Family Bonding Time
Sirius and Julian had come to collect them from the platform. Anne didn’t know when or if she would ever be standing on this platform again, because her and Harry weren’t going to be going back for Seventh year.
“I’ll see you tomorrow ok Annie?” asked Irwin giving her a quick hug before going to go and find his Dad.
Anne worked her way over to where Sirius and Julian were standing with the trunk and cat basket. She noticed that a couple were standing very close to her family, but that Julian was trying to avoid eye contact with them.
The wizard had short blonde hair and was wearing impeccably tailored black robes and an aloof expression. The witch standing next to him had dark hair in an elegant bun and was searching frantically for her child, clearly desperate to get off the station.
“Hey Kiddo,” beamed Sirius. Julian took the trunk and cage from her as Sirius lifted her up and threw her up in the air.
“Put me down!” Anne screamed.
“I’m sorry kiddo,” chuckled Sirius, “I just missed you two so much.”
He ruffled Harry’s hair as he came over.
“Are you alright Julian?” asked Anne as she noticed that Julian was now glaring at the other family standing next to them.
Anne now knew why; Morgana had just spotted her parents and was walking over towards them. Julian was glaring at his stepfather, and Fabian Selwyn was clearly trying to act as if Julian didn’t exist. No wonder Mrs. Selwyn couldn’t wait to leave the platform, she didn’t want a fight breaking out between her husband and her estranged son.
As Morgana reached her family Mr Selwyn took her trunk from her and her mother tried ushering her away from the platform. But Morgana brushed her off and walked firmly over to where her brother was standing only a few metres away.
“Hi Julian,” she said nervously.
Mr and Mrs Selwyn still looked as though they couldn’t wait to leave the platform but stayed where they were standing.
“Hey Morgie,” smiled Julian.
“I’ve missed you,” she said giving him a huge hug.
“I know I’ve missed you too,” he chuckled.
“Then come home then!”
“You know I can’t do that Morgie,” said Julian gently.
“You’re ok though?” she asked.
“I’m fine, now go on your Mum and Dad are waiting,” said Julian gently letting go of her.
“Tell the others I still love them,” said Julian as he sent her back off to her parents.
Morgana waved goodbye quickly before taking her father’s hand. Anne noticed that Mrs Selwyn looked back longingly at her son for a moment before the Selwyn’s left the platform.
“Come on Julian,” said Sirius putting an arm around him, “let’s get you lot home.”
Julian was looking vacantly into space where his Mum, oldest sister and stepdad had just disappeared.
“Yeah,” he muttered picking up Anne’s trunk and cage.
“You ok Julian?” asked Anne as they walked back to Grimmauld Place.
“Yeah, just a bit of a shock seeing them like that,” he admitted.
“That’s ok,” said Anne.
She sometimes forgot that Julian still had his only family that he was estranged from. Julian’s father had died when he was three and his Mum had remarried a few years later, so Julian had six younger siblings.
After his seventh year, Julian had packed his trunk and left home, he just couldn’t live with his stepfather anymore. He had been invited to join their own family only one day later and Julian had never really looked back.
They arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place and the house appeared brick by brick in-between numbers 11 and 13. They lifted the two trunks and pets up the front steps and opened the door to the house.
Something with a mass of bright pink hair came charging into them as they pulled the trunks into the hallway.
“Hey there Teddy,” beamed Harry picking up his godson, “I see you’ve learnt how to walk?”
“Walk?” exclaimed Remus, “he never walked, he ran!”
“Unca Harry,” said Teddy proudly.
“He knows my name,” said Harry in a small amount of shock.
“We’ve been practicing with photographs,” explained Remus chuckling, “he can now do, Muma, Dada, Unca Harry, Unca Padfoof, Unca Julian, Dobby, Kweacher, and Aunty Annie.”
“Well I must say I am impressed,” beamed Harry as Teddy’s hair turned light blue to match Harry’s t-shirt.
“Got any meetings tonight?” sighed Anne as she shut the door.
Since Dumbledore’s death, the house had been even more busy with the Order.
“Nope,” said Sirius simply.
“Tonight,” said Remus as he sent Anne and Harry’s trunks up to their rooms, “we are going to spend some time as a family, no meetings, no missions, Dora’s even got the night off work.”
“So does that mean?” asked Harry his mouth slightly open in shock.
“A night off from everything even Voldemort,” nodded Julian.
“Unless of course, deatheaters come charging through the door.”
“So what do you two kids want to do?”
“Burger and chips and Monty Python?” asked Harry tentatively.
“I’ll go dig out the tapes,” said Julian.
By the time that Tonks got home from work an hour later the sitting room had been transformed. Harry, Julian and Sirius had made it into some kind of fort with blankets and spare bedsheets. Monty Pythons Life of Brian had been rewinded and was ready to be played and there was mass of junk food, burgers and chips, ice cream, bowls of sweets and crisps.
Everyone changed into their pyjamas even though it was only six o’clock in the evening, and the whole family settled in for a night of Monty Python, even Dobby and Kreacher, Teddy was sitting on Anne’s lap.
At the end of the first film before they put the Holy Grail on Remus turned the television off.
“Dora and I have some very important news,” he beamed.
“We wanted to wait till now so you were all here,” explained Tonks.
“We’re pregnant,” they said together.
“Seriously?” asked Julian.
Sirius choked on the butterbeer he had been drinking.
“Another one!” he choked.
“How far long are you?” asked Anne excitedly.
“Just under four months,” said Remus.
“Teddy should get a sibling at around Christmas time,” said Tonks.
“So, Teddy,” said Anne turning him around to face her, “do you want a little brother or a little sister?”
“Auntie Annie!” he shouted proudly, before giving her a big wet kiss.
“You are adorable you know that,” she chuckled.
“Oh he knows,” beamed Sirius, “we tell him every day.”
They watched Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail before they all went to bed, tomorrow the hard work started.
