I do not own Harry Potter and any of the characters from it.

So...when I first wrote this...I don't even know how long ago, it was low *cough* highkey crappily written and the chapters were much shorter. This was originally 1,587 words. Now it is 2,908 words. That means I made this 1,321 words longer.

Someone mentioned that I'm making Harry a "bad dad"...I'm making him realistic? And where they said it literally had him being a good dad! Like bro...he was literally defending his son? Yes, Harry will make some shitty choices as a parent. As will Ginny. And literally every single parent in this story! Parents aren't perfect, I'm not going to make them that way. I will write that they will have mistakes made. The kids will see it and be aware of it. If you aren't happy with that, then don't read my story! That's all I have to say!

Also...I kinda don't really know what a "good dad" is? My parents got divorced when I was 6/7 and I haven't seen my dad since I was 7 and like...my older brother didn't let me have any good memories of him and stuff. And I kinda saw it with my grandad and my mom and aunts, but still. I am sort of unsure about the "good dad" department. But I'm trying, really hard

Anyways, this is also posted onto my Tumblr account imnotobsessedwfictionalchracters and my Wattpad somekindofmagic1 so you can check it out on there too!

But anywho, hope you enjoy!

Love Z 3

Chapter 10. Everything has Changed

Albus stared at the Maroon wall. He knew he needed to ask his parents if he could paint and change his room again. That maybe it would be a way to not have to see James. He sighed as he slipped out of his bed and walked down the stairs. Yawning as he entered the kitchen where his mum and sister were. He opened the fridge and grabbed the carton of milk. "Morning mum, Lily."

Lily looked up from her book and smiled, "Morning Al!"

He smiled at Lily and looked at his mum, "Where's dad and James?"

His mum looked up from her paper, "Your dad had to go to work early today and James left to hang out with Fred and Oliver at your Aunt and Uncle's." Albus nodded as he grabbed a bowl and cereal. "So can we expect any of your friends over soon? Or expect you to ask if you can go to their house?"

He shrugged, "Scorp said he just needs to double check with his mum on if she's okay with people coming over. I think Annie just needs permission as well." He turned to face them again, "Why?"

His mum shrugged, "I was just curious." She looked back at her papers, "And your dad and I were talking about it, so if you'd like, you can invite them to the World Cup with us. I have to write a report on it, again." She rolled her eyes, "We're still going to keep Lily away from cameras as much as possible." And before Lily could say anything their mum continued, "I was also thinking that you two could stick together. Not ideal for you or James to be pictured either, but we just know that since you two are in school, it's harder for you to not be. So, if you are okay with it, could you stick with her? You've always been a fast runner and have always been able to carry her easily. And if you can't carry her, you have permission to practically drag her. Plus, there is the fact that you pay attention to literally everything going on."

Albus shrugged, "I guess I can mum." He pushed some hair out of his face "Anyways, Scorp said he was probably going to the Cup. Same with Annie."

She nodded, "Oh, well, maybe then I could meet her family. And I can talk to Astoria. I have always liked her."

He shrugged and looked at Lily, "What're you doing today?"

She shrugged, "Not sure, I may just stay in my room and read, but who knows."

"Well, I'm here if you wanna do anything."

She smiled, "Well, I may drag you to help me play quidditch."

He laughed, "Well, I don't care if you do. I just call dibs on the newest Wood Model in the shed."

Before Lily could protest, their mum spoke again, "Oh! Albus, your dad and I were wanting to know if you were going to try out for the Slytherin team next year?"

"Maybe. The only two places that need to be filled are the Keeper and one of the Chasers."

"Why don't you go for Chaser? Would make people compare you to your dad less."

He shrugged, "I guess, but I've always just preferred Seeker."

"You've always been an excellent Chaser though. I remember how you, James, and Lily would be Chasers while the rest of us were in other positions."

He shrugged again, "Yeah, but as I said, Seeker has always been more fun than Chaser. Always get more thrill from it."

His mum nodded, "I get that sweetheart." She looked back at her papers, "Just let your father and I know if you do end up planning on trying out."

Albus nodded and brushed some of his hair that was falling into his face away, "And besides, Scorp is already trying for it and I don't wanna take away his chance. Plus I'll be a second year, they rarely get picked for the House team. Always someone older, bigger, and more experienced."

"I heard James talking about how Slytherin sucks so bad that it would be better for them to just replace the whole team with 2nd years and maybe then they'll win."

Albus scoffed, "Yeah, maybe then, but I still doubt it. We really, truly suck."

His mum hummed, "You never know, honey. Something crazy could always happen."

Albus shrugged, "Maybe, but I still find it unlikely."

"And everyone thought it was unlikely for you to be in Slytherin, Al. If anyone is going to defy what previously has been suggested, it will be you."

