First Day of the Holidays
July 1st 2004
Gawain was so excited he could hardly sleep. Instead of sleeping he has actually reading under the bedsheets finishing off The Last Battle, using a toy wand that lit up on the end to read by. He wasn’t allowed a proper wand and he was only five, but he didn’t really need one.
It wasn’t the book that he was excited about though, his sister was coming home today. Olivia hadn’t come home at Easter because she’d been too busy studying for her first-year exams, but she was coming home on the train today.
Gryffyn and Gwenyth were very excited about it finally being the end of term too, because tomorrow they were going to have their fifth birthday party.
Their birthday had actually been two weeks ago, but Mummy had been at Hogwarts invigilating the exams, and half of their friends were still at school, so their birthday party was tomorrow.
Gawain didn’t care about the party though, what he cared about was Olivia coming home.
‘Gawain!’ he heard a voice calling from downstairs, ‘Gawain!’
Anne came into the bedroom and was about to turn on the light when she saw that there was light shining from under the bedsheets.
‘I know you’re awake, and I know you’ve been reading all night,’ said Anne shaking her head from the doorway.
‘Too excited to sleep aren’t you?’
‘How do you know?’ asked Gawain poking his head out from under his duvet owlishly.
‘Because I’m your Mummy,’ laughed Anne, ‘and I used to do the exact same thing.’
“And so did your Daddy,’ she whispered conspiratorially.
‘Daddy used to stay up all night reading?’ asked Gawain confused.
‘I thought that Daddy was more like Gryff, rushing around everywhere.’
‘No,’ laughed Anne, ‘Gryff gets that from your Uncle Harry. Harry was always full of energy.’
‘You and your Father are more alike than either of you know.’
Gawain looked entirely unconvinced. He was nothing like his Daddy. Irwin preferred playing with Gryffyn and Gwenyth in the garden to reading with Gawain. Gawain was too quiet for his Daddy.
Irwin loved all of the children equally, but he just felt more at ease with Gryffyn and Gwenyth. Maybe it was because Irwin felt they behaved like normal five year olds were supposed to, wanting to rush around and play, whereas sometimes Gawain seemed like a thirty year old in a five year olds body. It might have also had something to do with the fact that Gawain hardly ever talked to anyone.
‘You need to get up Gawain,’ said Anne, ‘breakfast is in fifteen minutes. Do you need any help?’
Gawain shook his head and stretched as he got out of bed. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. Blue was Gawain’s favourite colour, and all his socks and pants were blue.
As there was six people in the household, the socks and pants were colour coordinated so it made the laundry easier for Kreacher. Gawain’s were blue, Gwenyth’s were yellow, Gryffyn’s were red, Olivia’s were purple, Anne’s were pink and Irwin’s were green.
When he got downstairs, Gryffyn was swinging his legs back and forth in his chair as he ate his breakfast. He couldn’t even sit still at the breakfast table.
Gwenyth was grimacing as Irwin tried to plait her hair.
‘You’re pulling it too hard Daddy!’ moaned Gwenyth, ‘you’re hurting me!’
‘I’m sorry,’ muttered Irwin, ‘but I need to do your hair.’
‘You don’t do it as well as Mummy,’ sulked Gwenyth.
‘I did fine when Mummy was away for two weeks,’ said Irwin.
‘That’s only because Aunty Angie redid her hair each morning before school,’ laughed Gryffyn.
‘She didn’t, did she?’ asked Irwin looking at Gawain.
Gawain nodded in confirmation.
‘I give up,’ said Irwin shaking his head and putting down the hairbrush.
‘Come here Gwen,’ laughed Anne taking the hairbrush and undoing the lopsided plaits and redoing them.
‘There you go,’ said Anne tying two pink ribbons on the end of the plaits, ‘as pretty as a princess.’
‘Thank you Mummy,’ beamed Gwenyth hugging Anne.
‘And thank you for trying Daddy,’ laughed Gwenyth giving Irwin an even bigger hug and a kiss.
‘Come on you three,’ said Irwin, ‘car.’
Anne checked that they had all been to the bathroom, whilst Irwin grabbed the bags for the car with the sandwiches for lunch and toys for the triplets.
‘Mummy,’ said Gawain pulling at Anne’s skirt as Anne fetched Gwenyth’s doll Lily.
‘Yes darling,’ said Anne leaning down to Gawain’s height.
‘I finished the book,’ said Gawain.
‘Well go get the next one for the car,’ said Anne.
Gawain shook his head; he had finished the Narnia books.
‘Did you enjoy them?’
Gawain nodded.
‘Do you want me to find you a new book then?’
‘Yes,’ said Gawain.
Anne gave him a meaningful look.
‘Yes please,’ said Gawain correcting himself.
‘Alright darling,’ beamed Anne going to go get a book from her shelf.
Gawain was a lot like Irwin, but he was even more like Remus. Anne thought it was time for Gawain to be introduced to Remus’ favourite book series.
‘This is called The Hobbit,’ said Anne, ‘it’s very advanced, so if you struggle over any words, or it’s too difficult, let me know.’
Gawain nodded as he looked at the new book excitedly. He couldn’t wait to start reading it in the car.
‘All aboard the Skylark!’ called Irwin.
Gryffyn nearly crashed into Gawain and Gwenyth as he ran out to the car, and Anne and Irwin strapped the triplets into their car seats.
The drive up to London, Gawain read his book, and everyone else played car games such as counting the red cars or eye spy.
