Thanks to Tom NotRiddle, my terrific beta. Without his input this would have been impossible to read!
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Where He Needs To Be | ||||
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Category: Post-DH/AB Characters:All Genres: Drama Warnings: Disturbing Imagery, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations Story is Complete Rating: PG Reviews: 17 Summary: It has been seven years since the Battle of Hogwarts (Approximate Date: June 2005) Harry is an Auror and has been on a dangerous undercover assignment. He awakens with a head injury and a very blurry memory. He can’t remember how long it has been since he has been home or seen the people he thinks of as his family. He wonders if Ginny has waited for him. Hitcount: Story Total: 7088 Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work. Author's Notes: |
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He stood in the dark damp cavern staring up at the massive statue with the monkey-like face that stood at the far end. He had not been here since he was twelve and did not relish the idea of reliving that horrible day so many years ago when Tom Riddle’s diary had possessed eleven year old Ginny Weasley and tried to steal her soul. As it had on so many occasions before, the loud maniacal laughter that had haunted his dreams for so long rang once again in his ears. He spun around to look at its source, seeing at once the snakelike features and red eyes of the self-proclaimed Lord Voldemort. Lying on the ground beside him was a beautiful girl with flaming red hair: his girl, his Ginny. She appeared to be frozen in a full body-bind, her deep chocolate brown eyes penetrating his with a frighten gaze. It had always been his worst nightmare: Voldemort would discover how much Ginny meant to him; he would use her to lure him into a trap; he would hurt her and steal her from him just as he had done with everyone else who had ever loved him. “It’s me you want, you bastard!” he cried, “Let her go!” Voldemort retorted “Why would I do that? She is the same stupid little girl who was so easily deceived by my diary, only now that she is grown, she is much more desirable. After all, she is Harry Potter’s whore, is she not? I am quite sure my Death Eaters will enjoy her at our victory celebration this evening. It’s a pity you will not be there to watch, but perhaps a preview can be arranged.” With that, he pointed his wand at Ginny and cried “Crucio”. Her body writhed and twisted as she cried out in pain while Harry stood frozen to the spot, unable to help her. He awoke in a cold sweat, shivering. A nightmare — that’s all it had been. Voldemort was dead, of that he was certain. Ginny was safe at home at The Burrow, surrounded by her loving family. His head throbbed. He stared up at the light on the ceiling, and then looked around at the room he was in. He was lying in what appeared to be a hospital bed, though it was the only one in the room. A curtain was drawn half-way around his bed and there was a healer standing at the other end of the room talking to someone — Robards? He tried to lift his head but found he couldn’t. Reaching up, he felt a bandage wrapped around his head like a turban. How did he get here? He tried to remember but found he could not, his nightmare seeming to be the only thing he recalled. He sank back into his pillow and tried to remember. Slowly, it started to come back to him. He had been on an undercover mission, for how long, he had no idea. They had been tracking a particularly vicious group of Death Eaters and he and his partner had managed to infiltrate the group. After weeks, perhaps months of planning, things had finally come to a head and they had sent a Patronus to Robards asking for reinforcements. A battle ensued, during which, he could only assume, he had been injured. “How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?” the healer asked as he approached, having realized that Harry was awake. “I feel like Gringotts collapsed on my head. What happened?” Robards replied, as he moved closer to the bed, “You were hit with a rather nasty hex that threw you down two flights of steps. You crashed into a stone statue and cracked your skull. Good thing you’re so hard headed Potter.” “Did we get them?” Harry asked his boss. “Yes, Harry, the mission was a complete success. We rounded up twelve Death Eaters, all under Dolohov’s control and this time — he didn’t get away either. Your job here is finally finished.” “That’s great news.” He looked around again in confusion, “Where am I and when can I get out of here?” He had the strangest feeling there was somewhere he needed to be, though at the moment, he was not sure exactly where that was. “You are in the Ministry's Infirmary,” replied the healer, “I will release you first thing in the morning, provided you don’t show any signs of complications during the night.” After giving Harry a potion, they left and