The snow was falling as was darkness. Harry glanced up at the sky, tucking his scarf a little more tightly around his neck. Breathing out in a cloud of white air, he felt the cold snatching at his lungs before turning to the male at his side. "They're moving," he said quietly, his eyes darkening as he watched the two cloaked men heading out of the snow and into the pub across the road. "Let's go," he gestured and his companion followed, cursing against the bite of the cold.
"Finally!" Ron muttered, burrowing deeper into his cloak, his hood pulled up over his flaming red hair. "I thought they'd never go inside," he added, hands buried in his pockets, his wand curled up in his fingers. He walked alongside Harry, who was replying back, but Ron wasn't really listening. His gaze had strayed to across the way, to where it looked as if someone was lurking within the shadow of an alley. He blinked, slowing his pace until he had completely stopped walking. He swore, as he squinted into the darkness, he caught sight of that flashy blonde hair, of the glint of a malicious smile.
"Ron?"
He jumped, his focus broken. Turning to glance at Harry, he shot one last glance towards the alley, seeing nothing at all. Had he… Had he only imagined it? "It's nothing, let's go," he said quickly, beginning to walk towards the pub once more, Harry following only after casting his own gaze in the same direction. But he saw nothing. So, what had Ron all worked up?
The two entered the pub a few minutes after the other pair and they paused for only a moment in the doorway; the pub was crowded and full of Muggles. Harry felt his stomach twist into a knot, as if his body was trying to tell him something. He glanced left and then right, catching sight of their targets across the pub in a secluded corner. He and Ron dropped down onto a table three over from theirs, Ron hesitantly removing his hood. Muggles would not recognize him, but the men would. In any case, Harry would have been recognized immediately as well. The waitress popped up, asking for their order; "fire whisky- I mean, whisky," Ron said absently, his gaze hovering for only a moment on the girl's face, his thoughts churning as he wondered over and over whether he had seen what he saw or not. Harry ordered the same thing and turned to Ron, who was much more distracted than he usually was. But, they had a job to do and he supposed Ron would talk to him about it when he was ready.
"Here," he slid across the table to him a small, flesh colored object. An Extendable Ear, better than ever before, as promoted by the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes latest ad. These ones had been provided to the Ministry as tools to assist in the catching of the still remaining rogue Death Eaters. Two of whom Harry and Ron had been tailing for a night now. They both slipped the Ears into place, just in time to catch the beginnings of a conversation.
"Well, the girl is pregnant." One man was saying, his voice low. Harry felt the knot in his stomach tighten at the man's words. He couldn't be talking about… No…
"Malfoy wants her dead. Kid too." The second voice replied, even lower, so quiet that even with the Extendable Ears he and Ron had to strain to hear the words. "Voldemort is gone and Malfoy fancies himself in charge now, like he's gonna be the new Dark Lord," both men gave a howl of laughter but sobered a few moments later. "He swears he'll be out before we know it."
"Ain't no way he's breaking out of Azkaban. No one done that ever but Sirius Black and he turned into that bloody dog form of his and swam. You think Lucius Malfoy ever swam a day in his life?" Both men laughed once more and Harry could feel his blood boiling. "Anyways… I wouldn't mind killin' that damn girl," he continued, leaning back in his chair, giving Harry and Ron a glimpse of his face. Dolohov. He had escaped from Hogwarts long before the battle was over and had gone into hiding- well, it seemed now he was ready to show his face once more. A long, thin scar traveled over his right eye, something Ginny had given him at the battle. "Payback for this and for Greyback."
At that moment, there came a loud explosion, directly in the middle of the pub. Harry and Ron, caught as equally off guard as all the others, were knocked to the floor by the sheer force. All around them, people were screaming and crying out. Harry staggered up, blood dripping into his eyes from a nasty cut across his temple. Across from him, Ron was cursing loudly, the table having hit him over the head as it was upended. "Okay mate?" He asked as Harry extended his hand for the other male to grasp. Ron nodded, accepting the help, his wand already out.
"Harry Potter."
