Author's Note: Oh my goodness, guys, I am so so so sorry about how long I've taken to update! My school started back up and I've been very busy, perpetually sick, and real life just had to come first for a while. But I'm back, and I hope you don't hate me for abandoning you! This chapter has been a long time in the making as I have just been working on it in bits and pieces for – has it been three months now? It may not be my best work but I really hope you all enjoy this chapter! A record twenty-three reviews last chapter – thanks so much to almightyswot, hptrump, anthony37, EmilyMoo23, GetMoMoney-333, McFly-Busted-fan, orbitystarlight, babybutterflyjam (x2!), TwilightSeekerHP, sparklesistah137, theGIRLwhoREADStooMUCH, xGriffleRavenSlythePuffx, horcruxesxlove, karebear9593, weaslette01, Guest, emma (x2!), other Guest, Me, Nicolette, and Abby for feedback and baby name suggestions. Also, thanks to everyone who added Magic Number Four (and me!) to their favorites and alerts. I get such a thrill when I see all these emails from FanFiction in my inbox! Hope everyone enjoys the new chapter (FINALLY!), and remember to review!
"Babe, I'm home!" Ginny called, flinging her coat onto the stand and kicking off her wide 'pregnant lady' flats. "And I'm so done with this job! My boss is such a bloody moron. I can't stand it anymore!" She walked into the kitchen, shaking her hair out of its bun and looking around for her husband. She peered into the den and the laundry room, but didn't see a sign of him anywhere. "Harry? Where are you?" she called as she peeked into the living room.
"In here, love," Harry called from the upstairs dining room. "Come on up!" Ginny plodded up the stairs, thinking to herself, What in Merlin's name is he doing up here? We never use our dining room! Reaching the end of the hall, Ginny pushed open the door and turned into the dining room, gasping at the sight before her. Harry, decked out in emerald-colored dress robes, stood next to the oak dining room table, holding a bouquet of red roses and smiling brightly. The room was lit softly with candelabras and the table was decorated with more rose petals and set with their nicest china. All of Ginny's favorites were arranged enticingly on the plates, and classical music hummed softly in the background to complete the romantic scene. Ginny spun around slowly to take everything in, beaming at Harry.
"What is all this, Harry?" Ginny asked. "What did you do?"
"Well, love, I was thinking about the new babies and I realized that we've celebrated the news with everyone we love – except for each other. So I ordered up from your favorite French place and set up a romantic dinner for us! Do you like it?" he asked eagerly. Ginny walked up to him and gave him a slow kiss.
"I love it, Harry. You're so thoughtful! And you even remembered my rocky road ice cream," Ginny laughed, noticing a carton of ice cream chilling in a bucket of ice in place of the customary champagne.
"Can't forget that rocky road, now can we, Gin?" Harry laughed. Ginny had been craving rocky road ice cream with everything, and eating it at almost every meal. "Please, let me escort you to your seat, Madame."
"Why thank you, monsieur," Ginny laughed as Harry grasped her elbow and pulled her chair out for her. She sank into the cushion and smoothed her robes while Harry pushed the chair in. Producing a bottle of sparkling cider, he offered it to Ginny with a flourish.
"Some bubbly, love?" he asked, pouring a generous amount into her glass when she nodded. He walked around the table and sat in his own chair. "Now, let's dig in! We've got, um, some salad, and some, um, chicken, and this looks like….well….yes, I really just let the chef pick some food he thought you would like. Sorry, darling, you know I know nothing about French food."
"That doesn't matter, Harry! It all looks delicious – you spoil me so! Thank you so much for this, love," Ginny said, reaching across the table to take Harry's hand. He gave her fingers a squeeze and smiled.
"I love you so much, Ginny. And I want to spoil you. That's my job! You're having our new babies – and I'm ever so excited about them," Harry said. At the fifteen-week mark, Ginny had begun to show quite a bit, though it wasn't as noticeable under her flowy work robes.
