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It Happened One Night | ||||||
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Category: Post-OotP, Buried Gems Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Angst, Drama, Fluff, General Warnings: Death, Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 1042 Summary: Harry and Ginny make a decision that changes their lives.... Hitcount: Story Total: 254437; Chapter Total: 14000 |
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A/N: See Author's Note at the end. DISCLAIMER: Jimmy Cricket lied to me, I wished on a star and I still don't own Harry Potter. Stupid bug. Epilogue “Want Mummy!” two year old James Elijah Potter pouted and looked defiantly up at his father. Harry sighed and tucked the blankets around his son. Raindrops pelted the window and lightening flashed in the distance. The tree outside the window swayed to and fro in the cold early October wind and thunder clapped faintly in the distance. “You can see her in the morning, James,” Harry said. “Nooooo!” James protested. “Mummy!” “James, it’s way past your bed time. It’s time to go to sleep,” Harry said sternly. “No!” Harry looked down at his son. James was frowning and glaring up at Harry. He knew it was hopeless to get him to sleep with all the excitement going on. His grandparents and most of his uncles and soon-to-be aunts were there and at any moment James would no longer be an only child. Harry saw the pleadingly look in the green eyes that mirrored his own and gave in. He sighed and pulled the blankets off of James. “All right. Just for a few minutes and then you have to go to bed young man,” Harry said and he picked up his son. James smiled gleefully, happy to get his way for once. Harry carried James down the hallway and to the room at the end of it. He paused before entering and looked at James. “Listen up, you need to be good, all right? Mummy’s not feeling very good right now so you need to be extra good. Can you do that?” Harry explained and James nodded, looking at the door excitedly. Harry smiled and slowly pushed the door open. Ginny’s eyes were squeezed shut and she was clutching the blankets tightly, obviously in the middle of a contraction. Harry was very glad she wasn’t holding his hand at that moment in time. He glanced around and saw that Mrs. Jacobs and her assistant were bustling around the room, preparing for the new baby. Molly was standing next to Ginny on one side of the bed, watching Ginny with an anxious look and rubbing her back soothingly. Harry looked back at Ginny and saw that she had relaxed her grip and was taking deep breaths. Slowly, she opened her eyes and tried to relax a little. She spotted Harry with James and smiled weakly at them. “Mummy!” James squealed and wiggled his way out of Harry’s arms. Harry placed him on the floor and James dashed towards the bed, quickly scrambling onto it to hug his mother. “Hello sweetie,” she greeted him and hugged her son. James looked up at her, a wide smile on his face. He glanced down at her large stomach and placed both hands on it. “Baby?” he asked then looked back at Ginny. “Baby’s coming soon,” Ginny said, stroking James’ hair. “I hope,” she added under her breath. “It won’t be too much longer, love,” Harry said as he made his way to the side of the bed. He kissed her forehead gently and was met with a glare when he pulled away. “You would be singing a different tune if you were in labor for seven hours,” she said, trying to keep a sweet tone in her voice for the sake of James. “In fact the next time we have a kid, you can be the one in labor and I can be the one telling you it’s not much longer.” “Don’t worry deary,” Molly said, smoothing Ginny’s hair away from her face. “It gets shorter and shorter each time. Bill took nearly eighteen hours and by the time we had you, I was in labor for not even two hours and you popped right out.” “Really? Well, why doesn’t someone just pop this kid out of me already! Harry, you’re the father, do something about your child!” Ginny said and glared at her husband. Harry’s eyes widened in surprise and he looked at her. What was he supposed to do? He was the one who put her in this predicament. Ginny was in labor because he couldn’t stand being away from her when the winter holiday ended and Ginny had to go back to school. He had decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day two weeks earlier and asked Molly to watch James for the night. He had sent a message to Ginny in the morning telling her to meet him in the Astronomy Tower that same night and sent his invisibility cloak and his Marauder’s Map with it. Later that day, he hopped on his Firebolt with a Disillusionment Charm on him and flew to Hogwarts to have a rendevous with his wife in the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts. “Oh second thought, don’t do anything. You’re the reason I’m in pain in the first place. You just had to celebrate Valentine’s Day early didn’t you?” Ginny said. “I don’t recall you complaining then,” Harry reminded her. “Well I’m complaining now, Potter. This is all your fault!” Ginny hissed back angrily and glared at Harry. “Baby, out. No hurt Mummy,” James said in a stern voice to Ginny’s stomach. Ginny forgot about her anger with Harry and smiled down at her son. He looked up at his mother and pouted. “Want baby.” “Me too,” Ginny agreed. “But we have to wait, okay?” James pout deepened and looked back at Ginny’s stomach. He bent over and kissed it gently. “Wuv you, baby.” Harry felt his heart melt. Despite James’ young age, he was very loving. He didn’t really understand what was going on, being only two years old, but he knew that he was going to have a brother or sister and he took his job very seriously. When Ginny had returned home after her seventh year, James spent a lot of time trying to talk Ginny’s stomach in his broken speech