I'll Be Home For Christmas

Chapter 6:

Disclaimer: see previous chapters if you must know….

A/N: Well I'm starting this chapter now, while I'm supposed to be working on my English essay, which is due tomorrow. Seriously, I have so much work now that break si coming up. I don't know how I'll ever finish this! I know you guys won't really mind if its not done buy Christmas day but I REALLLLLLLY want it to be done. I want real life Christmas day to = Weasley Christmas Day. But we'll just have to wait and see. Maybe I can just stay up alllll night Christmas Eve writing and posting chapters. I dunno, lets just be happy with the posting of this chapter for now. Hope you like it!

            Ginny woke up the next morning no longer finding the arms she had cried to sleep in around her. It had been a dream. She clenched her eyes shut tighter, refusing to believe that none of it had happened. She was about to scream at her stupidity for thinking it could have been real, when two strong arms wrapped around her from behind and pulled her up against the body they belonged too.

            "Come back," he mumbled, his eyes still shut, as he snuggled up against her. Ginny thought she might start crying again at the sound of his voice. She rolled over in his arms to face him.

            "You're really here," she whispered, brushing a piece of hair out of his face. His green eyes fluttered open and stared into hers.

            "I'm really here," he said, sounding as though it was unbelievable to him as it was to Ginny.

            "Where were…wait no I don't want to know right now. All that matters is that you're here."

"You can't even begin to understand how much I missed you," he said kissing her on the forehead.

            "I think I have an idea," Ginny smiled knowing there was know way anyone could ever miss someone as much as she had missed him. She sighed in content and pulled the cover more tightly around her and Harry, snuggling up to him as far as she good. She was about to fall asleep again when their peace was interrupted.

            "Ahhhh!!! Stwanger!!," she heard a little voice scream.

            "Ahhhh!!" she heard another voice pitch in. The first one had been James, and the second had been one of her nieces; probably Diana. George and Angelina's daughter was the oldest after James and the two were close with each other. Ginny groaned knowing that she had to get up. Then she realized that they'd be coming back with back-up, and everyone was about to know that Harry was there. She quickly jumped out of bed and debated what to say to Harry before James came back. Harry stood up yawning and grinned.

            "Lot's of little Weasley's by now I suppose?" he smiled.

            "Yes, and more on the way," she answered. "Harry I need to tell…"

            "Lets go see everyone. Do you think they're awake?" Ginny almost laughed. Harry reminded her of James on Christmas morning, waiting to go downstairs.

            "Trust me if Ja…" she stopped herself from saying her sons name before telling Harry she had one. That he had one. "People are on their way now to check out the stranger in my room…"

            "I guess they're in for a surprise," he smiled.

            "But Harry before they come back I need to tell you something…" she trailed off. It was too late.

            "There is no stranger in Mummy's room…" she heard Fred's voice coming down the hall. She hoped Harry hadn't heard him. He hadn't seemed too.

            "What do you need to tell me?" he looked at her curiously.

            "Yuh-huh, der was a man in der," she heard Diana insist.

            "It was probably just Uncle Ron or Uncle Charlie, or…" she heard Hermione. Harry had heard them this time as he perked up and his head turned to the door. Ginny didn't know whether to be terrified of what was about to happen or laugh at Harry's facial expressions. She knew that face; he only made it was he was nervous about something.

            "I was definably NOT dem…" James said firmly.       

            "Then who was……..it," Fred appeared in the doorway with James in his arms followed by Hermione with Diana. Both of their jaws dropped and a shocked silence filled the room.

            "See," James shook his head at Fred. The he screwed his face into a "menacing" frown and pointed at Harry. "Stwanger!!" he screamed again.

            "Go get Uncle Ron," Hermione set Diana down. The little girl tore off down the hallway.

            "I don't know what to say…" Hermione finally spoke.

            " I still can't believe I'm here. I missed you all." Harry smiled and started to walk forward to hug Hermione, but was stopped.

            "Stop!" James said firmly. " Don't come any closer," he stared at Harry.

            "How about I introduce myself? Then we won't be strangers anymore,"
 Harry offered. Ginny's heart began to race, as Harry and James were about to find out whom the other was. James looked at her for approval and she gulped and smiled in approval.

            "Okay," James said, still refusing to give Harry a smile. Harry grinned at the acceptance of his offer.

            "Well I'm…." he was cut off.

