Yayyyyy

Merry merry, all you beautiful people. I love you.


24 December 2004

"We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas…"

Harry grinned and opened his eyes blearily; his head ached significantly less than it had when he'd gone to bed last night. Ginny stood in the doorway of their bedroom, a fresh glass of Pepper-Up Potion in one hand and three-week-old James cooing in the crook of her arm.

She sat down on the bed beside Harry and put the potion on the bedside table. "We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."

"Being a mum has not improved your singing voice," he told her, wriggling up to sit back against the headboard.

Ginny glared at him. "I'd look in the mirror before you go about insulting your ravishing wife." She flipped her long red hair over one shoulder with her free hand and gave him a bizarre smile. Harry knew full well that, thanks to James's apparent need for only a fraction of the sleep that other newborns required, neither of them had had a proper shower in at least two days, so the effect was rather unusual.

Harry reached out and poked a few of the shorter hairs that were normally her fringe, but which now stood on end in her tangled hair. "Ravishing, indeed."

Ginny smiled, leaned forward, and kissed him, then handed him the baby. "I have to finish the spice cake for tonight. Drink your potion and keep an eye on your son. Your fever's gone down," she added. "You won't get out of a Weasley Christmas that easy."

"We can come down and help," Harry said, "Can't we, James?"

James made a small burping noise and wrinkled his nose.

"See? He's all about spice cake."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Do you feel up to it?"

"Oh, I think I can manage a trip down to the kitchen," Harry breathed, "Just maybe."

She beamed. "My hero."

Harry swigged the potion down and felt steam puff out of his ears. James, who was still in his arms, stared at this in utter amazement—he hadn't yet mastered the smile, so Harry just imagined that his popping brown eyes were the closest thing to entertainment that James was able to express.

"So," Harry said, following Ginny out of the bedroom with one hand on her shoulder, "if he's going to be too young to remember, we can skip on giving him presents this year, right?"

"Harry Potter, if your eleven-year-old self ever heard you say that!"