and trying to feel it kick. He wasn’t very far from his mother and was very protective when someone else besides Harry gave Ginny’s stomach attention Harry watched as James kissed Ginny’s stomach again he smiled. He knew his son was going to be a wonderful big brother to their new baby. “Oh Merlin,” Ginny gasped and reached out for Harry’s hand. She shut her eyes tightly as a new contraction hit her. Harry coached her through the contraction and James looked on fearfully, a look of concern for his mother on his little face. “I think I better take James back to his room now,” Molly suggested, walking around the bed to pick up her grandson once Ginny’s contraction was over. “Say goodnight.” Ginny and Harry both kissed their son goodnight and Molly whisked him out of the room. “He was such a brave boy today,” Ginny sighed, her eyes fixed on the door. “I can’t believe he knew how to use the Floo!” Harry chuckled as remembered earlier in the day when he saw his two year old son’s head floating in the fireplace in his department trying to tell him that Ginny was in labor. Harry had left earlier than usual for work, leaving Ginny and James in their new home alone. Ginny’s water had broken sometime before noon and was unable to Floo anyone. James had noticed his mother’s distress and sensing that it had to do with the baby, he somehow got a hold of the Floo powder that was placed on top of the mantle of the fireplace, far from James’ reach, and made Floo call to Harry. How James knew who to call let only how to use the Floo Network was beyond him, but he was very proud that he did. Harry had Flooed home right away to find James sitting in his bed with Ginny and looking like he was in charge. “We have a clever one,” Harry said and smiled. “We certainly do,” Ginny agreed. “Do you think we’ll be lucky enough to get another kid like that?” Harry asked, rubbing the small of Ginny’s back gently with one hand and holding her hand with his other. Ginny sighed and leaned her head on Harry’s chest. “I certainly hope so,” Ginny said. “Well, you two are about to find out really soon,” Mrs. Jacobs said, positioning herself at the end of the bed and lifting the blanket that covered Ginny’s legs. “Scoot down, Mrs. Potter and get ready to push.” * * * * * For the second time in Ginny’s eighteen years of life, she had been in the most intense pain ever imaginable. She was exhausted beyond words and she ached all over. But she knew it was all worth it to hear the high pitched cry of her new born baby. Ginny relaxed in her bed, breathing heavily. She knew she would be sore for a while but it didn’t matter to her. She was a mother all over again and that feeling overwhelmed everything else she was feeling. “You’re so beautiful,” Harry whispered, kissing her forehead and smoothing her hair back. “And I love you so much.” “Your idea of beautiful must have low standards right now. I’m sweaty and my hair is a mess and I still look like a beached whale,” Ginny said. “I look like a hag.” “You are always beautiful to me no matter how you look,” Harry said, earning a small smile from Ginny. He leaned over and kissed her. “Here we go,” Mrs. Jacobs said, carrying a small bundle of white blankets in her arms. She smiled at the young parents and gently lowered the bundle into Ginny’s arms. “Congratulations,” she said. “It’s a girl.” A tiny pink face peeked through the blankets. Her eyes were shut and she was still squirming and making tiny whimpering sounds. There were small wisps of Weasley red hair on her head and from the looks of it, it was much tamer than James’. Slowly, she opened her eyes and bright brown eyes, much like Ginny’s, were revealed. “Oh, Gin,” Harry breathed, gently running his finger down his daughter’s cheek. “She’s beautiful.” “Hello Emily Christine,” Ginny cooed down at the newborn, a wide smile on her face. She bent down and gently brushed her lips on her daughter’s tiny forehead. “We’re very happy you’re finally here. “Very happy,” Harry agreed and gently touched one of her clenched fists. Emily opened her hand and clutched onto Harry’s finger and she stared up at him. He smiled down at her, a feeling of joy sweeping through him. This was his daughter. His little girl, his princess, his perfect little angel, and those thoughts caused him to smile even more. “That’s your Daddy,” Ginny said. “And I’m your Mummy. And you have a big brother named James who can’t wait to meet you.” Harry gently pulled his finger away from Emily’s tight grasp and leaned over to kiss Ginny’s cheek. “I love you,” he whispered. Ginny turned to face him, looking exhausted and worn out but incredibly happy. “I love you, too,” she whispered back and kissed him softly. “Do you want to hold her?” Ginny asked once she had pulled away from Harry and the smile was instantly wiped off his face. Harry stared at their newborn daughter nervously. True he had experience with holding babies before, after all he did hold James quite a bit as a baby, but as he stared a the tiny newborn, he couldn’t help but fear that he would drop her or hurt her somehow. “Oh honestly, Harry!” Ginny rolled her eyes, noticing his hesitation. “You’ve done this before. It’s no different from holding James.” Carefully, she handed Emily to Harry, who took her shakily. He adjusted his arms and stared down at the newborn in his arms. He broke out into a huge grin. He bent his head down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. His heart burst with love and joy at being a father again. Emily let out a loud wail, startling Harry. “I know that Daddy’s scary looking, but you don’t need to cry about it,” Ginny cooed at their daughter. Harry shot his wife a glare and gently bounced his daughter to settle her. However, she did not seem to like it and only got louder. “This is something I definitely did not miss,” Harry sighed, his efforts at calming his daughter going