Thanks for waiting for this chapter so patiently. 3 more chapters and an epilogue to come ~ drop a line to review if you're reading please. JKR is the genius who inspired the plot bunny…
Hope
"To see a World in a grain of sand,
And Heaven in a wild flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an hour."
William Blake: "Auguries of Innocence"
*****
"So what do you think of her?" Mrs Weasley's proud voice cut through the silence. "Isn't she beautiful?"
Harry glanced up from watching his daughter sleeping, his arm tightening around Ginny. He could feel his irrepressible grin broadening as he made eye contact with his mother-in-law.
"She's perfect," he said happily, feeling Ginny cuddling closer into him and leaning her head against his. "I can't believe she's actually here, and she's OK."
"Well, she's still very small," Mrs Weasley pointed out. She came fully around the white hospital screen and perched on the end of Ginny's bed. "You do know you're not going to be able to move her out of here for a while, don't you?"
"She's not in any danger?" Harry demanded anxiously. He hadn't even considered that fact before, and just the thought of anything happening to his tiny daughter instantly twisted his insides into painful knots.
"No, no," Mrs Weasley reassured him quickly. "She's breathing well and seems happy enough. It's just best if we keep her here for a while, where Madam Pomfrey can keep an eye on her."
"It makes sense, Harry," Ginny said softly, reaching up to kiss his cheek. She laughed a little. "Besides, we need all the help we can get in how to look after her. I don't know how to; do you?"
"I s'pose not," Harry said reluctantly. "But Gin, wouldn't you rather be at home? I'm sure that with Hope arriving like this, Dumbledore would let us leave school before the end of term."
"Hope?" Mrs Weasley queried. "Is that what you're going to call her?"
Ginny nodded, and smiled happily at her mum.
"We thought it suited her," she said simply.
"Something just for her," Harry added, grinning across at his wife, their eyes meeting in perfect understanding.
"For the future, not the past," Ginny whispered, squeezing his hand in hers.
"It's lovely," Mrs Weasley said, nodding her head in approval. "I don't think you could have chosen anything better for her, or for you." She beamed down at her little granddaughter, "She's a real beauty, isn't she? You've done a good job with her."
Harry smiled down at his daughter himself, memorising the curves of her face, the smudge of a nose and the distinctive Weasley hair, bright and wild against the blue summer sky shade of the blanket. This was amazing. It was unbelievable. She was…
"We will manage, won't we Mum?" Ginny asked, a wobble of uncertainty creeping into her voice.
"Of course you will!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed. "I'll be around to help as much as you want me to. It's always strange with your first baby, but you'll learn quickly enough. I'd just advise you to make the most of the peace and quiet now," she laughed. "Give it another day or two and you won't have a second to call your own. I remember what it was like with Bill. I couldn't even sit down with Witch Weekly before he started wailing and need to be walked around for half an hour."
"She looks far too peaceful for that," Harry remarked, still smiling widely.
"Oh don't you believe it," Mrs Weasley laughed. "She may look like a little angel there, but she'll soon be showing you who's boss. It's amazing how they can rule the roost, even at that size." She chuckled at her memories and patted Ginny's legs affectionately. "We're all here for you, sweetheart, and you'll be surprised with how well you cope with her."
Ginny bit her lip and nodded, cuddling Hope closer. Harry smoothed his wife's hair back over her shoulder and kissed her forehead. Ginny had been absolutely incredible today; there was no other word to describe it. How she had… well, how she had gone through all that and somehow come out… Pride filled his chest with warmth. They were parents. Conflicting emotions showered down upon him, terrifying and exciting at the same time. Whatever it took, he was going to make a good job of being a father, and Hope was going to have the loving childhood he'd always dreamed of in those long days in the dark cupboard under the stairs.
"Is there no way we can get them home soon?" he persisted.
"It's not worth the risk of moving Hope," Mrs Weasley said reasonably. "I want to have them back at The Burrow as much as you do, Harry. Another week or two, and we'll see how strong Hope is then, but with You Know Who attacking indiscriminately, Hogwarts is about the safest place she could be."
"Well, you know how much I love it in here," Ginny added, wrinkling her nose in total disgust, "but I don't think we've got much choice. I'm not going back to Gryffindor Tower without Hope…"
"You're not going anywhere, young lady," Madam Pomfrey interrupted sternly, coming around the screen herself. "That might have been an easy delivery, but you're not ready for charging around on broomsticks or transfiguring yourself into potted plants just yet. You need rest."
