"Ah!" Harry gasped, throwing a hand to his forehead, carefully cradling Teddy Lupin with one arm as the baby suddenly stopped giggling.
Ginny quickly seized the baby, fearing the baby would squirm from Harry's haphazard grasp. The couple was at the Tonks' household, for poor Andromeda needed a break from the baby as she coped with the losses of her over-twenty-six-year-husband, twenty-six-year-old daughter and new son-in-law. She and Ted Tonks the first had barely missed their twenty-seventh anniversary, but poor Remus and Nymphadora Lupin were months from their first.
Bill and Fleur had taken Harry and Ginny to Andromeda's house on the way out. Now Harry and Ginny were quite experienced in the art of parenthood, having spent many afternoons with the little bundle of joy. Andromeda always told them that they would make the perfect pair of parents. At this Harry and Ginny would both blush and smile awkwardly, but both knew it was true. They were perfect together, as Mrs. Weasley always said. It seemed to be her life-long dream for Ginny and Harry to get married and have her grandkids. Harry couldn't deny that this did sound quite tempting, but he was only turning eighteen on August 31st, and Ginny was turning seventeen twenty days before him. Though Mrs. Weasley always told them that she and Arthur were about Harry's age when they eloped, Harry didn't think he and Ginny should get married just yet, even if both of them were very ready to start a family together.
"What's wrong Harry?" Ginny asked, concerned.
"Nothing," Harry grunted. "I'm fine." He hated lying, especially to Ginny.
"Then why are you holding your scar?" Ginny inquired, raising a beautifully formed eye-brow.
"I-erm…" Harry began.
"Mhm, I thought so," Ginny said, while handing a squirming Teddy to Harry. "Hold him; I'll go get the diapers. You'll understand the next time you inhale."
Harry realized what she was saying and laughed, but Ginny didn't. Harry frowned and took the baby. As he looked down at the baby, his eyes slowly changed from blue to green. Teddy always changed appearance when Harry held him. Harry smiled and then Teddy smiled too. Then Teddy's attention was drawn to Harry's throbbing scar. The freckles created in the likeness of Ginny had rearranged into a lightning-bolt upon his forehead, as he slowing reached his tiny hand to the blood-red scar. He would have looked just like a baby Harry if it weren't for the tuft of vibrant turquoise hair. Teddy's hair was almost invariably this neon shade.
Something odd happened when Teddy touched Harry scar. The pain suddenly oozed out from existence with pleasant cooling sensation even in the warmth of Teddy's hand. Harry was amazed, and better understood what he had been feeling. He felt as if something bad was about to happen concerning Voldemort, not as if something bad had happened. However, he was too happy with his god-son to be at all worried.
"What did you just do?" Harry cried, staring fondly at the baby.
Teddy merely giggled and snatched Harry's glasses, putting them crookedly upon his little button nose. Harry heard something beside him and thus he turned and squinted to see Ginny standing there with a pack of diapers. Harry already knew who it was, having recognized her walk, but took every excuse to look at her, even without his glasses. He could tell she was smiling fondly at the two of them. Perhaps she had forgotten about the scar. Harry sure hoped so.
"I haven't forgotten about the scar," said Ginny sternly, leaving Harry with the thought she was a Legilimens. "Look, Harry, I love you, but if we're gonna make this work you'll have to stop lying to me. What is love without trust?"
"Oh, Ginny," Harry sighed.
"Don't 'Oh, Ginny' me!" Ginny argued, her fists driving into her hips. "Tell me what's been up Harry!"
With her hands in such a position and her jaw set in such a way, she looked precisely like Mrs. Weasley and George, but Harry refrained from smiling.
"Ginn, you know I love you," said Harry, desperately. "That's why we broke up in the first place. It's just…"
"It's just what, Harry?" Ginny said. "Just what?"
Harry struggled, "I just that I thought you had enough on your plate already. You know- with Fred and all."
"Oh Harry," Ginny said, putting her freckled hand on his shoulder. "Is that what all this is about? Fred's loss is just as much on your plate as it is on mine. Haven't I told you that we're all in this together? In order to keep a neutral front, you must share your problems with me, and I must share mine with you. That's what marriage is all about."
"Marriage?" Harry asked wildly.
"Oh," Ginny gasped as blood rushed to ears and cheeks. "Sorry… I guess my mum has just been saying it so much that…. Can we change Teddy now- I can hardly breathe."
Uncomfortably, Harry walked with Ginny over to the changing station and laid Teddy upon it. He was never very cooperative at changing time, but Ginny somehow managed to diaper him in seconds- as usual.
"How'd you do that, Ginn?" Harry asked bewildered at the way she handled Teddy while he giggled and squirmed as happily as ever.
"I was trained by the best," Ginny said with mock pride.
"And who would that be?" Harry chuckled.
"My mum," she said simply. "I think you'll agree she's very experienced. F-Fred and George took a picture of her changing me once. You should have seen how fast her hands were moving- and with no magic!"
Harry laughed happily with his girlfriend and godson, each ignoring the sadness that came with the utterance of the name 'Fred.' He'd have wanted them happy, after all.
Harry looked to the hand that was still on his shoulder, and realized something changed about it.
"Ginny!" said Harry, surprised. "What happened to your cut?"
"The cut?" she asked.
"Yes," Harry began. "The one Dolohov made with that slashing charm and the Battle two weeks ago! None of us could heal it, even Madam Pomfrey was stumped!"
