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Category: Alternate Universe, Post-HBP Characters:None Genres: Tragedy Warnings: Dark Fiction, Death, Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 1174 Summary: Harry gets one night that gives him a glimpse into what life could be like with the Dursley's. But events turn for the worse and both Harry and the wizarding world are left wondering what it's consquences mean for the future of the world. Hitcount: Story Total: 501553; Chapter Total: 9785 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: I don't own anything. JK Rowling owns the entire Potter Universe. No copyright enfringement is intended. |
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Tap… Tap…tap... Tap…tap…tap… Ta p…tap…tap…tap…taptaptap… “Harry, stop it.” Harry looked up and broke out of his silent revelry, simultaneously stopping the incessant tapping that the fingers of his left hand had been doing against the side-rails of the hospital bed. Ginny, who had been sitting in a chair next to him, was glaring at him and was clearly annoyed with the nervous tapping. “Sorry,” he whispered, clutching his hand into a fist and laying his left arm across his lap to prevent himself from resuming the previous activities. Ginny reached across, closing the space between them as she entwined her fingers in his as if to provide an extra source of comfort and calm. Harry returned the pressure of the hold and squeezed her fingers gently within his. “You’re allowed to be nervous…just try to avoid that particular habit,” she responded with a coy smile, reaching up to trace his hairline gently with her other hand. Harry sighed, trying to melt into her feather-light touches and ease some of his tension. But it was proving difficult at the moment. He’d just undergone a battery of tests and been poked and prodded by 3 different healers to judge and gauge his fitness for the procedure he was about to undergo. They’d taken measurements on his blood pressure and other vital signs and Harry could quite honestly say that their ministrations had probably been the root cause of any spike in blood pressure or stress levels they might have observed. But even after having been examined and manhandled in unsatisfactory ways by the healers, the waiting that he and Ginny were doing at the moment seemed even more agonizing. He hated this part, the calm before the inevitable storm that was to come. He just wanted to get this procedure over with and to be at home…safe and in his own bed. The sterility of the hospital room he was currently in reminded him of the painful months he’d spent there only a few years ago after the war. It wasn’t a comfortable place for him to be and as a result, his nervousness was palpable, despite any of Ginny’s efforts to calm him. Without needing anything more to add to his stress levels, the door chose that moment to pop open, the noise overly loud in the otherwise silent room. Harry jumped involuntarily at the sound, simultaneously gripping Ginny’s hand a bit harder. “Good morning,” Neville greeted with a smile, looking up from the file he had been perusing as he had entered the room. He apparently had not realized what reaction his unannounced entrance had caused and he paused a moment after having caught the slightly tense look on Harry’s face. “Hey, Nev,” Ginny responded when Harry could not find the immediate words to greet his old friend. “Sorry…probably should have knocked,” Neville added, finally realizing he might have intruded on something. “No…it’s alright,” Harry said, waving off any of Neville’s apologies. “What’s the word?” he asked, gesturing to the folder that Neville had been eyeing upon his arrival. He suspected that it was the results of all the tests he’d just gone through. He was nervous to find out if he was really fit enough to go through the procedure. “Everything looks good for today,” Neville replied. “All of your vitals are normal and the healers have given you a clean bill of health and the approval to go ahead. We can get started whenever you’re ready, Harry.” Neville was smiling as he spoke those final words, his own excitement about the impending events certainly visible in his demeanor. Not only did Harry’s participation in this phase signal a milestone in Neville’s research and work, but it was a chance to help an old friend and better Harry’s life with his work. Harry looked over at Ginny, seeking any sort of confirmation that he should go ahead…that this was really going to happen. She was smiling softly at him, her hand still within his, offering that warm weight and comfort. “I’m ready,” Harry breathed out after swallowing the last bit of trepidation. Neville nodded. “Right…well we’ve already gone over all the specifics of the procedure beforehand…” Neville said breathlessly in anticipation. “I will go call in the healers so we can start and–“ he paused, nodding to Ginny momentarily, “–we’ll let the others in for just a bit…” he trailed off as he moved towards the door. Harry was confused as to whom he was referring to with that last comment and he looked to Ginny once more for an explanation. She smirked at him momentarily before looking away and back towards the door, which Neville had now opened. As Neville moved aside, the hallway outside came into view…a hallway that seemed to be filled to the brim with an assortment red-headed people. Molly Weasley was first into the room, followed by Arthur who was holding a sleepy looking Lily. More people piled in behind them in what seemed like an endless stream of his family and friends. It seemed most of the Weasleys were there–a combination of Harry’s in-laws and his nieces and nephews. He hadn’t expected them to ALL be here. Harry looked to Ginny once more for an explanation for this sudden surprise. “Neville and I thought you might like one last bit of encouragement this morning,” Ginny said to him as what seemed like the last of the visitors squeezed into the room. “Plus–I couldn’t stop them all from wanting to see you one last time,” she smiled as Molly, who had ended up nearest Harry’s bed, reached over to envelope him in a motherly hug. “She’s quite right,” Molly whispered as Harry returned the pressure of his mother-in-law’s hug. “We just wanted to let you know that we’re all here for you…and that we love you, dear,” she added with a smile as she pulled away, patting Harry’s cheek as she did so. Harry smiled gratefully in return. “Well…some of us came just in case we needed to hold you down,” Ron added with a slight snicker. Harry looked up to meet the smiling face of his best friend and now brother-in-law. Ron, who was standing next to Hermione, was holding their one-year-old daughter, Rose, against his chest. Rose was nestled up against Ron’s shoulder, her fire-red curls matching those of her father’s as she slumbered on oblivious. As happy as Harry had been about the birth of his own