            "Harry?" Ron gaped.

            "Harwy?" James cocked his head. "Dats a good name," he commented, no longer frowning at Harry. Then he added, "Dats my Dad's name."

            Harry froze. Ginny could see shock and uncertainty in his eyes. But he didn't turn to her for answers. Instead he continued talking with James.

            "Now you know my name. What's yours?" he asked. Ginny suddenly felt as though she was going pass out, and her knees buckled as she sat down on her vanity stool, shaking. All eyes were now on James.

            "James," he smiled now. "James Potter," he stated proudly. Ginny saw Harry exhale deeply. "What's your full name?" James asked. It was now that Harry finally turned to her. He looked at her, silently asking her what to do next. Ginny nodded him on, not believing that James was finally meeting Harry.

             Harry took James from Fred's arms and placed him down on the floor, kneeling so that they were eye to eye. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter," he told James. James bit his lip and looked past Harry at his mother. She nodded her head at him. He then looked back at Harry still wearing a look of uncertainty. He reached out and examined Harry's face with his hands.

            "He weal…" he noted. Then he frowned for a moment before saying, "But it's not Christmas yet!" Harry looked at Ginny questioningly but James answered his question for her. "Santa must a brought him early!" James was directing his words to Fred. "When I wote my letta Uncle George said he wasn't sure if Santa could give people, people for Christmas but I said he was wrong and he was! Santa even broughted him before Christmas!" James now turned back to Harry. "So are you weally my dad?" he asked.

            "Yeah….I am," Harry said quietly. Ginny could tell that Harry was still trying to take everything in.

            "Wow!" James smile couldn't have been bigger. Suddenly he was tugging at Harry's arm attempting to pull him out of he room. "Come on dad! I wanna show you my room. Its dis way…" he was still pulling Harry when Ginny let out a sob. James' smile faded and he rushed over to his mother, jumping in to her lap.

            "What's wrong?" he asked.

            "Nothing love, everything's perfect," she stroked his messy hair.

            "Den why are you cwying? Is it daddy?" James asked but decided on his own that that had to be the problem. "I'm sowy mama, I'll make Santa take him back! I'll wite anoder letter!"

            "Oh no baby, don't do that. I'm not sad," she said, earning a strange look from her son. "You know how people cry when they are a little sad? Well sometimes when some one is really really happy they cry too."

            "I dunno. I'm weally weally happy but I'm not cwying!"

            Ginny smiled and wiped away her tears. "Are you calling your mother a liar?" she teased tickling his stomach.

            "No!" he said laughing and wiggling away from her. He jumped out of her lap and grabbed Harry's hand again. "Come on Dad!" Harry didn't hesitate to follow his son out of the room. Fred left with Diana who was now doing a wild pee-pee dance and Ginny looked up at Hermione and Ron.

            "Is this all a dream? Because I don't think that I can handle it if it is."

            "When did he get here?" Hermione asked coming into the room.

            "Sometime last night," Ginny said.

            "Why didn't you come wake us up?" Ron asked as if it should have been the obvious thing to do.

            "Oh yeah Ron," Hermione rolled her eyes. "The man she's in love with, who has been missing for three years, shows up in the middle of the night and the first thing she should do is come get you."

            "He's my best mate!" he defended himself.

            "He's the father of her child!"

            "Guys!" Ginny shushed them. "Sorry to tell you Ron but you didn't exactly even enter my mind last night. I couldn't believe it was happening. I still can't believe it."

            "Where was he?" Hermione asked her.

            "I don't know yet. We haven't talked about it. We haven't talked much at all really. I didn't even get a chance to tell him about James…"

            Hermione smiled, "James seems to be taking it well."   

            "I wonder how everyone else will…" Ginny pondered aloud.

            "Oh they'll be shocked," Hermione voted. "I can vouch for that. I'm still trembling," she said holding out her shaking arm. Ginny grinned and held out her own.

            "I haven't stopped since last night."

            Hermione smiled back and then turned to Ron. "Alright help me up Ron, I need to go downstairs and eat for three…" she said. Ron helped her stand up off the bed and they left the room.

            Ginny decided to go in search of Harry and their son. She was headed down the hall for James' room when she met Harry coming out of the room with James in his arms and Angelina coming out of her and Fred's room across the hall. Angelina stopped in her tracks.

            "Harry?" she gaped.

            "Angelina!" Harry smiled.