he drifted into a blissfully dreamless sleep. He awoke to bright sunlight streaming in through the small window on the other side of the room. His head still felt like it was about to split. The feeling that he needed to be somewhere still filled him. It seemed like he had been on one endless mission after another. He wanted to go home but couldn’t even remember how long it had been since he had been there, since he had last seen his family and friends, since he had last seen Ginny. Would she still be there waiting for him or would she have moved on with her life? It hurt to think that. It hurt to think! His head was pounding, his memories all blurred together. Bits and pieces replayed in his mind: He jumped out of his four-poster bed and ran down the stairs to the common room. He had desperately needed sleep, and Kreacher had been kind enough to bring him a tray of sandwiches and a pitcher of pumpkin juice, but that had been hours ago. And she had needed time with her family — time to grieve for Fred. Though his body still felt worn out from the events of the previous day, he didn’t want to put this off any longer; he needed to see her — to explain. As he stepped out of the entrance of the boys’ dormitory, he saw her curled up in a chair near the fire with Crookshanks in her lap. She appeared to be asleep. He didn’t want to wake her but needed to be near her, to look at her pretty face. As he approached she lifted her head to look at him. “Harry?” the cat leapt off her lap. “I’m sorry Gin, I didn’t mean to wake you” he replied softly. “’S all right. I was only dozing; waiting for you to come down; didn’t want to miss you again” she mumbled sleepily. He knelt down beside her and took her small hand in his and stared into her chocolate eyes. “Ginny, I . . .” but before he could finish, she was in his arms, holding him close while she placed kisses on his eyes, his cheeks and the corners of his mouth. “I thought you were dead” she whimpered as tears rolled down her cheeks, “I thought I’d lost you forever.” He leaned down and kissed her fiercely. “I’m here, love, where I belong — in your arms.” How long ago had that been? Five — maybe six years ago? Maybe even more. He couldn’t be sure. Sometimes it seemed like yesterday and at other times it seemed like it was someone else’s life altogether. Time had no meaning for him anymore. The memories were all jumbled together in his mind. He tried desperately to sort them out. Life after Voldemort had still been difficult. While the Dark Lord was gone, the pain and destruction left in his wake seemed unending. The Weasleys had been torn apart by death. It was only natural that she needed to be there for them. George understandably took it the worst. Fred was not only his twin but his best friend, his partner. Ginny seemed to be the only one capable of consoling him, perhaps because she had assisted them with so many of their pranks, perhaps because of that incredible ability of hers to just sit beside you without saying a word and let you know she was there for you if you needed her. He was very well aware of that particular trait as it was one of the things he loved most about her; she had been there for him during the summer after his fifth year after Sirius’ death and again a year later after Dumbledore’s. He had pushed her away after that, fearing that being with him would put her in even more danger than she was already just by being a Weasley. Now, while she wasn’t pushing him away, she had other obligations, and it became increasingly difficult to find time for each other. He had obligations of his own as well. He spent a considerable amount of his time with Teddy Lupin, his Godson, committed to ensuring that the child knew who he was and that he would always be there for him. He had also agreed to assist Kingsley Shacklebolt, the new Minister of Magic, in his determination to rebuild and reform the Ministry. Kingsley had offered Harry and other members of the D.A. an opportunity to train as Aurors without sitting for their N.E.W.T.s and Harry had gratefully accepted. He knew Kingsley from his work with the Order of the Phoenix and was convinced that this man would do everything in his power to make necessary changes in the Wizarding World. Harry signed up for the required three years of training needed to become an Auror and was joined by Ron a few months later. Meanwhile Ginny returned to Hogwarts, along with Hermione, to finish her last year. Between his training and her revising for her N.E.W.T.s, her family obligations and the never ending scrutiny of the press, they never seemed to have the time he would have liked to reestablish the relationship they had once had. Short lived, though it had been, it was the happiest he had ever been. They did still date, though not exclusively, and their friendship was stronger than ever. They saw each other at all the Weasley gatherings, as Harry was considered part of the family. They just weren’t as close