Sometimes though they would sing songs, such as The Wheels on the Bus. When they started singing Gawain would put his book away for a while to join in as he loved music especially when they sang The Seekers.
‘Waltzing Matilda! Waltzing Matilda, you’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me. And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong. You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me!’
‘What do I see?’ asked Irwin at the end of the song.
‘A Double Decker Bus!’ yelled Gwenyth.
‘And what does that mean?’ asked Anne.
‘We can see Livi soon,’ said Gryffyn.
‘Yeah!’ yelled Gwenyth and Gryffyn.
‘You’re excited too aren’t you Gawain?’ asked Anne.
Gawain nodded before going back to his book.
‘Gawain has missed his big sister so much; he didn’t sleep as he was so excited.’
‘Have you my little knight,’ beamed Irwin.
‘Maybe you do have feelings after all,’ he muttered.
‘Irwin!’ scolded Anne jabbing Irwin in the ribs.
‘Gawain is not an emotionless robot; he just has a different way of showing his feelings.’
‘Sorry Annie,’ chuckled Irwin.
‘Sorry Gawain!’ he called.
Gawain didn’t hear him however as he was now reading his book.
‘Gawain,’ said Gryffyn poking his brother, ‘Daddy’s calling you.’
‘Sorry Daddy,’ said Gawain looking up, ‘what did you say?’
‘It’s nothing my little knight,’ chuckled Irwin, ‘go back to your reading Gawain.’
Gawain shrugged and went back to reading The Hobbit. Before long, they arrived at the train station, and Irwin got a trolley.
Gryffyn sat down on the luggage trolley, Gwenyth was holding Anne’s hand, and Gawain was keeping one hand on the luggage trolley at all times so that he wouldn’t get lost.
When they got to the platform, it was crowded with families as always who were always fascinated with their family particularly with Anne as she had killed Voldemort.
Sirius had come in to collect Jack and was pushing his way through the crowd.
‘How’s my second favourite family of redheads?’ asked Sirius as Gryffyn gave him a hug.
‘How come we’re not your first favourite?’ asked Irwin with his hands on his hips.
‘The Weasley’s are my first favourite,’ said Sirius.
‘Because there are so many of them!’ laughed Irwin and Sirius simultaneously.
Soon afterwards, Averett and Aislynn came over pulling their trunks.
‘Hey little Bro,’ said Averett ruffling Irwin’s hair.
Irwin and Rolf were both tall at just over six foot, but Averett was now sixteen and was now six foot two, and he hadn’t stopped growing yet.
‘You may be taller than me,’ grumbled Irwin, ‘but I’m still seven years older than you.’
‘And I also know that you’re scared of the dark!’
‘I’m not!’ protested Averett, ‘I haven’t been scared of the dark for five years!’
‘And who do you think they’re going to believe?’ asked Irwin.
‘You, or the husband of the saviour of the Wizarding World?’
‘Fuck off,’ muttered Averett under his breath.
‘Boys!’ snapped Gwen who had just appeared out of nowhere, as if she had just apparated with Landon who was looking seriously disappointed.
‘Sorry Mum,’ mumbled Irwin and Averett.
Gwenyth and Gryffyn couldn’t help but laugh at their Daddy being told off like a little child.
‘How were the OWLs Aish?’ asked Anne.
‘Alright I think,’ said Aislynn, ‘but I don’t think I’ve done as well as I would have liked.’
‘Well, I know you’ve passed your potions and charms practical exams,’ said Anne.
‘How do you know that?’ stammered Aislynn.
‘Because I was invigilating the exam,’ laughed Anne.
‘Oh yeah!’ laughed Aislynn.
‘I wonder where Jack and Livi are?’ asked Irwin trying to peer over the crowds of students getting off the train.
But it was Gwenyth who spotted her first. Sirius had sat her on his shoulders so she could look properly.
‘Livi!’ screamed Gwenyth pointing at her sister.
Olivia looked over and saw Gwenyth pointing at her and waved back beaming. Jack and Olivia headed over to their families.
‘Livi!’ exclaimed Gwenyth giving her sister a hug as Sirius put her back down. Gryffyn hugged her around the legs too.
‘Hi Mum, Dad,’ laughed Olivia as Gwenyth and Gryffyn clung onto her legs.
‘Hi princess,’ chuckled Irwin.
‘Hi Jack!’ said Gryffyn hugging Jack too.
Gryffyn thought that Jack was beyond cool. Jack was on the Gryffindor quidditch team and played beater. Gryffyn wanted to be just like Jack.
‘Hey there mini-Gryffindor,’ said Jack picking up Gryffyn.
‘Rumour has it, you’re having a birthday party tomorrow.’
Gryffyn nodded.
‘Am I invited?’ asked Jack.
‘Of course you’re invited Jack,’ said Anne, ‘you’re family!’
Once everyone had stopped crowding around her Olivia put her trunk on the trolley which Gryffyn climbed on top of.
Olivia leant down by Gawain, so that she was closer to his height.
‘Hi Gawain,’ said Olivia gently, ‘did you miss me?’
Gawain nodded and threw himself in for a huge hug.
‘Hey,’ laughed Olivia, ‘I missed you too, I’m not going anywhere.’
Gawain had missed Olivia so much, that he was clinging to her like a limpet.
Olivia picked Gawain up properly, and carried him out of the station, followed by Irwin who was pushing the trolley with Gryffyn riding on it, and Anne who was holding Gwenyth’s hand.