daughter, he’d experienced another sort of joy in watching his two best friends start their family. They deserved so much happiness after everything they’d been through for him. And he knew that Rose’s birth had been extra meaningful for the pair. They’d tried for quite some time before becoming parents and it had been a joy as much as a relief when Rose had finally come along. “I appreciate the gesture, mate,” Harry shot back with as much of a grin as he could manage. “Always got your back,” Ron responded with a nod. “Awe…isn’t that cute?” George piped in from a spot near the foot of the bed. “They’re having a real-life, brother-to-brother moment,” Fred finished in a sickeningly sweet voice for his twin as he scooped up and hoisted his two and a half year old son, Charlie, up from the floor where he was attempting to get into some of the cupboards of supplies that had not been secured. Fred, who had married Angelina Johnson a year after Harry and Ginny’s wedding, was the only one of the twins who had become a father so far. He had named his son Charlie in memory of their fallen brother. George had married Alicia Spinnet just over a year ago and so far they hadn’t made any plans for their own family. Despite their growing up and changing family values, the twins hadn’t changed much in their troublemaking, comedic relief ways. “And you two have way too many of those moments,” Angelina chastised her husband with a glare and a poke in the ribs. Fred squirmed away from the scolding gesture of his wife, falling silent with the effective treatment. George, likewise, received a swift punch in the arm from Alicia for his attempt at ripping on Ron and Harry. Several people in the room, including Harry, sniggered at the exchange that had momentarily lightened the atmosphere of the room. Hermione, however, took the momentary distraction as an opportunity to step towards the bed and take Molly’s place at its side. “You’re going to do great, Harry,” Hermione said encouragingly as she kissed his cheek and wrapped him in a tight hug. Harry hugged her back best he could, patting her gently on the back as she pulled away with a smile. “Thanks,” Harry responded in a low voice as a wash of emotions affected the tone of his voice. His eyes drifted over all of the people who had come to wish him luck and give him support before he underwent what they all knew was going to be a rather stressful and painful procedure for him. It was an overwhelming feeling to see his whole adopted and now official family there for him when he needed them most. He was so amazingly lucky to have stumbled upon this large circle of people who cared for and loved him so much… “Well…we don’t want to hold this up too long,” Arthur began when silence had fallen on the crowd. “We’ll let Neville get to work…but we all wanted to wish you luck, Harry. And to let you know that we’re all here–and to take your time recovering. We’ll take care of everything else for now–including watching this little one for as long as you need,” he added in a fatherly and comforting tone as he lifted a hand to ruffle the raven locks on top of Lily’s head. Harry nodded in silent agreement and graciousness towards his father-in-law. He and Molly, as well as the rest of the Weasley brothers had always been there to take Lily for a few hours when he was at work or Ginny needed to run errands or just have a few hours break from being a full-time mum. He didn’t know how long it would take him to get regular use of his arm once the procedure was done…that is…if it worked at all. But it was a good feeling to know that he didn’t have to worry about much besides what was about to happen… A sudden knock at the door interrupted any more thought or conversation that might have followed. Everyone looked towards the source as Neville opened the door, revealing the face of a grey-haired healer who had been in the room previous to check Harry over. Neville and the healer exchanged a few quite words before the door closed between them once more. “They’re just a bit anxious to get things started,” Neville explained when he sensed all eyes fully on himself. “I think the entire staff here is excited about what the results might yield…” he added. “And I’m sure the fact that the patient is Harry Potter has nothing to do with…” Fred began to say, but was cut off by his sister’s voice. “Of course they’re excited…your work is groundbreaking, Nev,” Ginny spoke up. “It’ll mean so much for the way they’ll be able to treat traumatic injuries from now on,” she added, knowing full well the personal implications of Neville’s research on her own husband’s life. Neville blushed slightly and smiled gratefully at Ginny’s words and praise. “Well…if they’re that keyed up, we might as well get on with it,” Harry found himself saying, suddenly just wanting to get it over with as much as the anxious healers seemed to. “Best not delay the inevitable, right?” he added quietly with a slight shrug. “Only if you’re ready,” Neville reiterated, not wanting to rush Harry. Harry considered Neville for a moment before his eyes swept over all the people in the room one last time. “Let’s do it,” he responded once more with a nod. “We’ll let them start then,” Hermione said, leaning over to give Harry one last peck on the cheek before she moved away. Harry could only smile as Molly moved to take Hermione’s place, repeating the action. “We love you, Harry,” she whispered with a smile, moving away. The rest of the Weasley wives and children, as well as Tonks and Jacob, took their turns, hugging and whispering their words of encouragement to Harry. Bill, Percy, Remus and the twins all offered their support by patting and squeezing his shoulder as they approached the bed; all of them uttering different variations of ‘good luck’ as they did so. Ron, with Rose still slumbering in his arms, was next. He put a brotherly hand on Harry’s left shoulder, meeting Harry’s gaze with an encouraging smile. “You know, mate…” Ron began quietly. “I do expect this to be the last time I see you in one of these,” he finished, gesturing to the bed the healers had made him lie in. “Well if that’s the case…” Ginny said, her voice playful. “…we’re probably going to have to keep him locked up at home for the rest of his life.” Ron smiled ruefully at his sister’s comment before turning back to look a bit more seriously at Harry. “You deserve this chance,” Ron told him. “And you’re going to get through the pain and whatever else…” Harry nodded graciously, unable to find anything fitting to say in return. “Good luck, mate,” Ron finished with a nod of his own as he shifted his sleeping daughter slightly on his shoulder as he moved aside. Arthur was last one left to give his support. He approached the bed with Lily still in his arms. She looked oddly uneasy about the current situation; her eyes falling nervously upon Harry’s hospital bed. They had tried the best