"Are all babies this messy?" Harry asked, making a face as Teddy blew bubbles on his neck, absentmindedly exploring Harry's nose with a tiny hand. Ginny merely grinned at him.
They were sitting on a blanket in the living room, surrounded by discarded toys that Teddy had deemed beneath his attention. Crookshanks was sitting on a chair behind Harry, tail swishing, watching Teddy reproachfully. Crookshanks, for all his grumpiness, had been surprisingly patient with tail-pullings and being suddenly grabbed and rib-crushing hugs. But, cat that he was, he had still taken to staying out of Teddy's reach whenever he came to be babysat.
She could hear her mother, Fleur and Andromeda talking in the kitchen, and the sound of laughter from outside, where Bill, Charlie, Hermione, and Ron were de-gnoming the garden. She could not bear the idea of leaving the Burrow, but school was fast approaching. She hadn't decided whether or not she would return. Her mother was insisting she go and Ginny wasn't pushing the point, but she didn't want to think about eating and walking and living where so many had died.
Teddy giggled, pulling her out of her reverie.
"He's so cute," she squealed, watching with amusement as Harry disentangled the baby's hands from his glasses. "Aren't you, you cutie?" she cooed, rescuing Harry and taking Teddy into arms. "Aren't you?" She rubbed noses with the baby, who stared at her with wide, curious eyes.
"You're good with him," Harry commented. Ginny looked up, letting Teddy feel her hair with sticky fingers. Harry was watching her with a half-smile on his face. Abruptly, she wondered what Harry's baby would be like. She blushed.
"I don't like kids," she muttered, embarrassed. "But Teddy's a good baby." Harry shrugged, still watching her.
"And you're good with him," he said, leaning back into the chair, causing Crookshanks to retreat a few inches cautiously. He turned red as well, and he looked away and reached a hand back to Crookshanks. The cat sniffed at it, then bumped it with his nose, demanding to be rubbed. Harry scratched behind the cat's ears for a bit, avoiding her eyes.
Ginny returned her attention to Teddy, who was opening and closing his mouth with apparent delight that he could do so. Struck by a novel idea, he grabbed a hank of her hair and inserted into his mouth, then took it out, not pleased by its feel. He looked at her as if to ask why she didn't taste better, then went back to blowing bubbles.
Crookshanks leapt off the chair, leaving the three of them alone. For a moment, Ginny allowed herself the luxury of daydreaming about the children she and Harry might have. She thought that, perhaps, she wouldn't mind kids so much if they were a part of Harry. But not now. Not until later, much later. And, of course, they'd have to marry first and -
She felt warmth creep up her neck to her ears. Just...not now.
Teddy yawned.
"Time to go to sleep?" she asked him, and his eyes slipped closed. "I'll take that as a yes." She carefully stood up, adjusting so that Teddy wasn't jostled, and carried him to the crib hastily set up for the afternoon in Charlie's old room on the first floor, Harry right behind them.
She laid the baby down, placing his blanket over him, and straightened. They stood there a moment, she and Harry, looking at Teddy sleep.
"I guess he's cute," Harry said after a moment. Ginny rolled her eyes and swatted at him.
"You're just jealous," she informed him and he shrugged self-deprecatingly.
"I can't compete with that," he sighed. "No one can compete with that level of adorableness." Ginny laughed quietly, tugging him out of the room. For all that he complained, Harry was very attentive of his godson. Ginny rather thought he'd make a wonderful father. She closed the door behind them gently, only to be pulled into a kiss immediately.
"I like kids. Let's have a dozen," Harry said lightly when they broke apart. Ginny appraised him, gauging on how flippant he was being. He looked back, eyes crinkled with affection. She cocked her head, suddenly shy.
"Yes, let's," she said after a beat, smiling, and she pecked him on the nose. He slipped an arm around her waist and they walked back to the living room where Ron and Hermione had settled.
They sat around, lazily chatting, and all the while she and Harry held hands.
Not now, Ginny thought. But maybe later.
Here is a picture of relief: a boy being engulfed in a hug on a doorstep by a girl who has missed him very much.