A/N: Welcome to the fourth installment of Elizabeth Martin's series. I have been looking forward to getting to this one since I started.

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing of J.K. Rowling's.

Chapter One:

Keeping a baby entertained was easier than expected. Of course, when the baby was barley five months old and couldn't crawl, it made things easier. It was quite easy keeping an eye on a baby when all she did was babble and laugh from where she lay on a pile of blankets on the floor.

Which was what fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Martin was doing. Well, not babbling in a pile of blankets. She was the one taking care of the babbling infant. The infant was her five-month-old cousin, Ursula Gretchen.

Elizabeth had learned quickly that her little cousin was learning to grab. And her favorite thing to grab was Elizabeth's hair if she leaned too close. Because of this, Elizabeth had begun keeping her shoulder-length brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. Unfortunately, it didn't stop Ursula from gabbing hold of Elizabeth's glasses if she leaned too close, or when she picked up the baby.

Still, Elizabeth liked her cousin. She liked visiting her Aunt Ginger and helping take care of Ursula. Besides, Elizabeth had only just gotten to meet the baby the month before when she came home from her third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was only going to be home for the summer, and wouldn't see her family until Christmas, so she wanted to get to know little Ursula. So, Elizabeth had offered to help her Aunt Ginger during the days her aunt's husband, Xavier, was at work.

Though as Elizabeth sat there, playing with Ursula, the little baby was beginning to get fussy.

"I think Ursula is about ready for a nap, don't you?"

Elizabeth looked up to see her Aunt Ginger had come over, squatting down next to her. Like Elizabeth, her aunt had long brown hair, and like her, she'd learned to start keeping her hair pulled back out of her daughter's small hands.

"I'll admit, I'm getting tired of peek-a-boo for nearly an hour," Elizabeth said with a small laugh.

"I think anyone would," Aunt Ginger said, then picked up the baby, "Come on, Ursula, time to take a nap."

"Do you want me to clean this up?" Elizabeth asked, nodding to the blankets on the floor.

"Nah, I'll just pull them out later when Ursula wakes up," Aunt Ginger said, adjusting Ursula's weight on her side, "But if you want to help, why don't you make some sandwiches for lunch? Then we can really sit and chat while Ursula naps."

"Sounds good to me," Elizabeth said, getting to her feet and heading to the kitchen.

Elizabeth loved visiting her Aunt Ginger. And with her older brother, Lewis, worrying about his O.W.L. exam results, Elizabeth liked taking any chance she could to be away from home for the day. Her mother, Grace, was also fine with this arrangement, because it meant that Elizabeth was with 'a responsible adult' while Grace was working at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Not that Grace didn't think Lewis was capable, but he was still a year away from becoming of-age. Lewis often spent his time in the guest lounge at St. Mungo's, or visiting his friend, Cedric Diggory.

Elizabeth was just finishing with making a plate of ham sandwiches when Aunt Ginger had come back from the nursery and grinned.

"Ursula is settled," she said, sitting down at the table, giving a laugh, "Maybe we'll at least get five minutes."

"Ursula is an adorable little girl, though," Elizabeth said.

"Oh, she's perfect," Aunt Ginger said, then smirked, "At least, more than you were. You cried almost constantly. I just hope she's less of a handful once she gets to crawling."

"I don't think I was that bad," Elizabeth said.

"Oh, you were a terror," Aunt Ginger replied with a laugh, "You liked breaking anything you could get your hands on."

Elizabeth grinned a little, her face flushing. Her aunt loved telling stories of how much trouble Elizabeth had been as a toddler. Especially lately, now that she had a daughter of her own. She wasn't the only one. Elizabeth's own mother kept sharing stories often. Elizabeth had only been home for about a month, but she was already bored of them. Elizabeth's only comfort was that Lewis was being subjected to the same embarrassing baby stories.

"Heard from Ron yet?" Aunt Ginger asked after a few bites of sandwich.

Ron Weasley was one of Elizabeth's friends. One of three she was closest with, though they were in the Gryffindor House at Hogwarts rather than Hufflepuff like Elizabeth was. He had told Elizabeth—as well as her other two Gryffindor friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter—that his father was going to try and get tickets to the Quidditch World Cup. It had been ages since the last time Britain had hosted it, and Elizabeth was eager for the chance to see it first-hand rather than listening to it on the radio like she'd done in the past.

"Not yet," Elizabeth said, "Ron said he'd write to let me know. At least Mum's already said I can stay with the Weasleys once he gets the tickets."

"Well, I figured she thought it was only fair since Lewis will be staying with Cedric," Aunt Ginger said.

"The only thing that's keeping Lewis from going mad with worry over his O.W.L.s," Elizabeth shook her head, "He's really excited the Diggorys invited him along."

Though Elizabeth thought it might be, just partly, because she would be going with Ron to the Quidditch World Cup. She remembered Cedric talking about how he wasn't sure he and his dad would go, because the prices were so high. Yet they managed to get a third ticket for Lewis anyway.

