#21: Veela
A tale of Adam, Corbin & Saffron in July 2088

It was midday, and Adam had taken his oldest, eleven year old twins to Hogsmeade. From the bench they’d perked on, they had the perfect view of Hogwarts.

“Pretty, right?” The father of ten said to his daughter, huge dopey grin plastered across his cheeks. “When I was here -”

Although the castle seemed to have captured Saffrons gaze, Corbin didn’t seem interested.

His mouth was open, staring at group of pretty French blondes entering the Three Broomsticks. If Adam hadn’t put a hand on his shoulder, Corb would have been drooling at their feet.

Especially when they started giggling.

#91: Future
A tale of Jorgie, Aurora & Jude, after 2110

Jorgie looked at her niece and ran a hand through their matching blonde curls. She looked just like her father, like the picture she carried around in her skirt pocket always.

Like the brother they all missed so badly.

In Jorgie’s ideal future – heck, in every Stemp’s ideal future, there was another person sat at their table, slurping down his spaghetti like he was still five years old. In their ideal world Aurora would have been his future, his pride and his joy.

Because she was as beautiful and brave as he had been.

Rest in Peace, Jude Enzo Stemp.

#39: Duel
A tale of Corbin, Maverick & McCartney in August 2092

Wandering into the lounge, Corbin flopped down onto the couch next to McCartney, sheet music clutched in his hand. Glancing over the younger boys shoulder, he was distracted from his readiness to transpose due to the fact that the half of M-Squared sharing the couch was busy waving his wand and muttering words, eyes focused on The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five.

“Mac! What’re you doing with my book?” Not that the soon-to-be-fifth-year really cared about the text, but…

The eleven year old had just been given his wand today, surely he wasn’t –

“Practsin’. For my duel with Mave.”

#64: Nap
A tale of Adam, Lorelai & their children during Winter 2086

It was late one night, and although Adam and Lorelai had been quite happy to leave their ten children with their grandparents over the course of the evening, their route home had ended up with them checking in on them, anyway.

Adam’s mother hushed them with a finger to her lips; a tear pricked at Lorelai’s eyes as she peered around the door.

All of their children were in various sleeping positions: sprawled over the floor, curled up on couches, wrapped in cribs.

All of them had fallen asleep waiting for the inevitable drop in from their parents.

Little darlings.

#13: Quidditch
A tale of Corbin, Saffron, Lilah & Ringo, with mentions of Kaia Barnard (Shanners), in December 2083

The end of December. The first set of Stemp twins birthday.

Corbin had received a custom guitar, which his parents had charmed so that it would grow as he grew. The perfect musical companion. One of Saffron’s presents contained her own first Beater’s bat. With her name inscribed.

She was delighted, and stood up around the room, swinging it the way she watched Kaia Barnard do it, every day on the poster across from her bed.

Seconds barely passed before Lilah had grabbed Ringo’s hand and pulled him quickly from the room.

“Hide.” Before they became their sister's Quidditch practice.

#25: Sorting Hat.
A tale of Lilah in September 2090.

The fourth Stemp child to sit on this stool. The fourth to wear the Sorting Hat.

Lilah’s big, brown eyes searched the hall for Ringo before the hat slipped over and hid them. Ravenclaw was her immediate first thought into the darkness. Ravenclaw. With Ringo.

The hat, however, had other ideas. It was mere moments before it announced to the room that Lilah Stemp would follow her mother and her sister into Hufflepuff. And she couldn’t have looked more broken hearted.

The applause felt false, and Lilah avoided her brother’s gaze as he searched for her.
Hufflepuff. Her perfect fit.

#16: Dragonhide Gloves
A tale of Saffron & Lilah on 1st April, 2092

Herbology was becoming Lilah's favourite lesson. Not only did she enjoy it, but she was good at it. So of course, she had her Dragonhide gloves ready to pull on when the Professor told them to.

But something wasn't right. Her hands were hurting, they were itching, they were -

"OW." The Hufflepuff pulled the gloves at, tears stinging her eyes as she scratched furiously at her blistering red hands, coated with a fine layer of white powder.

Itching powder.

Running out of the room and trying her hardest not to cry, she remembered: Saffron had "borrowed" her gloves last week.

#7: Care of Magical Creatures
A tale of Liberty & Sparrow in September 2096

"Lib! Lib! Libby!"

Sparrow had to check that they had their first third year Creatures lesson together. The lesson he was MOST excited about this year. Did he have a great love for creatures? Not particularly - but he was named after a bird, and thus, the announcement that they would be working with Snidgets was the reason behind his excitement.

"Aye aye, matey?" Liberty looked up as her twin joined her at the breakfast table, her eyes lit by the same excitement. "You saw?"

Sparrow was too enthused to be annoyed that she'd called him 'matey' and not 'Cap'n'.

#81: Depression
A tale of Saffron & Lilah in Summer 2094

Cupcakes solved everything.

At least Lilah thought so. Baking them with her grandmother always made her feel better. And that's what she'd spend the day doing, before heading over to Stemp House to decorate them with the kids.

The only trouble was that she was locked out of the room she shared with Saffron, and no mention of the treats seemed to make her older sister want to let her in. Lorelai was worried, and the worry was reflected in Lilah's eyes as she stared up at her mother.

Why would no one tell her what was up with Saffy?

#10: Arithmancy
A tale of Corbin in June 2095

It was NEWT season, and Corbin hadn’t picked up a textbook. Maybe receiving his offer from music school was the worst thing that could happen, for it had taken what little desire he had to study away. Instead, he lazed in the Courtyard before his next exam, sunglasses shielding his eyes from the glare, watching a group of sixth years making the most of the warmer weather.

Sitting exams during summer was torture, he thought as he got to his feet and stretched. Luckily he was headed to Arithmancy - a guaranteed pass, because it was maths. And maths was music.

#24: House Elf
A tale of Reuben in August 2110

“REUBEN! ALBERT! DARCY! STEMP!”

Nothing good could come from his mother saying his name like that, so the aforementioned boy hid. Terribly, as he did most things, so Saffron found him almost immediately. And when she did, she wanted to know just why his younger brother was cleaning Reuben's room, dressed in nothing but a pillowcase.

Wasn’t it obvious? Raffy was his house elf - a genius idea, if you asked the Hufflepuff, which his father did at dinner that night. Right before a lecture, and being forced to give his pocket money to Rafferty.

The house elves were much better at school.