Chapter 7: - The Daddy's Dilemma

"Mr Weasley? Mrs Weasley?" Midwife Witch Tilly Trollop called softly as she emerged from the hospital room, the Weasleys where all at St Mungos now, Ginny had been brought there in the early hours of boxing day morning. The baby had been delivered but further complication had arisen, the baby wasn't breathing and the caesarean had taken longer then planned. Ginny had lost lots of blood and the baby was literally blue as both mother and child was quickly hurried to the wizards hospital. No one knew whether mother or child would survive the night.

"You can see her now" Tilly spoke gently as she guided Molly and Arthur into the room as everyone else waited outside. Molly's first thoughts where of how small Ginny truly look as she lay on the hospital bed. Her skin was pale and lifeless and her beautiful red vibrant hair was the only colour that was left as it fell neatly onto the pillow that Ginny's head was placed on. The baby was placed next to the bed in a small cot but for the moment Molly ignored the tiny child and stared fixedly at her daughter, slowly Molly reached out her hand and placed it on her Childs arm. The skin was cold and instinctively Molly looked around the room for another blanket to place over her daughter.

Midwife Tilly smiled weakly as she handed Molly a blanket and Arthur turned away to look down at the baby in its cot.

"It's a boy" Tilly said softly as she joined Arthur and finally Molly turned to look at her first grandchild, he was beautiful. Molly thought a perfect little boy in everyway.

"A first for a Weasley" Arthur said softly as he gently stroked the baby's soft jet black hair and Molly smiled weakly.

"I'll bring the others in" Arthur said as he turned from the baby and went to fetch the boys.

"Mum" a weak voice said from behind Molly and Molly turned and her smile grew to see that Ginny was finally awake

"I'm sorry dear" Molly said taking hold of her daughter's cold hands and rubbing them "I'm so very sorry"

"I'm sorry too" Ginny said sadly "I'm sorry that I never told you who the farther was-"

"That's ok" Molly laughed at the ridiculousness of the conversation, Ginny had almost died and all she was worried about was the fact that she hadn't told Molly who the father was "It's ok, I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you when you wanted to talk to me in the summer and I'm sorry that I jumped to the wrong conclusion about who the baby's dad was. Wishful thinking maybe, But at least I now know why you where being so secretive about the father even if I don't understand why"

"I don't know why too!" Ginny cried "I guess I was just so worried how you'd all react! I tried to explain that the baby would be different from us but-"

"I know, I know" Molly said soothingly as she rubbed Ginny's hands together "It's ok, really it is. Now, are you ready to see everyone else?" Ginny nodded and Molly called for Arthur to bring the rest of the family in as Tilly carried the baby towards Ginny and placed him in his mothers arm. Ginny smiled as, for the first time she looked down at her son, who was wrapped tightly in a swaddling blanket and Molly's smile increased as she saw the very same magic in Ginny's eyes that Molly knew where in her own whenever she too looked at her own children. It was a smile of a mother, the smile that said that I'm willing to do anything for you.

The family crowed into the room, Arthur hurried to Molly's side, resting a hand on across her shoulders as Bill, who had brought Fleur with him, stood next to them, Bill's arm around Fleur's waist. Charlie, Ron, Harry and Hermione hurried into the room next and the twins struggled to find a place at the back of the room, Molly smiled at seeing all her family and the people that would soon be extended family in the room.

"What are you going to call him, Gin?" Bill asked as both he and Fleur stared down at the baby in awe. Molly smiled as she looked at her son and the woman that he had finally introduced to Molly and Arthur as his Fiancé. Molly's mischievous mind was quickly working out how long she gave the couple until Bill was announcing that he too would be a father. Molly guessed that from the longing look on Fleur's face that she wouldn't have long to wait and Molly smiled even more as Ginny thought about the question that Bill had posed.

"Gawain" Ginny said softly as she kissed her baby on the head "I think I'll call him Gawain"

"GU-Wayne?" Ron said turning his nose up in disgusted at the very sound of the name as he spoke it. "What kind of a name is that?"