Ginny said nothing to this at first, but Harry had to suppress a laugh as he watched her face wrestle with the concept. She was a bad patient at the best of times, and the thought of being confined to the hospital wing for any length of time was akin to snogging a blast-ended skrewt.
"OK," she said quietly, her mutinous expression slowly fading. Her dark eyes swept back to Madam Pomfrey. "But don't think I'm going to enjoy it," she added pointedly, with a trace of her old spirit.
"I wouldn't expect you to," Madam Pomfrey chuckled. "Having a baby isn't going to change you that much!"
"It certainly isn't," Mrs Weasley laughed, getting to he feet and hunting round for her capacious bag, finally locating it beneath the bed.
"Mum?"
"It's all right, dear," Mrs Weasley said reassuringly, stooping to kiss her daughter. "I'll be back soon, but your father will never forgive me if I don't go and tell him about his beautiful granddaughter. Besides, I rather think Hope will need some proper clothes; you can't transfigure things for her forever."
"Clothes!" Harry exclaimed.
There was so much he hadn't thought of. They hadn't even started preparing for this baby, not really. Nothing had been bought for her: no crib, no clothes, nothing. He didn't even know what babies needed. So much for being a good father, he was letting her down already.
"Harry, it's fine," Mrs Weasley smiled at him. "I knew neither of you would be able to do anything, so I've been getting a few bits and pieces together since Christmas. It's enough to start off with, and I can go to Diagon Alley tomorrow morning for the other things she'll need. Stop worrying, and just enjoy her. This time is very special for a new family; don't let anything spoil it."
Harry nodded gratefully. All he wanted to do was stay with Ginny and Hope, but it was getting late, and Madam Pomfrey was eyeing him meaningfully.
"I won't be long," Mrs Weasley added, pulling her cardigan back on. "Is there anything else you'd like whilst I'm back there?"
"Maybe some banana ice-cream?" Harry teased.
"Not on your life!" Ginny exclaimed vehemently. "If I never see that stuff again it'll be too soon."
They erupted into roars of laughter, and Hope twisted slightly, her face scrumpling further and becoming redder and redder as she opened her mouth and began to wail. The volume was incredible for one so small, and if Harry hadn't heard it with his own ears he wouldn't have thought it possible. The toothless gums were exposed as one howl blended with the next and then the next. The howls went on for what seemed to be an eternity.
"Shhh!" Ginny tried to reassure her. "Shhh!" Carefully she adjusted her grip on Hope and jiggled her gently up and down, patting her back in time with the motion. Harry watched in awe. It was some kind of magic; it had to be. Slowly the piercing soul-wrenching cries faded, and Hope was soothed and began to settle once more, heavy sleepy eyelids drooping over the emerald-green.
"Back soon," Mrs Weasley whispered, nodding her approval. She tiptoed off towards the hospital wing door.
Harry's mind whirled for a moment, wondering why she was going there, then he remembered Ron and Hermione, who he'd left pacing anxiously outside the hospital wing quite some time before. Ron still had the Portkey. They didn't know about the baby, yet.
Madam Pomfrey had clearly had the same thought and disappeared behind the screen, her heels clicking in a business-like fashion across the floor into the distance. The three of them were left alone.
"Are you sure you're OK?" Harry whispered.
"I will be," she whispered back, smiling up at him. "Although if it hurts that much having a five pound baby, imagine what it'd be like if she had gone to full term." Ginny winced. "I just ache in places I didn't know existed. Imagine pushing a pumpkin out of…"
"I'm sorry," Harry interrupted quickly, wincing himself at the idea. "I mean it's my fault that you…"
"Don't you dare apologise for Hope," Ginny insisted. She regarded him carefully, the dark pools of her eyes as loving as ever. "You don't regret having her, do you?"
"No!" Harry exclaimed, instantly reproaching himself for the volume of his voice. Hope stirred. He held his breath. This was going to take some getting used to. "I'll never regret her, just like I'll never regret having you in my life," he whispered, spreading his hand over Ginny's and entwining their fingers. "But, I do need to see Dumbledore about her. Your mum's right, Hogwarts is the safest place right now, but we don't know what Voldemort's going to do. We need protection spells in place as quickly as we can, because he will find out sooner or later, and if he sees her as a threat, then…then…"
"Then we've got to be prepared to ward of the worst," Ginny said softly, the understanding of what they might have to do unspoken between them.
