Family had always been important to Harry. It had been something he had felt he had never had, until he met the Weasley's. It had been preying on his mind recently, in fact, the whole 9 months of Ginny's pregnancy. Those mornings spent in bed feeling the kicks inside of her, it made him think of the other Potters in the mirror of Erised and continuing that line. He blushed at the thought and turned over, seeing the baby in his cot, or rather the pink blob he guessed was the baby without his glasses. He picked his glasses up off the table and focused. Ginny was asleep behind him. He got up, still dressed in his clothes from yesterday. Yesterday. Yesterday his world had changed. There was now somebody much more important than him. Somebody that Ginny and him had created. He picked the baby from the crib, kissing his head as he held him.
He smiled as he remembered last night. Ginny had woken to find him holding the baby to the stars. He was introducing him to his Grandparents, Uncle Fred and Sirius, Remus and Tonks. He had blushed as she wrapped her arms around his waist and lead him to sleep, placing the baby in his cot. He can't be sure if it was a dream or real, but he was sure that she was whispered to him as he was falling asleep " lets call him James".He smiled at the thought. The nurses had told them to rest last night. The whole family had gone home to rest and was coming to visit this morning when mother and child were stronger. Last night ,when he had announced it was a boy, he had been overwhelmed by hugs and pats on the back from everyone. With a nod to cliché, somebody even placed a cigar in his mouth. Ginny stirred and woke up. He saw her confusion when the covers were drawn back ( It had caused quite a stir with the nurses that Harry hadn't slept in the separate fathers room down the hall.) She looked up and saw him standing by the window.
" Morning" she managed to croak out.
" Morning love" he said as he walked towards her. She pulled herself up and sat up in the bed. Still pulling the covers around her for warmth. He passed her the baby.
" And how's James this morning" she said
he smiled, he hadn't imagined it. His smile grew crocked. "James?" he asked, his voice raising at the end, as if a question.
"Don't you like it?, I think it suits him."
" It suits him. James it is." He said decisively. He then continued with " James Sirius?" he asked.
" Well he's not crying, so I guess he likes it to." she said looking down at the baby.
The knock on the door caused them both to turn their heads to the door. " Mrs Potter, Mr Potter. You're family have all arrived and are very anxious to visit."
Harry moved from the edge of the bed to open the door, opening it to speak to the nurse. " Thank you. We'll be out as soon as possible." he said, moving to close the door.
" Mr Potter, they're in waiting area B."
" Thank you" he said.
Harry walked into reception area B with nobody noticing at first. The children were playing in the corner, Andromodea and Molly were chatting in the corner. Hermione was pushing Ron away, who had fallen asleep on her shoulder. The others were reading or chatting to each other until Hermione noticed him. " Harry" she said. Ron instantly opened his eyes. Before he could do anything he was assaulted by Mrs Weasley (she will always be Mrs Weasley to him, no matter how she tried to get him to call her Molly) holding him in the tightest bear hug ever.
"Mum, leave him alone, you almost strangled him last night" said Ron from the corner. She broke away, still staring at him and kissing his cheek. Mr Weasley, who was standing behind them, patted him on the back.
" Congratulations" he said. Harry grinned at them, before gathering his thoughts together.
" First thing, we have decided on a name for the baby. Me and Ginny have named him James Sirius Potter." A noise of agreement descended across the waiting room, with people talking over each other about what a lovely name it was. "Secondly, They say that only two adults can visit at once, who wants to go first?" he asked. Teddy Lupin's hand shot up " Me." he said. He had been excited about his impending brother, before getting bored that it took 9 months!