The familiar voice sent tremors of dread down both of their backs. Harry and Ron swiveled around, their eyes finding the man as he stood amongst the rubble and dust. Lucius Malfoy was smirking, his arms folded across his chest; he was thinner, his hair cut short, but it was him. Dolohov and the unknown man gathered at his sides, clearly in on the whole thing. It became apparent to Harry that they had fallen into a trap. "Surprised to see me, Potter? You couldn't begin to imagine what I had to do to get out of that prison." Harry clenched his free hand into a fist, the moaning of injured Muggles filling his ears. They had to move this fight elsewhere, before someone got really hurt. "I'm sure you know why I'm here." No one spoke and Lucius chuckled, shaking his head, his wand lazily twirling between his fingers. "I've heard you're to be a father, Potter. I suppose congratulations are in order… Unless of course…" He paused and in an instant, he apparated and then reappeared, inches from Harry. "Mother and child don't make it, what a shame that would be…"
"Stay away from them!" Harry snarled, raising his wand in simultaneous motion with Ron, who was red-faced with anger. "She's not a part of this anymore."
"Oh, quite the contrary Potter, she's a big part of this now. Before, she only lived because of the Dark Lord's protection."
At those words, everything stopped, and both he and Ron could not stop the shock from registering on their features. "That girl caused many of Voldemort's men trouble- her damn fighting spirit and gift of magic. She took down comrades and made some of the men look incredibly stupid with her sharp wit. Enough so to make any man not mind taking her out. But because of who she was, because of what she was, she was untouchable. Voldemort gave her protection. But now, he is gone and so is that protection." He laughed as the to males shook with their anger- and their fear. She was the only thing on either of their minds. "You can try and hide her, but I will find her. And I will kill her." Lucius snapped his fingers and the two Death Eaters faded from sight. "Then, I will kill you too. And you know what Potter, I think I'll leave that child of yours an orphan."
As he faded from sight, his laughter reverberated around the pub, casting Harry into the past for just a moment. But he had to get to Ginny, he had to get home. "Hurry," he said to Ron, limping slightly on his left leg, noticing only know the bloody wound to his calf. They could already hear the sirens wailing in the distance, the Muggle authorities and paramedics no doubt. They stepped out onto the street and disappeared with a loud pop.
They reappeared on the lawn of the Burrow- it was the night after Christmas and he and Ginny had been planning on returning to their own home once Hermione returned to Hogwarts. He and Ron burst into the back door, slamming the door closed. It was late and at once, the whole house was waking; Ron was already moving about, putting up a shield of protection charms, his blue eyes dark. "Ron? Harry? What's going on?" Hermione's voice broke into the kitchen and they both looked up at the brunette, who had clearly already been awake upstairs, but she was dressed for bed. They could hear more footsteps upstairs. At the sight of them, Hermione gasped. "Merlin! Are you alright?" she rushed forth, towards Ron, reaching up to put her palm against his cheek, which was blue and black with a bruise. "Tell me what happened!"
"No time, where's Ginny?" Harry asked, stepping around Hermione, his emerald eyes wide. "Is she asleep? Upstairs?"
"I'm right here- Harry, what's going on?" Ginny called from the stairway, her voice tired. Harry turned and caught sight of her, red hair disheveled from sleep, her one hand resting on her stomach. Molly and Arthur were behind her, their faces as equally worried and confused as Hermione and Ginny's. At once he was crossing the kitchen and taking her into his arms, crushing her against him, breathing in her familiar scent. "You're hurt," she murmured into his ear, her hands coming up, one brushing against the still bleeding wound at his temple. "Here, let me…"
"No! There's no time!" His words were loud, his hands shaking as he tenderly brushed hair from her face. "Ginny… I… You're not safe." As the words fell from his lips, her face paled, as if she already knew what he was going to say before he said it. "Lucius Malfoy, he's somehow escaped. There's no telling who else has escaped. We have to get you some place safe. Now, we have to go now," he put a hand against her stomach, her small hand enclosing around his. "I know where we can go," he said then, not really knowing why he was thinking of this. "Hermione, she's going to go with you," Harry turned to the brunette, who was nodding vigorously, moving past them to pack a quick bag of belongings.
"But Harry, I-"
"No, Ginny no arguing. This isn't just about you anymore." He glanced down to her belly, where beneath his palm he could feel the child moving, as if stimulated by the sound of his voice. "I will protect you two, no matter what," he murmured, holding her as close as he could. She was silent, but he felt her nod against his shoulder, her hand still holding tight to his. Hermione bounded back down the stairs, her trusty purple bag in hand. "Come on," he said then, letting Ginny go and stepping back. With sad eyes she turned to her parents, hugging each of them in turn, Molly tearful as she had to let go. "I'll be back and I'll explain everything," he said to her parents, Arthur nodding to show that he understood. Husband and wife watched as Harry lead the group out, Ginny next, then Hermione, and Ron bringing up the front.
