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Only the Best | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Nymphadora Tonks, Other, Ron Weasley Genres: Action/Adventure, Romance Warnings: Death, Disturbing Imagery, Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Sexual Situations, Spouse/Adult/Child Abuse, Violence, Violence/Physical Abuse Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 82 Summary: Metropolitan Police Inspector Harry Potter was having an amazing twenty-four hours. He slept a full eight hours, had a good pint, and met the most incredible red-headed woman. Of course, that was all nulled by the dead woman lying in Whitehorse Road Park. Hitcount: Story Total: 32785; Chapter Total: 1983 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: And it's over! I would like to thank Arnel and gryffindormischief for all their help throughout this story. I can't say thank you enough for the support I've received on this story. It's been awesome to read all the comments and reviews. I've loved coming up with the mystery of this story, so don't worry I have every intention of continuing to write within this universe. |
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Tonks rested her head on the cool wood of her desk. She was, not for the first time, lost in this case. It had been a month - a bloody fucking month — since Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had been discovered in their illustrious mansion, and nothing… No leads, no new people of interest. All she had was that final note and two bodies in the morgue. The Malfoy’s son, Draco, had become one of Tonks biggest adversary’s. He would not rest until she was either fired, for being unable to stop the unknown murder, or murdered herself. He had come to the station numerous times to express his disdain towards her and the entirety of Scotland Yard. Harry, seemed to have a more serious feud with the blond-haired man. The moment Harry and Draco met, they seemed to despise one another. It could have been the way Draco walked into the place, yelling about the disappointing police team, or maybe it was the way Draco seemed to decide that Harry was the reason the murder hadn’t been stopped in the first place. Either way, Harry was not allowed to deal with Draco Malfoy, leaving Tonks in charge of that account. If that wasn’t enough, Harry was also leaving the field. Moody had given the black-haired man a teaching position, leaving Tonks without her favorite partner. In other words, Tonks was pretty pissed at life right now. With her head down and skull throbbing, Tonks didn’t notice the footsteps approaching her desk. The moment the pleasant female voice spoke, Tonks’ head shot up to see Ginny Weasley, soon to be Potter. “Alright, Tonks?” Ginny was wearing one of Harry’s old academy shirts, most likely to hide her growing stomach. Harry had been keeping Tonks posted on his unborn child. All healthy, ten fingers and toes. She had never seen Harry so — for a lack of a better word — peaceful. That was the only reason she didn’t resent her partner abandoning her to teach at the academy. He needed this. He needed to move on with his life and focus on his child and future wife. “Eh?” Tonks tried to smile at the red head. “I’m not murdered, so…” Ginny didn’t smile, instead she grabbed a nearby chair and rolled it over to Tonks’ desk. “If that’s the standard of being alright, I’d say most of the population falls in that category.” Ginny put her hand on Tonks’ forearm. “Spill, Tonks.” It was like a floodgate opened. Tonks told her everything, things Ginny didn’t need to know. Things Ginny probably never wanted to know. She explained the case, her sadness over Harry leaving their partnership, her lack of a sex life (the information that Ginny’s brother, Charlie, had been her shag over had not been left out). For her credit, Ginny listen calmly, not interrupting, or even making a face about her brother. She waited until Tonks took a deep breath and closed her mouth to say, “Well, I’m going to start with the easiest part of that. Charlie should be in the neighborhood later today, so give him a call and go get a leg over. Next, Harry won’t really be leaving you. He’s still going to be around to talk with about cases. Hell, he’ll probably want to discuss every detail with you. Not to mention he is going to be the lead profiler for you guys, so he’ll be around. I know it’s not the same,” Ginny apparently had already received that motherly ability to intercept an interruption, because she knew exactly what Tonks was thinking. “But you’ll grow to like Creevey. Harry picked him, because he one of the best.” Tonks couldn’t help but sigh. That was true. Harry would never leave her with a piss poor partner. “And finally,” Ginny concluded. “It’s like I’m always telling Harry, you can only play with the cards you’ve been dealt. This V bastard seems to know what he’s doing, and as bad as it sounds you can only find him if he slips up.” “Your right,” Tonks rested her face in her hands, elbows resting on the desk, making her voice