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SPANKING JAMES - PART 2

Arthur Weasley stepped out of the floo, his kind eyes tired as he watched his son-in-law sitting in the armchair with his head in his hands.

"Son," he began, because that was really how he felt about Harry. "Talk to me."

Harry slowly raised his head and met older man's eyes. In a small voice, he asked, "Is she going to leave me?"

That's all he could think about. Ginny had said he was fucked-up in the head. No one in their right mind would stay with someone like that – someone who is a freak.

Arthur closed his eyes and shook his head. He heard the trepidation, the desperation and anxiety in Harry's voice, and he knew that the raven-haired man had been lost in his own thoughts, a swirling pot of self-doubt. "She's not leaving you, Harry," the older man reassured him firmly as he sat down in their red couch.

Harry took a ragged breath and nodded. "Good," he breathed. "Good."

Arthur's lips curved into a tender smile. He and Molly had watched as Harry learned to accept that there were people who cared for him, who loved him – their daughter being the most prominent of all. It pained him to see that, even after all these years, Harry still did not expect the Weasley's to accept him. He still didn't understand that their love and affection was unconditional. Most of the time, Arthur found that fact a beautiful thing, for Harry never took anything for granted, but tonight, as he once again came face-to-face the uncertainty and doubt in his son-in-law's emerald eyes, his heart clenched for the little boy Harry had once been. The boy who wanted nothing more to be loved and who, twenty years later, still wasn't used to it.

"Tell me what happened," Arthur inquired.

Harry scratched the back of his neck. "Ginny and I had a fight," he said sheepishly.

The corner of Arthur's mouth curved upwards at Harry's obvious answer.

"Uhm," Harry continued, sobering. "The house was a mess when I came home. James was screaming upstairs with Ginny, little Albus was crying in his pen with only Teddy to look out for him." As he said the next words, he felt the anger inside him bubbling up again. "Ginny spanked James," he spat.

"James wasn't listening to her," Arthur pointed out. Ginny had showed him her memories from that day – including Harry's paralyzing reaction to her harsh words.

Harry shook his head vehemently and balled his hands into fists. "Doesn't matter," he gritted. "We don't spank the kids. He's a child, for Merlin's sake! The lad was clingy all evening, wanting to be held and cuddled and kissed. Ginny really hurt him. What kind of mother hurts their children like that?"

Arthur tilted his head. "Molly used to spank our kids. Merlin knows Fred and George's freckled arses were red more often than not. Do you reckon Molly a bad mother?"

Harry shook his head.

Arthur smiled. "Do you think Ginny is a bad mother?"

Harry looked at his father-in-law and shook his head again, slowly. "She's wonderful," he muttered. Harry understood what Arthur was saying, but he stood firm. "My children won't be spanked."

Arthur shrugged. "Then they won't be. Talk to Ginny about it, set rules and punishments for the boys when the act out. She was frustrated earlier, with James, not with you. She thought your presence would help settle the madness.

"There would not have been any madness going on had she not spanked our son," Harry pointed out.

"That's not true and you know it. James was out of line. He didn't listen to her and continued to rile Albus up all afternoon. Ginny tried to keep the peace in the house, but he went too far, Harry."

"She could've put him in time-out."

Arthur shrugged. "The way you discipline your children is between you and Ginny."

Harry nodded and silence fell over the two men as they contemplated tonight's events. "She said I'm fucked-up in the head," Harry whispered, the betrayal of those words still hurting.

Arthur frowned. "She didn't mean that," he said softly.

"She did! You didn't see her face, Arthur. She meant what she said."

Arthur shook his head. "Talk to her," he advised again. "The only reason I'm here is because she's too cared to come back after you yelled at her to leave."

Harry's head snapped up, his green eyes wide as a deer in headlights. "She's scared?!"

Arthur merely smiled a knowing smile.

Harry sprang to his feet crossed the living room in two large strides. He already had the floo powder in his hands when he turned around and asked, "You'll watch the kids for me?"

Arthur chuckled and nodded as he watched his son-in-law disappear in the green flames.

When Harry stepped into the sitting room at the Burrow in the midst of the night, he found Ginny fast asleep on the ragged couch, the remains of her tears still staining her beautiful face and her brows furrowed. He vaguely heard Molly rustling around in the kitchen, but he had no eyes nor ears for anything but his pregnant wife.

Harry kneeled in front of Ginny and gently placed his hand over her lower abdomen, where a small baby bump was starting to form. His other hand smoothened her auburn hair gently.

"I love you," Harry murmured, his eyes flickering between his wife and his child. Harry spent an entire childhood dreading the moment he had to go home. When Ginny was pregnant with James he'd spent countless nights staring at their ceiling, terrified that his son wouldn't love their home, that he wouldn't feel comfortable to be who he truly was. Harry had wanted his home to be a safe place, a place filled with warmth and love, a place he had often dreamed of as a child.

The knowledge that his very own wife had been scared – or even hesitant – to come home, made him feel like a failure. He had failed. Failed to make their home a safe place for every member of their family. Instead, he'd yelled at the woman he loved most in the world to leave. He'd driven her away and claimed their house for himself and his children, taking comfort in their presence.

A teacup clattered loudly behind him. "Oh dear," Molly exclaimed. "I didn't hear you come in, Harry."

"Sorry," he said as Ginny stirred under his outstretched hand. She blinked groggily as the sound of the clattering teacup echoed away.

"Harry?" Her voice sounded nasal, still.

Harry pressed his lips to her forehead. "Hello, love," he whispered and Ginny's eyes opened in an instant. She flung herself in his strong arms.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "So, so, sorry."

