Ten Things I Love About You
Harry paused at the door to his home, and took a deep breath. He had to prepare himself for whatever might be inside.
It had been such a stressful few months. All the new responsibilities at work. James was always getting into trouble, from lighting the neighbor's tree on fire, to the whole ministry ordeal. Al was always upset and throwing a fuss about something. And Ginny seemed to be having the most miserable pregnancy yet.
Harry loved his family, he loved them more than anything else in the world. But lately he often felt so stressed by them.
Finally he grasped the doorknob, and entered in.
It was quiet. Too quiet. James must have been playing at a neighbor's house.
"Ginny." He called out, setting down his things.
"I'm in here." She called back. Harry followed her voice to the den, where he found her on the couch looking exhausted.
She was sitting with her legs across the couch, a wet cloth on her forehead, and hands placed on her bulging belly. She smiled slightly at him, looking so tired Harry felt awful for her.
He went over to her, and gave her a quick kiss, placing his hands on her stomach gently. "Where are the boys?"
"Al is upstairs playing, and James is the back yard. I had to separate those two." Ginny explained, her voice a little weak. Harry took his other hand and caressed the side of her face. She closed her eyes smiling a little, and leaned in to his hand.
"Rough day?"
"Ugh. They've been fighting nonstop."
"I'm sorry."
Ginny opened her eyes. "What about you, how was work?"
Harry was just opening his mouth to answer when the doorbell rang.
Sighing heavily, Ginny propped herself up, and went to the door, Harry following.
It was one of the neighbors from across the street -Olivia Swanson, holding James by the shoulder. He had a large cut on the side of his face with blood trickling down.
"Oh Merlin." Harry said under his breath.
"What happened?" Ginny asked.
"I found him trying to crawl under a fence." Olivia explained. "He cut himself in the process."
"Thank you Olivia." Ginny took Jame's hand. "Sorry to bother you."
"No, it's no problem." Olivia shrugged. "Kids." She walked back to her house.
Ginny slammed the door and wheeled on James. "I told you to stay in the back yard."
"I know but-" James began.
"No buts. If I tell you to do something, you need to listen." Ginny said firmly. "Now come on." She lead him to the kitchen.
"Why were you crawling under the fence, son?" Harry asked as they walked.
"I wanted to see the dog that's over there." James answered with excitement. "It's a big black dog."
"You shouldn't go into other people's yard." Harry said.
They got to the kitchen, and Ginny set James down in a chair. "Damn, where's my wand?" She looked around.
"Mummy said a bad word." James laughed.
"No, I didn't." Ginny said as she searched around the counters.
"Yes you did! Damn. Damn damn damn." James began chanting.
"James, stop." Harry ordered. It had no effect on the boy. Ginny continued to search for her wand looking under all the piles of rubbish around the room. The house had been becoming progressively less tidy lately.
"Where is it?" Ginny groaned.
"I can heal him myself." Harry said, taking out his own wand.
"No, I'm better at it." Ginny said. "And we'd still need to find my wand anyways.
Harry sighed. "Alright, where do you remember putting it last?"
"I could've sworn it was here!"
"Damn damn damn damn damn." James continued to laugh.
Harry began searching every where. "Ginny I don't think it's here."
"But it has to be!" She thrust open a drawer so hard that it came completely out. It fell to the floor, all of it's contents scattering, the silverware making a great crash. Ginny turned to her husband in outrage. "You told me you'd fix this drawer!"
"Well I guess I forgot." Harry took his wand and fixed the mess in a second.
"Brilliant, just brilliant." Ginny said in exasperation. "It's like I can't depend on you for anything any more."
"Well sorry, but I've been busy with work." Harry said.
"Yes you have been. So I've been left with our sons alone." Ginny took a seat, placing a hand on your forehead. "Maybe if you were home more James wouldn't be crawling under neighbor's fences."
"Oh so now it's my fault that you don't keep a close eye on him."
"I can't watch him every second! Especially not when I'm exhausted from carrying a baby inside of me! A baby that you put there! Honestly, I don't know why I let you do this to me again."
"Right because it's all my fault that your pregnant."
"Damn damn damn damn."
Ginny's attention went back to James. "Well we still need to fix him." She went to the cabinet where they kept the basic potion bottles.
"Ginny don't be stupid, just let me heal him." Harry insisted.
"No, I'm his mother. Let me do it." She reached in and pulled out the potion bottle to heal the cut. "Brilliant, yet another thing you didn't do."
"What this time?" Harry sighed.
Ginny tossed him the bottle, it was empty. "I thought I told you to buy refills of all our potions."
"Yes, you did."
Ginny took a seat looking exhausted. "I need some water." She said.
"Let me get you some." Harry went to the ice box, only to find Ginny's wand sitting in it. Any other day he would have laughed at this. But Ginny definitely wasn't in the mood. Instead he removed it, and went over to present it to his wife.
"Oh thank Merlin." She said taking it. She fixed James in a second, and sent him on his way.
