Everything Harry Potter belongs solely to JK Rowling.

A Father A Son and Pigtails

Harry had just pulled out one of Charlie Beth's favorite dresses for her to wear when his eye was caught by three kids waving at him from a frame on Ron's dresser. He used a quick spell to get the wrinkles out of it then set it aside to pick up the picture.

Hermione's grin shined across her whole face and he could almost hear her and Ron laughing.

'Merlin we were young.' He thought right before he was reminded of the last time that he'd seen one of the only three copies of that photo.

~begin memory~

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

When he got no response back Harry got up from the couch, laid Charlie Beth in her bassinet and went to find Hermione.

She was in the spare room sitting on the floor in front of her old Hogwarts trunk. Pictures of the happier times of their youth scattered around her. The one in her hands was of the three of them. They were first-years.

"Do you remember them?" She ran a finger over the three laughing children before they had the weight of the wizarding world thrust on their shoulders.

Once he'd sat down on the bed behind her, she scooted back and leaned up against the bed between his legs. He bent and put his forearms on her shoulders and took the picture from her hands and held it out for them both to look at.

"Sometimes I do. Other times, I think being that young at all was just a dream."

"Do you think the Bug will have friends like we are now?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure if I'd even want her to. I mean, we fought a war to get where we are now. I'd like Charlie Beth to have great friends, just maybe not as jaded and intense as these three turned out to be." He told her while tapping the picture with his finger.

"Are you sorry? Would you want it to have been different?"

He sat for a minute thinking before he admitted, "I guess the only honest answer I can give you is that I'll be forever grateful that Merlin and your God put you, Charlie Beth, Ron and all the other people I care for in my life and that I would hope that you'd all still be in my life without having to fight a war. But we did have to fight one and I wouldn't want to take the chance that you all might not be in my life if there wasn't a war so no I wouldn't change it."

"I once asked someone else that same question."

"Yeah?"

She nodded "Charlie. The night before his wedding."

Hermione closed her eyes, letting her head drop onto one of his knees as she kept talking. "He didn't want to think about it because then he'd have to admit the same. It would have meant that he probably wouldn't have met Julie. For me, it would have meant that I more than likely wouldn't have made friends with you and Ron and that would mean that I wouldn't have Charlie Beth. I used to feel guilty about it. I don't anymore and I wouldn't go back and change it. I would walk through fire and take an Avada for you, Ron and my baby girl."

After a moment she snorted then said. "I guess you did for us, huh?"

He let out a sad laugh and said, "Yeah, I'd do it again. Every day if I had to."

She didn't open her eyes as she said. "Ditto."

His eyebrows raised. "Ditto?"

She looked at him upside down and grinned. "Yes, ditto. It means I feel the same way. I would do the same for you as well."

"You know Hermione, I think you might need to stop talking to these Americans you live around so much. They'll have you speaking an entirely different language, using most of the same words that we have plus some new ones they've made up and decided to add themselves."

She grabbed the picture out of his hands and leaned forward laughing. "Stop it. The people here are wonderful and you know it."

Even though he agreed he didn't say anything.

Instead, he sat back on the bed and watched as she shook her head. The waves in her hair moving with the light, showing off the different colors they held as she began to gather up the pictures she had scattered out on the floor while continuing to chatter on about how the word 'Ditto' was actually Latin based.

~end memory~

He found himself smiling when he heard a tap on the door right before it opened.

Arthur walked in and just before he was about to say something he stopped and looked around the room. Harry hadn't picked up the clothes that Charlie Beth had tried on her stuffed animals yet, so they were strung from the closet to the bed and all the way back to the window.

The man chuckled before saying, "When you have a minute come find me."

Harry nodded and Arthur quietly left the room.

Then a thought occurred to him.

Grabbing his own clothes, he rushed to catch up with him.

Once out in the hallway, he raised his voice a little and said, "Hey Arthur!" When he saw him turn to look at him Harry asked, "Would you mind doing me a favor?"

Fifteen minutes later, Harry re-entered the bedroom that he and Charlie Beth were staying in and stopped. It was then his turn to look around the room shocked. The entire thing had been picked up and Charlie Beth was dressed and sitting on the bed playing with her stuffed weasel while Arthur was putting her hair up in pigtails the muggle way.

The man looked up and grinned at the astonished look on his face. "I picked up a bit then Charlie Beth and I went and found her Granny to help to get her bathed and dressed."

Harry walked over and put his dirty clothes and wet towel down by their bags. "Molly wanted to finish breakfast and since I had to learn to put Ginny's hair up in pig-tails and such when she was little, I told her I'd finish brushing her hair out and put it up."

Harry sat down and began putting his shoes on as he said, "Thank you. Honestly."

Arthur had just finished and put the brush down then studied him for a moment.

Then in a tone that Harry wasn't used to Arthur addressing him with he said, "I know it might feel like it but you're not alone son. You have family right here in this house that loves you and will do anything and everything they can to help. Family is always there for each other. Remember that." It was the same one Arthur used when addressing Ron and his brothers if he wanted them to know he was serious about something. It was the dad tone.

A lump formed in his throat making it impossible for him to do anything but swallow and nod against the blur of his eyes. He was grateful that Arthur continued talking so he could turn his head and quickly wipe them.

"Now, come. I'd like you to watch the dvd Hermione left me and I'm sure that this little one would like some breakfast." Arthur grabbed up Charlie Beth who had her otter tucked under one arm and started toward the door while he continued speaking, "I left the um… device on the bed. Go ahead and watch it in there. Then come down and after you and I finish eating there are somethings we need to pick up from Diagon Ally."

Harry felt both relieved and guilty for feeling relieved at not having to take the lead and make all the decisions all by himself anymore. That confusing thought made itself known as he followed them down the hall.

However, his thoughts weren't so messed up that he didn't notice that his Bug was still being very calm and silent, so when he stopped at Molly and Arthur's bedroom door, he made it a point to say, "I'll be down right after I'm finished watching the dvd Bug. Be good for Granny and Pa."

He knew she heard him even if he couldn't see her face as Arthur walked down the stairs with her in his arms. As he closed the door to the room, he hoped Charlie Beth's calm silence wouldn't skip Molly's notice either.