"Oh, yeah," said Ginny, innocently. "Actually Teddy healed it."
"Wha- really," Harry stammered.
"Yep," she said simply.
Harry didn't expect or even notice the sly undertones she hid brilliantly in her voice.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"He grabbed my finger like many babies do, and then a cool sensation followed. The next thing I knew the cut was gone. "
"Really?" said Harry, overcome with excitement. "That's exactly what he did to my scar, he- Oh…"
Harry stopped dead, looked at Ginny's triumphant face and then stared at the ground. He defeated the powerful Voldemort, and yet he hadn't foreseen that simple trick.
Ginny stared at him blankly and said, "He must be a natural born healer, there very rare."
'Busted' Harry said in his mind. They weren't even married yet and Harry was already playing the role of the guilty husband. Fortunately Judge Ginny looked fairly concerned and sympathetic, though disappointed in his dishonesty. He tried to fake an innocent smile but Ginny was less than amused.
"Take a seat," she said coldly.
Harry looked down at Ted and the baby gave him an apologetic look. Harry smiled at the baby but was not exactly happy. Harry sighed and fell into the leather chair across form the deep red couch that Ginny had sat upon; her legs crossed tightly and her hands folded in her lap.
"Well?" she said blandly, with an expectant look in her eyes. The rest of her facial expression bore something Harry just couldn't read.
Harry sighed. "These nightmares I've been having…. There just so…. Surreal and yet so believable. They tend to alternate between two stories. The first is extremely foggy in my memory. In fact, I think there was fog… or was it smoke?… Smoke, it was definitely a thick, black smoke."
Harry wanted to stop reliving it, but Ginny's gaze seemed to burn right through him when he paused. The burning only stopped as he gasped, gave Teddy a squeeze, and continued.
"I don't really know were I am, but the only light are these little dots above me. The ground is so cold that it stings my feet. My feet are always cold when I wake up. And then there's this blood-red flash and a deafening crack."
Harry paused again, and Ginny silently stared on.
"And then all hear is a high-pitched laugh, with a wickedness only Voldemort can achieve!" He said with distain. "And all throughout the dream I feel as if my head is about to spit in two… And then I see a flash of green and everything goes dark. I can hear my m-mother screaming… and I scream myself. And then… then I wake up, with the thought that Voldemort has returned… or is about too!"
"Oh, Harry!" said Ginny rising from the couch to squeeze into the chair beside him and lay an arm across his newly-broad shoulders.
Tears were forming in Harry's bright green eyes; he struggled to continue. The next sequence was even more painful too him.
"And in the other nightmare… It's not quite 'now.' It seems like it's at least five years from now. Well, we're married… with a beautiful house in Godric's Hollow and three beautiful children… well almost."
Harry paused and Ginny looked up to him, unsure whether it was a joke, an insult, or a chance to catch his breath. "That's your nightmare? Well, Harry, that certainly is a charming thing to say to your-"
"No, Ginny," Harry interrupted. "It's just the beginning of the dream. The happy part. Unfortunately, it's mercilessly short."
She nodded and listened silently.
"The oldest was at least three; a red-haired boy named James. He had glasses like mine. The middle was a few months older than one year. He looked exactly like I did in those pictures Hagrid gave me in that scrapbook. His name was Albus and I remember he had my mother's eyes. There was something interesting about him, but I couldn't quite figure it out. As for our third child, she was unborn. You were a few months pregnant but we knew it was a girl, and were going to name her Lily."
Ginny nodded and waited for him to continue.
"I was holding Albus while helping you get James into this hilarious Dumbledore costume. It had a beard and everything. It must have been Halloween. Anyway, the festivities were cut short as the door burst open and bright green light flew into James and he crumpled, dead into my arms."
Ginny gasped.
"I looked to the door and passed Albus to you, telling you to run upstairs. I realized that Voldemort was standing in the doorway, cackling maniacally. I told you to run upstairs again, but you wouldn't go until I reminded you of our unborn daughter."
Harry paused and took a shallow breath.
"I lifted James onto the couch and turned to see Voldemort already casting the killing curse. The bolt of green light bolted through me and I slowly and
painfully slipped into darkness. But then I reawoke, but had no control over the body. The black robes and spidery white hands told that I was looking through the slitted eyes of Lord Voldemort. I-Voldemort was running up the stairs. He ran into the bedroom were you were hiding and took your wand. I- he said you could live, but only if you handed over the boy. You screamed in refusal and begged him not to harm poor Albus. All I could do was watch as the white hands of the body I was in sent an Avada Kadavra curse right into you and our baby. I tried to control Voldemort's body but couldn't. And then…"
Harry choked and Ginny squeezed him closer to her. Harry became even closer to crying when he saw tears swimming in his girlfriend's eyes. Even Teddy seemed solemn. He took a deep breath and continued.
"Voldemort turned his wand to Albus as he lay on the floor in your lifeless arms. He said the incantation, but the green light seemed to bounce right off of him. And then… I sort of drifted away, crying and screaming. That's when I woke up."
Harry, Ginny, and Teddy were each silent for several moments which each seemed to last a lifetime.
"Do you really think that could happen?" Harry stammered. "Do you think Voldemort could return… and then kill four fifths of our family? So that Albus would have to suffer in the same way I did…"
Ginny remained silent for several more moments but finally said, "I don't think Voldemort will ever come back… But that's what many people thought last time…"