A/N: Content warning: discussions about abortion in this chapter
I keep telling myself I have to start doing some time jumps (and I will) but then I look at my chapter outline and realise I have so much to say before I could even do a significant time jump. I won't bore you with endless scenes of Harry and Ginny going to class, let me tell you that. We will go right ahead to more interesting stuff.
It was also interesting some of you started mentioning baby names, because that first solid discussion about it is definitely coming up soon! I have decided it a long long time ago so I am excited to start teasing her name.
Next chapter will be mostly their 20-week scan to see the growing nugget!
Thank you for returning to this fic again and again!
Ginny was on the couch already when Harry woke up. He quickly got up, and took her gifts from the top shelf of the closet and his Polaroid camera.
"Happy birthday, my darling," Harry said as he walked out.
She seemed to have been deep in thought, but she perked up when he came closer. She pulled him close and kissed him quite hard.
"A good morning indeed." He smiled. He placed the first gift in front of her.
She unwrapped it and gasped. Ginny had seen an absolutely ugly mug a while ago, it was crooked and the paint was streaked.
"You remembered that?" she asked happily.
Harry nodded. "Of course. You looked at that mug the way you usually look at me, clearly you needed to have it."
Ginny giggled happily.
Harry picked up the camera now. "I figured it's time to bring our tradition back of taking polaroids together on birthdays…" He pointed the lens at them and snapped the picture. He grabbed the picture and put it down, waiting for it to develop.
"Do you still have those old photos?" Ginny wondered, to which Harry handed her the second gift. "Why did we ever stop?"
Harry sighed, he knew why there weren't photos of the last year. "One of your boyfriends saw it, and commented that it gave the wrong impression… so I figured I'd stop so I wouldn't be hurting your chances."
Ginny's eyes flitted to him. "No…"
"Anyway, all water under the bridge now, isn't it?" he said.
She turned her attention back to the second gift and ripped it open.
Inside was a photobook, with photos of each of their birthdays since they were 16. Harry had written an explanation with all of them. Ginny flipped to the next page. There was a photo he had taken sneakily of his birthday and he had already prepared the opposing page for her birthday.
Harry flipped the page one more time and showed that he had also prepared a page for the birth of the baby. It just needed to be filled in with her name and date of birth and a photo.
It read:
Harry and Ginny proudly announce the birth of their first baby.
_ Potter
"That's still a draft," Harry commented, "I figured we'd make it a family tradition."
He watched as Ginny closed the book slowly and set it aside.
She wiped under her eyes. "That is the loveliest of things… I never imagined when we started it…" She sniffled. "Well, obviously we didn't expect to have a baby together but to think we've been building up to this family tradition…"
"Gin," he said softly and pulled her into a hug. "I just thought it would be nice."
She hummed, her voice nearly breaking. "It's really nice." She heaved a heavy sigh. "I wasn't planning on crying today."
Harry rubbed her back. "Stupid hormones?"
"Stupid Harry," she muttered. "I love you, you dumbass."
He snuggled closer to her with a smile. "I love you too. Happy birthday, sweetheart."
Ginny and Harry arrived at the Burrow for her birthday party. There was a cake and she opened plenty of gifts.
She was talking about what Harry had gifted her. "And he had also prepared a gift for the baby. I love it."
Percy looked up in surprise and Fred, George and Ron all froze. Charlie shook his head.
"Baby?" Percy let out in surprise.
"Oh, here we go," Fred whispered.
Ginny decided not to keep it up any longer. She pointed at her belly, it was obvious enough. He should have noticed it on his own.
Percy frowned. "What the hell?" He looked around the room. "Are none of you surprised?"
"We have known," Ron said. "For a while."
Percy swallowed hard. "I see."
"Frankly, I didn't know if you cared," Ginny tried.
Percy's jaw set. "So you just got pregnant by some guy and we are all just okay with this?"
Before she could defend Harry, her brothers stepped in.
"Hey!" Fred said. "Harry is not just some guy."
"It's Harry," Ron supplied. "We like Harry."
"And we know Harry is not going anywhere," George completed.
"Ginny leaves guys like that," Percy continued. "Are you going to raise the baby alone? You should have had an abortion when you had the chance."
Ginny gasped. "Excuse me?"
Molly stood up. "That's enough out of you two."
"No, go on, Percy," Ginny dared. "What do you think I should do?"
"I don't care if 'we like Harry', you can't possibly raise a child, you're a child!" he let out, shooting off his chair. "You're being completely irresponsible and the family may coddle you, but I won't!"
"Harry is my best friend, has been for many years. And you would have known that if you cared to pay attention for once in your life!" She was furious. Percy was a little uncaring, but she had never expected him to react like this. "And I would tread carefully when you speak about abortion, because that is a can of worms you don't want me to open!" As soon as it left her mouth she knew it had been too far, but she couldn't back down now.
Percy's face turned from red to white in an instant.
"No, open it," Fred said and George nodded in agreement. "We want to know."
Percy glanced at her brothers and back. "You don't know…"
"You want to bet?" she shot back.
"That's enough!" Molly yelled shrilly.
Ron took Percy by his arm. "Let's go for a walk." He pulled Percy along around the house.