"Where are we going?" Ginny asked, her voice breaking into his thoughts.
"It's probably best you don't know," Harry responded, his plan already being set into motion. Call him crazy, he had already planned long ahead for such a moment. He lived in a slight state of paranoia, he couldn't help it. And now he was glad that he had. Their group fell into silence as they walked down the pathway that lead into the Muggle side of the small village. He turned back to look across the hillside, to where he could make out the outline of the Lovegood's roof and then turned back to Ginny, reaching out to gently squeeze her hand. It was cold to his and he knew they had to keep moving to a safe place to Apparate without being seen. Crossing the road into the woods behind the local pub, Harry pulled from his own bag the slippery, shimmering Invisibility Cloak. "There," he gestured towards a set of trees, where he strung it up for the group to Apparate behind. There was no being too careful, not today. Ron and he would be the only ones to know the location of where they were going, so they went in pairs, Harry and Hermione, Ron and Ginny. At the last moment before disappearing, Harry snatched up his Cloak, and as he looked up, relief spread through him; they had not been seen.
They all reappeared into a darkened room; at once, Harry was placing charms, his emerald eyes darting back and forth, as if searching for someone. But, of course there was no one. He had made sure of that. "Lumos" Ron said the moment the charms were up and to her surprise, she found herself in a moderately nice home. "Mate, you sure they're not coming home?"
At the question, Harry shook his head; this was the last place he wanted to be, in fact he had planned on never ever returning, but… It was the safest place he could think of. The one place he knew for certain the Death Eaters would never discover. "Will you tell me where we are yet?" Ginny asked, bringing him back to reality. He turned to her, her eyes narrowed slightly, her arms folded across her chest. It was clear that she was annoyed and frightened too. He knew it was because she felt useless- a feeling she was not used to feeling.
"The Dursley's." Harry replied, remembering only then that Ginny had not been part of the group to rescue him a few years before, on his seventeenth birthday. She had never been here before. Her eyes then widened as she realized she was inside the home where he had grown up. "They've gone away for Christmas, Dudley told me. They'll be back on the twelfth, so we've got 'til then to stop them." He glanced from Ginny to Hermione and then to Ron. He stepped up, right in front of Ginny, taking her hands into his. "I will stop them. I promise you that." She nodded but he alone could see the fear residing in her eyes. He kissed her quickly and then turned to Ron. "We should go." He nodded and stepped up to kiss Hermione, though as he pulled away both were blushing. He took hold of his sister next, whispering softly into her ear. She choked on what sounded like a sob and a laugh. She was nodding then and Ron stepped back, to stand beside Harry. "The protection charms are strong, ones I've learned at the Ministry. They'll be enough to protect you. Don't leave unless you have to." He glanced from girl to girl, his eyes meeting theirs, his tone serious. "I'll be back soon. Hermione, keep her safe." The brunette nodded, putting an arm around the girl's waist.
The two boys stepped away, each one turning back to gaze at the girl they were leaving behind. At both of the girls they were leaving behind. Harry was first to turn away, he had to be; Ron followed suit and they crossed towards front door, poised to leave. "Wait!" Hermione called out, rushing forwards, pulling from her purple bag two hooded jackets. "To blend in," she said with a cheerful smile as they took them, pulling them on, cloaks draped over the couch. "See you soon." She waved goodbye as the boys fled out the door, closing it gently behind them. Ginny made her way to the window, to where she stood and watched as Harry and Ron walked down the sidewalk. At the corner of Privet Drive, he turned back to look at her and she could see the flash of his smile. Then, he and Ron we gone, back the Burrow, back to home.
[ x x x ]
"What do you mean disappeared?" Malfoy sneered as he stared around at the small group of men and women gathered around him. His breakout from Azkaban had turned him into a minor celebrity amongst the riffraff of the Wizarding world. Most of his previous comrades, with the exception of a few, were locked away or in hiding, not yet trusting enough to rise up with him. And so, they would be left behind. He would not be like Voldemort, who had forgiven those who had deserted him the first time around. No, he would never forgive nor forget those who had not risen up to continue the Dark Lord's plans. And so instead, his comrades were the lowlifes, the petty Wizarding criminals who had never made a name for themselves. He would give them a chance. "How hard can it be to find a Weasley? The only Weasley girl that's due to give birth in mere weeks?"
