It was hopeless.

Isabelle knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep for quite some time after waking up in the wee hours of the morning. The 16-year-old lady was contentedly dreaming when she suddenly woke up. She tried to return to the land of Morpheus, but after hours of tossing and turning, Izie realized that it was hopeless.

"Merlin." She grumbled as she left the comforts of her bed. Her room was dark except for a dim night light perched on her side table, alongside her wand and a few books she read before sleeping.

Isabelle grabbed her wand and headed to the kitchens to get some tea. If she's lucky, there would be some leftover scones or snacks that she could munch on for the night.

She quietly exited her room and walked down the hallway that housed her siblings and parent's room. Izie was light on her feet, so she wasn't concerned about anyone waking up from her nightly adventure.

However, when she walked past her parent's room, she was extra careful not to make a sound. She did not want to wake them up after having a busy day. They needed any rest they could get.

Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, Izie's feet immediately led her to the kitchens. It was fascinating to hear how quiet the manor could be at night—contrast during the day when it was full of life. The portraits even chatted among themselves or called their attention to talk to them. Isabelle especially enjoyed talking to her great-great-grandmother Phemia and great-great-grandfather Monty-they always had fun stories to tell her.

As she neared the kitchen, she could hear someone already there, if the boiling water was any indicator of their presence. Her brows furrowed, wondering which family member was up at this hour. When she entered the kitchen, her eyes widened at the sight of her father, who had his back turned to the door.

"Dad?" Isabelle asked, as she stood by the door looking at him.

Harry turned around and smiled at her before levitating the kettle and pouring two cups of tea for the both of them.

"You're up late," Harry commented while handing one of the cups to his daughter. Izie thanked her dad as she relished the warm feeling of the cup.

"I suddenly woke up and couldn't get back to sleep." She answered before sipping on her tea. It had one cube of sugar and a dash of milk—just how she likes it.

"How about you, dad? Also, how'd you know it was me?" she questioned, looking at her father who was sipping from his cup. Only one lamp was on; enough to light up the kitchen island but not enough to engulf the entire kitchen. Isabelle noticed the pronounced bags under his eyes and the stubble growing on his face.

"I had a nightmare." He answered. Isabelle wanted to ask what it was about, but hesitated.

Her dad must've sensed her thoughts since he smiled warmly at her. "No worries, it wasn't that bad."

Izie nodded and shared a comfortable silence with her dad.

"So, how's Hogwarts?" her dad asked. Izie smiled and started to recount her year and how her siblings were for the duration.

"You know, I saw Jamie being especially close to this girl called Annie," Izie said, mentally apologizing to her twin for throwing him under the bus, but she was sure he'd done the same to her with their mom.

It's quits.

Waking up in the middle of the night wasn't such a bad thing.

Harry carefully laid Izie on her bed and tucked her in. The two enjoyed their talk for a while before his daughter finally succumbed to sleep on their sofa.

It's been a while since he'd carried Izie to her bed, and Harry missed the days when his little princess fit snugly in his arms. Sure he could still carry her, but it felt like this would be the last time he could do it.

Once he was sure that she was good in her bed, Harry slowly opened her door and closed the door. He walked slowly back to his room and checked what the time was before entering. There was still some time left before the day started.

I can still try and salvage some sleep.

He slowly slipped in bed and adjusted as Daphne moved and tried to hug him. Harry silently chuckled and held her close.

"What happened?" she sleepily grumbled.

He could tell her he had a nightmare, but that would keep her up and he didn't want that. Harry could always tell her about it in the morning. So, he settled for another answer.

"I had some late-night talks with Izie," Harry replied. Daphne nodded and drifted back to sleep, while Harry tried to do the same.

a/n

Happy New Year! So, it's been a year since I last updated Pott, life got hectic and all that. Well, I hope you're all doing good (whoever is still reading this). This has been sitting in my docs for a while now, and I decided to finish it and post it now since it's the new year's. I've also posted a drabble collection titled "afterparty." It's more chaotic than Pott and who knows you might like it.

Thank you so much for everyone who read, favorite, followed, and reviewed this story. I'm really grateful to all of you! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Have a great day/evening ahead!