AN: Thanks so much once again for all my awesome reviewers! You guys are great!
Sorry this chapter took a few more days than usual to get up, I was out of town over the weekend. Ok, without any more delay, here is the next chapter!
Remember, I'm not JKR. Thanks!
Chapter Nine
Tuesday had been a normal day, Ginny had not gone to either of the Dragons' practices since she had enough work to be getting a start on. She worked most of the afternoon with Parkers and Goode to start outlines for their upcoming articles and had spent the morning in interviews for the World Cup preview.
Wednesday morning was a bit of hassle, Maddie was refusing to go to nursery school saying she had much rather spend the day with her mum. She was whiney and fussy. Something that was just not like her.
Ginny squatted down and got on Maddie's eye level. They were in Maddie's room and Ginny was trying to pack her bag for the day. "What's wrong princess? You never fuss like this. Has something happened at school?"
Maddie looked like she was on the brink of tears and she nodded her head in the affirmative. Ginny sighed sat down on the floor and pulled her daughter into her arms. Her daughter let out a few tears and after a few moments Ginny spoke. "What happened?"
Maddie was playing with the hem of Ginny's shirt. She let out a watery hiccup. "Benny told me yesterday that I didn't have a daddy. That I wasn't loved enough to have two parents and I told him he was a liar, that I did have a daddy and that I had met him this weekend. He kept saying that wasn't true and asked who he was and I told him, I told him his name, said he was Harry Potter and Benny just laughed and said that wasn't true and that Harry Potter was famous and that he couldn't possibly be my daddy. I told him it was true and he just kept laughing. Kept saying I wasn't loved enough to have a mommy and a daddy." The last of Maddie's words were swallowed up in tears.
Maddie had said all of that in one breath and the tears streamed down her face through it all. Ginny wrapped her arms more protectively around her child and rocked her back and forth cooing in her ear trying to calm her down. Ginny finally stopped and pulled Maddie around into a position where she could look her in the face.
"Maddie, I want you to listen to me for a few minutes ok?"
Maddie nodded wiping her eyes with her fist and then staring up at her mum.
"Harry is your daddy. There is no question about that. There is no other person on this planet that could possibly be your daddy. Ok?" Maddie nodded again. Ginny knew that Maddie didn't need to know nor could understand the details of her statement. But she needed her daughter to know beyond a doubt that Harry was her father.
"Yes, your father is famous, for a couple of reasons." Ginny paused. Ginny and her family had kept most of the knowledge of Harry and exactly how well he was known away from Maddie so far. However, they didn't mean that the rest of the wizarding world didn't know who he was. "Do you remember me telling you your daddy had to go and fight his own battle, just like the prince in our story?" Maddie nodded her understanding again.
"Well, while your father was away that's when mummy found out you were coming to us. Your daddy didn't know of you then, he had a battle to fight and I had to protect you and him. After that battle your daddy made a decision that he needed to go away for a while. He had to…to take care of some things. Well, while he was gone he picked back up one of his favorite hobbies from when we were in school. You probably not only get your love of Quidditch from me and your Uncle Ron, but from your Daddy as well. He's an excellent player and well, now he's famous for that."
"Yeah, he said he played with Lizzie."
"That's right. There is a new team, remember talking with Uncle Ron about that?"
Maddie nodded.
"Lizzie and your daddy play on that team. They are called the Dover Dragons."
Maddie smiled. "So he really does play Quidditch like he said? And for a professional team?"
Ginny smiled. "Yes."
Maddie was grinning at first, but then her smile faded.
"Mummy?"
"Mmm Hmm?"
"Benny said I wasn't loved enough to have two parents." Maddie was barely speaking above a whisper.
Ginny stroked her daughters hair as she spoke. "Princess, listen, you are loved well beyond two parents. You have six uncles and aunts who love you more than anything. Your daddy does love you, I'm sure of it. He…he's sorry he has missed you until now. But, he wants to spend time with you and get to know you and love you. Just because your mum and dad don't live together with you under one roof does not mean that your daddy does not love you, ok?"