They were speaking amongst themselves then, all at once, each one trying to give his or her response. He held up a hand, as if to say one at a time and then they all fell silent. Lucius pointed to one man, one man who was proving himself to be worthy, a man named Mark Jackson. "She's been well hidden, sir," he explained shortly, his arms folding across his chest. "She's not been at any of their known hiding places in weeks." Malfoy nodded, to show he was listening, but his expression was anything but understanding. "She's not at the family home, nor has she been since Christmas. There's been minimal activity at Godric's Hollow. But never her." The man shook his head. "We even checked that Shell Cottage her older brother owns, but there was no sign of anyone being there in months."
Lucius paced back and forth, his arms crossed over his chest, cloak billowing about his ankles. "Where would Potter hide her…?" He murmured to himself, shaking his head, platinum hair tied back out of his face. Suddenly he slowed to a stop and then turned back to the group, a small smile dawning on his features. "Potter was raised by Muggles, family to his Mudblood mother," he sneered, his disgust evident. "Find the home, you'll find the girl, mark my words."
[ x x x ]
Time was passing slowly for Ginny. She was tired all of the time, her ankles constantly swollen and her hormones out of control. Her time was drawing near and she found she was growing nervous and fearful. This was not how she had planned to spend the last few weeks of her pregnancy, secluded into the Muggle world, away from her mother, who she needed now more than ever. Harry and Ron came rarely, too nervous to draw any sort of attention to the house. The Dursley's had written their son, telling him they'd decided to stay away awhile longer, giving them a little more time to catch the rogue Death Eaters. But, Ginny knew time was not something that they had. She knew her body and she knew it was coming close to the day she'd be giving birth. It was early, a month early, but something told her this baby didn't care.
It was late, well past midnight, on the fourth of January. Ginny had trudged off to bed, telling Hermione she was tired; Hermione herself remained in the living room, flipping through one of her textbooks. Occasionally the brunette would look up, her hazel eyes darting back and forth, thinking for a moment she'd heard a noise. But, then she would return to her book, playing off the noise merely as the house creaking and settling. However, her wand lay on the couch beside her, just in case. They could never be too careful.
Outside the home, six figures in black had gathered. Lucius Malfoy stood at the head of the pack, his face hidden by his mask, but behind it, his lips were twisted in a malicious smile. This was it, this would be the night. He would bring the girl down and destroy what little happiness Harry Potter had. He raised a hand and the group paired off into twos, one group heading around back, the other two heading right towards the front door. They could all see the darkened bedrooms and the one light on in the living room, telling them that at least one of the girls were awake yet.
Inside, Hermione heard the distinct sound of heavy footsteps on concrete; her eyes widened and her hand was reaching for her wand just as the front door was blasted off its very hinges. Within the bedroom, Ginny's eyes snapped open as she woke to the sounds of a crash. Instinctively, her hand reached for her wand which sat on her bedside table, her other hand clutched gently to her bulging stomach. The baby within her turned sharply and she drew in a breath, eyes widening at the pain. Releasing a shaky breath, she made to rise from the bed, her feet touching down on the bed just as the door to her room was thrown open. It wasn't Hermione standing there, just as she had suspected it was a masked man, his broad shoulders giving it away. His face was covered by a mask, but she knew without a doubt who it was. Behind him hovered another masked man and both of them had their wands drawn. From the living room, Ginny could hear male voices and Hermione's, all shouting various spells and curses. "Hermione," she whispered, fear clutching at her heart. She could hear at least three more voices… Definitely not a fair fight. Rising up from the bed, Ginny stood firm, her wand raised. "Malfoy," she greeted coldly, her brown eyes raising up to meet the eyes staring out at her from behind the mask.
He laughed, his hand pulling the mask away from his face, he wasn't surprised that she would have recognized him. Even in her late stage of pregnancy, she looked ready to fight, determined to win. Her red hair was tousled from sleep, bright against the paleness of her freckled cheeks. Her eyes had a wild look to them, but there was something else… There, he saw it, the flinch of pain she was trying to hide. He smirked, taking a step further into the room. "Something wrong, Miss Weasley…?" He questioned, gesturing for his men to stay back.