as he hoped they would be after the war ended, when Voldemort had been defeated. The entire time he, Ron and Hermione were off hunting Horcruxes, he had hoped that he and Ginny would be together again once it was all over, providing of course that he survived. When she finished school she was recruited by the Holyhead Harpies. Gwenog Jones had come to Hogwarts herself to offer Ginny the position of first-reserve Chaser. This was Ginny’s dream come true, so after a beautiful and passionate night of celebrating with him, she was off to training camp. And they saw even less of each other. As often happens once we leave school and enter into adult life, time sped up. Maybe, when he finished his Auror’s training, things would be different. The day finally arrived when he and Ron were graduating, the latter having worked very hard to catch up to the rest of their class. All the Weasleys turned out for the ceremony and they celebrated till the early hours of the morning. Soon afterwards, Harry and Ron began to receive assignments and were being sent on missions, though most of them were quite short. He did find time to make it to all of Ginny’s matches, especially now that she had been moved up to the starting line up — an incredible feat after only two years on the team! They were seeing more of each other again and he became more hopeful of their having a future together. He had even gone to his vault at Gringotts and retrieved his mother’s engagement ring. It was a beautiful Irish Claddagh ring with a ruby stone set into the heart shape, which was surrounded by tiny diamonds. He intended to ask her on his birthday, only a fortnight away, but as fate would have it, he was sent on the first of many very long missions which would set the tone for the next several years of his life. His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of the healer. “Good morning, Mr. Potter. How are you feeling today?” Harry didn’t dare tell him about his constant headache, nor of his blurry memories. It was strange how he seemed to remember things from so long ago, but was having difficulty remembering more recent events — like the exact details of his most recent mission and precisely how he had landed himself in the infirmary. He still had the nagging feeling that he needed to be somewhere, somewhere important. Instead he replied, “Much better, thank you.” Holding a stack of papers out to him, the healer said, “In that case, here are your release papers. You will need to show them to Mr. Robards before he will permit you to return to work. You should know that I’m recommending that you be placed on desk duty until I examine you again. I still don’t want you traveling by Floo for at least a week, and absolutely no Apparating for at least two weeks. Let me know when you are ready to go and I’ll arrange for a Portkey to take you home.” Harry took the papers and, after thanking the healer, went to take a shower and get dressed. He had no desire to go home. He didn’t want to be alone. He wanted to be around the people he had come to think of as his family. He left his room after dressing, and, not wishing to alert the healer to his confusion, located an attendant to inquire as to what day of the week it was. Learning that it was a Sunday, he knew exactly where he wanted to go. He quickly found the healer and asked him to set the Portkey to take him to The Burrow. With any luck, she would be there. When he entered the Burrow, no one was in the kitchen but he heard voices coming from the sitting room. He didn’t want to interrupt but their words felt like a dagger piercing his heart. “She’s always been there for me and I just wish I could do something for her now. It isn’t fair. He should be here for her; after all, it’s his child too. She shouldn’t have to go through this alone!” Molly replied, “George, I understand your concern, but you know how stubborn she is. She’ll never admit that she needs our help.” Was he hearing correctly, Ginny was pregnant? And where was the child’s father? If it were his child, no force on earth could keep him from being with them. He felt as if he were intruding and thought it best to make his presence known. “Err . . . Hi!” Looking up and seeing him, George ran over and grabbed him into a rough hug, clapping him on the back. “Harry, mate! You made it back. We’d almost given up on you!” Molly was next, immediately drawing him into a very maternal hug. “Harry, dear, you have no idea how worried we’ve been about you!” “I didn’t mean to worry you. Things got crazy and they couldn’t pull us out. There was no way to get word out. I’m really sorry” Harry told them. “We’re just glad you’re home! You must be famished. Come on, let me get you something to eat” she replied. As they walked into the kitchen, Harry asked “Where is everyone else? It’s unusually quiet for a Sunday at the Burrow.” George replied “Not to worry, they’ll all be here in time for Supper." After putting away two platefuls