Ginny was as sure of this statement as if she had always known it. It had shown in Harry's eyes that day they had had coffee. It might not fully know Maddie yet, but Ginny knew in her heart that he did love his daughter.
Maddie nodded and was starting to smile again.
"Don't ever believe anyone who might tell you anything any different ok?"
Maddie was grinning again now from ear to ear and nodding furiously. "So, when will I get to see my daddy again?"
Ginny sighed she had not told Maddie of her plans for the afternoon knowing she would not be able to calm her down, but it looked as if the day at school and work was shot anyway now.
"How about this afternoon?"
Maddie jumped up out of Ginny's lap. "Really, today!!"
"Yes, today, but first, we have to finish getting you dressed and straighten your bedroom up. Mummy also has to call into work, ok?"
Maddie nodded and made a mad dash to start picking up her toys and shoes that had managed to be strewn all over the place in her frustration earlier.
Ginny left her to her work for a moment to go and floo call into Jim and handed through the fire some article abstracts she had been working on the night before.
Ginny spent the morning with Maddie at the play park trying to let the little girl use up some of her extra energy but with not much luck. After an early lite lunch Ginny had Maddie help her pack up a picnic for an early dinner. She made sure she had her notepad and a quill to take notes, she was going to the practice for work after all. She packed Maddie's back pack with a few toys and items to keep her busy if need be and they headed off to the stadium.
Ginny's stomach gave a flop when they turned to face the Quidditch stadium. This would be the first time they would all be out together. The practice was a closed one, Ginny would be the only press, but if need be how were they going to explain to Harry's team. She didn't want to tell her daughter not to call her father 'daddy' in front of others. That wasn't fair to Harry nor Maddie. She guessed that was a conversation they needed to have at some point. Now Harry was aware of Maddie, the world would probably soon be aware of their relationship. Especially anyone who looked at their eyes when they were together.
Ginny sighed as Maddie was hopping up and down beside her as they walked over to the security gate. This time the security guard merely waved and flicked his wand to let her in. She settled them down in the same place she had watched Monday's practice from. Maddie was jumping from one bench to the next down a few rows and then climbing back up to her mum and starting over again.
Ginny was sitting with the picnic basket below her bench, safely tucked away with a cooling charm placed on it. She was flipping through her previous notes on the team and did not notice Harry walking up the stands toward them.
"Daddy!" Maddie's excited squeal broke Ginny's train of thought. She looked up just in time to see the little girl launch herself into Harry's waiting arms. Ginny smiled. She could get use to this sight she thought. They made their way over to Ginny with Maddie in full flow asking questions about Quidditch.
The sun was bright and as they sat down on the bench in front of Ginny and Harry turned himself and Maddie in her direction. She could see their eyes sparkle in the afternoon sun, just a like.
"I'm glad you could make it."
Maddie had dis-entangled herself from her father and was frantically looking through her back pack as the two adults talked.
"Well, let's just say it's been an eventful morning and this one," Ginny motioned towards Maddie, "has had more energy than one person should be allowed to have." Harry smiled and nodded as his daughter turned back to him with another picture in her hand. Ginny had not remembered seeing that while packing her back pack, she must have put it in there while Ginny had gotten herself ready to leave.
"I drew you another picture, you can put this one in your locker." Maddie had spread the picture out on the bench. It was a picture of a house, an owl flying around the top, a tree next to the house on one side and on the other three figures. One tall one with red hair and brown eyes, a shorter one with red pig tails and then another taller figure with dark hair and the same color eyes as the one with pig tails. Under the figures she had scrawled the words Mum, Me, Dad.
"I drew this at school yesterday. I drew it for you. This horrible boy Benny laughed at it and said I didn't have a daddy, but well, anyway, I told him he was a liar." Maddie beamed up at Harry and presented him the picture.
He gave Ginny a questioning look and she mouthed "Tell you later."
"Thanks, I really like this one. I put the other one you drew me up on my wall next to my bed at home, so I could see it every day when I wake up. I'll love to have this one in my locker here."
