Chapter 4-Telling the Family
Every Sunday since the end of the war, the Weasleys gathered at the Burrow for Sunday dinner. Attendance was mandatory. Those who missed Sunday dinner were subjected to the wrath of one Mrs. Molly Weasley. It was during these Sunday dinners that announcements were made – engagements, pregnancies, job promotions, the whole nine yards.
Ginny sat on her bed in the bedroom, she shared with Harry, thinking of how she was going to tell her family. Granted, they knew of Harry and Ginny's plan of implanting something similar to a uterus into Harry in the hopes of pregnancy.
But there was also the matter of explaining to her sons. She had explained to James that there was a baby in Mummy's tummy and when he or she came out, he would have a new brother or sister. This new baby would probably confuse James, especially when Harry would get to the point where he would be showing more and James would definitely notice that Daddy's tummy had gotten bigger.
A noise from the bathroom interrupted her thoughts. Unlike Ginny, who had a period of nausea in the mornings and would have to avoid certain foods, Harry was sick almost all the time. He couldn't eat much, in fear that once it hit his stomach, it would come right back up.
Ginny opened the door to the bathroom and found Harry sitting in front of the toilet.
"I take it you don't want eggs and bacon for breakfast?" Ginny asked.
At the thought of eggs, Harry leaned over the toilet and threw up. Ginny handed him the stomach soother as she knelt down beside him.
"What about porridge?" Ginny asked. Harry wrinkled his nose up at that. When Ginny was pregnant with James and Albus, porridge was Ginny's choice of breakfast. She ate so much of it over the two nine month periods that Harry was completely burned out on porridge.
"Plain toast is fine," Harry replied to the question. Ginny didn't want to argue with Harry, especially when the mood swings were just beginning.
Harry came home on Friday in a foul mood because the trainee instructor quit after only a month, stating that "the work was too much." One of the missions that were in the works for months turned up empty and to make matters worse, Harry had to run to the bathroom during the morning briefing because someone was sharing the details of a gruesome crime scene.
Ron took over to allow Harry to collect himself.
That was another group of people that needed to be told: the coworkers. Harry had informed Kingsley about the pregnancy, and much to his surprise, Kingsley was just as supportive as when Harry told him about the implanting procedure. However, the Auror staff was another story. They knew that Ginny couldn't have another baby and would be surprised that Harry would step in and carry a baby for nine months.
Ginny left the bathroom and headed downstairs to fix herself and the boys some breakfast. James and Albus were already awake and waiting in the family room. James looked around Ginny when she arrived, in search of his father.
"Where's Daddy?" he asked.
Ginny started fixing porridge in a pot for James and Albus. She reached into a cabinet and pulled out cocoa powder to make chocolate porridge.
"Daddy doesn't feel good, he'll be down in a little bit" Ginny didn't want to tell the boys without Harry since they had told James about Albus together.
"Daddy sick?" Albus asked. For a two-year-old who had had a dramatic birth, he turned out fine. Albus was as happy and healthy a toddler as Rose.
"Daddy just has a wobbly tummy" she eyed James suspiciously, hoping he wasn't smart enough to put two and two together. A "wobbly tummy" was how they explained Ginny's morning sickness to James when she was pregnant with Albus.
The sound of the stairs creaking brought Ginny's attention to the doorway leading from the hall to the kitchen. Harry appeared a few seconds later, looking a little better, but not quite one hundred percent yet.
"You okay?" she asked. Harry nodded his head. James and Albus sat in the seats as their dad passed them and greeted them as cheerily as he could.
Ginny fixed a bowl of porridge for Albus and then James. At the sight of the porridge, Harry felt his stomach churn and ran for the downstairs bathroom.
Ginny sat the bowls of porridge in front of Albus and then James, poured them a cup of orange juice, placing it near their bowls and made her way to the downstairs bathroom, a bottle of water in hand. She knocked on the door and heard Harry moan an "I'm fine Gin." She opened the door and handed Harry the bottle of water.
Harry took the bottle and rinsed his mouth out before taking a drink.
"I think we should tell the boys," Ginny said as she handed Harry a washcloth.
"Tell the boys what?" Harry asked, wiping his face off with the washcloth Ginny had given him.
Ginny knelt down beside Harry and placed her hand on Harry's still flat stomach.
"About having another baby," Ginny said, rubbing Harry's back in between his shoulder blades.
Harry closed his eyes, allowing Ginny's back rub to relax him, and laid his head down on his arm that was resting on the toilet seat.
