Sorry about the lateness... I seem to be apologising more frequently than updating lately. Oh well. Please enjoy this next chapter :) xx
12 March 2004
"We should tell him, Harry."
Ginny sat beside Harry in front of the fire, waiting for their godson to arrive. She rubbed her round belly contently with one hand and the other tangled itself into the back of her husband's messy black hair. At five months pregnant, Ginny looked as though someone had stuck a rather large Quaffle under her shirt.
"Tell who what?" asked Harry vaguely, pressing his ear to Ginny's stomach in order to hear his child.
"Teddy," said Ginny irritably. "We should tell him that I'm pregnant."
"No!" said Harry instantly. "No way am I answering the 'where do babies come from' question right now. He's only six!"
Ginny sighed. "He needs to know, Harry. I mean, what's going to happen if we suddenly turn up with a newborn? He's going to think he's been replaced. I don't want Teddy to feel that he won't be a part of our family."
Harry glanced between Ginny and his unborn child. Merlin knew he loved Teddy just as much as he loved his own child growing inside Ginny. With a sigh, he nodded and agreed that they tell Teddy about Ginny's pregnancy.
Teddy arrived soon after with Andromeada; who stayed for a coffee and then left.
"Teddy," said Harry tentatively. "There's something that we need to tell you."
Teddy looked up from the table and eyed his two godparents. "What is it?"
Harry gave a nervous glance at Ginny and gulped. "Ginny and I... er... we are expecting... er... a baby."
Teddy's golden eyes grew to the size of Golden Snitches. "A baby!" he cried happily, his hair turning pink with excitement. He leapt from his seat and dashed outside, searching for any signs of a baby.
"Where is it?" he asked, pouting after his fruitless efforts of searching for a baby while Harry and Ginny laughed in amusement.
"He's in here," he pointed to Ginny's swollen belly. Teddy gazed at it in amazement.
"In there?" he gasped. "You can fit a baby in there?"
"Sure can," exclaimed Ginny. "Listen closely and you can hear him."
Teddy walked tentatively forward and rested his head against Ginny's belly. His mouth hung open when he felt the slightest movement.
"Hi, baby!" he cried, shouting into Ginny's stomach so that the baby could hear him. "It's Teddy!"
When nothing happened, Teddy shouted again. "Baby? Hello! Can you hear me?"
Ginny laughed and pulled him away. "Of course he can hear you," she said patiently. "He just can't talk yet."
"Oh," said Teddy, blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry baby," he patted the baby softly. "Was Witherwings here?"
"What?" asked Harry, confused at Teddy's sudden outburst about the Hippogriff.
"Well, Uncle Bill told me when Fleur was pregnant that Hippogriff's bring babies to people and hide them in Quaffles which go under mummies' tummies. That's what Vicky was in, and Dom, and Lou and me!"
Ginny looked flabbergasted. Harry looked relieved.
"Sure thing, squirt," said Harry, ruffling Teddy's hair. "Witherwings arrived not long ago and gave Ginny her baby-Quaffle." He winked at Ginny to tell her to play along.
Teddy frowned. "Why didn't you tell me Witherwings was here? I could've ridden on my first ever Hippogriff. Wouldn't that make Vicky jealous!" Teddy's eyes twinkled with the thought of a jealous Victoire. "Does it hurt carrying a Quaffle around all the time Ginny?" he asked suddenly. "Or do you take it out sometimes? Do you sleep with it?"
"Er..." began Ginny. "Well, it gets uncomfortable after a while but I get used to it." Teddy nodded and chewed on his lip for a while. Then he raced outside.
Ginny and Harry exchanged confused looks.
"Hey," said Ginny, "at least we didn't have to tell him where babies really come from. Thank Merlin for Bill."
Harry laughed and kissed Ginny softly. "Agreed. He handled it pretty well actually. What do you think he's doing?"
Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. But let's just leave him for a while. I think I could use a good kip."
Harry nodded and watched his wife head upstairs for a rest.
Teddy zoomed into the room an hour later with a strange looking contraption. It was hand-made; a parachute with straps attached to each end. He showed Ginny with pride.
"Look what I made you, Ginny!" he exclaimed proudly, holding up his masterpiece. "It's a baby holder!"
Ginny took it from him and stared at it blankly. "What do I do with it?"
Teddy tsk-ed and quickly slipped the straps over Ginny's shoulders so her belly was being held up by the parachute. Teddy beamed up at her.
"See! It'll make the Quaffle less heavy to carry around. Do you like it?"
Ginny kissed Teddy's forehead. "It's great. Of course I love it, Teddy-bear."
"Yay!" he exclaimed. "Don't worry baby," he told Ginny's stomach. "You're safe in the hands of Uncle Teddy!"
Aww Ted... little inventor. And thank Merlin for Bill and his creative thinking... Harry and Ginny could have been stuck in a mess there :) please read and review :) xx