AN: This is a word of fiction using the characters from Harry Potter that are trademarked by J.K. Rowling
Susan bustled around the room trying to prepare for the kids to leave for their father's house. The morning sun streamed through the window and cast a warm glow in the room. There were toys and books scattered on the floor and she cursed under her breath when she stepped on a Lego.
"Lily, baby, are you packed!" she called up the stairs.
Lily bounced down the stairs, her black curls pulled up into a messy ponytail and her green eyes appeared to shimmer in the morning light, much like her father's. She had a backpack thrown over her shoulder.
"Ready, mummy!" she grinned widely, her bag open with clothes sticking out.
Susan grabbed hold of the bag and smile indulgently down at her daughter, "Did you want to try again to pack your bag?"
Lily looked up at her mother, "I tried twice already mum, I can't make it fit," she whined, "I think I just made it worse."
Susan laughed, "That's alright, sweet, I'll take care of it."
Susan shook out the bag, folded the clothes properly, repacked the bag and placed it near the fireplace, "Are you excited to go to Daddy's house?"
"Yes! Can I bring Fluffy with me?" she asked.
"Of course you can. We wouldn't want Fluffy to miss out on any adventures," Susan said. She reached over to the couch and grabbed the Cerberus plushie and tucked it into Lily's backpack.
Her son then toddled into the room, "Car!" he yelled out, a bright red car clutched in his chubby fingers.
"Don't worry Jamie, we'll make sure it comes along too," Susan said as she gently lifted him up.
Susan slowly went over her mental list to ensure that the kids would have everything they needed while they were away from her house, "I think we're all set."
She zipped up the bags and placed them by the fireplace with Lily's backpack.
"What about my drawing book?" Lily called out from the dining room.
"Yes, baby, you can take that with you," Susan said with a roll of her eyes.
"Do you know where it is?" Lily yelled out and Susan rolled her eyes. She loved her daughter, but she wished that she had inherited her organizational abilities from her instead of Harry.
"Okay, baby, I'll find it."
Susan ran up the stairs and searched through the playroom but found nothing. Her next stop was Lily's room but once again came up empty. She wracked her brain to try and figure out where her daughter could have left the art book. The final spot she checked was the Kitchen, and there it was, on the counter for some reason, unknown to her.
She walked back into the living room and saw Lily and Jamie playing with the cars and smiled. Even though her kids acted like they wouldn't be able to come back if they forgot something, she wouldn't give up these moments for anything, "Jamie, you want to bring your new puzzle to show your dad?"
"Yeah!"
Susan added the puzzle to the bag before she stood up and looked over at her children with affection, "Alright, I think we have everything we need. Better head off soon, don't want to keep Daddy waiting."
"Daddy!" Jamie laughed.
"Yes, we're going to Daddy's house now. Are you ready?"
Susan felt a mix of emotions as she helped her children get situated in the enlarged fireplace. It was always difficult to drop her kids off with her ex-husband, made even more difficult by the longing she felt every time this exchange happened every other week.
She made sure she held each of their hands tightly and nodded for Lily to toss the floo powder.
Harry paced anxiously in his living room while he waited for Susan and the kids to arrive. The fireplace roared to life and out stepped the loves of his life.
"Daddy!" Lily yelled and ran out of the fireplace to hug Harry. He scooped her up into his arms and everything settled once more. His entire family was back under one roof, at least for a few minutes.
"Oh, my little princess! I've missed you! Did you bring Fluffy with you?" he asked with a laugh. Ever since Hagrid had given the plush to his daughter, she hadn't left the house without it.
"Yes, Daddy, he's in my bag."
"Perfect! Jamie, buddy, what do you got there?" he asked as he pointed towards the car.
"Car!" Jamie yelled excitedly and held out the car for Harry to see.
"That's awesome," Harry smile warmly, "Can I have a hug?"
Harry knelt and opened his arms and Jamie ran into them without hesitation. With his arms full of his son, Harry looked up into Susan's eyes and smiled warmly.
"I made sure they have everything, but you know the drill, they've probably forgotten at least one thing. You can stop by anytime to grab it. Floo is always open."
Harry let Jamie go and stood up, "Thanks, Sue. I appreciate it."
"Alright, my darlings. I'll see you soon. Be good for Daddy, okay?"
"Bye Mum," Lily said and hugged her mother goodbye.
"Bye-Bye!" Jamie waved from his position on the floor.
Harry watched as Susan headed back towards the fireplace and longed to call out to her, desperately wanting her to stay. Even though he loved his time with his children it always felt like something was missing. A piece of their family wasn't there.
"Can we build a fort?!" Lily asked excitedly and pulled Harry from his thoughts about his ex-wife.
"Fort!" Jamie chimed in.
"Let's build the biggest fort ever!"
Word Count: 940
Challenges/Prompts:
Candy Cane Daily Writing Challenge – Searching for something
Wicked Webs – Harry/Susan / 5. Divorced
December Advent Calendar – Lily Luna Potter / "I think I made it worse" / Shimmer