Another crash sounded from the living room and Ginny was becoming increasingly worried. She could only hope that Hermione was doing alright on her own, as there was no escaping her current situation. "Nothing," she replied, hoping the sharp pain she had felt was not what she thought it was. Not now, please not now… she thought to herself, gripping her wand a little bit tighter. For a fleeting moment, she thought of Harry, wondering where he was right then. Were they close enough that he could feel when she was in distress? No, such a thing was impossible. But, she couldn't help but to wish it were. "You fancy yourself the new Dark Lord, Malfoy?" Ginny scoffed, rolling her eyes, a smirk flashing across her features. She watched as Lucius' features twisted with anger, but she went on talking. "Not too many of your original comrades are here, are they? Who've you got on your side these days? The lowest scum of the Wizarding world?"
Even in this moment, where he was clearly stronger, where he was clearly going to be the one who walked away, she was mocking him. Laughing in his face. "You won't be laughing long." Was all he said, implying to her what she had already known him to be planning. His wand out, the spell came at her too fast to react- pregnancy had slowed her usual cat-like reflexes. It caught her in her once injured shoulder and she hit her knees with a soft cry, her hand reaching up to grasp the injury. Lucius stepped up, his smirk widening as he held his wand over her. As he came closer, Ginny suddenly felt a sharp, red hot pain run across her lower belly, and something within her unfurled. Then, a gush of water came rushing from between her legs and she gasped, looking down as the liquid puddled around her feet.
"Oh, oh no, no, no," Ginny moaned, her free hand coming up to cup her stomach as she felt the baby moving within her. There could never be more of a worse time for this than right now. She could not stop herself from sinking down onto her bottom instead, her danger momentarily forgotten as the fear of labor and becoming a mother instead took hold. She glanced up, Malfoy still standing there before her, and she realized he had every intent on killing her and her child. Her anger flared up and she silently vowed that he would never harm her child. She would die before he hurt her baby.
Within the living room, Hermione was barely hanging on. She was bleeding from a minor head wound, her cheeks pale, her eyes dark. She had managed to take out two of the men, but three still yet remained. Four including the one within the room with Ginny; she cast a glance down the hall, she heard no screaming, no voices at all… She couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. Turning back to the two men before her, she gritted her teeth, wand held high when…
"Hermione!"
The familiar voice was followed by the entrance of two more bodies, this time, people on their own side. Hermione gasped as Harry and Ron flew into the living room from the broken down door, their wands held up, both prepared for the fight at hand. "Ginny?" Harry immediately shouted, to which Hermione pointed down the hallway, towards the master bedroom.
"Down there! Harry, hurry!" Hermione cried, turning away to face her own fight, now with Ron at her side. Together they would be able to take the men down easily. Harry took off at a run down the hall and he found the master bedroom door to be open. From within her could hear the sound of Ginny's voice as she moaned in what sounded like pain. He ran inside, his wand up, only to find Lucius Malfoy standing directly above her, his wand pointed right at her.
"Get away from her Malfoy," he snapped the moment he had entered, just as both pairs of eyes turned to look at him. He watched as Ginny's face lit up, but then darkened as a wave of pain crashed over her once more. Malfoy turned to face him, his lips a crazed smile.
"I'll enjoy this…" He muttered, a short bark of laughter escaping. "I will finally do what could not be done before. I will kill you Potter, then I'll kill your woman and your child. This is it. Tonight, all of you will die!" His wand up, the silent curse went flying, and Harry ducked, getting away just in time. He turned sharply, letting loose a stunning spell, which narrowly missed. "Your time as an Auror hasn't improved your aim, Potter," Malfoy taunted, stepping into the center of the room, his eyes flashing. Their next spells hit in air, exploding in a flash of light. From her spot on the bed, Ginny watched as the battle unfolded. She could only hope that it ended fast.
Sounds of footsteps and then Ron and Hermione had joined them inside the room. Now, they had the upper hand. Lucius could see that; he stepped back, looking from face-to-face, silently thinking to himself what his options were. He had not anticipated his men to be taken down so fast and he cursed himself for not picking better ones. Behind him, he heard the low moan coming from the redheaded girl. He cast a glance over his shoulder, to see her still on the floor at the bedside, small hands clutched around her stomach. Without a word he turned sharply, his hand outstretched, wand pointed directly at her face. At once, all three members of the Golden Trio tensed, their grips on their wands tightening. "Make a move and I'll kill her," he scowled, his eyes finding Harry's, as if to dare him to make a move. Harry remained still, his emerald eyes dark with his anger. But he would not risk Ginny, nor their child. Not ever.