"Better then Ronald Bilious!" George sneered at Ron but George's eyes where still transfixed on the tiny baby in his sisters arms,

"Gawain, It's a good strong name" Arthur said smiling as he looked down out his grandson "It's an Arthurian name" he added proudly as he smiled at Ginny,

"He's got black hair!" Charlie called in alarm as he pushed past George to look at the baby

"A first for a Weasley" Mr Weasley repeated his previous words proudly

"He looks a little darker then normal" Fred asked Ginny "Is he alright?"

"Very much so" Molly added her proud smile still in place as she looked down at Gawain as he yawed sleepily in his mother's arms

"He's darker then us" Ginny said as she looked her brother in the face "Because his father is Dean Thomas"

"DEAN!" Fred cried in shock as he looked down at the baby in his sisters arms "H-How is that possible?"

Ginny smiled and looked down at her son, she thought the baby to be perfect and she was proud of him in everyway. She hugged him once more before she spoke and her lips curled into a mischievous smile "Well Fred, when a man and a woman-" but Ginny never finished her sentence,

"Just be grateful he isn't Colin's!" George laughed "Or Malfoy's or even Neville's!"

"It's a shame he isn't yours Harry" Ron added "You could have been our brother"

"Come now let the mother and baby rest" Tilly said quickly as she ushered a shocked Fred out of the room and held the door open signalling that the rest of the family should leave, "You can come back tomorrow, Mother has lost a lot of blood she'll need lots of medicine over the next few days and she doesn't need to be excited."

The days past quickly and Molly hurried the boys in their preparation of the burrow in making it a warm and welcoming place for Ginny and Gawain's return.

News about the birth had spread quickly, Dumbledore, Ever knowing, was the first to send his congratulations to the family. Many of Ginny's favourite teachers also sent their congratulations, McGonagall and Professor Sprout included and even Professor Snape wished the new mother and child well. Nymphadora Tonks and many other order members where excited about Gawain's arrival and she, Mad-eye moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt and many others had insisted on visiting Ginny at St Mungo. Where Tonks entrained baby Gawain by changing her hair and nose and where Mad-eye shocked Gawain into silence as he removed his eye. Ginny now fully believed that Gawain would be sacred for life but Molly and Tilly knew otherwise, especially when Fred and George where his uncles.

On the day that Ginny was to return home Molly and Arthur arrived at St Mungos to find that Ginny already had visitors and much to Molly's utter shock, they where the Thomas'. Mr and Mrs Thomas was standing out in the corridor as Dean, Gawain's father was talking to Ginny.

"What's going on?" Arthur demanded before both Molly and Mrs Thomas shushed him,

"Why didn't you tell me?" Molly heard a voice say and she assumed it was Dean speaking, the voice sounded oddly familiar and after a few seconds Molly realised that it was the same voice that she had heard from inside Ron and Harry's carriage on the first day of term asking why Ginny hadn't replied to his letters.

"I don't know why" Molly heard Ginny sob

"You could have written?" Dean raged and despite Molly's own urge to burst into the room and hex Dean she resisted or at least Arthur made her resist, by holing a firm grip on her arm as Mr and Mr Thomas, Deans mother and step father waited besides them.

"Written! Written! What would I have said?" Ginny replied angrily "Dear Dean, hope your having a great summer mines terrible oh by the way I'm carrying your child?"

"Oh" Molly heard Dean say simply and the room fell silent

"What's it like? Molly heard Dean say after while, his voice tinged with nervousness

"Being a mother?" Ginny asked meekly "It's weird, it's strange to think that now I've got to act grown up"

"We both will" Dean said his voice sounding a little sad "My mum and step father insist on being a part of their first grandchild's life"

"They'll have to fight my parents first" Ginny laughed "I think mum has his whole future planned" Molly bristled a little at her daughters words she knew that Ginny was right.