quite unsuccessful. “I think she’s hungry,” Ginny said and pulled down the sleeve of her night dress. “Give her here.” Harry passed his daughter back to Ginny. Once Ginny had her, she adjusted her in her arms, and the newborn latched onto Ginny’s breast, suckling hungrily. “See,” Ginny looked up at her husband. “She was just hungry is all. You’re not scary at all.” Harry smiled and watched as his wife nursed his daughter. It was a sight that he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from. It was a tender moment between a mother and their child and Harry felt honored that he could watch it. Ginny stared down at the infant in her arms, letting the baby curl her tiny fingers around her own. She looked up and smiled at Harry. “Don’t you think it’s time for you to go and tell the family about our newest addition?” she asked. Harry tore his gaze away from Emily and smiled at Ginny. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back. Should I wake up James?” he asked. Ginny bit her bottom lip and looked at the clock sitting on the night stand next to the bed, red numbers telling them it was nearly ten and way past James’ bed time. They both knew however, that the excitement of the day had overloaded their two year old’s system and he was more than likely sitting in the hall outside their bedroom door. “Perhaps,” she sighed. “Your call.” Harry nodded and with one last kiss on her forehead, he left their room. James was no where in sight and Harry guessed that this time the little boy was fast asleep in his own bed. He walked down the hallway of their home. Their home. He still couldn’t believe that he owned a house. They had only moved in last week, unable to move in any sooner. The summer after his seventh year, his knee prevented him from looking at houses and flats. Harry also did not want to move into a house, only to have Ginny live with him for a few weeks and leave for school. They did think of a solution, however. They contemplated renting a place in Hogsmeade for the school year so Ginny could walk to school everyday, but that was quickly shot down when they received an owl from Professor McGonagall. She had said that Ginny had to return and stay at the castle so that she could have the best possible environment to study and succeed in her studies. However, Harry would be able to visit and bring James with him every weekend. Neither one was very pleased by this, but they couldn’t really do anything about it for two reasons. For one, the cottage that Ginny had fallen in love with was not for sale or for rent and neither was any other place in the village. Second, Molly had adamantly agreed with Professor McGonagall. It’s not like you won’t see each other. Harry can visit with James every weekend after all, and you do have Christmas and Easter breaks, Ginny. Besides, James doesn’t need a playmate anytime soon, she had said, eyeing them with a steely stare. Harry snorted to himself. Obviously that didn’t do any good seeing as Ginny had become pregnant once again at the end of January. While Ginny had gone back to school, Harry had been busy with his position in the Magical Lad Enforcement Department and taking care of James. He didn’t have time to look for a place of their own and he rather that they do it together. Once Ginny had completed her education and returned to the Burrow (and at the time she was five months pregnant), they decided to finally search for a place of their own. The Burrow would not be big enough for their growing family and it was by time they lived on their own. They found a lovely home in the wizarding area of Bath. It had two floors, with a large front and back garden, and the nearest neighbor was about three kilometers on either side of them. It was painted white and had brown panels as well as brown shutters, roof, and door. It had four bedrooms and two washrooms, a large kitchen with two fireplaces (one for using cauldrons and cooking and another for Flooing), and a sitting room with a third fireplace. It gave off a warm and comfortable feeling and they felt it was perfect for them. But there was yet another damper in their plans. Molly felt it was too dangerous for Ginny to agonize over moving and setting up a home in her current condition. She had pleaded Harry and Ginny to stay until after the new baby was born, but both Harry and Ginny knew it was time to leave. With the paperwork finally done, they were now the proud owners of number twenty one Crescent Moon Way. It had taken a few weeks to move everything in due to the lack of furniture and other items for their home, but now they were there with their own belongings in their own home. A lot had happened since the Final Battle. Ginny’s brothers had forgiven Harry a long time ago during the summer after his seventh year. It was a slow process, but they did forgive him for what he had done to their sister. It had taken Bill and Charlie the longest (about a month after Ginny had returned to Hogwarts) and the twins the quickest (the day after Ron and Harry’s celebration for finishing school). Ginny had explained to Harry after he voiced his observations to her that while all her brothers were protective of her, Bill and Charlie were the worst of the bunch. She figured it was because they were the oldest and had always been the ones to watch over her when she was a small child. James had grown, amazing Harry with everything he did. He was two now and was now entering that stage where he wanted to test his parents at every moment he could. His favorite word was “no” and it was his response to everything. It was frustrating for Harry and Ginny when their two year old son would scream “no” to them and attempt to throw a tantrum, but they prevailed and didn’t give in. Giving in would mean things would be very difficult for them when James got older, and that was something they did not want. Remus Lupin