of Molly’s delicious cooking, he hesitantly asked, “Where’s Ginny?” Molly looked over her shoulder towards the window. “She’ll be back soon. She went for a walk down by the pond. It’s the best thing for her in her condition.” It sounded as if they expected him to know that Ginny was pregnant. Not wanting to raise any flags about his health, he went along with it. “When is she due?” Molly replied “Any day now.” George cut her off: “Any minute now if you ask me” Harry nodded, feeling a knot form in his stomach. “Ah, here she comes now” said Molly. He watched her as she entered the room, sunlight dancing in her fiery hair, that blazing look he loved in her eyes. “Ginny you look beaut. . .” She cut him off: “Harry James Potter don’t you dare tell me how beautiful I look! I’m twice the size of a hippogriff, my ankles are swollen, I’m waddling around like a duck and I can’t even get close enough to you to give you a proper hello.” He chuckled as she said this and replied “Alright - but you are glowing!” She smiled as she reached out for his hand and placed it on her protruding abdomen while she closed her eyes and appeared to concentrate. While reveling in the wonder of this intimate gesture, he felt a sharp kick. “Wow! That’s a strong little one! Doesn’t that hurt?” “It does a bit,” she replied “especially at four in the morning when I’ve only just fallen off to sleep. Truth be told, I just want this over with already.” Molly crossed the room to stand by her side. “It will be soon enough, Ginny dear, the way you’ve been fidgeting all day and complaining about your back hurting. Take my word for it; you’ll have your baby before the week is out.” “Harry dear, are you sure you are alright?” Molly inquired, “You look a bit peaked.” “I’m fine” he replied. “Yes, Harry, we all know what you mean when you say ‘I’m fine’, so spit it out — what’s wrong?” said Ginny. His head still hurt although he had not mentioned it to the healer. The last thing he had wanted was to be kept in the infirmary or even worse, sent to St. Mungos for further observation. “I took a rather nasty clunk on my head yesterday. They kept me overnight, but I still feel a bit wobbly” he confessed. “Come over here on the sofa and lie back” Ginny ordered as they walked into the sitting room. “Ginny, you’re the one who needs pampering — not me!” he replied. “I’m pregnant, not injured or ill! There is nothing wrong with me other than the fact that I haven’t seen my toes in three months!” she snapped back at him. Having no desire to get her temper up — especially not in her current condition, Harry complied. Almost immediately after closing his eyes he felt himself drifting off. Images raced through his head, whether they were dreams or reality, he did not know: She wore a beautiful white lace gown. Arthur escorted her down the aisle, placing her hand in that of a faceless man who stood waiting for them at the altar. How he longed to be that man. They were making love: melting into each other so that it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. They were one — one heart, one soul, one body; their passions exploding as they desperately clung to each other whispering words of their love for one another. She sat in a rocker — an infant girl with soft red curls and emerald green eyes suckling at her breast while a small boy with raven black hair and chocolate brown eyes sat on the floor beside them. “Daddy” the boy cried gleefully as he entered the room. The images changed: He was in the Forbidden Forest surrounded by Death Eaters. Voldemort raised his wand and mouthed the words “Avada Kedavra”. As the green flash left his wand, all he could see was Ginny’s face, the blazing look in her eyes as she ran towards him. He was in an alley way, surrounded by Death Eaters. Ron nodded to him from the other side. That had been the signal. Silently, he counted to three, then all hell broke loose as he and Ron and the rest of their team began firing hexes at the Death Eaters. In the end, they had rounded up only four of them, Dolohov escaping yet again. Their luck had not, however, run out as Yaxley was among those captured. Minister Shacklebolt had gone to the Wizengamot for special permission to use Veritaserum to interrogate Yaxley due to the extremely violent nature of his crimes. The information they gleaned convinced Robards that it was time to make their move. They would infiltrate Dolohov’s camp using Potter and Boot as undercover agents. It was a risk, but one the Ministry felt worth taking. The Death Eaters had begun recruiting children between the ages of five and nine. Using a combination of Unforgivable Curses, Memory Charms and Potions along with other forms of torture, they would force the children to turn on their families, and then continue to do their bidding. As much as he longed for a family of his own, this was not the world he wanted to raise his children in. Dolohov and his followers had to be stopped and they had never