Harry went over and took her hands in his. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" She examined him skeptically.
"Being too busy."
Ginny looked deep into his eyes, and looked about to say something, when there was a crash up stairs. "See what I mean?" She cried. "You can't leave him alone for a second!"
They both went after the noise only to find James in the den playing with toys. Al was the one rushing down the stairs in alarm as fast as his toddler legs could take him.
"Mum, James's bottles broke!"
Harry and Ginny turned to each other in alarm. They knew that that's what Al called James's miniature chemistry set. In a moment black smoke began creeping down the stairs.
"Oh no. Boys, come on!" Ginny ordered. "We have to go outside!"
Harry helped in coaxing his sons out the back door, all of them coughing at the dreadful smell.
Once outside, he used his wand to seal up the house, unsure what sort of smoke it was, and the effects it might have.
"We have to message-" Harry was saying when suddenly with a crack of thunder, rain began pouring down from the sky.
Al and James gave whoops of joy, and ran out into the rain. Ginny on the other hand seemed very still. Frozen standing under the patio, holding onto one of the beams. She gave Harry a deathly look.
"What? Oh is all this my fault too?" Harry demanded, so stressed he was out of his mind.
Ginny just stared at him, not saying a word, or even changing her expression.
"All of this must be my fault too. You just need more reasons to yell at me!"
"I'm having the baby." Ginny said, gasping in pain.
That froze Harry. He stared at her, suddenly not angry at all. "Are you sure?"
In response Ginny groaned, clutching her stomach in pain. Harry went to her, taking her in his arms.
"We have to get you to a healer."
He looked over at his sons, they were sliding around in the mud pit their yard was becoming.
"No." Ginny said, leaning her back against the beam. "We can't go."
"What are you saying?" Harry said. "We have to go!"
"We can't." Ginny slid down, until they were sitting on the ground. "We can't have a baby now when we're so angry and stressed."
"Wha-"
"We have to remember why we're doing this."
"Doing what?"
"Us, this family." Ginny said. "I want you to tell me ten things you love about me."
"Ten?"
"Yes." Ginny gasped at a sudden pain. "Ten. And I have to believe them."
"Oh." Harry smiled. She couldn't have asked for him to do anything more easy. Ten was nothing. He took her hands in his, letting her grasp his as hard as she wanted. "I love the way your hands feel." He brought them up to kiss. "I love the way you look when you sleep, so beautiful and peaceful."
Ginny laughed a little. "I love the way you look when you sleep too."
Harry smiled. "I love the way you smell every morning. Like flowers and spring time. I couldn't wake up to anything better." Ginny beamed before another contraction hit. "I love how you cook scrambled eggs for me, even though you hate them. I love your courage. It's one of the most beautiful things about you. You've never been afraid to stand for what's good, for what's right. You had the courage to stand up to Death Eaters. You had the courage to marry me." Ginny laughed. "Every day you have courage to wake up and spend all day with our sons." She laughed more.
"That's five."
"I love the way you look at me. Even when you're angry. I still feel so much love. I love your eyes, and not just because they're beautiful, but because they feel like home."
Ginny smiled brighter and said "I love your eyes too. And I love how you always give me a kiss after dinner."
"I love that you let me kiss you after dinner." Ginny laughed. "But we don't have to count that one. I love your laugh, I always have. And I love the way you always make me smile or laugh when I feel like rubbish. You always know what to say to calm me down, or make me happy, or stop me from being stupid. I love that you still love me even though you knew me when I was an idiot teenager. You still love me after all the years of being an idiot adult."
"I love that you still love me after knowing me when I was an awkward, blushing, idiot girl." Ginny laughed.
"That's never been a problem." Harry smiled. "I love watching you hex people. You're so strong, and beautiful. And I love your honesty. You always tell me the truth, you always tell me how you really feel. What you really mean."
Ginny groaned in pain, but then looked back at Harry lovingly. "I love your expression when you're concentrating." She said putting a hand to his forehead. "The way your brow gets all crinkly." She smiled. "And I love how loyal you are to me. I've never doubted for a second that you love me, because of the way you treat me every day. I love how kind you are. You're always sweet to me even when I'm a crank."
Harry laughed. "I love that I've never had to be anyone but myself with you." He continued. "And I've never felt more like myself than when I am with you."
"I feel that way too." Ginny said, then another contraction came. "I think you've said more than ten."
"I don't care. I want you to know that I love you because I'm only complete when we're together. I love you because you make me happier than I've ever been. I love you for a million little and big reasons. But mostly I love you because you are you. Ginevra Molly Potter. You're my best friend, the love of my life, my confidant, my soul mate, my wife."
Ginny beamed, putting her hands around him so she could bring him down for a passionate kiss.
AN: So I hope you enjoyed this! Please send me a review :)
For now this is a one-shot, but if there's any interest, I'm seriously considering building a full story around this. A ff of Ginny's 3rd pregnancy. This would become one of the latter chapters.
Anyone interested?
Please write a review! :D