Mother's Day

Buffy and Harry entered Liam's room. The Scoobies had painted the walls with a variety of happy scenes, including caricatures of them. Harry also saw that, painted among the clouds, were caricatures of those who had fallen along the way. Harry smiled.

"And this," said Buffy as Harry turned, "is my little man."

Harry had seen only a few babies up close in his life - Ginny and Draco's son was about the same age as Liam, and he had held him a few times. But knowing who and what Liam was, Harry was even more interested in holding Liam. Buffy saw this in his eyes.

"He's fine, Harry," she said. "Just a healthy baby boy."

Harry looked at Buffy and raised his eyebrow. "No symptoms?"

Buffy shook her head. "According to the stories, he won't manifest anything for a few more years. But then again, we only have a few indications on what he'll be like."

"I'm hoping to get some more info," said Harry. "New York City, there is a vampire hunter, goes by the name "Daywalker". I'm going to go there after we leave to see if I can coax something out of him."

"Need an assist?" asked Buffy, looking almost excited at the prospect of stepping back into Slayer role.

Harry smiled. "If I do, you'll be the first one I call." A bit of disappointment came back into Buffy's face. "You've got the best job in the world right here," said Harry, touching Buffy's face. "A mother is the greatest job there is. No pay and the hours are shite, but in the end, you will have effected the life of a living soul in such a way that no one can ever touch that memory."

Buffy smiled back, touching her hand to Harry's. "Thanks." Buffy turned back to the crib and picked up Liam. He coo'ed and rolled his head towards Harry. "Can you say, 'Hi Harry'?" asked Buffy. Liam smiled and stuck his hand out at Harry.

"Hello, poppet," said Harry, touching the tiny soft hand with his hard calloused one. "You are your mam's childe, aren't you?"

"Definitely a mamma's boy," said Buffy, moving towards the door.

Buffy, Harry, and baby Liam headed downstairs and stopped at the foot of the stairs, watching Ron stand before Hermione and Willow, telling a story.

"And Hermione goes, 'But we don't have any wood.' And I say, 'Wood? Are you a witch or not?!' And she goes, 'Right.' and casts Sunlight Charm and kills the plant." Ron started giggling again, much to the dismay of Hermoine.

"I was eleven," she said. "I was raised Muggle, I didn't know any better!"

"Too funny, though," said Ron, winking at Hermione.

"Sounds like the real magical world is a lot more complicated than most would suspect," said Willow.

"It is," said Hermione. "Most Muggle-born witches and wizards come in at a great disadvantage."

"And some of us born to witches and wizards," added Harry from the doorway.

"True," said Hermione, "which is why-"

"Bloody hell," said Ron, rolling his eyes. "Any chance to bring up that damn book again!"

"The book is a good idea Ron," said Hermione harshly. "Not all of us were raised in the wizard world. Some of us needed help initially. And the Ministry of Magic still hasn't agreed on a procedure for introduction of Wizarding concepts to Muggles, so -" she turned to Willow, who had a look of excitement and fear, "I'm writing a guide to Muggles entering the Wizarding world."

"Kinda like stero instructions, eh?" said Willow jokingly.

"Hopefully less confusing," said Hermione with a smile.

"And shorter," said Ron, "she's got six books of stuff thus far! One just on that tosser," he said, pointing to Harry. Willow looked to him. "Are you famous or something?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm a bloody celebrity. And if one more person asks me for my autograph or see my scar, I'm going to show them the curse that made me famous."

Hermione elaborated, "Harry is the only known survivor of the Killing Curse. The wizard who cast it, Voldemort-" At this, Ron shuddered a bit. "-was a very powerful dark wizard. Harry destroyed his body-"

"-and got it back for him, unwillingly I might add," added Buffy. Harry looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"And has been targeted by his followers every since," concluded Hermione.

"That's why I was in England," said Buffy. "One of his followers had assembled a group of nasties and they needed a Slayer assist."

"Or a look at cute American bird," added Ron, prompting another jab in the ribs from Hermione.

"But wasn't Giles there with you?" asked Willow.

Ron laughed. Hermione looked crossly at Ron, prompting him to stop laughing, but still smirking. "Rupert was... uh..."

"He fell off a broom," said Harry.

Willow looked to a chuckling Buffy. Buffy nodded in agreement. "It was quite funny. If we had a camera, we could have sent it to one of those funniest video shows."

"Oh, much ribbing will be had for that one," added Willow, smiling.

Liam broke the festive mood by beginning to cry. Buffy looked down at him. "And now, I must feed my little guy. I'll go in the other room." She looked at Harry. "No, you can't come."

Harry tried to produce puppy-dog eyes, very unsuccessfully. "S'okay," he said, "I've seen them before." He winked at Buffy, who just rolled her eyes. Willow raised an eyebrow. "Buffy?"

"Long story," said Buffy, as she walked into the other room. "For another time," she said over her shoulder.

"And very salacious, I might add," finished Ron.

