Being Parents

First Times

Neville and Hannah Longbottom left for their honeymoon in South America and would only be back the day before school started again. A couple of days after the wedding, Luna and Rolf said their farewells and also departure off to Africa where they would explore for the next six months. Ginny cried her eyes out when she had to say goodbye to Luna, making her promise to be back for James's first birthday.

August arrived and Angelina was getting huger and huger by the day and more worried by the minute. The thought of having her child after August 31st was inconceivable to her. Her husband and Ron were on their final arrangements for the grand opening of the Hogsmeade store in September. 

Hermione was on her last month in the Department of Regulation of Magical Creatures and soon would be working on the same floor as Harry. Ginny was getting her head around the fact Teddy would start school soon and she was going to start on the Prophet. She smiled at the thought of having free passes to so many Quidditch games around the UK and the world. 

Molly had pretty much arranged a daycare in the Burrow. Fleur had also gotten a job in Gringotts with Bill; she had been going crazy around the house and Bill understood her. They weren't planning on having more kids, Victoire was five, Dom was over one and Mrs. Weasley almost begged to take care of them. Both Fleur and Ginny thanked her and agreed to leave them kids with her. Molly was overwhelmed with the prospect of having her grandchildren everyday with her. 

One afternoon, pushing into the third week of the hot summer month, Ginny went picnicking with James and Teddy in London. It was a sunny and warm day and Ginny couldn't be at home anymore. Ginny sent Pandora out with a note for Harry, letting him know where they were in case he left the office early, Flory packed her a picnic basket with lots of food, beverage and a cloth and Ginny took the kids to the Hyde Park.

The redhead loved London in the summer. She thought back to the first summer after she graduated from Hogwarts and how Harry and her used to go out and explore the city. They went to West End plays which were so much more entertaining than the movies Harry and Hermione liked so much. Dinner over candlelight and walks beside the Thames river. She remembered the night they first got intimate and how natural it all rolled out. They were having just the perfect day: World War II museum in the morning, strolling around Victoria Park in the afternoon, dinner on Trafalgar Square. When they got back to Grimmauld Place that night, everything connected. Ginny was so deep in her thoughts she didn't hear Teddy calling out for her.

"MUMMY!" Teddy cried, bringing her back to the present.

"Yes, love?" Ginny replied with a apologetic smile.

"Can I go play with those boys over there with that weird ball?" Teddy requested.

Ginny looked over where Teddy was pointing. There were five boys calling Teddy out to play. She nodded as Ginny saw each one of the boys' mothers smiling and waving at her. She did the same and started to watch little Teddy who reached the others with a big smile. They all greeted and exchanged names. One named Jonah said he liked Teddy's hair while another, Sawyer, noted how cool it was.

"What are you playing?" Teddy innocently asked. 

"Football, of course." Jonah answered. "Don't you play?" 

Teddy shook his head and so the other boys explained to him how to play, dividing themselves into two teams and beginning the 'match'. Her godson seemed to have got the hang of game pretty well and Ginny was pleased. Some time after the kids started playing, one of the mothers came to greet the young witch. 

"Hi, there!" A woman started. She looked older than Ginny, maybe mid-thirties with a long brown hair and deep blue eyes. "I'm Lauren. Lauren Goldstein." She extended her hand to Ginny.