Lunar Eclipse

Chapter Thirty Six

(A/N: I AM SO SORRY THAT IT'S TAKEN ME SO LONG TO UPDATE!!!!! I just started at college, and getting back in the swing of things, and becoming used to online and hybrid classes has taken some time. ANYWAY, I hope that you will accept my sincerest apology and excuse as to why I haven't updated in almost two months.... oops. Thanks for sticking with me and continuing to read, and I hope you're still enjoying! Stay safe and healthy everyone!)

"You look terrible," Charlie chuckled as he plopped down in the kitchen seat next to Ginny, who's eyes were glazed over and half closed. Still, even dead tired and half asleep, Ginny had full control over her favorite finger for her brothers. Holding it up, Charlie laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay. Point made. How about I take the boys for the night and you and Harry go do something. Or just sleep. You both need a break," he offered.

"I just flipped you off and you're offering to take my three demons- I mean children, for the night?" Ginny opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow at him cautiously. "What's in it for you?"

"They aren't demons," Charlie snorted, "honestly, I think you might be exaggerating just a bit."

This caught Ginny's full attention and she straightened up, seemingly fully awake now.

"Exaggerating? Charlie, I'll give you three seconds to move out of the path of my fist-" Charlie scooted back, more than a bit fearful of his youngest sibling. "And for your information, I have not left this house for four weeks (wow, such a long time Ginny, I wonder what that's like [please ignore the sarcasm of this person who did the full quarantine time from March to May]) and I'm at my wit's end."

"Good morning dear. Oh, hello Charlie," Harry entered the kitchen sluggishly, cup of coffee in hand. Before Lily was born, he had never much liked the taste of coffee, but now, it seemed to be the only thing that could wake him up in the mornings.

"Charlie here thinks he can take all three kids tonight, and that we've just been exaggerating how exhausting it is, taking care of them all," Ginny arched around in her chair to face her husband. Harry's eyes grew wide as he looked from Ginny to Charlie with a shocked look on his face.

Charlie didn't know if the expression was because Charlie had accused them of exaggerating a bit, or because he was still alive after suggesting it. Choosing his next words carefully, Harry spoke.

"Well, if he thinks he can handle them, then by all means, please humor us and take them for the night."

"We're spending the night with Uncle Charlie?" James exclaimed, bursting into the kitchen, a little whirlwind of excitement.

"That's right! You, Albus and Lily are all going to have a slumber party at Uncle Charlie's!" Ginny grinned, lifting James into her arms and giving him a hug.

"This will be so fun!" The six year old exclaimed, "I can't wait to tell Albus!"

All three adults watched with a smile as he bounded out of the room and up the stairs. The boys both loved staying at Charlie's, and Ginny supposed it was because he didn't force a bedtime upon them, and let them eat whatever sweets they wanted. It used to drive Ginny insane, but she realized that both boys couldn't manage to stay up past ten after a day of excitement, and Charlie only kept a limited amount of sweets out when they were around.

"Are you sure you want to take Lily as well? She's a bit of a handful- she thinks that bedtime is playtime, and playtime is bedtime," Harry warned. "If you want to just take the boys for the night, that would be plenty helpful."

"No," Charlie said, shaking his head with confidence. "I'm their uncle and her godfather. I can handle all three of them for the night- how hard could it be?"

*

"How do you think Charlie is handling all three of them right now?" Ginny asked, leaning against Harry as she sat on the couch beside him.

"Oh, I imagine he's already rung your mum at least twice asking for help and to ask how she juggled the lot of you as kids," Harry chuckled, absentmindedly running his hand through Ginny's quickly growing hair.

"It was nice to have a quiet dinner, just the two of us. We haven't had a meal since before Lily was born that hasn't involved someone crying, or something being spilled, or a combination thereof," Ginny sighed, relaxing into Harry's touch.

"What would you like to do this evening? We could go on a broom ride, or we could stay in and watch a movie or just cuddle and talk?" Harry suggested, looking down at Ginny and moving his hand from the top of her head to caress her cheek.

"How about... we take a stroll around the block. We could go down to the park, and then come back and we can make a fire and curl up and chat? I can make homemade hot chocolate," Ginny offered, and Harry pondered this for a moment before letting out a small laugh.

"What? Did I say something funny?" Ginny frowned, brows furrowing with confusion.

"No, your idea sounds perfect. I was just thinking of when Ron, Hermione and I visited Hagrid the other day on some Ministry business," Harry explained, shaking his head with a grin. "His cooking skills have only worsened with age. He made us some hot chocolate, but burnt the milk so bad that it was hardly consumable. But you know Hagrid, he'll eat or drink anything, and his feelings will get hurt if you don't."

"So you drank it?" Ginny raised her eyebrows at him, intrigued.

"Choked it down, more like. I didn't want to be rude."

"I know you may not be able to tell me, but what did the Ministry want with Hagrid?" Ginny questioned, leaning back a bit so she could face Harry.

They had all maintained contact with the Head Gamekeeper at Hogwarts over the years, and he had even been the first person to owl their congratulations when all three kids were born. They had yet to introduce him to Lily, but James and Albus had the gentle giant wrapped around their little fingers. Every year for the boy's birthdays and Christmas, Harry and Ginny had to intercept Hagrid's gifts and inspect them before allowing the boys to open their gifts.

It wasn't that they didn't trust Hagrid, it was just that sometimes, the man didn't realize that what he found to be interesting and fun could be dangerous and destructive to others.

A grin spread broadly across Harry's face, and he bit his lip in contemplation as to whether or not he should tell Ginny. It wasn't classified Ministry business, but he didn't know if he wanted to give Hagrid the opportunity to tell Ginny himself.

"Well... I suppose I could tell you because I don't want Ron to beat me to it," Harry dropped in a bit of teasing. Ginny gave her husband's arm a light smack, indicating that she was growing impatient and wanted him to get to the point.

"Okay, okay," Harry laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "Well, after years of it being petitioned and considered, and shoved under mountains of paperwork, Hagrid was finally approved to get his wand back, and has been offered the chance to continue his magical education, if he wishes."

Ginny was already on her feet with excitement before she even could process the rest of the sentence.

"Oh, how exciting! Hagrid must be thrilled! How did he take it? Oh, Harry, this is wonderful news, Hagrid deserves it!" Ginny rambled excitedly. Harry couldn't help but laugh at his exuberant wife.

"He was over the moon. Oh Ginny, I wish you could have seen his face! He picked all three of us up in one foul swoop and hugged us so tightly that I thought my chest was going to explode."

"Wait, do we still have that Pensieve in that attic? The one that Dumbledore left you?" Ginny asked giddily, hands clasped in front of her with anticipation and hope.

Harry's eyes lit up at the thought of being able to show Ginny how the gamekeeper had reacted.

"I think we do," Harry responded with a bright grin. Before he could say anything else, Ginny's hand was around his arm as she pulled him up the stairs and into the attic so that she, too, could witness one of the most joyful moments of their friend's life.