Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters or plots - all property of JK Rowling.
Summary: Ginny is in labour and Harry is excited about being a father. Just a one-shot about the birth.
"We can deal with this, we can deal with this!" Harry panicked, holding on to Ginny's hand.
"You mean, you can defeat Voldemort but you can't -owww- handle me?" Ginny gasped, grasping tightly on to Harry's hand.
"I can handle you," Harry said uncertainly his faced creased up in pain due to Ginny crushing his hand.
"Would the father like to come with me?" a smiling nurse came up to Harry. He smiled back gratefully and moved out of reach from Ginny.
"Don't you dare leave me Harry Potter or I'll squash more than your hand," Ginny threatened her face red with effort. Harry looked at her slightly frightened but didn't want to leave her when she was obviously in so much pain.
"Will she be okay?" Harry asked the nurse dumbly as Ginny was wheeled away moaning in pain as yet another contraction came.
"She's going off to the delivery room now, they'll assess her condition and then when she's fully dilated and ready we'll begin to deliver the baby," the female healer continued to smile at him, she looked like a rag-doll "we'll put her on some magical painkillers if she needs them, but most women find they make you drowsy and it's better to do it the muggle way" she explained.
"So can I go and be with her?" Harry asked, looking over the healers head for any sign of Ginny.
"Yes, I can take you there now," the nurse began to stride down the corridor Ginny had gone, he was amazed that such a small person could take such big strides "this way Mr. Potter, we'll go straight to the delivery room" the nurse continued and held the door open for him so he could go into the not large but not small room. He saw the tiny scales on the table, for weighing the baby and various instruments laying beside it. Then of course there was a cot, it was hard to believe that Harry would soon be holding his son or daughter in his arms. Their, his and Ginny's, child. Harry sat down on a chair near the empty bed and rested his head in his hands.
"Harry!" Ginny walked into the room slowly, aided by yet another healer. He stood up and held onto Ginny's other side, while once again Ginny held onto his hand, pressing her nails into the soft flesh.
"Ginny, I know it hurts but," he cringed "do you have to break my hand?"
"Yes," Ginny hissed at him, her face still red and her body doubling over in the amount of pain she was in.
"Only a few more steps to go and your husband can help you onto the bed," said the rather old healer, smiling sweetly.
'Yeah you can smile,' Harry thought 'you haven't got a pregnant woman breaking your hand have you,' he grimaced. Then Ginny let go of the nurse's shoulder and she freed Harry's hand so he could lift her up on the bed. 'Great, only half a day of torture to go' Harry thought, sinking into the chair beside her.
"Oh, Ginny dear!" Mrs. Weasley came bustling into the room. "I came as soon as I heard" she went to Ginny's side "your father is outside, didn't want to see you in such a state and hello Harry" she looked up at Harry with a smile. Harry smiled back but both became occupied in Ginny once again.
"Mum, you -arrrrgh- really didn't have to," Ginny gasped out. Ginny had been like this for 2 hours now. Harry hadn't realised how long it would be.
"Harry, dearest, could you go and keep Arthur company, you might as well go and get a drink while your at it, we'll be here for a while," Molly gestured at him, and then the door. Harry gazed at Ginny.
"I'll be half an hour, okay? Not long, I'll be here when it happens, don't worry," Harry assured her, giving her hand a squeeze. She nodded and gave him a half smile, squeezing back. He let go of her hand and walked out the room only to find Arthur sitting on a chair just outside the room.
"Harry, my boy, how's it going?" Arthur stood up and embraced his son-in-law.
"It's going okay, Mr. Weasley, won't be long now. Would you like to get a coffee with me or a beverage at least?" Harry asked him.
"Of course, of course, I expect Molly's taking control now, threw you out did she?" Arthur chuckled beginning to walk to the lifts. Harry smiled and laughed with Arthur.
"Well, best to leave it up to her, she has delivered 7 children," Harry said "Men, they'll never understand." Harry grinned as he mimicked one of Arthur's wife's and Ginny's, favourite quotes. His father-in-law laughed.
"Indeed we never will Harry," Arthur pressed the lift button to the coffee shop. Then the door closed shut and Ginny was screaming.
"Merlin, get it over with!" Ginny exclaimed. Molly giggled, going back to the days when Ginny herself was born. She was already a grandmother but this was actually the only birth she'd been to of her own children.
