Where Do Babies Come From

"Daddy," came a soft voice from his right. "Daddy, wake up."

Harry Potter groaned and turned away from the voice. At the moment he was napping on the couch in the living room of the house that he shared with his wife, who was alseep upstairs in their bedroom.

"Daddy," Juliana Potter, Harry's six year old daughter said shaking her father's shoulder. "Daddy, wake UP!" she shouted in his ear.

Harry's emerald orbs shot open and he stared up at the swirling clouds on the ceiling. When he and his wife had moved in, they had charmed the ceiling to look like the sky outside, much like the ceiling in the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Daddy?"

Harry turned his head slowly toward the voice and saw his daughter standing next to him, her forest green eyes twinkling and her raven curls pulled back into a ponytail.

Harry sat up, the wool blanket falling around his waist, and placed his socked feet on the floor. Juliana scrambled up on the couch to sit next to him, but Harry pulled her onto his left knee. "Lia," he whispered, rubbing his chin agaist her soft, pink cheek.

His daughter giggled as her father's stubble scratched her. "My little Lia," Harry said softly, leaning back onto the couch and pulling her against his broad chest.

"Daddy, I was wondering . . ." She trailed off and Harry looked at his daughter curiously. She had Hermione's logic, and was just as curious as his wife, so he wondered what was going on in that brain of hers.

"What were you wondering, Lia?" Harry asked, rubbing her back in soothing circles.

"Well . . . when did you and mummy fall in love?" Harry blinked, startled. He raised his right eyebrow and turned emerald eyes onto forest green orbs that shimmered up at him.

"When did mummy and I fall in love?" he repeated. She nodded. "I can't be certain," Harry said.

"Why not?" Juliana asked.

"Well Lia, I don't know when your mother fell in love with me, and I don't know when I fell in love with her."

"What do you mean?"

"My Lia," Harry began. "I've known mummy since I was eleven. She was always there for me, even when I didn't like her."

"You didn't like mummy?" Juliana asked in awe. Harry chuckled and it rumbled deep in his chest.

"No, I didn't. When I first met her, I thought that she was very bossy. But then Ron and I locked her in a bathroom with a Mountain Troll and we had to save her.

"There were many times when I could have fallen in love with mummy," he continued. "One time could have been the night of the Yule Ball when she looked so beautiful in her blue robes.

"Another time could have been when she held me all night while I cried -"

"What happened?" Juliana interupted softly.

"That night?" Juliana nodded against his chest where she had settled back. "It was my sixteenth birthday and Uncle Remus was throwing me my first ever birthday party . . . ."

Harry was very grateful that Remus had thrown the party, inviting all of his friends from Hogwarts, but he didn't think that he deserved it. Why should he be able to celebrate his birthday and live a long and happy life when Sirius was not alive to see another day?

Guilt gnawed at him as he pulled the blanket that was from the large four - poster in the middle of the room tighter around him. He pressed his foreheard against the cool glass and sighed, a small patch of the window fogging up from his warm breath.

The door opened, bringing in a swell of music and laughter. The person stepped inside and then shut the door behind them. The room was bathed in darkness, with only the light of the stars and the moon glimmering through the window.

"Harry?"

Harry instantly recognized the voice of his best friend as she walked closer toward him.

"Hermione," Harry choked out. He bit his lip as she perched herself next to him on the window seat.

"Harry? Oh, Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, gazing at his form.

"Hermione," Harry gasped out and a tear trickled from his eye. "Sirius . . ." he trailed off and turned away from her as more tears slipped down his cheeks.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione whispered and took his face in her delicate hands. "Harry, come with me."

She stood and Harry shakily followed her over to the four poster where he laid while Hermione pulled the hangings around the bed, bathing him in complete blackness.

She slipped in next to him, gathered him in her arms, and kissed his silky midnight locks. "Harry, its ok. You can cry."

Harry's resolve shattered and he clutched her to his chest as he sobbed into her neck. Hermione stroked his back softly and cooed to him, telling him that it wasn't his fault and that he should not feel guilty.

