Disclaimer: Anything that looks familiar belongs to JK Rowling. I am not she. Everything else is mine.

A/N: Written for LJ helmetfest2008 with the prompt: Scars

Takes place in the Epilogue future.

Feedback: Always appreciated.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

By Xedra

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon at the Burrow.

While Ginny and Hermione were in the kitchen chatting with Molly, Ron and Harry were squaring off once again over the wizard's chessboard.

Ron sprawled lazily in his chair, his eyes twinkling with amusement at how intensely Harry surveyed the board. Having been trounced three times already, Harry's King sat slumped in his tiny throne scowling up at his player and glaring over at his Queen in the corner of the board, who was batting her eyes at an enemy Knight that looked all too eager to capture her.

The sound of feet thundering down the stairs was followed immediately by two little boys tearing through the living room. In perfect synchronization, Harry and Ron reached one arm out and snagged the boys around their waists, both of them pulling a son onto his lap for a hard tickle. The boys howled and giggled until they were limp and struggling weakly to sit up.

"Uncle Ron, we gotta go!" Albus panted, hooting softly with laughter as he recovered, his arms wrapped tight around his belly to ward off more tickling. "We gotta save Lily!"

Ron's eyebrows lifted in surprise, "Save her?"

Hugo nodded fiercely, "Yeah, James kidnapped her. He's leaving clues outside so we can be Aurors and find her. "

"He thinks he's so smart and we won't figure it out," Albus lifted his little chin smugly, "but he doesn't know the *best* Aurors are on the job. Look!" He pushed his shaggy black bangs aside to reveal a large lightning bolt scrawled in red marker on his forehead. "Just like yours, Daddy."

Hugo yanked up his shirtsleeves and thrust his arms out toward Ron. "And see mine, see mine?" Thick purple lines looped around his skinny arms.

Ron looked down at his son smiling brightly at him, and felt a sudden tightness in his throat. He glanced over at Harry, and saw the same surprise and swell of pride in his eyes.

Harry cleared his throat and set Albus on his feet. Taking out his wand, he circled it around his King and murmured a spell that transfigured it into a small pair of round spectacle frames sans glass. He placed them on his son's face. "There! You're all set now."

Ron bounced Hugo a couple of times on his knee to hear him laugh again, them set him on his feet also and ruffled the top of his son's bright red hair. "Couldn't look more like me if you tried. Go on, now, the both of ya."

The boys proceeded to run and holler their way outside. When Ron and Harry turned their attention back to their game, they both rolled their eyes to see The Black Queen and Red Knight waltzing around the board amidst a mixed circle of applauding pawns.