"And what about ours?" Dean's voice continued "What about our future?"

"Our future?" Ginny asked her voice sounding shocked and Molly strained her ears as she listened even more tentatively to the conversation

"I know you don't love me Gin" Dean said "but I don't want to be one of those fathers that runs away. My own dad did that and I'll never forgive him for it no matter what his reasons where. I helped make this baby and I want to help raise him too, that's-that's if you're willing to let me?" Molly guessed that Ginny was probably smiling, Molly herself was, so was Mrs Thomas, and when Ginny next spoke her voice sounded different, for the first time in months Ginny sounded happy

"I'm so glad that you want to be involved, I didn't tell you because I didn't know how to explain it. And I was very confused."

"I can't even begin to imagine"

"You…You do know I don't love you don't you?"

"I know" Dean said as Molly heard feet moving in the room and Dean's voice become a little distant "This may sound strange, seeing how I've never know about him before today but I love him already"

"That's doesn't sound strange at all" Ginny said softly "I didn't really love him until nurse Tilly placed him in my arms, that sounds horrible for a mother to say doesn't it? Before he was born he was just this thing. Something that meant that I couldn't do the things I wanted to do, like return to school, or play Quidditch. I thought that mum was just being mean to me or that Fred and George had finally sent her crazy, but now I understand all the things that she did. As soon as nurse Tilly placed him in my arms and I could see how small and venerable he was I knew that I'd do anything for him I want the best for him and I can't imagine being without him"

"I know exactly what you mean" Dean said and Molly guessed that the young man was smiling, his mother and step father certainly where.

"Do you want to hold him?" Ginny's voice offered and Molly guessed that Dean was shaking his head scared that he would some how injure the baby "Come on, he'll like it" Ginny encouraged. Molly smiled, and for the first time hers and Mrs Thomas' eye met and both mothers smiled knowingly.

Sitting at home months later Molly couldn't remember why she had worried so much about her daughter's pregnancy, granted it had coursed a lot of up evil in the family, and even though it had been one of the bleakest times in the families history they had all came through it, stronger then ever. The added addition to the family meant that the Burrow had to undergo several changers but they where all changers that where welcomed. All boys where assured that they would always have a room at the burrow and so a small nursery was added to the first floor next to Ginny's bedroom, a new high chair had to be bought along with hundreds of other baby things that Molly was amazed she had forgotten existed and as the year progressed it wasn't just baby items that littered the kitchen and living room. Charlie's artic expedition was in full swing as he readied himself and his team with pickaxes, flame proof gloves, snowshoes and fire retardant garments and thermal underwear. Bill and Fleur where arranging marriage vows and choosing rings, dresses, and suites, the twins had opened a second shop in Hogsmead that was intended to cash in on the trade as the student returned to Hogwarts. Ron and Harry had been accepted to Aura school and Hermione had graduated with honours.

Baby Gawain was loved by all the family and as Molly sat, bouncing him on her knee she knew that Gawain wouldn't want for anything. Love, kindness, understanding and Family where things that the Weasley's had in abundance. But Gawain wasn't just a Weasley, he was also a Thomas, and Dean loved Gawain as much as Ginny. Dean had set himself the task of making his son proud of him and with that as he goal he had finally knuckled down to his school work, he had graduated Hogwarts with flying colours. And after a bumpy start he was finally settled with a job working alongside, Arthur in the ministry. Molly knew that despite Ginny's previous comments about not loving Dean, Ginny was slowly falling in love with Gawain's father. The Youngman was working hard and had told Molly that he and Ginny planed to buy a house where he, Ginny and Gawain could be a real family.

Molly knew that Ginny had learned the same way she had, that love was something that had to be worked at, something that took time. But during that time a good man, a comfortable house and a family helped to build that love and to strengthen it. Molly hugged Gawain as he giggled at smiled and Molly knew that she was happy and she was made even happier knowing that her own family was also happy.