"And so am I, but right now, I'm just excited about this food!" Ginny picked up her fork and started on her salad. "Mmm, honey, this is so delicious." For several minutes the only sounds in the room were of forks clinking and the music still pulsing faintly.
"Well, that was wonderful, if I do say so myself," Harry said after a bit, leaning back in his chair contentedly.
"Now for dessert, yeah?" Ginny asked, eyeing the rocky road.
"Of course, love! Can't forget dessert! I bought some pound cake, and we can top it with a rocky road sundae," Harry said as he stood up and took out the chilled rocky road. He put two generous scoops on top of the already-plated cake. "This good, Gin?" he asked.
"Well, maybe just a tad more, Harry," she said. He added another scoop. "Maybe just one more…one more…one more…that looks great!" He drizzled chocolate syrup and whipped cream onto her six scoops of ice cream and placed it in front of her.
"Merlin, this is just heavenly," Ginny moaned as she took a bite of the dessert concoction. "Mmm, oh Merlin. You like that ice cream, don't you babies? Don't you like it?" she cooed, patting her stomach.
"Oh, I think they like the ice cream, Gin," Harry laughed as he ate his own sundae. "We should just name them Rocky and Road!"
"Oh, good point, darling, we do have to start thinking about names. Maybe we should break out the name book tonight!" Ginny said, referring to the "1,000 Names for Baby" book she had hopefully purchased during her first pregnancy. They had never actually used it, as it was important for Harry to honor his parents and other loved ones with their first three children's names.
"I don't know, Gin. There have to be other people we can name them after. Let's see, for boys there's Remus, Cedric, Neville, Alastor –"
"Excuse me, Harry? Did I just hear you suggest the name Alastor for my baby?" Ginny asked, looking indignant.
"Yeah, to honor Mad-Eye. He was a right fine chap, Gin. We could name a baby after him. Look at everything he did for the Order!" Harry said defensively.
"Harry, I am not naming my baby Alastor. We can at least look at the book this time," Ginny argued.
"Of course we can look, Gin," Harry said. "Whatever you want to do."
"I'm going to go get it right now. You can clean up. Thanks so much for the dinner, love. It was wonderful," Ginny called as she walked down to the basement to retrieve the long-forgotten volume, packed away in a box with other baby things.
Twenty minutes later, Ginny found Harry in the kitchen washing dishes. "Harry! I finally found the book!" she said jubilantly. Harry turned around and chuckled in spite of himself at her appearance.
"That's great, love. You've got a bit of, erm, web in your hair though." He crossed to Ginny and plucked a large spider web out of her hair.
"Ugh, that's bloody disgusting," Ginny said. "Now I have to go take a shower. Meet me in bed in, say, half an hour."
"Sure, babe, that sounds –"Harry began.
"Yes, we have to start going through names as soon as possible!" Ginny called over her shoulder.
"Oh. Okay," Harry said, looking a bit deflated as he turned back to the dishes.
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"Okay, well, I am all refreshed and ready to name some babies!" Ginny said, plopping down on the bed next to Harry. "Let's start with the A's shall we?"
"Gin, this is going to take forever. Remember, we have two copies of the book because Hermione bought you one and you bought yourself one, so I was thinking we could each look at them and write down our lists and then go through them together. And of course, the names don't have to be from the book. They can just be, you know, off the top of your head, or named after someone, or, you know…" Harry paused and smiled hopefully at Ginny.
"Harry, I loved Mad-Eye just as much as anyone else, but I am not naming my baby Alastor. Period," Ginny said. "Here's a quill and some parchment. Open up your book and let's get started!" For nearly twenty minutes the couple remained quiet as they pored over the expansive books and jotted down choices. Finally, Ginny laid her quill down.
"I'm done, Harry. Are you almost finished?" she asked, trying to look over.
"Uh-uh, no peeking! I'm almost done. Just perusing the Z's to make sure I haven't missed anything," Harry said. A moment later, he too put down his quill. "All right, you ready, love? First, you read your list and we can pick some top choices, then I'll read mine. Then we can write a list both of us agree on. Sound good?"
