*A few months later*

Harry

Over the course of the week, Ginny and I had been rather busy. James had been particularly interested in paint recently, and had decided that stealing mummy and daddy's wands, dipping them in paint, letting them dry and not telling us was amusing.

As we couldn't find either of them, we couldn't accio the other. Ginny's was found first, as she dropped some grapes and they rolled under the fridge. Naturally, she went to get them out, and found her wand there. The paint had dripped and dried, sticking the wand to the floor. It was just further than either of our arms could reach, too. In the end, Hermione had come over and levitate the fridge, let Ginny get it and clean the stains it had left when rolling to it's final position, then accio mine and siphon off the remaining paint.

James eagerly claimed the actions as his own, not wanting anyone else to take the credit. Naturally, he was punished and his favourite toy (a moving tractor) was taken away.

This resulted in him plotting with Fred (when George, Angelina, Freb and Roxanne came to visit) and together they created havoc which - in their youth - my father and his friends, as well as George and his friends, would have been proud of.

There was crayon on the walls; Albus' nappies had all gone missing; puzzle pieces were dotted around the place; soil from pot plants was sprinkled down the hallways; the pot plants themselves were gone; various pieces of cutlery were hanging from surfaces. In the end we had found the two of them hidden in Ginny's work office (which had previously been locked), using stamps on the furniture.

"Kreacher!" I called. With a CRACK he appeared.

"What can Kreacher do for Master Harry?"

"Kreacher, please can you help us tidy up? Albus is in his play pen, but we can't risk him eating any stray soil or chewing a cardboard puzzle piece."

"Certainly Master." He trudged out of the room, and got to work, using his magic, which helped to clear it up a lot quicker. It was times like these when I wondered how muggles coped.

"Now, Fred, James, I think we need to have a chat with you."

"We need to have a chat with you." Fred repeated back.

"Bad mummy. Bad daddy." Said James.

"Why is it always mummy who gets told off first?" Ginny muttered to me. "Even when I have nothing to do with it, I get told off."

"Perhaps he thinks it's not fair to only two one person off." I muttered back.

"Look a' us when we are talkin' to you." James repeated to us what we'd told him so many times.

"Okay, maybe he's just a bossy child."

"No, you need to look at us." Ginny told him. "James, Fred, you have been very naughty. It's not nice to be naughty, and ends up with you missing out. And now Kreacher is having to tidy everything up. He didn't have to before. You're being mean to everyone else now because we have to tidy everything up."

"You mean for takin' twactor." He replied.

"Well you know not to take mummy and daddy's wands. Fred, your mummy and daddy can decided what happens with you. But James, for doing all of this, your tractor is staying with me for an extra week, and-" Ginny was cut off by James, who began to wail. "-and you need to stop that wailing or you won't have Bob the Builder either."

"NOO MUMMY. TWACTOR! BOB! NO MUMMY!"

"Yes. Now, be quiet or they'll be taken away for even longer. We don't want to wake Albus."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why we no wake Albus? He's stupid."

"Albus isn't stupid James. Don't be mean about your brother."

"He is stupid! He can' even talk. Because he's stupid."

"James, that's because you were a quick learner. Some people can talk from earlier on in their lives. Albus is nearly one now anyway, so he'll probably start saying some words soon." I told him. "Now, let's go upstairs, it's time ties your nap."

I picked him up onto my shoulder, started going upstairs, and-
"No nap!"

"Yes nap. And there's no room for arguments." I got to his room, opened the door and put him on his bed. "Now, I'll help you get changed into you pyjamas, then tuck you up."

"Sausage roll?" He asked, after I'd got him changed. It was a "fun" way to tuck him up. I'd roll him in the duvet (leaving his head above it of course), then he'd try to wriggle out, not manage, and roll across the bed to unravel it. Then, he'd go under the duvet properly and go to sleep.

"Have you been good enough?" He looked at me sadly then slowly shook his head from side to side.

"Sowwy."

"Yeah. You've caused mummy a lot of stress. Albus needed his nappy changing, and they weren't there. We had to summon them all back. And what if Albus had eaten the dirt? Or got hurt by one of those spoons or forks?"

"Ouchy."

"That's right, bud. He'd have an ouchy. So no sausage roll today. Just a normal tuck up. Naughty boys don't get treats like that."

"Okay. Sowwy. Hug?" I looked at him.

"Alright. Hug." I gave him a cuddle, them he started tickling me. "Hey, I said hug. I guess that means I'm going to have to become... The Tickle Monster!"

I tickled him and he let out shrieks of glee. There were hurried footsteps, then the door opened and Ginny looked at us.

"I thought he was screaming, not laughing."

"Mummy- help." James called out, still laughing. Ginny came over to us, smiling. She sat down onto the bed beside me.

"Fred, George and Angelina have just gone." She told me, before turning back to James who was calling desperately for her help.

Soon enough, we were in a fully-fledged tickle war. 

"Now mister, I think that's enough excitement before bedtime." I told him after a bit. "Did you have anything to say to mummy?"

"Sowwy mummy. Sowwy Albus. He's not stupid."

"It's okay sweetheart. But do it again, and... I'll have to turn you into a monkey." She told him in a joking fashion.

"I won' do it again. Pwomise." 

"Good boy. Now, I think it's time for you to go to sleep." I told him. Obediently, he lay back down, and let me tuck him up. "Night night, James."

"Night-" he yawned, "-night daddy."

Ginny and I crept out, turned off the light and shut the door. I sighed.

"Well at least both of them are sleeping now. I didn't realise just how hard it would be to raise a kid. Let alone a kid like James." I said to her as we went down the stairs. "I mean how do you think Albus will end up being?"

"From the lack of sounds so far, a quiet kid. As long as he doesn't look up to James."

"Which of your siblings did you look up to most?" I asked curiously.

"I don't really know. It changed at different stages, I guess. Bill and Charlie always looked out for me, but then Ron and I were always the two youngest who left to play together. And then Fred and George were, because they were that bit older so I looked up to them as Bill, Charlie and Percy weren't really there."

"Fair enough. Well then, I guess any future kids of ours will have a choice."

"Harry, we have a one year old and a two year old. I'm not planning on having any more any time soon." I was told.

"Okay. Well, we now have a few hours until the kids wake up."

Last chapter of the year :D

Hope you all had a good one e.c.t. And that 2016 will be great for you all.

-Alice xoxox