It had only been a week since Ginny found out she was expecting a baby. She and Harry had sat down and talked long and hard about it, and had eventually come to the decision that today was the day they would give the news to the rest of the family. Every day since Molly performed the spell that confirmed they were going to be parents, Ginny's mother had asked when they planned to make the announcement. Harry had insisted they wait until the three-month mark, as was traditional, but Ginny had relented to her mother. So, today was the day.

Harry, it appeared, was more nervous than Ginny. He kept tugging at his hair, and fidgeting anxiously. After he sighed for the fourth time, Ginny took her eyes off the paper she was writing on, and looked over at Harry.

"What is it?" she snapped. His incessant sighing, alongside the constant nauseous feeling she now lived with, was making it much harder to concentrate. Harry had noticed that Ginny's temper had flared up more often since becoming pregnant, but wisely he chose not to mention anything.

"I'm nervous," Harry declared.

"I figured that," Ginny replied coolly. "Why?"

"Your brothers and your dad. You're their baby sister. Their baby girl. And I got you pregnant," he groaned, putting his head in his hands.

"There were two willing participants," Ginny reminded him, "and I'll be more than happy to remind my brothers, and my dad, that I'm a sexually active adult."

At this, Harry raised his head. He had gone shockingly red. Mortified, he whispered, "you wouldn't."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. He knew as well as she did that if her family, especially her brothers, gave Harry any grief, she wouldn't hesitate. All he could do was hope that their family would not crack any jokes towards either of them. The thought of even having sex mentioned in front of Molly and Arthur, or any of Ginny's older brothers, was enough to make him feel incredibly embarrassed, and it hadn't even happened yet.

"Mum has got everyone coming today. So Fleur and Bill will be there, with Victoire and little Dominique. Mum said that Bill is going to stop off at Tonks' mums and get Teddy, too. Charlie's also coming, he said he's bringing someone… I know mum's quite excited, he's never shown an interest in anyone else before. Ron and Hermione will be there, of course, and mum and dad."

"What about George and Percy?"

"Oh, George promised he would bring Percy. Even if he had to drag him from the ministry himself. I think Percy originally told mum no, but he'll come. He still feels guilty, I think," Ginny added, absent-mindedly twirling the pen in her hand.

"Is George bringing Angelina?" Harry asked. At one of Molly's usual Sunday night dinners, George had announced that he was now dating Angelina Johnson; Harry's old quidditch team-mate, captain and fellow Gryffindor. It had come to a surprise particularly to Ron, Hermione and Harry, who knew that Fred had taken her to the Yule Ball, and was fond of her. But George was happy, and that was all that mattered to any of them.

"No, I don't think so."

Harry nodded, and glanced down at the battered watch on his wrist that he had received from Molly and Arthur for his seventeenth birthday. "Are we off, then?"

"Give me two seconds," Ginny responded, now scribbling on her piece of paper again. A few minutes of silence later, bar the scratching of quill on paper, Ginny signed the paper with a flourish of her hand, and rolled it up. With a pop, the house elf Winky appeared by Ginny's side.

"Shall I put that in your desk drawer, miss?" Winky asked, reaching out her hand for the rolled up piece of parchment.

"Yes, thanks," Ginny smiled at the house elf. She was growing old in age, but her devotion never wavered. It seemed to Ginny that Winky knew exactly when she was needed, and appeared at always the right time. "We're going out now, to my parents. We'll be back late I imagine. Make sure you fix yourself and Kreacher some dinner, there's plenty of stuff in the fridge and cupboards. And please make sure you pick up your pay from the study. It's in the safe."

"Miss Ginny, it is too much," Winky moaned, her eyes filling with tears. "Please, Winky can't take it."

Ginny exchanged a glance with Harry. Winky was now openly crying, her little hands frantically wiping away the tears as they fell, as if she were ashamed. Ginny sighed, and shook her head. "Winky," she said quietly, getting up and then crouching down to look the house-elf in the eye. "Would you prefer it if I no longer gave you money?"

