Hello! I have the next chapter up! Next one is the last in the Moments, and I thank you all for being nice and patient with me and hanging in there-we have two more chapters before things really start heating up for Ginny, Lily, and Connor. Ooooh, teaser! Anyways, I wanted to thank all of my lovely reviewers! Your reviews are so lovely and they make me ridiculously happy. Anyone who is not xCandi213 can skip the rest of this and keep reading. xCandi213-I Googled and asked my mother(who has given birth three times) how many centimeters you need to be dilated to start pushing, and both said 10. I don't know where you got your information, but I was told 10. The story is in present tense because Ginny is supposed to be telling it as it happens. I'm sorry if I've messed that up a couple times, but I'm not good with tense. I never have been. And lastly, I don't know everything about children because I'm too young to have one and there hasn't been a baby in my house for seven years, so there will be some errors. Please say something nice next time instead of just criticizing my work. Thank you.

Disclaimer: Not J.K. Rowling, don't own anything.

Chapter 28: Part 7

1 Year

Dear Harry,

Today is the day! The twins' first birthday! It was amazing, but I must admit I'm quite tired. Let me try to sum it up in a nutshell for you...

I jerk awake, very suddenly, as though someone had yelled in my ear. I lay quite still, trying to think of why on earth I was wide awake, it was dark, and neither Lily nor Connor was crying. I couldn't figure it out. I should be sleeping, after all, every little bit of sleep was good for me. I roll over and look at the clock, then gasp. 5:30! What in Merlin's name am I doing up at 5:30 am? That's not right! I don't get up until six, when Luna leaves, and I only get up then because Connor or Lily will hear their "aunt" leaving and think that they should get up, too. But that's still a half hour away!

I moan and pull the covers back over my head, intending to go back to sleep for twenty minutes at the least. But all of a sudden, another thought occurs to me, and I sit up again and grab my wand.

"Accio Calendar!" I cry and watch my little wall calendar, with it's pictures of different scenes in Kenmare, come flying toward me. I grab it and look at it, then shriek. It's February 24th, 2000! In other words, Lily and Connor's first birthday! I suppress a second shriek and leap out of bed, grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt. I rush downstairs to find Luna already up and sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in front of her.

"Good morning," she chirps, giving me a smile. I give her a smile in return, then rush to the counter and begin to cook pancakes. The twins have started eating most solid foods now, and I've decided I should make them pancakes for their birthday.

"Ginny, stop, stop. It's 5:45 in the morning. They aren't going to be up for awhile, you know that!" Luna exclaims. I stop in the middle of pulling out the ingredients.

"Right. Sorry," I say, turning pink and returning the ingredients to the pantry.

"Ginny, don't stress. Everything will be perfect, I promise. Hermione and Mrs. Hexe are both going to be here, Hermione even got to get out of Hogwarts, remember? And besides, the twins are way too young to know it's their birthday, so don't worry about it, alright?" I give her a small smile.

"I'm going to worry anyway, you know that," I reply, and we both laugh as I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit down. "Thanks for taking the day off work, Luna," I start, uncertain as to how to phrase this.

"No problem. I'd do anything for my niece and nephew," she answers, winking. We both know they aren't related to her, but that didn't stop Connor from yelling 'Auntie!' when she came home yesterday. We were both delighted with him.

"You see, Luna, it's just..." I trail off. How do I say this? Luna watches me intently. I decide to just be blunt and not beat around the bush. "I've been thinking recently, and I...well, I sort of..." I take a deep breath and blurt it out. "I've been thinking that Harry ought to meet his children," I burst out. Luna sighs.

"Yes, I thought you'd eventually start to think that. If you want to, Ginny. I am completely in favor of it, but I don't know how wise it would be to show them to him."

"What?" I ask, completely confused.

"I think it's a great decision, Ginny, but you'd have to watch the press. Having children in the spotlight from a very young age can be a very bad thing. I don't think you'd want to have Lily and Connor deal with that," she points out. I nod.

"That's what I've thought all along, Luna," I remind her. "And besides that, what would my family think? They raised me better than that! I let them down, Luna! I couldn't just go back and be all like, hey, yeah, Harry and I had sex two days after the war ended and I wound up pregnant at 16. Seriously? I don't know if Harry or I would be killed first!" Luna chuckles.

"Oh, Ginny, don't be so melodramatic! Your family would be happy to see you! And I know they would be accepting of the twins, I mean, who wouldn't be? They are adorable, really! In all honesty, I think they would just be glad to have you back. The twins are an added bonus. All they really want is you," she informed me seriously. I sigh.