"Great! All right, so for girls, I have Abigail, Alyce, Bonnie, Cassandra, Daisy, Diana, Emma, Isabelle, Ivy, Molly, Phoebe, Primrose, and Violet. I like the idea of doing another flower or plant name, to match Lily's name. We could even try to match the first letters again – like Ivy Isabelle or Daisy Diana. And Molly, of course, would just be for a middle name – Percy's already taken that one! What do you think, Harry?" Ginny asked hopefully.
"Some I love, Gin, but some are just…eh. Here, let me read you my girl's names. I've got Alyce, Anne, Aurora, Blossom, Dora, Elizabeth, Isabelle, Harriett, Lavender, Lilac, Muriel, Minerva, Nymphadora, Phoenix, and Violet. So, some of ours are actually the same! What do you think, love?" Harry asked.
"I can't believe you want to name our daughter after my Aunt Muriel, Harry! And Tonks always hated her real name! We can't use that! I don't know how in Merlin's name you came up with Blossom, and Minerva just isn't the name for our baby. Plus, I think it would be weird for a child to be named after their headmistress. And Phoenix is just too strange for me, love, and Lavender reminds me of Lavender Brown. Other than that, they're fine, and I really like Lilac," Ginny said. So now, let's make our list together. I'll write it down." She picked up a quill and took a fresh piece of parchment. "Okay, so…Girl Names. Let's see, we both had Alyce, Isabelle, and Violet. From your list, I'll take Anne, Aurora, Dora, Elizabeth, and Lilac. Which names do you like from mine?"
"Well, I don't like Emma, Bonnie, or Phoebe. You can add the rest of them," Harry said. Ginny jotted them down, then set the piece of paper aside.
"All right, now let's do boys!" Ginny exclaimed, picking up her book once more and beginning to scribble. Harry took up his quill and began to skim the book, jotting down names every so often. After almost half an hour Ginny laid her quill down.
"All right, Harry, I've gone through the whole book and cut my list to the top 12. Are you ready yet?" Ginny asked, again trying to peek over his shoulder.
"Yes, I'm done Gin," Harry said, laughing at her eagerness. "D'you want to read yours first?"
"Sure!" Ginny exclaimed. "I have Aidan, Andrew, Arthur, Conrad, Daniel, Finnbarr, Gabriel, Matthew, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Remus, and Richard. I really looked at the meanings this time – Gabriel means strong, and Conrad and Richard both mean brave! I liked that for Gryffindor. And I thought we could use Remus for a middle name, to give Teddy the rights to use his father's name. What do you think?" she asked, looking at Harry expectantly.
"For the most part, I like them a lot! We even had some of the same ones. Here's my list – Alastor, Alexander, Barry, Cedric, Charles, Daniel, Fabian, Gideon, John, Neville, Remus, and William. What do you think of those, love?" Harry asked.
"Well, I already told you that Alastor's out, but I don't mind Cedric if we must name the baby after people. Naming them after my uncles is absolutely out of the question, but thank you for including my family. And I don't want to give a baby the same name as my brother. And about Neville – I was a little iffy on including "Luna" in Lily's name just because we still see her and we're still friends, and I feel the same about Neville. Also, just like with Minerva – it would be weird to be named after a professor. Other than that, I like the names! Now, let's make our big list," Ginny said. "I'll write." She took another fresh piece of parchment and added the heading "Boy Names", then looked to Harry to begin.
"All right, from your list I don't like Andrew, Gabriel, or Nathaniel. The rest are fine," Harry said. Ginny wrote her other names on the list.
