Chapter Thirty Six
July-2006
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Harry, happy birthday to you!" Danica sang along with everyone else who was there for Harry's birthday.
Harry grinned and blew out the twenty six candles that were floating just above his cake, the flames changing colour every few seconds.
There was another cheer as he cut the first slice, handing it to Cho for Caihong.
"I do it!" Caihong laughed, reaching for the plate.
"Sit nicely at the table and you can have it." Cho told her firmly.
Caihong pulled herself up onto the high chair they had for her and waited patiently for her mother to put down the not small slice of cake. She picked up the small cake fork and started eating the soft, fluffy vanilla cake.
Danica smiled down at her niece, thanking Harry for her own slice of cake.
"Kreacher sent us over four, yes four, treacle tarts last night." Cho laughed, "As well as a dozen tiger bread loaves. Nikka had told him I was craving fresh bread and butter."
"He also sent a note saying he was sorry that the butter would be arriving in a few days, apparently the dairy he normally gets the milk from to make it fresh was running low." Harry told them with a smile.
"He's so sweet." Hermione cooed, shifting Constance onto her left knee so she could get some feeling back in her right one.
"I remember really disliking him when I was younger and I don't really know why." Sirius sighed.
"I can tell you a few reasons." Lily smirked, "But for now eat your cake."
Sirius pretended to look offended at her before tucking into the mound of cake on his plate.
They room fell silent as they all ate the cake and sipped on expensive champagne, sparkling grape juice for the little ones, as well as Cho, Luna and Nikka.
"Can we go play?" Dora asked, once they'd finished.
Harry nodded, "Yes of course. We've got the play room all set up. Call us if the little ones need anything ok?"
Luca as the oldest nodded seriously, his hair changing colour slightly which gave away how excited he was.
He, Dora, and Athena led the other six younger children into the next room where Harry and Cho had a huge playroom set up.
Grace clung to her mother for a moment but it wasn't long before the sight of the brightly coloured toys, including a huge toy kitchen, drew her in and she toddled off after the other children.
"I feel so grown up." Harry said, looking at them all playing, "I mean it feels like it was five minutes ago I was just starting at Hogwarts."
Severus snorted a laugh, "Imagine how we feel."
"Aww." Lily smirked, hugging into Severus's side, "You make a wonderful grandpa."
Severus rolled his eyes, kissing the top of her head, "And you make a wonderful grandmother."
Lily glared at him, shaking her head and smiling at Harry, "So, what's the best present you got this year?"
"Well Neville got me a new broom so…" Harry grinned, raising his glass slightly in Neville's direction, who returned the gesture.
"Because you need another one." Cho laughed, rolling her eyes.
"It's an 1894 Russian Imperial one." Neville told them, "Perfect condition. I found it in the attic clearing through the house. And I know that Harry collects antique brooms."
"I can't wait to teach Caihong how to fly." Cho said, rubbing a hand over her large stomach, "And this little one."
"Still think it's a girl?" Daphne asked.
Cho nodded, "I think so. More sure with this one than I was with Caihong. She's so excited to be a big sister."
"Constance was the same." Hermione said, sipping the tall champagne glass, "She was so excited when we told her about Grace."
"They sleep in the same room." Viktor told them, "Ve have two rooms set up for them but they are alvays sleeping in Constance's room."
"How is the adoption service going?" Pansy asked.
Hermione smiled, "Really well. Better than I could have hoped. As soon as a child comes in they have a home to go to. They've even had families adopting none magical siblings as well, so they don't split them up."
"That's amazing Hermione." Harry said honestly, "Always knew you were meant to change the world."
They chatted for the next few hours, although they couldn't stay too late as children needed their beds.
Danica was staying over with Harry for a few days. She'd told her parents that she was looking at moving out and they had offered to help her buy a house somewhere, to save her money on rent, and Harry had offered to go round viewing potential houses with her.
She ferried another load of dirty dishes into the kitchen, getting told off for helping by the army of house elves.
"Go and sit with the young miss." one of them instructed her, pushing her out of the kitchen.
Danica did as she was told, finding Caihong playing in the playroom.
"Hi aunty Dani." Caihong smiled, waving over to her, "Come play?"
Danica nodded, walking over to the little girl and sitting down next to her, crossing her legs and taking the tea cup Caihong offered her.
"Thank you. This is the best tea ever." Danica told her.
Caihong smiled, handing her an empty plate and telling her it was filled with scones.
"Do you put the cream on first or the jam?" Danica asked, "Very important question when it comes to scones."
Caihong laughed, "Daddy puts cream first, mummy puts jam." she looked seriously at Danica for a moment, "Cans I shows you something?"
Danica nodded, "Of course."
Caihong stood up, taking off her lacy apron that closed at the back with velcro, hanging it up on a peg on the side of her toy kitchen. She took Danica's hand and led her into the next room, which was Harry's office.
"I found these the other day." Caihong said seriously, pulling open a draw.
"Are we allowed to be in here?" Danica asked her.
"No." Caihong said frankly.
Slowly, one at a time as her hands were only little, she pulled out several flat, velvet boxes in green, red and black.
Danica knew what they were straight away and felt a lump form in her throat.
