A Family Walk (Mom and Dad)

Gwen walked along the familiar path in her favourite park carrying a bag with her normal stuff and a jar of pickles for her Mum. She was humming her favorite song (at the moment favorite anyway.) 'Stupid Boy'' from some Muggle Keith Urban. Her dark brown curls were bouncing with every step and her brown eyes were busy taking in the whole scenery of the park in the summer. She looked up at her parents and smiled, holding her baby brother Ben. She loved coming to the Park with her parents.

Erika smiled down at Gwen as she walked along in the park. Before long they would reach the area where most of the children played and Tai would somehow get roped into playing some sort of game with the various children, as he always seemed to be. Not many dads spent time in the park, which made him a hot commodity for the children who played there regularly.

She took Gwen's hand in hers and held it gently. She was so glad that she had met such a wonderful little girl and knew that, if she could go back in time and re-do the events that had played out a few months prior, she wouldn't have changed a thing. From undesirable circumstances, she had gained a daughter and a son, both of whom she loved very much and wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

"Excited for Hogwarts, Gwennie?" she asked, knowing that the girl was nearly all set to go, having already purchased her supplies with Erika a week or so ago.

Gwen nodded eagerly. She loved the stories her Mom had told her about Hogwarts and ghosts and moving stairs. She held her moms hand and swung it lightly in rythm to her steps. "I can´t wait to go. And see Nearly-Headless-Nick and the fat friar and the grey lady and the Baron and Peeves. Especially Peeves. He sounds like fun." She smiled.

Tai grinned as he walked alongside his family. He knew he wouldn't have many moments like this when they all went back to Hogwarts, so he was savoring the time they had now. Tai laughed as he heard the tail end of Gwen's conversation with Erika.

"Oh, I don't know about Peeves, Gwen. I think it would be best if you avoided him at all costs." He didn't like the idea of that Poltergeist hassling his daughter. "He's a pain."

He looked at Ben in Gwen's arm. "He's getting big, isn't he?" he said. "We'll have to get some new clothes for him soon enough."

Gwen shrugged smiling. "Yeah, Ben will be one soon. Then he´ll finally have a year." She smiled happy that her brother was getting a whole year to himself. She thought it had taken long enough.

Erika didn't really mind if Gwen went searching for Peeves, since he was bound to show up at some point very near her entering the castle to wreak havoc anyway, and because Erika wanted her daughter to get the full Hogwarts experience, not just bits and pieces. She did not plan to treat Gwen any differently than she would any of the other children when they were in class.

She was amused that Tai seemed to think that she hadn't already gotten all new sets of clothes for Ben. They were merely waiting in the little dresser in Ben's room for him to be big enough for them. She'd have to show him when they got back home.

"Any idea what classes you'd like to take yet?" she asked Gwen, hoping that the girl was interested in Herbology.

Gwen nodded, "Ehm...CoMC, Fig', Charms, Herbology and potions." She said smiling. She adored charms and was quite excited to learn about the sunjects her parents loved so much. She herself was very interested in CoMC.

"All perfectly respectable choices," Erika said, smiling.

She felt a small ripple of pain in her abdomen, but continued walking, refusing to let it put the beautiful day on hold. What she'd read in her pregnancy books told her that she may feel some phantom pains during the last little stretch of her pregnancy. They were something of a practice run for her body, getting ready for the real thing.

"We still need to get your school supplies," Erika mused aloud. "How does next Tuesday sound for going out to get those?" she asked.

Tai smiled. "Good to hear you're taking Potions. Matt should do a good job of teaching this year... Hopefully."

Tai remembered studying alongside the man, at the Potioneer Academy a few years ago, and knew that he was good at what he did, but didn't have the best... threshold for patience. He just hoped that Gwen would have enough sense to just do what he said, to avoid Hamilton's wrath.

He noticed Erika's expression and raised an eyebrow, "Are you alright?" he asked her. Erika didn't have long to go with her pregnancy, and Tai half expected Erika to go into full blown labour at any minute.

Tai placed his hand on her lower back, and rubbed it gently.

"I'm fine," Erika smiled at her husband reassuringly. "It's was just a little one. It's gone now."

They soon came upon the childrens play area, and Tai was quickly ambushed, as expected, by various children excitedly shouting "Mr Cooper is here! Mr Cooper is here!"

Snickering to herself, Erika settled onto a bench with another mother, needing to rest her feet for a bit, and took Ben into her arms. The pre-labor pain may have passed but she was still starting to feel a bit worn out. "Go on Super-Dad," she smiled. "Amaze them all with your strength, or whatever it is that you do."

Gwen giggled as her Mom teased Dad. "Tuesday sounds good Mom." She smiled. "Are you okay?" She asked noticing her parents faces. Maybe she should be in Ravenclaw..
Nah...she was a Lion. Rawr, hehehehehe. She turned to Dad smiling. She loved when he played with them. It was fun.

Tai nodded when his wife reassured him that she was okay. Looking out into the distance, he saw children running towards them, and grinned.

"Hey!" he said to them, "What are we playing today?" and chuckled when they all started to speak at once, calling out different games, some of them Tai had never heard before. He let the children debate amongst themselves for the moment, as he turned to Gwen.

"Coming to play as well?" he asked her.

Gwen nodded and smiled. She loved playing and being with people, especially playing with her Dad or Mom. He played very nicely and fairly and it was always fun.
"How about tag?" She offered andthe others nodded. She touched Tai´s hand and called,"You´re it!" Before taking off with all the other kids.

Erika snickered to herself as Tai was quickly engaged in a game of tag by Gwen and the other children. She sat on the bench and watched, holding Ben in her arms.

The woman sitting on the bench with her was one of the regular visitors to the park. Erika was fairly certain that she was a Healer at St. Mungos, and the two were soon lost in discussion as Erika bounced Ben on her knee and Tai chased the other children around the area.