Chapter Eleven
The 25th of November was a cold and frosty day but that didn't stop Danica waking up full of excitement and rushing through to her parents' room.
She bunched her fists in her night dress and forced herself to knock calmly on the door rather than just busting in.
Lily got up, puzzled at the knock so early in the morning and opened the door.
"Since when do you knock on the door?" She smiled down at Danica.
"I'm a big girl now." Danica said proudly.
Lily let out a small laugh, "Yes you are. Happy Birthday my darling."
Danica grinned and moved past her mother to jump on the high bed. Severus caught her and pulled her in for a hug.
Danica planted a large kiss on his cheek.
Lily climbed back into bed and snuggled her daughter, "So does it feel different being five now?"
Danica shook her head, "Not really but I am more grow… grow… grown up now." she grinned.
Lily and Severus looked down at her, it seemed like five minutes ago she was babbling half spoken words, and five minutes before that she was a new born baby and they were teaching Harry how to support her head up.
Severus had always loved Harry, how could he not when he was Lily's son? Every time he looked into Harry's eyes he saw Lily but the day they'd told him he was going to be a big brother, the look on Harry's face, that was what had cemented Harry into Severus's heart in his own right.
Danica had truly brought the family together in more ways than one. Severus had no doubts that the family would still be together even if Danica hadn't come along but would they have been as close he wasn't sure.
They lay in bed for a while. Danica telling them a long and complex tale about why giant orange snails could only eat oranges which wasn't even remotely the case but she did have some interesting arguments for it. At eight they headed down the stairs, still in their pyjamas.
Sirius was already up, sitting at the dinning room table in his pyjamas, trying not to look tired. Kreacher was wearing a clean, white pillow case that Danica had drawn on to decorate; the table laid with pancakes and chocolate spread.
There was a large pile of presents at one end, neatly wrapped in colourful paper and ribbons. Danica took her seat and pulled a pancake onto her plate.
"Well a toast." Lily said sitting down, "To our wonderful daughter, happy birthday." she raised her glass of apple juice.
Sirius and Severus both raised their coffees, Kreacher his little cup of tea. Danica beamed at them, grinning and piling white chocolate spread onto her pancake.
They ate quickly, Danica eating most of a jar of chocolate spread on her own but since it was her birthday they didn't stop her. Once they'd finished, they said goodbye to Severus who had to go out to work and Lily took Danica upstairs to get her birthday dress on.
Danica sat on the bed, playing her her toy eagle while Lily got out a beautiful layered dress with little capped sleeves that was pink but changed colour in the light to a shimmering rainbow.
"Mummy," she asked, patting the bed next to her.
"What is it darling?" Lily said, standing up from where she was pulling out Danica's shoes and sitting down next to her daughter, pulling her into a hug.
"Harry gets and extra special present on his birthday but I don't." Danica said.
Lily gave a small smile and nodded, "Yes he does."
"Why doesn't he get it with all his other presents?" Danica asked, "It's more fun to open them with everyone."
Lily paused to think for a moment, she knew this time would come sooner or later. Danica would reach an age where she started to notice and remember things but it was still a difficult topic to talk about with anyone, let alone in a way someone so young would be able to understand.
"Well a long time ago, I didn't live with your Daddy, I lived with someone else called James Potter, he's Harry's Daddy." Lily explained.
"But Harry calls Daddy Daddy." Danica said confused.
"Yes, that's because when Harry was very, very little something very, very bad happened and James… went to the afterlife. Your Daddy found us and helped me get all better so your Daddy is the only Daddy Harry remembers having." Lily explained, "After I was better, me and Uncle Sirius went back to my old house and found some things, as many as we could, seventeen in all that once belonged to James so that we could give them to Harry." Lily tried to explain simply without leaving anything out. She didn't want to lie to Danica.
Danica nodded thoughtfully, "So it's like James is giving the presents?"
Lily nodded, "Exactly. Me and Daddy and Uncle Sirius and Remus wanted for James to still be a part of Harry's life."
Danica nodded again, "Ok, that makes sense."
Lily gave a small laughed, "Shall we get dressed?"
Danica nodded and hopped off of the bed, pulling her nightdress over her head. Lily watched as Danica carefully stepped into the dress herself and adjusted the sleeves.
"Do you need help with the zip?" Lily asked with a smile.
Danica tried to reach round to do it herself before nodded, "My arms aren't long enough." she sighed.
Lily quickly zipped up the dress and let Danica put on her little black ballet pumps by herself. It made her heart swell with pride that her little girl was getting so grown up but at the same time she missed the baby moments. It seemed only yesterday she was teaching Harry how to dress himself.
