Harmony at Home

Hide and Seek

Harry and Hermione play hide and seek with their children

* * *

Harry and Hermione tip-toed into their bedroom, stopping at the foot of their king-sized bed. They were trying extra hard to be quiet, which was certainly easier for Harry, as it was Hermione's turn to carry the baby. The sleeping infant huffed in his sleep, so much like his mother, and Hermione adjusted the little silk neck scarf she was wearing, so her son's death grip in it was less likely to choke her.

Harry grinned at the picture before him. For on his bed, poking out from the end of the slate-grey quilt, which had obviously been pulled up too far, were two pairs of little feet. One pair had only managed to pull on one sock. Harry grinned fondly at the scene. Little Celesca was only six, and she'd not quite mastered the art of dressing herself properly yet. And her older sister, wiggling her perfectly besocked toes next to her, in their not-so-secret hiding place, was firm in her belief that such lessons had to be learned alone, as good training for later life.

Harry grinned at Hermione and they exchanged nods, ready to be begin. Mimi, their black-and-white kneazle kitten, circled their feet once, like a furry chequered flag marking the start of the game.

"Well, Mummy, I really don't know," Harry began dramatically. "But I really think that this time we might just have to accept it."

"But I don't want to," Hermione replied, with equal drama. "I don't want to believe we've lost our little girls! What will we tell the Longbottoms?"

Muffled giggles crept from beneath the thick quilt, quickly followed by a cross little shush from Sophie, was was older, wiser and a much better hider. Even if she did say so herself.

"But we've looked everywhere, Mummy," Harry went on. "Our girls aren't in their beds -"

"Or in the shed -" Hermione added.

"Or behind the curtains -"

"Or under the sofa -"

"Or even in the oven," said Harry, thoughtfully. "Which is a pity, because I was quite looking forward to having Little Girl Toe Pie for my dinner. I had the gravy ready and everything."

And ten little toes crept cautiously up towards the safety of the quilt hem.

"Well, Daddy, I suppose you must be right," said Hermione, sighing in defeat. "We've lost our little girls."

"Which is a shame," Harry added, ruefully. "I was just starting to like them, too. And they were ever so pretty."

"Don't worry, we can make you some more," said Hermione.

"But I don't think I can wait that long for them to grow," said Harry. "Maybe there's a shop on Diagon Alley that sells them."

"Yes, maybe," said Hermione, encouragingly. "Maybe we can buy better children. Ones who are really good at playing Hide-And-Seek. That's my favourite game. I don't think I can stand to have little children who are rubbish at hiding, you know. Not when I'm the best hider ever."

"And I was the youngest seeker in a hundred years at Hogwarts," Harry added. "And the best ever, too."

There was a cross little huff from under the quilt.

"Did you hear that, Mummy?"

"Yes, Daddy I did. What do you think it was?"

"Shall I guess?" asked Harry.

There was a little giggle from the bed. "Yes, guess," said a little six-year-old voice, quickly followed by a nine-year-old clicking her tongue in frustration next to it.