The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.

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Jamie walked in just as Harry was comforting Ginny. "Momma? Poppa? Why are you crying?"

Harry scooped him up. "Because we are so happy! You and Momma are going to be living here…that makes me very happy and Momma very happy. Would that make you very happy?"

Jamie smiled. "Yes, Poppa."

Ginny was smiling a very tired smile as see watched the two. She caught Harry's eye and whispered, "Thank you."

Harry simply nodded as he spun around with a shrieking Jamie on his shoulder.

Harry insisted that Ginny go back to bed and take a nap while he and Jamie played in the living room.

Ginny yawned and slightly raised her head from the pillow to yell after the boys, "wake me up if he poops…he stills need help with that."

Harry made a disgusted face. "Not a problem."

Ginny woke up for the second time that day in her old bed but this time she was feeling much more relaxed. The pain medicine had made the pain almost bearable. Looking at the light streaming from the window Ginny glanced at the side table to see a note from Harry.

Sleeping Beauty-

Jamie and I have gone to the park. Does he ever stop talking or take a nap? I am worn out. I still want to talk maybe tonight. Please tell me he goes to bed early.

H

Ginny laughed, Jamie had made a great first impression.

Harry finally gave up and found a bench to sit down on. Jamie was having a wonderful time chasing the ducks. Harry felt as if he was watching pure energy, his son's curiosity and innocence amazed him. Jamie was always asking questions. Harry wondered how Ginny did it by herself, more importantly why Ginny did it by herself. His list of questions was growing by the minute.

Jamie turned away from the ducks, wandered back to Harry, and sat next to him on the bench. "Poppa do you have any other little boys?"

Harry was startled by the question and covered his laugh with a cough. "What do mean other boys?"

Jamie had picked up a leaf from the seat of the bench and was shredding it. "Momma only has one little boy, but that mean girl over there," he pointed at a girl by the pond, "she said that nobody has just one little boy that they come in pairs."

Harry gave the mean little girl a glare then turned to Jamie. "She does not know what she is talking about do not worry about what she said."

Jamie threw the leaf to the ground. "I do not like girls they stink."

Harry laughed to himself. "Your Momma is a girl and I know for a fact she does not stink. Maybe you need to rethink that idea."

Jamie snuggled in closer to Harry. "Okay Poppa."

Ginny heard them come through the front door.

"Poppa you have to hold my hand when we cross the street! How else will you be safe?" Jamie was lecturing Harry.

Harry was grinning. "I am sorry I did not understand the rules. I promise it will not happen again."

"Momma!" Jamie ran to Ginny who was sitting on the sofa. He took a running leap and landed in Ginny's lap. "I chased ducks!"

Ginny kissed his head and hugged him hard. "Did you catch any?"

Jamie shook his head. "No but Poppa said I made them quack a lot."

Ginny nodded, "He did? I am sure he loves quacking!" Ginny was proud that she did not laugh aloud.

Harry was watching her. "Very funny…we brought home dinner. Take out from the corner pub. Gabbie and I …" Harry did not finish his thought it seemed wrong.

Ginny pretended not to notice. "That sounds great…Jamie go wash up while I get the table ready."

Jamie climbed out of her lap and ran to the bathroom. Ginny looked at Harry. "You okay? He can be a handful."

Harry sank into the chair next to the sofa. "I do not know how you do it, more importantly why you did alone."

Ginny looked serious. "Can we talk about that after Jamie is asleep?" She stood up and walked over to him. "I will answer anything you want."

Harry nodded.

Dinner around Harry's kitchen table was a lively affair. Jamie entertained them with duck imitations. Harry noticed that Jamie got more food on his face than could have possibly gotten in his stomach. Harry also noticed that Ginny ate very little.

Ginny realized that Jamie was done eating and just playing with his food. "Bath time mister." announced Ginny as she stood. Jamie jumped off the chair and began taking off his clothes in the kitchen.

"Enthusiastic about person hygiene?" Harry was surprised.

Ginny called over her shoulder, "It is his favorite time of day."

Harry grabbed his beer, following the trail of little clothes, he entered the bathroom as Jamie was squirming as Ginny peeled off the last of his clothes. The little boy squealed, "Naked time!" and he danced around.

Harry was in the middle a swig when Jamie began his dance and part of it threatened to come out of his nose. "Bloody Hell!"

