Closer than Blood

Chapter 1

Harry chucked the last of the paperwork into the tray on his desk, relieved to be going home. Being an Auror, while fulfilling to catch the Death Eaters and other misbehaving individuals in the Wizarding world, was tiresome work. If he wasn't out in the field risking his life, he was training so as to do it better, or sitting in his cramped cubical filling out paper work.

After four years of this, he was tired. He longed to have a normal life, for once. He was barely 22, and had seen more death and war than most people three or four times his age. His home life suffered for his career. It was a good thing that Ginny enjoyed playing Quidditch, and was gone so often, if she were home all the time, he would feel like he was neglecting her.

He briefly toyed with the idea of quitting work, staying home, proposing to Ginny, and them starting a family. But, Ginny wouldn't want to be pregnant, the new season was about to start, and she loved Quidditch. Maybe he could invite Teddy over for a few weeks.

A few hours later, as they sat down to a late night dinner, Ginny told him she had been offered a job right here in London, working for the Daily Profit as the writer for the Quidditch section.

"That's wonderful, Gin, but I thought you were happy with the Harpies?" he asked her, a forkful of shepherds pie halfway to his mouth.

"I enjoy playing, but I've been with the team for two years. I have to finish out this contract, so another year at least, but the Profit has told me they will keep that spot for me until my term is up. Their current writer wants to retire soon, and has agreed to stay until I can take his place. And, I want to be closer to home. We've been together for a few years now, but we still hardly see each other."

"That is true. I'm behind you, whatever you decide, love," Harry replied. Inwardly, he groaned. He did love Ginny, but her being home more would put more pressure on him to be home as well, and rumor had it that he was a sure thing for Department Head. The idea he had earlier came back to him, but he reconsidered. It would be at least a year until she stopped playing Quidditch.

Just after the end of the Spring Season, Ginny ended her contract with the Holyhead Harpies, and began writing full time for the Profit. She was still away sometimes, going to games around the country, but after only a month at her new job, she complained about Harry working too much. He apologized, and asked to have his hours reduced at work. Kingsley Shacklebolt told him he would do what he could, but no promises.

Harry brought up the subject of children with Ginny one night, and almost lost his head for it.

"I'm only 21! I don't want to be a mother! I don't want to take time from work to be pregnant or stay home to raise a baby!"

And that was the end of that argument. For as much as Harry would love to stay home with a child, his child, he could not ask Ginny to end her career to have a baby.

Right about the same time, in May 2002, Harry received an owl from Andromeda Tonks, the grandmother to Harry's godson, Teddy. Since the deaths of Teddy's parents, Remus and Tonks Lupin, Harry had been helping to support the infant, and visited as often as his busy schedule allowed. The owl carried a note, requesting that Harry visit as soon as he could.

Leaving the office early that night, he Apperated to Andromeda's back garden, and let himself in. Teddy ran into his arms, waving wildly and chanting, "Harry Harry Harry Harry!"

Carrying the child, Harry found Andromeda in the sitting room. She looked frail, her skin a pale gray. Dropping to his knees by her side, he asked her if she was alright.

"That's why I asked you here today, Harry. Teddy, dear, why don't you go watch your movie while Uncle Harry and I talk?"

"Okay, grandmama!" the little boy chirped, climbing from Harry's lap to sit in front of the Muggle television set.

"What is it, 'Dromeda?"

"I've been feeling my age a bit more, lately. I saw my Healer a few months ago, and he said that I have been doing too much, over working. He, of course, knows I have Teddy to look after, so he gave me some potions to take to improve my health. They haven't been working. In fact, it seems that my body is shutting down. I have had trouble breathing for some days now."

Harry offered words of comfort, his mind already racing. Teddy was his godson, if something happened to Andromeda, the child would go to him. Was she worried that she was dying? Was she actually dying? Surely she wasn't that old, she was what... 55? 60? Not very old at all, by Wizarding standards, but still ...

"Harry, I think you should take Teddy. I want to keep him, but I simply can not keep up with him. He is an active child, and has been running circles around me since he could walk."