Voices broke through the quietness of the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey clearly assertive, and the lower mumbles of others. The arguing went on, escalating slightly.
"Oh all right then," Madam Pomfrey said with a hint of irritation. "Only for a few minutes, and no excitement for mother or baby. Then it's straight back to your common room. You shouldn't be out of bounds at this time of night anyway. Is that understood?"
There was a mutter of agreement, and the grumbling sounds made their way into clearer focus.
"… Complete and utter git." Ron's tones wafted towards them, making Ginny giggle.
"Shush!" Hermione reproached him. "We got in, didn't we?"
"Only because you had your Head Girl head on," Ron retorted. Harry could almost hear his grin as he mimicked Hermione's voice. "Of course we're responsible. We wouldn't dream of upsetting them. Just a few minutes, please. You know, I was expecting to hear you say you needed to come in to do research for a project."
"Well, it might be something that'll end up in Hogwarts: A History," Hermione pointed out, their squabbling ceasing as they came into sight.
There was a moment's pause, both of their eyes magnetically drawn to the tiny bundle in Ginny's arms. Harry watched uncertainty flicker across his best friend's face, and knew just what Ron was thinking. He'd caught himself wondering earlier where Hope had suddenly appeared from, but it was even more of a shock for Ron. Ginny's pregnancy had quite literally been invisible as far as he'd been concerned.
"Come and see," Harry whispered, grinning at them both. "She's asleep again, though."
"Are you sure?" Hermione breathed. "We don't want to intrude."
"You're not!" Ginny's face was wreathed in smiles. "Come in."
They edged their way forwards, and settled in the large armchair beside the bed, regarding the baby with amazement. Ginny moved Hope cautiously so that they could see her.
"She's so tiny," Hermione exclaimed, leaning over for a clearer view. "Look at those little fingers. Ohh! And that hair is definitely Weasley. Ron," she nudged him. "What do you think about your niece? She's lovely, isn't she?"
"It's… it's a baby," Ron sounded completely incredulous. He was wide-eyed in disbelief.
"And here was me thinking we'd had a Norwegian Ridgeback," Ginny giggled softly. "How could we have been so stupid, Harry?"
"I didn't mean that," Ron said, floundering for the words he wanted. "I mean, she's your baby. Yours and Harry's. She's a little person. This is real. You're parents. Her parents. It's… it's…"
"It's going to be all right," Harry said, grinning at Ginny. "We can do this. It's just going to take a bit of getting used to."
"And you've got to get used to things too," Ginny's face lit up in a mischievous grin. "Uncle Ron."
"W-What?" Ron stammered, looking quite taken aback at the suggestion. Then a slow grin spread across his face as he regarded Hope. "You know," he said, "I think I could get used to that. She's not going to argue with me about the Canons, is she?"
"Well, you can start practising right now," Ginny chuckled, her eyes sparking with entertainment. "Here's your niece for a while. Be careful, though. You've got to support her head."
"Gin," Ron protested, nervously backing further away into the chair. "I don't do babies. I don't know how to…"
"Then it's time you learnt," Ginny grinned. She eased herself awkwardly out of bed, and gently moved her daughter into her brother's arms, making sure Hope was secure before she backed away.
Ron sat frozen. Abject terror filled his face. Hope lay exactly where Ginny had left her, and Ron was transfixed to the spot, daring to move neither forwards nor back. He clutched the baby in his arms with the same anguished expression for several minutes before she stirred, and Ron uttered a yelp of alarm.
"What do I do?" he panicked. "Ginny?"
"Try rocking her a bit?" his sister suggested, leaving Ron to his fate and retreating back to bed. Harry wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, watching events unfold.
"But she's so small," Ron said in alarm. "I'll hurt her."
"Babies are supposed to be quite resilient," Hermione said briskly. "Anyway, how hard can it be to hold one? I've been reading all about it recently."
"You do it then!" Ron exclaimed in exasperation.
"Fine!" Hermione retorted.
Hope was gingerly handed over to Hermione, who was still tutting at Ron beneath her breath. The weight of the baby settled in her arms and Hermione beamed over at Ron.