"Yes," Winky replied. She wiped her eyes a couple of times, and then blinked blearily at Ginny. "If Winky could ask it, miss, she has an idea of what you could offer her instead. If that would make you feel better, miss."

"It would, yes," Ginny replied, gently smiling. "What would you like?"

"Maybe…" Winky fidgeted anxiously with the hem of her skirt, and refused to meet Ginny's eyes. "Maybe Winky could ask for one bottle of butterbeer a week? When Dobby gave Winky butterbeer before, miss, Winky thought she had never tasted anything so good. Winky will make sure she's still fit for service though," she added on the end.

Ginny exchanged another glance with Harry, both suppressing giggles. After all, it was such a small thing. Big to a house-elf, though, Ginny reminded herself. She took one of Winky's hands in her own, and gave her an encouraging smile. "Agreed," Ginny replied. "One bottle of butterbeer a week. Thank you, Winky."

The house elf smiled up at Ginny, whispered "thank you," bowed and then retreated up the stairs towards the study. Ginny looked over at Harry, who shrugged. A wordless smile passed between them, and Ginny instinctively knew he was thinking about Dobby. Ginny had always been a kind and compassionate person, but it was Harry- and Ron- that had shown her the true value of house-elves. That they were not simply servants. They were confidants, friends and advisors. And that they really did love their work, despite what Hermione thought. She knew many pureblood wizarding families would rather go servant-less than pay a house elf, but Ginny had no such pride. For the work Kreacher and Winky did, they deserved it. And she knew that Harry was wondering whether Winky would have ever had the nerve to ask for what she wanted, had it not been for Dobby- and because of the way she had become part of their little family.

"We off, then?" Harry asked, glancing down at his watch again.

"Yeah," Ginny replied. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Harry sighed. Walking over to the fireplace, he grabbed a handful of floo powder, and looked back at his wife. "See you in a minute, then." Throwing the floo powder into the flames, turning them emerald green, he stepped inside the fireplace, said 'The Burrow', and promptly disappeared. With a deep breath, Ginny straightened her dress and followed her husband.

Once Ginny had stepped out into the kitchen of the Burrow, she grabbed hold of Harry's hand, gave it a squeeze, and then pulled him into the living room. She was greeted with smiles and laughter, and a big hug from Molly.

A flash of ginger, and a cry of "uncle Harry!", and Harry was nearly bowled over. Looking down, he was momentarily confused. The child had red hair, but looked nothing like any of the Weasleys. It was only until he saw Remus' and Tonks' features in his face that he realised he was being hugged by Teddy Lupin. He bent down and scooped the boy up in his arms, pulling him close to his chest. As he gently rubbed Teddy's back, he said to hello to everyone gathered around.

"We're waiting for Charlie," Arthur told Harry over Teddy's head. "He's not here yet."

"Late, as always," Percy muttered from the couch. "I have got important business to attend to, you know."

"C'mon Perce, lighten up," George nudged his brother. "These family gatherings are always nice."

"Here, here," Arthur smiled, raising his bottle of butterbeer.

"Oh, drinks!" Molly exclaimed. "Harry, Ginny dear, would you like anything?"

"I'm okay thanks, Molly," Harry replied. He was still holding Teddy, whose hair had now turned bubble-gum pink, and rubbing his back. Harry wondered whether Teddy knew his mother's favourite hair colour was that same shade of pink; whether his earliest memories included Tonks' hair colour, or whether it was simply coincidence. From the way Ginny was looking at him, Harry thought she must be thinking the same thing.

"I'm okay, thanks, mum," Ginny replied quietly.

Molly smiled at Harry, then span round as she heard a whoosh from the kitchen. "That must be Charlie!" she beamed, bustling into the kitchen to greet her son. There was silence for a few short moments, then, "Charlie, what the bloody hell is that?!"

"It's my guest! You said I could bring someone!" Charlie's voice floated through into the living room, his tone accusing.

"Yes, a guest! I didn't mean… well… that!"

"Molly dear?" Arthur called, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Is everything okay?"