had also spent a large amount of time visiting the Burrow after Harry’s seventh year. He was no longer going to teach at Hogwarts, disappointing Ginny greatly, and decided that he wanted to help the Order (which was now an elite group of Aurors and the like in the Magical Law Enforcement Department) more with capturing Death Eaters, and after Arthur had done away with the laws forbidding werewolves to hold jobs, he was now a school governor. He visited the Burrow often, spending time with Harry and James, and once and a while Tonks would join them. During visits with Tonks, Harry had noticed a change in her and Remus’ relationship that he hadn’t noticed before. After a few of these visits where Tonks would come, Harry had questioned Remus about it and Remus had admitted to Harry that they had been secretly dating for nearly a year. Harry was shocked, but happy for his friend. James had grown very fond of Remus and Tonks and every time they came to visit, James was attached to them. It was easy to see that both of them loved James like their own son and that gave Harry the idea of making them James’ godparents. After a quick conversation with Ginny, they had decided to wait until the birth of their new baby to ask them to be the godparents of both of their children. Harry and Ron were both officers in the Magical Law Enforcement Squad and patrolled wizarding communities all over Southern England. Hermione was working in a new department in the Ministry; Magical Research and Development. She spent her time discovering new potions and refining old ones as well as magical theories. Ginny, however, was still unemployed. While she had gotten the N.E.W.T.s she needed to get into a Healer training program, she decided not to go through with it. It would have been extra stress on her that she didn’t need while being pregnant and she also did not want to spend much time away from James and the new baby. She had missed too much with James already and she wanted to make it up to him somehow. For now, she would stay at home, but in the future, when her children were a little bit older she would find a job and start working. She was even thinking about teaching at the new wizarding grammar school that had opened in Diagon Alley a few years before, especially after she had spend a lot of time in her seventh year tutoring first and second years in Charms and Transfiguration. But her family came first in her eyes and working could wait. Trials had come and gone and sentences were being served in Azkaban prison, which was now guarded by highly trained Aurors and Hit Wizards, and those Death Eaters that had escaped had been caught one by one. Peter Pettigrew was given a life sentence, having been convicted of aiding in the murders of James and Lily Potter, killing thirteen people with a single curse, fraud, aiding in the resurrection of Lord Voldemort, and countless other Death Eater activities. Due to his conviction, Sirius’ name was cleared and Harry couldn’t help but shed tears of joy. Sirius was finally found innocent and Harry knew he was smiling wherever he was. Draco Malfoy was serving a ten year sentence for kidnapping, voluntary manslaughter, and a number of Death Eater activities. After Neville had woken from his coma six months after the Final Battle, he was put on trial and found guilty on a lesser charge of treason and for voluntary manslaughter. He would be serving a sentence of five years. Both were given much lesser sentences because of their help in taking out Death Eaters in the fight against Lord Voldemort. An investigation was done on the shack that Voldemort had used as a hideout. Bodies of those who were trapped were taken out, all except for one. Where Voldemort had fallen was nothing more than a pile of ashes under a set of robes and a wand that had a melted core. There was no body and once it was released to the public, people panicked. Tests were performed and the results had concluded that Voldemort was indeed gone. Professor Dumbledore had given the explanation that since Voldemort was not a normal human, he would not simply die. He would be destroyed in a different way and it appeared that the combined effects of Harry’s use of his loving memories and embedding them in Voldemort’s mind and the Killing Curse resorted Voldemort to nothing more than ashes. This still made everyone uneasy until it was pointed out by Professor Dumbledore that when the core of a wand is completely melted, the magic the owner once had was gone and it was a true mark that someone had left for good. Voldemort would not be returning ever again. As time went on, and the aftermath of the war continued, the Weasley family was busy planning three different weddings. Ron and Hermione had finally settled on a date and they would be married in October of the following year. George had taken the initiative and proposed to his girlfriend of four years, Alicia Spinnet, and they would be married in April. Harry had seen Ginny’s look as she sat and talked about wedding plans with Hermione and Alicia during the previous Christmas. It was a look of longing and sadness and Harry knew it was because she never got to be part of the excitement of planning her own wedding. He had visited a jewelry store in Diagon Alley and bought her an engagement ring and he planned to propose to her the day she returned home from Hogwarts for good. He had gone all out, dressing sharply in a Muggle tuxedo and buying her roses. He had waited until half way through her celebration dinner to get down on one knee and propose to her properly. Ginny had been shocked and told him he didn’t need to go through all this trouble, but he refused to listen to her. He wanted to make sure she had a proper proposal and a proper engagement ring because she deserved it. They planned to renew their vows on their third wedding anniversary this year with the