Work Text:
11 August, 2001
The Burrow
Ginny is still half asleep, her legs feeling heavy as she stumbles down the stairs from her bedroom towards the kitchen of her childhood home. Her training routine at Holyhead has been especially gruelling the past few weeks as the Harpies prepare for the last two matches of the season. Dirckins, Holyhead's head coach, seems dead-set on making the top three ranking this season and with only Kenmare between their team and third place, all of the Harpies' players are being pushed to their limits. Strength training, running, flying, gym sessions, swimming and arm workouts – Dirckins is pulling all the stops. And currently, Ginny is feeling it in every single muscle in her body.
Almost tripping over what looks like a pair of dirty work shoes left on the bottom of the stairs, Ginny catches herself on the stairs' railing as she makes a less than elegant entrance into the kitchen. "Shit, ow! I almost twisted my ankle on those bloody boots!"
"Language, Ginevra! There's a child present." Molly chides her daughter from across the kitchen, waving her wooden spatula in direction of the breakfast table. "Honestly, why do you all have such a potty mouth? I didn't teach you that kind of language." Shaking her head at her children's foul language, Molly turns back around to finish the fry-up on her trusty old cooker.
"I'm sure Teddy has heard worse from-" Ginny decides to drop her argument right there when she catches the look Molly throws her over her shoulder and turns to their little guest sitting at the long, wooden table. Grimacing at the feeling of being treated like a child, Ginny quickly mumbles an apology that is drowned out by the shrill voice of three-year-old Teddy.
"Ginny!" At the sight of one of his favourite people, Teddy is excitedly bouncing up and down on his chair. "Ginny, we're having birthday breakfast!"
"Oh, wow, I love birthday breakfast! It's so yummy!" Ginny grins at the little blue haired boy, kneeling down next to his chair, mirroring his adorable excitement. "And do you know why we're having birthday breakfast today?"
"'Cause it's YOUR birthday, silly Ginny!"
"My birthday? Are you sure it's my birthday, Teddy-Bear?" When the toddler squeals in affirmation, Ginny feigns a pout. "But no one's given me a birthday hug yet. Now I'm sad."
Jumping off his chair, Teddy catapults himself right into Ginny's arms who catches the little ball of energy with practiced ease. Cuddling the little boy to her chest, she peppers him over and over with kisses, making Teddy giggle happily as Molly looks one with a fond expression.
"Oh I missed you, my little Teddy-Bear." Since Ginny has spent most of her time at Holyhead, either for training or at her flat to catch some much needed sleep, she hasn't seen much of Teddy or his godfather for weeks. While she talks to Harry through their mirrors almost daily and Harry visits as often as his job allows it, their weekends with Teddy have been exceptionally scarce this Quidditch season.
Ginny is still hugging Teddy tightly when the backdoor opens and a dishevelled looking Harry walks in, holding Molly's eggs basket triumphantly. "Got the eggs, Molly." Brushing a few stray feathers off his t-shirt, he grimaces. "I think Yvette really doesn't like me much."
"Oh dear, that hen is a bit special." Molly clucks her tongue, rushing to unburden Harry from the basket and pulling a feather from his messy hair. "Don't worry, the only one she actually likes is George. I do wonder if he somehow trained her to be difficult for everyone else."
"Harry, look, Ginny's finally awake!" Teddy yells at his godfather from his spot in Ginny's arms, directing his godfather's attention towards himself and the birthday girl. "And Gran told her off for her potty mouth even though it's her birthday and than she was sad that no one gave a her a birthday hug even though it is her birthday!"
Trying not to laugh at all the information rushing out of his godson's mouth practically at once, Harry grins at his two favourite people in the world. "Oh, no. A sad birthday girl? We really can't have that, can we?"
Pulling his girlfriend up from her perch by the breakfast table, Harry engulfs Ginny and Teddy in his arms, making the little boy squeal with laughter. Ginny feels her entire being relax at the familiarity of Harry's body against her own and leans her head onto her boyfriends shoulder. "I thought you're working today."
"I couldn't just miss your birthday breakfast, could I?" Harry presses a quick kiss to Ginny's hair and squeezes her tightly against him, a silent I love you. Breaking the hug, Harry takes Teddy from Ginny and sets the kid back on the ground. "Now, did you give Ginny her present yet?"
"No! I forgot!" A bit thick on the dramatics, Teddy slaps his hand aginst his forehead. Before any of the adults can say another word or laugh at the boy's antics, Teddy is rushing out of the kitchen and reappears a moment later, his little arms laden with a crumpled looking present, a card and a somewhat shredded looking bunch of flowers. Dumping the things unceremoniously onto he table, Teddy grins proudly at Ginny. "Happy birthday, Ginny!"
"Oh, my, thank you, Teddy." Ginny sits down at the table to assess her gifts and can't help but smile when Teddy climbs into her lap not a second after her behind touched the chair. Kissing the kid's wild locks fondly, Ginny picks up a colourful, handpainted card.
"That's mine! I made this card all by myself!" Teddy's proud grins makes Ginny giggle.
"And what a lovely card it is! And you even wrote your name all by yourself – wow, Teddy!" The card, written in Andromeda's neat, perfectly cursive handwriting, says 'Happy Birthday Ginny! Have a wonderful birthday! I love you' and is signed by an abstract impression of Teddy's name.
"Granny helped me with my Y, but I did very, very good." Teddy proclaims, proud as punch.
"You're a very clever boy." Ginny presses another kiss to Teddy's head before opening the next card from Andromeda, who apologizes for having to skip her birthday breakfast, but promising to be there for Sunday dinner when they will celebrate with the entire family. Ginny has just put her fingers on the sloppily wrapped present when Harry, who has been helping Molly set the table, appears next to her.
"I saw it the other day when I was in Diagon Alley and thought you'd like it… The seller was very kind, we can take it back if you don't–"
"Harry, shut up." Unwrapping the present, Ginny finds a midnight blue box to open from which she pulls a long, elegant, silver necklace. A white shimmering jewel, an opalescent moon stone, is set inside a filigree silver star pendant that reminds Ginny of the star held by a statue on the roof at Kensington library. On a walk with Hermione and Teddy a few months ago, the former had explained to Ginny that this statue, posing in balletic form, holding said star, portrays Genius, a lightning conductor, forever reaching upward. "I love it."
"Good; I'm glad." Grinning, Harry leans down to press a quick kiss to Ginny's cheek. He's about to turn back around to help Molly with the rest of the breakfast, when Teddy grabs him by the shirt and loudly demands a kiss too.