry I'm late, got held up at the counter outside by Hannah for a bit."

"Something wrong?" Ron asked, worried.

"No not at all. Hannah just demanded a bit of visiting time." Harry turned fully revealing Dahlia slung across his chest.

"Baby!" Lavender and Parvati cried and they walked swiftly to Harry.

"Oh she's so cute," Parvati cooed. "Let me hold her first please. Lavender got to hold her last time!" She sighed happily as she gently picked Dahlia up. "Oh she's beautiful…"

"Are you even allowed to bring babies to a pub?" Seamus asked with a wide smile.

"It's not like she's drinking," Harry snorted. "Don't worry, she won't be here the whole time. I wanted to introduce her to everyone and visit for a bit before I take her back home. I'll be back right after though."

"I was only kidding. I practically grew up at my Da's pub," Seamus said. "My crib there was a barrel sawn in half."

"Gosh that explains so much," Dean sighed.

Harry chuckled. "That's a nice-looking bruise, Nev. Tentacula?" He tapped it with his wand and the bruise slowly dissipated.

"Yeah, she got in a fight with the stump and I broke it up. Thanks Harry."

"No joke about it being from Ginny?" Dean asked.

"No 'cause Ron is right here and the bruise had bite marks that people can't make."

"Ginny does fight dirty to be fair," Ron said. "She absolutely used to bite the shite out of you when she scrapped."

They all sat around the big table in the center and Ron brought in food and drink. Chatter flowed around them easily and Dahlia was slowly passed from person to person.

"She's just a baby," Lavender sighed when Seamus looked apprehensively at Dahlia.

"I know she's a baby," he retorted. "Can't blame me for being a bit nervous though."

"You don't have to hold her if you don't want to," Harry smiled.

"No I do, just you know, bit nervous." He very gingerly accepted the baby from Dean.

"She's not going to bite," Parvati giggled.

"Actually she might," Harry cautioned.

"What?! She's biting people now?" Hermione exclaimed while Seamus looked startled. "Why?!"

"Only when she's annoyed," Harry said defensively. "And she's only annoyed in very specific situations."

"Hedwig taught her that, didn't she," Hermione stated flatly.

"Of course she did," Ron snorted.

"She is pretty cute," Seamus said, smiling down at Dahlia who peered up at him curiously. "None of that came from your ugly mug. Hey! What's going on?!" Dahlia looked incredibly displeased and she tried to roll in Seamus' arms, biting at him.

"So she gets annoyed when you make fun of me," Harry said weakly while the others roared with laughter and Hermione lifted Dahlia out of Seamus' arms.

"How'd you teach her that?!" Dean asked. "That's incredible."

"The funny thing is he didn't," Ron laughed.

"It's okay Dally," Hermione cooed. "Uncle Seamus didn't really mean that."

"Yeah I did," Seamus said. He shook his head as Dahlia glared at him. "I've never been glared at by a baby before. That's new."

"Come here flower," Harry chuckled. He gently took Dahlia and the baby girl immediately relaxed, calming down and looking up at her father adoringly. She made soft noises and burrowed into his chest.

"Oh, my heart," Parvati sighed.

"She is so cute," Lavender sighed.

"She's the best," Harry praised, rocking her gently.

-0-

"Did I miss anything?" Harry asked when he returned. He had taken Dahlia home and came back to the Cauldron and carried a tray of drinks in when Hannah offered it.

"They started to drink more after you left," Ron grinned. "Seamus and Hermione argued about a Ministry thing, then Dean and Parvati argued about a fashion thing, and now they're getting into a Quidditch argument."

"Even Hermione and Neville?" Harry asked, astonished.

"Well yeah. Nev is a die-hard Holyhead fan for obvious reasons and Hermione is a Portree fan for also obvious reasons."

Harry grinned. "Where do the others fall?"

"Dean likes Wigtown because their colors are closest to West Ham. Seamus is more of a Kenmare fan after learning how Ballycastle are a bunch of arseholes. Lavender loves Tutshill. Parvati likes Wimbourne but she says it's more that she fancies the some of the players."

"Why aren't you arguing with them then?" Harry asked.

Ron sighed. "Because no one wants to listen about Chudley." He punched Harry irritably when Harry started snickering. "I'll admit it though, this is fun. Glad we did it."

"Yeah, it's been real nice." Harry sipped his butterbeer. "So how's your wand measuring?"

"Don't go up to a bloke and just ask that," Ron said, pretending to be scandalized. "But measures up I think. Sure I'm not going to be a teacher like Dean or run a completely different business like Parv or Lav. But I'm happy here, I'm happily married, and that's what matters right?"

"Right," Harry agreed whole-heartedly.

-0-0-0-

Ghostwriter - Thank you. Wanted to try and write up an interesting duel and get some closure.

odonnellzoo99 - Indeed there are. Goodness, I can't wait to see how Snape will react to the bunnies. That's going to be a hoot and a half.

alix33 - Probably treating it so it doesn't get infected. Who knows what animagus Siris' bite can do.