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“Teddy! I think she should be allowed to ride a broom.”

“No way! She’s too young!”

“You sound like my father.”

“He’s a very smart man, then.”

“Suck up! Do you honestly want what happened to me to happen to her?”

“It didn’t turn out so bad for you in the end, did it?”

“No, but unfortunately, we are short of Teddy Lupins.”

Teddy laughed as he finished giving a bath to four year old Remus Tonks Lupin. “She’s six, love; at least wait until she’s seven or eight,” he said with finality.

“Spoiled sport,” I muttered as I walked back into our bedroom. His joyful laugh sounded after me and my scowl deepened.

“Did you hear about James’s new bird? He says she’s the one,” Teddy yelled from the bathroom as he dried Remus off.

“Yeah, but don’t take him too seriously. He said that about the last four,” I yelled back as I changed into one of Teddy’s T-shirts and a pair of his boxers.

“Very true,” Teddy chuckled as he emerged from the bathroom with our son in his onesie pajamas. They had Spiderman all over them. Remus was obsessed with the Muggle comic. “I think he wants us to meet her though. He said for us to pick a date that works with our schedule.”

Evidently we should have taken James seriously on this bird. Because one year later, he proposed to Miss Desiree McLaggen. I was one of his groomsmen, Fred his best man, and Albus the other groomsman. Fred and I both knew that he had wished things would have been fixed with Alfie after all this time, but they hadn’t, and Alfie wasn’t invited to his wedding. He and Desiree had a daughter two years after that. Evan Destiny Potter. Evan, after James’s late Grandmother. Fred and I were Godparents.

James and I would joke around saying that Evan and Remus would make their own pack, and that Fred needed to hurry up and procreate, so his offspring could join in. Fred wasn’t all that happy about our joke. But we still thought it was hilarious.

Dominique started dating Alfie’s younger brother, Kody, who was a year younger than her. Kody was always a nice kid, and I had a talk with him once. I told him that if he even thought of pulling an Alfie and cheating on Dom with any of our cousins, or anybody else for that matter, then I’d hex him seven ways to Monday. Needless to say, Kody is a tad bit scared of me. But only a tad.

We had a surprise for the kids that year; they were getting a younger sibling. During this pregnancy, I happened to get very swollen, especially my fingers and ankles. James and Fred took every opportunity to tease me about it, but Teddy knew better. If he didn’t want to sleep on the couch, the only things regarding my appearance that come out of his mouth better be, “You’re beautiful,” or something of the sort. He promised that I really am beautiful when I’m huge and swollen, but I can’t help but feel like I’m pregnant with a cow or something.

I was so swollen that I couldn’t even wear my wedding rings. So Teddy had to put them on a chain so I could wear them around my neck.

To be honest, I had felt naked without my rings. When I told Teddy that, he laughed. “I have no objections to you really being naked,” he murmured as he kissed my neck and pulled back to waggle his eyebrows.

“Don’t sound lecherous,” I scolded as I wrinkled my nose.

I remember when we had talked about if we’d have more kids, and if it’d be a girl, we’d name her after Teddy’s grandmother; she passed away when he was seventeen from natural causes. So, in a couple months time, I’d be giving birth to Andromeda Christelle Lupin. The kids were ecstatic. Especially Remus. He didn’t want to be the youngest anymore.

For Teddy’s and my anniversary that year, Teddy decided to surprise me. I hated surprises. I always wanted to know what was going on. I hated not being in the loop. And he knew that. But he didn’t care in the slightest. Said it kept me on my toes.

He side-along Apparated me there and I was confused when the first smell that reached my nostrils was burning wood. No matter how long it’s been since I’ve visited Romania, I would never forget the smell. Or the beauty. Or the hominess of the dragon reserve. Mum always told me I was definitely my Dad’s child whenever it came up in conversation. And my Dad would smile proudly at me, and that was when I struck and asked for some shopping money. He always gave me extra those nights.

“Teddy,” I breathed in awe as I stared around at the reserve.

And then I noticed the SOLD sign on the cottage that had become my favorite home. It was that same one that Dad lived in when he had worked here the first time. It was the one that had been our vacation home for so long.

How on Earth was this supposed to be my big surprise? That is depressing. I never wanted my parents to sell that cottage; too many memories. I basically grew up in that cottage. And I wanted my children to have that same experience.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at my husband.

“I thought you’d be happy,” Teddy said with a frown, though the corners of his mouth were twitching as if he knew something I didn’t.

“That my favorite place has been sold?” I asked sourly, my lip curling.

“No,” he grinned and my brows furrowed. “That I bought it from your parents. It’s ours now,” he told me and my arms fell to my side as I gaped at him. He smirked before I threw myself at him.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Happy Anniversary.”

He always did give the best presents. But anyway, we’re not quite to that part yet. First was the bedtime story.

Remus smiled sleepily at me as he reached up with his Spiderman-covered arms. That was his move for when he wanted Mummy to put him to bed and Daddy to read him his book tonight. I pulled him into my arms and we made our way to his bedroom, where Nymphadora was already curled up on his bed, also waiting for the nighttime story.

I tucked Remus into bed and sat beside him as I smoothed back his hair. Teddy pulled Nymphadora up against his chest, and I smiled as he kissed her forehead before asking what they wanted to hear tonight. Somehow, I already knew which one they’d pick. And they did. And Teddy and I shared a secret smile.

“I want to hear about the boy that saved that girl on a broom and how they fell in love again,” Nymphadora said dreamily, Remus agreeing instantly, as she stared up at Teddy. He kissed the tip of her nose while agreeing.

“Once upon a time,” Teddy started. “There was a little girl at the age of seven—”

“And she had red hair like mine, right, Daddy?” Remus whispered sleepily. Teddy nodded with an affectionate smile.

“Right you are, little man.” Remus grinned in triumph. “And there was a boy that—”

“Could change his appearance like me, right, Daddy?” Nymphadora interrupted.

Our children often did this on our story times.

Teddy and I found it amusing.

“Yes, sweetheart,” Teddy replied as he kissed the crown of her head. “And the little girl was dared into a contest with her cousin, to go the highest on a broom.”

“Can I have a broom, Daddy?” Nymphadora asked and Remus perked up at the idea.

“Not a chance, sweetheart,” Teddy answered and I stifled a chuckle. “And the little boy saw that the little girl was going to fall, so he raced up and caught her in his arms…”

Fin.


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