Albus didn't respond to that. He wasn't even sure how to. He knew that his mum didn't mean it as a jab in any way, but somehow it felt that way. So he just stayed silent the rest of the time he was in the kitchen with them.

Albus closed the window as the owl flew away. He heard a knock at his door and, before he could respond, the door opened, "I could've been naked."

"But you weren't. Besides, I knew you would've been dressed."

Albus snorted as he turned to his sister, "What made you know that?"

She shrugged, "The door was unlocked. It's a rule in the house. Door locked means do not enter. Unlocked is free reign."

He rolled his eyes, "What do you want, Lils?"

She smiled, "Wanna fly? I have nothing else to do and I'm sure you don't."

He crossed his arms, "And why would you just assume I'm free?"

She shrugged, "It's you Albie. Sure you have friends, but if you were going to hang out with them, wouldn't they already be here?"

He looked at his sister flabbergasted, "Damn, when did you become such a menace?"

She shrugged, "Always have been. You and James have always just been worse so I couldn't shine." She crossed her arms, "So?"

He sighed, "Sure, why not. Why not go get mum and see if she'd wanna join us?"

She nodded, "I get mum and you get the brooms?"

He nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

Lily quickly turned and ran out of his room and Albus closed his curtains and followed out after her. But instead of making the turn left that went to the two rooms that enclosed their parents' studies, Albus made the turn right that led to the, in his opinion, overly large backyard. As he passed the small table that contained a few keys, he grabbed the key to unlock the shed so he would be able to get the brooms.

As he was entering the shed to grab the brooms, he heard his mum's voice, "So are you wanting to play a mini-game or just fly?"

Albus shrugged as he exited the shed, three brooms in hand. "Ask Lily, this was her idea."

The girl in question shrugged, "I don't care, I just wanted to do something with Albie."

Albus felt his face soften at his sister's comment. He hadn't realized just how much he needed to hear something like that until she said something like that.

"Why not play a mini-game? You two against each other and I be the keeper?"

The two siblings agreed to their mums' idea and while she got the Quaffle out, they began to fly into the air and to the trees that had become the goalposts years ago.

The three of them played for what felt like hours to Albus, but in reality, it was only about 2 or 3. The only reason they had stopped playing was because Albus's Aunt Hermione had come over. And now Albus was stuck in a situation.

He was sitting on the couch as his mum and Aunt talked and Lily and their cousin Hugo played wizards chess. And he was just sitting there doing nothing. Occasionally, he would get death looks from Rose, but that was only when she chose to look up from her book. But unlike how it used to be when they were growing up, it seemed like it was every 30 seconds instead of minutes. Of course, he would be in his room but his mother had wanted him to stay and so he did. But that was mostly because he didn't want to cause any arguments between anyone later.

So now he just sat on the couch with his head in his hand, staring out of the window in front of him that outlooked the garden that Lily was overtly proud of.

"Albus?" He looked over to his aunt when she said his name. "Are you going to try out for the Quidditch team next year?" He looked at his mum who just shrugged, "Hannah said that some teachers are already placing bets on who will. Apparently many have that you are going to try to and then succeed in getting on the team." Albus just stared at her. Bets were being placed on whether or not he would join the team? Professors actually cared about Quidditch that much? His Aunt continued with, "I'm only asking as Rose told us she was when we got home."

So he just shrugged, "Maybe, I'll have to see if I have the time. I mean, Annie tends to drag me and Scorp down to the library at least once a week so we don't fail-"

"As she has every right to."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, mum. Anyways, then Scorp and I tend to just hang out in the common room." He ran a hand through his hair, "I dunno, might just see what he ends up doing. Last we talked about it, he mentioned that he was considering it. But then I would feel bad about leaving Annie up in the stands all alone."

"She doesn't like Quidditch?"

He shook his head at his Aunt, "Not that, she just doesn't understand the point of it. All of her brothers are obsessed with it so she's been surrounded by it. So it's not that she doesn't like it, cause she does, even if she denies it, she just doesn't understand why everyone cheers at a 'bloody barbaric sport'." He sighed, "She's probably only going to the World Cup because her brothers are and she doesn't want to end up home alone."

His Aunt nodded, "She has 7 brothers, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah, her youngest, Nicholas, or Nick for short, turned 2 last year and her eldest, Aidan, just graduated. Annie is sure that he is already engaged to his girlfriend."

"Wow, and he's only 17?"

"He's actually 18, most of her siblings, herself included, were born between September and June." He stopped for a moment and thought of when she told him everyone's ages. "Come to think of it, I think only one of them wasn't. Aidan, Odette, and Eden were in September, then the twins Liam and Randy, herself, Clara, and Nick were in October, Alexa and Liana in November, Genevieve in December, Dominick in April, and then Tony and Derek in May." He nodded, "Yeah, only Elina wasn't."

"When was she born?"

"July."

His Aunt nodded, "Well, are any of them starting next year?"