Ginny was laughing so hard she was holding her side. "He has always hated getting dressed, so we made a deal, he gets dressed with out whining and I let him run around naked for a couple of minutes before bath time."

Harry calmed down and moved over to let his son run past, "Naked time?"

Ginny nodded. "Jamie time for your bath"

The little boy ran back into the bathroom. "Poppa did you have naked time when you when a little boy?"

Harry was touched there was so much this wonderful child would never know. "No, son. It looks great though."

Jamie smiled. "Maybe tomorrow we can have naked time together Poppa."

Ginny was grinning, "How about it Harry?"

Harry blushed, "We will see Jamie."

Ginny picked up her son and plopped into the bathwater she had ready for him. With soap and washcloth in hand, she scrubbed every inch of Jamie. They sang songs and Jamie played with the soap bubbles.

"Show Harry what you can do with the bubbles Jamie." Ginny looked at Harry with a 'wait 'til you see this' look.

Jamie screwed up his face; he was concentrating on the bubbles. The bubbles slowly changed shape and color becoming a yellow duck.

Ginny clapped her hands. "Very good sweetheart! Is that a duck like you were chasing?"

Jamie looked proud and splashed the water.

Harry grinned. "He is what four? I could not do that in my third year at school."

Ginny laughed. "He is not four yet. Next week is his birthday."

Harry stopped and thought. "What day next week?"

Ginny looked at Harry. "He was born on your birthday, July 30th."

Harry gave his son a thoughtful look and smiled.

After finally finding her satchel that Harry had stashed in the bedroom, Ginny pulled out Jamie's pajamas. "No Momma!"

Ginny was surprised by his adamant refusal. "These are your favorites. They have elephants on them." It was getting late and Ginny was starting to hurt more.

"No, Poppa gave me new pajamas last night! I want those!"

Jamie went and found the jersey Harry had given him the night before. Ginny picked it up. It was similar to hers; instinctively she brought it to her face. It smelled like Harry. Harry was watching her from the door; she looked like she was about to cry.

"Ginny you okay?" he asked.

She straighten up, "Sorry momentary lapse. This is the one you want?" she asked Jamie.

Jamie was jumping up and down, "Poppa gave them to me! Poppa gave them to me!"

Ginny struggled but finally got the giant jersey over the bouncing boy's head. Harry had disappeared into the kitchen and quickly cleaned up the remains of dinner. He returned to the bedroom in time to see Jamie's head pop out of the jersey.

"Story time Momma!" Jamie scrambled under the covers of the bed. Ginny looked miserable. "Oh Jamie, Momma is tired can we skip story time?"

Jamie looked like he would cry, a small 'please' made Ginny relent and look in the satchel again. She stood up with a photo album in her hands, as she sat down next to Jamie called out to Harry, "Poppa you sit on this side!" patting the bed next to him. Harry sat down and Jamie looked at pictures. Harry saw pictures of Ginny and himself flip by then all of the Weasley family as Jamie leafed through the album. Finally, after much flipping between pictures Jamie settled on one. It was a picture of Ginny and Harry at Ron and Hermione's wedding six years ago.

"I want this story Momma!"

Ginny looked at the picture and then at Harry, taking a deep breath she started.

"That is a picture of me and Poppa at your Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron's wedding."

Jamie smiled at Harry. "More Momma!"

Ginny had paused hoping that he would not ask for more. "It was the most perfect night, I was so happy and your Poppa was so handsome. We danced all night under the stars. Gram and Grandpa had finally had to stop the music so that we would go to bed. It was very late…just like it is very late for you now."

Ginny took the book from the sleepy boy and after kissing his cheek; she headed out to the living room.

Harry followed her and stopped abruptly when she suddenly stopped at turned to him. The agony she was feeling showed on her face. Harry had noticed that she had taken a pill at dinner. He assumed that it was for pain. It did not seem to be working.

He was surprised by her request. "Harry, do you have anything to drink? Butterbeer, wine, bourbon, something?"

Harry went into the kitchen while Ginny sat on the sofa. The strain of the day was catching up with her, she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than bed, but Harry deserved answers.

Harry quickly returned with two butterbeers. "Are you sure you should drink with the pain medicine?"

"Harry, I am in pain and dying I going to have a butterbeer. Thanks." She took one and quickly finished half of it.

Harry took up a seat on the opposite end of the sofa and watched her take another sip. "Aahh that tastes wonderful! You cannot drink while taking chemotherapy or at least I could not. This is my first beer in almost two years."

