Trenton and Christopher’s jaws hung open in surprise. Tabitha screamed in joy.
“Miss Potter, please,” the Headmistress said. She wasn’t really paying attention to Tabby though, she was more worried about Trent and Chris; they still hadn’t said anything.
Trent was the first to snap out of his dumbfounded state. “Is it a boy or girl?” he asked McGonagall.
“I do not know,” she replied grimly. “All the letter said was that your mother gave birth and that your father wanted you three home as soon as possible.” Trent nodded in understanding.
Tabby looked at the professor. “When do we go home?”
“Tomorrow,” she replied. “You’ll stay the rest of the weekend and return Sunday evening.”
Tabby beamed at the elderly lady and turned to her siblings. “Did you hear that? We’re gonna see our new baby sister or brother in a matter of hours!” Chris gave her a queasy smile; he looked like he was going to be sick.
Headmistress McGonagall observed this and decided it was time for them to leave. “Come to my office this time tomorrow, we’ll have a portkey arranged.” The trio nodded then they left the office.
Tabby couldn’t sleep that night. She decided it was either her anxiety or Nikki’s snoring. She rolled over on her side, trying to make herself comfortable.
It didn’t work.
She sat up. Slowly she swung her legs over the side of the bed and slipped on her slippers. She walked across the room, careful not to wake up her room mates. Nikki and Quinn wouldn’t mind but her other two fellow fourth-year Gryffindor girls would kill her. She snuck out the door and tip-toed down to the common room. “Tabby,” she heard a voice whisper, and she jumped out of surprise.
“Chris?” she asked the mysterious voice. She walked around to face the nameless figure, and found that it was indeed her brother. Tabby sat down next to him on the couch and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Chris hesitated a moment, then replied, “It’s just.... With a new baby around, things aren’t going to ever be the same. We’re the Potter children, you know? Trent, Tabby, Chris, and Eddie, the inseparable siblings.... With a new brother or sister around, things aren’t going to be the same.”
Tabby smiled at her brother. “I felt the exact same way when Ed was born. I was scared of change. But when I saw Mum holding Edward in her arms, I knew that things were going to change for the better.” Tabby looked at her brother, then remembered. “Didn’t you say the other night that you would like to have a new brother or sister?”
“I was excited, but when Headmistress McGonagall told us the news it was like time stopped. I was hit with reality like a ton of bricks. It was then that I realized things would never be the same.”
It still amazed Tabby how much older and more mature her brother was than most people his age. She still remembered the day when he showed signs of being a wizard. It was when he was three years-old, and he was throwing a hissy fit because their father wouldn’t let him buy a potions kit and cauldron. He was so mad the cauldron shattered into a million pieces. Their father was so happy he bought him the dang potions kit. He showed signs so early, and so large, there was no doubt that he would be brilliant.
Tabby looked at her brother sympathetically. Not many people his age would be so willing to share their feelings with their sisters. “You should go to sleep,” said Tabby. “We have a big day tomorrow. And do get to feeling better.” Chris smiled at his sister, feeling better now that he got his problems off his chest. He gave Tabby a quick hug and trudged up the stairway to his dormitory.
Tabby sighed and lifted her legs so they were resting comfortably under her chin. When it came to the baby she had felt a lot of emotions, but nervousness was never one of them. She was surprised to now find it creeping up on her so unexpected.
Tabby suddenly found herself craving her story book, her most prized possession. She quietly crept back up the stairs to her dormitory.
“Where were you?” demanded a voice. Tabby found herself facing Wendy Jacobs, a nosy and rather nasty person. She sneered at Tabby. “If you were out past curfew you are so much trouble!”
Tabitha sighed. “I was in the common room.... If you don’t believe me, you can ask my brother. Now go back to bed.” Wendy snorted and crawled back into her bed. Tabby couldn’t help but notice that she ripped her curtains shut rather roughly. Tabby stood still until she could hear a steady beat of snoring.
She walked across the room to her trunk and opened it. She dug around for a minute before she found her leather-bound story book. The front had the words “Yriaf Selat” in gold lettering. She knew that it was Parselmouth for “Fairy Tales.” Her and her brothers inherited their gift for serpent speak from their father.
She opened her book and flipped through a couple of pages until she found her favorite story: The Elves and the Shoemaker. She didn’t exactly know why it comforted her when she had nightmares or when she couldn’t sleep, but it did. Maybe she just had hopes that she would wake up one morning and some little elf would solve all of her problems.
Tabby silently snuggled into her warm bed, and was asleep in a matter of minutes.
Tabby was thankful to not have been awoken by pillows beating in her head. She stretched and sat up. From the view out of the window she could tell it was just past dawn. She yawned and noticed that Nikki’s bed was empty. She smiled; her friend was always an early riser. She tip-toed out of the room, careful not to wake Wendy.
Sure enough, Nikki was curled up on the couch in the common room, the reflection of the fire dancing in her eyes. Nikki raised her head and grinned at Tabby. “Where were you last night? You got in late.”
