Sighing Euphemia picked the teddy up from the ground. She had laid James and Jessica down for a nap and used the time to clean up. The twins were now seven months old and kept her and Fleamont busy but it was nice the manor didn't seem so empty anymore. Almost everywhere in the house toys were scattered and only because of the house elves there wasn't a chaos. Euphemia looked at the bear in her hand, Fleamont had bought one for James and Jessica each. Her husband spoiled the two quite a bit. Euphemia sighed again and asked herself what her husband would bring with him this time. He had been on a business trip the last few days and would only return at the end of the week. At that moment the fireplace lit up and Fleamont stumbled out. He grinned when he saw Euphemias baffled face. He stepped to her and kissed her cheek. "Hello darling", he said smiling. "What are you doing here?" Euphemia asked shocked. Fleamont frowned. "I expected a happier greeting." "Excuse me", Euphemia remarked and kissed him. "I thought you wouldn't be home until the end of the week." "I missed you", Fleamont replied with a shrug and stroked the back of his wife. "Monty", she scolded. "Don't worry the business is all done and why should I stay there when I can be here with you and the children", he said grinning. "You're impossible", Euphemia said shaking her head but still smiling. "But you love me for it. Where are the kids?" Fleamont wanted to know. "They are…" Euphemia started but a flickering light interrupted her. It was the spell she had cast over the babies to get noticed when they woke up. "Just woke up." Fleamont grinned took his wife by the hand and dragged her to the nursery. Indeed the twins sat in their cribs when they entered the room. James babbled while Jessica looked at her brother silent like a fish. That was something that worried Euphemia the two developed similar, but her son was babbling for a while now and it wouldn't take much longer before he said his first real word. His sister on the other side hadn't made a sound yet. With a beaming smile Fleamont stepped closer to the cribs. He bend over the grid of Jessicas crib and kissed her forehead. "Hello princes", he said softly. James clapped his hands and tried to get his father's attention. Fleamont laughed and turned to his son. "I didn't forget about you Jamie", he said and stroked James' head. The eyes of their son sparkled and he reached out his small, plump arms forward Fleamont. "Dada" he babbled and time froze for a moment. "Effie did you hear that?" Fleamont asked and turned excited to his wife. His smile faded when he saw her tears. "Hey don't be sad", Fleamont asked stepping to his wife. "It's not that", Euphemia replied wiping the tears from her face. "What is it then?" Fleamont wanted to know. "Monty, Jessi didn't even start to babble." "Effie you know that children can develop differently", Fleamont tried to reassure his wife. "But their on the same stage of development everywhere else I think something's wrong with her", Euphemia replied and looked at her children. James tried to pull himself up by the grid while Jessica tried to eat one of her feet. "If it makes you feel better we go to St. Mungos tomorrow and let them examine the two", Fleamont suggested and wrapped an arm around his wife. Euphemia laid her head against his chest and nodded that would calm her. On the next day the Potters took the floo network to St. Mungos. As they entered the infirmary they were greeted by a beaming Lucy. "What a surprise, it's good to see you", she said smiling and hugged the older couple. Then she looked at the two babies and her smile got a little bigger. "Merlin their getting big." Then Lucy turned back to the parents and looked worried at them. "Are there any complications?" she wanted to know. "We're not sure", Fleamont answered and looked at his wife. "It's that James already started talking bus Jessica hasn't", Euphemia explained. Lucy frowned. "That's nothing unusual some children only start speaking with a little more than a year if it makes you feel better we can examine her", the young with offered. "That would be great", Euphemia said and smiled thankfully. Lucy took the little girl from her and guided the family into the examination room. She examined Jessica carefully while Fleamont and Euphemia stood beside her and watched. When Lucy finished her examination she sighed. "What's wrong?" Euphemia asked worried. "Well as it seems we missed something at the first examination after the birth", Lucy said sighing. "Lucy, don't keep us in suspense like this," Fleamont pleaded, putting his arm around his wife. "Effie, Monty, Jessica is deaf that's why she hasn't started speaking yet." Shocked Euphemia and Fleamont looked at the healer, it couldn't be that this was true. "Can you do something against it?" Euphemia wanted to know. Lucy shook her head regretfully even if they had noticed it right after the birth they couldn't have done anything. "Will she never be able to speak?" Fleamont asked and pulled Euphemia closer. "She can learn it, it just takes longer than with hearing children, I would still suggest that you learn sign language it will make it easier for all of you." When they left St. Mungos, the Potters had with them, in addition to all sorts of thoughts, brochures on sign schools and how to raise a deaf child in a hearing household.
