Part One: Chapter Two
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Duh.
Author's Notes: I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far. Please keep it up! Its great to know that other people are actually interested in the odd things that come into my head.
"Harry Potter!" Ginny's voice echoed through his office. Harry fell from his chair and scrambled to get up, pushing the green cape of his uniform off his head.
"Yes, love?" Harry asked, walking towards the fireplace.
"Harry you need to come home right now!" she cried, her face alight with panic.
"Ginny whats wrong?" Harry asked.
Ginny's head glanced down and then back up at him. "My, erm, my water broke."
"Your water?" Harry asked. "Well why do you need me? Can't you magic it back together? You are a witch, you know."
"Yes, Harry, I know," Ginny replied. "But its not that kind of water." Ginny looked down again and then Harry realized what had happened.
"Oh!" he cried. "You mean...the...is...now?!"
"Yes Harry," Ginny breathed. "Please come home, I can't get to St. Mungo's on my own."
"I'm on my way," he announced and Apparated to his flat.
"You need to contact everyone," Ginny said to him as he appeared in the sitting room.
"I will," he replied. "Where's your bag?"
"In the bedroom," she said. "I called you as soon as it happened."
"Right," he said. He planted a quick kiss on her forehead and went to grab her bag. "I'll call everyone from St. Mungo's."
"Harry there might not be time then," she said.
"Okay, I'll call Ron now and he can contact everyone else," Harry replied. He threw some powder into the fireplace and yelled, "Ronald Weasley!" After a few moments, Ron's head appeared in the fireplace.
"Oiy Harry, what is it?" Ron asked.
"Ginny's going to have her baby," Harry said quickly. "We're on our way to St. Mungo's. Can you contact everyone and meet us there?"
"Ginny's having her baby right now?" Ron asked.
"Yes Ron! I am having this baby now!" Ginny cried, pushing Harry out of the way. "And if you want to ask more questions, I'll be happy to answer them, but can we do it after the baby is born?!"
"Sorry, Gin," Ron apologized. "We'll all meet you there."
"That would be lovely!" Ginny yelled and shut the fire off. She wiped the hair off her face and turned towards Harry. "What?!"
"Nothing, Ginny," Harry replied quickly, realizing why Charlie had called Caroline a Hungarian Horntail while she was in labor. But Caroline wasn't a fiery red head with a Weasley temper. Harry had a Chinese Fireball.
"Lets go, Harry," Ginny instructed. "We have to go by Floo, there is no way I can Apparate right now."
"All right," Harry replied taking a pinch of Floo Powder. "Hold onto me, okay?" He threw the powder into the fireplace and the green flames shot up. For a brief moment he wondered how he and Ginny and their unborn child were going to fit in their fireplace. Ginny's grip on his elbow tightened and he yelled "St. Mungo's Maternity Ward!" before he could think about it anymore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hermione!" Ron cried, running into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. "Hermione!"
"Can I help you sir?" an elderly witch asked.
"Yes," Ron panted. "I need to find Hermione Grang--I mean Hermione Weasley."
The witch smiled sweetly at him. "You must be Ronald. Hermione's told us so much about you. I'll get her for you."
"Thank you," Ron replied, fighting the blood rising to his cheeks. After a few moments, Hermione came into view.
"Ron, my lunch isn't for another four hours," she said to him, crossing her arms across her chest. "What do you need?"
"Ginny's having her baby," Ron explained and Hermione's face lit up.
"Her baby?!" Hermione squealed. "Oh!" She dashed off into the back of the office and returned with her purse and sweater.
"Lets go then," she said to him.
"Don't you have to tell someone you're leaving?" Ron asked. Hermione stared at him.
"I already did," she replied, pulling him out of the office, amazed at this hint of responsibility. "She said it wasn't a problem."
"Oh," Ron said. "Well we have to get Mum and Dad and Charlie and Caroline, and Fred and his fiance and Bill is in town, he and Elizabeth will want to be there, and George should be back in Harry's department and Charlie will bring Caroline and Ginny did that dragon thing that Charlie always talked about and..." Ron paused and glanced at Hermione. She was watching his race on, silently giggling at him. "What?"
"Ron, calm down," she instructed. "Its not like you're the new father. I'm sure Harry is much more composed."
"Not bloody likely," Ron snorted. "He's only had a few months to get used to the idea of being a father. Charlie and Bill had entire pregnancy terms to get used to it and they were more of a wreck than I am."
