Harry Potter and the Little Pink Plus Sign
Summary – Ginny showed Harry the Muggle pregnancy test with a sigh. They hadn't been trying. And she was nervous on his reaction. Was this much too soon after the War? His face broke into a smile.
Authors Note – Well, James is here! Yay!
Dedication: I am dedicating this chapter to Wombat Unicorn, because my story has caused her to "wet" herself with laughter. :)
Chapter 9: Weightless
A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bank balances smaller, home happier, clothes dirtier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.
Author Unknown
Your Baby: Week 1 July 10, 2001 11:30 PM
You made it through the grueling birth process and now your newborn baby is finally here! His eyesight is very fuzzy and can't see objects that are more than 15 inches away (about the distance between a nursing newborn and his mother's face)
Milestone of the week: Look for your baby's spontaneous reflexive smile!
Your Life: Breastfeeding. 2 to 4 days after birth, your milk comes in. What does your baby drink before? Pre-milk called colostrum. When your milk comes in, it causes engorgement, which can be very uncomfortable.
[ tip ] Press a warm washcloth to your breasts before feeding and a bag of crushed ice after a feeding to help ease breastfeeding discomfort.
Ginny awoke suddenly. It was dark out and the room was strangely silent. She felt like she had missed something. She reached down to rub her belly, only to find out that it was gone! It all came rushing back: the contractions, the pain, and James.
Speaking of, where is her baby!
She sat up and studied her surroundings. Beside her, Harry laid atop the blankets still dressed in his clothes from yesterday. His glasses were on his face, and he looked like he was nearly dead with exhaustion. The birthing pool had vanished, and replacing it was a cot upon which Luna slept, her long hair spilling across the pillow.
Finally her sights landed on the bassinet next to her bed. She scooted carefully - feeling sore from the tips of her hair to her painted pink toenails – to the edge of the bed. She peered into the bassinet, and there was James, lying peacefully in the bed. Ginny sighed contentedly, then did simple math: James was only 4 hours old! It seemed very surreal to her that she had only slept 4 hours since his birth!
The baby began to fuss and fuss. Ginny stood up, a little wobbly and very sore, and she picked up James, getting a secure hold so she would not drop him.
"What's wrong, Jamesy?" Ginny cooed at the little baby. She sat on the edge of the bed, her leg muscles quivering, and looked down at her baby. His eyes were scrunched shut and he was beginning to cry. Harry stirred behind her, and she began to feel like she was doing something wrong.
Harry sat up and muttered something unintelligible. "Harry, please hold him for a second, I think he's hungry." Harry took the baby and Ginny struggled out of her shirt. Harry yawned and looked down at James, who was absolutely upset and letting the whole world know. Harry's eyes drooped, but he snapped awake when Ginny nudged him. "Can I have him back?"
Harry handed Ginny the baby and leaned back, closing his eyes. Ginny stroked the corner of James' mouth. It's a reflex the baby has, causing him to automatically turn his head towards the breast for a feeding.
Ginny sighed as the crying stopped and the feeding began. She looked down at James whose face was peaceful and his eyes shut lightly. He suckled quietly, his little fingers curled up into a tiny fist. His head was covered in thick dark hair.
Harry sat up. "I'm awake." He said through a yawn.
"Go to sleep, I'll be okay." Ginny murmured, her eyes never leaving her son's face. When Ginny spoke, James opened his eyes and looked up at her.
"I'll stay up with you, I promise." Harry mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He took his glasses off and sighed, staring blankly across the room. "Luna is asleep." He stated suddenly.
"I see that." Ginny commented, putting her finder in her son's fisted hand. His little, wrinkly fingers were dotted with little fingernails at the tips. His grip was strong as he wrapped the tiny fingers around her thumb – another reflex babies are born with.
"She must be deaf, 'cause James was all but screaming at us." Harry smiled.
James moved his mouth away from her breast and stared up at her, curiosity was evident, even on his little face.
"They say he can recognize my face and voice, and even my scent." Ginny said, smiling at his little eyebrows, scrunched up in concentration. Ginny brought James up to her shoulder, making sure that his head was supported and comfortable, then she gently rubbed his back in circles, just like the books told her.
And James promptly burped – such a big noise for a little body.
Once James was comfortable and asleep, the exhausted new parents set their little boy in the bassinet and tried to get some sleep themselves. Ginny founds herself have asleep when she remembered something she read in her parenting books.
