Disclaimer: Of course I own everything! It's only that… err… I don't.
Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I'm sorry for the long delay. The alternating of lack of time and writers' block is a killer!
Chapter 7
Two days later…
"So, Uncle George?"
George knew what was coming and tried to avoid it.
"I've always loved coming to the Burrow," he said sentimentally. "My dear old place, it seems like yesterday when we – "
"Uncle George – "
"Yes, Rose?"
"Can I have the potion?"
"Hush! Talk quietly," George hissed, looking warily for his mother or worse – Rose's mother – at the Burrow, you could never know who would pop in the room any minute.
Rose looked disappointed. George sighed – he hated to see the little ones disappointed, especially when he was the reason. Rose had asked him for this particular favor three days ago and he had sail that he would consider it. Unfortunately for Rose, he had decided that helping his niece improve her looks would not worth risk the wrath of his sister in-law.
Unless, of course…
"You don't want the potion for yourself, do you?"
Rose blinked and looked at him with big, confused eyes – the picture of innocence. "Of course I want it for myself – "
George grinned, now completely sure about his conclusion. "No, you don't. Look, tell your good old Uncle what's going on and maybe, when you come to the jokeshop tomorrow morning, I'll look to the other side – "
Faced with this promise, Rose did not hesitate. "For Fred and James."
Now, it was George's turn to blink confusedly. Then, he burst out laughing. "Fred and James!" he hiccupped. "You want them to sprout boobs?"
Rose nodded. "That's exactly what I want."
George started laughing harder. "I'll give you the strongest potion," he promised. "The effect will last a whole day. Now, can I get to know what they did to deserve your fury?"
"Let's say that they made a bet on something that was none of their business," she said.
"And that's it?"
Rose sighed, irritated. "They promised me that they would never bet on me again," she said. That had happened a few years ago, when her cousins had bet against each other about her love life and James, desperate that he was going to lose, had fed her a love potion and made her fall in love with Zach Burns. Some of the things that she had done in her inebriated state were so shameful that Rose felt the blush creeping up on her cheeks even now. They had promised that they would never bet on her again and being the stupid girl that she was, she had believed them. No, Fred and James deserved to be punished. They would be punished.
"Good," George said, smiling. "I suppose every prankster should get pranked from time to time – that refreshes the brain, believe me. So, tomorrow morning I'll be expecting you."
"I love you, Uncle George!" Rose exclaimed and hugged him affectionately. "You are my favorite saint! Each night before I go to bed, I will pray to you: Dear Holey Uncle George, send me more of your wonderful products."
"I am touched." George wiped an imaginary tear from his eye and they shook on the deal.
"Hey, what's going on here?"
James Potter was standing at the doorway, looking suspiciously at their hands. He knew what a handshake with Uncle George meant, having too much experience with those himself.
Fortunately, Rose was saved before James' suspicions could take a more distinct shape. Her rescuer was, the surprise of all surprises, Lily Potter, who entered the room and looked at her. "Can I talk to you?"
"Sure," Rose said, trying to hide her surprise.
"Are the things going to be all right again?" James gasped.
His uncle firmly took him by the shoulder and led him towards the door. "What's going on here is not meant for our ears, James."
The boy looked astounded by his uncle's unexpected sensibility. Things got clearer only when George closed the door behind them and then immediately let go off James and they both pressed their ears against the door.
Inside, Lily and Rose were looking at each other. Neither of them knew how to start this conversation. Finally, Lily said, "I was at Victoire's a few days ago. She told me that you really never meant to hurt me… or lie to me."
Rose nodded. "That's true."
"But somehow, you managed to do both." Lily's voice was neither angry, nor questioning – she was just stating a fact.
"I know and I am sorry. More than you can possibly imagine."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Lily asked. "All you had to do was say, 'He's mine' and everything would have been so simple."
Rose folded her arms across her chest, searching for answer. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "I was afraid."
Lily nodded. "Good." She smiled. "I am glad to know that you were afraid. That day, you almost pull my hair up by the roots."
"You had some good blows, too."
Lily shrugged. "Comes from living with two brothers, I suppose. Sorry for calling you… what I called you. And sorry for really meaning it."
Rose rolled her eyes. "I swear in Merlin's beard, Lily, you have no rivals in the field of apology."
" Right." Lily grinned. "But I want you to tell me something."
"What is it?"
"Does he kiss as greatly as you can imagine just looking at him?"
"Do I have to answer that question?"
"You already did," Hugo said darkly, entering the room, followed closely by James. "You just gave me nightmares for the next month, Rose. Do you know what kind of trauma may I get for being forced to listen to the details about my sister's sex life?"
