Well I hope you're still here. I have no excuse for how long it's been. I feel like creativity left me for a long time, but whenever I come back to this story, it's so easy to write. If you're still around, I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Charlie woke to the newborn wails of his daughter a month after her birth. Even though the night nurse had not yet started and he had predominantly taken care of the baby in the middle of the night, he woke up disoriented every time.

He wanted Adair to rest and since fall term had not yet started, he had taken it upon himself to rouse in the darkness.

When he got his bearings, he hurried to lift Adelaide from the bassinet and headed for the nursery. With a flick of his wand, he summoned a warm bottle as he changed her wet nappy as quickly as he could. He was beginning to get fairly quick at the maneuver.

The baby didn't stop crying until the bottle was in her mouth and they were rocking by the window.

"There you go, my girl," Charlie murmured, patting her bottom rhythmically.

Though it was miserable to wake up in the middle of the night, Charlie found he was never irritated by it. Once the night nurse started, his alone time with Adie would be cut short, coupled with going back to teach.

He still couldn't believe that he was a father. It seemed unreal that the tiny bundle he held in his arms was his, that he was responsible for her, that he could love something as much as he did.

The first time she had been placed in his arms, he had felt his world splinter and shatter, nothing to be the same ever again.

It was the same every day after that. Rocking her and watching her delicate features change as she dreamed in his arms, his breath was nearly taken away. But the sense of responsibility was intimidating as was the fact that he felt as though he was an entirely different man than he had been just a month ago.

But the wonder of it all was the emotion that prevailed. Already she had changed so much, and he felt so privileged to watch her grow and change before his very eyes.

As Adie finished her bottle, her eyes opened briefly. They were still the same soft blue of most babies and he wondered if they would turn green like Adair's or brown like his. Already they had been surprised that the downy hair on her head had darkened, not the red or blonde of either of her parents. They were a little alarmed that she might end up looking like her Uncle Oliver.

Charlie carefully adjusted the baby so that she was lying against his shoulder. Her knees tucked underneath her as he patted her back. She had not yet adjusted to being outside of her mother's womb and she liked to be swaddled tightly, or else she would try to roll herself up into a ball.

Once the baby had burped, Charlie stood up and headed back to their bedroom, gently lying Adie on her back. She didn't even twitch. She was so deeply asleep.

Before Charlie crawled back into bed, he caught a glimpse of Adair in the light from the hallway. If Adie made his heart ache with love, it was only close in comparison to how he felt about Adair after the birth of their daughter.

Of course, watching the actual delivery of Adie had filled Charlie with awe. He had never seen anything like the strength and the resilience she had shown. But more surprising to him was the pride he had felt as the days had turned into their first month as a family of three.

If he was being honest, and he would never tell anyone else, he had been uncertain how Adair would be at motherhood. Her own example of what a mother was was extremely shoddy, but it seemed that that had instilled in her the natural maternal instincts she had lacked growing up. The bond that Adair and Adie shared was remarkable.

While Charlie handled the night feedings, while Adair was awake, she was so attuned to the baby's every need.

Not once had Adair complained of the sacrifices she had made to carry and deliver their daughter. He knew she was anxious to get back to training and playing, but in the meantime she was soaking up the moments with Adie, showing an incredible devotion.

As he stood at the side of his bed for a moment longer, his chest puffed out in pride looking at the beautiful woman he had loved for so long. That strength of feeling had only become more powerful since she had gifted him with a child of his own.

With a yawn and a stretch, Charlie slipped back into bed, wrapping his arms tightly around Adair.

ooooOoooo

A few days later, Charlie and Adair were once more standing over the bassinet at the foot of their bed as they often found themselves doing.

"I can't do it," Charlie said.

"Well you don't have to, but you've already said you'd teach this term," Adair reminded him.

Charlie had been very torn between going back to teach and staying home with the baby rather than having a full time nanny. Adair had assured him that if it was what he wanted to do, she could more than cover their expenses. As he well knew, the winnings from her World Cup alone could probably keep them afloat for the rest of their lives, especially after some clever investing by Gringotts. Her contract had also been renewed for another season and so more cash would be flowing in when the season started.

