“Don’t call me kiddo. The gruesome-threesome is okay. I’m fine. I can’t wait to go back to school,” she responded, leaning against her headboard. “How come you suddenly decided to come talk to me?”

“Hermione asked me to. She mentioned something about, ah, how did she put it? I think it was something like, ‘Your little sister is being a spoilt brat about the triplets. Go talk some sense into her.’”

“Oh. Well, start talking some sense.”

“You know, you were a lot more fun when you were a baby. You couldn’t talk back.”

“Are you my brother or my father?” Eliza asked, sarcastically, getting up and putting her book back on her desk. “Anyway, have you seen the gruesome-threesome yet?”

“Yes, they’re quite adorable. How do you feel about them? Other than this façade of complete and total loathing?” Harry asked his baby sister as she walked into her closet.

“How do you know it’s not real?”

“Because I’ve got four kids of my own. I can tell when you’re lying. Now, ‘fess up.”

“Okay, well, I like them well enough. I don’t like their dirty nappies or when they’re crying…”

“Those are normal things to dislike. How do you really feel?”

“I guess I like them. I’m kind of jealous, though. I mean, I’ve been the youngest for twelve years. Plus they share my birthday. Now my birthday won’t be my day. I have to share it.”

“Understandable. Have you told Dad or Hermione?” Harry inwardly shuddered. Even though Hermione had been married to his father, and consequently became his stepmother, for years, Harry wasn’t used to it.

“No, not really,” Eliza said, looking at her feet. She had finished changing her clothing and was in the door of the closet, standing in front of Harry. Eliza suddenly felt like a five year old. “They wouldn’t understand.”

“You’d be surprised. Come on,” he said as he picked her up. She was small, like he was when she was her age. “We’re going to tell our parents. And then you’re going to learn the art of changing a dirty nappy.”

“Harry,” Eliza whined. “There’s a reason Mum and Daddy hired a nanny.”

“There’s also a reason behind Harry carrying you, I’m sure,” Hermione called from her spot on her bed. The bed rest was really beginning to bug her. Harry grinned and put Eliza down on her feet. “Any particular reason?”

“Eliza’s got something to tell you, ‘Mione. And do you know where Dad is? I need to ask him a few things.”

“Check the third floor. He may be there.” Harry nodded and left, leaving Eliza picking at the comforter on her parent’s bed. “Well?”

“Harry is making me tell you that, in essence, I’m jealous of the triplets.” The thirteen year old went back to picking at the comforter. “I mean, like, I don’t know what I mean. But I just want them off the face of the Earth.”

Hermione nodded and reminded herself to buy Harry a big box of chocolate frogs. She knew something was bothering her daughter, but she couldn’t figure out a way to get the stubborn teen to tell her. Hermione also knew that the jealousy issue would come up, but she didn’t expect it to appear so soon. And, she had absolutely no idea how to deal with it. And I’ll wager Severus doesn’t, either, Hermione thought to herself. Well, this is certainly going to be an interesting experience.

“Mum?”

“Yes?”

“Can I go find Harry and Daddy?”

“No. They are probably on the third floor and you that area’s off limits to you. Why don’t you go get your brothers and bring them in here?”

Eliza got off the bed and walked through the connecting door to the nursery and gathered up the three bassinets. Didn’t the infants spend any time outside of the things? She brought them back to her parents’ room and put the bassinets next to her mother. “Why did you want them?”

“Because you need to learn to change nappies.” Eliza groaned and fell backwards. Hermione chuckled and pulled her daughter up by the front of her shirt. “This is important, okay?”

“Yar, yar,” Eliza muttered, eyeing her brothers. “Which one do I have to change?”

“Stuart. He’s the easiest one to change and he doesn’t surprise you. First, take him out the bassinet and lay him back on the bed. Support his head,” Hermione instructed. Eliza followed the instructions and then looked at her mother. “Good, now, undo the little snaps going up his legs and push the suit up to his waist.” Eliza did so. “Do you have a clean nappy?” When the thirteen year old waved around a clean nappy, Hermione continued. “Quickly take off the old one and put the new one on, front to back.” Eliza raised an eyebrow, but did as she was directed. When the old nappy was off, she visibly gagged, but quickly put on the new one. “Congratulations. You’ve successfully changed your first nappy.”

“Way to go Eliza,” Harry said from behind her. Eliza quickly turned around and grinned. “Still jealous of the little tykes?”

“Yes. But now I know how to change a nappy.” Harry smiled at her and then went to pick her up.

“Harry, don’t you think she’s a little to old to pick up?” Hermione asked, and started to feed Stuart.

“Old habits die hard, ‘Mione. Okay, now I’m officially leaving this room if you’re going to start feeding them.” With that, Harry trotted out the room, his little sister on his back. “Hey, Eliza, how’s the book doing answering your questions?”

“Pretty good. But I’m still curious about Daddy.”

“I think everyone’s still curious about Dad. Well, the buck stops here.”

“What?” Eliza asked as Harry dumped her on the couch in the library.

“Dad said that your homework should be arriving any minute now by means of my son and that you’re to be in the library, prepared to do it. If not, he said he’d come haunt your nightmares.”

“He’s been saying the same thing since I was eight and refused to do my homework.”

“Yeah, well, I’m just the messenger. Oh, look, here it is now.” Harry deftly caught two scrolls of parchment as they shot out the fireplace.

“How come you never played professional Quidditch?” Eliza asked as she knelt down at the table and started to look over her homework.

“You were born.”

“What?”

“Well, you were born around the time that I could finally play safely…well, as safely as Quidditch can be, but by then I also had a set of twins to take care off, Ginny was pregnant, and Dad and Hermione just had you, so I was around here a lot of the time with the twins and Ginny.”

“Ah. Well, I’ve got to do my homework.”

“Are you kicking me out my own home?”

“Exactly. Besides, you don’t live here anymore.”

“No, but I’ve been living here longer than you’ve been alive.” With that, Harry winked at his younger sibling and Port Keyed himself to the Apparition point.