"No!" Molly shouted back. Shortly after, Molly came back into the living room, marching Charlie along beside her. "Look! Look at what your son thought was acceptable to bring to a pleasant family gathering! Just look at it!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at Charlie. He looked the same as normal, with the same scarred, burned arms and tanned skin. It was only until Ginny gasped, and was staring at Charlie's shoulder, that Harry saw it. A tiny black and red dragon sat perched there, looking slightly unsure about the amount of eyes now fixated on it. It fidgeted nervously, and burrowed itself into Charlie's neck.

"You brought a dragon? Here?" Ron asked, holding back laughter. "Mate…"

"Ron," Hermione hissed. "It's not funny!"

"He's harmless, mum," Charlie whined. "I wouldn't have bought him if he was going to be a danger to anyone here! I rescued him, he was only a new-born, his mum abandoned him and I couldn't just leave him, he would've died…"

"Remind you of anyone?" Harry asked Ron, with a snicker. Hermione shot Harry a pointed look from across the room. Harry could practically hear Hermione's voice in his head. 'It's hardly the time to make jokes, Harry.'

"Anyway…" said Arthur hastily. "As long as he's a well behaved guest, I don't see the problem. Let's not let it spoil the evening."

Molly breathed in a deep sigh, and with apparent reluctance turned away from Charlie. "Alright, well, let's all sit down."

Everyone scattered to find seats, afraid of Molly's wrath should they not. It was only Ginny and Harry that remained standing. Molly's eyes watched their every move carefully, a knowing little smile on her face.

"You aren't sitting down?" Fleur asked Ginny, patting the empty seat beside her. Next to her, Bill rearranged Dom on his lap, and shuffled up a bit to make more room.

"No," Ginny replied, "we've got something to tell you all."

At that moment, George leant across and engaged Percy and Ron in a quick, hushed conversation. Then they shook hands, and gave their full attention back to Harry and Ginny. Harry cleared his throat, before bending forward and putting Teddy down. Victoire, seated between her mother and father, tapped the couch beside her and Teddy ran over and sat himself in the middle. When he sat next to Victoire, his hair turned a beautiful golden brown.

"Right… Well…" Harry cleared his throat nervously again, and fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. Ginny sighed, and closed her eyes. After a few seconds she reopened them, her resolve hardened.

"I'm pregnant. I… That is to say we…. We're having a baby."

There was a few minutes complete silence, during which Harry instinctively reached for Ginny's hand. He wanted to look at his family's faces, to gauge their reaction, but he was concerned he would see only anger.

"A baby, a baby," chanted little Teddy from beside Fleur. And that was all it took to break the silence. Everyone laughed, and then there were many echoed shouts and cheers of 'congratulations!'. Arthur and Molly were the first to approach Harry and Ginny. Molly gave them both big hugs, while Arthur hung back.

When he finally came closer, he gave Ginny a kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations, sweetheart," he murmured. "You're going to be a wonderful mother." When he stepped in front of Harry, however, there was a definite change in mood. He took a step back and looked Harry in the eyes. Harry, who was unaccustomed to this sort of thing from Arthur, did his very best to maintain eye contact without blinking. Then, Arthur sighed. "Look after them both, Harry," he told him firmly. "And never hurt her. Your family is growing, and so is your responsibility. Fatherhood is a tough thing," Arthur nodded, glancing around at all of his children. "But it is so rewarding, as you'll learn. I'm sure you and Ginny both will make excellent parents."

Harry merely smiled back at Arthur, struggling to find the words to express his gratitude. For bringing the soon-to-be mother of his child into this world in the first place, for giving Harry his blessing to marry his daughter, or for accepting Harry into his family without question or complaint. And for not doubting for a second what Harry had been doubting since Molly had completed the spell; that he would be a good father.

Arthur nodded his head, pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, and cleared his throat. With a smile at the couple, he moved to stand next to his wife, and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Right then, pay up," Percy's pompous voice rang out from the back of the room. He was holding his hand out in front of George's rather disheartened face.

"What's this?" Ginny asked sharply, looking between George and Percy, with the replicated ferocious glare of her mother.

"Little wager," Percy replied, not even having the decency to look a little ashamed. "I bet you were going to announce you were pregnant. George didn't."