However, though she said nothing to Charlie, Adair knew that neither of them were actually suited to staying at home with a baby. They had both loved their careers and she knew that even though Charlie was no longer at the sanctuary, teaching meant a great deal to him.

"You're right. I just don't want to leave her," he whispered, trying not to wake Adie.

Adair took his hand gently and pulled him down the hallway away from their room.

"You've been in this house for nearly a month straight. It might do you some good to see other people."

"What about you?"

"I'm only a week or two behind you. And I've got the nanny to help now so I won't be doing it alone while you're at the school."

Charlie nodded and looked down at Adair. Before the baby, he had not often gotten to see her natural beauty. Her long, blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head and she was wearing one of his old Hogwarts jumpers with a pair of black exercise shorts. She hadn't worn a bit of makeup since the delivery. It made her look somehow healthier.

Adair looked him up and down. "You're not very dressed up for your first day," she said.

He was wearing a flannel button down, an old pair of jeans, and his beat up, everyday boots.

"Well excuse me," he said, mock offended. "The sixth years and I are jumping right back into caring for the hippogriff herd so I'll be in the Forest."

Adair raised her hands in surrender. "I didn't say you didn't look handsome." She wrapped her arms around his middle and looked up at him. His hair was pulled back and he had grown his beard in after the baby was born; probably more out of exhaustion than an aesthetic choice, but Adair thought it suited him very well. "Quite the opposite actually."

Charlie bent over and kissed her soundly on the lips.

Both of them found themselves deepening the kiss for the first time in a month. Adair's hands slipped into the back pockets of his jeans and she pulled him close.

Charlie groaned in frustration, pulling away. "When will it be six weeks?"

"Soon," Adair responded, pressing her forehead to his chest.

Before Charlie could respond, Adie began crying from their bedroom.

Charlie went to go to their daughter, but Adair held him back. Instead, she reached down and handed him his knapsack.

"That's my cue," she said. "Not yours."

She could see the yearning on his face.

"You don't have a full day," she reminded him. "You'll be home to put her down for her afternoon nap."

Reluctantly, Charlie nodded. He stamped one more kiss on Adair's forehead and then he left.

Adair headed back down the hallway and lifted her squalling daughter from the bassinet. "Oh hush now. We'll be just fine without him."

ooooOoooo

At the end of Charlie's first week back at school, they had settled into a routine and he found that it was rather enjoyable to get out of the flat for a few hours every day. Due to the nature of his courses, he didn't have a full class load and Professor McGonagall understood that he would be doing any work he could, such as grading papers and writing tests, from home so he could be with his family.

That Friday evening, he sat at the kitchen counter with Adie cradled in one arm and a stack of parchment in front of him; an essay before him titled, "Magical Creature Rights: Examining Advocacy Groups and Legislative Efforts."

"Were you not going to offer me one?" Adair said, emerging into the kitchen and gesturing at the Firewhiskey sitting next to the stack of parchment.

Charlie rolled his eyes good naturedly and poured Adair a few fingers of the smoking, amber liquid.

She leaned against the counter and watched Charlie and their daughter. Adie was asleep snuggly in her father's muscular arm. There had never been a doubt in her mind that he would be an incredible father. She had watched him with so many of his nieces and nephews over the years, but he was drawn to Adie in an entirely different way.

With a quick slash of his quill, Charlie turned the parchment over and looked at Adair.

"I've been thinking," he said.

Adair raised a brow. "Dangerous."

"Anyway," he continued. "For a really long time, I've left this spot bare on my arm," he indicated his left forearm.

While his right arm was covered in tattoos from shoulder to wrist, his left was only done from his shoulder to elbow.

"Mhm." Adair took a sip of her Firewhiskey.

"I was thinking that it had probably been left that way for a reason and now I know what it was."

Adair looked up at him expectantly.

"I want to have your and Adelaide's name put there. I've been doing a bit of research and your name actually means 'spear' which might also be a cool addition."