            "Oh my god!" she squealed and hugged him. Ginny noticed she was too was no shaking the same way as she and Hermione. "George!" Angelina called over her shoulder, releasing Harry. "Where…but how? I…." Angelina failed to get out a complete thought.

            "Wha…"George began before realizing why Angelina had called him. Before he or Harry got a word out James spoke.

            "You were wrong Uncle George!" James stated grinning. "Santa did bwing my dad home for Christmas and he did it early just to prove you wrong!"

            "He sure did little bud," George smiled. He looked at Harry and Ginny, smiling. He must have noticed the way Harry was staring at Ginny because he spoke again.

            "Why don't we go eat breakfast James? Leave Mum and Dad alone for a bit?"

            "Okay!" James had never been one to pass up attention from his uncles, but Ginny was surprised to see him go so willingly. James hopped out of Harry's arms and Angelina took his had to lead him down to the kitchen. Ginny turned to Harry and saw him and George give one another the "manly" handshake/clap on the back hug. She heard George give a sincere "Welcome home," before heading after his wife. She then walked up to Harry and wrapped her arms around his waist.

            "I have a son," he said awestruck.

            "You have a son," she confirmed.

            "We have a son," he corrected himself. "I'm so sorry I haven't been here," he whispered. "I've missed so much and you've been on your own."

            "Not completely alone…. I have six brothers and six sister in laws."

            "I don't even know my won son. I don't know his birthday, or his middle name or his favorite food or anything…."

            "Well you're here now. And there's plenty of time for us all to be together now," Ginny comforted.

            "I can't believe we have a son," Harry said.

            "He's just like you," Ginny began. "He's…"

            "Ginny!" her mother came down the stairs. "Are you awake yet? We're baking cookies…" Her mother stopped when she saw Ginny with someone in the hall. "Ginny who…" she stopped when Harry and Ginny broke apart and she saw who her daughter was with. "Oh my!" her hand flew over her heart and tears sprung to her eyes. Molly Weasley immediately rushed toward Harry and pulled him into a big motherly hug. "You're finally home." She smiled at the person she considered to be her eighth son. "Well come on come on, the girls told me they were cooking breakfast this morning. I'm sure everyone is dying to see you," Mrs. Weasley whisked Harry away downstairs. Ginny smiled, following close behind.

            When they got to the kitchen, a flood of hugs and welcomings greeted Harry. Christine and Tara both attacked him with tight hugs before realizing that perhaps they should introduce themselves. Harry sat down next to the chair that held James and his booster seat and pulled out the chair next to him for Ginny. Next to James was Ron, who couldn't help grinning.

            "Welcome to the family mate," he said gesturing to the full table. "We've waiting for you to get here."

            It was then that Ginny looked around the breakfast table. Everyone was there, sitting with his or her own little families. Ginny wanted to cry for the millionth time as she realized how complete the table now felt. She no longer felt that missing piece.  Everyone chatted happily, eating the full breakfast. Ginny knew everyone had questions, but no one was willing to disrupt the happiness the filled the entire house at that very moment. Ginny smiled. Everything was perfect

A/N: Okay well sorry this took awhile. But I've been super super busy with school all this week and this chapter was really hard to write. I'm not sure yet if I really like it, but I think it's the best its going to be. Next chapter? Hopefully ASAP….Harry/Ginny chat about James/Where Harry was. Thank you sooooooo much for reviews. The response to this story is truly unbelievable. Honestly I thought I'd get maybe 50 reviews by the time the whole story was complete, so you guys have totally  blown me away. On that note, sorry about my little joke at the end of the last chapter.  I was just thinking when I wrote it that if I was reading this fic, that would be the most annoying ending EVER. And there are some writers out there that really would feel that that is an appropriate ending. But truthfully, if it wasn't for all of you reviewers I probably would have given up by now. However, thanks to all of you I now write when I'm supposed to be doing things like writing English essays, studying for major tests, or getting more than two hours of sleep. So I truly love you all, and I feel like I'm making tons of new, really wonderful friends!

Love,

Bella

OK….so it pretty late and I don't have time to do my usual review replies. So I could either post now or Sunday (unless by some slim chance I have time tomorrow)…..I'm guessing you'd prefer now…. So I PROMISE to do the replies and ad them really soon. I love doing them. If you take the time to reply, the least I can do is write back, and usually I have something to say to you. So I swear I'll do them soon.