"It will be all right," Hermione said. "Ginny and the baby and Harry and everything will be fine."
"I know," Ron replied. "You're right, I need to calm down a bit."
"I'm right?" Hermione asked, grinning. "Wow, can I get that in writing?"
"No you cannot!" Ron replied, and made a move to tickle his wife. "It happens to often for me to write each one down. We'd wipe away an entire forest on our own."
"Thats true," Hermione replied and they walked in silence towards the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to retrieve George from his Auror position.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Breath, Ginny, breath," Harry was instructing. He walked with her as she was moved to the delivery room.
"I am breathing, Harry!" Ginny cried, her grip on his hand tightening. "Maybe I should stop breathing, then this wouldn't HURT so bad!" Ginny's face contracted and she squeezed her eyes shut.
"Almost there, Mrs. Potter," the medi-wizard said.
"Mrs. Potter!" Ginny cried. "Why did I marry you?! I should have stayed far away from you! But no-oh you had to be sweet and charming and brave! You just had to come and save me in the Chamber of Secrets, didn't you? Didn't you!"
The medi-wizard shook his head. "The pain, sometimes it makes mothers say the strangest things."
Harry nodded, but he was sure he heard the medi-wizard mutter "Chamber of Secrets," under his breath.
"Can't you give her anything for the pain?" Harry asked.
"We've given her three doses of Numbing Charms, but it hasn't kicked in yet," the medi-wizard replied. "We'll do another one once we get to the delivery room."
"Ahhh!!!!" Ginny cried and Harry grinned at her. Any minute now, Harry thought. She's going to start breathing fire!
"Harry, stop grinning at me!" Ginny yelled at him. "Do you think this is funny? This is funny to you?!"
"You're doing great, Gin," Harry replied, ignoring what she was yelling at him. "You're almost done."
"Oh I hope so," she whimpered, the pain receding. "Harry I don't like this."
"I know, Gin, I know," Harry soothed. "Its almost over."
"No, I mean this whole being a Gryffindor thing," she replied. "Being brave and strong all the time. I just want to cry and give up."
"Its not being a Gryffindor thats making you brave and strong, Gin," Harry said, smoothing the hair off her face. "Its you, its inside you all along, it has nothing to do with being a Gryffindor. You were strong and brave before you were a Gryffindor, being a Gryffindor didn't make you strong and brave."
"I know," Ginny whispered. "Thank you Harry." Her eyes snapped shut as the pain came back. Harry clenched his teeth together to deal with the pain she was inflicting on his hand.
The medi-wizards moved Ginny to the delivery bed and one of the matrons gave her another dose of the Numbing Charm.
"Now Mrs. Potter, you won't feel much of the pain, but you will feel some discomfort in your lower regions," the medi-wizard explained.
"Discomfort?!" Ginny yelled. "Have you ever given birth? How can you know that there will be some discomfort in my lower regions? How do you know thats what I'm feeling? And this is a little more than discomfort! Discomfort my ass! This is down right pain! This bloody hurts! And I've felt the Cruciatus Curse, and this is incredibly worse! Have you ever felt the Cruciatus Curse? That's discomfort! Bloody hell! This is bloody pain! And another thing..." Ginny closed her eyes and her body relaxed. The Numbing Charm seemed to have taken effect finally and Ginny lay still and quiet.
"I'll be along in a few more moments, Mrs. Potter, once you're dilated a bit more," the medi-wizard said to her, completely ignoring her previous comments.
"That sounds lovely," Ginny whimpered and looked up at Harry. "Harry, I think the pain went away."
"Did it? Good," Harry replied, smiling at her.
"You think I'm mad don't you?" she asked.
"Mad?" he asked. "Not at all love, why would I think that?"
"Because I'm acting like I'm crazy," she replied.
Harry shook his head. "Gin, its understandable."
"I love you Harry," she said.
"I love you too," he answered and kissed her head. "You're doing great, Ginny, keep it up, its almost over."
Ginny closed her eyes and nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh the waiting is killing me!" Molly Weasley announced, as they all sat in the waiting area in St. Mungo's Maternity Ward.
"Its killing all of us, Mum," Ron replied.
"Its quite exciting also, don't you think?" Hermione said to Ron.
"I guess so," he grumbled. Fred and George chose this moment to come running through the doors.
"Did she have it yet?"
"Did we miss it?"
"I told you we'd miss it!"
"You were the one going to slow!"