Harry, who had wisely kept quiet, was beside her in an instant.
Molly shook her head. "You with your games always," she muttered to no one in particular. "See what it leads to!"
"Mum", George said. "We may not have told him, but we can't possibly take responsibility for his shitty reaction."
"Gin?" Harry asked, carefully reaching out.
"Don't let him get to you," Charlie told her. "Even I didn't react that badly. He's an idiot and he knows it."
"I was pretty sure you were about to clock me in the face," Harry tried carefully.
Charlie raised his beer. "That was Ginny's fault."
She chuckled weakly. "Please."
Fred cleared his throat. "So… about this can of worms…"
"Don't," Charlie warned.
George and Fred's eyebrows raised simultaneously. "You know?" George asked.
Charlie eyes Ginny. "I may have an inkling what she was talking about, yes."
Arthur stood up. "I am sorry, Ginny. I am sure this is not what you were expecting for your birthday."
"It's my own fault," she said, her eyes training on the table.
"Come on," Harry said and he pulled her up.
She wasn't sure where they were going, but all her family's eyes on her did not help. She let him lead her inside the house and up the stairs to her bedroom. Then he pulled her into a hug. She took a few deep breaths.
"The worst part of it all, some of it isn't wrong…" Ginny said. "Maybe this is irresponsible."
"No," Harry said immediately. "You have been doing everything you have to do. You understand what it takes. Don't let Percy get into your head."
"Is it hot in here?" she asked.
Harry held her a little tighter. "Please don't faint on me."
"I am not fainting."
Harry shook his head. "Sit down."
Reluctantly she sat down on her old bed. Harry knelt in front of her.
"You know next year, we are going to give our lovely daughter a piece of birthday cake and she is going to throw it right into uncle Percy's face with her chubby little hands," he said. "And she's just a baby, so no one can be mad at her."
She smiled weakly. "I love you.
"Do you need another birthday kiss?" he asked softly.
She grinned. "I never say no to those."
He scooted a little closer and kissed her softly. His hands came to her hips and kissed her again, slower now. She put her arms around his neck to keep him close.
She leaned away and kissed his cheek. "When we get back home…"
Harry met her eyes and caught her expression. "Yes, no worries." He smiled at her. "It's your birthday; we can do whatever you want."
She kissed him again, keeping him close. He leaned away when he heard footsteps on the stairs. Ron appeared in the doorway.
He eyed them both for a moment and then nodded to himself. "The git has gone home. You still have birthday candles to blow out and I promise you, we will start on the cake without you."
"You wouldn't dare," Ginny said.
Ron grinned. "You know we would."
Ginny stood up from the bed and pushed Ron aside. "You can't start without me!"
Ron looked over at Harry as Ginny excitedly ran down the stairs. Harry was about to walk past Ron too when he stopped Harry.
"You have lipstick," Ron told him. "You can go out like that if you wish but I just thought I'd tell you."
"No-smudge lipstick, my arse!" Harry complained, wiping at his cheek. He ducked into the bathroom, hoping to wipe it off. "Thanks, Ron."
Ron let out a long sigh. "You're welcome."
When Harry made it downstairs, Molly was waiting with the cake to carry it outside. He offered to help but was resolutely pushed outside.
They started singing 'Happy Birthday' as her mum came outside with her cake. Ginny happily clapped along as they sang.
"Make a wish!" her mum said excitedly.
Ginny closed her eyes with a smile, then she opened them again and blew out her candles in one go. Her family cheered and she looked over at Harry.
Harry opened the door to their apartment and let Ginny in. "Are you going to tell me about your birthday wish?"
"You know I can't do that, because then it doesn't come true." Ginny put her bag down on the counter, a new ever so slightly annoying habit of hers. "And I want this one to come true." She winked at him. "I am going to shower, you should get ready."
He grinned. "Oh my."
Ginny ducked into their room and then walked off to the shower.
HunGry FRoG
FRED:
How many weeks were we at?
HARRY:
19 weeks
Who won? It isn't me.
GEORGE:
Is it still valid? Ginny spoiled it
RON:
I say it's valid
FRED:
Of course you would! You were closest you git
GIN :
I didn't spoil it, I pointed at the bump
which quite frankly, he should have seen by now
RON:
I am going to donate the 10 pounds I gained from this to the nugget
HARRY:
Aw you're the best
RON:
And that's why I am godfather
FRED:
Is that how you talk to your employers?
Harry shook his head with a smile and walked towards the bedroom.
"Harry?" Ginny let out when she walked out of the shower a few minutes later.
"In here," he commented. "I figured this is where you wanted me," he said as she walked in wrapped in her bathrobe. "So this is truly your first time having sex on your birthday?"
She got onto the bed beside him and nodded. "Yes."
"I think you've been missing out," he said. He pulled her closer to him and placed kisses down her face and neck. "I really enjoyed it myself."
She grinned. "Oh, I know you did." She looked at him teasingly. "What do you have in store for me?"
He pulled on the ropes of her bathrobe to loosen it. "Whatever you want."
"Whatever?" She beamed at him. "That's dangerous, Harry."
He chuckled as his hand pulled open her bathrobe. "I'm ready, do your worst."