"I'll think on it some more, how about that? I still don't know...what if he doesn't love me still?" Luna suddenly sits up straight and glares at me.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, how dare you think that he doesn't love you? After all the times he's proven it to you, time and time again, how can you say that? I've been owling Hermione, too, and she says Harry very rarely pops into the Burrow and is always off looking for you. I told you before we even left that Harry would scour the world for you, and it just goes to show I was right. Don't you dare doubt that boy's love for you. I understand if you won't go back to the Burrow for the sake of keeping your children safe, but never again doubt Harry's love for you. It is the worst thing you could do to him," she snaps, her eyes bright. Her words cut me, deeply, and I burst into tears.

"I'm being such a stupid bitch, and I know it!" I sob. "I should go back, I should, but Luna, I'm scared of what my parents will say, I'm scared the press will find out! I'm scared of the consequences! Look what I've done to my life already! I'm hiding out in a remote village in Ireland with two world-famous children that were conceived before marriage! I didn't even graduate from Hogwarts! My world now is those twins, and I can't bear to let anything-anything at all-happen to them! I-" I can't form another coherent sentence, and I sob into Luna's shoulder for what seems like forever, but is really probably only a half hour or so.

Finally, I gather myself together and chat merrily with Luna about her kindergartners. She really loves her job, and I'm happy she's found a well-paying job she loves. We've just taken bets as to whether or not she'd get Lily and Connor when they're old enough to go to kindergarten when I happen to glance over at the clock and notice that it's 7:00. Connor and Lily will be up soon, and I haven't cooked the pancakes. I gasp, and leap up to make breakfast.

I spend most of the morning in a nervous wreck, waiting for Mrs. Hexe and Hermione to arrive. I clean, then play with my one-year-olds, then clean again. Luna finally hides the cleaning supplies from me and makes me sit and play with her, Lily, and Connor. Not that I mind, of course. I love playing with them. They're so adorable.

Mrs. Hexe arrives at about noon, along with what seems like a truckload of presents. I stared. I think she brought about five for each of them! When I tried to tell her it was completely unnecessary, she gave me a stern look and told me that I was as good as her daughter, meaning Lily and Connor were her "grandchildren" and grandmothers have a right to spoil their grandchildren. I very nearly cried because Connor and Lily's real grandparents couldn't be there. But once again, that was my fault. So I simply smiled and accepted the presents.

Hermione came at about 4. She'd had classes all day long and they'd only just let out. She, too, brought several presents for my twins. I was so happy to see her; it had been awhile. She told Luna, Mrs. Hexe and I all about goings-on at Hogwarts and the Burrow(she wrote home regularly. I did, too, but hadn't heard from them in about a week or so). Apparently, Mum and Dad are on holiday in Spain at the moment. Teddy and Victoire's first birthdays are coming up and I'm required to be there, which I of course have no problem with. I hadn't been able to make it for Skylar's, but sent her about 50 million presents. Angelina and George both told me it was fine, but I still felt like an awful aunt.

Us adults sat and chatted while the birthday babies sat in the playpen. Luna and Hermione made dinner around 6, insisting that I not help because I'd given birth to and cared for these twins for one year and continued to do so everyday, so I deserved a break. Well, like I really needed an excuse to put my feet up in the first place. So Mrs. Hexe and I sat, enjoying butterbeers, in the living room, occasionally getting up to play with one or both of the twins. It was relaxed and laid-back, the perfect celebration.

Hermione and Luna made us an amazing steak dinner. And I'm not just saying that; it really was phenomenal. So juicy and rich. Connor and Lily, of course, couldn't have any, so I made them a "fruit salad" so to speak, with bananas and strawberries. Oh, and apples for Lily. I also put in some soft veggies, too. Connor, for some reason, still loves asparagus, so he and Lily both got some of that. She ate it without complaint, much to my delighted surprise.

For dessert we had an amazing chocolate cake with white icing. The first thing I did was snap a picture of my twins in front of it, then I gave them both a piece. Connor stared at it, apprehensive, until Lily reached out and grabbed a fistful in her chubby little hand, then proceeded to stuff it into her mouth. Luna, Hermione, Mrs. Hexe, and I all cheered. She looked at us in surprise, a smear of white frosting above her lip, making her look like she had a mustache. I snapped a picture of that, too. Connor watched us cheer, then picked up the entire slice and shoved it in his face. Hermione had to take the picture of that one, as I almost fell off my chair, I was laughing so hard.

After dinner and dessert(and cleanup), it was time for presents. I took the parcels and laid them on the floor, then spread out a yellow and green blanket and set Lily and Connor on top of it, then put out all the presents around them. Of course, I got a picture, then handed the camera to Mrs. Hexe and sat with Luna to help open the presents. She sat by Connor and I was with Lily.

