In The Water

Hungarian Horntail

"Edric,look." Meri called from her room. Lily had bought her a pink bathing suit and she was excited. "Go swim."

She wrapped her tiny hand around mine and began tugging me towards the stairs.

"Ok little one, let me change and we'll go see what your grandda set up for you." I say gently, it's been three days since James and I talked. Slowly I've been more patient with her.

She giggled and ran back into her room to Lily. We exchanged a smile as I changed into some swim trunks. When I came back out she rushed me and I picked her up. Her laugh reminded me of Hermiones. Meri laid her head on my shoulder as I carried her to the pool room.

"Silly girl, you ready to swim?" She clapped happily at my question. She hasn't been in the ocean since we brought her in. We've been doing salt baths and she hasn't seem to need many of them.

Lily gathered a couple towels and the wizarding camera. When we made it into the room James was already there in the pool.

"Grandda." She said nearly tumbling out of my arms. We haven't decided if it's because she was in the water most of her life or her age but she still had trouble walking on her own.She toddled towards the edge and waited til James was closer to her.

"It's okay little one. Grandda will catch you." I said and she looked back at me with a big smile. Hermione smile and it made me have a happy sigh.

"I don't know what James said to you that day but Thank Merlin he did. She's been so much more pleasant lately." Lily said as she put the towels down. I watch her take a wizarding picture of the two of them playing.

"Edric, play." She called out to me and I felt the corners of my mouth hurt from smiling. The face muscles haven't worked these hard in years.

"Okay, I'm coming." I went to the steps and James let her go. For as bad as she walks on land she swims amazingly. Not as graceful as Hermione but still beautiful. "Very good little one, are you feeling better?"

She dove under the water with a large grin. Lily took pictures of the three of playing. Meri laughed and splashed around.

" 'm tired." She mumbled as she swam into my arms. "Edric sleep."

"Okay little one, lets get out and get you in bed." I say and she wraps her arms around my neck.

Lily helped her change into some dry clothes when we got to the house. Lily brought me one of the stories Hermione wrote to read to her. As I said the words Meri climbed into my lap resting her head on my shoulder. She seems to always put her head on the same spot.

"Mama story." Her hands patted the pages.

"Yes Meri, your mama wrote this. Did she tell you this one?" She nodded sadly and began crying softly.

"Where's mama?" I held her head and rocked her softly.

"I don't know little one. I don't know." I continued to rock her until she fell asleep. I felt bad for her so I let her stay curled up in my lap sleeping. After probably an hour Lily put her hand on my shoulder.

"Let's get her into bed son." She lifted her granddaughter and she whimper in discontent. I wanted to pull her back but once lily put her under the thick blanket she calmed down and stayed asleep.

"She asked about her mother, I don't know what to tell her.What did you tell Hermione?" I asked as we headed downstairs.

"We told her we didn't have any answers. That we love her no matter where she came from and that she was our daughter. She seemed satisfied with that answer for awhile. As she got older she wanted more answers. We didn't have them." Her voice was sad at the end of the sentence. "I think that was one of the reason she went with him."

I nodded, she's probably right. The first couple years I constantly asked myself why she left but now the why didn't matter.

Weeks went by quickly, before I knew it the summer holiday was coming. Meri was sitting in my lap coloring as I read the letter Luna had sent. They were going to be here in a couple days.

"Lily, I can feel your eyes burning a hole in the paper." I put the paper down and Meri took to it color on.

"Make pretty." She said to me with a big toothy grin.I laugh and kiss the top of her head.

"Yes, very pretty lovey." I look back at Lily who had a big smile and looked like she was about to vibrate out of her chair. "What is it Lily?"

"They're coming?" Lily asked hesitant to continue.

"Yes, should be here in a couple day." I sipped some tea knowing her questioning was going to continue.

"Are you going to let them take her from us?" I hugged Meri closer to me and she giggled.

"I think you already know the answer to that. I'm just hoping they might have some answer on how to help take care of her. Maybe if we have more answers for her she won't want to go find them for herself." Lily smiled in relief and reached across the table. "Plus they have a son about her age, might be good to play with a kid her age."

"You hear that honey pie? You're going to stay with us." Lily picked her up out of my lap and twirled her around the room making her laugh. "You hear that James. Meri is going to stay with us."

James smiled and sat down at the table next to me. He rubbed his face and sighed.

"Good." He patted my shoulder then rubbed his face. "I need to come up with some paperwork on her. Most importantly her name."

"What do you mean, her name is Meri" I said and he nodded blowing air out his nose.

"I can't get a birth certificate that just says Meri." A short simple answer that was a very important question. I nod my head to the back porch away from Lily and Meri.

"You're asking if I'll take responsibility for her." I said after he closed the door.

"I am. We love her but Lily and I aren't as young as we use to be." He was right,plus less question would be asked if we said she was my daughter.

"Meri Diggory has a nice ring to it doesn't it?" I could feel the tears stinging my eyes and that familiar burn in my throat.

"Yeah. It does son. Thank you." He patted my shoulder and let me have a moment to myself. I don't know why I crying. Maybe it was because even though Hermione left me, she gave me what I had wanted for so long. A family of my own.