they could to explain all this to Lily beforehand. But the slightly stressed atmosphere and the unfamiliar circumstances seemed to be bothering her as she clung close to her granddad. “Why don’t we give Dad a kiss and hug for luck?” Arthur suggested to her as a brushed a soothing hand across the top of her head. “Then you and I can go play with the other kids out in the waiting room--with all those toys,” he added, trying to make the offer sound enticing. “Does that sound good?” he asked her. Lily nodded, not lifting her head from Arthur’s chest. “Come here, Lily,” Harry said softly, reaching out his left hand towards his daughter. At his gentle words, she turned towards his voice, reaching back towards him as Arthur placed her onto Harry’s lap. She immediately wrapped her small arms around Harry’s neck, burrowing her face into his chest. She was normally not this clingy and the way she was holding tight to Harry made him pause for a moment before he squeezed her tightly against him. “It’s alright Lily-pad,” Harry said quietly as he kissed the top of her head. “I don’t like it here,” she mumbled in a small voice against his chest. Harry closed his eyes for a moment before shifting Lily up in his lap so that she could no longer hide her face. Now that he could see her clearly, he saw that she looked sad; her usually bright brown eyes were wide with fear. “There’s nothing to be scared of,” Harry replied gently. “The people who work here are going to make my arm all better,” he tried to explain and assuage her fears. “And we want Daddy to be all better, right?” Ginny chimed in. Lily nodded, seeming to brighten up just a bit. “I’m going to be ok,” Harry added in a reassuring tone. "There's nothing to worry over." “Do we–get---to go home–after it’s over?” Lily asked quietly and a little hopefully as she met Harry’s eyes. “Well…I have to stay here tonight–like a sleepover,” Harry said quietly, not wanting to upset Lily. “But I get to come home tomorrow with you and mum.” “Do I get to stay–with you?” Lily asked. “You get to stay with Nana and Granddad tonight at the Burrow,” Harry told her, making the prospect sound inviting. “You’ll like that.” Lily nodded. “Can Lucy and Charlie come over too?” she asked suddenly, mentioning the names of her favorite cousins. “We’ll ask,” Arthur supplied with a smile. “But for now…I need you to be a good girl for Mum and Granddad while I’m with Neville and the healers,” Harry went on. “Can you do that for me?” he asked. “Yeah,” Lily replied, nodding again. Harry smiled and pulled Lily into a hug once more. “I love you, poppet,” Harry whispered as he kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Daddy," Lily responded back, pulling away to give Harry a kiss, her face scrunching into a smile as she did so. "Come now, Lily luv," Arthur beckoned, reaching out to grab his small granddaughter back from Harry's lap. Lily turned towards her granddad's arms, allowing him to pull her off the bed and back into his arms. "Let's say goodbye to Mum and Dad for now and then we can go see what snacks Grandma Molly might have for us," he added. Lily nodded enthusiastically at the sound of the prospect of snacks. "Bye, Lily," Harry said with a smile as Arthur gathered his daughter up in his arms to leave. "Bye," she replied back, waving at both he and Ginny. "Good luck, Harry," Arthur offered one last time. "We'll see you when you're all through, all right?" he added. Harry nodded and managed a small smile in return and then watched as Lily and Arthur left the room. They were the last of the visiting Weasley gang. "I don't think I've ever seen her get like that," Ginny said quietly, reaching for his hand once more as she remained standing next to the bed now. "Yeah," Harry sighed out heavily in agreement. "She'll be ok, right?" Harry asked quietly, meeting Ginny's gaze. "She'll be fine," she whispered back to him, leaning in to kiss him in reassurance. The kiss lingered as Harry responded to her touch, his lips moving against hers longingly. "She's just worried about her Daddy," Ginny said as their lips parted from the kiss. Harry could feel her soft breath on his face as she leaned her forehead against his, her brown eyes staring unblinkingly into his own. "I've got to go now," Ginny whispered to him as she swallowed the emotion that had risen. "They need to get started." Harry only nodded in reply before he tilted his head slightly and leaned forward to bridge the few inches left between them. He kissed her softly at first, his kisses short and intermittent against her lips. But it was only a few seconds before Ginny deepened the contact between them, her tongue probing for his own, her lips moving hungrily against his. Harry momentarily forgot where he was or what he was supposed to be doing here. His sole focus was Ginny and the feel of her lips against his and how he wanted to do nothing more but kiss her breathless... He must have succeeded in that because Ginny finally pulled away, taking deep breaths as she tried to steady herself and regain her wits. "I love you," Harry said softly to her as he pulled her close to his chest, his hand once more moving to rest on her stomach. "I love you," Ginny repeated back to him, her mouth curved in a similar smile to his own. As Ginny spoke, there was movement from within where Harry's hand rested upon her belly. "And he loves you too," Ginny said as she too felt the baby kick against Harry's hand. Harry eyes went up to her face at Ginny's words. She was looking unsure, as if suddenly realizing she might have said something she had not intended. Like they had when Ginny was pregnant with Lily, they had decided not to find out the gender of this baby before he or she was born. Harry had enjoyed the surprise and anxious excitement that went with not knowing whether he was going to be the father of a son or a daughter. But Ginny had definitely said "he" loves you and she certainly looked worried about what his reaction would be to her words. "He?" Harry asked quietly. Ginny bit the inside of her lip anxiously before nodding. "You didn't make it to the last appointment," Ginny started to explain; her voice a bit unsure. Harry remembered he hadn't been able to get out of a meeting at the Ministry in time to go with Ginny to her last check-up at St. Mungo's. It had been the only one he'd missed. He nodded in understanding. "They did the ultrasound scan," She continued. "And when they asked, like they always do, if I wanted to know the gender...I said yes. I couldn't help myself...I just...wanted to know..." She paused. "I know you really wanted it to be a surprise," she said apologetically. "And I tried so hard not to slip up and tell you..." "We're going to have a boy?" Harry asked in quiet confirmation, hearing what Ginny had told him, but overcome by the swell of emotion that the news had brought. "Yes," Ginny replied breathily, nodding again. "You're