lilies *James Potter*

Chapter 61

Liliena finishes wrapping Cove in a tight swaddle while sitting on the couch. She had just finished a feeding as the clock in the kitchen flashed bright green numbers signalling it was half past four in the morning. James was sleeping seeing he had to drive Harry to school in the morning so Liliena took the nightshift to oversee the three infants to allow him to have enough sleep to tend to Harry early in the morning and have the energy to drive him to the school that was halfway between Lily's home to where they lived. She was hoping once she got them all into their cribs she'd be able to get a few hours of sleep herself before James and Harry would be due up which she'd have to get up again for another feeding and diaper change.

She managed to pick up all three babies with experience and carried them to the nursery where she placed them in their designated crib. It wasn't until she got Echo down, being the last baby and bid him a gentle sweet dream that she was startled by the tiny shadowy figure standing in the doorway with an oversized stuffed dog gripping tightly in hand.

She finds herself grabbing hold of the bar of the crib out of fright letting a curse word fly free into the air. Harry didn't seem phased at spooking Lilena. She owed the dog jar so much money that she refused to add to it. There was no way she would ever become a dog owner. She absolutely refuses.

"Harry, what are you doing up?" She asks him approaching him and gently running her hands through his mop of curls. Something son and father both enjoy as his green eyes fluttered closed and leaned into her gentle touch.

"A pound for the Snuffles jar..." Harry mumbles quietly looking ill to the face with a hand over his stomach.

"I don't feel good. My tummy hurts." He mumbles with a hand on his stomach. Liliena took a small step back, hand moving from his hair to his forehead to feel him indeed burning up with a fever. She had to bite back the groan that wanted to escape her chest, James probably wouldn't be angry at Harry 'cause it was far out of his control of getting and being sick but it didn't mean he wouldn't be pleased on missing school. And on the first day of school too.

She gives him a small smile. She takes his hand and gets two steps in the direction of the master bedroom talking lightly to him. "Let's go wake up Dad."

He digs his sock cover feet into the wood in an attempt to stop the soft tug. He slides against the wood. Liliena stops and gives him a confused look. "No. We can't!"

"Why not, Harry?"

"Dad needs to sleep so he can drive me to school. If he's too tired then I can't go to school. And I really want to go!" He stomps his foot on the ground for emphasis which made Liliena feel guilty on the inside. She couldn't tell him that more likely he wasn't able to go. She'll leave that up for James to decide and to tell him.

Liliena gives him a small smile and crouches down with a small wince. The incision site was still healing but she was able to do more active things lately with practice. Tending to a child was one of those practised things.

"Harry, I'm sorry to tell you this but you're not going to be able to go to school if you're not feeling good. You have a fever."

He shakes his head. "I have to! I want to! Draco will be there! And Ron!" He purses his lips for a moment in thought then shakes his head. "I'm not sick anymore. I feel better."

LIliena gives him a thin pressed smile and touches his cheeks to still feel the burning. "How about we go to the living room and I can put on a film for you to watch while I get you some medicine and a snack maybe?"

Harry looks at her more humble while bitting down on his bottom lip. "Can we have one of Nan's Chikki's she left for Dad?"

Liliena taps him on the nose and stands up to her full height. "I'll double it if you take the medicine without giving me a hard time. How does that sound?"