"Boys!" Arthur cried and Fred and George stopped their bickering. "You haven't missed a thing. Ginny is still in the delivery room."
"Oh, thank Merlin!" Fred cried and took a seat beside Hermione.
"Daddy," a little red headed girl said to Charlie. "I'm hungry!"
"All right, Mackenzie, lets see if Mummy has any snacks for you," Charlie said to his daughter. He looked in the direction of his wife, Caroline, and raised his eyebrows in question.
"Nope, sorry, sweetums," Caroline said, pulling her blond hair off of her neck. "Can you wait?"
"Here, Caroline," Percy said, shifting his son to his other knee. "I have some snacks."
"No offense Perce, but your snacks suck," Fred said. "Come on Mackie, come with Uncle Fred and he'll get you some good snacks."
"My snacks are healthy," Percy said.
"All right, lets see what you have," Fred replied. Percy pulled a clear bag of rice cakes out of diaper bag at his knee.
"Now Mackie," Fred said to his niece. "Do you want nasty rice cakes that Uncle Percy has, or do you want Chocolate Frogs from Uncle Fred?"
"Cha-chet Fogs! Cha-chet Fogs!" Mackenzie cried, jumping up and clapping her hands.
"I swear, you've corrupted my daughter already, Fred," Charlie laughed. "I fear the day you become a father."
"I do too," Fred's fiance said.
"Emma, darling," Fred said to her. "You work in the hospital, so could you be a doll and direct me in the general direction of the vending machines?"
"Down the hall, to the left," Emma directed, sighing.
"Well, come on Wacky-Mackie and we'll see what we can find." Fred stood up and took Mackenzie's hand.
"Cha-chet Fogs, Uncle Fwed?" Mackenzie asked, looking up at him with big brown eyes.
"Thats right, Cha-chet Fogs ," Fred said. "Thanks babe." Fred leaned over and kissed Emma's cheek before he and Mackenzie skipped down the hall towards the vending machines.
"Fred as a father scares me," Percy said, offering his son a rice cake. "Seriously, be careful with that one, Emma."
Emma laughed. "Well that day is a long way away. We just have to get through this wedding first."
"Percy, it seems your son doesn't want any of your healthy snacks," Ron observed.
"He's just not hungry," Percy huffed and stuffed the rice cakes back into the bag.
"Oh Percy, don't get all huffy about it. Your snacks are fine," Charlie said. "Besides, when Mackenzie is bouncing off the walls later, her Uncle Fred can keep her company."
"If Phillip has too much chocolate he falls asleep," Penelope commented.
"Well, we would normally just put an Anti-Energy Charm on her," Caroline explained. "But this way it will teach Fred not to give her chocolate before a meal."
"You use magic on your daughter?" Percy asked, visibly appalled at the idea.
"Sometimes," Charlie replied. "Nothing lasting, Perce, not to worry."
"There's nothing wrong with using magic on children, Percy," Molly commented. "We did it with you boys all the time. As long as its not a form of punishment, then its perfectly natural. You are a wizard after all."
"We try not to use magic too much," Bill said. "But sometimes, there is no other way."
"There's a great book," his wife, Elizabeth said. "Having to Use Magic on your Children to Keep Your Sanity: A Complete Guide to the Best Spells, Charms and Potions to Make Raising Children a Little Easier."
"Really?" Hermione asked. "They have a book on that?"
"Honestly," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "If there's a book on anything you'll read it. Apparently it doesn't matter the content."
"It actually a fairly useful book, Ron," Bill said. "It basic stuff too, so it only takes a few tries to get it right."
"Its helped us out loads with Will and Cameron," Elizabeth said. "There's a lot of medicinal potions, and some mild sleeping potions. There's magical games, and instructions on making things like a mobile move and not stop playing music till the baby falls asleep. Some of the stuff it terribly useful."
"Were are Will and Cameron?" Hermione asked, noticing the absence of two of her nephews.
"Will and Cameron have colds, so it wasn't a good idea for them to come and see a newborn baby," Bill explained.
"That was smart thinking," Molly said.
"Well, we didn't want Harry and Ginny's baby to get sick or anything," Elizabeth replied.
"Its weird to think that Ginny is having a baby," Charlie commented.
"Yeah it is," Bill replied. "It doesn't seem like that long ago when we would come home from Hogwarts and have to change her nappies."
"It wasn't a long time ago," George said. "It wasn't even twenty years ago."
"Ginny's not even twenty?" Bill asked. "And she's having a baby?"
