Chapter 6
3rd Time's A Charm

It had been four months since Francesca had lost the baby. Harry was in the kitchen, having breakfast and reading the morning paper. He put down his copy of the Daily Prophet and grabbed a biscuit, watching his redheaded husband carefully. Ron walked to the sink and filled up their teapot, putting it on the stove and then standing above it, waiting for it to heat up.

"Things happen faster when you aren't pressuring them, love. That water is only going to take longer to boil if you stand over it and stare," Harry told him, amusement lining his tone.

Ron abruptly turned and leaned his back against the stove, focusing his stare on the ground.

"Love?" Harry's voice hung in the air, silence answering him. There was a loud crack from the front room, so Harry stood up slowly, moving to Ron and placing a hand on his shoulder. When he received no response, he leaned up and kissed Ron's temple lightly, turning to the door to see who'd just arrived.

"Morning, mate," John Milner greeted Harry, offering a warm smile. Harry returned the smile, whole-heartedly, glad to see his friend.

"Morning, John. Francesca coming?"

"She'll be right along. Getting the kids together, you know," John told Harry as they shared a small hug. "Ron in the loo?"

"No, poor bloke's in the kitchen. Reeling about something, I s'pose, though I haven't been informed as to what, yet," Harry chuckled. "Come on in for some tea,"

John put his hands up gently, gesturing his decline. "In a mo', Harry, you go talk to that Ron of yours and I'll wait up for Francesca and the kids. We'll be right in,"

Harry nodded and smiled again, retreating back to the kitchen where Ron remained in the exact same place as when Harry had left. Harry walked up to the redhead slowly and grabbed at one of his hands, rubbing their fingers together. "Fancy letting me in on what's going on in that gorgeous head of yours?"

Ron finally met Harry's gaze. "I still want to try again, Harry,"

Harry tried not to let the pain show in his eyes. It was his turn to look at the floor. He felt Ron tug at his hand and closed his eyes tightly before pushing away his pain and meeting his husband's gaze. "I know, Ron," he said, defeat and pain evident in his every word.

"Harry, I know it's mad. I know it sucks when we get our hopes up. But I just think we won't get our hopes up this time. We deserve a baby, Harry. We deserve a family," Ron was desperate and determined. He didn't flinch when he saw a tear fall from Harry's left eye, he just wiped it away. "Harry, I've got a new plan. We just need to talk to Hermione and Ginny,"

Francesca walked into the kitchen and swiftly went over to the boys. She grabbed them both into a hug. "Harry, it's got to work sometime. There are no two people in the world better suited to be parents than the two of you. And it's a good idea this time. Better than another adoption and better suited for you than another surrogate like me,"

Ron rubbed Francesca's back in a quiet 'thanks'. Harry cried into their hug for a few moments, letting it all soak in.

"Come on, love, it's worth just hearing them out, yeah?" Ron persisted. Harry took a deep breath and shook his head lightly before whispering a soft, 'okay', under his breath. Ecstatic, Ron nearly jumped for joy, pulling his husband into his arms and kissing him lightly. "Cheers, love. We won't do it if you don't want to, yeah? Just hear them out,"

Harry was led into the front room where John sat on one sofa, one remained empty, and Hermione and Ginny sat on the other. Francesca joined her husband and Ron led Harry over to the empty one. Harry sat down cautiously, looking back at Francesca who offered her friend a tender smile.

"Harry, I've been doing a lot of research over the past few months. After you and Ron came out to the Wizarding community and made homosexuality an acceptable lifestyle, Healers from around the world started to experiment with ways in which same-sex couples can have children together. Most same-sex couples around the world have chosen adoption, though some have chosen the surrogate-route. Look, it isn't one hundred percent affective quite yet, but they've come up with a way to magic together the genes of the partners. You and Ron could have a child of your own, Harry, just your genes and his, no one else's. Yes, a surrogate would still be necessary, but she would merely carry the child, and after speaking with Ginny-" Hermione was interrupted.

"I want to do, Harry. I want to help you and Ron have a baby. What better way to show my niece or nephew that I love them other than to carry them for nine months?" Ginny was giving Harry a blazing look that showed him she was serious. Harry shook his head, overwhelmed. Ron forced Harry to look at him directly.