"Teddy" said Mrs Weasley as he ran down the corridor. He didn't know where he was going, so it was no real help. Harry pushed open the door and Teddy ran and jumped up onto the bed that Ginny was sitting up in. " Shoes" said Mrs Weasley and he kicked off her shoes, them crashing to the floor and causing a noise. He poked the baby. "Hello. I'm Teddy. I'm not your brother but Auntie Ginny and Uncle Harry say that I'm as good as a brother." The baby started to cry as Teddy was poking him. Ginny held him to stop him crying. Harry leant over. "Teddy, you're going to have to be careful around the baby. He's only little and he's going to be scared for a long time." Mrs Weasley was standing behind Ginny. " Ginny, he's perfect" she said. Her father put his hand on her shoulder "Congratulations" he said as Ginny looked up and he smiled at her. " Can I hold him?" her mother asked. Ginny gingerly handed over the baby. She hadn't let anybody except them and the nurses hold the baby yet, but if there was anybody well practised it was her mother. She pushed the blankets that were wrapped around him away from his face. " He's got Harry's nose, and he's going to have your eye's Ginny." Teddy was stood on the bed, leaning over to see into Mrs Weasley's arms. Later that day, when they went to but drinks for Ginny and the rest of the stragglers of the family, Teddy had asked him what parts of his parents he had. Harry had stooped down to meet Teddy's eyes. He told him that he had the determination and desire for learning from his dad and from his mum he got his clumsiness and his never ending energy. It seemed to appease his need for answers, but he was going to be asking a lot of questions soon. Harry had wished he'd asked more questions about his parents before it was to late .
" Can I hold him?" Teddy asked., bouncing up and down on the bed to see into Mrs Weasleys arms..
" If you sit on the bed and hold him." Ginny said. She sat behind Teddy and held his arms as Mrs Weasley placed the baby in Teddys arms. He giggled.
" He's heavy" he said, crinkling his nose at the sensation. Mrs Weasley turned the conversation to how lucky Ginny was to have a 4 hour labour, she was in labour with Ron for 23 hours. Mr Weasley subtlety excused himself and started taking pictures of Teddy and James, along with Harry and James. Yesterday had been such a shock that nobody had thought to take any pictures, so these would be James first pictures. After Teddy had run out the room , back to Andromodea in the waiting room, Mr and Mrs Weasley took it as time to leave. As they left Mrs Weasley started almost crying as she hugged Ginny goodbye. " My youngest baby's not a baby anymore" she said as she pulled back, grabbing a tissue that was stuffed in the sleeve of her cardigan ( Years of bringing up children had taught her to always have a quickly available tissue) and dabbed her eyes. " I knitted you these" she said handing over something wrapped in tissue paper. Ginny opened them to find some blue knitted booties. " Thank you mum. They're beautiful!" she said. " I just knew it was a boy, I can always tell" she said with a wink. Her parents had been so helpful her dad had come over one night when Harry was away on a mission and made the cot for the baby. Is it possible to love someone for being so close and feeling constricted by them at the same time?
The next couple to visit was Ron and Hermione. Hermione held the baby and Ron teased Harry and Ginny. As Hermione was cooing over the baby,
" Ginny, He's going to have you eyes and he's definitely got Harry's nose." He was going to get as tired of that as Harry was about his eyes!
" Don't start Hermione. Mums already dropping hints that my younger sister now has a baby" emphasising the younger.
" Thanks for that mate" he said , jokingly looking at Harry. " Don't think I did it by myself" he said, sitting behind Ginny.
" Uh, I've told you before. I;am fine with it as long I don't hear any details."
. Ginny decided the subject needed to be changed.. She looked up at Harry, who was sitting behind her, who nodded.
" When we were discussing who could be godparents, there were really only two names that came up." Hermione stopped cooing and Ron noticed the change in her behaviour.
" It was you two. We would be honoured if you would be James Godparents."
" Are you sure?" asked Ron. "You know who you're speaking to?"
" Of course we do, Hermione's one of Harry and mine oldest friends. And I know you since birth. If there's anyone we can trust it's you."
"Thank you" said Hermione. She seemed to hold James even closer from then on.
The other visitors that day were Charlie who came back specifically to see his little sisters first born. He brought with him a blonde woman, a different one to the last time he visited. He was happy for both of them, but declined to hold the baby . He actually looked scared of the baby. He moaned that his hair had only just grown back from " When mum attacked it, just before Ron and Hermione's wedding." She had also been fuzzing over the burn marks on his arms. He didn't even see them, they were just a career inconvenience.
Percy visited as well, Audrey had other responsibilities (he didn't specify) she couldn't leave but would visit as soon as possible. He held the baby with the assurance of a father. He left a card and had to leave as this was his lunch break from work and he had to get back because there was an important meeting that afternoon.
.
As he laid James to sleep that night his mind was still buzzing with all the details of that day. The silent vow that he he made himself, that the baby's childhood was completely different to his. He was going to be surrounded by a loving family. That much they have already proven.