"What is they?" Caihong asked.
"Did… did… did you ask mummy and daddy?" Danica asked, running her fingers over the smooth velvet.
The little girl nodded, "Daddy said no worry about them."
Danica smiled, she sat down in the large chair that sat at the desk and pulled Caihong onto her knee, "But you want to know anyway?"
"Yes." Caihong nodded, "Dey made daddy sad. They making you sad now…"
Danica sighed, she couldn't blame Caihong for wanting to know, she would have wanted to know herself, "Do you know that long ago, before you were born or even before mummy and daddy got married, there was a big war?"
Caihong nodded.
"Well, daddy and mummy fought in that war and these are the medals that the Ministry gave them to say thank you for everything they did and all the… all the bad stuff they had to go through." Danica explained.
"Just mummy and daddy?" Caihong asked.
"No sweetie." Danica sighed, giving her a half smile, "In fact basically every grown up. Grandma and Grandpa. Daphne, Neville, Hermione, Draco, Cho, William, Pansy… lots and lots of people. There was a big… not really a party, but gathering, and the Ministry gave everyone all these medals."
"You get one?" Caihong asked.
"No. I was too little. I was just a little girl as well." Danica explained, "I was there when mummy and daddy got these though."
Danica reached over and clicked open the boxes, showing Caihong the shiny medals inside. She ran her little fingers over the mirror finished metal and coloured enamel.
"What are you doing in here baby?" Cho asked.
"Aunty Dani was showing me." Caihong said, slipping down off Danica's lap and giving her a tight hug.
Cho placed a hand protectively over her stomach, the other hand hold onto Caihong. She walked over to the medals and picked up her Order of Merlin, first class.
"I've not looked at these for a very long time." Cho said slowly.
"Is these how Grandpa got all burneded?" Caihong asked.
Cho thought back to the scars that Severus still was covered in, and always would be, "It's not really the medals fault, but yes, he got hurt in the war. It's why we had to fight the war, we… we didn't ever want you to ever have to worry about anything like that."
"I don't worry." Caihong shrugged. She yawned loudly, laying her head against Cho's leg.
"I think it's time for bed little one." Cho smiled, leaning down and picking Caihong up, balancing her on her hip, "Do you want wolves, giants or fairies for tonight's bedtime story?"
"Fairies!" Caihong shrieked, cuddling into her mother.
"Just like your aunty." Cho smiled, "Are you going to be ok down here? Harry is just finishing up supervising the house elves."
"I'll be fine." Danica told her, "I'll put these away."
Cho nodded, she walked to the door before turning to face Danica again, "Thank you. For talking to Caihong, showing her all that."
"Anytime." Danica shrugged.
The next morning Danica woke up in the huge guest bed. The sheets were a soft yellow, covered in embroidered flowers and leaves. The bed was a four poster, and so big that Danica could stretch out and not touch the sides or the bottom.
It was dark in the room, the heavy velvet curtains blocking out all the light. It took Danica a moment to work out what had woken her, but it was only a few seconds before there was another tap on the window.
Danica huffed, pulling herself to the edge of the bed and shaking her nightdress down before making her way to the window. Cracking the curtains and letting the light stream in. She blinked a few times, forcing her eyes to adjust, and spotted the owl sitting, waiting for her.
It was a beautiful big, brown bird, with freckles over it's wings.
Danica opened the window and unhooked the letter from the owl's leg. She was about to offer it a drink and some owl treats but it flew off straight away.
The letter was made from the same heavy parchment that the last Ministry letter was. Danica ripped it open, the mix of excitement, nerves and fear making her feel sick.
She couldn't bare to look at it. Instead she threw it on the bed and grabbed her clothes, pulling them on and taking no more than a few seconds to pull a brush through her hair.
Harry and Cho would already be up, she had no doubt about that, so she went down to the dinning room.
As expected, she found them both sitting at the dinning table, eating plates of bacon, eggs and toast.
"Good morning baby sister." Harry grinned, "Coffee?"
Danica nodded, sliding into the chair next to him, "Can you read this for me? I can't bare to do it myself."
Harry took the letter and pulled it from the envelope, looking it over.
"Dear Miss Snape,
We are writing to you from the Department of cloud fairy research. We are delighted to inform you that due to your excellent grades and work, not to mention the compelling essay you provided us with, we are offering you a place on our apprenticeship program. You are one of two successful applicants this year and you will start your five year training course on the first of September, 2006.
Lucinda Wormwood-Knott, head of the department, will be in touch with you shortly to inform you of the next steps, these will include getting your uniform sorted as well as getting you registered with Ministry payroll.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
If you do not wish to take this role, please inform us as soon as possible.
Warm regards,
Sally Abbot."
There was silence around the dinning table for a moment.
"Danica, you did it! You got it!" Cho cried, getting up and hugging Danica tightly.
"Oh my god! I… I can't believe it." Danica said, tears running down her cheeks, "I'm actually going to get to work with the cloud fairies!"
"Congratulations!" Harry grinned, pulling himself into the hug, "I couldn't be prouder of you. You should let mum and dad know, and Daniel."
Danica nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve, "I… I got it. I did it."