A/N: I don't even know how long this story will go, but I need to start jumping ahead a bit or we'll be here with just Harry, Hermione and Sam forever.
***
*Two weeks later*
Harry wasn't happy with me, but I wrote to Miranda and agreed to lunch with her. I don't know why I did it. I guess a part of me is still that little girl discussing her dreams with her mother.
So, here we are, waiting for Miranda. She's 20 minutes late. Harry keeps checking his watch and making faces at Sam. I guess it's to avoid me.
"Are you just waiting to say I told you so?" I snap.
"What?"
"I see you over there, checking your watch, ignoring me. You just can't wait to rub it in my face that she's not coming!"
"Hermione, tone it down. We're in public."
"Admit it."
"Fine. I don't want to say anything, but look around, Mione. She's not coming."
"Hermione!" a voice behind Harry screeches. "Hello!"
"Well, I'll be damned," Harry mutters.
I stand to hug her and she gasps. "Is that him?" she asks as she looks into Sam's carrier seat.
Harry gets a very strange look on his face. I can tell he wants to say, "No, we grabbed a spare."
"This is Sam," I instead say.
"May I hold him?" she asks as she sits.
"Yeah, of course," I tell her, unstrapping the baby. I pass Sam to her and he looks up at her.
"Mina, he's got your eyes!" she whispers.
"Yeah," I say.
"He really is beautiful. And Harry, he's got your hair and I think your ears," she says.
"Ears? Really?" Harry asks, genuinely interested.
"Yes. I think so. So, Hermione. Here's all I wanted. I just wanted to hold him once. I realize this isn't fair to you or your family, so for once perhaps, I'm doing the right thing and bowing out. If you want to send me pictures occasionally, I'd appreciate it. And I'll still send you cards and such. But we won't meet like this again. I just had to see my little girl's first child. He's going to be brilliant. I just know it. Hello, Sam. Yes, hello! You are a little prince aren't you? Yes, I'll bet you are the prince of your parents' world. King and queen of the magicals with their little prince, I'm sure."
I'm floored that my mother even mentioned that. She steers clear of all things magic.
"Raise him right, Mina. Make us all proud," she says as she passes him back to me.
"I will."
"Right. Well, I'll leave you three to your lunch," she says, standing.
"Are you sure you won't join us?" Harry asks for my benefit, I'm sure.
"Yes. It's time for me to go," she says.
I pass Sam to Harry and hug her goodbye.
"Good bye … Mum," I whisper. "I still love you."
"I love you, as well, Mina. Be a good mother. Better than I was," she replies and then presses a kiss to my cheek. She bends and kisses Sam's forehead. "Good bye, Harry," she adds.
"Good-bye, Miranda," he replies.
And with that, she leaves.
Harry puts Sam back into his carrier and sits me down. I don't know what I was expecting, but that wasn't it.
"Are you ok?" he asks me.
"Um … yes. I'm fine."
"Do you need anything?"
Just then, Sam begins to wail.
"No, but I suppose he does," I say with a half-hearted laugh. I pick up my son and hold him close, deciding he must be hungry, so I dig out his bottle and feed him.
The waitress must have come by and Harry must have ordered for us because suddenly there's food in front of me.
"Have I been gone that long?" I ask.
"Yeah. Sam's just chewing on the bottle now. He's been done for sometime," Harry replies. "But you were so engrossed in him that I couldn't bear to interrupt."
Sam's almost asleep now, so I put him into his carrier and let him rest. I eat lunch with Harry and we eat in relative silence.
That night, I cry as we put Sam into his crib.
"It'll be ok, Mione," Harry says, rubbing my back as we stare at our baby.
I nod. "I know. It's just hard for now."
He's quiet.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you at the restaurant," I say.
"It's ok. I'm sorry I got angry as well. Ready for bed?"
"Yeah. Make the world go away?"
He kisses my forehead. "With pleasure." He scoops me up and carries me to our bedroom.
*Christmas Eve*
"Santa's coming tonight, Sam! Yeah!" Harry says to the baby. "Were you a good little boy?"
"Well, as long as Santa missed that episode with him peeing on Uncle Ron!" I kid as I put Sam into his red pajamas.
"Now, that wasn't his fault! And he was just getting Uncle Ron ready. One day he'll have a boy and he needs to know the tricks for it."
I smile. "Ok. If you say so."
Sam laughs at us. "See? Even your son thinks you're being strange," I chuckle.
