Ginny was sitting in Grimmauld place reading a book on healing. She had already passed the tests �“ she was now qualified and as soon as Sirius started Hogwarts she planned to work as a healer. She could hear the children outside playing Quidditch with Ron and Hermione’s thirteen year old daughter, Melissa. Ginny was taking care of her until tomorrow afternoon, while her parents visited Hermione’s muggle relatives. Melissa had not been happy at the thought of her parents having fun without her, but had brightened up when told she was staying with her aunt, uncle and cousins.
Ginny heard a crack from outside and squeals of, “Dad!”, “Uncle Harry!”, and “Will you play Quidditch with us?” Ginny smiled and wandered over to the open door.
She leaned against the frame and saw Harry laughing on the ground, having been just knocked over by four children all trying to jump into his arms.
“Maybe later, but now I have to talk to your mother.” The children ran off (Melissa’s red, bushy hair bouncing after her) and Ginny frowned slightly; Harry had looked very serious when he said this.
She remembered sitting in the hospital, watching him after the final battle, not knowing whether he would live.
His breathing sounded muffled and unrealistic from behind the oxygen mask. The life support machine beeped endlessly in the background; always beeping. Apart from those occasional moments of terror, when everything was blocked out by one solitary beep and Healers would rush in as soon as the beeping stopped. Ginny felt tears stream down her face as they attempted to revive her fiancé, her heart almost as cold and still as his.
She could feel someone’s hand on her shoulder. They were asking her something…pleading with her.
“Turn off the machine Ginny, You’re his fiancé…you’re the only one that can…he’s suffering Ginny…turn it off.” She shook her head, never taking her eyes of him. She didn’t care who it was asking her. She wouldn’t give in. She wouldn’t turn off the life support.
She forced the memory out of her mind.
“What’s up?” she asked as Harry led her inside into the living room. They both sat down on the sofa.
“I’ve been offered a new job,” he said abruptly. He told her about the new job, which took a while, because she kept interrupting with questions.
“So…should I take it or not?” he asked finally. Ginny bit her lip and flopped backwards so she was staring up at the ceiling. She sighed a couple of times, still chewing on her lip.
“Yes,” she said firmly. “Yes �“ you should take it. It would be brilliant for you to go back to Hogwarts again and if Death Eaters are sending threatening messages to the school, you should be there for our children and all the others,” she continued, now looking directly at Harry, whose face was as unsure as hers had been only a few moments before.
“What about you and Sirius? I’d only see you during holidays and I don’t know how long I’ll have to stay there. It could be years until we catch the remaining Death Eaters �“ we may never catch them!”
“You’ll see Sirius there in two years and I can cope being away from you for a while. Rumour has it that Madame Pomfrey will retire in a couple of years, maybe I can get a job as school matron.”
Harry nodded and kissed her. “Are you sure?” he whispered in her ear.
“Of course I am,” she whispered back and they began to kiss again until;
“Ewwww!”
“Gross!”
“Get a room!”
“You are no longer my parents.” Ginny turned to see four, very disgusted looking children all holding brooms. She smiled.
“Hey kids, guess where I just got a job?” said Harry with a grin on his face.
***
Hermione gasped.
“You’re joking! Melissa, hurry up!” Ron and Hermione had come to pick up their daughter and Ginny had just told them about Harry’s new job.
“Nope,” she answered back. “Harry’s confirming it to the Minister right now.”
“Wow,” said Ron in an awe struck voice. Then his expression turned very grumpy. “That means the lazy git has left us all his paper work! I’ll flipping kill him!” Ginny and Hermione laughed but Ron’s face was still sour. Melissa came down the stairs with Lillian. Both girls looked very tired.
“Are you ready?” Ginny asked. Melissa nodded and a second later Jamie came down the stairs carrying a small brown suitcase.
“Here you are,” he said handing the suitcase to Melissa. “Mum, are we going to Diagon Alley now?”
“When your father gets back, yes.”
It was another twenty minutes before green flames erupted from the fireplace and Harry stepped out (he had improved his technique since second year).
“You could of Apparated!” coughed Ron, who had soot all over him.
“Nice to see you too, Ron. Well, it’s official! I am now guardian of Gryffindor!” All the adults cheered, apart from Ron, who complained about paperwork.
Ten minutes later the children all took pinches of floo powder and went of to Diagon Alley. Ginny span on the spot ant felt the familiar sensation of being suffocated until, with a loud crack; she was in Olivanders shop facing four very dirty children. She heard three cracks behind her as Ron, Harry and Hermione apparated. Ginny passed her wand over the children and all soot and dust disappeared.