ceremony that Ginny always wanted. Harry reached the bottom of the stairs. He was greeted with the sight of his in-laws, all looking anxious. Fred, George, and Alicia were all sitting on a sofa, George and Alicia holding hands. Ron and Hermione were having a quiet conversation in the corner of the room and Arthur and Percy were having a discussion near the fireplace. Penelope and Molly were sitting on the small love seat, neither one talking to each other. To Harry’s surprise, he saw Tonks standing behind the armchair where Remus was sitting with James in his lap. “James Elijah,” Harry said sternly, bringing everyone’s attention to him. “Daddy!” James squealed and squirmed out of Remus’ hold. He raced across the room and threw his small arms around his father’s leg. Harry hoisted him up in his arms and looked sternly at his son. “You’re supposed to be in bed,” Harry said. James pouted “Now, now Harry, you can’t blame him,” Molly said from her seat. “He’s excited about becoming a big brother.” “Yes, well, now that he is a big brother, he can go back to bed after we visit his mother,” Harry said, a wide grin spreading across his face. He looked around the room at the waiting faces and felt his heart soar with happiness. “It’s a girl.” Shouts filled the room, everyone offering their congratulations to him. Harry couldn’t help but smile at them all. “Is Ginny all right? Can we see her?” Molly asked him, her smile reaching her eyes. “She’s fine and the baby is fine. You can all go up now,” a voice said. Harry turned and saw Mrs. Jacobs and her assistant coming down the stairs. She smiled warmly at Harry as his family hurried up the stairs to see Ginny and Emily. “I’ll send the birth certificate to you in a few days. If you need anything I’m just a fireplace away,” she said. Harry smiled at her. “Thank you for everything, Mrs. Jacobs. Ginny and I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for us. I’m sure we’ll be calling on you again when we have our next baby,” Harry said to her. “I look forward to it, but remember Mr. Potter, you must wait six weeks,” she said, raising an eyebrow at him and Harry felt his cheeks flush. “Er . . . yes, yes, of course,” Harry muttered uncomfortably. Mrs. Jacobs smiled at him and she and her assistant went into the kitchen to use the Floo Network. Harry looked down at his son, who was looking anxiously at the stairs. “Ready to meet your sister?” he asked. James turned his head to look at Harry and smiled. Harry smiled back and went up the stairs with James. When he entered his bedroom, Harry couldn’t see anything except for a crowd of red heads surrounding the bed, all who were gushing over the new baby. He approached the bed, trying to find a way to get to his wife, but couldn’t. Harry sighed and glanced down at his son. He chuckled to himself when he saw James scowling at the back of Ron’s head. “Want Mummy,” James pouted and looked up at Harry, waiting for his father to fix this mess and take him right to his mother. “Make way, make way, big brother coming through,” Harry said loudly. Ron turned around and smiled sheepishly at him. He let Harry through and clapped him on his back. “She’s beautiful, mate,” Ron said and Harry smiled. He looked up and saw Ginny sitting in the bed still with Emily in her arms. Bill and Charlie was standing on the other side of the bed, leaning over to look at their niece. Ginny looked away from her oldest brothers and looked over at Harry. She smiled at him and Harry returned it. James’ mouth formed a perfect “O” as he stared at the tiny baby in Ginny’s arms. “Baby!” he shouted, pointed his finger at his sister and looking up at his father. “Daddy, baby!” “Sh, I know, I know,” Harry quieted him. “Hello angel,” Ginny said tiredly. She smiled at James’ shocked expression and looked down at her daughter. Her bright brown eyes were looking curiously around at the new world and people and Ginny gently lifted her up so James could get a better look at his new sister. She pulled the blanket back from her head a bit, revealing the small wisps of red, and looked back at James. “James, this is your sister, Emily,” Ginny introduced her to him. He stared at the baby, his face filled with curiosity and amazement at how a baby had suddenly appeared. Harry set James on the bed next to Ginny. He stood on his knees and stared at the baby in awe. “Eme,” he said, looking up at his mother. “Emily, son,” Harry gently corrected him. James turned his head to look at Harry. “Eme,” James repeated. “Close enough,” Harry sighed. “Is that what you decided on? Emily?” Molly asked, smiling down at her new granddaughter. “Emily Christine Potter,” Ginny clarified. “Oh, it’s perfect! It fits her,” Molly approved readily. Ginny beamed at her mother. “Eme!” James shouted and smiled at his sister. He reached a hand towards her and carefully touched her hand. His eyes widened in surprise as she curled her tiny fingers around his bigger one and grasped it. Emily looked up at her brother and she yawned, closing her eyes. James watched his sister open and close her eyes for a few moments and slowly leaned forward and kissed her forehead like he had seen his parents do to him. There was a collective “aw” from the family as everyone watched James interact with the new baby. “She’s beautiful,” Remus commented, smiling down at the baby. “Do you want to hold her?” Ginny asked. Remus started at Ginny and then at Emily. “Well . . . I . . . I don’t know. The last time I held a baby was when Harry was one,” Remus stammered. “You didn’t drop me, did you?” Harry asked, rasing his eyebrows questioningly. Remus shook his head vehemently. “Come on Remie,” Tonks said, causing the twins to snicker at the nickname. “It’s not hard.” “If you’re so confident, you hold her,” Remus suggested. Tonks’ eyes widened at the thought and before she knew it, Ginny had handed the baby to her. She