Chapter 10: Gifts

Harry, Ginny, their children, Fluffy, Teddy and Andromeda made their way back to Potter Manor after leaving The Burrow. It had been a happy and fun gathering for the extended Weasley, Potter and Lupin families. It was the first time since the war that Harry could remember being able to talk about Fred without fear of someone bursting into tears or retreating into themselves.

Harry had everyone sit in the front room while he went out back "to make some tea". In reality he was getting Pads and the owl from the kitchen where he had told them to stay till he got home. He was happy to find that they had done as they were told, Pads was lying in his new bed (Gryffindor colours) and the owl was sitting on Hercules' perch as Hercules had gone out hunting. Harry had been incredibly glad when he had introduced Hercules to this new owl and they had got on instantly. He had wondered if the lady in the shop had got it wrong, this owl was as loving and kind as Hedwig had been he just couldn't imagine that he had been hard to sell.

When both of the animals had seen Harry Pads immediately jumped up and tried to lick Harry's face and the owl had swooped down and planted himself on his shoulder.

'Ok, you two.' Harry said to them. 'I'm going to introduce you to my family. Now this is very important, you don't want to mess this up.'

Both animals were looking at Harry in a way that made him believe that they could hear and understand every word that he was saying.

'Pads.' he said to the dog. 'I need you to make the ginger girl fall in love with you. Then her mother won't be able to say no. Got it?'

Pads wagged his tail, Harry took that as a yes.

'And you.' he turned his head to look at the owl. 'I'm sorry I don't have a name for you yet, but you will have one before you leave here tonight.' the owl hooted softly in understanding. 'I need you to go to the person I brought you for. There is a young man in there with turquoise hair and I need you to love him, when no one else is there. He needs to be loved, and we can't always be there for him. So if you could do that for me especially when he's at Hogwarts, I can promise you that you can come here whenever you want to visit Pads and Hercules. Ok?'

The owl hooted again and nibbled Harry's ear affectionately, he took that as another yes.

'Alright then, lets go.'

He held the door open and the owl flew straight into the front room.

When Harry had made his own way into the front room with Pads at his heel he saw the owl sitting on Teddy's arm being stroked by a very happy Teddy. Harry was convinced that the owl looked over at him and winked when he walked into the room. Harry didn't think he had ever seen such joy in his Godsons eyes as was in them as he looked at his new owl and he didn't even know it was his yet.

Ginny looked up then, she looked as if she wanted to say something but didn't get the chance because as soon as she had opened her mouth Pads jumped up to her and licked her face.

No! Thought Harry, the other ginger girl! The adorable little one. Oh who was he trying to kid, his wife was adorable too. Maybe he should have told Pads to go to the little ginger girl, no that could still be confusing too. His wife had inherited Molly's height. Oh this is so confusing, he thought to himself. Now he thought about it every way that he described his daughter he described his wife also. Adorable, gorgeous, beautiful, ginger, cute, fantastic, wonderful they could be describing both of them, he even called them both "his girls".

It didn't seem to matter though as Harry watched his wife quickly fall in love with the dog. She looked up at him and smiled, and then it suddenly hit him Pads knew exactly what he was doing.

'I found something as I was cleaning the room we had been staying in.' said Harry looking at his now squirming children. He pulled out the list and cleared his throat about to read it, then looked at the three scarlet faces. 'Do I need to read this? Or do you all remember exactly what is written on this?'

'Daddy?' gasped Lilly. 'Does that mean, that he's mine?'

'Well Lilly-Bean.' said Harry. 'It means he's going to be the family pet because you already have Fluffy and you don't want Fluffy to get jealous do you?'

'No Daddy.' said Lilly seriously. Looking down at the Kneazle in her lap, she smiled and asked. 'Can he sleep in my bed?'

'No, I'm sorry sweetie.' answered Harry. 'He's going to have to sleep here.'

'But he needs to be warm and, and, and comfortable.' she said the last word slowly trying to make sure she said it right.

'He will be warm and comfortable.' said Harry.

When his daughter continued to look unconvinced Harry summoned Pad's bed from the kitchen and into the front room.

