4: Grandma's Visit

Grandma Granger comes to visit and everyone is very excited

Hermione Potter fluffed the pillows on the bed one last time, then checked the clock. The big hand was nearly facing twelve now, which meant Grandma Granger would be arriving soon. Celesca Potter was excited, too. Grandma always brought her presents and Celesca wondered what she would get this time. She was almost as excited by that as she was her advent calendar window, which her mummy hadn't let her open yet.

"There, Mummy," said Celesca conclusively. "The room is all ready for Nanny Cat. We have tinsel in the windows and pretty flowers on the table by the bed. All I have to do is get my little oven and it will be perfect."

"And why would you bring your oven in here?" asked Hermione, lightly. "I'm quite sure Grandma wont want to cook after such a long trip."

"Oh no, Mummy, I'll be doing the baking," said Celesca, proudly. "I will make ginger biscuits, then mince pies, then chocolate cake for afters. Nanny can watch to make sure it doesn't burn, then we will eat it all in bed while I read her a story."

"And what story will you read her?"

"Daddy And the Basilisk," said Celesca. "It's my favourite from The Adventures of Harry Potter."

Hermione smiled at her daughter. "I'm sure Nanny Granger will enjoy that. It's her favourite story, too."

"I know," Celesca replied. "I read it to her last time and she clapped when I finished. I played all the parts, and I even pretended you were in it, Mummy."

"But I wasn't," said Hermione, gently. "I was Petrified, remember?"

"I remember. But I got Mimi to be the Basilisk, and I looked at her in the mirror, then fell down...like this."

And Celesca did. She fell down into a heap on the floor. Hermione crossed to her and helped her up.

"Now don't go doing that," she said. "You'll get creases in your pretty dress. You don't want to look messy for your Grandma, do you?"

"No, Mummy," said Celesca, jumping up from the floor.

"Now, come along," said Hermione. "You can help me tidy up downstairs. You know how messy your Daddy is."

Hermione took Celesca's hand and led her downstairs. The living room was a picture of festiveness. Sparkly decorations hung from every inch of the ceiling, the windows had been sprayed with pretend snow and twinkling lights, and there was a large Christmas Tree in one corner that Sophie Potter was busy adding baubles to. But she was very cross.

"Mummy, will you please kick Mimi! She keeps hitting my baubles off!"

Hermione looked down at her black and white Kneazle, who was happily pawing at a low-level icicle tree-decoration. Little Celesca giggled as she watched.

"I will not kick her!" said Hermione, sternly. "And it isn't a nice thing to ask, is it Miss Potter?"

"But she's ruining everything!" Sophie moaned. "I want Nanny Cat to say how pretty my tree is, but Mimi just wants to play with it!"

The Kneazle stopped and sent a dirty look at Sophie, paw poised...then knocked the icicle clear across the room. Sophie cried out in frustration, Celesca hooted with laughter, and Hermione bent down to scoop up her mischievous pet.

"She just wants to join in and help with Christmas," said Hermione, scratching Mimi's chin as she purred. "Is that too much to ask?"

"Yes," Sophie replied grumpily. "Put a spell on her to go away."

The Kneazle meowed in protest.

"Give her to me, Mummy," said Celesca, holding out her stubby little arms. "She can help me open my advent calendar instead."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at her daughter, then at her cat, who suddenly clung on harder with her sharp claws. Mimi knew what was coming.

"Okay, if you're sure," said Hermione, handing the cat to her youngest girl. Celesca gripped on tight, holding Mimi too strongly for her to escape.

"Here we go," said Celesca, lifting her advent calendar from the wall. "What did you get today, Soph?"

Sophie flicked her dark-haired head from her tree decorating. "I had fifteen liquorice wands, as it's the Fifteenth of December."

"Ooh, I love liquorice wands!" said Celesca, dreamily. "Can I have one?"

"No. I ate them all."

"Sophie Potter!" Hermione admonished. "You greedy little Niffler. Fifteen wands? Honestly!"

Celesca giggled at that, but Sophie simply frowned.

