Chapter Text
invisible string.
PART 2.
The months that followed presented a mixture of excitement and nerves for the couple because they wanted to keep the pregnancy under wraps for as long as possible but when you are The Boy Who Lived and one of the biggest Quidditch player success stories that Britain has ever had, an easy life can sometimes be well… a fairy tale.
Take Ginny for example. She could not play anymore but the reason why could not be made public. The Harpies were really good at keeping it a secret. They used excuses like ‘ rotating players’ and ‘injuries’. Eventually, the press grew tired of those excuses and in June, the story that began to run was that there was a massive feud between Ginny and the team. Mainly over money. It was no surprise to anyone that the person behind these stories was Rita Skeeter.
‘ Again, Ms Weasley has proven that her primary goal in life is money. Our sources tell us that Harry Potter’s parents left him a huge sum of money and we all know the auror wage is good. Now, it appears that she will be leaving the Harpies unless they agree to triple her wage. No chaser is that good. Wait until next week and I’ll have more. Blah, blah, blah, seriously, she needs to fuck off to an island and never come back’ Ginny sighed furiously. She slammed the paper down. She was currently having lunch with Luna and Hermione.
‘She needs to have the respect to write the truth,’ Luna said and rolled her eyes.
‘Luna, the bitch can’t even get my name right. Who the fuck is Ms Weasley anyways?’ Ginny exclaimed, grabbed a fork and started to eat the chocolate cake that had arrived moments before.
‘Anyways, let’s talk about something exciting. You find out the you know what today, don’t you?’ Hermione asked with a smile. They have had to adopt speaking in code when in public just in case anyone was listening in. Often, they would go to muggle places but after Hermione’s drama in Ibiza last year, they decided to never take the risk. It was only that morning that Luna and Hermione made Ginny’s heart burst by wearing baggy clothes too so the attention would not all be on her just in case the paparazzi were around the corner.
‘Yep! I want…’ she looked up at the sky and pointed. It was a clear blue day and the girls got her code straight away.
Half an hour later, Ginny was walking to the hospital. Her and Harry had decided on having this baby at a muggle one to ‘compare the difference’ then the next baby would be at St Mungos. It was an operation and half but they just wanted to be normal as long as possible. They had thought of everything even down to false names.
‘Molly Evans? They are ready for you now’
The nurse did the checks that were needed then excused herself to get a doctor to deliver the news.
‘I think she’s magical. She definitely knew who I was. She wouldn’t stop staring at me,’ Harry said after she left.
‘Oh, Harry, dear you are as clueless sometimes as you are handsome, she was checking you out’ Ginny replied with a hint of jealousy in her voice.
‘Whaaaat? I’m here with my pregnant wife at an ultrasound appointment. Has she no class?’ she sniggered. She was still laughing when the nurse returned with the doctor.
‘Everything seems fine and healthy, Mr and Mrs Evans. I heard you are wanting to know the sex?’ the doctor asked whilst looking at the screen. Both of them nodded.
‘I can see it as clear as day. You are having a boy’
Later that day, they were at home preparing for their family to come over and tell them the good news.
‘Dad is going to have kittens again he sees the ultrasound photos. He is obsessed,’ Ginny said as she prepared the tea.
‘Gin?’
‘Yes, my love’
‘How do you think we can buy a baby name book without anyone noticing?’ Harry said. His head was in a baby magazine.
‘And why would we need a baby name book?’ she questioned and crossed her names.
‘Erm… to name our baby?’
‘I thought it was obvious what we were calling the baby?’
‘Do you want to call him after your Dad? That wou-’
‘Not my Dad, you numpty’ Ginny raised an eyebrow.
He stared at her for a moment, not quite able to form the words. He walked over to her, pulled her into a big hug and kissed her hair. She knew though even if he could not say it.
A month later, just before Harry’s birthday, Ginny was getting ready to go shopping with Luna when she stopped and looked in the mirror. She left out a big sigh. She was five and half months pregnant and had nowhere to hide. She put on her biggest coat and hid what she could then went to the ministry.
Harry had asked to be put on desk duty until the birth then would be able to have some paternity leave. He wanted to be there for Ginny as much as possible. The Brazil mission earlier in the year had gone on longer than expected and by the time he was home, Ginny was almost fifteen weeks pregnant. They had been in regular communication - a first for his missions but it was not the same. He still remembered coming home in the middle of night, going to bed to a sleeping Ginny, pulling her into him and feeling the small formings of the baby bump for the first time. He had missed her ‘belly popping’ as Molly called it and he did not want to miss anything else. There was a knock on his office door, he said ‘come in’ and in walked his wife who shut the door after her.
‘I was just thinking about you’ he said with a smile and walked over to her.
‘I am glad to hear it, Potter. What were you thinking about?’ she replied and put her arms either side of his neck.