"Yeah, Alexa and Liana. They're twins."

"Have you met them?"

He shook his head, "No, but I have met all of her older siblings plus her younger sisters Eden and Elina. They ran up to her so it was a brief introduction."

His mum nodded, "Was it those two blondes that went up to her at the station?"

He nodded, "Yep, the two tiny blondes who dragged her away."

His mum smiled, "Well, it seems that she cares about them a bunch."

He smiled softly as he thought of all the times she would praise her younger siblings. He also thought of how, even though she didn't want to, always hyped her older brothers up, and made sure they and her sister were always happy. "Yeah, she really does. I mean, she cares about all of her siblings. Not just her younger ones. I mean, yeah, of course, she complains about her siblings all the time, but heaven forbid if anyone was to hurt one of them."

"Sounds like someone I know when it comes to family."

"Which one?"

His mum and Aunt laughed and Albus gave them a confused look. "What're you talking about?"

"Oh, all your uncles." His mum adjusted how she was sitting so she was facing him more. "Let's say this, sure, they may not have gotten along all the time, but if anyone tried to do anything to one of them, or more importantly, me, that person would have been dead before they could even say quidditch." She smiled softly, "It just goes back to the simple rule of siblings that only siblings can make fun of their sibling. If someone else does, then they're dead meat."

"Wow." Something about that hit Albus, but he couldn't pinpoint what or where it was.

"Yeah and-"

"This is why I don't play with you!"

Everyone snapped their hands over as they heard something collide with the wall, Lily's yell, and Hugo laughing.

"It's...n-not my f-fault tha-that my dad is-is the be-est." Hugo barely made out between laughs.

"Children!"

"Sorry mum."

"Sorry Aunt Hermione."

The two kids apologized, but neither sounded truly apologetic.

"Well, it's 5:20, I better start making dinner soon. James said he would be home by 5:30 and Harry and Ron get off at 6, so it'll probably be ready by the time they get home."

His mum got up and Aunt followed after her. "I'll help." She turned to Lily and Hugo, "You don't you two pick this up." They nodded and began to pick up the mess from the chess pieces. Lily mostly focused on the ones she had thrown in anger.

Once the adults were out of the room, Albus raced up to his room to grab a book of literally any kind so he wouldn't have to find some other way to distract himself. But instead, he stopped as he saw a letter sitting on his bed. He walked over to grab it, he recognized the messy but legible writing of Annie's. He opened it to read,

Hey Al!

So my mum said that you can come over whenever you feel like it (please come over soon) and that I can do the same (if it's okay I will be there like, tomorrow). But apparently, she talked to your mum a few days ago, I guess it would have had to be at the graduation. And she said that it was fine for us to hang out whenever.

But! In other news, Aidan and Cassie are engaged and will be getting married in August. They said that I'm allowed to have a plus one and was wondering if you'd like to go? I would've invited Scor but since our families are "close" they all are already invited. But we can talk more when I see you.

Thanks,

Anne

Albus took the letter and book that was by it, which he still hadn't checked the title of, and ran back downstairs and into the kitchen. "Hey, mum?"

"What is it?"

"You didn't tell me that you spoke to Annie's mum."

She looked up at him, "Oh yeah, I totally forgot, it was at Graduation right?"

"I-mum, I just found out about this! Why would I know?"

His mum playfully rolled her eyes, "Well anyways, what's the point of this?"

He placed the letter on the counter and pushed it over to her, "She said that if it was alright with you and dad that she may come over tomorrow."

His mum glanced at the paper and nodded, "Okay, yeah, that's absolutely fine with me. And I'm sure your dad wouldn't mind either. But we can ask when he gets home."

He nodded, "And her brother is engaged and is getting married in August and..." He stopped, not sure if he should add the next part.

"And?" His Aunt asked inquisitively.

He sighed as he saw his mum's questioning look. "And she's allowed a plus one and since Scor will already be there, she asked me."

His mum stopped stirring the food and looked at her youngest son. "Are you asking to go?"

He shrugged, "I guess."

"Well...I'll have to see. Louis, Percy, and I's birthdays are all in August. I know my mum is wanting us to all get together for them all. But, Louis and I share a birthday, and Percy's is only 11 days later, you probably could. But still, just let me know when and I'll talk to my mum and your dad and we all will see if you can."

She turned back to the food and took over stirring again and Albus looked at her, dumbfounded. "Wait, so, you'd let me go?"

She stopped again and looked at Albus exasperated. "Well, yes, I trust you, Albus. I know you wouldn't do anything stupid." For some reason that he didn't know, he walked over and hugged his mum tight. "Oh! What's this for?"

He shrugged and looked at her, "I don't know. I just felt like it."

She smiled and Albus noticed his Aunt smile to herself. "Well, I like it Albus, you should do it more."

"I will mum, I promise."

And Albus made a note to himself that he would never forget the promise.