"Harry?"
"Wha?" Harry mumbled into his pillow.
"Babies need to eat every 2-4 hours." She whispered.
"Noooo…." Harry groaned.
They spent the rest of the night and most of the morning sleeping in-between feedings and nappy changes. Luna woke up earlier that morning and made breakfast for them. They were very surprised at Luna treating them like royalty, but she insisted that they would need her help while adjusting to life with a newborn.
When Harry, Ginny, and James emerged from the bedroom upstairs and settled themselves in the living room, they were shocked to see a mountain of flowers and balloon bouquets crowding their coffee table.
"Luna, where did all these flowers come from?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, from various places!" Luna shouted on her way from the kitchen to the living room. She pointed to a large bush-like plant that was blooming baby blue flowers. "This one is from Neville and Hannah." She smiled. "They said they would visit later today, when you are awake."
She gestured to a large bouquet of various vivid flowers. "This one is from the staff at Hogwarts." She pointed to a small yellow plant. "That one is from Rita Skeeter. She wishes to interview you for the Daily Prophet."
A large vine that smelled like chocolate was from Hagrid. This extravagant balloon bouquet was from the Minister of Magic. And there were many more plants.
"How did they find out? James isn't even a day old!" Harry said.
"Oh, yes, I forgot." Luna picked up and unfolded a newspaper. "You made the front page of the Daily Prophet!"
On the front was a large picture of James in the bassinet (how on Earth did they get that picture!) He was sleeping, his mouth moving occasionally as though he was suckling the air. In large bold print across the top, the title read 'Potter Child is Born!'
Harry snatched the newspaper and opened it. He began to read. "Remember when Harry Potter was born and everyone marveled over how he looked like his father? Remember when Harry Potter was married and everyone marveled over how they looked like James and Lily? Late yesterday evening, James Sirius Potter was born and he is a Harry look alike for sure. Will history repeat itself even more? Will another dark wizard rise to power and leave the new Potter baby parentless? The wizarding world is on edge!" Harry tossed the paper angrily aside.
"How ridiculous!" Ginny retorted. "So much for being interviewed!"
"I hate her." Harry mumbled.
Ginny frowned, suddenly a bit angry at Harry. "Did you marry me 'cause I looked like your mum?" She asked.
"What?" Harry sighed. "Ginny, I married you because I love you more than anything and I very much believe that you are my soul mate!"
Ginny smiled sheepishly. "I know… I'm sorry for even asking such a ridiculous question."
"I made pancakes." Luna smiled suddenly. "With blueberries. We best eat them quick before a Blithering Humdinger steals them! They are quite the sneaky animal, you know."
Later that evening, family and friends visited. They all came with minutes of each other, and the house soon felt crowded, but Ginny didn't protest.
Her Mum and Dad showed up with some dinners they could heat up and a blue baby blanket with a large 'J' in the middle. "I figure he'll just grow out of any jumper I knit him now, so I might as well knit a blanket!"
Hermione brought a large soft cube on which each side had a different black and white or brightly colored pattern. "I read that, next to human faces, babies enjoy looked at bright patterns and I saw this toy and thought he might like it!"
Neville and Hannah brought something that looked like a small plastic television. "You hook it onto a baby's crib and the soft light and white noise helps them sleep. I figure you guys would like getting more sleep." Neville explained.
James was passed around like it was a giant game of hot potato. Even Ron held him, though he seemed very uncomfortable while doing it. Hermione was pleased that they were made godparents. Not only was it an honor, but she hoped that Ron would get attached to little James and want a child of his own. She just didn't know how to bring up the subject with him. She just didn't know.
Andromeda and Teddy came. Teddy peered at the little baby with curiosity. He looked up at Harry. "My brother?" He asked.
Harry was taken aback by the question. They had always been very, very firm with Teddy. They always made sure he knew that Ginny and Harry were not his parents, and that he knew about Remus and Tonks, and how brave they were, and how they died fighting for his safety.
But they never thought about Teddy wanting siblings. They never thought about him assuming that James was his brother. They let him call George, Bill, Ron, Harry, Percy, and Charlie all 'Uncles'. They let him call their wives "Auntie". He knew that Victoire was his 'cousin' and so was Fred.
They just thought he would call James cousin too. He looked at Ginny, who shook her head with an unsure expression. "I don't know." She mouthed.
