"I hate summer." Ginny muttered under her breath as she cast yet another cooling spell on herself. Outside she could hear James, Albus, Dominique and Rose playing on their training brooms, their laughter coming through the open windows. Teddy and Victoire were also out there, sitting on the lawn chairs supervising the younger children. Pulling open the refrigerator Ginny grabbed the pitcher of ice tea, "Would you like some Hermione?" She asked her best friend.
"Definitely." Hermione answered, fanning herself with a paper plate, "Of course the only summer I'm heavily pregnant we have a drought."
Ginny nodded in agreement resting her own hand on her equally pregnant belly, "I know it is miserable sometimes."
"Sometimes?" Hermione snorted, "It's miserable all the time." At this both woman chuckled. Sliding Hermione her glass Ginny sat down at the kitchen table with her best friend.
"So are you and Ron going to the benefit ball Malfoy is holding?" Ginny asked the older witch taking a long drink of the cool beverage in front of her.
"We have no way out of it. Ron's boss is determined that no excuse he makes is good enough. And he won't go by himself." Hermione added a bit bitterly, "So I am currently unhappy with Ron's boss." Hermione added with a wink.
Ginny laughed, "Harry means well, actually he probably doesn't want to be stuck at Malfoy's without Ron there to save him." Before the two mothers could continue their conversation a crying Rose entered the kitchen.
"What is it sweetie?" Hermione asked her daughter, pulling the two year old up on her knee.
"Aie wook mine bwoom." Rose told her mother in her garbled toddler way and Ginny frowned.
"James!" She called and heard the distinctive sound of her son trying to escape punishment. A few moments later Teddy entered the room, carrying a squirming James in his arms.
"Thanks you Teddy." Ginny told her god son kindly.
"Traitor." James announced glaring at his brother.
"What have I told-" Ginny began, but suddenly the kitchen door banged open and Harry, Bill and Ron entered with worried expressions on their faces, "What is it?" She asked Harry.
A the same time Hermione asked, "What's wrong?"
"Teddy, please go get your cousins and siblings and bring them inside." Harry asked his god son. Immediately Teddy turned and ran out into the yard to gather his cousins, "Bill thank you for coming to pick the kids up on such short notice." Harry thanked his brother in-law.
"It's fine. You and Gin have helped out so much with Fleur being away." Bill told Harry as all the children came tumbling into the house. Upon seeing their father Victoire and Dominique launched themselves at him, "We're going home a bit early today girls. Okay?" Bill said.
"You can use the floo network. I checked before we left the ministry and it's still secure." Harry told them and Bill nodded. Moments later he and his daughters were gone.
"Ron-" Harry began but Ginny interrupted him.
"Stop!" Ginny shouted, "You tell me right now what is going on." She ordered him ad Harry nodded.
"Sorry Gin." He apologized to his wife, "It's just we received a threat at the ministry today."
"No that that's out of the ordinary." Ron told them, trying to be reassuring, "We get threats every day." And failing miserably.
"Yes, but this one was directly on you and the children. So I just wanted to come home. Just to be on the safe side." Harry told his wife and Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Please Harry, like Ron said you guys get threats all the time and Hermione and I are perfectly capable of-" Ginny however did not get to finish her sentence cause a hex came through the window, knocking her off her feet as she jumped backwards to avoid it. Another one followed that one an Harry and Ron launched into action.
Shoving Hermione toward the fire place, Ron shouted at her, "Go I'll follow with Rose."
Hermione hesitated for a moment, fighting the instinct to stay and help, but then she nodded and was gone. Ron grabbed floo powder in one hand and Rose in the other, "I'll be back to help!" He told Harry before disappearing.
Just then an explosion rocked the house and the kitchen ceiling started to crash in. Flames were everywhere as Harry pushed everyone into the sitting room and through up hasty protection spells, "How many of them are there?" Ginny asked her husband who was peering cautiously out a window.
"There are at least four out front." Harry said, "There could be more though."
"Who are they?" Ginny asked them, pulling Albus and James close to her.
"I don't know." Harry told, running a hand through his hair
"What do they want?" Ginny questioned trying to get ahold on what was going on.
"I don't know!" Harry exclaimed, "I just know I don't know how we're going to get out of this Gin. They have us surrounded and you can't apparate."
"What's wrong daddy?" James asked his eyes wide with fear. Fear that was mirrored in the look on Teddy's face.
"Nothing James, everything's going to be okay." Harry told his son, kneeling down to kiss James on the top of the head. Just then there was a crack and Ron appeared in the sitting room, "Take Albus back to Grimmauld Place, okay?" Harry told Ron.
"I can take all three and then you can go with Ginny." Ron told Harry scooping his god son up in one arm.