"So, what will you call it if it's a girl?" Molly started conversationally, knowing that it did help a bit when the attention wasn't on the pain.
"Well," Ginny strained "me and Harry haven't really discussed it yet".
"Oh dear, well lets make a list of your favourite names shall we?"
"Mum!" Ginny moaned and rolled her eyes "I'll wait till Harry gets back, then we can all make a list, okay?"
"Okay," Molly smiled down at her, she couldn't be blamed for her snappy attitude, she was having a baby after all.
A whole 10 hours later and Ginny had finally delivered a little baby boy.
"7lb and 5oz," the healer declared after putting the thriving, red baby onto the cold metal scales. Harry had just witnessed one of the most beautiful and disgusting things he could ever imagine. Ginny watched entranced as she saw her son crying in a healers arms, waiting to be washed.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, stroking Ginny's now limp hand.
"I'm so very tired," she yawned, blinking, her eyes heavy.
"Get some sleep if you want," Harry said softly, kissing her sweat drenched forehead.
"I just want to hold him once before I do, just for a little while," Ginny told her husband. To be truthful she couldn't believe that baby had come from inside her and now she felt weird and empty. Harry nodded at her, she deserved to hold him first after all she'd been through.
"What will you call him?" a healer asked them.
"Well, I've always liked Echo, Sky, Isa, Kiernan, Asher, Dakota, Harvey and Sandor," Ginny confessed, still watching the healer holding her baby. Harry was surprised she could remember so many names at once, especially as exhausted as she was.
"Asher and Kiernan sound good," Harry replied, still stroking Ginny's hand. They were silent for a while, Molly and Arthur were invited back into the room and Molly instinctively rushed to her daughters side.
"I'm so proud of you Ginny," she smiled down at her.
"Congratulations son" Arthur went, beaming, to shake Harry's hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Harry smiled back.
"Harry, please call me Arthur," he chuckled then went to take his place next to his wife while Harry held onto Ginny's hand tight.
"You can have your son now," a healer informed Ginny, she took him gratefully in her arms and cradled him. "He looks so tiny and lovely" she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"He does," Molly said sighing, tears welling up in her eyes too. Harry and Arthur looked at each other, Harry horrified and Arthur looking in a way that seemed to say 'just grin and bear it'. So Harry smiled and leant over to put an arm round her, comforting her.
"So Kiernan or Asher?" Ginny smiled up at her husband through her tears.
"He looks like a Kiernan to me," he said, looking down at the little boy who was looking at them all with big curious eyes.
"Hello Kiernan," Ginny smiled down at the child in her arms and then slipping down the bed a little more she rested her head on the many pillows propping her up. Harry watched her close her eyes and sleep.
"Harry dear, we're off to get some sleep, we'll be back soon, okay?" Molly spoke quietly as not to wake up Ginny.
"Okay Mrs Weasley, thank you for being here, you too Arthur" he smiled, whispering in reply and waved goodbye, they returned the gesture and slide out the door. Kiernan was quiet for quite a while but Harry longed to pick the tiny infant up in his arms.
"You can pick him up if you want," a healer came into the room and saw Harry gazing at the child "she'll be asleep for a while, I don't think she'll mind". Harry nodded and carefully took the bundle of blankets with Kieran inside. My son, he thought, he beamed down at the little wriggling figure and placed his finger near his hand. He was amazed to find that his finger was the size of his fist. I'm going to watch him grow and teach him all I know he thought. What really amazed him, was that he was scared, not of this child but the future, he couldn't believe how much love he felt for this little newborn and he didn't want to lose him. Only the future would tell…this must have been how his parents felt. Harry continued to watch Kiernan and tears began to well up at the thought of his parents not being able to see their first grandchild. Ginny's eyes flickered and saw her husband's miserable expression.
"They know Harry," she whispered to him and rested her hand on his shoulder "and they must be proud of you, you know they loved you very much." Harry hadn't expected Ginny to wake up with him in a state like this, he sniffed and nodded, wiping away his tears with his sleeve. She always had known what to say, and now it was time to focus on the future and their new son. Let the hard times come...
I didn't want to continue this fanfiction, so it was either this or kill the child. Yeah, anyway hope you liked the one-shot.