Ginny jerked her head down towards the pitch. "Looks like they are starting to get ready for practice."
Harry turned around and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I need to make my way down there." He went to get up and leave, but Maddie got him in a hug first and then he turned and descended the stairs back to the field.
Ginny had not seen Maddie sit so still for so long ever. Without the excitement of fans around to stir her up, Maddie was totally awestruck by the team players. She sat and watched every move her dad made. They ran through more drills. She could tell Oliver was pushing them harder than Monday, they were flying faster and the drill maneuvers were more complicated. After a while they abandoned this and once again started a single team, half field game of Quidditch. Once again Harry was able to catch the snitch several times and Ginny could tell the chasers were definitely starting to get in sync with one another.
Finally after two and half hours Oliver blew his whistle and they huddled back on the ground.
"Come on, let's pack up and head down there." Maddie jumped up and grabbed her back pack as Ginny got her bag and the basket and they started down the stands to the pitch.
About the time they reached the edge of the field Oliver had released the team and Harry jogged over.
Maddie was bouncing up and down and when he had reached the edge of the field he squatted down to her level.
"So, what did you think?"
"You're awesome! Can I see the snitch? Can I come to games? Can you take me on your broom? Yours looks faster than Uncle Ron's!" Harry laughed a small laugh as all her questions and words came in one single flow.
"I'm sure we can definitely arrange for you to attend some games and well, we'll have to discuss the broom riding with your Mum." Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a small golden ball with fluttering wings and then his wand. He gave the ball a tap with his wand and the fastly fluttering wings slowed a bit.
"Here, I tell you what, you can have this one. I slowed it down and put a charm on it so that it won't fly any higher than you can grab, you can chase it around, ok?"
Maddie's eye's lit up and her smile was as big as her face and she was nodding, too excited to actually speak. Harry released the snitch and it flew off at a leisurely pace compared to its usual speed and Maddie took off across the field after it giggling.
"I think you have just made her day, probably her week."
Harry smiled a bit sheepishly. "It's the least I could do." Harry paused for a moment as he and Ginny watched their daughter run around the field. "We're going together after this right? Picnic? The three of us?"
Ginny nodded and lifted the basket she held in her hand. "All here."
Harry smiled. "Good, I'll only be a few minutes." He picked his broom off the ground where he had laid it and jogged back to the locker rooms, Lizzie passing him and making her way towards Ginny.
Ginny watched as Maddie continued to chase the snitch.
"So, I see you're talking to Mr. Potter again. How was coffee the other day?" Lizzie had a light questioning tone to her voice.
"It was fine, we got caught up a bit." Ginny figured her friend didn't need all the details of their afternoon discussion.
"Good." Lizzie drug out the word like she expected more.
Maddie came bounding up to the two women at that time and Lizzie bent down to give her a hug. "What cha got there?" She asked.
"A snitch, the one from practice, my daddy gave it to me." Maddie held her hand out to Lizzie grinning.
Lizzie looked back up and Ginny, eyes wide and then looked back at Maddie.
Ginny bent down and scooped the ball out of her daughter's hand. "Here Maddie." And Ginny set the snitch off again so her daughter would go and chase it leaving her and Lizzie alone for a moment.
Lizzie slowly stood up, crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Spill it Weasley."
Ginny sighed and sat the basket down at her feet and crossed her arms in front of herself in a defensive stance.
"I didn't want you to tell Harry about Maddie that day at the press conference because he's her father and at that time he didn't know about her yet." Ginny had flatly stated all in one rushed sentence.
Lizzie shook her head. "Did I hear you right? Maddie's dad is Harry?"
"Yes,"
Lizzie looked at Ginny expectantly once again wanting more.
"We more than just knew each other. At Hogwarts we dated for a while and immediately after. We eventually broke it off, because, well, because of the war with Voldermort. You know all the rest about Harry being the one to destroy him, yada yada and him leaving the country. Everyone knows all that now. Anyway before he left, well, anyway I found out I was pregnant while he was gone and never got to tell him and then he left and I never heard from him to be able to tell him he had a daughter and now he's back and he knows and we're moving on. That's the shortened quick version of the past, well over six years I guess."