"I can't help it," Harry muttered, pulling her closer. "It was my fault . . . I should have listened to you . . . Voldemort knew that I . . ."

"Shh," Hermione murmured. "Hush now, Harry. Its ok . . . it'll be ok . . . I'm here for you."

"You're my best friend, Hermione," Harry whispered, his sobs turning to silent tears. "I don't know what I'd do without you . . . I love you."

"I know," Hermione said, smiling softly into the darkness. "I love you, too. I don't know what I'd do without you either."

"Thank you, Hermione," Harry murmured.

"I'll always be here for you, Harry," Hermione breathed.

"Oh Daddy," she murmured. "I'm sorry." Harry smiled and pulled her close to his chest as she cried into his shoulder.

"Oh My little Lia, its ok . . . I'm alright now." He kissed the side of her head tenderly.

"If you want to know when I fell in love with mummy, it may have been my first year at Hogwarts, when we took Hagrid's dragon, Norbert, up to the tallest tower so that Ron's brother Charlie could take him to the dragon reserve.

"Your mum was so happy that Malfoy got detention that she did a jig and said that she could sing . . . ." Juliana giggled, sniffling.

"I want to see mummy do a jig." Harry chuckled.

"It was quite a sight, Lia." Juliana pulled away and Harry wiped her tears with his thumbs. "Its ok, Lia . . . I have you and mummy now . . . I'm happy."

"Ok, daddy," Juliana said, nodding.

"Harry?" came a soft voice from the stairs.

"In here, Hermione," Harry called and moments later, his wife waddled into the living room, smiling at her husband and daughter.

"What's going on?" she asked, placing a hand on her swollen stomach. Hermione Potter was eight months pregnant with their second child; a little boy that was to be named Benjamin James.

Harry beamed at his wife as she sat down with some difficulty in the rocking chair next to the couch. "I was just telling Lia when -"

"Daddy?" Juliana interupted looking at Hermione curiously. "Where do babies come from?"

Harry's eyes widened and Hermione started. "What?" she asked.

"Where do babies come from?" Juliana asked once more, glancing curiously at her father.

"Er . . . Well," Harry said, gulping loudly. "I - It's very complicated Sweetheart."

"Why? Where do they come from?" Juliana wondered.

"Er . . . babies come from . . . . " Hermione began.

"Ashes," Harry finished.

"WHAT?!" Hermione and Juliana said at the same time, turning to look at him. Harry gulped and, looking sheepish, nodded.

"Yes, babies come from ashes, but very special ashes. They come from the ashes of a phoenix." Hermione raised an eyebrow at him and glared. Harry grinned slightly while Juliana stared at him.

"Babies come from the ashes of a phoenix?" Harry nodded. "Well . . . why is the baby in mummy's tummy?"

Hermione smirked and relaxed into the rocking chair, waiting to see how Harry got out of this one.

"Er . . . well, Lia . . . the baby is in mummy's tummy to keep it warm until it is born."

"Oh," Juliana said. "Ok." She smiled up at Harry and kissed his nose. "Thanks daddy."

"You’re welcome, Lia." Harry smiled as his daughter hopped off his lap and ran upstairs to her room.

"Clever, Harry," Hermione said, trying to stand. Harry stood easily, grabbed his wife's hands, and pulled her up gently.

"I thought I did pretty well," Harry said, smiling as he wrapped his arms around Hermione as far as they could go. Hermione smiled.

"You did better then Ron did with Sabrina," she said, leaning up and nuzzling his neck softly.

Harry chuckled. "Yes, telling your daughter that babies come from pumpkins was not very smart . . . she still hasn't had anything pumpkin since then." Hermione laughed softly.

"I'm glad that you took care of the baby question." Harry grinned slyly at his wife.

"I'll let you handle it when Ben asks." He kissed his wife quickly and then bolted from the room, leaving his wife to waddle after him, glaring.

Juliana Potter, age eleven, stumbled out of the classroom, eyes wide with horror.

"That is NOT where my father said babies came from . . ."

The End