'See Lilly-Bean?' he asked. 'Pads will be comfortable and warm.'

His daughter nodded and smiled and then decided to join her mum and brothers in stroking their new dog.

'Pads?' said Ginny arching an eyebrow at him.

'The name he came with honest.' smiled Harry. 'When the lady at the shop told me his name I knew he was the dog we needed.'

'Wait a minute.' James almost yelled. 'So Lilly asked for a dog and now we have a dog, but it's a family pet. Does that mean I have a Firebolt but I've got share it with Al and Lilly?'

'No.' smiled Harry.

'No I haven't got a Firebolt or no I don't have to share it?' asked James.

Harry summoned the Firebolt. 'No you don't have to share it.'

'Thank you!' screamed James. 'Thank you, thank you Daddy! It's beautiful, I promise to take good care of her and take her out at least once a day.

Harry laughed at his sons antics comparing a broom to the new dog, and his broom was a girl?

'I though girls gave you the lurgy?' Harry asked James who was now stroking the broom handle as if it was in fact a very delicate small animal.

'They do.' he answered. 'But Uncle George always says that brooms are women. He says that only women would throw you off them if they decide that they don't want to fly any more. He also said that they've got to be women because men would never decide to stop flying.'

He said it so seriously that Harry was having a hard job to stop himself from laughing. When Ginny saw Harry shaking with suppressed laughter she shot him a dirty look and turned to her son.

'Remind me to have a talk with my brother the next time I see him?' she told him.

'Why?' asked James still not looking up from his broom.

'We need to have a chat about women in sports.' replied Ginny sweetly but Harry could hear the thinly veiled anger behind her words. 'I may have to remind him that the top scoring team in Quidditch in the last ten years has been an all female team and that his sister was one of them.'

'Uh huh.' said James clearly not listening to a word that his mother was saying. 'Can I go out and fly? Please?'

'No.' said Harry sparing his wife from saying it. 'It's late, it's dark and contrary to popular belief we don't actually want to lose you. How about we go flying tomorrow?'

'Just us?' asked James looking at his Dad with impossibly big eyes. Eyes that were the exact same as his mothers, eyes that Harry had not been able to say no to since he was twelve years old and he had saved Ginny in the Chamber.

'Just us.' smiled Harry.

James grinned at his father and hugged him. An extra Dad Day! He would be able to tell his Dad what he wanted as his extra gift, and he had promised him an extra one.

'Daddy, he's just like Uncle Doggy was!' squealed an ecstatic Lilly, still stroking a very placid Pads.

'I know, do you like him?' asked Harry.

Harry's answer was five identical grins (if you included the one Teddy was throwing him as he stood with the owl now perched on his shoulder).

'Harry?' asked Andromeda.

'Yes Andi.'

'Who is this?' she asked, now stroking the owl on her grandsons shoulder.

'Oh.' said Harry and everyone turned to look at him. 'Well you see when I went to buy a dog, this owl came down and sat on my shoulder and the lady in the shop was shocked because she said he didn't like anyone. But he seemed to like me and I sort of fell in love with him because he reminded me of... that doesn't matter. Anyway he needed a new home but I already have an owl and Hercules is great and we really don't need another owl.'

'Harry you're rambling.' smirked Ginny. 'And you're right he does look just like Hedwig used to.'

Harry smiled at his wife. She always knew what he was thinking and feeling, even when he didn't himself. A lot of people think that Ginny needed Harry to rescue her but anyone who knew them knew that Harry needed Ginny to rescue him from himself. Sometimes Harry's mind was so chaotic that he felt like he was drowning in it but then Ginny would just know what to do or say to bring him back. It could be something as simple as a smile or a very burnt slice of cake but sometimes she had to make him go see the psychiatrist that brought him back that last time. She didn't ever want to see her Harry like that again and as a result she knew all his mood changes and knew how to bring him back.

Harry took a deep breath looked at Andromeda apologetically and smiled at his Godson.

'What are you going to call him then Teddy?'

'What?' gasped a shocked Teddy looking at the owl on his shoulder. 'He's mine?'

'Of course.' said Harry simply. 'And he doesn't have a name. So what are you going to call him?'