"Are you two dating? Were you ever married?"
"No, we were never married and no, we are not dating now. I'm Maddie's mother and Harry is her father and that's where things are, end of story." Ginny stated a bit exasperated. The idea of having to share their story, even in the least amount was scary and nerve wracking. It had been so personal for so long. No one but her family knowing any details. It was hard to let any of it go.
They stood in silence for a few moments. "Do us a favor for the moment," Ginny stated almost pleadingly. Lizzie nodded to let Ginny know she was listening. "Don't spread that around for now. I know it'll get out and that's fine, I guess. I'll have to deal with that, but well, they just met each other Sunday and we're still trying to get use to the whole thing first."
"I understand." Lizzie looked at Ginny and smiled.
"I guess after spending a week or so with Harry I should have been suspicious, she does have his eyes." Ginny scrunched her nose at the revelation, so others did notice. "So how are you feeling with all of this?"
Ginny shrugged. "It's like one weight was taken off my shoulders and now I live with a lead ball in my stomach of what the future holds. I just want her to be happy."
Lizzie nodded and turned to give Ginny a hug. "If you need to talk or anything, or even a babysitter for Maddie so you and Harry can talk, let me know." She released Ginny and smiled. Ginny nodded her head to let her know she understood.
"Well, I guess I better go. I'll be seeing you around then huh? And not just because you report for Broomsticks and Bludgers?" Ginny shook her head and waved Lizzie off who was now laughing to herself and walking away.
Harry had made his way back over to Ginny and Maddie came running up with the snitch once again in her hand.
"I've caught it twice already!"
"Well, you might be the makings of another family seeker then!" Harry was beaming down at her.
"Really?"
"Yes, your grandfather, my father was also a seeker for his house team at Hogwarts."
"Wow!" Maddie was once again jumpy.
"So Harry, where do we want to go?"
Harry bent down and picked up the picnic basket with one hand and Maddie had taken a hold of the other. "There's this little park, near my apartment, it has a play ground and everything. I live in an area right outside of London, quiet little place, muggle. It gives me some privacy. Anyway, how is that?"
"Ok, but how are going to get there?"
"Why don't we apparate? You take Maddie in your arms and then hold on to my other arm and I have the basket. Ok?" Ginny nodded and they walked to the apparition point behind the locker rooms and Harry took them to a spot in between two buildings.
"I thought we were going to a park?" Maddie stated as she was getting down from her mother's grasp.
"We are, but we couldn't apparate there, this is a muggle neighborhood. That building here," Harry pointed to the one on his right, "is my apartment building."
Ginny had placed Maddie on the ground and turned Maddie to face her. "Ok, what's the rule when we go to a muggle park?"
"No talking about magic or Quidditch and no getting angry or upset so that I accidently make things happen."
"Very good. Come on." She took her daughter's hand and motioned for Harry to lead the way. A short walk later he had led them to a small park with picnic benches on one end and a playground surrounded by benches and double swings for the adults.
Ginny spread their food out on a table and they ate with Maddie questioning her father now about America since Quidditch was off limits. After they had finished eating Maddie ran to the play ground with Harry in tow to push her in the swings and Ginny cleaned up their mess and made her way to a nearby bench. She took out her notebook and began to read over her notes while Harry played with Maddie on the play ground. She quickly gave up on the notes and just watched them instead. They seemed to pick right up as father and daughter as if he had always been around. Maddie had Harry laughing with her constant ramblings and he was catering to her every whim on the toys and equipment.
Another woman strolled up with a baby stroller and small blond boy following. "Can I go out on the play ground now mummie?"
"Yes dear go on." He ran off and the woman looked at Ginny. "Anyone else sitting here?"
Ginny shook her head no and removed her bag from the bench so the woman would have more room. She sat down and pulled the stroller next to her, checking on the sleeping child inside. She watched her son for a moment before turning to Ginny.
"Is that little girl there yours? The one with the red pig tails? And your husband?"
