Always- a Hinny / Romione fanfic

Chapter 69

James was five years old now, and he was one big ball of energy. Harry had a little hoop , like a mini quidditch hoop, on the counter in their kitchen, and James was constantly throwing balls (and other things like food, his sister's clothes, Harry's wand, etc.) through it, running around the house, and tracking mud through the house. Though he was hard to handle, Harry thought that his energy could be used for good. He signed him up for a little league quidditch team that he found a flyer for when shopping in Diagon alley.

James was beyond excited. He loved to hear about his father and mother's successes at quidditch. Ginny "had" to go to a lot of games (it was her favorite part of the job) for her newspaper column, since she mostly updated on the season's progress, and she often took James and Albus. Albus usually drew pictures in the dirt underneath the bleachers.

Harry had taken James out for a broom ride on his firebolt every now and again, and James absolutely loved it. For his birthday, Harry bought him a toy broom, required for the little league quidditch team, one that barely rose three feet off the ground. James did whine a bit, asking for a real broom, but Harry told him that they were expensive, and that he could have one when he was older. That seemed to satisfy him.

Albus, however, was an entirely different story. Harry had offered to take Albus along on rides as well, but he was afraid- afraid of heights, afraid of falling, afraid of getting poked by the sticks, afraid of the broom breaking, the list went on and on.

While James exceeded on his little league quidditch team- The Chimeras -Albus liked to play wizard's chess and exploding snap with his mother, while Lily chewed on game pieces and cards. He was a calm and quiet boy, and he didn't like to go outside much, although Harry didn't mind. Harry didn't try to force him to like quidditch or go outside- he played games with him, he read books to him, he taught him basic school things like math and reading, and he became a very smart boy, and Harry was proud of him.

Harry and Ginny were the happiest they had been since they themselves had been at Hogwarts. Harry's nightmares had been reduced to once or twice a month he had a beautiful wife, and three very different, very amazing children, a godson he was proud of, and a life of peace and happiness. If you had told him years ago, as he sat in that tent in the dead of winter, on a pointless hunt for Horcruxes, after his best friend had left him hopeless and he was burning with anger and fear, that somehow he would get here, he would have never believed it. Yet here he was.

***

It was now nearing Christmas of Teddy's first year, and though he was having the time of his life at Hogwarts, he missed his family and was really happy to be home. When the Hogwarts Express pulled to a stop at King's Cross, right away as the steam cleared, he saw Harry, Ginny holding a baby Lily, James and Albus, who were squabbling, and Fleur with her lithe hand on Victorie's shoulder. A smile spread across his face, his heart bursting with longing. Victorie's hair was tied up in a bun, little silver strands straggling out gracefully. Harry's glasses were slightly crooked just like they always were, he and Ginny looked familiar, like home. Ginny was holding Lily, who he hadn't seen yet, but he thought looked adorable, like another wild addition to the family. He even missed James and Albus's loud bickering.

As he stepped off and onto the platform, Lizzy touched his shoulder.

"We'll see you in a few weeks," She smiled at him, and he strangely felt a little butterfly.

"Yeah, smell ya later Teddy bear," Emily laughed, then raced off to hug her mother.

Lizzie looked Teddy in the eye, biting her lip, looking like she was having a huge debate with herself inside her head. Finally, she gave Teddy a big hug, and Teddy stumbled, surprised. Then, she raced off to join her family. Teddy blinked. Then, he smiled, and waved at his two friends as they left through the barrier between platforms nine and ten.