Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling and you, I am guessing, are not Santa bringing me the rights to Harry Potter. Therefore, I own nothing.
Ginny and Harry sit side by side at the kitchen table. Ginny is opening a jar of baby food to give to James, maneuvering around her very pregnant belly. Harry has his head in his hands and is staring at the table with intense concentration.
"Let's name him Albus Severus!" Harry lifted his head looked at his wife with undisguised glee. "It's perfect! I mean, two of the bravest men I've ever known for the name of our child."
Ginny looked up incredulously, just as she was about to spoon mashed peas into a very impatient James's mouth.
"You're not serious?" she asked, half laughing from disbelief.
Harry looked confused.
"No, no, we already named the first one James Sirius. I'm suggesting Albus Severus."
James, recognizing his name (and not receiving any food) started to bang his tiny hands on the high-chair's surface.
"Harry, I'm not naming one of my children after that man." Ginny turned back to James. "Yes, okay Jamie, mummy hears you. Here come's the Hogwart's express!" she said with "chugga-chugga" noises.
"But, why not?" Harry looked genuinely confused.
"I cannot believe you actually want me to name our child after him. The man watched idly for a year while horrible things were done at Hogwarts. Children were tortured Harry, and he did nothing about it." Ginny set down the spoon that she had been just about to put in James's mouth and shifted to face her husband.
"Well, yes, that wasn't good. But you know he had to keep under Voldemort's radar. If he complained about kids being tortured, he might not have been able to stay at Hogwarts at all. What about that time he only sent you to the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid after you broke into his office?" Harry tried to convince her.
"Oh, yes, he only sent me into a forest that was crawling with murderous giant spiders, hostile centaurs, and, by then, crazed werewolves, bloodthirsty giants, and…and…" She couldn't finish the sentence. James started to cry.
"Gin…" Harry put his hand over hers.
"No," she jerked her hand away. "Just…I can't believe you don't agree with me. That time—my sixth year—it's always impossible to make you understand. It's like you don't want to know."
Harry sighed and got up.
"Where are you going?" Ginny picked up a decidedly unhappy James, and followed him to the door.
"Out."
"Harry—" but she was interrupted by a very loud wail from James, reminding his mother that he hadn't been fed one spoonful yet. By the time he finished, Harry was gone.
Later...
"And then what did he say?"
"Well, after I asked him where he was going he just said 'out' and walked out the door." Ginny watched absentmindedly as now-fed James introduced himself to his fairly new cousin, Rose, who lay in Hermione's arms.
"Hmm…" Hermione looked thoughtful.
Ginny rolled her eyes and looked back at Hermione. "And what exactly does hmm mean?"
"Nothing, nothing…" Hermione pretended to be very interested in adjusting Rose's tiny hat. The newborn yawned showing pink gums before settling deeper into her mothers arms. "Only…"
"Oh, here we go. Please, Hermione, tell me why this, too, is my fault."
"I'm not saying that this is your fault, Ginny. You just might try to be a little more understanding with Harry."
"I am under—" was all Ginny got out before Hermione continued.
"All I'm saying is that Harry feels immensely guilty for leaving you behind in your sixth year—you know that, right?"
"Yes, of course, but—"
"And always bringing it up could very possibly upset him."
Ginny waited to make sure Hermione was finished. James continued.
"I know that he feels guilty, but I forgave him—he knows that. I practically forgave him before he left. What makes me angry is the fact that he continues to act as if Hogwarts barely deviated from the norm that year. That the Carrows were minor nuisances and Snape was our knight in shining armor. I know what Snape did, and I guess I admire him—to an extent. But that doesn't erase the fact that he stood by while the Carrows did whatever they bloody felt like with innocent children!" Ginny was very red faced.
Hermione leaned forward and placed a hand on her knee.
"Harry, Ron, and I will probably never know what you and the rest of the students went through—I know it must have been horrid and Harry knows that too. It's just that—he's not the best at showing his emotions. I believe that in order not to have to think of you in those terrible situations, he skims over them. He doesn't pretend as if they don't exist, exactly, but he'd rather not think of them. Which could be why he wasn't thinking when he proposed to name your next child Severus if it turns out to be a boy."
Ginny sank back into her sofa cushions.
"Oh."
"I could be wrong…"
"But you don't think so."
"No, I don't think so."
"Hmm."
"What?"
"Just, how is it you still understand my husband better than I do?" Ginny laughed.
"Well, when you spend months in a dirty, cramped tent with someone, you often come to know a bit about their nature."
Ginny got up from the couch and collected the dishes that were left over from tea.
"I'm lucky to have your insight then." She smiled and Hermione smiled back.
Suddenly the door opened and Harry burst in out of the pouring rain outside. He looked surprised to see the two women in the sitting room, and stood dripping on the carpet.
Hermione broke the awkward silence.
"Ahem, well, Rose and I will just be…Ron expects us for…well, yes, goodbye." She gave a hasty wave before casting green powder into the fireplace and stepping inside. She was soon gone with a whoosh.
"Look, Ginny…"
"Don't apologize."
"But I want to."
"No, I'm the one who should. I kind of have a habit of running over other peoples' feelings in my rush to make sure mine are okay." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
"Gin, you were perfectly within your rights to…" Harry's response was cut short as Ginny placed her lips on his. She kissed him again and again, wrapping her arms around his neck and ignoring his drenched state.
"Just know that…I respect your opinion…and I love you…and…" Harry got out between kisses.
"What was that Potter?"
"I don't know, you made me forget the great speech I had planned out."
"No, the last thing you said."
"I love you?"
"Mmhm."
Harry wrapped his arms around his wife's waist.
"But you already knew that."
"It's nice to hear it."
"I love you," he said again.
"I love you too. And I think Albus Severus is an…acceptable name."
Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Okay…well…I'll get used to it. Tell you what—since you got to pick this one's middle name, I get to pick the next one's," she said.
"Ginny I don't really think—" Harry was cut off yet again with a kiss. This one lasted longer—so long in fact that, James seemed to notice.
"Daddy!" he cried in alarm. "Stop eating Mummy's face!"
Review if you liked it, review if you hated it, review if you want take James Sirius or Rose home with you and cuddle them forever, etc.