*****
Title: Just a Little Lesson About Life
By: Cassie Valentine
Summary: Harry has to answer that one question all parents dread.
Rating: G
Spoilers: PS/SS not many.
Other: Answer to a challenge on the Harry/Hermione board.
***
"Allie, you've heard that story a million times," Harry complained a little as his daughter demanded to hear the 'how did you and mummy meet' story again.
"So? I like it!" she said as she crawled into bed. "Please daddy?" she asked, turning her big, browns eyes on him. He sighed and caved. He couldn't say no to those eyes whether they belonged to Hermione or Allie.
"You know this story off by heart."
"It's just better when you tell it." He sighed. Ah, the preferences of a 5 year old.
"Okay," he said as he slid into the bed next to her. "Let's see now." he pretended to forget the story for a moment.
"On the train!"
"Right, right," he said. "So, we did meet on the Hogwarts train, when we were 11 and on our way to Hogwarts for the first time. She was the bossiest little smarty pants Uncle Ron and I had ever met."
"And you were mean to her," she said as she shook her head.
"We were. But we came to our senses quickly and became the closest group of friends at school for the next 7 years."
"And then you fell in love?"
"Yup."
"And got married? And had Jamie and then Lily and then me?" she asked. James was just starting his first year at Hogwarts and Lily would be entering in a couple of years.
"Exactly," he said as he turned on her night-light and turned out the main light in the room. "Have a good sleep my little Seeker," he said. Allie giggled. She was the one in the family that had gotten most of the Quidditch talent. James was a fairly decent Seeker, but preferred to play chaser while poor Lily, though she loved the game, had ended up with her mother's talent for the game.
"Daddy?" Allie called quietly.
"Yes?" he called, wishing he had been able to make it out of the room.
"Where did I come from?"
"What do you mean?"
"Where did I come from?" she asked again. "Morgan says there's a wizard that's even more powerful then Dumbledore that transfigures babies out of faeries for mummies and daddies, but I don't think he's right." Harry swallowed, leave it to Morgan Weasley to plant an idea like this in his daughter's head. He stuck his head out the door, looking for Hermione.
"You know what?"
"He's not right, is he daddy?" she asked.
"No, but this would be a really great question for mummy to answer."
"Becuase she's a smarty pants and knows everything?"
"Exactly," he said with a smile as he caught a passing Hermione by the arm and ushered her into the room, making a quick retreat.
***
"Harry James Potter, that was a despicable trick!" Hermione said as she came out of Allie's room a few minutes later. He looked at her, with a 'who, me?' look on his face. "Throwing me to the wolves like that. You should be ashamed."
"Oh, I am. It's just that I panicked," he told her. "And you always have the right answer and you're so cool under pressure." She looked at him and sighed as she flopped down on the couch.
"You know how they say flattery will get you everything?"
"Yes?" he asked hopeful that he had gotten away with this.
"Well, all that flattery is going to get you explaining to Lily why she can't dye her hair blue like Tonks.
"Why? It's just hair," he said.
"She's 8 and that stubborn Potter mind on hers is set on it."
"Don't you mean stubborn Granger mind?"
"Don't push it pal," she warned him. He chuckled as he threw an arm around her shoulder.
"So, where did Allie come from?" he asked. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
"From love," she answered simply. Harry nodded he liked that answer.
***
Allie laughed at Morgan as his face fell. His ideas about babies being transfigured had been shattered in a matter of seconds surring their 5th year at Hogwarts.
"Told ya so," she said when they left the class. "And I've been telling you that since we were 5."
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered as they wandered back to the Griffyndor common room. "Is that why you don't love me?" he asked. She laughed.
"No, I don't love you because your a numb skull. Try me again during the end of 6th year," she said as she sauntered off to talk to a few other friends of hers, leaving Morgan in the shattered ruins of a childhood theory.
*****