teacher ((h.s))

chapter nine

"You can't catch me! You can't catch me!"

"No, I'm not IT, Jessica's IT!"

"No I'm not! You never even caught me!"

"Yes I did!"

"NO YOU DIDN'T!"

"When do we get cake?"

I watched as Lily glared at Jessica with her arms crossed over her tiny stomach. Jessica had tears in her eyes as she stubbornly jumped on the spot, claiming that she wasn't it.

Ellie just wanted cake.

Lily uncrossed her arms and pushed Jessica over and I gasped watching the little dark haired girl fall on her bottom. She let out a bloodcurling scream and her tears spilled down her cheeks at 100 miles per hour (or something like that).

I watched as Harry bolted to Jessica's side and gently hush the little girl, rubbing her back to calm her down.

"You're okay, Jessica. Shh, it's alright," he whispered. "Just a sore bum, you'll be alright. I'm sorry about Lily, she's not being very nice, is she?"

"N-No..." Jessica sniffled, rubbing her eyes.

"No, she's being a big meanie to you. But you're a princess!" Harry tickled the teary girl and she giggled softly, "And that means that you get better quicker with the click of your fingers on the count of three, okay?"

"Okay!"

"One," he put his hands on either side of her tiny waist. "Two," she screwed her eyes shut. "Three!" She clicked her fingers and was instantly lifted into the air with a tiny squeal. Harry whirled her around the garden and Jessica squealed in excitement, her face bursting with joy. All the little girls were staring up in awe and bouncing excitedly around them, chanting Jessica's name.

I laughed when Harry held Jessica up to the sky in a very Lion King moment and all the girls around him giggled, except for Lily. She didn't look amused at all.

In fact, she looked pretty darn jealous.

I was sitting on a little bench a few feet away from them with a glass of water in my hand. I was never going to tell him this, but Harry looked really good in a plain black shirt. Like, really good. Once he put the little girl down, a dozen more came his way, tugging on his shirt and begging him to lift them up.

"When I grow up, will you marry me?" A girl asked, looking up at him with wide eyes and a toothless grin. All the little girls burst into giggles and I couldn't help but laugh at the way Harry's whole face turned red.

"Uh, sure?" He chuckled. This made the tiny mermaid squeal and hug him tighter. Harry looked up at me in pretend fear and mouthed help me. I smile and shook my head at him, mouthing you're on your own, pal.

His attempts of fleeing the little girls failed when they somehow managed to tackle the lanky giant to the ground. I didn't even try to hold in my laughter this time, because now I was full on cackling with my eyes screwed tightly shut and my hand on my stomach.

"The kids love him." I sat upright at the gentle voice and saw Lily's mum smiling softly at the scene in front of her. I gulped down my water and coughed.

"Heh, yeah." I nodded. He really was good with kids, and I found myself smiling at the thought of a tired, fluffy haired man at 2am slowly rocking a baby back and forth and singing to them. "I uh, I didn't quite catch your name."

"Hmm? Oh, sorry! How rude of me," she giggled, extending a hand to me. "I'm Amelia. And you are?"

"Nina," I shook her hand and smiled kindly at her. God, she was stunning.