This is being cross-posted from Ao3. It was originally posted on 14 October 2019.
Disclaimer: This piece was written for Harmony & Co's Halloween Competition, Double Double Toil and Trouble. All canon characters, plots, dialogue, and situations from the Harry Potter series belongs to JK Rowling. I am not profiting from this work. Thank you to my beta GaeilgeRua for their work on this piece.
Prompt: Harry and Hermione's first child is born on Halloween night. It is a bittersweet time for Harry.
The birth of your first child is typically a joyous occasion, and it was. Mostly.
For Harry, having your son born on the anniversary of your parent's death left a bittersweet taste in his mouth. Just a few hours ago, Hermione had given birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy. They were resting now, and Harry had come a long way to seek comfort from two souls he never even knew.
Standing in front of his parents grave, Harry felt his stomach clench uncomfortably. He knew Lily and James Potter were not truly here, but he still felt compelled to visit them nonetheless. Sighing, Harry ran a hand through his messy hair and laughed at himself before kneeling down. He placed a bouquet of assorted flowers at the base of their headstone and then stood back with his hands in both pockets.
"Happy Halloween, mum and dad," he said to the gravestone. "I wish you were here tonight to see your first grandchild."
He had to pause for a moment, all of a sudden feeling slightly choked up. Clearing his throat, Harry tried to continue. "He has my hair and Hermione's eyes. I love him so much…"
"Hermione thinks he's going to be the spitting image of me, though," he said, talking to the carved names on the headstone. "I hope he at least gets her smarts. I was always more interested in Quidditch than studying." He laughed, the sound sounding slightly odd in the empty graveyard this late at night.
"We thought he was going to be born in a couple of weeks, but Hermione had a few complications that forced him to come early," Harry explained as he remembered the healers explaining the emergency c-section. "Apparently, the Cruciatus stays with you long after a war ends."
"It's been a bit of a struggle for me," Harry admitted, his heart aching. "I keep thinking of how you two lost your lives on Halloween, and it makes accepting my son's birth on this day more difficult."
Taking a deep breath, Harry glanced around the simple graveyard of Godric's Hollow. Down the street, was his first home… The place where Lily and James lost their lives. He had not returned here since the time Hermione had brought them here during the War. There were just too many bad memories in this town; ones that he would prefer not to remember too often.
It was getting late now, and Harry needed to return to the hospital before Hermione began to worry. Reaching out, Harry placed his hand on the cold stone and bowed his head. "I would do anything for my son, and I know now how you so easily sacrificed your lives for me. I would do anything for my son, even giving my own life. Thank you," he muttered just loud enough for himself to hear. "I love you, and I hope that you would be proud of me."
Lifting his head, Harry wiped at the tears that had leaked from his eyes. He didn't cry often, but tonight he was feeling more emotional than usual. With a final nod toward the gravestone, Harry turned and left the graveyard so that he could apparate back to St. Mungo's and be with Hermione and the baby.
The medi witches greeted him as he arrived back at the hospital, informing him that Hermione had just finished feeding the baby, and he could go right into the room. He thanked them and hurried to the door. Inside, Hermione was propped up in bed with her eyes closed. Their son was cradled in her arms, fast asleep.
It was the most beautiful sight Harry had ever seen, and it took everything in Harry's power not to turn into a blubbering mess. Somehow, he managed to keep himself composed and entered the room. As he pulled a chair closer to the bed, Hermione opened her eyes with a sleepy smile.
"You're back," she said quietly, shifting slightly so she could get more comfortable. "I was afraid you got cold feet."
Harry chuckled. "Absolutely not," he said and then shifted his eyes away. "I went to Godric's Hollow."
"Oh," Hermione replied and then glanced down at the sleeping baby in her arms. He was wrapped in a pale blue blanket that had little lightning bolts sewn into the fabric. It was a gift from Molly. "Did you take flowers?"
"I did," Harry answered and then stood to walk closer to the bed. "I wanted to tell them about the baby."
"He has the same birthday as their death." Hermione's words were spoken so softly that Harry barely heard her. After worrying her bottom lip for a moment, she said, "It didn't occur to me that the two events coincided until now, Harry. I'm so sorry."
"You don't need to apologize, Hermione," Harry told her honestly. "It didn't really strike me until after I held him in my arms for the first time, actually."
Hermione hummed in reply and then dropped her gaze to stare at the sleeping baby for a spell. Harry watched his little family and felt his heart swell with more love than he ever thought possible. Before he could get too lost in his feelings once more, Hermione broke the silence.
"I think we should name him James," Hermione said softly, lifting her gaze to Harry's. She smiled, reaching her right hand out to her husband. "What do you think?"
Harry swallowed back the tears he didn't want to cry and took Hermione's hand. Joining her, Harry sat on the edge of the bed and gently brushed his knuckles over his newborn son's cheek. He was so soft, so fragile. At that moment, Harry knew what he had told his parents was right. Nothing would stand between him and this child.
"I think James is the perfect name for him," Harry agreed, and then gave Hermione a sheepish smile. "James Sirius?"
Squeezing his hand, Hermione said, "I like the sound of that. It's a very fitting name for your son."
A tear slid down Harry's cheek, having escaped his eye. "I love you so much," he told Hermione before kissing her lips. When they separated, he said, "I love both of you."
"I love you too, Harry," Hermione told her husband. "Now, crawl into bed and cuddle with James and me."
Chuckling softly, Harry did as he was asked. It may be bittersweet that James was born on Halloween, but that certainly didn't change the fact that Harry loved him more than anything. This holiday would now hold an even deeper meaning for Harry, and for that, he was thankful.