been closer to doing so than they were now. His team put their plan into action: He and Terry Boot were using Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as Mulciber and Rookwood, who unknown to the Death Eaters, had been captured along with Yaxley. But he was growing more concerned every day. They had been cut off from their contact (Ron) because the Death Eaters were becoming increasingly suspicious. Believing they had a spy in their mist, Dolohov had placed their hide out under the Fidelius Charm, making himself the Secret Keeper. They only had enough potion left for two more days with both of them taking it. After that, everything they had worked for all these long months would be for nothing. He wasn’t about to let that happen. He knew what was at stake, but he had to do it. He stopped taking his share of the potion, buying more time for Terry and providing Dolohov with proof of his suspicions: they would catch their spy. As soon as the potion wore off they began to torture him for information, but they would get nothing from him. The ministry had developed a potion that would protect him from Veritaserum as well as Legilimency, which both he and Boot had taken before proceeding with their revised plans. The potion would protect him for a week — which was more time than they had left anyway. He knew they wouldn’t kill him; he was far too valuable to them alive. This would not have been the case if Boot had been revealed as the spy. On the third day, they got the break they were hoping for. A new group of recruits had been brought in: twenty children — the oldest being only eight years old. Dolohov himself was coming to the camp to initiate them. It was their best chance, their only chance. Their luck couldn’t have been any better as Rookwood (Boot) was assigned to meet Dolohov upon his arrival, giving him the opportunity to send a Patronus to Robards. Meanwhile, the Death Eaters mocked Harry’s inability to pass on any information while they continued to use hexes on him. They taunted him with their surety that once Dolohov arrived he would be able to break through Harry’s defenses. It was, of course, Dolohov and his followers who were in for the surprise. Robards arrived with a team of Aurors and all hell broke loose. Boot hit his captors with a hex and proceeded to free Harry, who quickly joined in the fray. The last thing he remembered was being hit with a curse and falling backwards into oblivion, shouting out as he tumbled down the stairs. H e opened his eyes with a start and saw her sitting across from him in the chair by the fire, her concern showing on her face as she gazed at him. “’M alright” he murmured “just a dream.” “A nightmare, more likely, Potter. You forget, I know you!” she sighed as she rose and walked over so that she stood behind him and began to stroke his forehead with her right hand, while placing her left gently on his shoulder. It felt good; it felt familiar. “Thanks” he said. “Are Ron and Hermione here yet?” “I’m sure they’ll be here soon, still busy acting like newlyweds even though they’ve been married almost a year.” Ron and Hermione were married? And he hadn’t attended their wedding? But he had. He vaguely remembered standing at the altar with Ron; Hermione in a beautiful white chiffon gown. An image flashed through his mind: he was dancing with her afterward and later with a gorgeous redhead wearing a stunning emerald green gown. He smiled at the image. Of course, now it made sense. Ron and Hermione had been on their honeymoon when his team had been called upon to plan their last mission. By the time Ron got back, they were in too deep to include him in the undercover work. He would serve as their contact, a liaison of sorts. But that had been months ago. Had that been the last time he had seen her? Is that why she had given up on him? Had he left her behind one time too many? He reached up and caught her left hand, gently squeezing it. He frowned as he caught sight of her bare third finger. He didn’t want to pry but he needed to know. They were still close friends, weren’t they? Surely she knew she could talk to him. He looked deep into her eyes, “Ginny, where . . .” he began but he was cut off by a loud whoop. “Harry! Mate, where the bloody hell have you been?” As usual, Ron’s timing was impeccable. Reluctantly letting go of her hand, he stood up to greet his best friend. The two men embraced briefly, giving each other a sound pat on the back. Ron gave Harry a look that clearly said ‘we need to talk’, to which Harry responded with a quick nod of his head and a glance in Ginny’s direction. This was followed immediately by an assault from Hermione, who lunged at him, nearly knocking him back onto the sofa. “I was so worried about you! When Ron told us what happened, how they had no way to locate you — well, suffice to say we were all a bit frantic!” Ron gave his sister a significant look, “you ok?” He walked over to her and gave her a peck on her