'Owl.' said Teddy still looking at his new pet. Owl hooted in agreement to his new name and nuzzled his head into Teddy's cheek.

'Owl?' said James. 'That's not very creative.'

'Did your Dad never read you Winnie The Pooh?' asked Teddy incredulously. 'He always used to read it to me.'

'Yes of course he did.' retorted James. 'But he looks nothing like Owl. Owl is a Tawny Owl, that is a Snowy Owl, call him snow. Or Icicle, yeah call him Icicle!'

'No.' said Teddy. 'Owl in Winnie The Pooh was a wise Owl. And my Owl is a wise owl and for that reason he is called Owl!'

Harry smiled when Teddy said My Owl. It would seem that he had done the right thing by buying the owl for his Godson.

'Right well.' said Harry. 'Owl and Pads were best friends in the shop because they were the two animals that no one wanted, so when I brought them I told them that Owl would be able to come visit whenever he wanted.'

'Harry you do know that you can't actually talk to animals?' scolded Andromeda but the whole effect was ruined by the fact that she was smiling at him.

'They understand me, don't you?' Harry asked the animals.

Pads barked and wagged his tail and Owl hooted from Teddy's shoulder.

'See.' concluded Harry smiling.

Everyone started laughing except Lilly who was looking at her father in awe. She knew her Daddy was special but she didn't know he could talk to animals, maybe it was all to do with him being able to turn into Kitty? She'd have to ask him soon.

Harry was looking at Albus who hadn't said anything about his Brother, Sister and now Godbrother receiving gifts and him not. Albus rarely ever complained about anything, he was a very content child and Harry loved him to pieces for it, it gave him a break from James sometimes. Harry didn't even speak he just summoned the Junior Potioneer Kit into the front room where it landed on Al's lap.

The smile that lit up Al's face made everything disappear. Nothing else mattered at that moment to Harry except his sons smile and what a smile it was. Harry couldn't believe that he had thought about waiting until Christmas to buy Albus this. If he had known it would make him this happy he would have brought it the first day that he had found out about it. Albus put the kit gently on the sofa next to him and jumped into his fathers arms.

'Thank you Daddy.' he whispered, eyes glistening with happiness. 'Thank you!'

Ginny looked at the both of them, Harry could tell she was wondering what they were going to buy Al for Christmas now but he could also see how happy she was.

Albus was one of those children that was happy with a stick, he'd pretend that stick was a wand or a sword or a spoon to stir his potions with. For that reason he was always happy with whatever you brought him, if he didn't particularly like what it was he'd just pretend it was something else. So to see him this happy was one of the most amazing feelings in the world for both Harry and Ginny.

'Andi, Teddy.' said Harry softly. 'When we were in the past I took some pictures of certain things. Many of them are really just for me but some are for you two. If you don't want them just say so and I'll put them away with mine.'

Andi could see that Harry was quite nervous, she hadn't seen Harry nervous before it was quite a novelty for her to see. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pile of photos. Three of the photos that she could see had frames. He handed two with frames to Teddy and one to Andi.

Teddy looked at the photos he was handed and suddenly launched himself at Harry wrapping his arms around his Godfathers neck. It was due to Harry's brilliant reflexes that he didn't fall backwards on the floor from the force of Teddy's hug.

Andi prised the photos out of her Grandsons hands and saw a photo of Teddy, the real Teddy no Metamorphing just Teddy, asleep and wrapped around Remus Lupin. Tears pricked at her eyes she had never imagined that she would ever see a photo of her Grandson and his father together and it was one of the most wonderful things she had ever seen. It also made her realise just how much Teddy looked like his father, Teddy looked as much like Remus almost much as Harry did to James. She then looked at the other photo and let out a gasp of surprise, her dead son-in-law and her dead daughter stood smiling and waving at the camera while hugging her Grandson. She couldn't help it any longer, she gave over to the tears.

Teddy had never seen his Grandmother cry, and let go of Harry to try and comfort her but as soon as he had let go of Harry, she took his place. She sobbed into Harry's neck while repeatedly saying "thank you". After a couple of minutes she let Harry go, pulled herself together and smiled.

