~ Our Story ~ (In those 19 years)

Chapter 87

Chapter 87: The sky has one more star

After making sure to spoil my wife on her birthday, we both make sure to spoil Lily three days later on her first birthday.

We start the day off by singing to her as she claps her hands. She squeals when we finish and hand her a present.

Albus, being the kind older brother, helps her unwrap it, as she hasn't entirely gotten the concept of unwrapping a gift.

We got her, just like we did for all three boys, a personalised broomstick. Both Teddy and James have long outgrown theirs but Albus still likes to fly through the garden on his. Although he's almost outgrown it too, he treasures it dearly.

While Lily has her short eleven o'clock nap, Teddy helps Ginny and me to get the garden ready to receive the family, who will be coming around one o'clock.

The weather's nice, which will make it fun for all the kids to play outside, so Ginny and I make sure to get the sprinkler out.

Once Lily's awake, the first guests arrive. Of course, it's Hermione, Ron and their kids, who come on time.

Not that we mind because it gives us the opportunity to do a few more things as Rose and Hugo immediately start playing with Lily, Albus and James. Teddy joins them after making sure he didn't have to help anymore.

Soon after, the rest arrive and everyone starts talking with each other. All the kids play with each other, being careful of the younger ones, those being Lily, Hugo, Hope and Louis.

Unfortunately, Luna and her boys couldn't come but the kids have fun either way.

At the end of the day, when everyone has left, I find Lily asleep in the garden, which is understandable as she missed her second nap today.

I carefully pick her up and take her inside. I lay down on the sofa and watch her sleep peacefully.

Once she's slept for about an hour, I do what I hate to do, which is waking up a sleeping baby. I really don't like waking up sleeping babies but if I don't wake her up, she won't sleep when we put her to bed tonight.

Lily wails a little after being woken up but I manage to calm her down.

We have dinner in silence and decide to send the children to bed soon after. As predicted, it takes Lily the longest to fall asleep.

Although it pained us to hear, we let her cry for twenty minutes until she went silent. I did go upstairs to check but she was asleep.

*

After coming home after a long day of work at the start of November, the phone starts ringing. As no one else is home (James is at school and Ginny went to her parents with the other three) I go to pick it up.

"Hello, Harry speaking," I say.

I must say, I'm quite surprised when I hear who is on the other end.

"Hi Harry, it's Andromeda," she says, sounding weak.

"Hi Andromeda, is everything alright?" I ask her before she sniffs.

"Would it be a problem for you to come over? I have to tell you something but I want to tell you in person," she says and I nod before realising that she can't see that.

"Of course, I'll be over in five minutes, I'm just going to change out of my work attire and write Ginny a note to tell her I'm gone. Will you be okay until then?" I tell her.

"Of course! Thank you," Andromeda says and breaks the connection.

I quickly do what I told Andromeda I would do and then put on my cloak and get ready to Apparate.