The trio and Willow made there way into the kitchen, where Ron and Hermione began levitating pots and pans around the kitchen to the delight of Willow and Liam. Ron began to levitate Liam, before Buffy snatched him out of the air.

"Oh no you don't, Weasley," said Buffy. "My son is not going to go flying around!"

Ron frowned, looking a bit put out. "Well, how's he going to get the feel for flying. He's going to be a great Quidditch player." Ron tickled Liam's chin. "Maybe get some of his mum's strength and be a beater. Can you say, 'Chuddley Cannons'?" He began making odd faces at Liam, over pronouncing each syllable.

"And I was worried about Hermione," said Harry under his breath. Buffy stifled a laugh.

"We don't even know if he'll be a wizard," said Buffy. "I mean I'm 'magical', but not a witch."

"How can you tell?" asked Willow.

"You can't 'til he gets a little older," said Hermione, flicking her wand and causing the carrots to 'shed' their outer coating and begin flying to the sink to be washed off. "He might start doing accidental magic at a very early age, but he won't come into full power until 11 or 12, then he'll go to school-"

"Where he'll be a Gryffindor!" exclaimed Ron as he made a fish swim around the room in the air, before landing in a skillet.

"There are a few schools in the States, too," added Hermione. "The Salem Academy is very good, as well as the school in the mountains outside of San Francisco."

"He'll go to Hogwarts," said Ron. "Mark my words."

"And are you going to pay for it?" asked Buffy.

Ron nodded. "If we have too, we will."

"Weasley, that's one of the sweetest things I've ever heard you say."

Hermione looked to Ron. "I agree," and she kissed him on the cheek. "Now turn your fish, dear," she said. "It's burning."

"Bloody 'ell," he said, pointing his wand at the smoking pan.

"So," said Willow, "why didn't I go to school?"

"You were raised on a Hellmouth," said Harry. "It hid you and at the same time gave your powers an immense boost."

"Do you think I'll ever get them back?" asked Willow, sadly.

Harry said, "The Binding can be lifted. But I don't know when," anticipating Willow's next question. "Witches and wizards with as much power as you normally take dozens of years to come into their power. Some are born with great gifts and learn to harness them, but they are recognized early on."

"Is there anyone we can talk to about it?" asked Buffy, taking Liam out of his seat and rocking him a little.

"The International Confederation of Wizards ordered the Binding," said Hermione. "We'd have to go to them with a petition. I'd have to research it a bit more, but it could be done." Willow lit up at this news, not seeing the look Harry gave to Hermione.

"Food's ready," announced Ron.

They all took plates and sat around the table. Ron began telling stories about their various adventures and Harry's "superb streak of dumb luck."

"You were there with the troll too, I might add," said Harry between bites.

"Yeah," said Ron, "Two eleven year old wizards-in-training going up against a mountain troll and this wanker decides to jump on its back!"

"And you both saved me," said Hermione. She leaned over and kissed Ron on the cheek, and blew a kiss to Harry.

"You guys really are like us," said Willow.

"As she," Ron pointed to Buffy, "kept reminding us. I was the 'Xander', 'Mione was the 'Willow', and Harry was the 'Buffy'."

"So, what was this about seeing Buffy naked?" throwing a questioning look to Buffy and Harry, causing Buffy to choke on her salad.

"It was nothing," said Harry, looking to Buffy.

"Listen mister," said Willow in a stern tone that caught everyone a bit off guard, "I know you might be some big time wizard, but if you did anything-"

"Will," said Buffy, "it was nothing. Just an... accident." Buffy quickly decided to change subjects. "So where are you guys staying at?"

"Right," said Ron, "uh... someone was going to ask-"

"Yes, you can stay. You two can take Dawnie's room. And Harry can take-"

"Yours," said Ron, winking at Harry.

"Worry about your own sex life, Weasley," replied Harry.

"Mate, it is your lack of sex life that worries me," said Ron.

"Okay, how about we not talk about our sex lives?" asked Hermione, looking very stern.

"Yeah," said Ron, "let's talk about Will's."

Willow turned beet red, pushed away from the table and mumbled something about needing to make a phone call, quickly scurrying into the other room. Buffy shot Ron a look.

"Nice going, Weasley."

"What?" said Ron, trying his best to be innocent, but the grin gave away his true feelings.

"Harry can sleep in the guest room. We keep it for Xander when he's in town."

Willow came back into the room, slightly less red. "Sorry."

"No worries," said Ron. "We British aren't known for a subtlety."

"Or manners," said Buffy.

Ron pointed at Buffy, to receive a very stern look and thought better of saying anything.

"So what's the 'real' Wizarding world like?" asked Willow.

"It's amazing," said Hermione. "Everything you learned as a Muggle becomes so irrelevant. Everything, even mundane things, takes on a new perspective."

"Sounds like you will need 'stereo instructions'," said Willow.

"Speaking of the Wizarding World," said Harry, "let's go into the living room so we can pass out presents."