"No it's too dangerous." Harry said, "You can't carry that many people without at lets someone getting hurt. Ginny and I can handle it."
"Harry what are you going to do?" Ron asked his best friend a wary look on his face, "This is not the time to play hero. Not without knowing how many of them there are out there."
"I'm not playing hero Ron!" Harry shouted, "I'm trying to get my family out of this. Now please just take Albus." Ron nodded and was gone with a pop. Another explosion rocked the house, this time the sitting room wall was blown away.
In a flash Harry had run out of the hole in the wall and into the open, "Harry!" Ginny shouted after her husband, "Teddy, take James to the cellar now!" Ginny ordered and went after her husband. Spells were coming from all directions as she dodges and tried to cast her own back.
"Harry!" She screamed.
"I'm here Ginny! Are the boys safe?" Harry shouted back.
"Yes!" She told him. Suddenly Ginny saw the men who had attacked them retreating to the woods. She could have sworn one of them said 'Finish it' but a spell hit at her feet and she toppled over.
"Ginny!" Harry screamed and ran to her, kneeling at her side. The spells were coming to a close and Ginny heard the men apparate, "Are you okay?" Harry asked her and Ginny shakily stood.
"Yes… now we need to go…" She trailed off as she turned and saw their home. Half of Potter Manor was on fire, "James. Teddy." Ginny whispered.
"Where are they?" Harry asked her.
"In the cellar." She told him as another detonation rocked the grounds. Everything was in flames and the blasts just kept coming.
"Ginny! Go, run! I'll get the kids! Just go!" Harry shouted at his wife, waving her away, as he ran back into the house to get James and Teddy.
As she watched her husband disappear into the house. Looking down at her stomach Ginny knew she would be a hindrance and not a help. Finally she turned and ran away from Potter Manor. She had barely made it a few feet when she heard a loud crack and Ron appeared at her side.
"Ginny we need to apparate you out of now!" He yelled at her, reaching out to grab a hold of her arm.
She yanked away from him, "Ron I can't apparate. It might hurt the baby!" Just then there was a bang and they both turned. Potter Manor was now fully ablaze, "Harry!" Ginny screamed. All thoughts except for ones of her family left her mind and she began to run back toward her home. Strong arms wrapped around her she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Next thing she knew she and Ron were at Grimmauld Place.
"No! I have to go back for them Ron!" She told her brother pounding on his chest.
"I'm so sorry Gin." He whispered, "I promised Harry I'd keep you safe." And then he was gone.
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James stared at Potter Manor its blaze reflected in his dark eyes. Lily wrapped her arms around him, not taking her eyes off the fire. Everyone around the viewing pool held their breath's as Harry ran back into the flames, "No." Lily whispered her eyes wide.
"Why doesn't he cast a fire proof spell?" Fred asked, crossing his arms and uncrossing them, the worry plain on his face.
"It's Fiend Fire." Lupin said in a hushed tone, "No fire proofing spell can or will stop it." His eyes searched the depths of the fire, looking for Teddy.
"I can't see them." Lily muttered, "James where are they? I can't see them?" Her grip on her husband tightened. James was still silent, not speaking to comfort his wife, nor moving to embrace her.
Finally James spoke, "He's not dead Lils." He murmured, leaning down to brush a kiss on his wife's head, "We'd know. He'd be here. All of them would." He added, turning to meet Tonks' then Remus' eyes.
This news however did not make anyone around the viewing pool breathe any easier. Those they loved weren't dead, but as the all knew, there were things worse than death.
It may have been minutes, it may have been hours that the small huddle stood around the portal, waiting with bated breath. Finally Sirius started, "there!" He exclaimed pointing to the south facing side of the house. Three ragged figures emerged from the burning building. Two of them were small and the other was taller.
"Harry!" Lily exclaimed a relieved look on her face, bursting into even more violent hysterics. Tonks soon followed her when she saw Teddy's face.
The men all looked relieved and slightly concerned at the woman's reaction, "Why are you crying Lils. They made it out. They're okay." He told her stroking Lily's hair.
"I know." Lily sobbed into James' shoulder, "I'm just so happy."
Sirius, Remus, James and Fred exchanged looks, "Women. I will never understand them." Sirius muttered.
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Ginny sat on the sofa in Grimmauld Place's main living room. She and Harry had never really lived here, but they had spent some holidays there. Now it looked like it would be there permanent home, at least for a while.
It hadn't even been ten minutes since Ron and left her there and Ginny was a mess. A quiet knock came at the sitting room door and Hermione peaked in Albus in her arms, "Hey Gin. He just woke up and was calling for you." Ginny reached out her arms for her son, "Do you want to talk?"
After Albus was situated on his mother's lap Ginny turned to Hermione, "Thanks Hermione, but right now I just want to be alone. Okay?"
