Albus Severus Potter: Birth Story (Discontinued)

Second Time Certainty

Harry, Ginny and James all hurried out of the fireplace in the Burrow, merely seconds after Ron and Hermione had done so. They watched Ginny come out right after the two boys, carrying a little dennis bag, and looking through it with intent, while Harry soothed James, who evidently disliked the sensation of going from one fireplace to another. The bag was so efficient due to an undetectable extension charm and held blankets, nappies, bottles, jumpsuits, extra shirts, socks, and trousers, toys, and a large buggy.

"That's an awful lot of gear," Ron commented. "Is it really necessary?"

"Prepare yourself for it, mate," said Harry, who was taking a teddy bear off Ginny while still shushing James. "You've got it all ahead of you." He smiled. As hard as it could be sometimes, he was grateful he would have yet another chance to start the whole cycle of having a child again.

"Can I take him? Ron asked, reaching out to James. He was desperate for as much practice as possible before the arrival of his child.

Harry passed James to his uncle. Before Ginny could stop herself, she said: "I, oh I'm not sure..."

"Ah, come on, Ginny." sighed Ron. "I'm not going to kill him or anything."

"Don't worry, Ginny, I won't let him drop him." Hermione grimaced. "Besides, we both need some practice."

It was no secret that Ginny was uncomfortable with them practising on her child.

"Alright then," said Ginny stiffly. The four of them and a stirring James walked out of the floo room, and into the loud room, full of chatter and giggles from children and adults alike. They were met by Molly. Her cheeks were flushed and she carried a tray of homemade biscuits and beamed upon seeing her children, children-in-law, and grandson.

No sooner did she take James out of Ron's arms, did she look at Ginny and barked "You're pregnant!"

"I'm pregnant," said Ginny softly. Harry blushed. Ginny flushed. Ron and Hermione's heads snapped towards her. James merely chattered away fondly to an oblivious Molly, who stared at Ginny, almost triumphantly.

"How could you tell?" Harry asked her weakly, after receiving a pat on the back by Ron, and a kiss on the cheek by Hermione.

"Mother's intuition," said Molly matter-of-factly. "And a lot of learning. I knew with Fleur and Audrey's seconds, and I knew I would know with you. . . " Her voice broke off. "Oh, Ginny. . . " She took her daughter into a one-armed hug, still holding on tightly to James.

"No point in making any sort of announcement like last time then, is there mate?" Ron said to Harry teasingly, reminiscing of when they announced Ginny was pregnant with James.

"Making an announcement about what?" asked Bill, poking his head into the hallway from the kitchen. He carried a metal tray of baked potatoes and waved into the others.

"The baby," Ron told him.

"You're not still going on about that Ron, are you?" joked Bill, with a laugh. "You've only mentioned it a million times."

"Not our baby!" snapped Ron, jokingly. "Harry and Ginny's."

"We didn't know about that," said George, who appeared behind Bill, clutching a giggling Fred to his chest. "That's totally unheard of. We've been kept in the dark, alright. It didn't happen over a year ago or everything."

"No, dear, they're having another one," said Molly, pulling James hand out of her hair, with a sharp wince.

"Anozzer what?" asked Fleur, who held Dominique to her waist. Fleur pouted her lips with her eyebrows arched in curiosity. Dominique tried to imitate her, looking more and more like her mother by the day.

"Ginny and Harry are expecting another child," Molly informed her, exhaling as James let go of her hair. "Isn't that lovely?"

"Eet eez wonderful!" enthused Fleur, rushing over to hug Ginny, and kiss Harry on the cheek. "Anozzer little one for you to play weet! Partait, Dominique?"

"Oui, maman." nodded Dominique mechanically. She had found it harder to learn French that her sister. But both were borderline fluent.

After they entered the packed kitchen and received many congratulations, Arthur took the men into the sitting room, whilst the women stayed in the kitchen, with all of the children. Ginny sat with James on her lap, opposite her mother, who was helping Victorie lather whipped cream on to meringues.

"Had any thoughts on a name, Ginny?" Angelina asked her curiously, as she fed Fred with a bottle.

Ginny shook her head. "I mean, no, not really." She paused. "It's no secret that we're keen on Lily for a girl."

"That'd be lovely." beamed Audrey.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, but for a boy, well I suppose it's all still up in the air."

"You still have a long while to make a decision," Hermione told her. "Me, on the other hand . . . "

"You still haven't gotten one?" Audrey asked her.

Hermione pouted. "We can never seem to agree on one. She shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. "I figure we'll know when we know, I'm not going to stress out about it."

"Don't," said Molly firmly, who was assisting Victorie with the meringues. "It's not worth it. Not worth it at all." She looked up as the men walked back into the room.

"How was your little man conversation, then?" Ginny asked Harry, as he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"The usual," said Harry with a grin. "Your dad tried to intimidate us."

"And did it work?"

Harry snorted. "He couldn't intimidate a bunny."

Ginny giggled. "We love him for it, though."

"Absolutely." agreed Harry, scooping James off of Ginny's lap. "I wouldn't want it any differently,"

Harry tossed James into the air, causing Ginny to frown at him.

"That's a horrible idea," Ginny warned him, as James squealed in delight. There were yells from Victoire, Dominique and little Molly to have their dads do similar to them. "He literally just ate."

"It's called bonding, Ginny," Harry told her simply. "And my little Jamie loves it, don't . . . Uck!"

Harry looked down in disgust at his now splatted shirt, before looking up at James who was grinning down at him, almost triumphantly.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I won't," says Harry, scrunching up his nose at the disgustingly wet stain on his shirt.

"How many times, Harry?" Ginny sighed. She pulled out her wand and cleaned Harry's robes with a quick Tergeo. There is a roar of laughter from around them. "Why don't you find something quiet to do with him? So many options . . . "

"Sorry, sorry," said Harry apologetically, kissing her on the top of her head.

"Just go wipe his face, will you?" Ginny told him irritably. "Then we're going, I just want to lie down."

"Whatever you want, Gin," Harry said with a small smile, he walks out of the room and to the bathroom to clean James up.

"Messy little Jamie," Harry grinned at his little son in the mirror. James' eyes scanned around wildly when they meet the mirror. It's almost as though he's taken by surprise.

"Say 'Hi!'" Harry laughs when a beam splits across his sons face. "Look, Jamie, can you see me?"

James squealed with delight and giggled. He scrunched up his fists and flails them around crazily. Harry laughed to himself. He couldn't help but feel immense excitement for the day when there would be two children on each of his waists.