DISCLAIMER: This authors owns no rights to Harry Potter which is the sole intellectual property of J.K. Rowling.
What's In A Name?
"What's 'er name then? Go on!" the enormous man exclaimed excitedly. In the past, Hagrid had never really attended many precious moments such as this. Now he had a family who loved him. They included him in weddings, parties and, of course, birthdays. Whenever Harry and Ginny revealed their baby's name it always brought such happy memories to the forefront of the half-giant's mind. James Potter. Sirius Black. Albus Dumbledore. Lily Evans. Luna Lovegood.
This latest generation of Potters had always chosen their names after their heroes. Well, except the one they named after Professor Snape. When they told him, Hagrid had burst out in loud guffaws and insisted they couldn't be serious. Awkwardly, it turned out they were.
It was always a spectacle whenever the Potters brought a new child into the world. Paparazzi and "fans" lined the street outside St. Mungo's trying to get a look at the new potentially legendary newborn. They were celebrities for more reasons than one. In fifteen years, Harry had turned from the Boy Who Lived into that guy who married the Seeker from the Hollyhead Harpies. Not that Harry minded. It was nice that he could drop off his children at Platform 9 3/4 without having multitudes of parents and students rush him to ask about the worst years of his life. Ginny got all the attention and he could just blend in with the crowd. However, now that she retired and it was fast approaching yet another anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry was once again thrown into the spotlight with all the focus was on him. Thus it was that the pair were forced onto their own private floor with an Auror guarding each exit. They were there voluntarily, of course. After all, Harry was one of them.
As he waited for his favorite student to answer, Hagrid's excitement was slowly fading into anxiety. Harry looked damn near bashful...just like he did right before the name Severus left his lips. Just who did they name this child after this time? If they named their child after You-Know-Who, Hagrid would be hard pressed not to whip out his umbrella and shove it where the sun don't shine.
"It's a girl," Harry began as his face broke out in the widest grin Hagrid had ever seen, "and we named her Ruby."
"Ruby. That's a good name. Does she 'ave red hair?" Hagrid joked before adding playfully, "Is she a Weasley?"
"No," Harry chuckled before adding softly, "she has my hair and my mother's eyes actually."
Hagrid's face fell into confusion. Opening then closing his mouth several times, the half giant tried to place the name with an influential figure but came up empty handed.
"So..." Hagrid said slowly as cogs turned around in his mind, "Ruby then?"
When Harry nodded, Hagrid let out a deep sigh. Pushing his former student's shoulder, the half-giant teased,, "Ya name all yer children after people ya admired but this one you gave a regular name? Run out of people did ya?"
"Hagrid!" Harry choked as the laugh caught in his throat after the enormous man punched him in what must have been, in his mind, a playful tap on the shoulder. Trying to catch his breath, Harry managed to wheeze out , "We named her...after...you!
Hagrid's eyes went wide with shock and his mouth fell open.
"Yer putting' me on," Hagrid bellowed incredulously followed by another powerful, yet playful, tap. Harry tried to ignore his now bruised arm as he smiled knowingly at the half-giant and placed a hand on the half-giant's enormous one.
"Well Hagrid, would you like to meet her?" the salt and pepper haired man with the lightning scar whispered kindly. Upon realizing that the child was, indeed, named after him, Hagrid fell to his knees and began to emit ear splitting wails of joy. The happiness soaked right into his bones. His joy was contagious. Soon the entire hospital floor was filled with laughter and grinning faces.
As tears welled in his brown eyes, the man gave Harry the most heartfelt, loving look the heroic boy had ever seen on his old friend's face. The Boy who Lived and the former Seeker from the Hollyhead Harpies smiled as they looked at each other. They knew they had made the right decision.