going to have a son," she confirmed to him. Harry was quiet for a moment. Ginny looked uncertain of Harry's sudden silence. But her fears of his reaction were soon assuaged as Harry's lips turned upwards and a huge grin overtook his features. "How could you ever think I'd be upset about that?" He asked her, trying to contain his excitement and utterly palpable joy. "I think it's wonderful," he added breathlessly, hugging her tight to him. "Yeah?" Ginny asked him with a relieved smile. "Yeah," he replied as he kissed her once more. "It's brilliant." "And you're sure you're not disappointed that it won't be a surprise?" she asked Harry as they had separated once more. "Not one bit," he told her. "And now...I know what color to re-paint the nursery," he added with a smile, which Ginny returned radiantly as she laughed. "You think pink would be too girly?" Ginny teased. They had painted the nursery a pale pink and decorated it accordingly when Lily had been a baby. But since then she'd grown out of her "baby" room and had her own bedroom, painted a bright purple that she'd picked out. "Just a bit," Harry smiled back. They continued to stay locked in each other's arms and eyes, relishing in the quiet of the moment, the news that had just been shared between them and the still present anxiousness that was accompanying what was still to come. "I'm going to go now, alright?" Ginny spoke as she looked up towards the door. Neville was standing there trying not to draw attention to himself and looking slightly embarrassed that he had intruded upon a private moment between them. Harry wondered how long he had been standing there and if he had ever left the room at all? "I'll be right back here as soon as they allow me," Ginny continued on, leaning forward to kiss him before she slid from the bed carefully and back into a standing position next to the bed. "I love you," she whispered one last time, giving his hand a squeeze. She smiled, her face angelic and radiant as she gently pulled her hand free from his, stepping tentatively away from the bed as she began her way out of the room. Even as she walked towards the door, she kept eye contact with him, smiling encouragingly as she left him. With one last look, Ginny grasped the door handle and pulled it open. She smiled and mouthed "I love you" and then she was gone. Harry sagged back onto the pillows he had been lying against, sighing heavily. "Thanks for letting them in, Neville," Harry said to his friend, who was the only other person remaining in the room now. "I really enjoyed that." Neville smiled in reply. "No problem," Neville added, waving off Harry's thanks. "So...I'm going to call the healers back in and we'll begin," Neville continued after a moment. "Do you need me to do anything?" Harry asked as Neville crossed the room to the door to allow the anxious healers back in. "Just relax," Neville told him as he opened the door to reveal the same grey-haired healer, as well as two others. All three entered the room behind Neville. "Harry, this is Healer Pullman and Healer Dietz," Neville introduced the two younger male healers. "And you've already met Healer Stewart," Neville said as he gestured to the grey-haired healer. Harry nodded in acknowledgement to each as they were introduced and bowed their heads to him in turn. "They'll be helping me manage and monitor your vitals--make sure everything is going alright throughout the process," Neville explained as all three healers began to move around the room, taking out necessary supplies and checking clipboards that each had. "And they'll be the ones actually administering the treatment solution," he added. Harry nodded along with what Neville was telling him, watching the others as they moved around. The man Neville had named as Healer Pullman was the first to approach the bed. He looked slightly nervous. "Mr. Potter..." he began nervously. "I...uh...need you to...take your shirt off, sir," he finished asking. Harry was used to this sort of reaction from people. For the most part, people who did not know him personally still tended to act a bit star-struck, albeit respectfully reverent around him. Usually the most fervent and frequent of reactions, Harry had to admit, came from those of the younger, female persuasion. But he’d faced his fair share of fascination from both sides and he always tried to act modest and be completely himself with whomever he met. “Sure,” Harry responded to the healer in a light tone as he reached for them of his t-shirt. Even with his prosthetic arm removed, Harry was able to deftly remove his shirt. Years of maneuvering with one, dressing and undressing himself literally shorthanded had forced certain adaptations that now seemed to come naturally. Now bare-chested, a familiar sense of awkwardness threatened to overtake Harry. Even though the scars from both the car accident and the final battle had begun to fade and whiten in the past years, his torso was still littered with the reminders and remnants of his tumultuous and violent past. He still seemed to grow uncomfortable with his scarred appearance around others and in truth, the only person he felt no qualms around, was Ginny. Harry swallowed as Healer Pullman moved closer, holding his wand out over Harry’s chest. Harry eyed the man carefully, wary about having a wand pointed at his heart. “I just need to cast a few monitoring charms,” Healer Pullman explained, sensing Harry’s sudden heightened uneasiness. “We need to be able to visualize your heart rate and other vitals during the procedure,” he added. Harry nodded once, placated somewhat by the explanation, but still watchful as the healer’s wand looped and moved over his torso as the wand tip lit up with a soft blue glow. Several holograms looking images sprang up from what seemed to be Harry's own chest and hovered in the air above the bed. They seemed to all be showing readings of the various measurements of his vitals, one showing the regular pulse of his own heartbeat. As Harry watched the green line of the image tracing his lifeline dance around in mid-air, Healer Stewart approached the bed from the other side. "I'm going to lower the bed back now," the grey-haired healer told Harry as he reached for the lever that controlled the back of the bed on which Harry was currently propped against. "If I could just have you relax and lean back...we can apply the restraints." Harry nodded and followed the healer's instructions, lying back against the pillows as the bed was lowered backwards so that Harry lay completely on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Healer Dietz and Neville soon joined Healer Stewart and all three began producing what looked like leather straps from underneath the bed frame. Harry tried to relax and take deep breaths as the restraints were placed across his ankles, knees, left wrist and chest. He had known this part was coming. In