'I never thought I'd ever see pictures like these.' she explained holding up the photos. 'Thank you so much you kind wonderful man. Most people wouldn't even have thought about taking such photos, but you, you just had to didn't you? Thank you!'

'That's quite alright Andi.' Harry was uncomfortable by all the praise but at the same time very pleased that he had made her as happy as he had. 'I just thought if I could have had anything when I was younger it would have been a picture like those. I thought maybe Teddy would appreciate them.'

Teddy was still too emotional to speak so he just nodded in thanks to his Godfather. Owl came and perched himself on Teddy's shoulder and nuzzled himself into his neck, in an attempt to make Teddy feel better. Teddy's hand went up to stroke the Owls back and Harry smiled, it was one of the things that Hedwig used to do when she thought he was sad.

'Well, if that's all.' said Andi her voice still a little gruff. 'I think we should make our way home. Teddy do you have everything?'

While Teddy went to say goodbye to Ginny and the his God-Siblings Harry handed Andi the rest of the photos of Teddy and his parents (except the two that he was going to keep). He also put the letter that Tonks had given to him for her mother to the top of the pile. When she saw the handwriting on the envelope her eyes pricked with tears again, she looked up at Harry with understanding and slipped the envelope into her pocket. She would read it later, after Teddy was in bed, then she would read what her daughters final words to her would be.

When they had finished saying goodbye Andi steered her Grandson and his new owl to the fire to Floo home.

'Bed time!' Ginny said as soon as they had left.

For the first time in about four years there was no complaining in the Potter household to those words. Harry decided this was because his children couldn't wait till the next day when they could play with their new toys. Maybe he should buy them new things more often he thought, maybe he should buy them things, refuse to let them use them until the next day and then he would be able to go to bed at a normal time?

Ginny gave Lilly a bath and then put her to bed. James took his own shower while Albus read through the book that came with his Junior Potioneer Kit, his mind working furiously. He couldn't believe he finally had one and couldn't wait to make his first potion with it. He thought about making his Dad something special but decided against that, he decided in the end to make James a hopping potion (it made the person who drank it hop for the rest of the day), he just had to make sure that James wouldn't use it on him. He was only going to make it because James had taken all the flack for the eavesdropping incident when Albus should have taken at least a little of the blame. Yes he thought I'll make him a hopping potion in thanks but I'll also make the antidote just in case he decides to use it on me anyway. When James finished his shower Albus went to take his and put away the book.

James had just gotten into bed when his Dad came in the room. Harry took one look at his son and burst out laughing, the boy had actually put his broom next to him in the bed.

'When should your mother start planning the wedding?' He laughed, nodding towards the broom.

'Any time.' grinned James. 'Dad it's getting serious between us, I think I love her.'

Harry snorted at his son's antics. 'You might want to put her over there.' he said pointing to the foot of the bed. 'You don't want to roll over tonight, squish and then break the love of your life, do you?'

James eyes had widened comically large and he jumped out of his bed pulling the Firebolt with him and placed her gently on the floor at the foot of his bed, before sitting back down. Harry sat on the bed next to James at this point.

'I promised you two gifts.' Harry started slowly. 'I hope you don't mind but I brought you the other one without asking you what you wanted.'

He summoned the Broomstick Servicing Kit into the room and it landed on the bed next to James.

'I thought you'd like your own one.' he said. 'Seeing as you have your own broom now, I thought you wouldn't want to keep using you mothers and mine.'

James' eyes had initially widened with excitement upon seeing the kit but Harry could see a little disappointment in those eyes now. Had James already decided what he wanted? He should have asked his son what he wanted instead of just going ahead and buying something. Harry felt stupid, he hated seeing that look in his sons eyes.

'James.' he said softly. 'It's ok if you don't want it, we'll go out tomorrow and get you what you really wanted.'

James looked up at his dad at that moment. 'No.' he said. 'It's perfect it's just, it's nothing.'