On that, Elizabeth wasn't all that sure how Mr. Weasley was going to be able to afford one ticket—let alone eleven. But Ron insisted that his father had connections at work and that it would happen. Elizabeth hoped so. Because if Mr. Diggory went through so much trouble to get a ticket for Lewis to go, because she was, and then Mr. Weasley didn't get the tickets, Elizabeth wasn't going to be very happy.

"Do you mind if I use your kitchen while I'm here?" Elizabeth asked, going to change the subject, "See, it's Harry's birthday in a week, and I want to make some biscuits to send him. Mum won't be home until late and I don't know when I'll get a chance to make them at home."

"Go right ahead," Aunt Ginger said, "Just remember, no asking for help."

"Oh, I know better. I have no idea how you survived before marrying Xavier."

"Keep it up, Liz, I'll take back the offer to use my kitchen."

Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head and cleaning up the plates. Aunt Ginger was a disaster when it came to cooking. Luckily for her, her husband was an excellent cook.

Elizabeth had been trying to learn more about cooking and baking over the last few summers, as she always found herself enjoying watching her mother cook an helping her when she was younger.

She wasn't really the best at it. In fact, she was barely good. But at least she wasn't horrible, and she wanted to give Harry something editable for his birthday. After all, not even a week after Elizabeth got home, she'd gotten a letter from Harry begging for help. Apparently his aunt and uncle had gotten notice from his cousin's school that Dudley was growing too large and needed to be put on a diet. And Harry didn't want to live the summer on carrots and celery.

Grace didn't see what the big deal was with a diet, but she didn't know the stories Harry told them about his aunt, uncle, and cousin. They practically starved him as it is. Now that the food was being cut short for everyone, Elizabeth knew Harry would need nourishment. So Elizabeth got together a box of assorted foods. A small casserole, a few loaves of bread, some various types of jerky, and some pickled food Elizabeth knew Harry liked. It was a mix of things for immediate days, and things that would last throughout the summer. Though if he was still with the Dursleys in another month, Elizabeth planned to send him another care package.

Elizabeth had just started putting the biscuits she finished baking into a container when the large fireplace in the kitchen flared up with green flames and Xavier Gretchen stepped out, dusting off his robes.

Xavier was a plain-looking man, lanky with dark blond hair and a hooked nose, but he was one of the friendliest people Elizabeth knew. He worked as an Obliviator at the Ministry of Magic, and was a member of Wizengamot. Elizabeth couldn't ask for a better uncle-in-law.

"You won't believe what I've just been asked to help on, Ging," Xavier said, a bright grin on his face, though as soon as he saw Elizabeth, he suddenly faltered a bit, "Oh, hi there. I didn't know you were here today, Elizabeth."

"Mum was working, and I told Aunt Ginger I'd help with Ursula," Elizabeth said, "You've been asked to help on something at the Ministry?"

"Oh..." Xavier started, looking uncomfortable. Elizabeth couldn't understand why.

"Is this about the Quidditch World Cup?" Aunt Ginger asked, coming over and kissing her husband on the cheek.

"Oh, yes," Xavier looked relieved, "They've asked me to work at the camp grounds. We're setting up around a Muggle area, and they need Obliviators to help with the Muggle family who runs the place."

"So you'll get to go to the World Cup?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure I'll be able to actually watch the match," Xavier said, "I'll probably spend most of my time keeping things in check around the place."

Elizabeth thought that had to suck. Getting so close to the Quidditch World Cup but not getting to see the match...Though Elizabeth wasn't too sure why Xavier would be excited about it. She'd be more put out that she was asked to work at an event but wouldn't get to experience it.

"I'm going to take it you're not the one who's been baking?" Xavier asked with a teasing glance at his wife. Aunt Ginger rolled her eyes.

"Liz wanted to use our kitchen to bake her friend a birthday gift," she said.

There was a loud crack from outside, and a few seconds later, Elizabeth's mother, Grace, came in. Like Ginger, she had brown hair and brown eyes, though Grace's was kept up in a neat bun and she was still wearing the lime green robes of a healer from St. Mungo's. She looked worn down, as if she hadn't seen sleep in days.

"Rough day?" Ginger asked.

"They brought in a couple of guys, both needing limbs reattached," Grace said, "They tried Apparating without a license and splinched themselves."

Elizabeth winced. She'd heard stories about people splinching themselves. She was lucky enough that it had never happened to her during her side-along trips with others.

"Are you ready to head home, Elizabeth?" Grace asked, "Lewis is waiting outside."

"Why won't he come in?" Aunt Ginger asked.

"He wants to get home and find out if he got his O.W.L. results yet," Grace said, rolling her eyes, "He thinks I'll be quicker in here if he's waiting just outside the door."

"Well, I am ready to get home," Elizabeth said, grabbing her box from the counter, "I'll see you later, Aunt Ginger."

"You're welcome to come help me with Ursula any time," Aunt Ginger said, looping her arm around her husband's.

"It's fun helping," Elizabeth said, "I'll come over again soon."

Elizabeth hugged her aunt, then bade goodbye to her uncle-in-law, before heading off with her mother. As she had said, Lewis was waiting outside for them and Elizabeth found herself hoping with O.W.L. results were waiting at home. She was getting tired of his sulking and worrying.