"Should we hurt Harry for this?" Charlie asked.
"Well, Ginny is an adult now," Hermione said quickly, before the Weasley tempers got out of hand. "She is married."
"I wasn't married until I was..." Bill paused and thought.
"Twenty nine," Elizabeth whispered in his ear.
"Thank you," Bill said. "Twenty nine!"
"Well, Ginny also had to grow up a lot faster than the rest of you did," Hermione said and everyone looked at her.
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.
"Well," Hermione began. "She's been fighting Voldemort since her sixth year. That was about three years ago, and with all the horrible things she's seen and the people close to her that have died...well...it makes you grow up a bit faster than normal."
"Besides, she and Harry have been together for ages," Ron continued. "About as long as you and Elizabeth have, Bill. It was almost natural for them to get married after the war was over."
"She also had to hide her pregnancy from everyone for so long," Hermione said. "It was hard for her to do."
"You all didn't realize it," Molly said to Bill and Charlie and Percy. "But Ginny did grow up a great deal these past few years. She had to mature very quickly for someone her age. Shes not a normal nineteen year old. You'd be surprised by some of the things she can do. She's very responsible, and a very powerful witch. She's just mature for her age. She had to be to survive these past few years."
"I had no idea," Charlie said.
"She's still our baby sis, Mum," Bill replied. "It just seems weird that Ginny's going to be a mother."
"She's a wife, too," George said. "Its weird to be to think that everyone else is married but me."
"Yeah, you're the only one that doesn't have wife," Charlie said. "Or in Ginny's case, a husband."
"Fred doesn't have a wife either," Emma said. "I haven't actually married him yet. I could still run." Everyone laughed at this; Emma and Fred were perfect for each other. Emma had been a year behind Fred at Hogwarts, and she had been a Ravenclaw.
"Oh, you know you won't run," George said. "You and Fred go to well together."
"You know, I am a bit surprised that neither of you got put into Ravenclaw," Emma said. "You're both incredibly clever."
"Yeah, what is it with you lot and marrying Ravenclaws?" Ron asked. "At least Ginny and I managed to stay in our own House."
"I almost went to Ravenclaw," Hermione said. "The sorting hat almost placed me there."
"Great!" Ron exclaimed. "Well, at least Ginny married in the right house."
"Now, Ron, whats wrong with Ravenclaws?" Penelope asked.
"They're not Gryffindors," Ron replied.
"Ron, I'd be careful," Charlie said to his younger brother. "You have four Ravenclaw alumni in this room. Well almost five if we include Hermione in there."
"I may have been almost placed in Ravenclaw, but I was very much a Gryffindor," Hermione interjected.
"And thats why I love you!" Ron said and kissed her cheek.
"Ravenclaw girls just had something appealing about them," Bill said. He and Elizabeth had been good friends while at Hogwarts, and she had been in Ravenclaw as welll. They had been in the same year and didn't see each other again till Elizabeth showed up in Egypt to teach Charms at the Tutankhamun Academy of Magic.
"They're different from Gryffindor girls," Charlie said. "Maybe because Gryffindor was all that we knew." Charlie and Caroline shared a passion for magical creatures. Charlie worked with dragons in Romania, and Caroline was a Professor of Magical Creatures at the Romanian School for the Magical Arts.
"I still like Gryffindors better," Ron grumbled. "But if Ravenclaws work for then you, then the more power to you."
"Thank you Ron," Percy said. "I'm sure we all appreciate your approval." Everyone snickered at Percy's jab at Ron.
"Wait, Percy, were you actually trying to be witty, and funny?" Ron asked.
Percy smiled. "Tried and apparently succeeded."
"He's two up on you now," Charlie said, grinning.
"Well, I can still out fly him any day," Ron said.
"If physical sports is the only way you can defend your pride and dignity, then that says a lot about you, Ron," Percy said to him.
"Thats three," Bill announced, laughing.
"Now listen here, I--" Ron began.
"Harry!" Molly cried and jumped up. Everyone turned and looked at the tall man who was standing in the doorway. He wiped his face with the back of his sleeve, and was grinning from ear to ear. His normally messy hair was even more untidy and he looked tired. But more mature than he had five hours ago.
"Well?" Hermione asked.
"We have a boy," Harry announced, the grin not falling form his face.
"A boy!" everyone cried, some in unison, some at different times.
"He's six pounds, nine ounces," Harry continued. "Ginny's fine, she's a bit tired, but she did great. I can bring him out later to show you all."