"Uncle Harry, is James my brother?" He asked again, more persistent.
Harry looked at Andromeda. She smiled sadly. "Let him call the child brother. If we don't, then we are taking away something he will never have otherwise."
Harry crouched down to Teddy's level. "You can call James your brother, but me and Ginny are –"
"Not my mommy and Daddy, I know that, Uncle Harry." His hair turned dark blue with sadness. "I know James isn't my real brother, but I pretend, okay?"
Harry nodded, thinking of his own twisted childhood. He used to pretend that Dudley was really his brother too. When Dudley would punch Harry in the face, he pretended they were playing a game of pretend. The punch was part of the game in Harry's head, but in reality it was just his cousin being a bully. As Harry got older, Dudley became a cousin by blood, but not by choice. He began to realize that Dudley hated him and Harry began to hate Dudley back; instead of pretending that he was liked.
Teddy turned his attention back to the little baby. "I wove James." Teddy said. "Can I hold him?"
Ginny patted the couch beside her, and Teddy scrambled to sit next to his Auntie. "Teddy, you have to be really careful and you have to support his head, okay?" Ginny said as Harry helped him position his arms the right way. Ginny carefully set the baby in Teddy's arms.
Teddy looked at James. He already loved this little baby, just not as much as Victoire. Victoire was Teddy's favorite, but don't tell James! "When can James pway wif me and Victoire?"
Ginny smiled. "Not for awhile. He has a lot of growing to do, huh?"
"He's so little!" Teddy giggled. "Was I little, too?"
Harry pulled out his wallet from his back pants pocket. He flipped it open and took out the picture that he found after the war, laying on the ground where Remus and Tonks were found dead. It was creased from being opened and folded so many times. He showed Teddy the picture of the plump little baby, waving his fists in the air, changing the color of his hair from pink, to turquoise, to pink again.
Teddy smiled. "I look funny!"
The group of people laughed.
At 6:23 PM, July 11, the remaining visitors celebrated James' birthday. He was one day old. They ate pie, because why not have pie? Pie is awesome.
The first week of James' life was spent very much the same. Every day he had multiple visitors, ranging from family to friends, to just downright weird visitors. Twice Harry had to kick Rita Skeeter out of their house, yelling "I don't want you to write a biography of James, he is only 3 days old!"
Hagrid visited, and James spent his first days outside because Hagrid had trouble fitting through the door. "I remember when Harry were a little tyke!" Hagrid reminisced tearfully.
All the current Hogwarts professors visited. Some of them were genuine about wanting to see Harry's son, others were just bored because it was Summer Holiday and they had nothing better to do.
Sybill Trelawney insisted on reading the wrinkles on James's palm. She gasped after a moment. "Your son is in grave danger!" She predicted.
"Oh hush, Sybill." McGonagall said. That was an interesting visit filled with, erm, interesting characters.
The entire DA visited. That visit caused Cho Chang getting very jealous and telling Ginny she looked like, and I quote, 'a homeless woman around the age of 78'. Needless to say she left first. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan got in an argument about which Quidditch position James would play in the future.
"Seeker, duh!" Dean said. "Harry's dad, Harry himself and Ginny were all Seekers on Gryffindor's team!"
"Look at his broad shoulders, he has the build of a beater, I tell you!" Seamus argued.
Finally at the end of the week, fewer friends visited. The numbers dropped dramatically and both Ginny and Harry were on the verge of simply collapsing.
Their son, however, was oblivious to everything. He simply slept 19-20 hours a day, dirtied up to 9 nappies a day, and cried for food every 3-4 hours.
Ginny still loved her son dearly, and it was simply surreal that he was very real and no longer inside of her and pressing on her bladder (not that she was complaining or anything).
He was still absolutely perfect, and Ginny couldn't wait to watch him grow and prosper.
Sorry for the wait! I work at a grocery store and had a family reunion, so I was busy for awhile!
Chapter Question (Please Answer in your review!): What do YOU think about:: Scorpius Malfoy's future love life? I have seen both Rose Weasley AND Lily Potter paired with him.
Personally I like Lily and Scorpius together. Not only would that be cute, but it would be much more dramatic and ironic if Harry Potter's only little girl fell in love with Draco Malfoy's (The enemy!) only little boy! It's totally a Romeo and Juliet moment!
So… Tell me… What do YOU think?