Family
Today was the day. The three Granger-Potter kids had been waiting desperately for the day when their parents let them each pick out a pet. Neville Ronald, the youngest, was the first out of bed. He ran into the room of older brother, James Sirius, first, and then raced to wake his sister, Lily Tonks. James and Lily were twins and they were seven years old. Neville was five, and very hyperactive most of the time. He was nothing like the Neville he was named for. He was actually more like Ron. He had his grandmother's dark red hair and his mother's eyes. James was a lot like his mother. He was somewhat bossy and very smart. He shared her love of math. He was not athletic. He hated sports and loved to sit and think. He shared his mother's hair and his father's eyes. Lily was her father's daughter. She had both her father's hair and his eyes. She was somewhat quiet. She loved sports, especially quidditch. She was very athletic. She was also a very serious person who hardly ever cracked a joke.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and smiled as they woke to the loud voices of their children outside their door. Their kids reminded them so much of themselves when they were at school. The kids were like the trio all over again. As the kids came bouncing in and bounded onto the bed, the couple gave up sleeping and slowly got up.
As they entered Diagon Alley, memories filled Harry and Hermione's minds. Memories of school days, of summers, and of their first date. They had gotten together at the end of sixth year. When they had all gotten together at Diagon Alley a few weeks before school started, Harry and Hermione went on their first date. They found a nice, romantic restaurant. It had been fun. They had also shared their first kiss, just before the flooed home. They had worried that Ron would feel left out, but it turned out that he had gotten together with Luna Lovegood over the summer.
The pet shop was large. It was much larger than the shop where Harry had gotten Hedwig. It also carried more varieties of animals. You could find anything here. Harry and Hermione knew what their kids would probably pick, but they waited to see. As they waited, they wandered around the store. As they came to one cage, Harry shuddered. There was a dog that looked just like Sirius' animagus form. Sirius' death had hit him hard. Sirius had been like a father to Harry. Harry felt very alone after he died, and the prophecy certainly did not help. The only thing that got him through was his friends, especially Hermione. She was his sanity, his rationality. Without her, he did not know what he would have done. It had taken him to the end of his sixth year to realize that she had been there all along. She had discovered her love for him sometime during the summer before sixth, yet she had waited because of the pain he was experiencing. On the last day of school, she had finally gotten up her courage and told him. Then it had hit him. He loved her, and had for quite some time. She was always there for him, no matter what. She was his and he was hers.
The kids came running up to them. Neville had picked out a rat. Harry and Hermione laughed as he showed it to them, thinking of Scabbers. Of course, this rat was younger and was very frisky. James had picked out a Kneezle. Lily had picked out a small puppy that curled contentedly in her lap. The family headed for the desk, happily chattering to each other. They paid and headed for the fireplace to floo home.
At home, Harry and Hermione sat while the kids played with their new pets. The two of them both were pondering the meaning of family. They had come to realize that there was so much more to the concept than actual blood relations were. To them, the Weasley's and their spouses; Tonks, Harry's boss; Remus, Tonks' wife and the Minister of Magic; and Minerva McGonagall were all included in their family. They had also lost a lot of family. Harry's parents, Hermione's who had been killed in their seventh year, Sirius, and Albus Dumbledore ,who was also killed in their seventh year, were all considered part of their family. However, Harry and Hermione still considered themselves lucky. They had friends as close as family, they had their kids, and they had each other. Life had never been easy. They both worked and both took care of the kids. They both were rather famous, Harry more so than her. Yet, they had their family. Together they all would face anything. Nothing else mattered. If everything fell apart, they would still have each other.