Harry just sat and waited he had been thinking all day. Ginny looked expectantly, "Okay ask."

Harry did not know what to ask first, he blurted out "Why Jamie for a name?"

Ginny smiled, "That is an easy one Potter. Jamie is a nickname. His birth certificate reads 'James Harry Potter Weasley'. I could not give him your last name we were not married and Jamie is short for James."

"I would like him to have my last name", said Harry.

Ginny smiled. "I would like that too. Now that he is in the wizarding world you can register him with the Ministry under your last name."

Harry nodded in agreement. Ginny waited for the next question. "Do you tell him a story about us every night?"

Ginny chuckled, "another easy one? I made the album before he was born. I wanted him or her at the time I did not know, to know about the people I love. Yes, every night he picks a picture and I tell him a story about the people in the picture."

Harry realized "That is now he knew that I was his father!"

Ginny nodded, "I never wanted you to be secret. I wanted him to know that at one time we loved each other very much."

Harry did not what to say. He asked the first thing that he thought of, "Where have you been?"

Ginny took a deep breath, "When I had to leave I went to the United States. I ended up in a place called New Orleans. It was as different as anywhere I had ever been. I lived there and had Jamie there. I worked various jobs and lived in the garage apartment of an old house near the river. My landlady took me under her wing and even babysat Jamie when I worked. It was not great but we were okay. Well until the cancer."

Harry took her empty bottle, his was only half-empty. She had finished that fast. "What happened then?"

Ginny shifted to lean further back into the cushions of the sofa. "The doctor at the clinic found the mass and he was very honest with me, he knew it was bad. I went for treatments at a hospital know for cancer treatment. That was when it really became hard trying to take care of Jamie and living in a charity run boarding house. Everyone was kind but it was still hard. If I hadn't had Jamie I think I would have given up months ago. It is the pain; it just gets worse every day."

Harry already knew his next question. "Why muggle medicine? Why not a wizard hospital?"

Ginny sighed, "Harry, the US is huge and the wizarding community is not as defined as it is here. By the time, I realized I was sick it was very advanced and there was no St. Mungo's. I really had no alternative."

Harry jumped on this, "Maybe you should go to St. Mungo's maybe they can help!"

Ginny shrugged, "I should but I am not going to get my hopes up."

Harry finally asked the really hard question. "Why did you leave?"

Ginny slowly pushed herself up. "I need another beer before I answer that. Want one?"

Harry shook his head and waited for her to return. Ginny sat back down with her fresh beer.

"I had to leave…don't you remember. We had been living here about six months. Remember Mum would not speak to me she was so mad. She kept complaining about her daughter 'living in sin' remember that? It was the night you came home after Ron had gotten drunk because Hermione was pregnant again just months after their first born was born…remember? No, well I will never forget it. You came home madder than a wet hen ranting about women being irresponsible and no man should have to put up with unwanted children. Women should just get rid of the life changing nuisance."

Harry had a blank face. "I do not remember saying that. I remember Ron being terrified about another baby."

Ginny was very still and quietly continued, "I remember every word. You see I had been to the doctor that morning and found out I was pregnant. I was already three months along. I could not tell you – you had just said you would tell me to get rid of it! I knew I could not and would not get rid of something made by you and me. So you see I had no alternative, I had to leave. We were not married, you had not proposed. I knew I was on my own."

Harry just sat there. It was all his fault. The months, years of anger and tears were because of his stupid mouth. She had left because of some stupid rant; he had just been blowing off steam and she had believed that was what he truly believed. "Ginny, I am so sorry! I was just complaining. I would never of asked you to do that."

Ginny looked at him with sorrowful eyes. "I did not know that. I wanted to leave while I still loved you. If you had asked me to abort Jamie, I would have hated you. I could not take that risk."

Harry's heart was in his throat. "Why didn't you let me know when our son was born?"

"Harry, you hated the idea of pregnancy. I could not imagine how much you would hate a newborn baby." Ginny was crying.

Harry got another beer and returned sitting next to Ginny. "I should have searched for you, scoured the earth until I found you. I have been such a fool."

Ginny leaned into his shoulder. "I should have been braver. I should have trusted how much you loved me."

Harry's arm drew her closer to him. "I love you Gin, I always have, I never stopped."

Ginny's head snuggled into his shoulder, "I have missed you so much."