The Hidden Half-Blood Prince

Chapter 30: 20 Years Later

"Sally, we don't have time for this, we need to go now or we're going to be late!"

"Just two more minutes, Dad!"

I groaned and fell back on the sofa in the living room. My hands came up to rub my face wearily. "Your uncles and aunt are not going to let me live this down." I muttered into my hands.

"She gets it from you."

I peeked between my fingers to see Penny walk through the kitchen door with a platter of her mother's and my mother's famous cookies. I leapt up from the sofa to grab a blue cookie before she could tell me otherwise. Through a mouth full of cookie, I said, "What do you mean she gets it from me?" I asked. "It's most definitely you. Do you know what she's doing right now? Homework. That she requested from Chiron so she could do it during the school year. Who asks for homework?"

"A Ravenclaw." Penny acknowledged with a nod. "But who doesn't have great time management skills?"

"That's not my fault," I pointed at her with what was left of the cookie. "Blame her grandfather for that."

"Alright, I'm ready now."

We turned to see our 15 year old daughter bouncing on her feet at the foot of the stairs. She took after Penny generally with her blonde hair and face shape (Penny disagrees with me on the face shape) but she definitely got her eyes from me. Among a few other things.

"Great!" I said, grabbing the cookie platter from Penny. "Let's go."

Floo was the more practical travel method for this trip because I had cookies and have gotten very good at not getting very ruffled when I walk through. Besides, we were only going to the Burrow. I only really used Vapor traveling when we were going to school or camp nowadays.

"Mum! We're finally here!" I called just as I walked through the flames on the other side.

"It's about bloody time, Percy! She wouldn't let us eat a thing until you got here!" Ron said from up the stairs.

"It's not my fault this time!" I protested. "Sally insisted on finishing a homework project before we came!"

There was some muffled words as if he was talking to someone else up stairs. Then I heard a small yelp and a muffled whack. I could only assume that Ron made some disparaging comment about school work and Hermione decided to whack him to set a better example for the kids. Not two seconds later, I heard some laughter very loudly from their direction.

I smirked as I walked through the Christmas decorated living room to the kitchen. It was there that I saw Harry, Molly, and Teddy working in various places on the Christmas dinner we were all to share in a few minutes.

"Oh, Percy dear, how are you?" Molly was suddenly in front of me and squeezing my lights out. "I'm glad you could make it."

I only barely managed to keep a hold on the platter of pastries in my hands even as Molly released me and moved on to one of her oldest granddaughters. I decided it would be a good idea to put it down on the table before something horrible happened to the contents.

"Sally!" She exclaimed. "I am so glad you are taking your studies seriously, do not listen to your Uncle Ron, he only made it in school because he made friends with Aunt Hermione."

"Mum!" Ron had appeared at the door way of the kitchen right behind Penny. He seemed slightly offended at her words.

"It's true, Ron, don't deny it." Harry said from the sink.

"Everyone knows it, Ronnikins, best to face it head on." Fred appeared right behind his brother in the door way with George not too far behind.

"Is it finally time, Mum?" George asked, trying to be taller than Ron to see into the kitchen.