order to prevent any interference or reaction with the magical regeneration involved, he could not have any binding or altering spells applied to his body. But the process would be painful and he needed to be kept as still as possible to ensure that there were no complications due to any physical reactions to the pain. Manual restraints were the only thing that he and Neville had decided would be effective in achieving this. Neville was the one to place a minimally padded strap across his forehead that would keep his head and neck flush with the bed. "Thanks for waiting to do this part until after Gin left," Harry said to Neville quietly as he could no longer move his head to see what was going on around him. "I didn't exactly tell her about me being restrained and strapped to a bed...didn't want to worry her..." Harry added, trailing off quietly. "Understandable," Neville offered, placing a gentle hand that Harry could not see on his shoulder. "I figured she was nervous enough without having to watch..." Harry smiled gratefully in return before flinching against the restraints as something cold and liquid was spread across his now exposed right shoulder, void of the prosthetic for the last time. "It's just the sterilizing solution to clean and disinfect the area where they'll be working," Neville assured him. Harry breathed out heavily, not being able to nod anymore in return. "Could you--er--let me know what's going on from now on?" Harry asked sheepishly of Neville. "Seeing as I can't see much anymore..." "Yeah...sure," Neville replied, perceptive of Harry's nervousness. "They're preparing the regeneration solution now and in just a bit Healer Pullman will be inserting the needle for the IV line into the area..." Since no spells could interfere with his system and the regeneration solution needed to be applied to the affected area, it would need to be given intravenously into his shoulder area. "I'm actually ready to put in the line now," a voice from Harry's right and just out of sight interjected. "That is...if you're ready Mr. Potter?" Harry seemed have been asked that question a lot in the last few minutes. But he supposed that this was no small thing he was about to go through... "Yeah...I'm good," Harry responded after a moment. "This might sting a bit," Healer Pullman said as his kind face swam into the view of Harry's limited vision. Harry managed a rueful smile at the words. He was sure that the sting of the needle, however big, would be miniscule in comparison to whatever was going to come shortly. He felt hands press gently upon his scarred shoulder for a moment as if probing for a particular spot. Once they stopped the hands steadied very carefully as Harry felt the pressure of something sharp increasing against his slightly resistant skin. With a measured push, the needle broke through and Harry exhaled in discomfort at the sensation. "It's in," Healer Pullman announced slightly excited sounding. Harry wondered nervously if the healer had ever inserted a needle before... "Wonderful," Harry heard Neville say from above him. "Let's hook up the solution...we'll start the drip off slow and monitor things for a bit before we move forward..." Neville said again, both instructing the healers and letting Harry know what was going on. There was more movement around Harry at Neville's words and Harry could feel the needle in his shoulder shift slightly as the IV was hooked up. Harry waited quietly, trying to lay perfectly still to determine if the fluid had yet entered his body through the needle. "Formula first introduced into patient at 10:33 a.m.--mark the time," Harry heard one of the healers say from near the foot of the bed. It had started...but Harry didn't feel anything yet... Harry licked his lips in nervous anticipation. What if this didn't work? What if he turned out to be part of one of Neville's rare failed experiments? Life would go on as it had for the past few years, he supposed.... But there would always be that lingering shred of disappointment if this didn't work... Just as those thoughts of doubt began to creep up on him, a slight stinging in his shoulder pushed them away. It felt like tiny pin pricks, similar to having a limb reawaken after falling asleep. It wasn't uncomfortable or painful, just an indicator that the regeneration formula was seeping into his tissue and beginning its work. "You feeling alright?" Neville asked, leaning into Harry's field of view. "I'm fine," Harry replied. "It's tingling a bit," he added truthfully. "Good," Neville assured him. "That'll probably continue until it reaches and saturates the deep tissue," he added. Harry knew that this tingling sensation was just the precursor of what he was about to go through. Once the formula had gotten into his tissue at the deepest cellular level, he would be experiencing pain in the deepest sense of the word as his body would begin to re-grow and reassemble his long absent arm. The sensation was now spreading across his mangled shoulder area, like a thousand tiny ants dancing across his skin. With each second it seemed to move deeper into the underlying tissue and muscle, turning slowly into a burning sensation that was driving further into his shoulder. Harry blew out a puff of air as he fought to control himself against the mounting discomfort. He was sweating slightly now, his body reacting naturally to the burning that was moving further into his skin and intensifying as each moment passed by. "His vitals?" Harry heard Neville ask as he tried to keep his breathing even against the pain. "Heart rate and temperature slightly elevated...but in the normal range," someone answered out of view. Harry tried breathing through his nose, exhaling and inhaling in long, measured draws. But the discomfort was increasing and spreading and Harry began to lose his hold on himself. "The solution is almost all in, Harry," Neville told him, trying to sound reassuring. But how could he reassure against the certain agony that was going to come even after the formula was drained into his body? "You're doing great." "I don't--feel so great," Harry managed to grit out through clenched teeth as he stifled a groan. His shoulder was throbbing painfully now. It felt like someone was stabbing him from inward, trying to rip a hole through his shoulder and side. The pain grew with each beat of his heart as his own circulatory system drove the regeneration solution towards its destination. The pain was swiftly nearing the point of becoming excruciating. It was threatening to consume him, pressing in on him from all sides. It took Harry all he had to keep himself from crying out or letting the loose the string profanities that were surely waiting behind his pursed lips. "The formula is all in now," he heard Neville say again. "Regeneration should be beginning..." "Should...be?" Harry groaned incredulously. "Just hang in there, Harry," Neville