"I am not a Niffler, Mummy. Niffler's only like shiny things."

"Liquorice wands can be shiny," Celesca pointed out, thoughtfully. "Because of all the sugar on them, can't they, Mummy?"

"They certainly can," Hermione agreed. "Unless greedy little witches eat them all and don't share."

"I'll give you a wand if I get one, Mummy," said Celesca. "Because I'm your bestest daughter."

"No you are not!" Sophie protested. "I'm the one making the tree all nice and pretty for Nanny Catrin. So that makes me the best!"

"Mummy...will you tell her I'm the best?" Celesca cried.

Hermione sighed in defeat. "If you carry on...neither of you will be the best and I'll just have to get your Daddy to make a new little girl with me!"

"No, Mummy! Don't do that!" Celesca yelped.

"No, don't," Sophie agreed. "Cesc and I will take turns in being the best. How about that?"

"Deal," Celesca concurred.

"And why shouldn't I have another baby?" asked Hermione, curiously.

"Because baby James cries all the time," Sophie whined.

"And he smells of poop," Celesca added, causing Sophie to erupt in giggles of agreement.

"All babies smell like that from time to time," Hermione returned evenly. "Both of you two did."

"I never did!" Sophie complained. "You said I always smelled of roses."

"You did," Hermione replied. "Once I'd washed the smell of poop off you!"

Celesca rocked with giggles on the couch. Mimi tried to make a dash for safety, but Celesca held her firm.

"And Ally Longbottom says her little brother smells of talc most of the time. Not poop," Sophie continued.

"Little Alison will learn the truth as soon as Enola starts asking her for help with the baby," Hermione explained. "Don't forget, Soph, you didn't know Cesc was a poop-machine until you insisted on changing her nappy."

"Urgh...oh yeah!" cried Sophie, remembering suddenly. The memory of horror was evilly delicious. "Cesc stunk, didn't she, Mummy?"

Sophie grinned teasingly at her sister.

"I did not stink!" Celesca retorted. "Not as bad as you, I bet. Mummy, who smelled worse...me or Soph?"

"Baby poo is baby poo, girls," said Hermione, sagely. "It doesn't matter which baby's bum it comes from."

Celesca giggled again, but Sophie looked disgusted. "That's it, then...I'm never having a baby. Ever. They are just too smelly."

"And noisy," Celesca nodded, just as baby James began to wail from his cot nearby. Hermione got up and went to change her baby, who was typically ripe.

"Go on then, Cesc, open today's door," Sophie urged, pointing at the advent calendar and sitting down to watch.

"Okay. Mimi will help me, wont you, Baby Mim?"

The Kneazle looked dubious, but sniffed at the little picture the with big '15' on just to be compliant. Celesca used her free hand to flick open the little cardboard door.

And chaos erupted in the living room.

First, there was a loud bang like a cannon going off, then a huge cloud of smoke covered little Celesca's blonde head entirely. Mimi made a break for it, hissing angrily as she scurried away to the safety of the kitchen. Then, fifteen Chocolate Frog boxes flew out from the advent calendar, surrounding Celesca like a ring of little moons.

"Ah, Chocolate Frogs!" Sophie chimed. "They're my favourite. Throw me one, Cesc."

"No. You didn't give me a liquorice wand," Celesca replied, stubbornly.

"But you were still in bed when I opened my calendar," Sophie explained. "And I had to stop Daddy eating all of them. You know how fat he's getting."

Celesca giggled. "Yes, he is getting fat. But I'm still not sharing."

"Please? Just one."

"No."

"If you give me a Frog, I'll let you put Merlin on top of the tree," Sophie offered.

"Okay." Celesca gave a big grin and threw her sister a Frog. "What card did you get?"

"Nicolas Flamel...again. Who did you get?"

"Ooh, I got Daddy!" Celesca sang. "Mummy! Look! I got Daddy's Frog Card!"

"That's nice, sweetie."

"Did you ever have Daddy, Mummy?" asked Celesca.

"Yes," Hermione replied thoughtfully. "I had your Daddy years ago...and lots of times since."