muffled, “but fuck, I want to find him.” Ginny patted her back comfortingly. “I do too, I think everyone does, but you’re doing your best.” There was no doubt about that in Tonks’ mind. Jesus, she had barely slept since the Malfoy murders. Tomorrow would be her first day off in a month, and that was only because it was Harry’s wedding day. Ginny continued to rub soothing circles on Tonks’ back. “You’re really good at this motherly thing,” Tonks claimed through her fingers. “Have you been taking classes?” Ginny snorted. “I wish there was a class to make me feel like an accomplished mother. To be honest, I only know a back rub is comforting to an upset woman is because Harry does it for me all the time. Lord knows I’ve become an emotional time bomb, with an unknown countdown.” Tonks laughed and raised her head. “Thanks, Ginny,” Then a sudden thought came to the detective inspector. “What are you doing here?” The smirk that rose on Ginny’s lips could be only described as wicked. “I may have been helping my soon-to-be husband use his office in a not so businesslike manner.” The derisive snort that came out of Tonks’ nose, made Ginny laugh. “I hope you don’t plan on wearing white tomorrow.” “What? I’m clearly perfectly pure. The three-month fetus growing inside me at this very moment is proof enough, I’m sure.” “Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Tonks grin at her friend. “So, I’m assuming you’re hungry? Harry’s been telling me you’ve been eating nonstop.” “And as I’ve told him, try growing a human life inside of you, and then tell me you aren’t hungry.” Tonks laughed. “How about we go get some lunch and you can tell me all about that and the wedding.” Ginny smiled and stood up. “Oh, you’re in for it now. Just wait until I tell you the horror story that is my mother’s bridal booklet.” XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX Harry nervously straighten his tie for the tenth time that morning. In just under an hour he was going to be a married man. Something he honestly never really considered. He had always been married to the job, and women seemed to come and go out of his life. Not Ginny Weasley, however. No, she was there to stay. “Harry, if you touch that tie one more time…” Tonks let her threat hang in the air. She lounged in a corner chair. She had come into his room over ten minutes ago and in that time, Harry had flattened his hair five times, retied his shoes twice, and lost the ability to stand once. He shouldn’t be this nervous, the logical part of his brain told him repeatedly. He couldn’t wait to be married to Ginny, and hell, he had faced much more nerve wracking things then standing at the end of an aisle, over the years, but Jesus Christ this was a new level for him. “You look fine, mate,” Neville, Harry’s best man, walked over from his spot on the small loveseat. He moved in close, under the pretense of brushing some imagine dust off Harry’s shoulders, and whispered. “The anticipation is the worst part, but once you see her walking down the aisle…” Harry could imagine it. Him stand there, at the end of the carpeted walkway. Trying not to fidget and mess up his hair. All of Ginny’s brothers staring him down because he knocked up their baby sister… Then the piano would start playing the simple obligato of Pachelbel’s Canon in D. Ginny would start walking towards him, Arthur there beside her, as she seems to glide. Her long red hair falling down her shoulders and back. Even in his own imagination he can’t take his eyes off her. The way she looks at him, as if no one knows anything but them. Neville patted Harry’s now “clean” shoulder. “It’s time. Come on, mate.” XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX Neville had been right. Once the ceremony started, everything but Ginny had faded away. Sure, his fingers trembled as he slid the gold band onto her fourth finger, but that didn’t matter, because Ginny’s knowing, understanding, and loving smile kept him grounded. Finally, when he had been allowed to kiss his bride all the cheers and applause faded out as she took a breath and leaned in towards him. Now, here he was two hours later, comfortably sitting with one arm resting on the small bump that protruded from his new wife’s stomach. Countless people had come up to congratulate them, for both the baby and the marriage, some of the older generation ignored the former congratulatory. Ginny’s Aunt Muriel being one of those people. In all honest Harry couldn’t care if some people didn’t approve of their situation. Personally, he was on cloud nine, and nothing was bringing him down. “Look at Ron,” Ginny whispered, gleefully. Harry turned to see his youngest brother-in-law, trying and failing, to dance with Hermione Granger. Harry watched the scene like it was a car crash, unable to tear his eyes away from the horrific event with disturbing interest. Hermione was wincing with every step, because Ron’s uncoordinated feet kept stepping on her toes. Harry could only image the pain she would feel in the morning. “It’s moments like this that I’m glad I tricked