replied kindly. But Neville's encouragement was lost as Harry finally yelled out as a sudden surge of pain ripped through him. But this fresh and more intense wave of pain didn't not stop, but continued to assail him. He'd experienced the agony that came with physical injury before, but this was deeper, more intense and all encompassing. The pain that had started out as a dull burn in his shoulder was now clouding his senses and threatening to undo him. He needed to make it stop, to escape...he couldn't take it any longer... He felt himself fighting and pulling against the leather straps binding him to the bed as he continued to cry out in agony. All of his muscles strained with the effort as he thrashed futily to free himself. "Mate...we need you to calm down," he heard Neville say to him from what seemed like far away. Harry heard himself let out a snarl of protest in between his painful yells. His throat was beginning to hurt with each passing cry that tore through him. "I know it's tough...but it's working...it's working, Harry," Neville continued. But the fact that the procedure was working was secondary to the pain now. He couldn't quite bring himself to care or be excited about whatever progress was being made. He wanted this to stop. Instinct seemed to take over and as it had many times before in stressful and difficult situations, his magic's responses seemed to come to his aid. Harry could feel his defenses coming forward, trying to protect his mind from this invading pain as it had before. In what seemed to be a distant background, Harry could make out the sound of worried and raised voices all around him. He could only make out the purpose of one... "Harry!" Neville called his name. "Harry, I need you to calm down...I need you need to reign in your magic," Neville's voice reached him through the haze of agony. 'Reign it in?' a distant part of Harry's brain asked incredulously. 'It's making the pain go away.' But Neville's voice, impatient and pressing seemed to override any shred of self-preservation trying to tug him away. "Your magic is interfering with our monitoring spells, Harry," Neville said from above him. His voice was loud and full of concern. "I need you to gain some control back so we can manage your vitals and make sure everything's okay with you." "Harry! Open your eyes and listen to me," Neville yelled at him. Harry's eyes flew open. He had not even been aware that he had been clenching them tight, trying hard to black out everything around him. Someone had removed his glasses, but he could still make out Neville's figure above him, still pleading with him to regain control. With his eyes open, somehow the background noise sounded clearer. The monitoring spells that had been keeping track of his previously steady heart rate was going haywire, the noise filling up the room erratically as though his lifeline was about to be taxed beyond repair. The healers were hurrying around, talking loudly to one another as they tried to regain hold on the situation and the monitoring spells. By the sound of it...he was dying. But he knew that wasn't the case. He needed to calm down and hold himself in check no matter what pain it cost him. He tried breathing deeply again, concentrating on letting the pain return as his magic ebbed away and let the regeneration solution ravage his cells once more without interference from his own power. "Oh...fuck...." Harry groaned out in absolute excruciating agony as the pain built back up to a fever pitch. He began shaking again, his body unable to withstand the assault that had returned. He was yelling again too, each scream ripping at his throat as he struggled uselessly against his restraints. While the pain was centered upon a point at his right shoulder, it was now invading all his senses and darkening the edges of his consciousness. Even as he continued to cry out and fight against an insurmountable agony, he could feel himself slipping away, falling further from reason and reality. Everything besides the pain was getting muted and fuzzy, sounds and images blurring into one another. He wished that he would just pass out already; that blissful unconsciousness would come to take him away until this had passed. Or maybe he just needed his Ginny to comfort him? She could make him feel better...she always made him feel better.... As if someone had been reading his thoughts, aware that he craved the smallest bit of comfort and reassurance, a hand grasped his left tightly. Harry squeezed back automatically, trying to draw strength from the touch. Harry could still see Neville's outline above him to the left even as the white ceiling above him seemed to absorb his form. He could hear fragments of words that he was sure were supposed to comforting. But soon the darkness hiding on the edges of his vision began to close in. It became harder to concentrate even on the deep breathing that was attempting to keep the pain at bay. It wasn't the pain that was making it harder to think now...the blackness was now greater than the pain and it was that which was now consuming him mind, body and soul til all else faded away. ---------------------------------------- ------------------- Ginny shifted uncomfortably on the stiff waiting room chair. Lily was on her lap, or what space was left of her lap and not taken up by her very pregnant belly. She was sore and uncomfortable and her nerves were not making the situation any better. It was only out of pure physical necessity that she was sitting down now and not pacing the room in nervous anticipation and worry. If her feet weren’t so swollen and her back so stiff she might very well be burning a hole through the burgundy rug lining the floor. She hadn’t wanted to leave Harry. She’d wanted to stay and make sure everything was alright. Her deepest desires and instincts had her in that hospital room, holding his hand and helping him pull through what was supposed to be an excruciating experience. But between her current physical status and the slew of unknowns with the procedure, she had been delegated to wait and worry in the waiting room with the rest of her family until someone brought her news about her husband. Fred, George and their wives had taken all the Weasley grandchildren, save a slumbering Rose, to get a bite to eat in the tea room one floor down. But Lily had insisted on staying, clinging to Ginny in protest. Having Lily on her lap had given her something to take her mind off the room down the hallway. Lily was still palpably nervous about what was going on with her daddy and Ginny had put her worry aside and concentrated for a while on distracting Lily. They were both giggling quietly as Lily traced a place on Ginny’s belly where the baby had visibly moved when the first sounds of distress echoed through the open doorway from the previously quiet hallway outside. Ginny felt her daughter tense in her arms as