"See," she said triumphantly. "There really is nothing to it. It's perfectly simple."
The movement caused Hope to wake and she began to wail fractiously once more, the noise becoming louder and louder. Hermione paled, and she looked wildly around her, almost as if she were looking for an instruction book of what to do next. Meanwhile little Hope was screaming at the top of her lungs and Ginny made to get back out of bed.
"Come on, then," Ron said gently to his niece, rescuing her from Hermione's grasp with a baleful glare. "It's not as bad as all that," he reassured the baby. "I know her hair's a bit scary sometimes, and she insists you do your homework, but you don't have to keep the rules all the time." Hope was gradually calming down, and Harry watched in barely suppressed amusement as Ron continued to talk to her. "I dare say she'll read you bedtime stories from Hogwarts:A History, or Transfiguration for Toddlers, and if you're really good we might be able to sneak out when she's not watching and head down to the kitchens for banana ice-cream. What do you reckon?"
"I reckon we're going to get him in to baby-sit," Harry muttered in Ginny's ear. She chuckled quietly.
"And as for the stories I could tell you about your mum and dad," Ron smiled down at the baby, "well, they're going to take us quite a few days to get through. Maybe I'll even teach you how to turn your dad's Firebolt pink. You'd like that, wouldn't you? But the main thing you've got to learn is never, ever to trust anything that your Uncles Fred and George give you."
"Or it'll explode and blow your eyebrows off," Ginny explained softly, welcoming her daughter back into her arms. "I expect you'll rather like their joke shop though, especially when you get a bit bigger."
Madam Pomfrey appeared at the foot of the bed and looked sternly at them and then at her watch.
"Mrs Potter and the baby need their rest," she stated in a voice that brooked no opposition. Harry felt a strange thrill run through him to hear someone else addressing Ginny by that title. So far he'd been the only one to do so. "It's been a very traumatic day for both of them, so I suggest you go back up to Gryffindor Tower, where you should have been all along."
"Yeah," Ron agreed, grinning at his sister, and then touching Hope's little fingers. He shook his head. "She's wonderful. I still can't believe this has happened though."
"Sorry for making her cry," a red-faced Hermione said.
"I'm getting the impression that babies do that," Harry chuckled. "She seems to be like me; hates being woken up."
"I can sympathise," Ron agreed. He kissed Ginny. "You take care. No getting up to anything."
"Wish I could," she said gloomily.
"Congratulations," Hermione added, leaning over to hug and kiss her too, but taking care not to get too near the baby. "She's lovely, Harry," she whispered by his ear and kissed him lightly on the cheek, much to his surprise.
"Yeah. See you later, Dad," Ron laughed, clapping his hand on Harry's shoulder.
He paused for a split second and with a warm grin, buried him in a brotherly hug. Harry was overwhelmed. This was a family… his family. Ginny and Hope and Ron and… It was almost too much. Emotions welled up inside him, swirling warmly through his veins. Neither he nor Ron were much given to displays of affection, and the last time they had clung to each other had been quite different, seeking refuge from the crippling and incomprehensible pain when they had believed that Ginny was dead. This was different. So different.
"It's great," Ron admitted, looking towards Hope again. "Harry, I'm, well… y'know…"
"Yeah," Harry said gruffly, staring at the floor panels of the hospital wing, and finding them entirely fascinating. "Um -Thanks."
"Come on," Hermione sighed, grabbing Ron's hand and steering him towards the door. "We'll be back tomorrow."
Madam Pomfrey raised her eyebrows at Harry.
"You're not doing them any good by staying," she said pointedly. "You need some rest as well, otherwise you'll be no good to them tomorrow."
"A few more minutes?" Harry pleaded, not feeling ready to leave and head back to his dormitory just yet.
"Please?" Ginny begged, smiling up at Madam Pomfrey with the innocently angelic air that always made Harry laugh. The hospital matron relented at once.
"Oh, very well," she said, shaking her head at them. "Not for long."
"I won't be," Harry promised, gently touching Hope again, scarcely able to believe her existence.
Ginny was exhausted, that much was evident once the excitement of her visitors had worn off, so once the baby was settled in her crib, Harry perched on the chair beside her bed and held her hand as she curled up dreamily.
"Love you," he murmured, kissing the tip of her nose. "I wish I could stay."