you into taking that ballroom dance class,” Ginny kissed him on the cheek, leaning her body against his. “Our first dance would have looked like that train wreck over there.” “Oi,” Harry tried to sound indigent, but he knew she was right. He decided to change the topic, to avoid any more blows at his dancing abilities. “Have you seen how cozy Charlie and Tonks look over there?” He pointed to the darken corner, where his ex-partner was attached so closely to Ginny’s brother it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. Ginny followed his instruction and snorted. “Jesus, when I said, “go get a leg over” I meant after I had left and didn’t have to see any of it.” Harry laughed. “You’re helping your brother get laid?” “Eh,” Ginny shrugged. “As long as I don’t have to hear anything about it, more power to them.” She then pressed a trail of kisses up his neck to his ear. “Speaking of getting a leg over…” “Don’t worry about a thing, Mrs. Potter,” Harry turned to look at his lovely wife. “I have that covered tonight, you’ll want for nothing.” “You’re talking some big game there, Mr. Potter.” “It’s only talk, if I can’t back it up,” Harry lowered his voice and put his mouth right on her ear. “And trust me, I have the credentials.” Ginny’s breath hitched as Harry moved his attention down the side of her neck and over to her lips, pressing one short, but meaningful example of what was to come. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ginny lay out some fresh baked scones and tea for herself and Tonks. As she turned around to grab the milk out of the cold box, she swayed ever so slightly. She was having a hard time adjusting to the extra girth of her waist. What once had been a cute, little bump had doubled in size, seemingly almost overnight. Sure, she was at the start of her final trimester, but fuck, she did not like being a wide load. “So how do you like Dennis?” Ginny asked as she recovered from her lack of depth and placed the small jug of milk next to the scones. “He’s alright,” Tonks admitted. She had already poured a cup for herself and Ginny. “He’s an okay bloke, so far at least.” “Has he been able to help with the case?” Ginny stirred in the splash of dairy, watching the color lighten to her satisfaction. Tonks broke off a piece from her scone. “Actually, yeah. He had the idea of researching all local stage performers, based on the idea that this bastard is some sort of hypnotist. Then we’ve narrowed it down to names that have a V. So, like: Vigorous Victor, The Vital Miscreants, The Majestic Vigilante… stuff like that.” Ginny nodded her approval. “That makes sense. Has anything panned out?” “Not yet,” Tonks shook her head. “But honestly, it’s the only thing we have to work with, so I’ll take it. However, it’s been three months, so…” Her voice dropped off before she changed topic. “Enough about work,” The detective smiled at her friend. “How’s married life been treating you? That man better be taking care of you and that baby.” “Oh, he is,” Ginny laughed. “I’ve had to yell at him more than once for treating me like I’m inept. Just last night he wouldn’t let me carry in my own cup of tea into the sitting room, so to spite him I went out and made two fresh cups and carried them to the coffee table. Then, I didn’t drink either of them because all I wanted was a glass of lemonade.” Tonks laughed. “Good to know this pregnancy is going to drive you both batty, not just you.” Ginny shrugged with her laughter. “Those who go mad together, stay together.” “As long as I’m with you,” A voice startled the two women. Harry had quietly entered the flat, his hair lying flat due to the London rain that had rolled in just over an hour ago. “I’m fine with a little madness.” He moved over to his wife, kissing her chastely on the cheek. “How are you, Tonks?” Harry asked as he gently caressed that baby bump that was now so prominent. “I’m well enough,” Tonks couldn’t stop the smile from creeping up onto her lips. She adored seeing the Potters together like this, so at ease and happy. Blimey, they made it impossible for her to be bitter about the partner swap. Harry was truly where he belonged. “Creevey and I have been working some new theories.” “Good!” Harry claimed. He moved over towards the cupboard and grabbed a clean mug for himself, filling it to the brim and taking the empty kitchen chair for himself. “So, I was right picking Creevey for your partner, huh?” Tonks had no desire to give that git the satisfaction of being correct, so she settled for a glare. Harry, however seemed to know what she was thinking and reached across the table to pat her shoulder. “Your welcome.” Ginny snorted. “And now he’s going to have an even larger ego.” Harry smiled at her, shrugging his shoulders. “If I can find Tonks a perfect partner with little to no effort, image what I could do if I truly focused.” “We’ll find out later,” Ginny smirked at her husband. “When you rub my feet before bed.” XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ginny leaned her head against the plain white wallpaper of the stingy