The day after George's birthday, Ginny and Harry found themselves at Gabriella's house. Ginny had gotten a reply the day before telling her to bring Harry for a visit the next day. Riel answered the door and quietly greeted them. He led the two into a bright sitting room and up a spiral staircase to the third floor. He pushed a white door open and Harry and Ginny were greeted with the sight of Gabriella leaning over a white crib.
"Gabs!" Ginny whispered excitedly. Gabriella glanced up and beamed at the visitors. She hurried forward and embraced Ginny in a hug – or as much of a hug as she could with Ginny's stomach getting in the way.
"When are you due?"
"Middle of next month," grinned Ginny.
"Seriously?" Gabriella whispered awestruck. "I was twice your size at that time!" Ginny only shrugged.
"So where are the new ones?" Ginny asked, glancing over Gabriella's shoulder.
"Over here. Riel, let Harry hold Chase..." Ginny watched in fascination as Gabriella bent over the side of a crib and gently picked up the little baby wrapped in pink blankets. The baby started to cry. "No no, it's okay Gemmy... shush now... stop crying for mummy..."
The crying only seemed to get louder, though. Ginny glanced at Riel and Harry and realised that the other twin, Chase, had started to cry as well. Riel and Gabriella were desperately trying to quiet the two.
"I'm sorry," Gabriella apologized as Gemia slowly started to quiet. "Every time one of them starts to cry, the other thinks it's a great idea to join in." Chase was hiccoughing now as Riel bounced him up and down in his arms. "Here, Ginny," Gabriella slowly held out Gemia and Ginny took the baby, feeling slightly foolish. It was the first time she'd held a baby since she'd found out she was pregnant, and it felt different than before. She glanced across the room to the two men and saw Harry staring at her. He had Chase in his arms; the baby's mouth was opening and closing, like a continuous yawn.
Ginny looked back down at Gemia and trailed her finger down the baby's cheek. She looked up and found Gabriella watching her closely.
"What?"
Gabriella shook her head. "You look like a natural, is all." Ginny grinned brightly and looked down as Gemia started to fuss. "Here," she handed Gemia back to Gabriella and went over to the guys. She stopped at Harry's side and peered into the pile of blankets he was holding. Resting one hand on Harry's shoulder, and the other on his forearm, Ginny stood on her toes and looked at Chase. "They're both so adorable," Ginny cooed quietly.
Gabriella joined them as Riel took Chase back from Harry. Once both twins were in their cribs, Gabriella led them out to the sitting room. Dana, their two year old daughter, was sitting on the floor playing with muggle blocks. Once they sat down, and Dana had climbed onto Riel's lap, Gabriella turned to Ginny.
"How are you two?" Gabriella asked. "We really have to get over this habit of seeing each other every three months or so."
Ginny laughed. "I'm perfectly fine with quitting that tradition and starting a new one." The evening wore on, Dana falling asleep in her father's lap.
As the Potters stood to leave Ginny and Gabriella exchanged a long hug. "Owl me as soon as the little one's come," Gabriella whispered.
"Oh, you'll be there along with my family," Ginny said seriously. Gabriella grinned.
*****
Ron and Hermione visited Harry and Ginny in mid April. Ginny was finding it harder and harder to move around easily, so they'd taken to only going to Sunday dinners at the Burrow.
As Ron, Ginny and Hermione settled in the sitting room after dinner, Harry cleared the table with his wand and disappeared into the kitchen to wash the dishes. The three made small talk as the clatter of dishes sounded from behind the closed kitchen door.
Suddenly Hermione stood. "I'm going to go help Harry with the rest of the dishes."
She left the room and Ron and Ginny were left in an awkward silence. Ginny started to play with a loose thread on the sofa and Ron desperately searched for a subject to talk about.
"So... uh, have you been to any Harpies games lately?" He asked.
Ginny looked up and shook her head. "No, I can't apparate myself, the Floo makes me sick, and I get tired really easily. I would love to go, though. But there's the press as well, and to be plastered on the front page like this would not make my day." Her eyes became unfocused as she gazed at something past Ron's shoulder.
"When was the last time you went out?" Ron asked, interested. He knew that if she went out anywhere in the wizarding world she'd be in the Prophet in the blink of an eye.
Grinning slightly, Ginny refocused on her brother. "Harry and I went to my friend's a fortnight ago."
"When was the last time you were out in public, though?"
"Oh, that was a few days before George's birthday."
"Honestly?" Ron asked. Ginny nodded. "Okay, when was the last time you visited Diagon Alley?"
Ginny chewed her lip in concentration. "That was... a week before Christmas."
"Are you joking?" Asked Ron incredulously. Ginny shook her head.
"I can't go there right now unless I want Skeeter to get a picture of me and claim that I've put on so much weight that I can't move."
Ron smirked. "You don't have to go to Diagon Alley for someone to tell you that."
"Oh, sod off."
*****
Harry levitated the dishes from dinner into the kitchen, letting the door close behind him. He dumped them into the sink and filled it with water and soap and started to wash them the muggle way. A few minutes later, the door opened and Harry turned to see Hermione enter and grab a dish towel from the table.
"I thought I'd help you," she offered, picking up a plate from the counter and drying it. Harry smiled in reply. "So..." she started after a few minutes. "How are you doing?" Harry shrugged. Hermione picked up a glass and wiped the water from it, waiting. She knew he would start talking soon. Sure enough;
"I'm holding up."
"What's it like?" Hermione asked curiously as she dried the last spoon.
Harry drained the water from the sink and discarded his cloth, drying his hands on a towel. "It's... exciting, scary, confusing, educating..."
"How is it educating?"
"Well, you learn when to keep your mouth shut, for one. You also learn that, even though you know you want kids, you're terrified of actually having one..." Harry leaned up against the counter. Hermione moved towards him and rested against the counter as well.
"It can't be that bad... can it?"
Harry shook his head. "It's not really, when you step back and look at the big picture."
They were silent for a moment. "You know," started Hermione. "It's just so strange." When Harry looked at her questioningly, she continued. "You're going to be a father."
"Yeah... it's a big leap from that eleven year old you first met, eh?"
Hermione shook her head, smiling. "You have no idea." They stood side by side for a few more minutes and then moved to the sitting room. Ginny was half lying, half sitting on a sofa, and Ron was sitting in an armchair. Harry gently nudged Ginny's feet a few inches to make more room for him as Hermione squished herself beside Ron.
Ginny straightened up and was about to say something when she gasped. All three heads snapped to her.
"What?" Harry asked anxiously as she rested a hand on her stomach. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing," Ginny waved down his questions with a hand and gently rubbed her belly. She felt another nudge against her hand and slowly a smile crawled across her face. She grabbed Harry's hand, ignoring his queries and placed it on the same spot. A few moments later and Ginny felt another nudge through Harry's hand. He jumped and looked at her.
"Wha-?"
Ginny smiled. "The baby's saying hello." A wide smile grew on Harry's face and Ginny beamed, looking across at Ron and Hermione who were watching with interested expressions.
"Is this the first time you've felt the baby move?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Yeah..."
"It's awfully late, isn't it?" Hermione mused. Ginny only shrugged, a silly grin still on her face.
They made small talk the rest of the evening until Hermione noted that if she wanted to get up on time for work the following morning, they would have to leave.
The four exchanged goodbyes and as the door closed behind the Weasleys, Harry grabbed Ginny's arm.
"There's one thing we need to decide..."
Author's Note - Next chapter! Yes, I know it's a little late for Ginny to feel the baby move for the first time, but everyone's different, right? Enjoy!
-PadfootProngs7