"And from your list, I'll include Alexander, Barry, Cedric, Daniel, John, Remus, and William. So then…I suppose we're done! This is a good starting point for names. And don't forget, they might be two girls or two boys. So we have to be prepared for everything!" Ginny said, stowing the list in the upper drawer of her nightstand and closing her book. "Merlin, that took a while. I'm just going to snag one more tiny scoop of rocky road and then I'm off to bed!" She walked out of the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Harry stared at her as she walked away, red hair swinging behind her like a curtain and one hand resting loosely on her belly, and thought to himself, I am the luckiest man in the world. He pulled on his pajama pants and crawled under the covers, waiting for his wife to return. Ten minutes later, and with rocky road remnants still around her mouth, she came back and laid down next to him. Taking her hand, he pulled her closer and they both drifted off to sleep.
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Two weeks later, Harry hurried home from work, racing against dark storm clouds. He crossed the threshold of his home just as the first fat droplets began to fall.
"Ginny, are you here? There's a big storm about to start outside! Is everything closed up?" Harry called. He didn't get an answer. "Gin? Are you here?" he asked again.
"Upstairs, Harry!" she called from the top floor. He began to climb the flights of stairs, finally reaching the third floor. He peeked into James' and Albus' rooms, and then noticed the door to one of their spare rooms was ajar. Pushing it open, he found a now noticeably pregnant Ginny standing in the middle of the floor surrounded by cans of paint, furniture catalogs, and fabric samples. He stopped in the doorway and gave Ginny a confused look.
"Um…Gin? What's going on in here?" Harry asked.
"I quit my job today!" she answered gleefully, a bright smile lighting up her freckled face. "And now I'm decorating a nursery for the babies!"
"What?" Harry asked in disbelief. "You quit your job at the Prophet? But…why, Gin? What in Merlin's name happened?"
"My boss is such an arse, Harry! It was time for a change of pace. And I took years and years off from Quidditch when the other three were born. I want to be at home for these babies too. It's important that I'm here during the crucial first years of their development!" Ginny answered. "Now, for the walls I was thinking a baby blue or light yellow. Or maybe even a mural that matches a theme! Do you have an opinion?"
"Erm, Gin, didn't you think this was something you might want to discuss with me? You really just up and quit today?" Harry asked.
"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, love. I went into Greg's office to hand in my column for the week and tell him about the pregnancy so we could discuss maternity leave. When I told him, he completely went off on me! Screaming something like 'Merlin, Ginevra, when are you going to stop having all these bloody children!' and 'I hope you don't think you'll be getting months of paid leave for this, because that's not going to happen! You'll just have to write your bloody column at home.'. He was so rude to me, Harry. I just can't stand working in that environment anymore. It's terrible for my stress levels! I'll stay home and take care of my babies, and when they get older I'll go back to work somewhere else. You can certainly support us on your salary. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I was so angry, I just walked out," Ginny said.
"That's awful, Gin. I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Harry said, finally crossing over the threshold and stepping over some paint cans to fold his wife into his arms.
"It's alright, Harry," Ginny said, leaning her head against his chest. "It just makes me question this, you know? It makes me question if everything's going to turn out all right. I feel like I've ruined our lives by having these babies."
"Ginny! Don't ever talk like that again!" Harry exclaimed. "This is one of the best things that has ever happened to us. I know it! And it takes two to tango, you know. I had a hand in making the babies too." Ginny giggled.
"I suppose you're right, Harry. I know we'll all be fine," Ginny said. "Now, about those paint colors. I really want your opinion! Hermione and I are going shopping next week to pick out furniture and bedding, and I want to match it to the walls, especially if we're doing a mural. "
"I was thinking we could do the walls and ceiling light blue, and then paint white clouds all over the room. Like a summer day," Harry said.
"Great idea, love! We could even do a rainbow over the window to add to the theme! And I'll have the carpet replaced – I think white would look nice with sky blue walls," Ginny said excitedly. "Oh, I've got to get down to planning!" She plunked down on the floor in the midst of her nest of decorating materials and began to flip excitedly through catalogs.
"Alright, I'm going to make some dinner. I'll see you in a bit, love!" Harry said, walking out of the room and down the stairs.
"Okay! Make sure it includes fried onions and rocky road!" Ginny called.