stood still, staring down at the newborn and looked afraid to move. She smiled and began to coo at her. “She’s too precious,” Tonks said, smiling over at Ginny and Harry. They returned the smile and Harry noticed the look in Remus’ eyes. It was the same look he wore when he spent time with James. Harry turned to look at Ginny and leaned close to her ear. “Should we tell them?” he whispered. Ginny nodded and took Harry’s hand. “Tonks, why don’t you let Remus hold your goddaughter?” Ginny suggested. Remus’ head jerked up and he looked at the young parents and Tonks’ mouth dropped open. “What did you say?” Remus asked. Ginny smiled warmly at him and Tonks. “Harry told me about how you both visited the Burrow while I was as school and how much you loved James like your own. It’s nice to know that people outside the family care about him as much as we do. We talked and we want you to be both James and Emily’s godparents,” Ginny explained. “Us?” Tonks asked, looking completely bewildered. Harry nodded. Remus looked at Tonks and back at Harry and Ginny. “You really want us to be the godparents?” Remus asked. “Yes!” Harry exclaimed, grinning at him. “Please say you will.” “But what about Ron and Hermione,” Remus said, looking at them. “They are your best friends.” “We’re already the aunt and uncle. We’ve got enough responsibility as it is,” Ron said, smiling at his former professor and Hermione agreed. Remus turned away from them and smiled widely at Harry. “We’d be honored,” Tonks said and the young parents beamed. There was a round of congratulations and Emily was passed around to family members before returning to her mother’s arms once more. “How are you feeling?” Hermione asked Ginny as Ginny began to nurse Emily again (this time without any embarrassment). “Exhausted,” Ginny sighed. She looked down at her daughter and smiled warmly at her. “But happy.” Harry watched as Ginny and Emily were gushed over. Molly and Arthur were beaming at Ginny with pride and Harry felt a twinge of jealousy. He wondered if his parents were alive, would they be proud of him as well? Would they be beaming at him and telling him congratulations? Would his mother be hugging him tightly, crying over her new granddaughter, and would his father be telling him that he would need to be beating boys off of her when she got older? “Harry?” Harry shook himself from his thoughts and looked at the source of the voice. “Sweetheart, do you want to hold Emily for the picture?” Ginny asked. “Picture?” Harry frowned as she eased their daughter into his arms. “Yes, dear. Dad’s going to take a picture of the four of us,” Ginny said, a frown appearing on her face. “You okay?” Harry nodded and looked down at his daughter in his arms. “Everything’s just fine.” After a few pictures and a few more conversations, the family left and the Potters were alone in their home once more. Harry had taken James back to bed and this time the two year old drifted off to sleep almost immediately. Emily was now sleeping in her bassinet next to Harry and Ginny’s bed, where she would continue to be sleeping until she was a little older. Harry had helped Ginny to the shower after the children were taken care of and soon she and Harry were snuggled close together in their bed. Soon, Harry found himself drifting to sleep after a tiring day. Harry was in a room, surrounded by white walls. It was brightly lit and Harry had to shield his eyes from the brightness with his hand. He heard voices; a woman and a child’s and he went towards the sound of them. Harry continued making his way to the voices and they started to sound very familiar. Something came into view and he smiled. Ginny was sitting in a rocking chair, slowly rocking back and forth with baby Emily in her arms. James was standing on his tip toes, his hands on the armrest of the chair and watching his baby sister. He watched as Ginny sang to Emily, a happy smile on her face. He continued watched them and felt content. “Harry?” A hand was on his shoulder and Harry whipped around. His eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped. “Mum? Dad?” he whispered as he stared at the sight of Lily and James Potter. They didn’t look much older than Harry and both were smiling widely at him. “Oh, James! Look at him! He looks just like you when you were his age,” Lily gushed and threw her arms around Harry. Her arms felt real and solid around him, the warmth of her body spreading to his. It was comforting and he vaguely remembered the feel of his mother when he was just a baby. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her. He pulled away and Lily took his face in her hands. “You’re grown up into a very handsome man.” Harry smiled weakly at her and a thought crossed his mind. “Am I dead?” he asked, fear gripping him. Did Death Eaters on the loose break into his house and kill him and his whole family? “No, not at all,” James assured him. “We came to visit you in your dream.” “Visit me?” Harry asked, confused on what was going on. “Yes, dear,” Lily said and took a step away from him. “We wanted to come see you and talk to you.” “But you’re dead,” Harry sighed, frowning at them. “We know,” James replied. “Then how can you visit me in my dreams? Why haven’t you visited me before?” Harry asked his mind in a complete whirlwind of questions and confusion. “It’s not easy. It’s a complicated process and we’ve been trying to visit you in your dreams for a while and we managed to do it this time,” James explained. He placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder, his touch feeling just as real as his mother’s. “Son, we’ve been watching you and I am very proud of you.” “You’ve been watching me?” Harry asked. Lily nodded and smiled at him. “Yes, we have. We’ve watched you and every thing you’ve done ever since that Halloween,” Lily said. Harry quickly paled. “Everything?” he asked suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Had his parents watched what he got up to with Ginny? James cleared his throat, taking a step back from Harry, and a slight pinkish tint came to his cheeks. “Well, not everything. What you do behind closed doors is your business.” Harry felt his cheeks flush and suddenly felt mortified that his dead parents had seen and knew exactly what he done with Ginny. As if it wasn’t embarrassing enough with Molly barging in on them on a few occasions the summer after his seventh year. “I want to have a few words with you young man,” Lily said, her voice suddenly stern and piercing him with a sharp look. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. She looked scarier that Molly and Ginny combined and Harry wondered knew that her wrath would be even worse. “What were you thinking? Fighting three headed dogs and sneaking out of your room at night to fight Voldemort, and fleeing from huge spiders and fighting a basilisk! And then you go after someone who you knew could have been a murderer, lucky for you he wasn’t, having no consideration for the danger you put others in, and being out during the full moon when Remus hadn’t taken his potion! And if that wasn’t enough, you fight dragons and steal their eggs, and then you sneak out of the castle and go to the Ministry and battle with Death Eaters and run into Voldemort again as if three times wasn’t enough! Then you decide to sneak out and fight Death Eaters with Aurors without knowing what you’re doing, and then you sneak out of the castle again and go to some deserted island and have another go at Voldemort! If I wasn’t dead I would have murdered you myself Harry James Potter!” Lily shouted at him. Harry stood there, shocked by his mother’s outburst and not knowing what to say. He imagined exactly what kind of Howlers he would have gotten if she were alive during his school years. “Well?” she pressed on, her arms crossed now and fixed him with a waiting and steely look. He gulped. Even the wrath of Ginny and Molly together was no match for Lily Potter. “Sorry, Mum,” he mumbled an apology. “I . . . er . . . I didn’t really have a choice,” he offered an excuse pathetically. “Didn’t have a choice? You very well did have a choice young man!” Lily shouted. “Lily, calm down. It’s all in the past and he’s fine. See? No harm done. Besides, he has that feel for adventure, just like me,” James said, trying to calm her down. “That just worries me even more,” Lily replied, glaring at James. “He did want he thought was right. Can you blame him for that?” James said. Lily sighed and dropped her hands to her sides. “No, I can’t. He has a good heart,” Lily said and the warmth in her eyes returned. “And I can’t blame him for that last bit. I would have gone after Voldemort myself if he had taken you from us like that, Harry.” Memories of that night flooded his mind and he quickly shook them away. He didn’t want to remember that. “I couldn’t leave my son like that,” Harry said. “He means everything to me.” “No, you couldn’t,” Lily said and placed a hand softly on his cheek. She sighed and Harry covered her hand with his own larger one. “Though I wish you didn’t have to make that choice in the first place. I never imagined that my little boy would be a father at the age of sixteen.” “Mum, Dad, I’m sorry. I know we should have used protection,” Harry began to explain himself. “It was stupid of us and we should have been smarter and —” “Son, it’s all right,” James cut him off. “What’s done is done and you chose to take responsibility for your actions. We know it wasn’t an easy choice for you, but you did what you thought was right.” “James is such a wonderful little boy. I wish I was there when he was born and now you have Emily, and Harry they are beautiful children. You’ve been a good father and you’ve done well with James and I know you’ll do well with Emily,” Lily said, pulling her hand away from his cheek and smiling at him. “We couldn’t be prouder of you.” Harry smiled at them and looked behind his shoulder. James was now squeezed in next to Ginny in the rocking chair and looking at his baby sister. Ginny was smiling down at the both of them and whispering to them. “Ginny’s wonderful,” James said, causing Harry to look back at his parents. “She is,” Harry agreed, looking at his wedding band on his finger and felt the corners of his mouth tug into a smile. “She’s everything I could have wanted in a wife for you and more,” Lily said, smiling at Harry. “I think we always knew you would marry her, ever since you saved her in your second year. It was only a matter of time until you noticed what a great girl she is,” James said. “I should have noticed her earlier,” Harry sighed. “I love her so much.” “We know you do,” Lily said. Harry looked up at his parents who were smiling at him again. It felt so right to stand there and talk with them. He had always dreamed of something like this and now he had it. It was as if they were still alive and had been through everything with him. He knew that they loved him and were proud of him. “We have to go now,” James said, bringing Harry out of his thoughts. “We’ve outdone our stay.” “No, you can’t. Not now,” Harry said, not wanting his parents to leave. Dream or not, he wanted to spend some time with his parents. “Stay, please.” “I wish we could, son,” James sighed and hugged Harry. “No,” Harry pleaded, wrapping his arms around his father and holding him tightly. He felt his eyes grow hot with the threat of tears. “You can’t go now.” James pulled away and looked Harry over with a sort of pride in his brown eyes. Lily threw her arms around Harry again and kissed his cheek. “I don’t want you to leave,” Harry whispered to her and she held him tightly. “Neither to do I, but we can’t stay Harry,” Lily whispered back. She pulled away and gave him a warm smile, her green eyes twinkling with love