He smiled but Harry could still see the disappointment in his eyes. He pulled his son into his arms he didn't know what was wrong. He said he was happy with his gift and the look on his face when he had first seen it made him think he really was happy with it, it couldn't be that. He thought that maybe he was missing the people he had just had to say goodbye to in the past.

'James it's ok to miss them.' he said rubbing his sons back.

'It's not that Dad.' said James. 'I'll miss them, of course I will. But I know they're in the past, I know I'll see them another day but not anytime soon.'

'Then what's wrong.' Harry asked.

Ginny had appeared at the door of her eldest sons room at this point unbeknown to both the occupants.

'It is what I brought isn't it? You wanted something else? Tell me, please?' he asked pulling his sons chin up so he could look into his eyes.

James looked at his father a few moments before ducking his head and burrowing into his fathers chest. He hadn't done it quick enough for Harry not to notice the look of embarrassment that came over his face. Before he had the chance to ponder over his sons embarrassment James started to speak.

'This.' he whispered. 'I wanted this.'

'What?' asked a deeply confused Harry.

'I wanted you to hug me like you used to, before I told you to stop.' came an embarrassed mumble from the James shaped lump at Harry's chest. 'I wanted you to call me your Lion again.'

'James you will always be my Lion.' said Harry his chest swelling with love and compassion. His son had actually wanted him to give him hugs as a gift? Was he that bad a father? 'I will always give you hugs.'

'I know.' mumbled James. 'But I stopped you. I asked you to stop doing it because I thought I was too old. But then I saw Teddy and he had no parents and when he did get them just for a few days he didn't care he just hugged them all the time. And then you hugged me and called me your Lion and I noticed that I missed it and I wanted you to do it again. But I didn't know how to ask for it again so I decided I'd ask for it as my extra gift.'

'You are my Lion.' said Harry pulling James' chin up again. 'You will always be my Lion. And I will have as many hugs as you can possibly ever want. I could literally hug my children to death.'

James giggled, it was a sound that Harry hadn't heard in a while and it sounded musical.

'I don't want you to call me Lion in front of other people though.' he said firmly. 'Only Mum, Al, Lilly and maybe Teddy. Ok?'

'Yes sir!' Answered Harry, saluting his son.

'Will you tuck me in now?' he asked, Harry smiled James hadn't asked Harry to tuck him in since he was five. Ginny left her place at the door then, she hadn't wanted to intrude but it was wonderful to watch her husband and son bonding the way they had. Maybe she should give Harry a gift for his good behaviour in the past, she thought wickedly.

Harry tucked James in and laid on the bed with him until he had fallen asleep, when his breath was coming deeper and a few light snores left his lips Harry finally stood. He looked down at his sleeping son and sighed, he had his Lion back. He hadn't really lost him, he'd always been there he was just hiding, now he was back and he was going to make sure he didn't hide from him again. He kissed his sons head and left the room.

When Harry closed the door to James' room he looked around and saw Pads on his bed at the top of the stairs. It looked like he had dragged his own bed up the stairs so he could keep an eye on them while they slept.

'You really are the true essence of Padfoot.' he said to the dog. Pads wagged his tail taking it as the complement it was.

Harry entered his dark bedroom, he knew Ginny was still awake but didn't bother putting the light on as he undressed for bed.

'We've got our very own guard dog out there you know?' he said to his wife. 'Pads has pulled his bed upstairs and is now lying just outside guarding us all from unknown forces.'

He slid into bed and as he was about to wrap his arms around his wife she moved and switched the light on. Harry's mouth went dry.

His wife. His beyond gorgeous wife was standing there in nearly completely see through white negligee. It was made even more see through by the soft light coming from the lamp and the moon.

'I thought, that since you were so good in the past and kept all the rules it's only fair that you get a gift too.' she practically purred as she crawled back onto the bed.

'I was very good.' whispered Harry reaching for the hem of the short dress like negligee.

'I know.' whispered Ginny.

Harry had managed to get the clothes off Ginny and cast some very strong silencing spells at the door.

I really should start giving out gifts more often thought Harry as he surrendered to the splendour that was his wife's body.

THE END!

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I hope all that have read this have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. And I hope you all join me in my continued quest into FanFiction.

Until net time, Goodnight! xx