cheek. “I’m fine” she replied and whispered something in his ear. He looked over at Harry as he nodded his head. Picking up on this Hermione turned to Ginny and said, “Come into the kitchen with me so I can show you and Molly what I bought for the baby while I was shopping in London with my Mum.” Looking at her brother, Ginny asked “Can we trust the two of you to behave while we’re gone?” Both men smirked at this as the ladies left the room. “Ok, spill” said Ron. “To be quite honest, there is nothing to tell you. Everything is a bit fuzzy. You’re probably more aware than me of what went down.” Harry responded. “All I know, mate, is that I lost contact with you three weeks ago. We knew where you were well enough but we couldn’t get to you until yesterday.” said Ron. “We figured they put up a Fidelius charm, but they must have taken it down to bring in the new recruits. Sorry I wasn’t there when they pulled you out, but Shacklebolt wanted me on the team that was rescuing the kids. Bloody mess! What kind of Memory Charms were they using on them any way?” “I think it was something they were experimenting with that tampers with emotional memories, makes you forget stuff about the people you care most about.” Harry replied. Ron looked thoughtful. “Yeah, that would explain how the ones they had already indoctrinated reacted to being rescued. Some of them put up as much of a fight as the Death Eaters themselves. Robards and Shacklebolt wanted to make sure none of them were hurt — they’re just kids.” Harry nodded, “That’s why they sent you to handle them.” They were quiet for a while, reflecting on what they had just discussed. “What’d you and Terry do when the Polyjuice ran out?” inquired Ron. “I blew my cover to stretch the potion out and buy us some time” replied Harry. “That must have been Hell — tortured you, didn’t they?” Harry became quiet again. “Not really sure — that‘s where my memory gets a bit fuzzy. I didn’t want to stay in the hospital any longer than I had to so I didn’t say anything to the healer. I keep getting this feeling in my gut that there is something I’m supposed to do or somewhere I need to be, but I can’t figure it out. A lot of it has been coming back to me but I know I’m still missing something — something important.” Ron sighed, “Give it time, it’ll come back to you.” “You’re probably right” agreed Harry. “Can I ask you something else?” Ron nodded. “What’s up with Ginny - is she ok?” Ron took a deep breath as he looked at his best friend, “It’s been rough on her, y’know? Nine months pregnant and all alone — it’s a bit scary, isn’t it?” Harry looked back at him, “Yeah, but why . . .” He was cut off again by shouts coming from the kitchen. Hermione ran into the sitting room, “Get out here quickly, we need your help. Ginny’s water just broke.” The two young men quickly followed her. The kitchen at the Burrow had always been chaotic, but nothing could have prepared him for the melée that greeted him as he entered it now. Ginny was kneeling on the floor caressing her abdomen as Molly used her wand to mop up a significant puddle from the floor, all the while barking orders at every one: “George, quickly, send a Patronus to your father and your brothers; Ron, use the Floo to contact the Mediwitch — and hurry! Hermione, run upstairs and make sure there are plenty of clean sheets and towels, oh, and blankets too, dear. Harry, help me get Ginny up to her room; and Ginny, yes — well, just don’t do anything yet!” Upon entering the kitchen, Harry had immediately rushed to sit beside Ginny, holding her hand, tracing slow, gentle circles across her knuckles with his thumb. “Do you think you can stand?” he asked. She shook her head slightly to indicate that she did not think so. He carefully lifted her into his arms as she clung to his neck and carried her up the stairs to her room. As he lowered her onto her bed, he looked deep into her brown eyes “You do know how much I love you, don’t you?” She nodded her head, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. “I love you too.” He smiled at her sadly, as he started to back away towards the door, “Stay with me”, she whispered. He nodded as he took a seat on a chair next to her bed and took her hand in his. He felt uncomfortable, awkward even; as if he were intruding on something very private, very intimate: as though he was invading someone else’s life. And yet, she wanted him there. So he sat at her beside as the Mediwitch attended her, as her mother wiped the sweat from her brow, as Hermione flitted in and out of the room bringing fresh towels and news of who had arrived. He assumed she was also bringing news to the others as to Ginny’s progress. He sat there holding her hand, thinking of how much he loved her, of how desperately he wished this were his life, their life, their child. After what seemed like hours, and may well have been, the Mediwitch was telling her to push. She was screaming and squeezing his hand so tightly he