another drawn out cry rang out. Everyone else around had stopped their conversations. She knew that sound. It was Harry...her Harry...and he was in pain. "Why the hell didn't they soundproof the god damn room?" Ginny heard Ron hiss out angrily as the screams grew louder. Ginny wanted to get up and run to the room, but Lily was clinging tight to her now, flinching as each yell punctuated the growing tension. Ginny looked down to find Lily looking around with wide, brown eyes that were filled to the brim with fear. “It’s ok,” Ginny tried to soothe, her own voice cracking as she spoke. She tried cradling Lily to her chest, providing any sort of comfort that she could. “It’s ok, sweetheart,” she whispered into the wayward wisps of jet black hair atop her daughter’s head. “Daddy?” Lily asked quietly, her tiny voice laced with fear and panic. Ginny didn’t know what to say, how to drain the terror from Lily’s mind as they both listened to the audible agony filtering in through the door. All she could do was hold Lily close to her and hope that the screaming stopped. “Gin…” a deep, gentle voice spoke from behind her, a warm handing resting upon her back. “Gin….let me take her,” the voice spoke again when she did not reply. Ginny looked over her right shoulder to find Bill bending over her, gesturing towards Lily. Bill’s worn and scarred face was full of concern and sympathy, his bright blue eyes meeting her brown in understanding. Ginny nodded. “Come here, Lilypad,” Bill prodded gently as he reached for his niece. Lily made a whining sound and scooted away from Bill’s arms, clinging tighter to her mum. “Go with Uncle Bill now, luv,” Ginny whispered to her daughter, stroking her raven locks gently. “It’s ok...he’ll take you somewhere quiet,” she continued, trying to sound strong and convincing so that Bill could take Lily away from the yelling. “Up we go, sweetie,” Bill soothed again, this time, succeeding in getting his hands on Lily, lifting her carefully off of Ginny’s lap. Instead of fighting against her uncle’s hold, Lily wrapped her arms around Bill’s neck, hanging tight to him. “Thank you,” Ginny mouthed as she watched her brother start to move from the room. Bill nodded once and then was gone, his footsteps echoing down the hallway, away from the yells that were mixing with his retreating footfalls. Her hands now free, Ginny brought them to cover her face as she let out a deep shaky breath. She barely registered the fact that someone had sat down in the chair next to hers, a warm, strong arm wrapping around her in support. “Are you ok, sweetheart?” she heard her father ask from beside her. Ginny looked up to find him watching her carefully. “Yeah,” she sighed heavily, closing her eyes momentarily as a punctuated cry from down the hall echoed off the walls. “I’m fine.” "Ron's gone to see about what he can do about the sound..." Arthur told her gently. Ginny nodded, meeting her father's gaze gratefully. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked once more, his blue eyes resting now upon where her own hands were unconsiously caressing her pregnant belly. "The baby's fine," she replied, shrugging off his concern. "I just--I hate knowing he's in pain," she confessed to her own father. "I know," he breathed out with a nod. "We all do. You've just got to remember that this isn't like the other times," her father continued on. "This is leading you both somewhere good," another voice spoke quietly from her other side, finishing Arthur's thought. Ginny looked to her left to find her mother now occupying the chair on her other side, a warm, worn hand resting upon Ginny's knee. "Hopefully," Ginny breathed out, placing her hand over her mothers in acknowledgement of Molly's comforting words and touch. She leaned towards her mum, resting her head upon Molly's shoulder as the older woman drew Ginny closer. Ginny closed her eyes, letting herself be comforted by the warm embrace of her mother as she had done when she was a little girl. She closed her eyes, trying not to think about what was going on down the hallway with her husband. She tried focusing on the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears, letting it take her away from the reality of the moment until it was all she could hear. She wasn't aware of how much time had passed before the suddenly unnatural quietness of the room interrupted her concentration. The screaming had stopped. All sounds of pain and agony were suddenly gone and the room had returned to quiet. Ginny slowly opened her eyes, suddenly afraid of what the silence meant. For how long had she been sitting there in the quiet? She was just about to turn and ask her dad when Ron reappeared through the door of the waiting room. He still looked slightly agitated, but the anger from before seemed to have drained away mostly. He wasn't alone in his return, however. A very disheveled and rumpled looking Neville had walked in behind him. Despite his worn appearance, all Ginny could focus on was soft smile gracing his mouth. He followed Ron into the room, heading directly towards the chair across where Ginny, Molly and Arthur sat together. He sat himself down heavily in the stiff armchair, sighing deeply as he did so. "I'm--sorry about the noise..." Neville began, meeting her eyes genuinely. "I hadn't realized how it might carry," he added apologetically. Ginny nodded her understanding, but did not speak. She wanted Neville to tell her how Harry was, but she did not trust her voice at the moment to ask. She was afraid of the answer. But smiling people didn’t usually have bad news, did they? “We’ve got him sedated now,” Neville continued on explaining. “We’ve been able to give him something to combat the pain when he does wake…” “Wakes up?” Ginny repeated, not sure she quite understood. “He–passed out actually about 1/2 way through the procedure,” Neville replied slowly. “The pain potions we’ve given him will probably keep him out for a few more hours.” “Is he ok?” Ginny asked breathlessly before she could help herself. “Did everything go--" "Everything went perfectly, Ginny," Neville finished her question with his own answer. His smile had grown wider, stretching seemingly from ear to ear now. "Things look great." "It worked?" she whispered quietly. Neville nodded. "His arm--is fully formed. There's good blood-flow and there seems to be complete nerve regeneration," Neville replied. "Of course--we won't know completely how accurate our initial observations of functional levels are until after he wakes up--and he will probably need some level of rehabilitation to build up muscle memory and strength like we've talked about--but things look good at the moment." Ginny let out a long deep breath that she had been holding in for what seemed like hours. It seemed that all the mounting stress and worry that had been strangling her and pressing down upon the entire room had lifted. "Can I see