The Parent Trap

Chapter Twenty-One: A Different Plan in Mind

              "So did you break the news to Lily yet?" Ron asked Harry as they stood underneath a shade tree, what watching the kids play a couple of rounds of Quidditch at the Burrow seeing as Molly invited everyone over for a big, family dinner.

              "Yeah, I did." Harry nodded. "I had began to tell her about it myself when Lilah showed up out of the blue and practically pressured me into telling Lily right then and there," Harry said as he rolled his eyes.

           "How did Lily take it?" Ron asked not totally surprised at his best mates irritation. Ron had never been a fan of Lilah ever since Harry had introduced her to him after their first date. Sure, he had been the one to nudge Harry back into the dating world but in all honesty, Harry could have picked a better woman than her. About a week after Harry had introduced them, Ron had used his investigative skills and decided to do a little digging on Lilah Sanderson, but other than her being a half-blood witch and her father owning one of the biggest wizarding world hotel franchises, 'Sanderson and Family Hotels', there wasn't much about her.

            Ron never told Harry, or rather anyone for that matter, on his investigation. What would he say? So he just decided to let his best mate be happy, even if he did think she was an annoying, stuck up twit with a stick up her arse. Afterall, his best friend deserved to be happy after being single for damn near a decade.

          "She was rather upset at first, she didn't even speak to me for the rest of the night." Harry replied, still feeling a little bit guilty from keeping his engagement to Lilah from his little girl a secret over the last couple of months. "She even admitted to me that she thought I wouldn't love her as much once Lilah and I got married."

        "Really?" Ron asked as his crystal blue eyes grew wide with awe. Harry nodded his head as he watched his daughter, Dylan and Jenna fly high on their broomsticks, as they raced one another to the goal post. "Surely she understands that would never happen. She's your entire world."

         "That's what I explained to her. But then she brought up another inquiry." Harry drifted off as he reflected back to their conversation from the previous day.

         "Such as?" Ron asked, cocking his head to the side as he furrowed a brow.

        "Why her mother left us ten years ago." Harry said, turning his full attention to Ron.

        Ron shut his eyes and sighed. 'I knew she was bound to ask him sooner or later.' "And what did you tell her?"

          "The truth. How it was pretty much my fault that Hermione took off without a second glance."

         "Harry," Ron spoke as he placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "I've told you time and time again, her leaving wasn't your fault." Harry just shook his head, turning his attention to the children who flew down to the ground to start a game of Exploding Snap.

         "How did she handle that? It must have been awful hard for you to relive that memory over again." For the last ten years, Ron has watched Harry avoid ever mentioning Hermione. He knew the gaping hole in his friend's heart would never fully heal. Ron nearly spent three nights a week at Potter Manor while his friend nearly cried himself to sleep. He recalled the nights he would check on Lily as she slept while Harry was in his room, looking over their wedding album. He'd peek through the crack left in the doorway and watch as Harry would casually wipe tears from his swollen eyes. But he had to give the man credit, he did a hell of a job raising Lily on his own.

        "She told me it wasn't my fault, that I had been doing what I thought was best for our family."

        "Smart kid." Ron said as a smile formed in the corner of his mouth. "Do you think about Hermione?"

        "I'd be a liar if I said I hadn't. How could I not? Nearly all of my childhood memories have nothing but you and her in it. Sure, I've tried like hell to forget about her, but I can't. How do you forget about someone who you pledged the rest of your life too? Forgetting her means forgetting Hailey. There's no way in hell I can ever do that."

        "I miss her too mate. Hell, I can't tell you how many times Luna wishes she would come back home and everything would go back to the way it was."

       "You're a lucky one, Ron." Harry told him as his eyes drifted over to Luna and little Christina who were sitting on the grass playing patty cake.

        "How's that?"

        "You have two kids, a perfect marriage, and a loving family."

         "They're your family too, Harry." Ron told him.

         "You're right." Harry agreed as he gazed upon the family he'd come to know and love over the past nineteen years.

                                      *****Early the next morning*****

           "So, were you able to get information out of dad?" Lily whispered to her sister who was on the other end of the phone. She had just finished explaining to Hailey the events that took place prior to their parents getting together.

        "Yeah, it was a rather sad story actually." Hailey replied before recounting everything their father had told her two days prior.

          By the time Hailey was finished explaining to her the details that happened the night their parents last saw one another, Lily was wiping away tears from her face. "No wonder why Dad doesn't work long hours as the Head of the Auror Department." Lily realized.

       "Mom leaving really hurt him Lils. He changed his whole life around after that night, making sure you came first."

      "Then Lilah came around and ruined everything." Lily said darkly, narrowing her chocolate brown eyes.

      "Lily, I think we should tell them who we are soon. Dad's getting married in less than a month and we start Hogwarts not long after."

       "I think so too, but I have something a little different planned in mind."