Lucius stepped back, giving the bed a shove so it slid a little further back, out of his way, giving him room to come up and stand behind Ginny. The young woman was gasping audibly, her brown eyes widening as she was rocked by the pain of labor. From where she stood, Hermione could see they would run out of time. They had to do something and they had to do it fast. Turning slightly, when Lucius' attention was diverted, her wand hand was shoved into her pocket, the tip tapping silently to the coin within. Instantly, though they could not see it, the coin was lighting up, alerting two people who were in very close proximity. Hermione had planned this a long time ago, she had just hoped it wouldn't have to come to this.
Several seconds later and they all heard the 'pops' coming from the living room. At once Lucius was on alert as two sets of footsteps came racing down the hall. There was a loud bang and the room filled with thick smoke; a diversion most definitely needed. Both Ron and Harry pounced at once, while Hermione ducked down, grasping Ginny by the elbow. She yanked the girl up and away, putting an arm around her waist as she helped her across the room. Harry and Ron had their wands out and poised, each one casting the same spell, each one hitting its target. Lucius was tossed backwards, hit the bed and flew over the top of it, landing in a heap on the floor. The smoke was clearing, revealing to everyone the two people who had come into the room. "Neville! Luna!" Ginny's surprised voice called out as she caught sight of her two friends, wondering just how they had known… but then her gaze fell onto Hermione's knowing smile and she could not help but to smile too. "Thank you," she murmured, grasping the brunette's hand, her smile momentarily disrupted by yet another wave of pain. She threw a look back to Harry and the other boys, the three of them standing around Lucius who was struggling back to his feet. Luna and Hermione flanked her, removing her from the room, from the danger.
"I should kill you right now," Harry muttered, giving his dark head a shake. But, murder was not in him. And he wasn't going to do that, not this day. He could hear the female voices from the hall and knew they had to get this done and over with. "Ron, you know what to do," he said to the redhead, who nodded, heading to the window. He threw it open and shot blue sparks up into the sky, a sign to the Aurors they knew would be in the area. In only a few moments they would be on the Muggle house. This time, he would be locked up with zero escape. This time, he'd receive a fate worse than death: the Dementor's Kiss. Lucius raised his wand but it was knocked from his hand with a silent disarming spell from Neville, who had joined up with Harry and Ron as an Auror only a few weeks ago. He cursed loudly, whipping his head back and forth, as if searching for a way out; but even he would see, there would be no escaping. Once again, he had lost. His anger was palpable as the ropes wound around his wrists and his ankles, binding him, forcing him back to the floor. This was it, it was over.
"Get me home, please," Ginny was saying as Harry came into the living room; she was seated on the couch, her face sweaty and pale, each freckle standing out. At the sound of his footsteps, she turned to look at him, her eyes pleading. "To my mum, please," she was as close to begging as she would probably ever get in her whole life. Harry knew they were on borrowed time but… He knew he had to give her what she wanted, what she needed. This would be done right. Nodding, he came forwards, taking her hands in his, pulling her to her feet. He smiled despite the nerves that were racing through his entire body.
"I'll get you home."
[ x x x ]
Harry could not stand it.
From behind the closed bedroom door, he could hear the sounds of what he supposed was a normal delivery. But, every time Ginny screamed, he could not help but to flinch. He looked up from his place on the parlor couch, to look at Ron who was sitting at the kitchen table, his face pale and drawn. He too was clearly struck by nerves. Outside, the rest of the Weasley brothers had gathered, even Charlie who had been called home a few days earlier at the request of his mother. Ron, feeling the eyes upon him, looked up and over, before rising and coming into the parlor to stand before Harry. "How do you reckon it's going?" Ron asked, his hand at the back of his head, ruffling his already messy hair. They could hear the footsteps above them and another shrill scream that was obviously Ginny's. "Maybe I should…"
"Maybe you should stay here." Hermione's voice interrupted them and both boys turned, eyes upon her. She looked tired but she was smiling widely. "Harry… It's time." She said then, causing Harry to jump to his feet, however he found himself to be immobile. "Harry… Go on, she needs you," Hermione reached out to touch his arm, smiling at him. Even Ron reached out to clap him on the shoulder, a brotherly hug coming next. Harry found the strength he needed from his friends, as he always had, even in a matter such as this. Without thinking, his feet steered him from the parlor and into the kitchen; he took the steps quickly, until he stopped at the landing just outside Ginny's old bedroom door. His hand paused on the doorknob for only a moment before he turned it and stepped inside.