Hermione nodded and was half way out the door, before saying, "Harry will be fine Gin. He always is." Ginny nodded and Hermione left.
The room was silent for a few minutes before Albus spoke up, "Dad?" He asked, "Dad?" He repeated, this time turning to point at the door and for the first time since this whole terrible day happened Ginny began to cry. His mother's tears spilled onto Albus' head and he whimpered. Clutching her son to her Ginny rocked back and forth hoping to God that her other children would be returned to her soon.
""Ginny…Gin…I need you to wake up sweet heart." The voice startled Ginny out of her exhaust inspired sleep.
"Harry!" She shouted her eyes widening, "You're okay!" She added, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing her husband on the lips.
"Of course I'm okay." Harry told her shaking his head, "I'm always okay." He added, trying to lighten the mood.
"Where's James and Teddy?" Ginny asked her eyes becoming frantic again as she struggled to sit up with her large stomach.
Helping his wife up, Harry put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "James is at St. Mungo's and Teddy is back at Andromeda's." Told her, "We can go to see James now. He's fine. No major wounds, just some burns. They're healing him now."
Ginny nodded, "Let's go." She told him standing up carefully, "Now." She snapped.
Moments later Harry and Ginny were at St. Mungo's at James' bed side, "Mommy!" James exclaimed, sitting up and begin to move from the bed.
"Honey stay still." Ginny told him quickly, "I'll come to you." She added moving to towards her son and hugging him tightly, "Baby I'm so glad you're okay." She told him, tears slipping down her face into his hair.
A couple minutes later Hermione and Ron came in with Albus and Rose. Almost immediately James began chattering away to his little brother all about how Daddy saved them from the fire. Albus, who understood little too possibly none of what his brother was saying, just sat on the bed listening to his brother talk.
Harry wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze, "Are you okay?" He asked her, looking down at his wife with concerned eyes.
"I'm fi-" She began and then felt a rush of water, "about to have a baby." She told him.
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"This is not good!" Lily exclaimed, "The baby is two months to early."
James watched his wife bemusedly. For the better part of the eight hours Ginny had been in labor Lily had been pacing, her face full of worry. Really he shouldn't be laughing, not after the day they had had, but it felt good.
"Lily." He told her patiently, "Ginny is only three weeks early. The baby will be fine." He told her, grabbing her by the shoulders to calm to stop the pacing.
"You're right." She murmured into James' chest, "I need to stop worrying. Everything will be okay."
"Exactly." James kissed Lily gently on the lips, "Now we've had a long day, so what do you say you and I go take a break and I'll send Sirius to watch the portal?" He asked.
For a moment Lily looked as if she might protest, but instead she just nodded, "You're right…again. I hope this isn't becoming a habit of yours." She told him teasingly and James laughed.
"What are you talking about?" James said with mock indigence, "I'm always right."
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The cries of a new born infant filled the room and despite the long hours of labor a smile broke Ginny's face. The nurses cleaned the baby off and then handed her to Ginny, "She's beautiful." Ginny cooed.
"We do make some good looking kids." Harry told her and Ginny snorted.
"You mean I make some good looking kids." She responded and Harry laughed.
"She looks just like you, you know?" He asked her, stroking the baby's face with his thumb.
"She looks like your mum." Ginny told him, "I think we should call her Lily." She added and Harry smiled at Ginny lovingly. They were silent for a moment and in that moment Ginny didn't care about any of the past events of the day. She didn't care about who they were or what they wanted. All Ginny cared was that her family was safe and together.
"What about Lily Luna?"
"Lily Luna Potter. I like the sound of that."
Moments later Albus and James came running in, followed by Ron and Hermione. The moment Albus saw the his new sister he said, "Baby." And launched himself at her.
After prying his son away from the new born, Harry shook his head, "I feel bad for the boys that come after her." He told Ginny and she laughed.
"She'll be well protected." Hermione noted, "But, then again, if she's anything like her mother, that won't deter her much."
"Never." Ginny said, grinning down at her darling new child.
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Above tears poured down Lily's face for the second time that day, "They name her after me." She murmured staring lovingly down at her granddaughter.
"Of course they did." Sirius told her rolling his eyes, "You didn't really think they'd name a child after me and James, as well as Snape and Dumbledore and then not name their daughter after you, did you?"
"Stop it Sirius you will not ruin this moment for me!" Lily exclaimed, punching Sirius on the shoulder.
"Lily Luna is quite a name to live up to." James said quietly to Sirius, Remus and Fred.
"Lots of crazy mixed into that name." Sirius whispered back and all four men cracked up.
"What's so funny?" Lily asked, turning back towards her husband and his friends.
"Nothing." They said in unison and Lily rolled her eyes.