It hadn't been easy but Fleamont and Euphemia had mad it and actually learned sign language. For their children it had been easier to learn it of course. It was natural for James to use his hands when he talked with his sister. Jessica had learned speaking, but she didn't like to do it since she couldn't hear herself so it surprised Euphemia when the girl called for her. She ran through the manor to where she had heard her daughter. Euphemia was shocked about what she saw. Her two children sat at the foot of the entrance stairs, whereas Jessica kneeled in front of her brother and looked at him worriedly. James sat on the stairs and held his arm. "What happened?" Euphemia called and went down the steps. James who had heard his mother exclaim looked at her and drew Jessica's attention to her. Jessica raised her hand and patted her cheek twice. Then her hands flew fast through the air as she tried to explain what had happened. Euphemia grabbed her hands and looked at her. "Not so fast", she said slow and clear so Jessica could read her lips. Jessica took a deep breath and then explained to her mother that she had played tag witch James and when they had been up the stairs he had overseen the crease in the carpet and had fallen down the stair. Carefully Euphemia stroked her son's dark hair and James pulled a face. "My arm", the boy whined. "Can you stand up?" Euphemia asked the boy. James nodded. "I think so", he said raising on shacking legs. Euphemia sighed relieved, luckily the children were just six years old, if they were older James probably would have broken every single bone in his body, but maybe his magic had protected him. The twins had recently had repeated outbursts of uncontrolled magic. Carefully Euphemia guided James to the fireplace. Jessica followed them worried she probably blamed herself that her brother was injured. Together with her kids Euphemia took the floo network to St. Mungos. In the children's ward a friendly but unknown healer took care of James. She had fixed his arm fast and the dent on the back of his head was no problem. Of course she wanted to know how this had happened and when Euphemia told her that he had stumbled over the carpet she got curious. "James why didn't you see the crease?" the healer wanted to know. James shrugged. "I was focused on Jessi", he explained. The healer pulled down a board on which lines of letters could be seen that became smaller and smaller. "Can you read that?" she wanted to know and pointed at one of the lower lines. The boy squinted his eyes and read the line hesitantly. When he finished the healer turned to Euphemia with a smile. "Mrs. Potter I think you son needs glasses", she explained. "Can you prescribe them for him?" asked Euphemia. The healer nodded. One and a half hour they returned to the manor. "There you are", Fleamont said from his armchair by the fireplace. "Dad!" James shouted and Jessica grinned and the two ran to their father. "Hello you two", Fleamont said laughing and wrapped his arms around the two. When he let go of them he immediately noticed the slim glasses with the round lenses on James' nose. He looked at his wife who just shook her head. "Go wash your hands, diner is almost ready", Fleamont asked his children and James pulled his sister with him. Fleamont rose from his armchair and went to his wife. "What's wrong Effie?" he asked pulling her into his arms. "I worry Monty", Euphemia confessed and laid her head against his shoulder. "Why?" he wanted to know stroking her back. Euphemia sighed and looked up at her husband. "Jessica is deaf and James eyes are really bad how shall they succeed in Hogwarts?" she asked. Fleamont smiled at his wife. "Effie this won't stop them. Jessica doesn't know it otherwise and can handle it and about James he has glasses now. If it comforts you we can still talk with Dumbledore", Fleamont suggested. Euphemia nodded against his chest, maybe it would calm her worries. "Otherwise we can teach them at home", she remarked and looked up at Fleamont. "Effie they need other friends their age", Fleamont said smiling and kissed his wife.
Two days later Albus Dumbledore appareted on the grounds of the Potters. He had come on Fleamont's request and wondered why he was here. He knocked at the door, which was opened shortly after by the lady of the house. "Professor Dumbledore thank you for coming," she said and invited the Headmaster in. "Of course Mrs. Potter, you husband said it was urgent", Dumbledore said stepping in. "Fleamont tends to exaggerate, but I really wanted to talk to you," Euphemia replied and led Dumbledore into a drawing room. "Tea?" she asked while they took their seats. Dumbledore nodded and a house elf brought them tea. Euphemia asked it to get Fleamont and the twins. "I suppose I'm here because of the young masters?" Dumbledore asked after the house elf had disappeared. Euphemia nodded and told him she would explain everything as soon as her husband and the children were there. It took a while until the door to the drawing room opened again and Fleamont stepped in followed by the twins. Dumbledore rose. "Mr. Potter good to see you", he said offering his hand to Fleamont. "Thanks for coming Professor", Fleamont replied shaking his hand. "Not for that", Dumbledore said with a friendly smile. Then he turned to the two children who stood behind their father. "And you two probably are the reason for my visit." James paid no further attention to him and turned to his father. "Dad who's that strange man?" he wanted to know. Fleamont suppressed a laugh. "This my son is Albus Dumbledore, he's the headmaster of Hogwarts", he explained calmly. With wide eyes James now looked at Dumbledore who was still smiling at him. "Wicked", James mumbled and Jessice pulled on his sleeve. James looked at his sister who looked confused at him. With quick hand movements James explained his sister what was going on. Dumbledore watched the exchange interested until Jessica also looked wide eyed at him. Fleamont shook his head and asked everyone to take a seat. While family Potter got comfortable on the couch Dumbledore sat across from them in an armchair. "So why am I here?" Dumbledore asked and took a sip from his tea. "Well Professor it's like this, Jessica is deaf and my wife worries that she won't make it at Hogwarts", Fleamont explained. "I see, can she read lips?" Dumbledore wanted to know. "Yeah, but it has to be spoken clearly for her to understand." "Well than I see now problem why she shouldn't make it at Hogwarts. Some teachers know sign language, the others I will ask to speak as clearly as possible, we can also enchant a quill to write down what is said so that she can read what was said," said Dumbledore. "And I can help Jessi too", James said eager. "I assumed that Mr. Potter", Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "So there's nothing in the way of Jessica's education?" Euphemia asked. Dumbledore shook his head. "Nothing at all Mrs. Potter we will make sure that Jessica graduates well." Relieved Euphemia stroked the hair of her daughter and kissed her head. The girl smiled and laid her fingertips on her mouth. Dumbledore just nodded at her. After Dumbledore had left them again and the children took care of themselves Fleamont pulled his wife closer. "Relieved?" he asked and kissed her neck. "Very", she said with a relieved sigh. "Jessi will make it, she won't let it get her down," said Fleamont. "I just hope that the other children wont treat her differently because she can't hear", Euphemia replied. "Effie, we never gave her the feeling that she's different and she will show the others how to treat her", Fleamont assured his wife. "Besides", Fleamont continued and pulled Euphemia even closer. "she's not alone and James will look out for his little sister." Euphemia laid her head against Fleamont's shoulder. She hoped that her husband was right.