The pain was strong, but she had felt worse. But this was a pain different from the kind she had experienced throughout her life. Ginny heard the door open and then close; she looked up, a smile appearing at the sight of Harry in the doorway. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, a gesture she had seen in him so many times throughout the years. "Harry," she said his name just as the pain hit her once more, stronger than ever before. A cry left her lips and her mother, at the foot of the bed, gestured for Harry to come closer.
"It's only a matter of time." Molly said with a smile, as Harry approached, looking like he was going to faint away at any given moment. The boy could stare death in the face without so much as a flinch, but this was proving to be too much for him. Typical man, Molly thought to herself with a small chuckle. But then her attention came back to Ginny, who was so close to her moment that Molly knew it to be only a matter of minutes. Molly had birthed seven children, there was no one better to deliver this baby and Ginny wouldn't have had it any other way. The door opened and Hermione entered, the only other person Ginny had permitted to witness this moment.
At her side, Harry reached out, grabbing her hand, his other hand reaching up to push away a lock of hair from her forehead. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her temple, whispering into her ear soft words of encouragement, though he really wasn't sure it would help. She gave his hand a tight squeeze and then Molly was speaking. "It's time, Ginny… Push!" At once, Ginny nodded and her fears subsided as the instinct took over; gritting her teeth, she bore down, pushing with all of her might. She could feel it, the child as it began to make its way from her body; an animal-like sound escaped her lips as she threw her head back, one hand gripping Harry's hand, the other clutching the sheets. A high-pitched scream passed and she was bearing down once more, her only thought on getting this over with, to end the pain of giving birth. It was as if her body were being split open, a feeling quite unlike anything she had ever felt before. All around her she could hear the voices, her mother and Harry, and Hermione too, as they cried out her name and other words she could not make out. All of her focus was on her own body and the life she was bringing into this world.
In an instant, her screams faded and instead were replaced by the shrill shrieking of an angry newborn. The whole room went silent and Ginny struggled up onto her elbow, craning her neck for a glimpse of the baby. Molly had turned her back to them, the child cradled to her as she moved across the room to the small table that had been erected. Hermione was peeking over her shoulder and both Harry and Ginny could see the smile that brightened her face. Ginny could not stop the tears from pouring down her cheeks; a shaky breath escaped her and she fell back against the pillows, suddenly drained of all her energy. Harry was reaching down, his arms wrapping around her, cradling her towards him. "You did great," he murmured into her ear, one hand reaching up to stroke her flaming red hair. She tipped her head down, resting it against his shoulder, sitting up only a moment later when Molly came towards them, the crying bundle nestled in her arms.
Molly's eyes were spilling over as she passed her grandchild off to her daughter for the very first time. "Perfect," she murmured, taking in the sight of Ginny and Harry, both their heads bowed over their child, their beautiful little piece of perfection.
The baby was crying and one little arm had freed itself, the smallest fingers curled into a tiny fist. Ginny reached out, her finger tracing the fingers which unfurled a moment later, her breath catching in a little half-sob, half-laugh. Harry was reaching over her to undo the wrappings, to reveal to them the gender of their child. As he pulled the blanket away they both could not stop the smiles that bloomed across both of their faces. "He's beautiful," Ginny whispered, her brown eyes taking in every inch of her son. She turned to look at Harry, who's eyes were so full of emotion that they threatened to spill over. His head bowed, he rest his forehead against hers, looming over their son, their first born child. He reached out, gingerly touching the shock of raven hair on the baby's head; at once the baby became quiet, soothed by their very presence it seemed. His eyes fluttered open and the little grayish eyes stared up at them for only a moment before he began to howl once more. Ginny could not help but to chuckle, all previous apprehension of motherhood suddenly gone. Having the baby there in her hands, it changed things. For some reason, everything seemed a whole lot less scary now.