could no longer feel the blood flow. Molly was telling her to breathe, that she was almost there, just one more push. Tears were flowing freely from her eyes and he realized, from his as well. Suddenly, to his utter amazement, he heard the wail of a baby. He couldn’t take his eyes from her face. She had never looked more beautiful. She looked up at him and smiled. Molly was nudging him, the infant now wrapped in a blanket, held snuggly in her arms. “Harry, would you like to hold your son?” He stared at her in wonder and confusion as she gently placed the baby in his arms. He looked down at the tiny infant he now cradled. HIS son. And he looked over at Ginny, his Ginny; his wife. What had they done to him that could possible have made him forget this? Tears streaked, unabashed, down his face as he sat down on the bed beside her, placing their child in his mother’s waiting arms. More images played in his head: It was the night of Ron and Hermione’s wedding. They were back in their bedroom, gently swaying to a slow song playing on the wireless; still entranced by the mood from the wedding. They were kissing deeply, their tongues caught in a passionate dance of their own. He unzipped the back of her emerald green gown while she undid the buttons on his shirt. “Harry” she whispered as they began making love, “Let’s make a baby”. He lifted his head from her neck and gazed into her eyes, “Are you sure you’re ready? What about your career?” Her voice was thick with emotion as she replied, “I had my dream, now I want ours: a family of our own. Let’s make a baby — our baby.” It was what he had always dreamed of. His hand reached out and touched the empty space on the bed next to him. He stumbled into the bathroom where she sat on the floor holding a phial in her hand. She held it up for him to see, “A test the Muggles use, Hermione gave it to me.” He reached out for it, “What does it say?” Chocking back tears, she whispered, “We’re pregnant.” Tears clouded his eyes as he knelt beside her, taking her in his arms and smothering her with gentle kisses. They looked deep into each others eyes and laughed softly, as they continued to embrace. Then Harry lifted his head while cupping her face in his hands and tilting it up towards his. “I have to finish this assignment”, he told her. She nodded, “I know” she breathed. “Dolohov is the last — and worst of Voldemort’s followers. He preys on children. We have to stop him”, he said this as if he were explaining his motives more to himself than to her. “I’ll take a desk job after this, I promise.” She shook her head and placed her finger on his lips, “No, that’s not who you are. You go out there and make the world safe for our child. We’ll be right here waiting for you.” He stared into her face, knowing that she truly understood, not knowing what he had ever done to deserve her love, but willing to accept it gratefully. “I’ll be back before the baby gets here — I swear it!” She stared back at him with wet eyes and nodded. They remained on the floor for a long time, clinging to each other and he thought he could never love her more than he did at that moment. Until now: As he watched Ginny nurse their son for the first time, he knew that he did love her even more. Her father, brothers and sisters in-law began to fill into the already overcrowded room. “Excuse me, everyone” Ginny called for their attention, “I would like to introduce all of you to James Sirius Potter.” He smiled as he looked at her, then back at their son, with his raven black hair and chocolate brown eyes. “He looks like you” whispered Ginny. “Yeah,” said Harry “but he’s got his mother’s eyes.” They both laughed at this as they knew it was something Harry himself had heard ever since he started attending Hogwarts. As the newborn was passed around the room to meet all of his Aunts and Uncles as well as his Grandparents, Harry bent down to give Ginny a kiss but to his chagrin, she pulled back. “Not so fast, Mr. Potter.” He looked at her, clearly confused, “You’ll not get a proper kiss until you remove that disillusionment charm from your ring!” “Oh, right,” he replied as he lifted her left hand and ran his thumb across her bare third finger. " I will as soon you tell me what you’ve done with yours, Mrs. Potter.” She smiled up at him slyly, taking her hand out of his to hold up a thin gold chain she had been wearing around her neck: a chain with two rings on it, her beautiful engagement ring and matching wedding band. “They didn’t fit my swollen fingers any more so I’ve had to wear them on this.” He removed the charm which concealed his ring, then leaned in for a deep, passionate kiss. Eventually, the Weasley family returned downstairs, giving the Potter family some private time. Gazing around the room, his eyes settling on Ginny and the tiny infant sleeping nestled in her arms, Harry realized he was exactly where he needed to be. |
| Reviews 17 |
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