New Beginnings

All along a small row of houses in Godric's Hollow, a sheet of snow was softly falling. The lights were out in all the houses but one, where a woman on a couch sat facing the window. Another glimpse out that window supplied her with the same view it had for the past three hours: an empty street.

She let out a grunt of discontent and set down the book she had been pretending to read on the table beside her, glaring unhappily at her very pregnant stomach.

"Mummy," the small boy playing with trains near her feet whined. "When is daddy coming home?"

"James I told you," Ginny gritted out from between her clenched teeth. "Your father is with Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione in the hospital while they're having a baby. He'll come home when it's over."

"When what's over?" James asked.

Ginny looked up from her belly and looked at her firstborn who had just turned four two weeks ago. His unruly hair reminder her so much of his father, although he had inherited her brown eyes and a light splatter of freckles. He stared up at her with wide, innocent eyes, and she felt her heart soften with affection.

"When she's done pushing out her baby from her –"

A loud pop from outside their house interrupted her, and her husband walked through the door.

"It's a girl," he said, his green eyes gleaming and a wide smile across his face. "Ron and Hermione have a baby girl!"

"Yay!" James exclaimed as he hugged his father's leg.

"Wonder Boy, your words are music to my ears," Ginny beamed up at him as he bent down to kiss her forehead, then belly. "What's her name? How's Hermione? How's Ron? Did you tell them that I was sorry I couldn't get my sorry arse off the couch to be there?"

Harry gave her a grin and ruffled his son's hair, placing him on his lap as he settled into the seat next to her.

"Hermione's exhausted, Ron's in shock, they're all too happy you're finally listening to the Healers and staying at home, and her name is Rose," Harry listed off on his fingers. "Did I answer them all?"

"I wish I could get off this darn couch and see her myself," Ginny grumbled. "How did my idiot of a brother do?"

Harry snorted.

"I was surprised he didn't pass out. When they put her in his arms for the first time he just stared down at her without moving. It looked like he'd been hit by a Bludger. Hermione and I couldn't stop laughing."

Ginny laughed.

"I'm not surprised. I still can't believe he's actually functional whenever you two go into work," she said.

"He might not be the best person to hold your hand when you're giving birth, but Ron is definitely a functional Auror. I'd go so far to say that brother of yours is one of the best," Harry mused. "Oh, you'll never believe who was in the room next door."

"Who?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Astoria and Draco Malfoy. They had a baby boy just moments before Rose," Harry said.

"Oooh! Ron must have been horribly uncomfortable," Ginny exclaimed delightedly. "Please, please tell me he insulted the ferret."

"No, I made sure they didn't see each other. Ron was so stressed out I wouldn't have been surprised if he had pulled his wand out on him right in the ward. I was the only one who saw Draco. We exchanged a few words, and that was it," Harry affectionately pulled on his son's ear, smiling at his squeals.

"What's the ferret up to these days?" Ginny asked.

"Apparently he's got some high up position in Gringotts. His wife is a Healer. Did you know her?"

"Astoria? Oh yeah, I knew her. She was a Ravenclaw, you know. The quiet, intelligent type. Wonder how ferret boy managed to woo her," Ginny said.

"Well, Draco and Astoria added little Scorpius to their family," Harry said.

"Scorpius!?" James exclaimed giddily.

"Really, where do they come up with these names?" Ginny asked bemusedly.

"Well, you're one to talk, Ginevra," Harry smiled mischievously.

Ginny whacked him on the head with her book.

"OW!"

"Don't be a dolt."