Ginny was caught off guard at first but then just nodded. "Yes. That's my little girl." She left the husband part alone.
"She's precious, looks like she has her father wrapped around her finger."
Ginny sat for a little while longer before Maddie came running up to her. "Mummy, Mummy, Daddy says there is a street carnival in town, can we go, please, pretty please?"
Harry came staggering up behind her, clearly out of breath.
"Well, I don't know…"
The blond woman turned towards her. "Oh yes, it's an annual event. Very fun for the children. I would definitely recommend it, if you have the time." She stood up and took her stroller and went after her own son.
Harry sank down on the bench next to Ginny. "She's got tons of energy. Can we bottle it and sell it?"
Ginny laughed at Harry's tired and bewildered expression. "So you noticed huh?"
Maddie had grabbed Ginny's hand and was pumping it up and down to turn her mother's attention back to her. "Please, pretty please!!"
"It won't hurt Gin, just for a little while." Harry stated almost pleadingly.
"Ok, ok, but what are we going to do with this basket, we can't just tote it around all evening."
"Well, I'll find us a secluded spot and you can vanish it back to your place. Ok?" Harry whispered to her.
Ginny nodded and stood up. She took the basket and Maddie tugged on Harry's hand. "Let's go then!" She was trying to pull him up.
"I'm coming, I'm coming, let an old man catch his breath."
"You're not old Harry, you're just not use to her yet." Ginny said with a bit of mirth.
Harry led them to a secluded spot in the park behind some bushes so Ginny could vanish the basket away without being seen.
They walked down the street to where the street carnival was. They spent the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening playing games, and letting Maddie ride the kiddie rides. She had cotton candy and had turned her fingers pink with it. After several hours and one sleepy Maddie later they decided it was time to head back towards Harry's apartment to the quiet alley way so that Ginny and Maddie could apparate home.
"Come here." Harry picked up an almost sleep walking Maddie so he could carry her. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head on his shoulder and fell asleep. "She's gone out like a light."
"Yeah, she'll sleep well tonight. We usually don't have this much excitement for a week day."
They walked on in silence for a few steps.
"I saw you and Lizzie talking again earlier today. You two know each other pretty well?"
"Well, we met when I was working as the correspondent Quidditch writer for the Prophet several years ago and she was still with the Harpies, we struck up a friendship and Maddie knows her now too. She's babysat a few times for me and well, you heard Maddie tell about her toy broomstick." Harry nodded.
"She didn't know Maddie was your daughter until this afternoon, if you worried about the fact that one of your teammates might have known before you."
Harry shook his head. "No, I wasn't worried about that, it's just I always noticed you two talk whenever you see her. She knows now?" Harry had caught on to part of what Ginny had said.
"It kinda just happened. Maddie ran up to telling her that her daddy had given her the snitch from practice and well, the day of the press conference, I had asked Lizzie not to mention that Maddie was my daughter, I didn't want you to know yet I even had a child until I could talk to you."
"Sooo that's why she said Maddie was a friend of yours when I asked her. I had over heard the last snippet of your conversation that day. I hadn't even remembered that."
"Yeah, well, anyway, I told her I would tell her what was up at some point if she could just keep quiet for me. After Maddie ran back off to play I had to tell her something, so I gave her the quick rundown of that at one point we were more than just friends from our Hogwarts days and that you were Maddie's father. I also asked her not to spread that around too much right now."
Harry stopped short and turned to Ginny. "Why not, are you ashamed of that fact?"
Ginny sighed. "No Harry. It's just, well, on my end of things anyone who knows I have a daughter doesn't know who her father is, I've never said a word. And the fact is a lot of people in the Quidditch League do know me and know that I have a child. I've been a Quidditch reporter for a while now. And well, Harry, you're you. You're famous Harry Potter, defeater of Voldermort and famous Quidditch player back from self imposed exile in America. You didn't even know you had a daughter and well, it's just going to cause a bit of a stir at first that's all and I just don't know what to do about that."