"Ssh." His hand rested on the small of her back, where his thumb rubbed soothing circles. "It's okay, love. Calm down. I'm here now. I'm here." Harry held his wife and his hands wandered all over her body. Her back, her hips, her behind. He didn't care that his mother-in-law was watching as he touched his wife, he needed the closeness, the feel of her body underneath his hands. And he knew that Ginny, too, needed the reassurance of his presence, of his love. Because that was what this was: love. A part of Harry was still seething, fuming because she spanked his son, but he also knew that his wife was hurting and that she needed comfort. And he was willing to put his anger aside for her.

Harry gently cupped his wife's face between his hands and searched her watery chocolate eyes. He looked for the blazing harshness he'd seen in those brown orbs earlier when she tainted one of their most precious memories, and let out a sigh when he found nothing but love and regret.

"I love you," Harry said. It might be cliché to utter those three little words at this moment, but he needed to say it. He had sat in his own living room for nearly three hours, terrified of the idea of losing her.

"I love you, too," she replied without hesitation, but with as much honesty as he had.

"Talk to me," Harry murmured, his lips against her forehead as he breathed in her flowery scent.

"James was being a brat," she said and delight filled her at the feel of Harry's chest rumbling with a chuckle at her words. Ginny sobered. "I spanked him."

She felt Harry's arms tighten around her and she knew that this time, it wasn't because he wanted her close. "I know you don't approve, but he was being so intolerable and my hand pulled his pants of and lashed out before I realized what was happening. And then he started crying, and Albus followed and Teddy's hair started changing colours so fast. I needed to distance James and Albus from each other, so I took him upstairs. And then I hear you come home and I was so relieved.

She bit her lip and leaned into Harry's touch, as he gently caressed her cheek. He knew all to well what a horde of rambunctious little hellions his sons could be.

"I felt so betrayed when you didn't choose my side," Ginny confessed softly. "I'm so sorry for what I said."

"I'm not a fuck-up," Harry whispered, a lump in his throat as he was brought back for the hundredth time that night to the moment Ginny had shouted those damaging words.

Ginny shook her head fervently and her eyes watered. "You're not," she agreed, choking up. "You're not a fuck-up. I'm sorry."

She could've said more, apologized and begged him on her bare knees to forgive her, but it wasn't necessary. Ginny's tender memory of their first love-making was tainted, too, by her words. Harry saw his own hurt reflected in her eyes. And he knew, now, that his wife understood the extent of the damage she'd done. He needn't make it harder for her.

"I love you," Ginny whispered and she pressed her lips to his, hesitantly. Harry cradled her and kissed her deeply, reassuringly.

"Want to go home?" he murmured gently, though Ginny didn't miss the suggestive hint. They made sweet, sweet love sometimes, but in moments like this – when their emotions were all over the place – their lovemaking was passionate, hungry, inevitable. She craved him.

Harry's eyes found Molly's, who was watching them with a soft smile. Molly nodded at him and gave a little nudge with her head towards the fireplace. Harry couldn't remember the last time Molly had let him leave the Burrow without consuming at least a cup of tea and three pieces of her infamous Shepard's pie, but he was glad she understood.

Ginny giggled as Harry pulled her in his lap, but the sound soon turned into a deep, guttural moan as his tongue hungrily explored her mouth. She was on fire and the rush of snogging the man she has loved for most of her life became more tantalizing with every sensual stroke of his tongue against hers. His hands smoothed over the dip of her back and wandered towards her thighs, where his thumbs rubbed teasing circles. The soft sound Harry made as he broke their kiss and latched his lips to that sweet spot on her neck made Ginny arch her back against him, craving the closeness.

"I love you," she moaned as she felt Harry's lips trail soft kisses on her jaw. Neither of them noticed the little boy standing in the doorway.

"Daddy?" James asked timidly, his little fist wiping the sleep from his eyes.

Harry slowly pulled away from his wife, the back of his neck reddening at being interrupted in such a state by his son, and turned around. He cleared his throat. "Hi buddy," he said, thankful the boy didn't quite understand what his parents were up to.

Ginny lifted herself off Harry's lap as James toddled adorably towards the couch. The boy's brown eyes flickered to his mother for brief moment, before he stretched his arms out to Harry, who picked him up effortlessly. James hid his face in the safety of his father's shoulder.

"Is Mummy mad at me?" he whispered.

Ginny's heart clenched at her son's small voice. "No," she spoke softly, laying her hand on his back. "Mummy's not mad anymore."

James lifted his head and looked at her, hope swimming in those big brown eyes.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said gently as she brushed the fringe out of his forehead. He'd need a haircut soon. "I shouldn't have spanked you, buddy. I'm sorry. It was wrong of me and I won't do it again."

Harry's eyes widened at her words. Ginny's eyes found his own. "Never again," she promised.

Harry smiled softly at her and nodded, accepting the apology behind her promise. His attention was pulled back to James as the boy crawled out of his lap and into Ginny's.

"I is sorry, Mummy," he said, repeating the words he'd spoken to Harry earlier. "I no listen."

Ginny pressed a sloppy kiss on James cheek. "So next time I tell you to stand quietly in the corner, what will you do?"

"Not steal Teddy's bwoomschtick and fly against Albie?"

Harry stifled a laugh and Ginny pursed her lips, clearly having trouble with their son's innocence as well. "That's right," she said. "You won't steal your brother's broomstick and fly against Albus's pen, nor use him as a quaffle."

James nodded solemnly.

"Why'd you wake up, buddy?" Harry asked.

"Bad dweam." James' brows furrowed and Ginny pulled him tight against her chest.

"Let's get you some warm milk and then back in bed, okay?" she said and her smouldering eyes found Harry's. He knew in that moment that they would be okay, and he would spent the remainder of the night showing his wife just how much he loved he loved her.