hospital waiting area, shutting her eyes and closing out the world. She didn’t want to do this. She had never thought she would have to deal with something like this. She knew logically this was not how he would want to be, hooked up to tubes and wires. He was always such a free spirit and now… “Gin?” Harry’s voice was gentle as he lay his hand on her shoulder. “Your mum’s been asking for you. They’re saying it’s time.” Ginny’s breath shallowed against her will. No, it should never be time. “Love?” Harry moved his hand from her shoulder and entwined their fingers, tenderly squeezing. Ginny allowed Harry to guide her up from her seat. As soon as she was upright, he pulled her into his chest, holding her as tightly as was possible with her enlarged stomach. She needed a moment. Really, she needed more than a moment, she needed a life time, but that wasn’t an option. Harry placed his lips on her forehead, letting them linger for several heartbeats. Then, he removed himself from her embrace, keeping an arm around her waist. He guided them back towards Fred’s room. Her entire family was gathered in the too small room, the air thick. The only sounds in the room were the beeping of the heart monitor, the small whooshing from the ventilator, and inconsistent sniffles coming from various redheads crowded around the bed. George sat in one of the chairs closest to his twin. Ginny knew this was killing her brother on the inside. Being the executor of Fred’s will, George was the one who had to say when to turn off the only thing keeping his best friend alive, and Fred had demanded that extraordinary measures be stopped after a month. Doctor Samuels, the person in charge of Fred’s case from the start, was concluding his speech. “We don’t know if he will start to breath on his own after I removed the machine from his lungs. If he does start to breath we will continue to take steps from there. If he does not begin to breath on his own, his heart rate will start to slow, and it may take a while for it to completely stop. Do you all understand this?” The Weasleys nodded out of unison, George taking the longest to acknowledge the information. Dr. Samuels took in a deep breath through his nose. “Okay, I am now shutting of the ventilator and removing the tubing from his throat.” Ginny didn’t really want to watch, but she could tear her eyes away from her brother. Samuels pressed a few buttons on the machine next to Fred’s bed, removing one of the few sounds in the room. As Samuels removed the tube from Fred’s mouth, a small sigh was released from the patient’s lungs. Then there was nothing but the steady beat from the heart monitor. The family stayed silent as they watched in bated breath, hoping that Fred’s chest would miraculously rise high, his eyes would shoot open and he would be able to send them his infamous crooked grin. Instead, the heart monitor started to slow, going from the steady medium pace, to an erratic slower beat. Ginny’s mother let out a choked sob and turned to her face into her husband’s chest. Arthur didn’t look much better, his face scrunched painfully. Ginny couldn’t stand it. She moved over to the foot of her brother’s bed and placed a hand on his blanket-covered foot. “Please don’t go, Fred,” Ginny’s voice was hoarse as she pleaded. “I want you to meet my child. They need to know their uncle Fred.” Tears started to fall unashamedly from her eyes. Relentlessly, the heart monitor continued to falter. Bill moved from his spot in the precession and joined Ginny. Then Charlie, Ron, and George all placed their hands onto Fred. If this were a fairy tale, the tears of love coming from Fred’s family would make him come back from the brink. He would slowly blink his eyes open, make a joke about the light at the end of the tunnel and everyone’s tears would switch from sad to happy. However, life was nothing like a fairy tale. Over the course of an hour and a half, Fred’s heart slowed to stop, making the room echo with an incurable continuous beep. The screen showing the worst sight for any loved one, a solid flat line and a singular zero up in the corner. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ginny lay in bed, her thoughts pulling her every direction. Fred, her family, her mother’s depression. Since Fred had passed last month, the entire Weasley clan had been in a right state. However, it was Molly and George that took the most drastic fall. George had started to drink more than what was advised, taking to the pub every night for hours on end. Molly… Molly had stop cooking. Something Ginny never thought would happen. Her mother loved to cook, and the idea that her father was making both their meals destroyed her. Molly Weasley was the strongest person she knew, and losing Fred had proven that a mother’s love was one of the most powerful forces in the universe, and the pain a mother felt losing their child was soul crushing. The only thing keeping her mind from falling into a dark abyss was Harry and their baby. With less than a month until the birth of her first child, Ginny was in baby