“Do you all want to go ‘round yourselves or do you want us to come with you?” she asked already knowing the answer.
“Ourselves,” they said simultaneously.
How did I know they would say that?
“Right, but stick together okay?” The children all groaned and rolled their eyes.
“Why are you so overprotective Mum?” asked Lillian.
“Look I just want you to have what I never had as a child, safety and security.”
“I didn’t know you had a bad childhood,” Lillian said, frowning.
“I didn’t; I had a lovely childhood �“ until I started going out with your father.” Ginny heard Harry’s sarcastic voice behind her.
“Ha ha, you’re funny…”
Lily continued. “Then why do I have to have what you didn’t have?” Ginny gave her one frown which was enough to shut Lillian up and wipe the amused grins from Melissa, Jamie, and Sirius’s faces.
“Do you want a pet or not?” Harry had now appeared at Ginny’s side holding four small, black velvet bags, all of which had a considerable amount of gold inside. The children all suddenly stood a little straighter and eyed the bags greedily.
“One pet each �“ nothing too fancy and you can keep the leftovers, consider it pocket money for the next three months,” He handed the children the bags, “We’ll get your books but come back in an hour so we can get your wands.” Harry handed a bag to Sirius, who looked at it with a confused expression.
“Why am I getting a pet? I’m not going to Hogwarts.” Harry looked back at him with an even more confused expression.
“Why does that mean you’re not allowed a pet?”
As the children ran off Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry and whispered to him, “You spoil them.”
“I only want to give them what I never had,” he mimicked. Ginny playfully hit him and they headed of to Flourish and Blotts with Ron and Hermione to get the children’s books.
***
Lillian’s bright green eyes widened as she saw a jewel encrusted turtle. She moved towards it and surveyed it greedily.
“Dad said nothing fancy you twit.” Jamie was now dragging her away from the exotic animals section. Lily pulled a face at him and headed over to the owls. She didn’t want a snowy one. Jamie was buying one of those and she wouldn’t be able to stand having something the same as him. All the other owls were rather plain and boring.
The pet shop was dark, yet warm, probably because a good ten centimetres of straw covered the stone floor. Tanks and cages lined every square inch of the wooden walls and mouse-chewed bags of food sat in corners, trying and failing not be noticeable. The building was tall and only the faintest rays of sunshine managed to slip through the holes in the thatched roof. A witch sat at a dusty brown desk in the middle of the room, sending owls with what looked suspiciously like expensive bills and writing notes with a bright pink quill which seemed to stick out like a sore thumb in the otherwise drab shop.
She strolled over to the cats. She was watching a rather fine tabby lick its paws in a dignified way, when she heard a small meow to her left. She looked and there was the most adorable creature she had ever seen.
“Oh,” she sighed softly.
The kitten was smoke grey and so small it could fit into her hand. It had large blue eyes and big soft ears. Its paws seemed too big for it so occasionally tripped over them. Lillian put her fingers through the chicken wire. The kitten licked them.
She ran to the desk at top speed.
“I want that gorgeous little kitten over there. How much do you want for it?” she said quickly. The witch at the counter smiled.
“Twenty galleons.” Lillian blinked slightly at the cost but handed over the gold. The witch moved round the counter and over to the cage. After a few moments fumbling with a large ring of keys, the kitten was in Lillian’s hands.
She held the cat close to her and walked over to show him to Jamie, Sirius and Melissa.
“Ahhhh! Sweet!” Melissa scratched him behind the ears.
“Has he got a name?” asked Sirius. Lillian shook her head.
“Not yet.” Just then, Jamie wandered over with a large snowy owl.
“Say hello to Blizzard!” He stated proudly.
“Blizzard?”
“Yes Blizzard �“ as in snow.” Lillian rolled her eyes at the stupidity of her brother and had a look at what everyone else had brought. Melissa already had a sweet little Barn owl at home, named Willow, so she had simply got a new cage for him. Sirius (who was planning to get a rat until Jamie had reminded him of the story of Peter Pettigrew, including the death, only with a lot more blood and guts) had brought a rabbit, which, according to the witch at the desk, could change its size, within limit of course.
“You won’t be able to take that to Hogwarts,” warned Melissa. Sirius scowled.
“I don’t care! I’ll sneak him in when the time comes.”
“We’d best get back. Mum wants us for our wands.” said Jamie, his brown eyes lighting up with excitement. As they headed towards the door a young witch, of about twenty, put her hand on Jamie’s shoulder.