The first present they got was a big teddy bear each from Mrs. Hexe. The bears are big and light brown, fluffy and cuddly. Lily stares at hers for a full two minutes before touching it, but Connor grabs his up in a big hug right away. He doesn't let go of it the rest of the time we open presents, even though he gets two packs of racecars and construction vehicles from Mrs. Hexe and lots of books from Hermione(no surprise there). Lily receives a couple of plush dolls and new building blocks from Mrs. Hexe, and of course books from Hermione. I have to admit the books aren't that bad, though. She's gotten Lily a book about a girl named Eloise who lives in a hotel for rich people, and Connor one on identifying construction vehicles. I can already tell they will love them.

As for me, I got Lily a charm bracelet with a pink heart and a blue one, as a reminder of herself and her brother, and I got Connor a silver dump truck to go in his room, engraved with his and Lily's names and their date of birth. Lily coos with delight when she opens mine, and holds it up so everyone can see.

"Pwetty!" she announces, and everyone's mouths drop.

"What?" I ask in a shocked whisper.

"Pwetty Momma!" she repeats, giving me her trademark smile. I grin back and give her a big kiss.

"It is pretty, isn't it? Oh, I love you, baby girl," I tell her, pulling her onto my lap and kissing her head. She plays quietly with the charm bracelet while Luna helps Connor to open his truck.

"Vwoom vwoom!" he yells, when he sees what it is. Everyone laughs; he said that when he opened the first pack of racecars, so we're used to it by now. He said it each time since. I smile at him, too, and blow him a kiss. He tries to roll it around on the carpet, but stops when he realizes the wheels don't turn.

"Ginny, that reminds me. I got you this as well," Hermione says, holding out a rectangular box with a square one on top of it. I blushed.

"Hermione, it's not my birthday, it's Lily and Connor's," I protested. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"And who takes care of them night and day? Go on, Ginny, open it. I may have to explain what it is, after all." I sigh and give it, tearing off the wrapping paper. It's a long, rectangular box with the words 'Tae-bo' on it, along with a woman in a weird position. I stared at it.

"What on earth, Hermione?" She laughs.

"It's a workout sort of thing, Ginny. That's a DVD, you put in it that thing," she points to a thin silver box under the TV, "and you can do the workout with it. Like you did for your pregnancy workouts, remember?" I nod. Luna usually set those up, but at least I knew what she was talking about now. "I'll show you how to work it. Now go on, open the other one! It's sort of for the twins, too," she adds. So I open it. It's thin and square and has 'Mozart' on the cover in curly letters.

"Sorry, Hermione, but could you explain this?" I ask, feeling rather stupid with my ignorance in the Muggle world. She laughs again, though.

"It's a CD. You put it into this device and it plays music. It's said to be very relaxing to babies. I thought you might enjoy it. Yes, you have a CD player, and yes, I'll show you how to work it," she answers my unspoken question. I grin at her.

"Thanks, Hermione, I'm sure we'll use these," I say, leaning over to give her a hug. "But you might want to get started on that tutorial sooner rather than later..." She nods.

"As soon as Connor and Lily go up to bed, I will," she promises, and the topic of our conversation changes. Luna starts to tell us about her kindergartners.

"...and they all say they don't want to go to first grade, they want to stay with Miss Lovegood," she reminisces, tears in her eyes. "It's so hard to let your first class go. They're all so wonderful!"

"Luna, don't worry, you'll get new ones next year," Mrs. Hexe consoles her. Hermione returns with four cups of tea as she speaks.

"Thanks, Hermione. Anything new at the Burrow?" I inquire as I take my cup from her. Her face lights up.

"As a matter of fact, there is!" she exclaims. I know by the way she's glowing it must have something to do with Ron.

"What did he do, Hermione?" I ask. She giggles. I know her so well.

"Oh, nothing much, he's just gone and proposed to me..." she says casually. Everyone chokes on their tea.

"WHAT? Are you serious?" I demand, staring at her. She nods, then holds out her left hand. I hadn't noticed before, but there it is-a beautiful diamond ring. "Hermione, that's fantastic! I can't believe you're going to be my sister-in-law! That's wonderful!" I exclaim, jumping up and hugging her. Luna and Mrs. Hexe soon follow suit, and the rest of our conversation is full of all the girly wedding details. I'm so happy for her, and I swear to be back for the wedding. Of course I will be. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

By the time our guests leave that night, I'm very tired and somewhat baffled, but I know how to operate a DVD and CD player, whatever that stands for. Hermione never did get around to telling me. As Luna and I head up to bed, I stop to poke my head into the twins' room.

"Goodnight, dears, and happy first birthday. Momma and Auntie love you," I whisper, bending over and giving them each a kiss before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind me.

Our children are now officially one year old. It's been a wonderful day. I hope one day we can celebrate their birthday together. I love you.

Ginny.