"Well it's your arm," she said.

"Are you suddenly against tattoos now that you're a mother?" Charlie asked, genuinely confused. "Is that why my mum is the way she is?" He took another sip of Firewhiskey. "I thought you liked my tattoos all this time."

"I do!" Adair insisted. "I love them. I think there's nothing sexier."

"Then what's the problem?"

Adair paused to consider her words. "I can see why you would want to have Adelaide's name," she began. "Maybe it should only be her name?"

"Are you going somewhere, Adair? Are you telling me I shouldn't put your name in ink because we're not going to be together very long?" Charlie looked at his girlfriend evenly.

"No!" Adair said quickly. "But you might go somewhere someday and then you're stuck with my name on your arm."

"Where the bloody hell would I go?" he demanded.

"Shit happens," Adair shrugged. "We can't see the future."

Charlie decided not to pursue that line of thought any further and instead rose to make dinner, handing Adie to her mother.

ooooOoooo

The next morning, Charlie had said that George floo'd to see if he could come to the joke shop to help out for a few hours.

"Lee is sick and Saturdays are always busy," Charlie said as he laced his boots and headed for the door.

Adair found it odd that he had so eagerly agreed to go and that George hadn't asked any of his other brothers who didn't have newborns at home, but she shrugged and went to settle herself in the nursery to give Adie her bottle.

A few hours later, Charlie returned and wandered the flat looking for Adair and Adie. He found them rocking in the nursery, Adie fast asleep against her mother's shoulder.

"Well?" he asked quietly, folding his arms so that his left was on top.

From where she sat, Adair could see the new tattoos; just as he had described them. Both of his girls' names in a beautiful cursive typography with a spear separating them.

"So you weren't at the joke shop this morning?" Adair asked, rising and stepping toward him to get a better look.

"I popped in for a minute."

Adair looked up at him and then ran her fingers gently over the tattoos, tracing the letters of her own name.

Charlie took her chin in his hand so she had to look at him again. "I don't know who you think I am, Adair, but I'm not fucking going anywhere," he practically growled before capturing her lips in a kiss.

ooooOoooo

Another week passed and while Charlie was at school, Katie came over with Oliver in tow for Adair and Adie's six week check-up.

"There she is!" Oliver exclaimed when he walked through the door.

"I'm happy to see you too," Adair said with a grin.

"Don't kid yourself. Give me the baby," he said, brushing past his sister and reaching into the swing that was set up in the living room and pulling Adie to his chest.

"Trust him enough for us to go into the bedroom for the exam?" Katie asked.

Adair pretended to consider. "I guess."

"We'll be just fine. Probably have ourselves a nap, what do you think Adie Kay?" Oliver eased himself back onto the sofa with the baby curled on his chest.

Adair led Katie down the hallway toward the bedroom and stood facing her sister-in-law. Katie gestured at the bed and Adair groaned.

"It's the last time, unless something isn't right, but I'm sure you're fine," Katie assured her.

Adair stepped out of her shorts and laid down.

"Anything concerning?" Katie asked, laying her equipment out. When she had done that, she began pressing on Adair's stomach. Most of the swelling had gone down.

"No. I feel fine," Adair replied.

"Spread 'em," Katie ordered, sitting on the edge of the bed and scooting so she was between Adair's legs.

She winced when the speculum was inserted.

"Any anxiety? Overwhelm? Feeling sad at all?" Katie asked. "Do you want to jump out of a window?

"You mean right in this instance or in general?" Adair asked, keeping her eyes glued to the ceiling.

Katie laughed. "In general." She pressed on Adair's stomach again.

"No. I feel surprisingly normal actually."

"That's great." Katie withdrew the speculum and tapped Adair's knee, indicating they were done. "Well it seems like I can clear you to exercise again. I know you've been doing some light stuff since she was born, but you can work your way back up to full Quidditch prep."

Adair grinned and sat up, pulling her shorts back on.

"And I brought this for you and Charlie. I'm assuming you don't want another one so quickly." Katie sat a large bottle of contraceptive potion on the nightstand.