‘The night I came home from that awful mission and I felt your bump for the first time’ he replied and gave her a small kiss.
‘That is why I’m here’ she sighed and took off her coat.
‘I mean apart from looking absolutely beautiful, I don’t see what is wrong?’ he asked. He was right. He did not think of the time she looked more radiant and glowing than her usual self than maybe on their wedding day.
‘I don’t think we can keep it a secret much longer. Baggy clothes were fine for a while. It was nice for it to just be us. But now?’ she gestured towards her bump.
‘You’re happy to potentially be photographed pregnant?’
‘I mean, are you happy for me to?’
‘Nothing would make me prouder’
Harry was happy to just do a small announcement in the paper but Ginny refused to. She was bitter towards them for printing all the Skeeter rubbish and all the ‘damaging headlines and stories’ they wrote about Harry when he was fifteen. She believed that they did not deserve to be the ones to announce it. Instead, they decided to announce it via the Holyhead Harpies’ media outlets.
It was soon October and nearing the baby's due date. Ginny did not think she could not get any bigger. She was laid on her bed and was reading a book when Harry walked in.
‘I was thinking… are we doing middle names?’ he asked and climbed onto the bed.
‘Yes, that would be nice. Do you have any ideas?’ she replied and snuggled into him.
‘James Arthur would be nice. Ron is going on how he should be the middle name though’
‘James Ronald? You are not serious?’ she said and rolled her eyes. They both then jumped up excitedly.
‘Oh my god, yes, why didn’t we think of it before?’ she said with a huge smile.
‘James Sirius. It’s perfect. Of course. Are you sure, Gin? I mean, we can just….’ She cut him off with a kiss.
‘I am 100% sure. We can’t have James without Sirius now can we?’ she smiled. He nodded and kissed her again.
It was nearing the end of October. Harry had taken Teddy to go and see a film at the muggle cinema. Ginny said she would stay at home as she could no longer move properly. The baby’s official due date was in two weeks but could come at any point.
Hermione and Luna had come over with icecream and the week's newspaper so they could have a laugh at what had been written now.
‘So Skeeter is saying I’ve impregnated myself with triplets to trap Harry because of the ‘size on me’ Ginny tutted and held her stomach at the same time.
‘She’s hitting a new low now. She’s commenting on your weight. That is out of order’ Hermione replied
‘Leave her to her sad life. She will never know true happiness’
‘Agreed’ Luna said with a smile.
Ginny felt a twinge in her stomach ‘The baby agrees. He doesn’t have time for her bullshit either… oh fuck’
The pain was getting worse. She was sure she had just been sitting for too long. She stood up with the help of Hermione then she felt it. It was warm.
‘Ginny?’ Luna asked, concerned.
‘My pants are wet and I’m pretty sure I haven’t just pissed myself’ Hermione stared at her then got closer before sniffing.
‘I can’t smell anything’ she commented. Ginny laughed and rolled her eyes. She then had another twinge. She grabbed her stomach.
‘Right, don’t panic but I think I’m in labour’
Hermione did panic though ‘should we call the Knight bus?’
‘I am not giving birth on that bus. Luna, get the phone and call a taxi’ Luna nodded and headed out of the room to get the phone ‘The muggle way or nothing. Hermione, I need you to go to the cinema in town and find Harry and Teddy. Andromeda is on a spa break. Take Teddy to my parents. My dad will look after him. I’ll meet you at the hospital’
‘How are you so calm? Why aren’t you freaking out?’ Hermione exclaimed in shock.
‘I’ll freak out on you in a moment if you don’t go and get my husband and then take our Godson to my parents. Hermione, GO!’
Luckily the hospital was not far from the Potter house. Luna was helping keep Ginny calm. It was coming in waves, like her worst period all in one. She was just coming off another contraction when Harry came rushing through the door.
‘Hermione took Teddy to your parents. She said she’ll be here soon’ he said and walked over to her in three strides. He took Ginny’s hand and felt her head with the other.
‘Harry, it’s nearly… It is nearly Halloween. You know what that means?’ Ginny asked, between deep breaths.
‘He is going to be born… the same day my parents died’ he said, quietly.
‘That is actually almost kind of beautiful. Well it is. It is fate’s way of making this day a happy one for you rather than a sad day. Your parents' last gift to you’ Luna mused. Harry and Ginny looked at her for a moment then nodded.
‘The date I lost my parents is the date I become one. Twenty two years apart’ he said, in disbelief.
‘You’re going to be the most amazing father’ Ginny replied, smiling and holding back tears.
‘I love you’ he told her, simply.
‘I love you too’ and with that, she was hit with another contraction.
James Sirius Potter was born on 31st October 2003 at 03:31am and Ginny was right - Harry was the most amazing father from the moment James arrived.