Harry nodded, overjoyed. While sorry that Andromeda was so ill, he loved Teddy. "I will need to make some arrangements at home, set up a permanent room for him, and talk to Ginny. She can write from home, one little boy shouldn't interrupt her day." Andromeda was old fashioned, believing a woman should raise a child. But, Ginny wouldn't have an issue with a well behaved four year old, and Teddy was in school for most of the morning.

How wrong he was. When Harry told Ginny later that night over dinner, she was livid.

"How could you just agree like that, without asking me first? And just assuming that I could work at home? I have to travel, Harry! I can't go to games with Teddy in tow! And I'll never get any work done with him around all the time! It's bad enough when he visits for the weekend!"

Harry was stunned. In the years they had been dating, Ginny had never voiced displeasure about Teddy visiting, and she knew that there was a chance Teddy would have to live with them one day.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I should have talked to you before agreeing, but Gin, Teddy is my godson. Andromeda is getting old, she doesn't feel she can keep up with him. I have to take him, or he may wind up in an orphanage, and I can't let that happen to Remus's son!"

"I understand that, Harry, but I can't watch him all day. The editor likes my work so much, he is sending me to international games, as well. I'll be gone days at a time."

This was news to Harry. Already Ginny was gone pretty often, almost as much as when she played with the Harpies. It didn't bother him, as he worked so much.

"Alright. I'll quit the Department, and raise Teddy. I've felt like a change the past year or so, this could be just what I need." Harry said after a few moments, hiding his glee. This is exactly what he had wanted.

Ginny gave him shocked eyes. "You want to quit? Just for a little boy?"

Harry stared at her. "Ginny, this is my godson, not just a little boy. Of course I would give up my career for him. I have enough gold to support us, especially with you working. And I have money set aside, we should be fine, even if other things come up."

"What other things?" Ginny asked, trying to calm herself. She couldn't explain why she was upset with him wanting to quit.

"Just preparing. Our wedding, a baby, emergencies, repairs to Grimmauld place. Between what Mum and Dad left me, Sirius, and working, I don't think gold will be a problem."

"Wedding? You want to get married?"

Harry saw the trap, but couldn't back out. They had talked about it before, but not recently. He stammered and blushed, before finally saying, in a low voice, "One day, yeah. I've wanted to ask you, but wasn't sure you would say yes."

Ginny went around the table, nudging his arms out of the way so she could sit in his lap. "Harry Potter, I love you. Will you marry me?"

Harry laughed, wrapping his arms around her. "Isn't that my line? Ginny Weasley, I would be honored to be your husband."

"If you are going to be home with him, then I don't have a problem with Teddy living with us. Just so long as he doesn't bother me while I'm working."

So, Teddy moved in. Harry gave Kingsley his regrets, but said that his family was more important. The Minister for Magic said he understood, and wished Harry luck, telling him not to be a stranger.

The first few weeks were entertaining, to say the least. Teddy, who did love his godfather, was a grandmama's boy, and missed Andromeda, so Harry took him to visit her every few days. Over time, though, Ted adjusted to life at Grimmauld place. It took him only a week to discover that if he climbed on a footstool upstairs, he could slide down several floors of curving banister.

Just two days after that incident, he found Ginny's Quidditch supplies. One bludger escaped the room, narrowly missing Teddy's little head, and zoomed off downstairs, straight into the library where Ginny liked to write in the evenings.

For perhaps the first time in his young life, Teddy was punished by his godfather. He had to help Harry pick up all the books and sort out the ones that needed mending, and then neatly stack Ginny's papers on her desk, all before she came home from work.

Harry, desperate to have it done before she arrived, took pity on the child and did a lot by magic behind his back. When Ginny got home that night, she found the boys sitting at the table in the kitchen, working on Teddy's letters and numbers like nothing had ever happened. When she entered her library, she thought something seemed out of place, but couldn't tell what it was.

Harry and Teddy shared a look, suppressing grins. Life with Teddy would never be dull.