The Girl Who Lived ~Book 2~

Chapter 33

Delaney's POV

"Are you sure you guys don't want to stay here another night?" Molly asks as we pack our car with all ours and Valerie's things with the help of Ron and Harry. We had been staying at the Burrow for the last 2 days since Valerie's birth as we needed all the help we could get, but now we were more than ready to head back to our little townhouse. We had this. "No, mum. It's quite alright. I think we need to get Valerie home and in her own bed and her own house. She needs to get familiar with her surroundings at home." Fred said to Molly and she sighs. As much as I am thankful for everyone's help, I really just wanted Fred and I to start parenting ourselves.

I walked over to my dad and took Valerie from his arms. He had been holding her and saying goodbye while we packed up the car. He smiles at me and looks down at Val. "Your mother would be so proud of you, hun." he said as he hugged me carefully, making sure we weren't squishing the baby. And I knew he was right. She would be and I wished every second that she and James were here to see and experience this. "Thanks dad." I said and I leant up and kissed him on the cheek before making my way to the car and strapping Valerie into her baby seat. We would be travelling everywhere muggle style until I was ready to use the floo network again and was confident in taking Valerie through it.

Fred and I both stand at the side of the car as we say goodbye to everyone, and I mean everyone. Ever since the birth everyone has come around and stayed at the Weasley house to be around Valerie. God knows how there was enough room for fit. After we finish the goodbyes we hop into the car. Fred had been practising his driving and had even obtained a muggle license so we could get places with the baby. I was proud of him for it. He loves it. Fred goes around and sits in the driver's seat and I get in the back and sit next to our baby.

"Bye!" I yell out the window as we drive off. I smile at Valerie and then look at and smile at Fred through the rearview mirror. I'm excited and scared and I know he is too. But I had no doubt we would be good parents. Although Fred was due back in school in about a month to finish off the school year, I knew we would spend every moment with our daughter. We reached out little townhouse not long after and as Fred started taking our bags inside, I unstrapped Valerie and took her towards the house. As I stepped through the doorway, I smiled. "Welcome home, Valerie."

Fred excuses himself to go and take our stuff to the bedroom and I start walking around the house showing the baby everything and anything. By the time I'm finished Fred had brought everything in and unpacked it all. Valerie was asleep so I placed her in the bassinet in her room and joined Fred down in the small sunroom for lunch. We sat facing our cute back garden as we just talked and ate our food.

***

Valerie is a good sleeper during the day, she woke up twice because she was hungry and needed a nappy change. We're hoping she's as good as this at night. Although I wouldn't mind if she woke up, I love spending time with her, so does Fred. Right now we are laying on the floor with Valerie between us, she was staring at the ceiling and we were staring at her. "Damn we make cute children." Fred said, breaking the silence and I laughed. He had a point. Valerie was the most beautiful child I had ever seen, and I'm not just saying that because I am her mother. She had the greenest eyes ever and the most beautiful shade of orange hair. She was perfect.

"I hope she grows up to be like you." Fred said and he smiled at me. I just hope she grows up to be whatever she wants to be. As long as she's happy, I'm happy. I smiled and got up from the floor and picked up the plates which had our sandwiches on them and our empty cups of drink and made my way into the kitchen and started washing them up. After I finished washing the dishes, I got everything out that I needed to make dinner and started preparing dinner. It would take three hours to cool in the slow cooker. I checked the time: 3:15pm. Excellent.

When dinner was over, Fred cleared the table and started washing up while I ran Valerie a bath and bathed her. Her first bath ever and she seemed like she loved it. I wrapped my baby in a towel and emptied the bath before walking into Valerie's room and dressing her. Her skin was so soft and she smelled all clean. I loved the baby smell. At about 6:30pm she was in bed and asleep.

***

10:45pm

Crying. It never ends. I have already gotten up twice to feed her in the past hour. "Fred it's your turn..." I say kicking him from my side of the bed. He groans and the high pitched crying gets even higher. "Alright, alright I'm coming!" He says and rolls out of bed and goes into Valerie's room to comfort her. I sight and smile once the crying stops and shortly after Fred comes back in the room and gets in bed.

11:27pm

And there it is. The beautiful yet awakening cry of our daughter. At first it stopped for a minute but then started and went for even longer. "Love...your turn" Fred said half asleep and I sighed and got out of the bed and made my way into her room, rubbing my eyes as I went. "Hey beautiful" I said tiredly as I picked her up and sat on the rocking chair and started to breast feed her. She instantly quietened and I sighed.

I knew this would be the longest night of our lives so far.

{EDITED 2021}