"Okay, we'll start with the boys." Harry allowed Ginny to help him up and they exited the bathroom together. Ginny returned to her place at the stove and started fixing Harry some dry toast and a bagel with jam for herself.
She set Harry's toast and juice in front of him before she took her place on the other side of the table. "Boys, Daddy and I have something to tell you." She looked at Harry as he gauged the boys' reactions.
"What is it, Mummy?" James asked, jam all over his face.
"Well…" Ginny looked at Harry. "Daddy and I are going to have another baby".
They let the news sink in before they continued.
"There's something else that you should know," Ginny added.
Harry grew paler and paler.
"Mummy can't carry a baby in her tummy, so instead Daddy will carry the baby for Mummy in his tummy."
James and Albus as one turned their heads to their father.
"There's a baby in Daddy's tummy?" James said.
"Yes, sweetheart." Ginny leaned over and kissed the top of James's head. "There is."
"So in a few months you'll have a baby brother or sister," Harry added.
"Daddy?" James looked at Harry with a puzzled look, "How did the baby get in your tummy?"
Harry looked at Ginny with a look that said, "Help me!"
"You know how we explained to you that there's a spell that a Mummy and Daddy do when they want to have a baby?"
At James's nod, Ginny continued.
"Well, the spell doesn't work on Mummy anymore, so we tried it on Daddy and it worked. So in nine months, you'll have a baby brother or sister".
Harry's stomach plummeted when he heard "nine months." He looked down at his flat belly, trying and trying to memorize what it looked like.
"Any questions?" Ginny asked her sons, figuring one of them – being as young as they were – would have a question. Luckily for her, the boys didn't have any.
"Okay, come on. We've got to get ready for Grandmum and Granddad's." Ginny picked up Albus and sat him on her hip, before grabbing James's arm and leading them both upstairs.
Harry sat back at the kitchen table. He knew Molly would be thrilled about having another grandchild, but when they found out that Harry was the one carrying the baby, would they think he'd gone mental?
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Flooing was never something that Harry had mastered. Since his first experience with it, he'd get the location right, but he would come tumbling out of the Floo roughly and had broken the Weasley record for the number of times he'd fallen on his behind. He was the reason Molly placed an armchair a few feet away from the Floo so that he could catch himself before falling on his face.
Flooing while pregnant may have been the transportation method of choice, but it could also cause nausea to come back full-force.
Harry allowed Ginny to go first with Albus and he would follow with James. Ginny was waiting when Harry stepped out of the floo to take James because when Harry got his footing back, he felt his stomach lurch.
Slapping a hand over his mouth, he ran upstairs to the bathroom. As Deputy Head Auror, Ron was the only other member of the family who knew of the pregnancy. He had just finished changing Rose's nappy when Harry nearly collided into him charging up the stairs and into the bathroom.
Hermione met Ron halfway up the stairs and took Rose from him. He backtracked to the bathroom, concerned.
Harry just came out when he returned.
"You okay?" Ron asked.
"You've covered for me this past week as I puked my guts out, I think you know the answer to that," Harry replied.
"Telling the family?" Ron asked.
"We need to before my stomach gets big."
Harry and Ron went downstairs as the rest of the family gathered in the living room.
"Lunch is ready!" Molly called from the kitchen.
Ginny sat down next to Harry with Albus on her left, James on the other side of Harry.
Bill passed Ginny a platter of shepherd's pie. She was about to take some for herself when a noise from Harry stopped her. She looked at her husband who looked at her desperately, trying not to throw up. Ginny looked around the table and reached for chicken casserole. She picked it up with an uplifted eyebrow and Harry nodded, now able to breathe without the feeling of bile rising in his throat.
She handed him the bowl of potatoes and only took out a little bit.
Molly silently observed the interaction and Harry picking at the little food on his plate. When he shook his head to the lamb chops that Hermione passed him, he quickly handed it off to Ginny. Molly had had enough.
"Harry, are you okay?"
This called attention to Harry from everyone. He looked at Ginny with a look that said "Help!"
"We have some news," Ginny said with a smile. Molly caught on, remembering the smile on Ginny's face with she announced her pregnancy with the boys. Molly, Ron, and Hermione were the only ones who knew of Harry and Ginny's plan to have another baby.
After she came to the realization, she exclaimed, "It was successful?!"
"What was?" Charlie asked. The rest of the family was also wondering the same thing, except for Ron, Hermione, and Molly. Ron and Hermione shared a smile before turning to their sister and brother in law.
"Well…" Ginny began. "We discussed our options for having a baby and we decided to go the surrogate route."
