Chapter 7 – Reading a book with a flowery title

'What are you doing daddy?'
Sunrise was sitting on the bathroom cabinet close to the sink. Ginny had left her there while she was getting dressed to go to work so Harry could keep an eye on her while shaving.
'I'm shaving, sweetie' he said, rinsing the blade under the running water.
This was a job that could be done by magic too, but he enjoyed doing it by hand if the time allowed; it was a way to relax before starting a challenging workday.
Sunrise repeated the word observing him intently.
'Why?' she asked then.
Harry glanced at her. It was the beginning of the "why" phase, a tricky and stressful time. He remembered it very well, having gone through it three times already.
'Because men grow a beard, and it needs to be shaved everyday'
'Why?' she enquired again.
Since explanations about the nature of hair growing seemed a bit too difficult to explain and too difficult for her to understand, he opted to answer to his second affirmation.
'Because mummy like it better smooth'
'Why?'
Harry looked at her again, musing. Then he stooped and took her hand making her touch the cheek he had already shaved 'See? This is smooth' he said, and then removing a bit of shaving cream from the undone one brushed his other cheek with it 'This is not shaved. It stings. That's why mum likes it better shaved'
Sunrise let out a shriek of laughter and Harry smiled resuming his activity.
'I wanna shave too' she said eager reaching out to him.
'Fortunately, you will never have the need'
Not on face at least.
'Why?'
'Because women don't grow a beard' he answered and afraid of another why to which he would have had difficulty in answer, continued hastily 'and you will be a woman one day, so you will never shave'
'But I wannit' she said puckering her lips disappointed.
'Why, sweetie? It is not exactly fun'
'I like it' she said pointing to his face.
Harry was puzzled 'What do you like?' but then looking at himself in the mirror understood and grinned.
'You like shaving cream, don't you?'
He sprayed some on his hands and warning her not to eat it, smeared her face with it. She laughed amused. At that moment Ginny strode into the bathroom.
'Mummy, I'm shaving!' Sunrise said blithely, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
Ginny smiled softened 'I see, sweetie' and then turning to Harry 'Oh Harry, I just dressed her! Now she'll be a mess.'
'A jolly mess though' he answered leaning to kiss her.
And then spotting Sunrise from the mirror contemplating a bit of shaving cream on her hand, warned her again 'Siry, don't eat it!'
'I was thinking of going to Luna's tonight, if you don't mind. Apparently, there is some news she wants to talk about'
'Of course, I don't mind. Enjoy yourself. And say hello from me'
'I arranged to leave Sunny to Ted. So, you don't have to rush from work' she said taking the brush and moulding her hair in a ponytail.
'Alright' he said, rinsing his face.
At that point he spotted Sunrise with a disgusted grimace, her hand perfectly clean. He raised his eyes to the ceiling and taking a towel wiped her face giving her some water to drink.
'I can't wait to see her. I think the news is really good!' Ginny exclaimed giving a last tug to her hair.
She bent then over Sunrise with the brush starting to brush her hair too 'Mummy will go to Luna's tonight, and you are going to Ted, sweetie! Are you happy?' Unfortunately, being Sunrise's hair not as sleek and manageable as Ginny's but more ungovernable and wild as Harry's, under the brush it redoubled in size making her look like a dark lion.
Ginny frowned; she still hadn't manged to cope with it despite not for lack of trying.
'Don't worry, I'll do it' Harry said watching amused the scene. From experience he knew better how to deal with it.
'Cheers, you are a sweetheart. I'll make some breakfast' she said pecking him.
Sunrise, observing the scene interested, tittered smug 'Mummy likes daddy shaving' she boomed making them both laugh.
Ginny left the bathroom in a hurry as Harry took brush and hairbands to tame his daughter's hair.
'I like Luna' she said.
'I know you do, sweetie'
It seemed that every child on earth adored Luna for some reason and Sunrise made no exception.
'I dream her'
'You dreamt of her?' Harry corrected giving some light stroke to her curls trying to untangle them without increasing ulteriorly the volume 'What did you dream about?'
'There was a parpy!'
'A party?'
'Yes, a parpy! At the sea! She is blutiful! She have yellow flowers.'
'She had yellow flowers…' he corrected absent minded arranging her hair in two pigtails.
At that moment they heard Ginny calling for them from the kitchen where breakfast was ready, and Harry hurried down with an excited Sunrise jabbering about sea, parties and flowers.

That evening he got home very late, there had been some hints about the wandering of the dark wizard still at large and he had worked extra hours to ascertain the truth of them.
He was exhausted in spirit and mind, not hungry at all and not in the mood for company. He removed his shoes and sagged on the sofa with his jacket still on.
The house was unusually quiet without Ginny and Sunrise. It was a long time he hadn't had the chance of being alone but far from enjoying it, it gave him a sense of forlorn.
He had switched on only a small lamp and the rest of the house was enveloped in the darkness of a wintery night, not even the fire was alight as somehow the thought to get his wand to cast the simple spell required seemed beyond his strength.
He lay down musing, resting his head on the armrest.
As very often happened after a difficult day at work, his mind free to wander couldn't fix itself on happy thoughts.
For the whole day adrenaline had sustained him and now that it was gone, he felt drained. He must capture the guy as soon as possible to avoid any other deaths and every minute lost was thinning their chances.
His mind got back on the families of his colleagues perished and again he reflected that only luck had saved Ginny from experiencing the same.
She would have been left alone with a child and two teenagers. He imagined her weeping at the funeral and the thought racked him.