“Are you really one of them?” she had a high excited voice. Jamie looked scared and confused.
“One of who?”
“A Potter!” James nodded slowly and in a flash the trio was surrounded by witches and wizards. Lily couldn’t see Melissa.
“Such an honour!”
“You must be so proud of your father! I always thought-”
“Do you think you could get your father’s autograph for me- I mean - for my daughter?”
“Going to Hogwarts this year? Yes, my daughter is too, she’s called Elli-”
“Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet. I’m an old friend of your father’s. You don’t mind giving me a few words do you?”
Lillian heard a camera clicking somewhere nearby. She was dazzled and frozen with fear.
“Jamie?!” she shrieked, her voice somewhat hoarse.
Suddenly a firm hand grabbed hold of her arm, a hooded figure. A Death Eater, perhaps?
She twisted round and as she did the hood of the person fell down and she found herself staring into her father’s grim face. She let out a sigh of relief and ran with her father and siblings out of the shop and down the street, holding the shaking kitten to her chest.
They soon met up with their mother, aunt, uncle and cousin. All had worried expressions.
“If that ever happens again don’t say anything just run, ok?” Ginny told them, hugging each in term.
“Why did you have your hood up dad? I nearly jumped out of my skin!” Harry smiled weakly.
“I didn’t want my face splashed across The Daily Prophet tomorrow. Although it fell down so it probably will.” Lillian held on to her kitten, which was trembling.
After hiding in a small quill shop for a few minutes until they were sure that the reporter had gone, the group headed to Ollivander’s. While they were walking towards it Melissa told Lillian about how she had run up the street to the adults and told them what was happening. Apparently Harry had then said a word which Melissa didn’t want to repeat, and ran down to the pet shop. Lillian listened in awe, memorising the story, ready to tell it to students at Hogwarts.
They went into the shop and a pale faced man came out with his wand raised. After being kidnapped and placed under the imperious curse, it was no wonder that Ollivander was paranoid. His large eyes softened when they saw Harry and Ron though, as it was them that had rescued him.
“If the young lad would like to come forward…?” Ollivander said.
After a lot of swishing and making things explode Jamie had his wand, which was apparently the same as his fathers, only a different Phoenix had been used for the core.
Lillian stepped forward. It was her turn to do the swishing now she thought smugly. She tried out what seemed like every wand in the shop before she found one that suited her.
“A mahogany wand, eleven and a quarter inches with a unicorn hair core. Springy, good for transfiguration,” he said while she examined it carefully. Ollivander seemed keen for them to leave now that he’d served them; no doubt he was worried that they were Death Eaters in disguise.
“Where shall we have lunch? I’m starving,” said Ron.
“There’s a surprise.” Hermione rolled her eyes. Ginny pointed out a small restaurant and they entered. Harry and Jamie kept their heads down so no one would realise that they were Potters.
“Sometimes I really hate looking like you Dad, everybody goes ‘Oh, Jamie you look just like your father’ and whenever I go out I can’t look anybody in the eye in case they realise who I am!” Jamie hissed. Harry smiled remembering complaining of the exact same things all the way through Hogwarts.
“I hate it too, Jamie.”
They sat down to eat and Lillian did what she does best. Eavesdrop.
“Do you think The Daily Prophet has got it right then? Are the Death Eaters becoming more active?”
“Maybe,” answered Harry, taking a sip from his butterbeer before continuing, “but if they are there isn’t much they can do, there’s hardly any left!”
“Unless they’ve been recruiting more?” countered Hermione.
“There have been reports of them abroad,” admitted Ginny, pointing her fork at Hermione to demonstrate her point, a piece of tomato flew off the end and hit Ron in the face.
“Sorry Ron. But the point is why are they becoming more active now? They’ve been dormant for years-”
Lillian could not hear anymore of the conversation though, as the words were drowned out by Melissa and Sirius’ laughter as Jamie told them about the prank he had played on Remus.
“-So then he got really worried because his temperature was going up and he hadn’t eaten anything given to him by Uncle Fred or George. And then Mum was like, ‘Remus what’s wrong? You’ve come out in spots!’ he got terrified then ‘cos he thought that he’d caught dragon pox!”
“That wasn’t funny Jamie you really scared him.” Ginny was frowning at her disobedient son, however all the children where still laughing.
Lillian fed the kitten on her lap a piece of chicken and stroked him absently, thinking about what the adults had said and wondering, like her Uncle Ron, whether The Daily Prophet had got it right.
The Third War by dumbledorefluertwins
Chapter Notes: None of it's mine...
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