"Or ever," Adair replied.

"I know you're feeling well, but if that changes, please let me know." Katie stood. Both women made their way back to the living room where, as promised, Oliver and Adie were asleep on the couch.

"I'm going to leave him there if that's alright," Katie said. "He can follow me home later."

ooooOoooo

Later that afternoon after Oliver had gone home, Adair was waiting anxiously for Charlie to return from school.

When he entered the flat, she met him at the door.

"Well?" he asked.

"I've been cleared," she grinned up at him.

"And you feel well?"

"I feel like I've missed you," she responded, twining her arms around his neck.

Charlie dropped his bag to the floor and kicked out of his worn boots. "Where's the baby?" he asked, picking Adair up.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him hard. "Asleep in her swing."

"Perfect."

Charlie strode down the hallway towards their bedroom where he laid Adair on the bed and bent over her to kiss her neck. He began to take off her jumper, but she quickly caught his hands.

"Could we leave that on? Maybe make it dark in here?"

"Adair, I watched you give birth to our daughter and I had never seen anything so beautiful. I think that's still true today." He laid on his side next to her and rested a hand on her hip. "You are the most amazing woman I know. You are the most attractive woman in the world. There are magazine covers to prove it."

Adair scoffed, but she was hanging on his every word, seeking the validation that it all hadn't gone to shit from carrying and delivering their daughter.

"And that is still the case today." He once more went to pull her jumper over her head and this time she allowed it. "You gave me the most amazing gift possible. How could I not still love." he kissed down her neck. "Every." over her breasts. "Inch." her stomach. "Of you?" to the waistband of her shorts, which he pushed down.

Adair was panting, ready for him already.

Charlie pulled his own sweater off and undid his jeans, pushing them to the floor.

He slid into her carefully, not wanting to hurt her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm bloody fine," she replied. "Please don't fuck me like I'm going to break."

Hearing that was nearly enough to send Charlie over the edge, but he shook his head with a grin. "You're the boss."

He drove into her. They were both moaning, trying to consume the other.

They had had a fairly regular sex life while Adair was pregnant, but towards the end their options had been limited. Being able to have her how he liked again was making Charlie's head swim.

"Don't stop," Adair begged, arching into him.

"Fuck," Charlie growled, knowing it wasn't going to last nearly as long as he wanted it to.

A moment later they were both tumbling into their release, clinging to each other and breathing heavily.

ooooOoooo

The next day, Adair set out to begin her training regimen once more. She had less than a month before the 2008/2009 season's opening day.

She laced up her trainers, pulled her ball cap on and headed for the door. She glanced over her shoulder once more to see the nanny in the living room with Adie. It was the first time she had left her at all since her birth.

With a deep breath, Adair left the flat and began jogging.

She knew that she should ease into it; start with a short jog or walking intervals, but she didn't have time for that. So she attempted to run through the city as she had before her pregnancy. She pushed her pace and distance until she couldn't catch her breath.

There was no grace for what her body had gone through as she pushed on relentlessly.

As she rounded a corner, she was forced to stop. Her head was spinning, her breath coming in short, raspy gasps. Nausea washed over her, but before she could do anything about that, everything went black and she hit the pavement.

ooooOoooo

When she came to in a hospital room, she groaned. Katie, in civilian clothes, and Oliver were sitting on either side of her bed.

"Hey," Katie said gently. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Adair responded, though her head was pounding and she could already feel the soreness in her muscles.

Katie raised an eyebrow. "That was a bit much, Adair. You shouldn't have run that far, that hard so soon."

"I know," she replied.

"The season will be fine, Adair. You have plenty of time to train and build back up to it."

"It's frustrating!" she exclaimed.

Oliver nodded. "I understand that, but you're no good to the team or your family if you overdo it."

All of their attention turned to the doorway as Charlie came hurrying in.

Adair looked accusingly at her sister-in-law. "Did you have to?"

"Don't look at her," Oliver said. "I floo'd the school."

"Could you both give us a minute?" Charlie asked.