Hermione quietly slipped away, rubbing the happy tears away from her cheeks. The moment her feet touched down on the kitchen floor, she was met with five male voices, four being brothers, one being a father. "Slow down, slow down." Hermione said with a laugh, shushing all the males at once. Each pair of eyes stared back at her, each one full of apprehension, each mouth set in a tight line as they waited for the words to be spoken. "It's a boy." At once, the kitchen was full of whooping and cheering as the family felt the joy of knowing there was a child born at last. A little boy.
[ x x x ]
The room was dark, quiet. Harry and Ginny found themselves alone with their child for the first time since his birth only a few hours before. In truth, Ginny had gotten some much deserved sleep, while the baby had slept himself, then was tended to by Molly the rest of the time. But now, so late into the night, the rest of the house was sleeping, and Harry sat beside Ginny on the bed, the light on the bedside table offering only the softest glow of light. He could not help but to stare at her profile, her face still a little tired, but her smile never once fading as she looked at the little life in her arms. "He needs a name," Harry said softly, causing her to look up, surprise etched onto her features. "I know, I know what you're going to say…" He gave his head the smallest of shakes. "But you… You've lost people too. He doesn't have to be named just for the people I loved and lost." Harry touched the baby's forehead, turning his gaze back to his mother, back to the woman he loved more than anyone else.
Just when she had thought she could not love Harry Potter anymore than she already did, he just had to go and say something like that. Her heart was swelling with all of the love she felt and Ginny could not stop the tears that spilled over. She sucked in a breath and then turned her eyes from Harry to the child, whom was sleeping soundly, his one arm outstretched, fingers absently stroking his dark hair. It was a gesture she knew she would see for the rest of her life. A smile spread and she looked back to Harry, who was still waiting for her to speak. "I appreciate what you're saying Harry… But…" She glanced down at the child, chuckling softly, as if she could already see him as a toddler, as a little boy. "He's going to be like his namesakes, I can already tell." Harry gave her a somewhat confused glance and she laughed aloud then, her head thrown back with it. "You didn't carry him for nine months. He's going to be just like James, your dad. He's going to be just like you." Ginny looked back up at him, to watch as the smile spread like wildfire. He had wanted this and Ginny would give it to him. "Besides, there'll be more. I'll name the next one." he laughed at that, leaning down to kiss her on the mouth.
"James Sirius Potter," Harry muttered as Ginny placed him into his arms. He looked to the bedside table, where the picture of his parents sat in its frame, looking out over them as if they knew just what was going on. Harry turned back to his own little family, his happiness so overwhelmingly strong he thought there was no way it could be real. He had never thought he'd get to this moment, to this perfect moment of happiness. All his life, he had lived in solitude, had lived in fear of what was to come. He had never expected to make it this far, to have two best friends and a surrogate family. He had never thought he'd fall in love and have a child. Harry swallowed down his emotions and for the millionth time, he sent up a silent thanks to the universe for bringing him to the Weasley family. In them, he had found so much. Friendship. Family. True love. He owed them all so much.
Ginny leaned up against him, her head in the crook of his shoulder, her eyes on their baby. Blinking, she realized just how much her life had changed the last few years. It was hard to believe that barely two years before she'd been trapped inside the dungeon with the thought she would never make it out alive. But then, she had realized she was never going to get to do all of things she had hoped to, even after escaping. Her hand absently rose to the place where a scar should have been, to the spot where she had stabbed herself with the sword. Twice she had cheated death, no, the times were countless by now. She had cheated death over and over again, but why…? She had continually wondered why and now she knew. Her eyes found Harry's and she smiled, the sight of him holding their son one she would never forget. He was the reason she had survived. Harry was her reason for living. And now she had another one. She had lived because she was needed by so many people in this world. The words Draco had spoke to her that night, in the world between, came back to her then. I knew he needed you more than you needed me. And I knew that you needed him too. All along, Draco had known the truth, that she and Harry completed one another. That one could not go on without the other. He had died so they could be together, so that they could find happiness. Ginny looked out the window, to the starry sky that was brighter than usual that winter night. She could not help but to wonder if Draco was out there looking over them, over their son. He had died and had he not, the child they held might not have ever come into existence. She silently said her thanks to him once more and then the child woke, his cries coming only a moment later.
And so, their new lives began.