Tabby grinned. “McGonagall wanted to see us.”
Nikki laid her head back down on the couch. “Oh. What about?”
Tabby smiled. She was hoping to tell Nikki and Quinn the news together, but she couldn’t keep it bottled up any longer. “My mother gave birth.”
Nikki’s head shot up again. She gave Tabitha a questioning look, and Tabby nodded. Nikki squealed in delight. “Boy or girl?”
“I dunno. McGonagall didn’t tell us.” Nikki rested her head back down on the couch, and turned her eyes back towards the fire. Tabby waited a couple of minutes for her friend to speak, but when she didn’t, she got up and walked back up to the dormitory.
When she got up there she was happy to see that Quinn was wide awake. “Hey,” Tabby said to her friend as she walked over to her trunk.
“Hullo. Have you seen my Potions book?” Quinn asked Tabby as she rummaged around the room digging for her book.
“Nope,” she replied. Tabby was trying to decide when it would be best to tell Quinn the news. She was about to tell her but thought it would be awkward to say, “Nope. Oh, by the way. My mom gave birth!” Tabby took a deep breath and said, “Quinn, I need to tell you something at breakfast.”
Quinn looked up from under her bed and gave Tabby a worried look. “Is everything okay?”
Tabby nodded, maybe a little too enthusiastically. Quinn raised an eyebrow at Tabby then returned to her search.
Tabby spotted a green sweater in the huge clothes pile Quinn had made. She plucked it up from the pile. “Quinny, can I wear this sweater today?”
Quinn raised her head. “Oh, that old thing? You can have it. It’s much to long for me anyway.”
Quinn was very short for her age, and Tabby towered over her so much it was almost comical. If Tabby got something too short she gave it to Quinn and vice versa.
“Thanks,” said Tabby, and she slipped the sweater over her head. It fit perfectly and matched the color of her eyes. Tabby slipped on a pair of blue jeans and admired herself in the mirror. Her hair, which she had loosely tied up in a ponytail, was behaving itself today. The green sweater and blue jeans combo fit her slender figure perfectly. She smiled at herself. She looked good. She bid good-bye to her friend and went to wake up Trent, part of her usual routine.
When she opened the door to Trent’s dormitory, she heard a couple of wolf-whistles in her direction. She blushed and said, “Sod off!”
When she noticed Trent’s bed was empty she looked over at Darren, Trent’s best mate, and asked him, “Where’s Trent?”
“In the s-shower,” replied Darren. Tabby couldn’t help but notice that Darren had been stammering around her a lot lately. She also noticed how Darren was eyeing her up and down with wide eyes. She smiled at him and turned around and left the room.
When she got to the common room, Quinn and Nikki were waiting for her. Together, they departed to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Sometime on their way down, Nikki grabbed Tabby by the arm and pulled her back. She waited until Quinn was out of hearing range and asked her, “Have you told Quinny yet?”
Tabby shook her head. “I was gonna tell her up in the dormitory but she was busy and Wendy was in there.” Nikki nodded in understanding. She let go of Tabby’s arm and they both hurried to catch up with Quinn, who was a good fifty paces ahead of them.
The Great Hall wasn’t full; it was still early in the morning. Tabby quietly thanked God for her luck. It would be easier to tell Quinn the news when there wasn’t over-curious ears around.
Quinn found them some seats at the Gryffindor table. Tabby and Nikki sat down on either side of her. Nikki tucked into the eggs, but Tabby just stared at it all. Quinn noticed this and she asked, “What’s wrong? It’s not like you to not be stuffing your mouth full.”
Tabby smiled and playfully elbowed her friend in the stomach. “I have some big news.”
“Your brother finally said you could play on the Quidditch team?”
Tabby frowned. “No. As cool as that would be, this news is better.”
Quinn raised her eyebrows. “Do go on.”
Tabby grinned. “My mother gave birth the other day.”
Quinn squealed. “You’re kidding, right? This is some kind of joke, isn’t it?” Tabby shook her head, no.
Quinn looked at Nikki, “Did you know about this?” Her voice sounded somewhat hurt.
Nikki nodded. “Tabby told me this morning after while you were sleeping. I’m sorry Quinny. I wanted to tell you, really.”
Quinn nodded her head solemnly. Tabby smiled at her friend, starting to wish that she would have told her friends at the same time. “I’m leaving this afternoon with my siblings. Daddy wanted us back home.”
The rest of the day went by in a flash, and before Tabby knew it, her and Chris and Trent were standing in the headmistress’ office.
McGonagall smiled at the trio. “The portkey,” she said, motioning towards the paperweight on her desk.
“On the count of three we all touch it,” said Trent. Tabby and Christ nodded in agreement.
“One,” Trent started. “Two. Three.” All three Potters put a finger on the paper weight. A couple of seconds later, they felt the familiar feeling that a hook had jerked their navel. Six legs hit the hard floor of a hospital. They turned around to see their father and Eddie smiling at them.
AN~ This chapter goes out to bookie, for just being a great reviewer.