"Who's the surrogate?" Arthur asked, bouncing Rose on his knee. She chose to sit beside her grandfather today.
Harry took a deep breath. "Me".
Everyone but Molly, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron stared at Harry with their eyes wide as saucers. Harry took another deep breath.
"I'm pregnant".
It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Then, like a bomb going off, everyone started shouting out their congratulations and Molly hugged both Harry and Ginny.
After lunch, Ginny and Harry explain the whole process to the family.
"So, everyone knows," Ginny said with a sigh of relief.
"Does Kingsley know?" Arthur asked.
"I told him about the procedure because I would've been out for a few days and I wanted to tell him so it wouldn't be a shock later."
"What about James and Albus?" Molly asked.
"Told them this morning" Ginny explained.
When the men left the women in the sitting room, they all turned to Ginny.
"How has it been?" Audrey asked.
"He's been pretty sick – not to tempt fate, but I think today's lunch is the first meal Harry has kept down."
Hermione smiled with sympathy. She had had horrible morning sickness with Rose.
"He said to me, twice now that he and I quote 'sorry I wasn't sympatric enough.'"
The ladies laughed, knowing how caring and kind Harry was during her pregnancies with James and Albus. No witch had ever been so loved.
"I feel sorry for Ron," Hermione said. "A pregnant Harry! We all know his temper; it will be a lot worse now."
Ginny nodded. "I remember what I was like to Harry carrying Al and Jamie. I have a feeling I might be getting some payback."
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Ginny placed her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Harry was sitting on their bed, trying with all his might button a pair of pants.
She had gone out and brought Harry some shirts and pants in the next two sizes, hoping it would fit the growing baby bump.
"I'm not even showing yet and I can't even get a pair of pants buttoned!"
Ginny smiled with sympathy, tossing the pants that were the next size up on the bed next to Harry.
"You may not be showing yet, but your belly is getting bigger."
Harry shot off the bed. "Are you telling me that I'm already getting fat?"
Ginny pulled up his shirt, baring his small bulging stomach, and turned his head to the mirror.
"You tell me," she said, backing away and looking at his reflection in the mirror.
Harry couldn't believe it – only two months pregnant and already getting fat!
"Okay, I give up, I'm changing."
Ginny left to make the boys breakfast and Harry some toast. The morning sickness was easing off and Harry was starting to get back to eating normal meals.
James and Albus were adjusting to Harry being pregnant; they only so far asked the question about how the baby got in daddy's tummy and how was it getting out.
Ginny told the boys there were some rules they needed to follow. There was no jumping, walking or sitting on daddy's tummy. She explained that they could hurt the baby and that they didn't want that. James understood completely, but Albus could still be found laying on Harry's stomach when he laid on the couch. Albus would lay his little head on Harry's small bulge and try to talk to the baby.
Ginny lifted Albus into his seat and helped James scoot into the table. She went to the stove and started to scramble eggs and make some sausage. Harry was approaching the three-month mark and the morning sickness would soon be a distant memory.
That was when Ginny remembered the first appointment with Shanti since they found out was scheduled for that afternoon.
Harry appeared five minutes later dressed for work. "Morning boys," he greeted.
"Morning Daddy," the boys said in unison.
"Harry, I just remembered we have that appointment with Shanti this afternoon," Ginny said as she brought Harry's plate over to the table.
"What time?" Harry asked, pouring himself a glass of orange juice.
"Two." Ginny sat down to her own breakfast.
After getting the boys off to Molly, Ginny Flooed with Harry to the Ministry. Word had gotten out that Harry and Ginny were expecting another baby and that Harry was carrying the baby. Luckily the media hadn't heard about it yet, but the Ministry was a different story. Surprisingly, everyone was supportive of their decision, but what concerned Harry the most was how his colleagues were going to take the news. They'd been thinking that it was just a rumor and it wasn't true.
Harry entered the conference room in the Auror Headquarters, Ron already standing in his place at the podium.
"Morning everyone," Harry began, taking over for his brother-in-law. "I know you all have heard the news about Ginny and I having another baby and that I'm pregnant with the baby. Well, I'm here to tell you all that the rumors were true. I'm pregnant."
Harry let the news sink in and then like a bomb going off, the room exploded into applause and cheering. When the room quieted down, Harry continued.
"Ron will be acting as temporary Head Auror until I'm able to return to the field. I will be based in the office for the remainder of my pregnancy due to safety concerns for myself and our unborn child. Any questions?"
When no one said anything, Harry dismissed them and they returned to their own duties.