Rose huffed. "Nobody forced you to listen," she reminded her brother. "And you didn't get any trauma two years ago, when you spied on Mum and Dad in their bedroom."
James and Lily burst out laughing. Hugo's face turned scarlet. "I never did such a thing!" he cried indignantly.
Rose only arched an eyebrow.
"That's – that's – hilarious," James finally managed to say between his fits. "Ickle Hughie… ickle Hughie was very, very curious, who knew that? Out Hughie – "
Hugo gritted his teeth at his sister, but blew his anger at James by knocking him down on the floor. Immediately after that he turned on his cousin, who responded in the typical family manner.
Rose and Lily tried to separate the two boys, but without much success. They were just going to call someone to help, when the help itself appeared, taking the form of Teddy Lupin, who had come to tell them that lunch was ready.
One quick look was enough for the young Metamorphmagus to realize what the situation was. "Grandma Molly!" he called. "Come here and see your grandsons playing fools."
James and Hugo immediately let go of each other and looked around in fear. Teddy smirked. "I won," he declared.
"That was cheating!" James cried.
"No, that was winning the battle without a single blow. Come on, lunch is ready."
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Two days later…
"She's all wet!" Scorpius cried disgustedly. "She's making me wet!" Now, he sounded panicked, while he was keeping Julia at an arm's length from his body.
Rose laughed, Teddy grinned, and Victoire said gently, "That's something that babies do quite often, Scorpius."
"Yes, I know, but did she really have to do it all over me?"
Rose looked at the undoubtedly smug expression on Julia's little face. "I think that the answer is 'yes'," she said honestly.
Scorpius only groaned.
"Rosie, Rosie, look at me!" Alan was jumping on the sofa to attract Rose's attention, changing his hair long and silver, like his mother's. Rose smiled at him.
"Very impressive, young sir. Now, can you make your eyes match it?"
Alan's face lit up "Do you want me to?"
Rose nodded. "Yes, I do."
The little boy immediately changed his eyes silver, then both hair and eyes blue, then green, then –
"Scorpius!" he yelled indignantly. "You're not looking at me. Don't you like me morphing?"
"I simply love your morphing," Scorpius lied and prayed for it to be over soon.
Victoire stood up. "I'll go to see whether the dinner is ready," she said.
Her son had heard his favourite word. "Dinner!" he screamed and ran in the kitchen. Almost immediately, there was a sound of breaking glass which turned out to be enough to make Julia burst into loud wails.
"How many times did I have to tell him!" Teddy exclaimed and started rocking the baby.
Scorpius looked at Rose, completely dumbfounded. "Dear Merlin, Rose! How can two children manage to create such havoc?"
"That's one of the unsolved mysteries of the humankind," the girl answered dryly and hurried to help Victoire.
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An hour later…
Ron's face appeared in the fire almost immediately after Teddy threw the Floo Powder in the flames. "So?" he asked eagerly.
Teddy grinned. "Mission accomplished."
The relief that appeared on Ron's face was almost comic. "Are you sure?" he asked. "How did you do it?"
Teddy shrugged. "It's a secret," he said. "It's enough for you to know that you won't have any Malfoy grandchildren while Rose is still at Hogwarts."
Ron started smiling. "That's good."
"Now, about my end of the bargain," Teddy said. "Tomorrow at six?"
"I'll be there," Ron promised.
A few minutes later, Teddy had finished his conversation with Ron and was making another Firecall. This time, it was Astoria Malfoy who answered him. "Teddy!" she smiled, when she saw him. "How are you? How is Victoire? And how are the children?"
"Everyone is okay, Astoria," Teddy said. He had always been fond of her. "I'm afraid that Scorpius will be a little shaken when he gets home. My monsters were completely uncontrollable."
She smiled. "So that was your great plan? To scare him and Rose out of their wits?"
Teddy laughed without denying.
"You know, you would have dealt very well in Slytherin," Astoria said slowly.
Teddy grinned again. "Was that a compliment?"
"Well, yes. Thank you. I am really awfully young for becoming a grandmother."
"And too beautiful," the young Metamorphmagus winked.
Her lips twitched. "I'll take them on Sunday at four o'clock."
Teddy choked. "When your in-laws are visiting? Lucius will have a heart attack!"
Astoria smiled slowly. "That, my dear Teddy," she said slowly, as if she were talking to a very small child, "is the whole idea."
Teddy grinned back, already planning the two romantic evenings that he was going to surprise Victoire with. He had already done the most hardest task – he had managed to find babysitters for the two kids.
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And that was it. I'll miss that story, although I am glad that I finished it. I'll appreciate it if you tell me what you think about this final chapter.
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