"Oh, I will, dear," Harry said, chuckling to himself as he headed into the kitchen.
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"Mione!" Ginny exclaimed, rushing through the café to grab her sister-in-law in a tight hug. "It's so good to see you!"
"Great to see you too, Gin! Merlin, you're getting big," Hermione said, patting Ginny's belly affectionately. "Almost halfway there! Soon these little ones will be out in the world." At eighteen weeks, Ginny's belly was decidedly noticeable under her Muggle maternity wear. She smiled brightly at Hermione's comment.
"I know! I can't wait! But there's still so much to do before then. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed," Ginny confided as she sat down across from Hermione.
"You've got plenty of time to do it all, Gin," Hermione said. "Have you and Harry decided on names yet?"'
"Well, we made a list about three weeks ago, but we haven't agreed on anything yet. We've done boy and girls names – Harry thinks they're going to be a mixed set, but I feel like I'm having girls. I'm carrying low like I was with Lily, and as you know, I've been craving my rocky road!" Ginny laughed. "But we have a big list so I know we'll agree on something. I want to do flower names for girls so they match with Lily, but I'm really not fussy on boy names. Harry, of course, wants another 'Albus Severus'. The other day he suggested the name Alastor Remus Neville Potter. I'm not even kidding here, Mione."
"Merlin, that man is a right nutter!" Hermione said. "But I know you'll set him straight. So, after lunch, what's the plan for today?"
"Well, there's this fancy baby store a couple of streets away. It has absolutely everything for babies – furniture, clothes, toys, books – and it's so chic! I've always wanted to go in, so I was thinking we'd start there," Ginny said, quickly tacking on, "If that sounds good to you."
"Sounds great! I love all this baby stuff," Hermione said. "I might have to have another just so I can buy tiny socks and jumpers again!"
"I know!" Ginny said. "You forget how adorable everything is when the kids are all grown up." A waitress arrived and placed a glass of water with lemon in front of each of them.
"Ready to order?" she asked with a smile.
"Yes, erm, I will have the Cobb salad, low fat bleu cheese on the side please," Hermione said, closing the menu and handing it to the waitress.
"And I'll have…a bleu burger with fried onions, an order of curly fries, a house salad, and a slice of the New York cheesecake," Ginny added, also closing her menu. Hermione gave Ginny a quick look. "Hey! Don't judge! Eating for three here!"
"Congratulations!" said the waitress, hearing Ginny mention her pregnancy. "I'll be right out with your meals."
"So have you decided on a theme for the nursery yet?" Hermione asked as they sipped their waters.
"Well, we're putting the babies in the largest spare room – you know, the one on the 3rd floor near the boys' rooms?" Hermione nodded, and Ginny continued, saying "We decided on a sky theme. We're going to do light blue walls and paint the ceiling blue as well, and then sponge paint clouds all over the walls and paint a rainbow somewhere around the room. And I'm having the carpet replaced with white as well. So I think I want to do white furniture, and then sky themed accents – like rainbow mobiles or something. What do you think?"
"It sounds lovely, Gin. And perfectly gender neutral so it won't matter whether its boys, girls, or both! I'm so excited to start decorating!" Hermione said.
"Me too!" Ginny agreed. They laughed through their lunch, and an hour later headed out to the baby store.
"Is this it?" Hermione asked, staring up at a four-story brick building with the name 'Baby Nest' scrawled elegantly on a cream sign above the double doors.
"Yep. Huge, isn't it?" Ginny said, taking it in as well. "Ready to go in?" She pulled open the door, and they stepped into baby heaven. The walls were painted shades of pastel and the floor was plush carpeting. Mock nurseries were set up all over the store to give theme ideas and showcase the furniture on sale. All around, shelves were overflowing with baby toys, clothes, and books. A large room in the back was full of at least fifty different kinds of strollers.
"Merlin's Beard," Hermione breathed as she took in her surroundings.
"I know," Ginny said breathlessly. They turned to each other, and as one, cried, "It's PERFECT!" A smartly dressed saleswoman approached them and smiled brightly.