"All ready." Danica exclaimed, bringing Lily out of her musings.
"You look wonderful." Lily told her, giving her a big kiss. They sat on the bed as Lily ran a brush through Danica's long black hair and tied it with a white ribbon.
Sirius was waiting outside the door, dressed smartly in dress robes. Danica went down stairs with him leaving Lily to get dressed.
She pulled her hair out of it's night time plait and brushed it, putting it up with a slide showing a golden lion. She put on a simple blue dress that nipped in at the waist and flared out to just above her knees and put on matching shoes before heading down stairs.
Sirius was also now dressed and sitting on the living room floor playing a rather complex game with Danica's toy farm. Danica kept telling him off for not doing it the way she wanted them to.
Lily wandered through to the kitchen where Kreacher was icing a cake.
"Do you want any help Kreacher?" She asked, she knew that he would say no but she always offered anyway.
Kreacher shook his head, "No thanks you Missy Lily. I is got everything under control." he smiled and added another perfect butter cream rose to the cake.
Lily nodded and smiled, making her way back through to the living room. Danica had given up trying to teach Sirius and Severus how to play and was now quietly playing by herself.
Lily took a book off the shelf and snuggled into Severus's side to read. At one o'clock there was a knock on the door. Sirius got up and opened it.
Nikka walked in with a parcel and added it to the pile of presents.
"I'm glad you could make it." Lily smiled, standing up and giving her a peck on the cheek.
"I'm glad I was invited." Nikka smiled.
"Aunty Nikka!" Danica squealed, jumping up and giving her a hug.
"Hi Kitten!" Danica said picking her up and spinning her round, "Wow you're getting big!"
"I am a big girl now. I'm FIVE now!" Danica said proudly.
Danica did a little twirl in happiness, Nikka laughed.
"Come play!" Danica asked, pulling on Nikka's hand.
Nikka took a seat on the floor and played with the horse toys as instructed, she was apparently much better at the game than Sirius and Severus had been. It wasn't long later that the Longbottoms and Malfoys arrived, adding several more presents to the pile.
Lily was busy chopping salad in the kitchen when Nikka came into get a cup of tea.
"You managed to escape then?" Lily laughed.
Nikka grinned, "Just. She's playing with Kreacher and Matthew. Narcissa is teaching them the correct way to have a tea party."
"That sounds about right." Lily smiled.
"I'm sorry if I spooked Harry the other day. I meant to say it earlier but school is just insane at the moment." Nikka said, sneaking a chocolate biscuit to dunk in her tea.
"What do you mean?" Lily asked.
"Just before he went back to school… he caught me coming out of Sirius's room?" Nikka said, "He didn't tell you, can't have freaked him to much then." She smiled.
"You spent the night?" Lily asked excitedly.
Nikka looked confused at her, "I've spent the night quite a few times. Didn't Sirius tell you?"
Lily shook her head, "No he's not told me."
"Oh Lily, I'm so sorry. I know with Danica and Harry in the house, I just assumed he'd told you." Nikka gasped.
"It's fine, I'm really happy for you." Lily beamed, "Well, I'm going to kill him for not telling me but not cross at you! Not at all!"
She gave Nikka a tight hug, "You guys are so perfect together and he has been so much happier since you've been in his life."
Nikka blushed, "I really like him. I didn't want to, he's a lot older than me and this so isn't a good time for me to be distracted, training to be an Auror isn't a walk in the park after all." She thought for a moment, "We've actually talked about getting married."
Lily clapped a hand over her mouth, "Wow really?"
Nikka laughed a nodded, "If he did I think I'd say yes. I can't imagine my life without him."
"Mummy!" Danica called through.
"What is it darling?" Lily said, putting the bowl of salad on the table.
"Can we have cake?" Danica asked, standing in the kitchen doorway.
Lily smiled, "Well lets have the rest of tea first shall we?"
Danica let out a loud sigh, "If we have to." She grinned and ran into the dinning room.
Lucius and Alice were talking about a new type of herb that had very promising properties. Danica looked seriously at the table, a little frown on her forehead.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked, crouching down.
"Nothing." Danica said, "I'm thinking. I sit here." She said pointing to the end chair, "Because it's my party. So Aunty Cissy sits here."
She sat Narcissa down on her left side.
"And Uncle Sirius goes here." She said leading him to the right, "Is that right?" She asked Narcissa.
Narcissa smiled, "Yep, well done. Now where does Mummy sit?"
