"The Mudblood" One-Shots

Itty Bitty Pranks (part 1)

Year: December 25, 2007

Canonicity: canon to "The Mudblood"

POV: first person, Lainey Fitzroy

Notes: this is a continuation of the storyline, takes place shortly after "Reborn"

"Lainey." My mum waved her hand in front of my face, and unlike when I'd done so to the twins, my vision caught the movement. I snapped back into the present, though I hadn't been Seeing. Well, unless my panicked mind-spirals counted as divination.

A week had passed since the births, and I'd felt like an anxious zombie the entire time. Draco had fled shortly after surmising that both my babies were Seers, taking Alvie Pucey and leaving me alone to deal with this horrifying possibility. If he hadn't been there, I would've attributed the eerie experience to postpartum hallucinations, but he confirmed by owl a few days later that the whole occurrence hadn't been a nightmare.

Shortly after he left, the babies had started crying, Brian woke to help me feed them, and everything had been perfectly normal since. Harmony deduced their health was flawless, and neither had exhibited any other strange behaviors. Perhaps their sudden staring had another explanation, but I was afraid to ask Harmony, afraid to tell Brian, just...afraid of everything.

I had informed Brian about Draco's visit, since there was no other way to explain the flowers or my magically healed lady parts. My boyfriend lamented the lost opportunity to taunt Draco about Antares, though I assured him I'd faithfully completed the task.

Oddly, the Slytherins had departed without much fuss, all eager to go home and shower due to the hot cocoa vodka scent that seeped into their hair and skin. No one had bothered us for a solid week....except Rookwood, who made a speedy recovery from his tumble through the back door. He had to be using some dark magic to survive that impact unscathed at his age. He probably drank kid blood or something. Hopefully not Teddy's. We made sure to keep the twins as far from him as possible.

Presently, Lyle and Antares were in the living room with Brian, who'd erected the Christmas tree and arranged all the gifts people had sent us for the babies. I sat alone at the kitchen table, staring absently into my empty hot chocolate mug, wondering if the dregs shaped like four hearts at the bottom meant the four of us would be a happy family forever or that all our hearts would spontaneously stop beating. I'd always hated the ambiguity of Tessomancy.

"Do you want more?" Mum prompted, offering me a fresh mug. Upon returning home the day after the births, she'd been ecstatic to spend time with the babies, but I could tell she missed Teddy's energizing presence. I couldn't wait until he returned in a few days. Hopefully he would distract me from my gloomy thoughts.

"No, I'm all right, thanks, Mum." Squeezing her empty hand, I rose from my seat and started toward the living room. "Come join us. I think Brian's getting impatient."

"Let me bring this upstairs to Gus and then I'll join you. Oh, and sorry about the hats. The package said, 'Open me now,' and I felt compelled."

As she ascended the stairs, I entered the living room, feeling befuddled until I spotted Brian lounging on the couch, a baby in either arm, brand new knit hats on their little heads. His scowl pivoted back and forth between the red and gold stripes like he could will them into disappearance. He didn't notice me until I plopped down beside him and gathered Antares from his grasp into mine.

"Who sent these?" I asked, nudging the cap until a few strands of her pitch black hair poked out. The hue still jarred me a bit, as did Lyle's auburn locks, but I should've expected them to inherit something from my real parents, and from Harry and me. Perhaps, to match my son, I'd revert my hair back to its natural color for good.