"Good afternoon," she said. "My name is Elizabeth. Can I help you with anything today?"
"Well," Ginny said. "My husband and I are expecting twins in early May, so we're decorating a nursery for them and I want to order the furniture and everything as early as possible. One less thing on my plate, to keep the stress down – you know how it is with a twins pregnancy!"
"Oh, yes, I have a set myself," the saleswoman said. "It's tough!"
"You have twins too?" Ginny asked excitedly. "Girls or boys?"
"Little boys," Elizabeth said. "They're almost five now. Growing up so fast!"
"I know how that goes," Ginny said. "I've got three older ones away at school. These were a little bit of a surprise! But I'm thrilled about it, really. I've got my sister-in-law here and we're ready to start decorating!"
"It's an exciting time," the saleswoman agreed. "Have you thought about what you want to do with the nursery yet?"
"My husband and I decided on a sky theme – white carpet, sky blue walls and ceiling, and sponge-painted clouds all over the room. And we're painting a rainbow mural with the babies names, once we figure them out. But as far as furniture, we're very open to anything. It's a large room, so we have lots of options."
"Any sort of price point you're looking towards?" Elizabeth asked.
"Money is no object," Ginny said. "I want the room to be beautiful!"
"Well then, let's get started! I know just where to take you!" Elizabeth said. She motioned for them to follow her as she set off across the store. Ginny leaned in to Hermione and whispered, "I've always wanted to say that!"
"What?" Hermione asked. "Money is no object?"
"Yes! It makes me feel so wealthy and posh!" Ginny said.
"Oh, Gin, you're such a kid," Hermione laughed, stepping a little more quickly as Elizabeth began heading up a set of stairs. They followed the saleswoman through white wooden archway, and stepped directly into the nursery of Ginny's dreams. It had a cozy, lived-in feel to it but was still beautiful and baby-appropriate. The furniture was a creamy, antique white with scrollwork on the cribs and changing table. Brightly colored rainbow mobiles hung from the ceiling and an overflowing toy chest was covered in whimsical paintings of butterflies, airplanes, birds, and hot-air balloons.
"Ginny! This sounds exactly like what you described!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I know," Ginny breathed. "Can I just purchase this entire nursery right now? It's perfect!"
"I'm so glad you like it!" Elizabeth said.
"Like it? I love it! I'm serious, can we buy it? Right this minute?" Ginny asked.
"Well, if you're sure!" Elizabeth said. "You don't want to see anything else?"
"This is it!" Ginny said. "If I can just transplant this exact nursery into my house, I'll be absolutely set!"
"All right. Well then, let's get started!" Elizabeth said, pulling out some papers and a black pen.
"That was fast!" Hermione said. "We've been in here for ten minutes!"
"What can I say?" Ginny said sassily. "I'm just a born shopper!"
"That you are, Gin," Hermione said. "That you are!"
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Ginny walked through the door that evening loaded down with bags of baby toys, clothes, and furniture pictures. Harry groaned as she met him in the kitchen.
"I can't even see your face under all those bags, Ginny!" he sighed.
"I know! Isn't it wonderful! I'll never have to go shopping again!" she said. "I got all the nursery furniture, and I brought home pictures for you to see. It took me about ten minutes to pick it out – the salesgirl was excellent – so then Mione and I just bopped around the store a bit and picked out some other things. We've got some adorable stuffed toys, books, and boy and girl clothes since we don't know what we're having yet. I got everything done in one day so now I can just relax."
"That's great, love," Harry said. "However, I'm not going to ask how much you spent." He didn't want to burst her bubble by mentioning all the other baby things they would have to go out and buy before May 1st.
"Well, I didn't clean out the vault completely. But I may have to go back to work a little sooner than intended," she laughed. "Do you want to see the furniture?"
"Sure, Gin!" Harry said. "But I know whatever you picked out will be great." Ginny began setting all her bags down on the table and leafing through them for the catalog of pictures. Several minutes later, she pulled a white folder triumphantly out of one of the pale pink bags.