"At the other end." Danica said proudly.
"Well done." Lily smiled, taking her seat.
Danica climbed up into her chair, "I don't know where everyone else sits." She shrugged.
"That's OK, you did really well." Narcissa gave her a warm smile.
Danica blushed, and carefully placed her napkin across her lap. Kreacher proudly brought through a large roast chicken and began to carve it.
Nikka sat happily next to Sirius, their hands interlocked under the table.
"Uncle Sirius, can I ask you a question?" Danica asked, finishing her food.
Sirius nodded, "Of Course, what's up?"
"Will Aunty Nikka move in here with us?" Danica asked.
Nikka let out a laugh, Sirius almost blushed.
"Maybe." Nikka smiled, "We'll just have to see how it goes."
Danica let out a sigh, "I would have liked it if you could move in."
"Shall we do presents?" Lily asked, distracting her daughter.
Danica nodded and sat up a little straighter. Lily and Kreacher left the room for a moment before returning with armfuls of brightly wrapped parcels.
"This one is from us." Alice said, as Frank handed over an odd shaped parcel with purple wrapping.
Danica happily tore off the paper and beamed.
"My first cauldron." Lily smiled, "That's brilliant. Thank you so much."
"Yes thank you." Danica smiled, "You can make pink sparkles!" she said, pointing to one of the moving pictures on the box. A young boy was pouring a vile of clear liquid into the cauldron which let out a stream of pink glitter.
Next was the Malfoys with several new colouring books and a princess castle dolls house.
"Me next." Nikka said, "Here." She handed over her gift and watched Danica open it excitedly.
"A ROBOT TRICERATOPS!" Danica squealed loudly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Nikka laughed, helping Danica open it up.
"Walk." Danica said, the triceratops moved across the table.
"That's really cool." Sirius said, "Where did you find it?"
"In a muggle shop, with a few small alterations." Nikka gave him a wink.
Several more presents later and Danica had gotten just about everything a five year old witch could possibly want, including a new toy kitchen from Lily and Severus, a mini broom from Sirius and a sea shell necklace from Kreacher.
"Just a few more now." Lily said, she moved over another pile that was sitting on the side board, "These are from the people who wished they could be here today but can't."
Danica took the first parcel and opened it.
"Love you lots, you're the best little sister in the whole world! Happy Birthday! Lots of love Harry."
Inside was a hand drawn card and the notebook with a kitten on the cover. The next was from Lupin with a book about werewolves and animagi.
Danica felt so happy she could burst. She made a large wish when she blew out her birthday candles, screwing up her eyes tightly.
"What did you wish for?" Lily asked her, handing her a slice of cake.
"Can't tell." Danica said, "It wont come true. Mmm strawberry." She said taking a bite of the icing.
After a lot of cake, talking and another game of farms in the sitting room, they waved goodbye to their guests at the door.
"Did you have fun?" Lily asked.
Danica nodded and rubbed her eyes, she suddenly looked very young, "It was brilliant."
"Come on. Lets go have a snuggle before bed." Lily told her. She picked Danica up, who snuggled her head down on Lily's shoulder, and carried her through to the sitting room.
Lily dozed happily for an hour or so before waking when there was a sudden pop in the room. Lily's green eyes fluttered open to see Severus standing in the middle of the sitting room, holding a small cupcake.
"Is she asleep?" he whispered, gesturing to Danica.
Lily nodded, "Yeah. She's going to wake up anyway though when I stand up."
Lily brushed a finger down Danica's cheek to gently wake her.
"Happy Birthday, my kitten." Severus said, bending down to give her a kiss.
Danica smiled and snuggled in against her mothers chest, "I'm tired." she yawned.
Lily gave a small laugh and gave her a kiss, "Well you did have a very busy day. Shall we get you to bed?"
Danica nodded and reached out her arms for Severus. He put the little cupcake on the side table and picked Danica up.
He and Lily walked up the stairs in peaceful silence. They changed Danica out of her party dress and into her pyjamas, laying her down in the bed.
"Where's Sirius?" Severus asked, tucking the blanket around Danica's shoulders.
"He's still out with Nikka." Lily smiled, "Night night sweetie." She gave Danica a kiss on the forehead.
Danica's eyes were already closed, her chest falling up and down softly. Severus and Lily left the room, shutting the door quietly.
"They seem to be really getting on." Lily smiled, "I'm happy for him."
"Me too," Severus nodded, "She's a lovely lady."
Lily agreed and they headed down the stairs, hand in hand, for a drink before bed.