A Darkness Returns - a Harmione story

5 - Saturday Play Date

A/N: I sincerely apologize to those of you still reading for taking so many days to update. Hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter! 

ʕ^ᴥ^ʔ Anyway, no copyright infringement intended :)

Ron was still munching on his toast as he packed a picnic basket full of food, while the others hurried to dress and fix themselves up before Mrs. Weasley came home. They had agreed to take Teddy to just hang out at the lake about a mile off from the Burrow. As a matter of fact, it was just past the Lovegood's home, and he knew that Luna would probably be either collecting Freshwater Pimplies for her special soup (which was quite savory once they had a chance to actually try it) or typing up a new article for the Quibbler. Nowadays, it was actually a well-read newspaper, and Luna was well-known for her work advocating for equal protection acts for the rights of magical creatures. She had partnered with Hermione, and together they had established S.P.E.W. to become a rather successful organization. It was now required by Ministry law to provide house elves with some sort of compensation and a specified number of holidays for their work, not to mention that unfair treatment of all magical creatures was now strictly prohibited. While that didn't sound like all that much, it was actually a huge milestone for the rights of magical creatures, quite far along from what it used to be just a few years ago. That was how Ron had gotten to know Luna a bit more, and once you looked past her differences, she was a really kind and understanding person at heart. He realized why Ginny used to snap at him so often for calling her "loony."

It was at that moment that Teddy emerged from the fireplace, joyously running with his tiny, two-year-old legs to wrap his arms around Ron as high as he could reach. "Won!" he cried, his hair flashing the same strawberry shade of red as Ron's. Mrs. Weasley strode in behind Teddy, and Ron quickly informed her about their plans as he lifted Teddy up off the ground and put him on his shoulders. "Yay, piggy back wide! Let see Unca Harry, Mione, an' Ginny!" Teddy chanted as he tightened his fingers around Ron's hair. Ron winced, but he was still smiling because regardless of all the energy and attention that Teddy called for, he knew he loved Harry's godson. He was family.

"Come on, Teddy. Now let's be quiet so we can scare your aunties," he whispered as he grabbed the stair railing and climbed up to Ginny's room, where he assumed the girls were still getting ready.

"Okay!" Teddy covered his mouth.

Ron cast a disillusionment charm on himself to make it appear as though Teddy was floating in mid-air before he noticed that the door was open. He peeked his head through to see Harry and Hermione sitting on the bed talking. It looked like they were waiting for Ginny, who would mostly likely be in the bathroom. "Probably still working on her hair, my egotistical little sister," he thought to himself before jumping in front of the bed, both of them simultaneously yelling "Boo!" while Teddy's hair color flashed between ghost-white, raven-black, and hazelnut brown, settling for Ron's strawberry red at the end. Harry appeared startled for a moment, while Hermione just broke down laughing as she waved her wand to perform the Anti-Disillusionment charm, revealing Ron with a glum look on his face.

Teddy tugged on Ron's ears, wanting to be let down, and as soon as he was back with his feet on the ground, he ran to envelope Harry in a tight hug. Hermione looked down at him fondly until Ginny pranced into the room, plucking him out of Harry's arms to say, "Nice to see you Teddy. Now, come along guys, we're running late," as she walked out the door.

Harry and Hermione followed, Harry shaking his head and Hermione rolling her eyes, both with huge grins plastered across their faces. Ron strutted behind them, calling, "And whose bloody fault is that?!?"

(✿ヘᴥヘ)

Once they reached the lake (they had decided to walk instead of apparating because it was such a beautiful day), Harry and Hermione chased after Teddy and Ginny, who were running ahead to climb the ancient weeping willow tree on the shore. Ron stayed behind, merrily swinging the picnic basket in his right hand while giving some company to Luna, who had tagged along, agreeing that it wouldn't hurt to take a short break from work for the day. Once they got to the tree, they all sat down, relishing the cool breeze and the shade that was provided under the old willow's canopy of leaves. Ron and Hermione were listening intently to Luna in what seemed to be an incredibly thorough discussion about the heritage of Crumple-horned Snorkacks. Meanwhile, Ginny and Teddy were climbing higher and higher, and Harry seemed to grow more and more concerned by the minute as he looked up at all the levels of overlapping branches above him. He glanced at Hermione and asked worriedly, "What on earth am I supposed to do?! That's my godson, and this tree has old branches that could break any second...I can't even apparate because I might land on a weak branch or thin air and fall and break my back...or worse, have to take a break from work..."