"Got them!" She sat down next to Harry and pulled the pictures out. They pored over the little cribs and bassinets, the changing table, the dressers, the rocking chair, the toy chest, and all the other little sky-themed accents. Harry smiled through the whole show as he imagined his children occupying the adorable furniture.
"Gin, this all looks wonderful," he said once they were finished. "I'm so excited to be doing this again. Just when I was getting so nostalgic about the kids growing up and that chapter of our lives almost being over, you've surprised me with one of the greatest gifts of all time. I can't wait until all of this is delivered – no pun intended! – and it starts becoming real."
"Well, the furniture should be here around Christmas, so the kids can help us decorate," Ginny said.
"It's going to be great!" Harry exclaimed. "I couldn't be more excited!"
"I feel just the same way!" Ginny agreed. They both stood up and grabbed some bags, climbing the stairs to a nursery which was beginning to take shape.
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Around ten o'clock that night, Ginny lay in bed reading a mystery novel while Harry leafed through the Daily Prophet. Suddenly, just as she arrived at the climax of her book, she felt a little flutter in her stomach and reached a hand down to press on her belly. Moments later she felt it again, like a little tremor or twitch. Sitting up quickly, she tapped Harry on the shoulder.
"Harry! I just felt one of the babies kick!" Ginny said breathlessly. Harry sat up as well and reached a hand over to her belly.
"Really? You did! Merlin! What did it feel like?" he asked. "Is it still happening?"
"Shhhh!" Ginny motioned to him to lower his voice. "We have to sit very still and be quiet. They might kick again." They waited several minutes, both with a hand resting on Ginny's stomach. Finally she felt another little flutter.
"There it is again!" she said. She grabbed Harry's hand and placed it over the spot where she had felt the last kick. Just a second later, the baby kicked again. "Did you feel it?" she asked. Harry didn't respond. "Harry? Did you feel it?" She looked over at him. "Are you crying?"
"No, of course I'm not crying," he said thickly, clearing his throat and adding, "I felt it! I felt our baby kick!"
"I wonder who it was?" Ginny asked aloud.
"I bet it was Rocky," Harry said. "He's going to be a little fighter!" They had taken to calling the twins Rocky and Ro after Ginny's ever-present cravings.
"It could be!" Ginny said.
"I hope they aren't fighting in there," Harry joked. He leaned down and put his face close to Ginny's belly, lifting up her pajama shirt. "Hello, babies," he cooed. "This is your daddy. Mummy and I are so excited to feel you for the very first time! We can't wait to meet you! But while you're both still inside Mummy's tummy, I want you to be very nice to one another. No scuffling, understand! And we don't want to hurt Mummy either. I know you are going to be the best of friends when you come out. And you'll have two older brothers and a big sister to be great friends with too! So just keep growing big and strong and giving us those little kicks, and we'll see you in no time. We love you, babies. So very, very much." He placed a soft kiss on Ginny's belly and laid her pajama shirt back down, smoothing it over her belly and sitting back up to kiss her on the lips.
"That was so sweet, Harry," she whispered to him. "I love you, so, so much."
"And I love you, Ginny," he replied softly. "More than you will ever know."
A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter – my longest one yet by far! Looking ahead – I'm planning to do Christmas in the next chapter so that should be exciting! I'm ready for the real-life holiday too! Please leave a review of this chapter; it would mean a lot to hear your feedback! Things you liked, things you didn't like so much (but please, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and no flames!), what you'd like to see in upcoming chapters, any inaccuracies about pregnancy (as I have never actually experienced it), etc. You can tell me which of the baby names you liked best in a review or vote in the poll on my profile page for both boy and girl names. I will try to be more reliable with my updating in the future, but we all know how that has gone so far. I'm hoping to get the new chapter out within two weeks though! Thanks again for reading, thanks in advance for reviewing, and hope you all enjoyed the chapter! – Lily