"That would be wonderful," Molly replied, clutching her hands together against her heart.
"Where's Remus?" Harry asked, looking around. "And Fred?"
"Fred took Mackenzie to get her some chocolate," Caroline explained.
"And Remus should be here shortly," Hermione continued, glancing at her watch. "He couldn't get out until 1:30, and thats in about ten more minutes."
"All right," Harry replied. "I'll bring him out as soon as I can. And I don't know when you can all see Ginny. The medi-wizards are still in there."
"We can wait, Harry dear," Molly said. Everyone looked at her, wondering when she became so patient.
"All right then," Harry said and turned to leave.
"Oh Harry," Hermione called after him and he turned around. "How do you feel?"
"How do I feel?" he asked.
Hermione nodded. "How do you feel, at this moment?"
Harry grinned. "Its indescribable. Like I'm going in for a Wronski Feint except I don't have a broom and there is no Quidditch pitch. Its nervousness and excitement and adrenaline and just...joy. Pure joy." He gave them all another smile and went back down the hall to his wife and his new son.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry looked down at the face of his son. He was so tiny. His fists were balled up and tucked close to his body.
"Are they supposed to be this small?" Harry asked.
Ginny laughed. "He's a baby, Harry. They start out that small. Don't worry, you won't break him."
Harry looked at his son. And he fought the stinging sensation in his watery eyes. Harry sat down in a chair next to Ginny's bed and rocked his son gently back and forth. He beamed down at this little life he had helped to create.
"Harry, do we still go with the name we had planned?" Ginny asked. He looked up at her and nodded.
"Yes, I think we do."
"Why don't you go and show him to everyone," she suggested. He nodded and walked towards the door, his son shifting in his arms. He opened the door and stepped into the hall.
"Harry!" Hermione cried and jumped up from her seat. Soon all the other Weasleys were around him. Harry's son sighed in his sleep and Harry brushed the soft wisps of back hair on his head.
"He's precious," Molly whispered. "Did you decide on a name?"
"Yeah, we did," Harry replied. "Everyone, I would like for you to meet James Bradden Potter."
"James Bradden, I like it Harry," Remus said, who had arrived from the Hogwarts Board of Directors a few moments earlier.
"James for my father, and Bradden for my grandfather," Harry explained. Bill picked up his two year old daughter, and she smiled at her newest cousin.
"He's so tiny, Daddy!" she whispered to Bill.
"That was my first thought too," Harry said to her. She leaned over and kissed James' head and he stirred in his sleep. Everyone awed and Harry stepped back into Ginny's delivery room. He sat back down in the chair and watched as everyone passed his son around. Harry smiled. He was glad to have his family here with him. He was glad he had a family.
Author's Notes:
Ginny5 (and everyone else who commented): I don't know what the norm is for pregnant women. I know my mum didn't show till seven months, and my best friend didn't pooch out at all till the middle of her seventh month. And I also don't know the average weight for newborns, but I made James kinda small as far as I know. He is smaller than me. So Ginny very well could have not shown much. She also probably wore loose fitting clothing to not draw attention to it. (I say probably like I don't know, I wrote the damned thing!) But there is my justification for her size at seven months. Take it or leave it! :)
Star and Linda Lupos (and again, everyone else): Thank you very much for the info on the Euro/Pound debate. I was too lazy to look it up so thank you for reassuring me!
So thats the end of Part One, but in my universe, Harry has three children. Please read the completed fic, "Secrets that Were Kept," and take a trip with the Potters to America to meet Harry's long lost relatives (not a Mary Sue story-I strongly dislike those) and read also the work in progress, "As Seen in a Dream," and see what horrors and excitements unfold as Reagan Potter and her friends venture through their fourth year a Hogwarts. There are also many companion fics to those two stories, and actually this fic is a companion as well.
Someone told me a while back that I should try writing different characters. But I like these ones too much! I did try and write an original fic, called "When It Rains," another work in progress as it is MUCH harder to write original stuff rather than playing with Jo's characters. But "When It Rains," is about a young girl named Cara who, after a death in her family, must face what she has been running from and take her place in the monarchy, and take the bad with the good. If anyone wants to read that one, its only a chapter so far, then please e-mail me or mention it in a review and I'll send you the link. I tried putting the address on here and it didn't come up.
Okay, no I'm done rambling. But I had to let you all know what was going on. Review please and thank you all so so much!!
~Erica Evans