"You must really like Chocolate Frogs then, Mummy," said Celesca. "To have had Daddy so many times."

"I've had Daddy a few times, too," Sophie added, nodding serenely.

Hermione scrunched her nose and huffed silently. "That's creepy, honey."

"Why's that?" asked Sophie, confused. "Everyone's had Daddy by now!"

Hermione simply shook her head and continued to rock baby James, who was cooing on her shoulder.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Both Sophie and Celesca jumped up, just as Harry entered carrying a big, heavy bag.

"Daddy! Nanny!" the girls chorused, then clobbered both with hugs in turn.

"Oh, Min, stick the kettle on," said Harry, moving over to kiss his wife on the cheek. "I'm sure your Mum could murder a cup of tea just now. I know I could."

Harry winked at Hermione, who just glared at him good-naturedly.

"Yes, Hermione, you give me that gorgeous little boy in your arms and Harry can take my bags upstairs," said Catrin Granger, ruffling Celesca's hair where she was gripped, limpet-like, to her thigh. "And then we can all have tea."

"Nanny, I'll make you tea," said Celesca. "I've got it all ready for you in your room. Come on, Daddy. I'll make you tea, too."

"Ah, a day off!" Hermione grinned. "I knew I had children for a reason."

"I don't want tea," said Sophie, haughtily. "But when you are done, Nanny, you can come and see the prettiest Christmas Tree ever! It'll be much nicer than any tea."

Celesca poked her tongue at her sister and led Grandma Granger and Harry upstairs to Grandma's room.

"Oh, this is perfect!" said Grandma, happily. "With the tinsel and the flowers...it's just right."

"I picked the flowers," said Celesca, proudly. "And Mummy got a big vase and put some water in it and then I put the flowers in."

"And very pretty they are, too," said Grandma. "Now, where's this tea?"

Harry flicked his wand at the toy stove and there was suddenly a tray with a tea pot and two china cups. Celesca very carefully lifted the tea pot and filled the two cups. She tried not to be too tickled by her Daddy's silent spell when it settled lightly on her. It made sure she didn't burn herself by accident. Then Celesca handed a cup to Grandma and one to Daddy, and took a box of orange juice for herself, because tea was horrible and only grown-ups liked it. Then Daddy swished his wand again and magicked a little bottle of milk, so that Grandma could feed baby James.

Once they'd drunk their tea, and ate all the ginger biscuits from Celesca's oven, they were far too full for anything else, so Celesca climbed up into Grandma's lap to read the story. In it, her Daddy was very brave, saving a very naughty girl from a giant serpent, and when her Mummy woke up - after her Daddy kissed her back to life - they all clapped and cheered, for even Daddy preferred Celesca's pretend version of the story. Even baby James burped happily.

"And we all lived happily ever after," Celesca said, finishing the story and smiling widely. "Daddy - were you very scared of the big snake?"

"Well," Harry began, thoughtfully. "It was a very big snake. All slimy and wriggly. But I knew your Mum would tell me off if I didn't save her, so I thought I ought to, no matter how scary it was."

"Yes, Mummy would have been cross if the snake had eaten her, I think," Celesca nodded, wisely. "I'm glad you saved her."

"So am I," Harry grinned. "Just so she could have three wriggly children with me!"

"I am not wriggly!" Celesca complained.

"But this one is," said Grandma, rocking James gently. "And there's a little girl downstairs who will be very stompy if we don't do down and see the tree she's been working so hard on."

Harry chuckled. "Yes, come on. Let's go and see the tree."

"Ooh, ooh!" Celesca remembered, excitedly. "Sophie said I can put Merlin on top of the tree this year. Daddy, will you help me reach the top?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, you are very wriggly," said Harry, teasingly. "Tell you what, how about I make you float up there?"

"Oooh! Yes, please, Daddy! Will you? Please?"

"Alright, but you'll have to ask you Mum the wand movement...I think it's swish and flick...but I sometimes get it wrong...and I wouldn't want to drop you on your pretty head, now would I?"