"Samuel Harry Potter! I'm hurt!" Harry cries as he reaches in and tickles our baby.
Sam squeals with delight and Harry is beaming. It's moments like this where I realize how lucky I am. This Christmas, the only gift I need is to be with my boys.
We both kiss Sam goodnight and stare at him for a few minutes.
"Come on, Santa Potter. I've got an early Christmas present for you," I say suggestively.
"Do you?" he replies. "Let's go! I can't wait to unwrap it!"
He tosses me over his shoulder and carries me to our room.
*Christmas Day*
I wake and find Harry is up already. I certainly don't have to wonder where he is. I walk to the nursery and find my guys. Harry is holding Sam in the rocking chair, talking softly to him.
"Happy Christmas!" I say.
"Happy Christmas!" Harry replies. He looks down. "Baby's first Christmas."
"Yes it is. Are you ready to open the gifts?"
"Of course!"
"Great. You get Sam changed - because you know he'll need it - and I'll be right back," I say before running back to the bedroom.
I get into my jewelry box and pull out the mother's ring Harry bought me. I remember after giving birth to Sam, I glanced down and saw that an opal had appeared on the ring between my sapphire and Harry's ruby. I was so glad that I wore it that night to the ball so that I could see it on the day of Sam's birth.
I return to the nursery to find Harry putting Sam's hat on. (We bought him a little Santa suit, but we're not putting him in that until we leave. For now, the hat is cute enough) "Well, Mum, what do you think?"
I begin to cry. "Let me get the camera!" I say. I run out and come back to snap a few pictures of Harry and Sam. Harry insists that we need some of me with him.
"Harry! I look dreadful! Wait until later," I protest.
"Take your son!" he says, holding Sam out. "I want a picture of you guys. And you look beautiful, so hush!"
"Fine," I mutter as I pose with our son.
We head downstairs and open all of our presents. Sam seems a bit more interested in the fire in the fireplace than he does of anything we bought him. But that's ok. I'm having too much fun reveling in my first baby's first Christmas.
Next up is a trip to the Burrow. Everyone will be there, but at least Sam will have lots of other babies to keep him company.
We finish putting Sam into his suit and we Apparate to the Burrow.
"Happy Christmas," we say to announce our arrival.
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!" everyone screams back.
Sam begins to sniffle at being startled, but I hold him close.
"Sorry, buddy, but you're going to have to get used to everyone being loud," I whisper to him.
Ron and Luna run to us and hug us. Why is she looking at me like that?
"Happy Christmas!" she says.
"Happy Christmas," I reply a bit suspiciously.
"Ronald, darling, we really should check on the girls," she says. "See you two later!"
And with that, the two of them walk away. What on earth was that all about? She knows perfectly well that we won't see them later. It's impossible to see anyone properly at the Burrow on Christmas.
After an hour of chaos and then another hour of chaotic gift opening, Molly demands our presence at the table so that we will eat lunch together.
Once the meal is finished, we gather up our gifts, say goodbye to everyone and then head to my parents' house.
"Happy Christmas!" everyone says at once.
Mum rushes over and snatches Sam up.
"Look at this outfit!" she squeals. "Sammy, come here, Grandma just wants to kiss you and snuggle you!"
"She's a bit excited," my father says as he hugs me.
"I see that. You know, Mum, you did see us 3 days ago."
"Pfft! Now he's dressed like this!"
"Well, will you at least greet us?" I ask.
"Oh! I'm sorry, sweetie!" she says as she stands up and hugs us … and then resumes playing with Sam.
"Well, it was better than nothing," Harry says with a sigh.
I don't blame Mum, she never had a baby of her own, so of course she wants to play with Sam.
"Em, dinner is in an hour. Try not to eat the baby!" my father calls to her.
She waves her hand dismissively at him.
"Well, we can always get started on the gifts and let her catch up," he says.
We open all the gifts and put Sam in the swing that my parents bought for him for their house. We chat for a while and then it's time to eat more. The problem with holidays like this is the amount of eating we have to do.
Finally it's time to actually return home.
We place Sam in his crib and just stare at him. I put him in his green pajamas that match Harry's eyes beautifully. Those green eyes that can hold me in an instant.
"He's the best present I've ever gotten," Harry whispers.
"Yes, he is," I agree. "He makes everything we've gone through worth it."
Harry nods.
We tuck Sam in, turn on the nightlight and head to bed, discussing the day's events. I bring up Luna's strange behavior, but Harry chalks it up to it being Luna. I guess we'll have to see.