"Me too," she sighed, her lids heavy above her eyes. "You will come back in the morning, won't you?"
"Try and stop me," Harry smiled, running his fingers lightly through her red hair, moving it back from her face. "You're amazing, do you know that?"
"Mmm," she chuckled sleepily. "Not as amazing as the Boy who Lived."
"Far more than that," he insisted, knowing what she had given up to be with him. "Far, far more."
"G'night," she murmured, seeking a final kiss before Harry found himself drifting back to Gryffindor Tower, his thoughts and head in a whirl.
*****
Several hours later, Harry lay tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep. His mind was buzzing with the exciting events of the day, the wonderful image of his tiny daughter making him smile to himself through the inky darkness. It was no good; he just couldn't sleep. He slid out of bed and shivered slightly in the chill beyond the covers. He tiptoed past Neville's bed to the window, leaning as far as he could in an attempt to see the hospital wing windows. Owls hooted and flew past the windows on silent wings, black silhouettes against the deep blueness of the sky. Stars glistened: tiny diamonds in the vastness of the universe, stretching out beyond his grasp to infinity.
Instantly he made his mind up. It was against the rules, but he didn't care. He darted back across the room and carefully lifted the lid of his trunk. The plant on the bedside table stirred, swaying its bloom in a menacing fashion, sniffing the air. A rumbling growl emanated from deep within the flower, and it snapped wildly in Harry's direction. Harry leapt backwards, then froze listening carefully, but the regular breathing of the others in the room never faltered. Rummaging quickly through the contents of his trunk, his fingers found what he was looking for. Slippery fabric shifted beneath his touch and he grasped it firmly, shaking out the folds. With a grin, he disappeared under his invisibility cloak before the plant got a chance to see him properly and crept eagerly through the dormitory door. He padded down through the deserted stairwell, into the common room and beyond.
The place was deserted. Armour glinted eerily in the moonlight and Harry hastened through the now familiar corridors, heart swelling with happiness at the thought of seeing them again. A quick peek around the screen in the hospital wing wouldn't do any harm; in fact, no one would even know that he'd been there. He glanced briefly at the Marauders' Map, and saw that Mrs Norris was coming his way. Ducking quickly under a nearby arch, he climbed the narrow wooden stairs and followed a longer route to the hospital wing.
The portraits were mainly dozing in their frames, with the exception of a tiny knight, who was pacing back and forth in his frame. At the slightest sound of Harry's footsteps the knight whirled around, brandishing his sword.
"Halt! Who goes there?" the tiny figure demanded, sweeping his fair hair out of his eyes. Harry recognised Sir Gawain immediately, and suppressed a grin as he silently passed by and rejoined the main stairs up to the hospital wing.
The room was still. Harry quickly closed the door behind him and crept the length of the ward, noting the dim light still shining from Madam Pomfrey's office. Heart beating in anticipation, he smiled to himself. Just a few minutes, and then he'd go back to bed. Before he could move further, a silvery glow shimmered from behind the hospital screen where he'd left Ginny and Hope. A softly muttered phrase was incoherent, and the silvery sheen shattered, falling as stars through the air to further inaudible words.
Panic filled him. It was a male voice, not Ginny. What was going on?
Somehow, he forced his legs to work, propelling himself forwards past the screen itself, dreading what he would have to face. The figure was tall, a wizard's hat settled on his head. Harry fumbled for his wand, and gripped it tightly, preparing to throw off the cloak and challenge the wizard before him. The wizard turned slightly. Then Harry saw: Hope was in this intruder's arms. He couldn't. What if she got hurt? But he had to do something.
Desperately, his eyes scanned the dark figure before him, the flowing white beard, the genial smile, and the whiskery kiss he placed on Hope's forehead. Dumbledore. The knowledge flooded through him with a massive sigh of relief as his knees threatened to give way beneath him.
"Well, well," Dumbledore muttered, smiling benevolently down at her. "I dare say you're going to give your parents quite a run for their money, young lady." He touched her forehead affectionately and gently settled her back down into her cot. "Just remember who you are, and your destiny, and all will be well."
Harry just had enough presence of mind to step backwards at the last minute as Dumbledore passed by. He collapsed into the armchair beside the bed, looking through the darkness at his sleeping wife and his daughter, wondering what to make of the scene he had just observed.