overdrive. She made sure the cot was set up in the little nursery off the master bedroom. The house was now completely bare of all moving boxes, not that she could lift any of the heavy material, but Harry had followed her every instruction about where to put their knick-knacks and books. When Harry had claimed he had found them the perfect home, still near enough to London they could keep their jobs, Ginny didn’t believe him, but he really had. Set in Enfield was a perfect little two-story house with three bedrooms, ideal for their growing family. Still within an hour’s drive to both their jobs, Harry really had outdone himself. Harry had really been her rock over the past month, comforting her when she cried, making her laugh when she needed it, he was there for her in every way possible. Between setting up the house for the baby, and being just married, she and Harry had become a bubble of contentment whenever together. Because of her sense of happiness, Ginny wished she knew how to help her mother and brother, but it was hard when the way she gained joy was her husband and baby. She visited her parents’ house every week, and though it was hard, she tried to bring that spark back to her mother. She discussed baby names and gushed about the future hair color and eyes. That would help for a bit, her mother’s eyes with sparkle with anticipation, but it would fade down eventually. Arthur had told Ginny in private that it really was making a difference. After she would leave for the day, Molly would still be slightly perkier than before. Every week was an improvement. Harry moved his hand up and down her side. “You okay, Gin? Typically, by now your snoring like a truck.” “I’m not even going to dignify that with a response,” Ginny smiled to herself. Harry seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to her inner thoughts and demons. He just seemed to know when she needed his attention. The kiss Harry placed to her clothed shoulder made gooseflesh run down her arms. “Do you need some help getting out any extra energy?” Ginny knew her husband’s eyebrows were wiggling suggestively as he asked this. “Trust me, I’m plenty tired,” Ginny turned to look at Harry, making sure his arm still lay on her side. “Having a baby bounce in your stomach all day is exhausting… I’ve a lot on my mind, that’s all.” Harry nodded and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Would you like to talk about it?” She considered his offer, but no matter how much she discussed everything, that wasn’t going to fix things. No, this was something she couldn’t correct. It was time that would heal her family. However, she would love a distraction and she knew just what too. “No,” Ginny moved a hand to caress Harry’s cheek. “I would love to talk to you about what you’re going to do when our daughter goes on her first date?” Harry snorted. “First, what makes you think we’re having a daughter, and second what makes you think I’ll do anything?” “Call it mother’s intuition, and she’ll have you wrapped around her little finger — “ “Just like her mother.” “And any boy will be a threat.” Harry smiled and moved them so that Ginny lay on her back and he hovered above her. “Well, they will just have to know the story about the time I stopped a mad serial killer, and no secondary school boy will ever best me.” He stopped using his mouth for words then, focusing rather on clusters of freckles that littered Ginny’s cheeks and now-showing shoulder blades as he pushed the collar of her shirt away from her neck. “Big bad Potter, huh?” Ginny breath hitched as Harry’s lips found a sensitive part of her neck. “You know it.” Harry’s hands went down to the hem of her shirt, lifting slowly. “Allow me to give you an example of big, bad Potter.” XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX “Gin,” Harry’s voice cracked, not for the first time that day. Though he addressed his wife, his attention was solely focused on the small bundle in his arms. Black hair, already unruly like his father’s, Harry’s son blinked at him with a peaceful curiosity. Still that standard ‘baby blue’ but Harry felt sure they’d soon darken to the same shade of brown as his mother. “Hmmm?” Ginny, for her part, couldn’t stop staring at her newborn son and husband. The way Harry tentatively shuffled his body, as to avoid dislodging their baby. The way Harry was watching every movement their son made, it made her heart soar. She knew he had been nervous, from the moment she claimed her contractions started, to right before he held the baby for the first time. As soon as their baby was in his arms, Harry’s tension changed from being all nerves to high strung emotions. He had been sitting in the bedside chair for over five minutes just watching their son. “I’m just so in love…” Harry’s voice was just above a whisper, as he gently rocked his arms. “With you… with him.” He finally turned misty eyes on his wife. “This is everything.” Ginny knew her hormones were out of sync, but she was one hundred and twenty percent sure that sentence would have turned her into a hosepipe