Harry nodded and kept walking, Ginny falling back instep with him. "We'll figure it out Gin. Together."
"Well, what if people ask, what do we say?" Ginny was twisting her hand a bit nervously.
"Just the facts. You're her mother, which everyone knows already and well, I'm her father."
"Yeah, I didn't want to have her not call you Daddy around people. It wouldn't be fair to her or to you. That's what got Lizzie intrigued."
"Ginny, we'll figure this out. It's only been what three days? People might talk for a bit, but we'll just keep to our facts and leave it at that and eventually it'll die down. It's not like we're not use to it, Rita and the Prophet use to write stuff all the time."
"Yeah, but Harry, that mostly just involved you. This involves our daughter, an innocent child this time."
Harry nodded his understanding. He didn't know what he would do if anyone wrote anything that put his daughter in a bad light. "Well, as long as they leave her alone, I can deal, can you?" Harry asked in earnest.
Ginny nodded.
They continued the rest of the way back to Harry's street in silence. He paused for a moment.
"Ginny, thanks for today. I..I haven't had this much fun in a long time and I definitely haven't felt this at peace in a while either." She nodded and shifted her bag on her shoulder.
"We'll work something out for you to have time to spend with her."
"What about with you?"
"Harry, let's just deal with one thing at a time. Ok?" Ginny's mind was on overload again. She had a million things to think through and their implications.
Harry gave a resigned nod. "Here, do you think you can take her? She's like dead weight asleep."
Ginny smiled. "Yeah, I got her. Although I think she'll soon be too big for me to be able to carry her at all." Harry passed their daughter to Ginny and he escorted them into the shadowed ally where he brought them to earlier.
"If you ever need to apparate here, use this ally ok?"
Ginny shook her head. "Night Harry." With a pop she was gone.
Harry stared at the place where just a second before the love of his life and his daughter had stood. He breathed in the early summer night's air and headed out of the ally and around the front of his apartment building.
"Hiya Harry! Been long day huh?" the doorman Phil waved at Harry as he entered.
"Yeah, long day."
Harry decided he needed the physicalness of taking the stares and so he trudged up to his third floor apartment. He let himself in and stood listening to the silence for a moment before dumping his keys and wand on the counter and heading towards the bedroom.
The apartment building was old in itself. It had once been a warehouse, but had recently been renovated to house a number of upscale clean apartments. They all had open roomy floor plans. The living area, dining room and kitchen spilled all into on space with nothing but columns or a counter to separate the spaces. The bedroom was large with a walk-in closet and loo. That was the extent of it all. He had minimal furniture, just the basics. It was dark and lonely at this hour of the evening.
Harry slipped out of his clothes and found a pair of pajama pants lying on the floor next to his bed where he had dropped them that morning. He slipped into them and lay back onto the cool sheets. He propped his head onto his pillows with his hands behind his head staring at the ceiling. If he tilted his head a little to the left he could see the picture that Maddie had given him the first day she had met him.
Harry thought about his daughter for a moment. His daughter. The words were foreign and odd sounding in his mind still. They always left a tugging sensation on his heart when he thought them. But there was no denying that Maddie was his. He placed his hand over his chest where his heart was, it physically ached. Ached for so many things. He had spent all of Sunday night and as many hours since as he could spare turning over the pages and soaking up the images in the book that Ginny had created for him. The thought of being a father was scary, but knowing his daughter now and if he lost her was even scarier.
His life had changed so much in the past few days. He went from finally just making it home to England to finding out he actually had a daughter and that Ginny actually didn't hate him like he had suspected. Even though she was trying on most occasions to keep a cool distance.
"I want to get Ginny back, I need to get her back. I want our family together, like we had spoken of once, a long time ago." Harry mused to himself. "But how?"
"I'll talk to Ron, yeah, he'll be able to help. Hopefully." Harry sighed. This was going to be a long journey.
Finally settled with the thought of talking to Ron about Ginny sometime in the near future Harry turned over on his side and fell asleep dreaming of houses with picket fences and toys in the yard and more red and raven haired children with green and brown eyes.
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