Ginny leaned over and said, "Remember, we have that appointment at two this afternoon."
"I won't forget."
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Harry sat perched on the exam table in Shanti's office. He was waiting on Ginny.
"Come on Ginevra, I managed to get here on time." Harry scooted back a little on the table the ruffling of the paper on the table and the green gown Harry was now wearing. He swings his feet out in front and grimaced at the matching scrub pants the nurse handed him. He also noticed that there was a hole in his sock – any bigger and his toe would peek through.
The door opened and Ginny came in. "Sorry I'm…" She took a good look at her husband. "…late. What's with the pants?" she asked.
"Said something about modesty or something. This is considered the first appointment so here I am," Harry said, gesturing to the gown.
A knock sounded at the door and Shanti entered.
"Hello, how are you?" She shut the door and laid Harry's file on the table
"I'm good. A little tired, but good," Ginny replied
"How are we doing?" Shanti asked Harry.
"Morning sickness has been terrible; I swear whoever called it that is a liar. I'm tired, too, but other than that, I'm okay."
"Good. You'll feel a little tired in the early months," Shanti explained. "But when you reach the second trimester the morning sickness should be a thing of the past."
Shanti went on to explain what Harry could expect in the next few weeks. She explained what would happen with the baby and him. She recommended what to eat and what not to eat, then went on to explain stretch marks and recommend a cream that would at least make them less noticeable.
"Any questions?" she asked when she finished. Harry and Ginny glanced at each other, shrugged, and shook their heads.
"Okay." Shanti proceeded to check Harry's blood pressure. "Excellent, excellent," she muttered as she removed the cuff from Harry's arm. "Blood pressure's normal, weight's 150, temperature's 98.6," she recited to a Quick-Quotes Quill once she was done with the vitals. Harry involuntarily shivered at the sight of it.
"Lay back on the table and let's see what's going on with the little one."
Harry laid down the table as Shanti pulled the gown up and the pants down, thus exposing Harry's abdomen to the room. She started pressing on his lower stomach, trying to find the sack. She found it a few inches above Harry's belly button.
"Let me know if it's too much pressure, Harry." Shanti pressed on where the sack was, feeling it under her fingers.
With a flick of her wand, the measuring tape was measuring the length of the baby. She found the head with one hand and the feet with the other.
"Not bad for three months." Shanti flicked her wand again and the baby's heartbeat resonated throughout the room.
"Nice strong heartbeat." Shanti canceled the spell and wrote down a few more notes before letting Harry sit up.
"We're going across the hall, now. Up you get."
Harry and Ginny followed Shanti to the room across the hall to a room marked "Ultrasound." Harry knew from Ginny's experience that it wasn't too bad – it was actually quite nice to see the baby on the screen – but he was nervous regardless. He sat on the table, scooting back and laying down on the table to allow Shanti to pull up the gown again and squirt a gel onto his small baby bump. She then picked up her wand and placed it on Harry's stomach. Moving the wand around, Shanti looked for the sack and the fetus inside.
"There we are." Shanti kept her wand steady, doing some measurements and looking over the image to see if everything was fine with the baby.
Ginny smiled at the screen, happy to see the baby's growth and how well it was doing. Harry was usually in her spot, looking at the screen with Ginny on the bed. Now the roles were reversed and he now had a taste of the wonder and joy of bearing a baby.
Shanti also brought up the baby's heartbeat again and was able to get some pictures of the baby.
"Well…" Shanti removed the wand and handed Ginny some paper towels to clean the gel off Harry's stomach. "Everything looks good, Harry. It looks like you're doing everything right. I'll see you both in a month to discuss what to expect in the second trimester. Have any questions or problems, owl me. Make an appointment with the Welcome Witch when you're dressed."
"Thank you, Shanti." Ginny wiped off the gel on Harry's stomach. "You'll have to make sure you wash your belly off good and well when you shower tonight." She helped him sit up and they went across the hall, where Harry changed back into his clothes and they went home.
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"It got real today," Harry said that night, once the boys were asleep and he and Ginny were relaxing in bed.
"What got real, this?" Ginny asked, motioning to his belly.
"Yeah, there's a baby in here," Harry replied, placing a hand on his small bump.
Ginny placed her hand next to it. "Soon you'll be feeling the baby move."
"Now that's going to be really weird," Harry said with a laugh.
Ginny chuckled and lightly rubbed Harry's stomach, smiling when she thought of her little girl growing inside Harry's belly. She may not have known what the baby was, but deep down, she knew it was her little girl.