The other couple stood and left.

"What in the hell is the matter with you?" Charlie demanded when he had closed the door behind them.

Before Adair could speak, he continued. "I'm not doing this again, Adair. I'm really not. I'm not going to watch you torture yourself for this stupid game."

"I didn't mean-"

"And you know who else isn't going to be a part of it? Your daughter. You said you were going to be a different mother than yours, but this doesn't seem all that different; putting Quidditch above everything else in your life including your family. That seems pretty fucking familiar."

Tears welled in Adair's eyes at his harsh words.

When Charlie saw that, he deflated a bit and sat on the edge of the bed. "A bloody reporter brought you to St. Mungo's. Is that what you want Adelaide to see when she's older? What will she think we expect of her?"

Tears slipped down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," Adair whispered as Charlie folded her into his embrace.

ooooOoooo

On a brisk afternoon in November just outside of London, Adair was standing next to Oliver, both holding their brooms and wearing their scarlet uniforms, as their teammates were announced.

"And, after a season away to have a baby, Adair Wood is reunited with her brother, Oliver!" The commentator said, voice amplified across the stadium. "If you look into Adair's suite, you can see the baby here to cheer her mother on at her first match back with England in over a year!"

Adair hated that attention was being drawn to Adie, but she knew it would have happened eventually. The next day, there would be pictures of Charlie in the suite, holding four month old Adie. The press went wild for it and Adair tried to ignore it.

Oliver and Adair walked out onto the pitch to shake hands with their opponents. Unfortunately, and her stomach had churned when she learned about it, their first match was against the United States.

She made her way down the line, until she got to the very last player.

"A baby, huh, Adair?" Colt drawled. "I suppose now we can add madonna to your whore complex."

Adair bit her tongue. Luckily, the rage was helping to edge out the nerves she had felt about being back in a professional Quidditch match after such a long time away.

From the suite, Charlie could see the exchange, but obviously couldn't hear what was being said. "I hope your mother beats the piss out of that son of a bitch," Charlie cooed in his baby voice.

Adie laughed and brought her hands together as though to clap.

The match began and Adair immediately realized that she was having to work harder than she ever had before. While the movements were still natural, they weren't as easy, but she found her rhythm.

She was not the leading scorer that day, but she helped. It felt good to be back on a broom, doing what she loved.

After three hours, Adair was exhausted, so she was thrilled when the English seeker, Logan, beat Colt to the Snitch, winning the game for England.

Oliver hugged her tightly when they hit the ground. She clung to his robes, afraid her knees might buckle.

"You did amazing, Mum," Oliver laughed.

Adair groaned, but laughed. "Don't call me that."

She wasn't sure there had ever been anything more gratifying than to watch Colt slink off the pitch without an arrogant word.

Reporters rushed the field and were pelting the players and coaches with questions. Over their heads though, she saw Charlie, Katie, and Adie coming onto the pitch to congratulate the Woods.

Charlie kissed her deeply as Adie squealed her delight at seeing her mother. Adair took her in her arms when she pulled away from her boyfriend.

"You were incredible. It looked like you'd never left." Charlie grinned down at her, brushing away a lock of hair that had escaped her plait.

"That's good, but it felt like I'd been gone."

ooooOoooo

A few days later, Adair picked up the copy of the Seeker Weekly that had been delivered with the post. In a rare occurrence for the tabloid, the cover was not a stylized shoot.

Under the words, "Adair Wood is Back," there was a picture that had captured Charlie brushing her sweaty hair away from her face, her beaming up at him, and Adie grinning directly into the camera.

It was the most beautiful photo she had ever seen.

There you have it! I loved writing this update, lots going on for our little family! I hope you loved it as well. I hope some of you are still around to review because it truly makes my day to hear from readers. I think this story might be wrapping so if there's anything you want to see before that happens, please let me know. It's always great to hear other ideas! Don't forget: you have to go into your account settings to make sure Email Opt-in is enabled in order to receive email alerts on your favorite authors and stories.

Happy reading,

Avonmora