A Paradox In Time

A Strand Down the Middle

Lily started by delicately taking a large section of hair in her hands and dividing it into four, even strands.

She placed the first strand carefully over the second one, continuing under the third and back up over the final strand. From this position, she took the new third strand, crossed it over the second one and under the first strand. She repeated the procedure until she could see that the braiding had a very obvious strand in the middle. It was going well, and Lily smiled to herself that she hadn't forgotten this complicated technique.

The little girl, sat obediently still in the crook of her lap, turned her head up as Lily paused to admire her handiwork.

"Will I look pretty when you are finished, Miss Lily?"

Lily smiled down. "I think you already look pretty ... Miss Hermione."

The little girl beamed back up radiantly. "Will you put daises in my hair when you are done? I have some. I like daisies."

Hermione held out her tiny hands and offered Lily the white and yellow flowers she had collected from the garden. She had crushed some of them in her eagerness to not miss a single one.

"I can do that, sweetie," Lily replied. "And how about I put a big lily at the top?"

"Ooh! Because you're called Lily! Can you? Pleeeasse?"

Lily laughed softly. "Of course I will."

"Pleeeaassee! Pleeaassee! Ha ha ha. Pleeasse!"

Lily and tiny Hermione turned to the sing song voice just to their right. It was coming from baby Harry, who was turning Hermione's plea into a funny sort of rhyme to entertain himself.

"What's his name?" Hermione asked, turning her head up to Lily.

"It's Harry. He's my little boy."

"Why cant he say his own name?" Hermione demanded with a little frown.

"He can, sometimes," Lily replied. "He just cant talk as well as you can yet, for you're ever such a clever little girl. Perhaps you could help him?"

Hermione gave a cute sort of huff and turned to Harry, as Lily continued on with her braid.

"Can you say my name?" Hermione said briskly to Harry. "Try it ... Her-my-oh-knee."

Harry scrunched his brow. "Her-me-only."

"No, no, you're doing it all wrong!" tiny Hermione giggled, mildly cross at her failure to teach Harry perfectly with her first try. "Her-my-oh-knee! Like this."

Then she reached out with both hands and lightly pinched Harry's lips together, contorting them to try and help him form the sounds properly. He still couldn't, so Hermione gave up and let go.

Then Harry brushed his lips against her knuckles as she tried to move away.

"He kissed me!" Hermione giggled in surprise. "He kissed my fingers! Aww! Did you see, Miss Lily?"

"I did," Lily smiled down fondly. "I think he must like you."

"I'll like him too, then," Hermione announced decisively.

Just then, David and Catrin Granger entered the living room. David was carrying a tray of tea and biscuits, while Catrin had two beakers of apple juice for the children.

"Harry's okay with juice?" Catrin checked, before passing the beaker to Harry's eager, outstretched little hands.

"Oh yes," Lily smiled. "James - that's Harry's father - and I often joke that he'll drink apple juice until he's eighteen - then it will be cider in his glass after that!"