"I still don't know how you didn't see this coming, mate," Ron shook his head. "Honestly, it was the first thing I thought when mum asked us all to come around."

"Well…" George started, looking slightly pale and aghast. "I thought they were going to announce that they were going to adopt Teddy, or they were moving, or one of them got a new job or something. I didn't realise Harry was aiming to knock up my little sister quite so quickly after getting married!"

"George!" Molly exclaimed, growing redder by the second. "You shouldn't…"

"It's alright, mum," Ginny laughed. Harry shot her a glance, but it was too late. The words were all ready to come out, and there was nothing he could do to stop them. "George, you do realise I'm a sexually active adult now, don't you? I'm not your baby sister anymore."

George groaned, and covered his ears. "Why, why did you have to say that? I really didn't need to hear that."

Hermione, from next to Ron, roared with laughter at Ginny's statement and George's reaction, and soon after everyone else had joined in, too.

"Harry, I just wanted to say something…" Bill said, after the noise died down.

"Yeah?"

"Good luck."

"Thanks," Harry grinned sheepishly. "But I have the best wife in the world, and while I will probably make a thousand mistakes, she's grown up in a house with six brothers and has had an absolutely outstanding role model. So I'm not sure I could go far wrong."

Bill rolled his eyes and muttered, "you've got to say that, your missus is stood right there."

"What was 'zat, Bill?" Fleur asked, whipping her head so fast in Bill's direction that Harry was surprised it didn't come off her shoulders.

"Nothing, nothing," Bill replied hastily, bouncing little Dominique around in his arms. "I was just talking to Dom."

"Right then," Molly interrupted, unwittingly saving her eldest son. "Now that the cat is out of the bag… let's eat."

Five courses later, a contented silence filled the Burrow. Everyone was too stuffed to move, or talk. The family- bar Hermione and Fleur, were now back on the comfy, cosy armchairs, their eyelids drooping heavily. Hermione and Fleur were, despite Molly's protests, clearing up the table as thoroughly as they could with their stomachs so stuffed.

Harry and Ginny were sat nestled on one of the couches. Harry led back, savouring the feeling of a full stomach courtesy of Molly's home cooking. Ginny, lent back on him with her hand resting gently on her stomach.

"I never thought this would happen," a voice came from the corner. George had raised his head just high enough to survey the family around him.

"What's that, dear?" Molly asked absent-mindedly.

"Harry and Ginny having a baby. I always figured Hermione and Ron would be first."

Ron's head shot up from where he was splayed out in another armchair. "What's that?"

"Well, maybe not you," George laughed. "But Hermione, for sure. I always thought she would be the first of the golden trio to have a baby."

"They're not even married yet," Percy replied smugly, with a pointed glance at his little brother. "Best get on that, hadn't you Ron?"

"I can hear you!" Hermione called from the table.

"Yes, leave him alone boys… Ron has always gone at his own pace. Besides, there's no rush…" Arthur chimed in.

"But still…" Harry added, straightening himself up and looking over at Hermione, who was determinedly not looking at everyone else. "They've been in love for years. I thought, with how happy Ron was when he asked Hermione out, that he was going to pop the question right then and there."

Hermione's back twitched, as though supressing a laugh. Ron's ears, meanwhile, had gone their usual shade of red- indicating his embarrassment.

"Gotta keep her keen, mate," Ron winked.

This started a chorus of laughter from all the family. As they let the joy consume them, Harry caught sight of Molly. She was in the chair closest to the fireplace, but she wasn't laughing like the rest. There were tears in her eyes, as she looked fondly around at all her family. This is what I want, Harry thought. This is what I've always wanted. To be able to sit in a room, with my family surrounding me, and to know that everything is okay. And, Harry thought, as he watched the new, younger generation playing happily on the carpet, it's already begun.

A/N- I'm sure it's been longer than I said it would be since my last update... But at least it was less than a year this time! So, sorry for the delay, and hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a little silly- I didn't want it to be too serious. After all, these are the Weasleys. Back soon for another update, thanks for taking the time to read!