any day of the week. Tears fell from her eyes that she hastily swiped off her cheeks. She scooted her body, ever so slightly, so that she was closer to the edge of the bed, and Harry. Her hand reached out and caressed his cheek. “Only the best for you, luv.” Harry let out a quiet chuckle, making sure the baby didn’t bob around too much. “We still don’t have a name for him.” Ginny did however. She had come up a combination of names she thought to be perfect. “I was thinking — ” She started off slowly. “Maybe, after your father… He kinda looks like a James, doesn’t he?” Harry, who had turned his gaze back on the baby after Ginny’s use of his popular phrase, spun to look at her. “Really?” His voice had already been hoarse, but somehow his tone became a mere croak. “Yeah,” Ginny smiled at her husband. “Little James Potter has a nice ring, doncha think?” All Harry could do was nod, allowing Ginny to press her advantage. “And then I thought the name Fredrick worked really well with James. Don’t eat that James Fredrick! Stop picking on your cousin James Fredrick! James Fredrick Potter, get your bum down here right now!” “I love it,” Harry met her gaze for a brief moment, before they both looked down at little James. James seemed to have developed an intuitive radar for important moments, because he decided to start crying. His face scrunching and making it seem as if the sky was falling. Harry tried his best to rearrange James, to comfort him, but he was too tentative. A nurse came into the room to find the cause of the commotion. “Ah, I’m guessing this one is hungry,” the kindly woman claimed as she come over to the new parents. “Would you like some help feeding him for the first time?” Ginny was still in a state of shock that she had a baby, and now she needed to feed him… with her breasts. “Yeah,” she admitted, albeit shyly. “If you could — ” The nurse was already on the move, setting up a pillow to help Ginny sit up. “Have you two decided on a name?” The nurse asked as she helped Ginny move her sore body into a sitting position. “Yes,” Ginny rubbed one aching spot on her back, as she was righted. “James Fredrick.” “That’s adorable!” Even if the nurse said that to every new mother, Ginny couldn’t stop herself from gushing over her son’s adorable name herself. Harry beamed with pride as well. Finally, Ginny was positioned to hold James comfortably as he fed. Nurse Carrie, which Ginny was glad to learn the name of the woman who was talking so much about her breasts, took James from Harry and positioned his mouth right at her nipple. Ginny had no way to describe the feeling, but James knew what he wanted and how to get it. He latched on to her with little to no difficulty and started to drink. “Well, he’s an easy little babe now, isn’t he,” Carrie admired. “I’ll let you continue with some privacy. How about I go and get James’ birth certificate all set up?” She left the room, leaving both Harry and Ginny to continue to wonder at their newborn. “Well, I can clearly see the Weasley in him,” Harry smirked as he moved his chair as close to the bed as he possible could. “Look at him go.” “Just as bad as his father,” Ginny looked up from James’ face and grinned at her husband. “Can’t say I blame him,” Harry mused, throwing his arm over Ginny’s shoulder and watching his son feast. “Look at what we made, Gin.” “We do good work, Potter.” “That we do, Potter. That we do.” XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX “How is my grandson?” Molly asked for the fifth time that phone call. Ever since the birth of her first grandson, Molly had come out of her depressed state. She constantly was making the baby new booties and winter hats. Ginny couldn’t complain, if this was what helped Molly come back from the brink, who was she to deny her mother the pleasure of spoiling her grandson. Ginny had to resist sighing for the fourth time, because no matter how much talking about James helped her mother, it did get repetitive in a thirty-minute conversation. “He’s perfect, Mum. He went down easily enough.” Molly had been calling her every other day since she returned from the hospital a little under two months ago. Okay, maybe every two days was an exaggeration, but it sure felt that way. “And Harry?” “He’s great. He loves working at the academy, and he just adores coming home and cuddling James.” “I knew you found a good one, Ginny,” Molly praised. “I knew he was going to be such a doting father, right from the moment he pulled your father and I aside after Fred was taken.” There was a pause. “He is still doting on you as well, I’m sure.” Ginny was glad that this was a phone call rather than a face to face interaction, because the blush that was rapidly spreading across her cheeks would show all too much for her mother’s watchful gaze. “Of course, Mum.” “Good, don’t let the fire die, my dear.” “So, James did the cutest thing last night,” Ginny changed the topic a quickly as she could. She had another twenty minutes before her mother would deem this conversation long to end, and she had no desire to talk about her sex life with her mother, no matter how good it was. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX “So, we have three hundred and twenty-seven potential suspects,” Tonks moaned to Harry, as they ate their lunch. “Dennis and I don’t even know where to start. We’re getting profiles for some of the people, but no one seems to fit the bill.” Harry nodded, taking a bite from one of his chips, before pointing the fried potato at his fellow officer. “With that many people it’s like finding a needle in a haystack, without knowing what a needle is.” Tonks ran a hand through her hair. “Moody’s talking about taking us off the case, for a while at least. We’re short staffed and there are more pressing issues than a bloke who disappeared without any sign almost a year ago.” “Nine months is a long time without any new information,” Harry claimed. “But we’ll be fucked if he does ever come back into the field.” “I know, but what can I do? Moody has a good point. We have no solid leads, and for all we know these performers won’t help us either.” “Either way, it’s fucked,” Harry lamented. “It is fucked,” Tonks agreed, rising her glass in a mock cheer and taking a long draught. “But never mind that buggered shit, how’s little James.” At the mere mention of his son, Harry’s face beamed with pride and excitement. He then started to reenact a particularly cute moment James had the previous night. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Harry lay James down in his cot, pulling the small blanket Molly had made over his son’s body. “Sometimes, I can’t believe he’s really here,” Harry muttered quietly. “Trust me,” Ginny moved from the door jamb, coming close behind her husband. “He’s really here. I did spend over three hours in labor with the little guy, and that made it plenty real. Harry turned from the now sleeping baby and wrapped his arms around Ginny. “It just doesn’t feel real.” Ginny smiled knowingly and pressed a promising kiss to his lips. “It’s all real, Harry.” Harry moved their lips back together, letting them stay connected for much longer this time. “Thank Jesus for that.” Moving her arms from around his neck, Ginny intertwined one hand with his. “Come on, let’s head to bed ourselves. They say when the baby sleeps, you sleep.” They backed out of the small nursey off their master bedroom. Harry still loved the new home he and Ginny had bought. With a back yard big enough for a swing set and jungle gym, plenty of space within the house for entertaining, and multiple empty bedrooms it was perfect for their small family, even if it grew in size a few more times. They went about getting ready for bed, taking the extra pillows and throwing them to the side, changing into more comfortable trousers, and turning their phones to silent. “So, when I was talking with Mum today,” Ginny started once they had crawled into bed, her head resting on his chest. “A common occurrence I’m told,” Harry chuckled to himself, making Ginny’s head rise with his laughter. “Yes, well, she mentioned the conversation you had with her and dad, before you went after Fred.” Ginny sat up, so she could look into Harry’s face. “Yeah?” “Yeah. She claimed that’s when she knew you would be a great father.” Harry blushed, but smiled. “That’s really nice of her to say.” “What did you tell them?” At the time, Ginny hadn’t thought twice about Harry pulling her parents aside, but in retrospect she wondered what he needed to say that she and her brothers couldn’t know. “Oh, I told them the truth about what we knew.” When Ginny shot him a blank look, Harry continued. “Well, we didn’t really understand why he was being so submissive, so I wanted them to know there may be some phycological issue. I didn’t want them to think I would be hero of everything and give them false hope. I know it sounds cruel,” Harry rushed to explain. “But I know that if it were my son I would want all the facts, and that’s what I told them. I also figured they would want a moment to themselves after I explained everything, so I pulled them into the sitting room.” “They were trying to put on a brave face for all of us that night,” Ginny couldn’t forget the entirety of that day, even if she had wanted too. Between worrying about Harry and Fred, her nerves had been shot. “Your mother hugged me,” Harry ran a hand though her hair, letting his fingers spread apart towards the bottom. “She thanked me for giving her all the facts and your father did the same. I thought they may hate me, because I brought such horrible news, but they were glad to know everything.” Ginny placed her head back over Harry’s heart. Neither spoke, content just being with one another. Slowly Ginny started to fall asleep, so content with everything in her life at that moment. She could feel Harry drifting as well, his breath becoming slower and steady. This was her best, she realized. As much of a joke it had been when Harry said it the first time, he really did give her only the best. The best life, love, everything in between. |
| Reviews 82 |
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