for him. Harry noticed that they were getting blurry. “We love you Harry,” Lily said. “I love you too,” Harry replied and saw that they were fading quickly and his eyes were brimming with tears. “Don’t go. Please don’t go. Not yet.” “We’re so proud of you,” James said, his voice sounding far away. “Give my grandchildren and my daughter-in-law a kiss for me,” Lily said, smiling at him as she faded away quicker. “No! Don’t go!” Harry pleaded again. “We’re always with you, Harry. We’ll be with you in your dreams and heart. Always,” Lily said and before Harry knew it they faded away. A cry pierced the silence of their room and Harry stirred in his sleep. He opened his eyes and looked at the bassinet sitting on the other side of the bed. “So it begins all over again,” Ginny muttered in her sleep and Harry felt her stir beside him. He saw her sit up in bed and she sighed. “I guess she’s hungry again.” “You stay here and I’ll get her,” Harry offered and sat up. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He yawned, stretching his arms over his head as he stumbled towards the bassinet. “Shh,” he whispered and leaned over the bassinet. “Don’t cry. Come on,” he said to Emily and picked her up. She wailed at the top of her lungs, squirming in Harry’s arms. Harry rocked her a bit as he went back to the bed where Ginny was waiting to nurse her again. He carefully handed her to Ginny and watched as Ginny adjusted her in her arms. “There’s a good girl,” Ginny said as Emily latched on to her mother’s breast and began to suckle. Harry slipped back into bed and watched them. The door creaked open and a small figure stood in the threshold, a floppy blue bunny clutched in one had and his other hand rubbing his eyes sleepily. “Uh oh, did Emily wake you up?” Harry asked and James nodded grumpily. “Come on then.” James scurried across the room and climbed into the bed. Harry settled him in his lap and James snuggled close to Harry. “I guess none of us are going to have sweet dreams tonight,” Ginny sighed and looked over at Harry. “Guess not,” Harry agreed and he remembered his dream. “I had a dream, though.” “You did?” Ginny asked, looking down at Emily again. “What was it about?” “I was in this room and I heard voices, so I followed them and it turned out to be you and James and Emily,” Harry began. “I watched you three for a bit and then my parents were there, but they felt so real.” Ginny turned to look at him and frowned. “They felt real?” Harry nodded. “They hugged me and it was like I was awake. They felt real. I don’t know how to explain it but I swear it really was them.” “What happened then?” Ginny asked frowning slightly. “They talked to me and said they’d been watching me and everything I’ve done. They said they were proud of me,” Harry recalled. “They approve of you. They think you’re the perfect match for me.” “Really?” Ginny asked and Harry nodded. He remembered his mother’s request and bent over to kiss James on the top of his head. He leaned over and kissed Ginny’s cheek and carefully lowered his head to kiss Emily’s forehead. Ginny raised her eyebrows questioningly. “My mum asked to kiss everyone for her,” Harry admitted sheepishly. Ginny smiled at him. “So it was a good dream then?” Ginny asked. “Yeah, it was,” Harry agreed and sighed. “Eme,” James said, pointing at Emily and looking up at his father. Harry sighed and kissed the top of his head again. James crawled out of Harry’s lap and stood on his knees, watching his baby sister be nursed by Ginny. “He seems to like her,” Ginny observed. “Yeah,” Harry agreed. “I like her too.” Ginny smiled and looked down at Emily again. “Me too,” she said. They sat there in the silence of the night, happy as a family could be. Each one of them knew that no matter what, good or bad, they had each other and always would and they would always be happy. They were a family, a young one, but love knew no age and the Potters would always have that love. The End A/N: I cannot believe that this is done. Over a year of plotting, planning, typing, editing, and the like and it's over. Wow. This story had taken a mind of it's own. I never intended it to go the way it went, but I'm happy that it didn't go the way I wanted it orginally to go. I'm very pleased with it. I will, when I get the time to, go back and do some revising and editing and tweaking it a bit, but it won't change the story at all. I want to thank each and every person who has read this story, whether you reviewed or not. I'm glad you all have taken the time to read my work and shared your thoughts on it with me. I especially want to thank my friend Erin who was the lucky person who got to deal with me and my ravings on this pretty much every night for over a year. She was the first one to see the very first draft of it and has helped me with it. I don't think I could have done it all without her. Thanks Erin! I also want to thank all my other friends who have dealt with me and my ravings. You guys know who you are! (Cold enough for you in Flagstaff and having fun in the ever so popular Tucson? You guys know Phoenix is the place to be!) This is by far not the end of my writing, nor this story. However, I do NOT have a sequel planned for this. I do have a series of one shots that I have in the works. It will cover moments from before the beginning of this story and to years after. When those will be out, I don't know, but look for them. Also, I have many, many, MANY other stories in the works that will be posted in the future. So this is not the last time you'll hear from me. Lastly, I want to point out to you all an incredible story on here called Jenny by LaFeeMechante. It's absolutely amazing and you have to read it! It will blow you away and I seriously think it should be number one. Go. Read. NOW!!! Thanks for reading! H/G always! SunDevil05 |
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