"Good night, Harry. I love you," I mumble.
"Good night, Mione. I love you too. Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas," I mumble even more incoherently.
*New Year's Eve*
"I'm pregnant!" Luna announces before I can get the first bite of New Year's Eve dinner in my mouth.
Harry literally spits out his pumpkin juice.
"Luna, sweetie, I think you shocked them," Ron says, passing a napkin to Harry.
"You could say that!" Harry says.
"But it's wonderful!" I exclaim. "When are you due?"
"At the beginning of August. I'm actually two months along, but Ronald and I thought waiting to tell everyone would make a great New Year's surprise."
"And a surprise it was," Harry adds.
"Don't mind him," I say. "He's just upset because he made a mess of the table."
Harry sticks his tongue out at me.
"Wait! This is why you gave me that strange look on Christmas at the Burrow!" I tell Luna.
"You got it," she says, taking another bite.
"Come on now! I haven't been a mother long enough to understand the 'look language'!"
"You will soon enough," she laughs.
The guys are giving us the strangest looks.
"What do you think you're having this time?" I ask.
"I think it's a boy. I'd love to have a boy now," Luna answers.
"Just watch changing those diapers, Ron," Harry jokes.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Potter," Ron grumbles.
"Hey, wait. If you're baby is due before September, then Sam and your baby will be in the same year at Hogwarts! If you have a boy, they'll be roommates!" Harry says with pride.
"Excellent!" Ron shouts, holding his hand up for a high-five.
Harry gives him one as Luna and I roll our eyes.
"Great, the third generation of Marauders," I sigh.
This gave such potential for the New Year!
*5 months later*
I cannot believe that my Sam just turned 7 months old. He's got a laugh that makes everything right for me and I was right when I said he would have his father's grin. Sam smiles at me and all I can see is Harry. He's going to break hearts, I just know it.
Luna is trying to get Sophie to eat lunch while I sit here with Sam watching Ron chase after Cordy. True to Luna's words, Miss Cordelia is the troublemaker.
"Sam, see that girl out there? Never act like her," I whisper.
He just laughs in response.
Today we're having a picnic with Ron and Luna and their girls at a park here in Godric's Hollow. Just something nice to getaway from the everyday. With all the kids, it's been more difficult to get together.
Over the last few months, Harry has been scrambling to help Remus with his baby issues. He's contributed to St. Mungo's to build the Prongs, Padfoot and Moony Center for Lycanthropy. They're making amazing advances now and Harry is sure that something will be done for Remus and Tonks soon.
He's also putting in good words at adoption agencies. So, we shall see what happens.
"Cordelia Sara Weasley!" Ron yells. "Get over here!"
"Oh dear. Here we go," Luna sighs. "The girls have made a game out of this. They know eventually, Ronald will summon them, so they hide."
The giggles of a two-year-old can be heard.
"Ronald! We're waiting for her. You might as well just do it," Luna says.
"She's so grounded," Ron mutters as he raises his wand. "Accio Cordelia!"
The little girl comes flying from behind the trees, laughing her heart out. Ron catches her and begins to yell at her, but the smile on her face lets him know that it's not working. He sighs, straps her to her booster and sits between her and Harry.
Lunch is fantastic and we laugh throughout, talking about memories and watching the children.
After we clean up, we pop the kids into their strollers and take a walk around the lake.
"Feels like old times, eh?" Ron says.
"Only now there are strollers," Harry laughs.
"True," Ron agrees.
The rest of the day is spent like this: a lazy afternoon with friends.
Once we get home, Sam is out like a light. We definitely wore him out today.
We get him into his crib and climb into bed.
"When do you think he'll start showing magical ability?" Harry asks me.
"I don't know," I reply. But he's just 7 months old, so let's give him some time."
"No, no. It's not that I think he should be doing magic now. I'm just curious to see when he does it."
"I'm sure it'll be sooner than anyone expects!"
Harry smiles. "He'll be a show off like his mother."
"Like his mother? I'm sorry, what about his father? Perhaps you'd like to think back to our Hogwarts days and how you would -"
I don't get to finish that thought, because Harry cuts me off with a kiss. And with the way this kiss is heating up, I doubt I'll get to finish my argument.
***
Ok, here's Sam's Santa suit for anyone who wants to see it.
I think we'll be doing some big jumps next chapter. Hopefully. These characters keep having other ideas.
Thanks to alayneni and Lady Starlight for catching my typo! blush