"Do you understand, love?" Ron asked. "You and I can have a baby. Our own baby. Our own family, Harry,"

Harry felt a warm tear on his cheek and then looked back at Hermione, catching her eye. He knew his face looked defeated, hope shining dully in his eyes. "You said it isn't one hundred percent affective,"

Hermione smiled warmly. "Every person that has done it so far has been able to hold a child of their own in nine months time. There just hasn't been enough research on it all for them to stand behind it a hundred percent. And if you did this, Harry, if you and Ron tried this and it didn't work, it doesn't do any harm. It takes you no further than you are right now. We will just see where it goes and see if it happens and we will try to not get our hopes up too high, knowing full well that it might not work. But if it does…"

"I think it'd be damn well worth a try, then, yeah?" John chipped in, sincerely, a smile on his lips. Francesca squeezed his arm, telling him silently not to butt in, though as she did so, she offered Harry a look of encouragement and hope.

Ron chuckled, pulling Harry tighter to his side. "You don't have to decide now, mate. We've all the time in the world,"

Ginny got up from the sofa and knelt at Harry feet. She took his hand in hers and let them rest on Harry's knees. She looked up into his eyes, that same blazing look burning a hole right down to his soul. This will work she was telling him. His face softened and he took a deep breath. He looked up at Ron and gazed into his eyes. "Let's do it,"

The procedure with Ginny was much the same as was the previous one with Francesca, though the balls of electricity from Harry and Ron joined as one before entering Ginny's middle. They'd discussed the idea of doing a concealment charm on Ginny, being that they weren't keen on telling the family just yet, trying to keep getting their hopes up to a minimum.

"There's enough going against this pregnancy as it is, we don't need to add on unnecessary charms and spells that could possible help ruin it," Harry insisted.

No one fought with him on it, and in the end it didn't matter because Ginny didn't end up showing until her fifth month along, at which time the boys were ready to tell the family.

Francesca was in her last month of treatment before the removal of her uterus and was completely exhausted. A fortnight earlier, she'd been given the instructions of bed rest by her Healers. Fully considered part of the family, Harry and Ron wanted the Milners to be present when they told the family over supper. Francesca's well-being meant more, though, so the boys visited her that afternoon, confessing their nerves about telling the family that evening.

"It'll seem more real, you know? Like, now it's just some possibility that may or may not actually happen, but if everyone knows, then it's like it's real," Ron admitted, sitting up next to Francesca in the bed. Harry stood next to the bed, throwing Jacob (Francesca's four year old son) up into the air and then catching him, smiling at the fit of giggles coming from the boy. Francesca and Ron watched Harry for a moment and then shared a look. Francesca squeezed Ron's hand lightly and smiled, telling him silently that it would all be okay.

"That's brilliant," Bill said loudly, a broad smile across his face as he pulled Harry and then Ron into a strong hug.

"Ees eet a boy or a girl, 'Arry?" Fleur asked happily as she gave them each a hug.

"Er…we don't want to know," Harry admitted nervously. He chanced a glance at his husband who smiled gently.

"If it doesn't end well, it's easier to recover if we don't know the sex. Just from experience," Ron explained with a small chuckle to lighten the mood.

Mr. Weasley folded them each into a hug, his cheeks red with excitement, his eyes glowing. Mrs. Weasley, however, stayed seated, seemingly dumb-struck and not happy.

"Mum?" Ginny called.

Mrs. Weasley met Ginny's gaze and then turned her eyes to glare at the boys in a very stern manner, though Ron could see the nervousness and hope that lined her expression and showed through her eyes. "Boys, you'll be heartbroken. This is the third try this year,"

Ginny walked slowly to where Mrs. Weasley was seated and grabbed her mother's hand, placing it lightly on her stomach. Tears formed in Mrs. Weasley's eyes and she looked around the room to find her husband's. He walked swiftly to her side and pulled her into a hug, whispering into her hair.

That was the moment that Harry and Ron realized that the loss of their own children had affected more than just the two of them. They walked slowly to Ron's parents and enveloped them into a hug.

Damn hopes. No matter how many anchors and weights they attached to the bottom of them, they still seemed to lift too high.

Needless to say, please review! I'll add another chapter later on today or tomorrow :)