His eyes travelled about the room and rested itself on a family picture, an old one where Lily was waving at the camera and his gaze was immediately locked, unable to move on anything else.
He hated magical photos. It brought him thinking that she was actually waving at him, when she was only an animated image and nothing more.
He stood up wearily and unhooked the picture from the wall sitting back on the sofa. Lily was smiling frozen in time. She would have turned ten that year. Her magical powers had probably already manifested and she, surely in a frenzy to go to Hogwarts. There wouldn't have been sorrow, there wouldn't have been any violence on Ginny but there wouldn't have been any Sunrise either.
Sunrise, his violence, and Lily's death connected inextricably.
Wishing for Lily being alive was like to whish not to ever had Sunrise. A choice impossible to make.
It was idle thinking and dangerous thinking too, bringing his spirit close to that darkness that was always present in him, lurking in a corner, bringing apathy, bringing him to think that there was no hope for happiness.
And yet, his eyes couldn't leave the picture. He caressed the glass on her dark red hair trying to remember the sensation of running his fingers in it and it was even too easy, eternally tormenting.
There was a droplet on the picture, he brushed it away understanding with surprise that was a tear that had escaped his eye and he hadn't even realised.
At that moment he heard somebody calling him from the kitchen.
The house was empty and could only come from the fire.
He hastened there, quickly mopping his eyes.
Ted's face was in the fire. He greeted him and asked him to call him back; Sunrise was crying and he couldn't calm her, he thought that seeing him she would have cheered up.
He did what asked straight away, and, in a moment, there was Ted legs crossed in front of the fireplace with a whimpering Sunrise on his lap.
'Daddy' she whined seeing him, her big green eyes full of tears making them look even bigger.
'Hello sweetie, I'm here. Why are you crying?'
Sunrise turned her head and hid it against Ted's shoulder.
'What happened?' Harry asked to Ted.
'Nothing really…' Ted said looking to Sunrise who was smearing his white sweater with tears 'She started to cry without any reason. She was happily playing a second before and crying the next moment'
Harry was reminded of what the teacher had said only days before and was bemused. But before he could get worried, Ted raised his eyes on him.
'Harry…' he said, 'Are you ok?'
'Yes, Ted. I'm ok'
'What were you doing?' he asked suspiciously.
'I was reading a book' he said nonchalantly knowing that it was impossible to fool Ted with such an obvious lie but willing to give it a try.
'A book…' he repeated looking enquiringly in his eyes 'It had a flower as a title by any chance?'
Harry was struck and for a moment unable to speak, his lump going up and down in his throat making impossible to utter an answer.
'Yes, Ted' he admitted when managed to swallow it.
There was a moment of silence, then Ted looked at Sunrise who had quietened in his arms and was slowly nodding off.
'When did you start to read this book?' he asked with a frown.
'I dunno… When I got back from work…' he looked at the clock hanged on the wall 'Not long ago… Why?'
The silence stretched again. Ted looked at Sunrise who was now sleeping with her mouth half open and her cheeks still lined by tears.
'Nothing…' he uttered in the end under his voice his attention still caught by her 'Why don't you pop here a second to pick her up' he added smiling 'We can chat a bit if you like'
Harry didn't feel particularly in the mood but unwilling to fall again into despondency if alone, agreed.
He shared with Ted about the encounter with Sunrise's teacher.
'Do you think it is something serious, Ted? Should I worry? It doesn't seem normal. I still didn't discuss it with Ginny; I don't want her to get alarmed if it's nothing.'
They were having a cuppa sitting around the table. Sunrise was sleeping peacefully on their flowery sofa.
Ted looked at his cup and then at him, he seemed about to speak but then he halted.
His white hair seemed even whiter, and Harry wondered idly what the real colour of it was. When he was a child, it was changing constantly and only when he was about eight it stabilised on white, but it couldn't be his real hair colour. Eyebrows and the little beard he had, grew exactly the same colour, all but eyelashes that were of a light brown.
He had very delicate features that would have been endearing on a girl making him look even younger than his real age.
His sweater hanged loose on his shoulders, and the sleeves, too long, covered almost completely his long fingers that were limply locked on his cup.
He was Sunrise's godfather, Harry and Ginny had agreed on it straight away. They couldn't think of anybody more appropriated. He had been delighted, almost moved to tears, when they asked him.
He was still training as a healer, the training in that profession was very long and challenging but he loved it. In the meanwhile, he was thoroughly studying muggle's texts about psychology, encouraged by Hermione, and wished to start to apply some of that knowledge in the magical world, despite it was seen a bit like an undeveloped science in the magical people's eyes.
He was still living with Andromeda but making ample use of 12 Grimmauld place with Victoire.
She had found a job in a kindergarten (for magical people). It was perfect for her, being in a mostly feminine environment and with children that well responded to her sweetness of character and overall immune to her Veela charm.
'Maybe you should leave it a few days and see how it develops.' He said in the end smiling reassuringly.
Harry nodded emptying his cup in a gulp.
'Call me if you feel low, alright? Don't keep it always inside, it is not healthy'
Harry hung his head and didn't reply. He would have loved to be able to do it.
'Do you want to come and have dinner at our place one of these evenings?' he answered instead going to pick Sunrise up.
'Sure'
'Bring Victoire if you like' he added before stepping into the fireplace.
But then before to disappear added in hesitation avoiding his eyes 'If you do though let me know first… So, you know… I'm prepared…'
Ted half smiled 'I know… Don't worry…'