Harry's Halloween Heart Attack- Written for Taragh McCarthy's "Under Stress Challenge" on HPFC. Enjoy
Halloween. A time of laughter and lighthearted merriment for almost everyone in the world- everyone, except for Harry Potter, of course.
Halloween was the night that his parents had died so long ago under the hands- or, wand, really- of Lord Voldemort. Only a few years ago when he'd been seventeen had he finally been able to defeat the "Dark Lord" and avenge the deaths of his parents and pretty much everyone else that had been close to him.
Since he'd made Ginny Weasley into Ginny Potter, she'd been trying to convince Harry to celebrate Halloween like all other normal people, rather than just staying home and moping over the album of his parent's photos that Hagrid had given him. Of course, when Ginny had suggested that they go to a party instead of allowing him to sit and sulk, Harry had defensively argued that he did not still miss Halloween celebrations to wax poetic about his mum and dad's untimely deaths. Clearly, she had not believed him, and dragged him to Ron and Hermione's annual party this year.
So here he was, sitting on the couch in the Weasleys' house, nursing a goblet of Firewhiskey. His wife was next to him, nestled into the crook of his arm.
"I can't believe you talked me into this," he told her.
Ginny smiled up at him. "Relax, Harry. It's a party, you're supposed to let go and have fun. You know, talk to people, dance, and admire the costumes."
Harry appraised the redhead. "I still think that costume would look best on the floor of our room. We could go back home now and-"
"Or," Ginny cut in, "We could stay and enjoy the party until midnight, then spend all day tomorrow in bed. Besides, what's wrong with having a costume for a few hours more?"
"For one, I feel ridiculous." Harry told her, looking down at his outfit. He was dressed as a pirate. Ginny had gone all out in planning, including a large black hat with skull and crossed-wands on his head, and a charmed parrot on his shoulder for the costume.
"Well, I wanted to go as a pirate, so you had to be my pirate captain," Ginny explained as if it were a perfectly natural thing to want to attend a celebration dressed as a romanticized scumbag of the sea. "And besides, I think you look positively dashing."
"You're only saying that because you know I can't do anything about it," Harry griped, "And at least your costume flatters you." It was true, the short, ragged skirt of her outfit made her legs look miles long, and the tasteful cleavage shown by the ripped neckline didn't hurt the image either. Ginny looked good enough to eat, which was a shame since she wouldn't let him take her home just yet.
"Mmm, does it now?" Ginny hummed with approval at his words, "Why do you think I picked this one out of all the other costumes?"
"Because," he said, "black and red is one of your favorite color combinations."
His wife shrugged, "True. But that's not really why I picked it. I wanted to seduce you, and make you enjoy Halloween for the rest of your life."
Harry's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. He pulled her to him, locking their lips without care to the rest of the room's occupants.
"Oi, get a room!" Ron's voice suddenly broke through the haze of Harry's mind. He grinned sheepishly up at his best friend after breaking the kiss. Ron and Hermione were standing in front of the couch, staring at them bemusedly.
"Gin, did you tell him yet?" Hermione asked quietly.
Ginny blushed the color of her hair. "Not yet, no. I was going to but," she looked at Harry, "I got distracted."
Harry frowned slightly at her in confusion. "Tell me what?"
For a moment, she was silent and Harry thought she was not going to tell him anything at all, then Ginny blurted out, "I'm pregnant!"
Harry stared at her in shock for a split second before everything went black.
When he came to, Harry was still on the couch, but lying down. Ginny, Ron and Hermione were standing over him, looking worried.
Everything came flooding back to him. He was going to be a father. The thought was almost enough to make him black out again, but he fought it off.
"So," he hedged, slowly raising himself back into a sitting position, "I'm going to be a dad?"
Ginny nodded. "I only found out about three days ago. You know how I thought I had the flu or something? Well, I went to my medi-witch and she told me we were going to have a baby."
"Merlin!" Harry swore under his breath. "First Halloween, then a baby. Got any more surprises for me?"
"Now that you mention it, I do."
Harry shut his eyes, waiting for the next thing that would certainly make this night memorable for the rest of his life.
"It's a boy, Harry." Ginny told him gently.
Once again, Harry muttered, "Merlin!" as his eyes shot open and he met her gaze with his.
It looked like she was fighting a smile. "And no, we are not naming him 'Merlin', no matter how fond you seem to be of that name all of a sudden."
Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, I'm just… Wow, I'm gonna be a dad!"
Ginny nodded, "Yes, generally that's what happens when you get your wife pregnant."
"I don't know if I'm ready for this. I don't know how to be a parent!"
"You think I do?" Ginny asked him. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out together- and maybe with a little help from my parents."
"I guess," Harry allowed, shrugging. "Now, shall we go home and do a little celebrating of our own?"
As the two left Ron and Hermione's house to apparate back to Grimmauld Place, Ginny turned to him, "Just do me a favor when he's born and don't pass out on me then, okay?"
Harry's eyes widened. Oh, Merlin!
AN: So there you have it, Harry finding out that he's going to be a father. Hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review! Must admit though, it was a bit strange to write about Halloween on the 4th of July (Happy Independence Day, for any Americans reading!)… Anyhow, thanks for reading!
-Fiori ^_^