him?" she asked hopefully, wanting to view things with her own eyes just to make sure. "Of course," Neville replied quickly. "He'll be out--but you're more than welcome to sit with him for the time being." "I'd like that," Ginny said with a smile of her own, the first that had graced her features for a while. With a nod Neville stood up and held out his hand for Ginny to take. With a slight groan and Neville's help, Ginny was able to pull herself out of her chair. She followed Neville from the room, several others trailing behind as they made their way down the hall towards Harry's room. In no time, it seemed, they had reached the door and Neville had pushed it open to reveal the same singular hospital bed in the middle of white painted room. But unlike before, and a far cry from the tumult that had poured from the room moments before, it was quiet and the lights had been dimmed. The only sound around was the soft beeping of the monitoring spells still activated. As she moved further into the room and her eyes adjusted to the low levels of light, she caught sight of Harry laying flat against the sheets of the bed. His eyes were closed, his face rather peaceful now as he breathed deeply and evenly in slumber. As she reached the side of his bed, her gaze went immediately from her husband's face to his right side, where for so long there had been a void. Harry's arm lay stark against the white sheets, his palm up as it rested motionless on the bed. Without much thought, she reached for his open hand, her fingers lightly grazing the skin there. It was warm. She entwined her fingers, pressing her palm against his. She could feel a slight pulse of life beneath the touch, a steady beat coursing rhythmically in time to Harry's heart. It was something she hadn't felt when holding this hand in a long time. She was used to the mute comfort of plastic and metal that the prosthetic arm had provided for so long. But this was different. This was wonderful... He was whole again. What was lost...had finally been restored at last. ------------------------------- ------------------------- He was someplace warm and comfortable....and blissfully quiet. He struggled only momentarily to remember where he was or how he came to be here. But the wonder was pushed aside quickly as he tried to sink deeper into the wonderful state he was in. But it seemed that his mind had other ideas for him as his comfortable clouded cushion of a trance seemed to be slipping away and each second he became more aware of his own body and the sensations that went with it. --------------------------------- -------------------- She'd been reclining back in her chair, her eyes closed in rest, when she'd been woken by the sound of her own name. Ginny jerked awake, her eyes searching for the source of her wake-up call. Ron was standing opposite her, his eyes on her as he hovered near the other side of Harry's bed. They locked gazes for a moment before Ron's eyes dropped towards the bed. Harry's eyes were still closed, but he was moving his head from side to side slowly now, his breath hitching slightly as though trying to bring himself back to consciousness. Ginny stood up gingerly, careful not to strain her back or anything else important as she hefted herself out of the chair to stand at Harry's bedside. She watched him for a few more moments, the muscles in his face moving and twitching beneath his skin as Harry continued to come around. "Harry, luv," she whispered quietly to him as she raised a hand to brush his cheek gently as he let out a small noise. "It's alright..." she added quietly as he seemed to automatically lean into her touch. Harry let out another soft groan as his face seemed to contort momentarily with the effort of rousing himself. "Take your time, Harry," she whispered to him again, brushing away the damp, dark strands of hair that were still stuck to his forehead from the effort he had exhorted during the procedure. "Take your time in coming back to us, sweetheart." Harry's eyes seemed to flutter open at the sound of her last words. But he wasn't quite able to keep them open long enough for her to gauge his awareness completely. He was still struggling to get a firm grasp on his surroundings; trying to awaken completely. “Gin?” he croaked groggily, his eyes rapidly fluttering open and closed, his voice cracked from disuse and his previous cries and yells. “I’m here,” she whispered to him. “I’m right here, Harry.” He lolled his head towards the sound of her voice. “Gin-ny,” he groaned more clearly now, his eyes opening and closing more pronounced as he tried hard to shake the last vestiges of unconsciousness away. He seemed to be succeeding now. His bright green irises had slid into view as he attempted to keep his sedative glazed eyes on her figure. “Hi,” she said quietly with a smile as Harry’s eyes loosely focused on her. She knew that without his glasses he would not be able to make out any defined features, but at least he would know she was there. “Oh…hell,” Harry groaned as he closed eyes and scrunched his face up as a wave of something interrupted his new-found awareness. “Take it easy there, mate,” Ron advised from his side of the bed. “You’re alright.” “I am?” Harry breathed out unsurely, as he tried to focus and fight against the potions coursing through his veins. “You did wonderfully,” Ginny told him, bending carefully to kiss his forehead. “I feel like shit,” Harry mumbled as he brought his left hand up to rub tiredly at his eyes. “It’s the potions they gave you to help you rest,” Ginny told him, trying to suppress a smile. “Neville said you’d be in and out for a while,” she added. “Mmmhh,” was all Harry managed to grunt out in response as his tired eyes roved over the ceiling above as he blinked heavily. “Just rest now,” Ginny whispered to him, once more stroking at the stray strands of dark hair lying across his forehead. “Did it work?” he asked thickly as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He very lazily rolled his head towards his right as his eyes searched down towards his arm. “Yeah,” Ginny breathed out. “It did,” she responded as she lightly traced the palm of his regenerated hand with a finger. His own, long and slender fingers twitched slightly at the touch. “I…feel that,” Harry whispered in wonder as a tired smile graced his lips. “That’s good,” Ginny told him encouragingly, retaking his hand in hers. She felt him move his fingers experimentally against hers. They wriggled only slightly, but she knew more would come as he woke up and was able to regain muscle strength. Ginny watched Harry breathe deeply for a few moments, letting the silence linger over the room as no words seemed necessary. It was only the sound of the door opening and closing that drew Ginny’s attention away from her husband momentarily. She looked up to find that Bill had returned to the room for the first time since he had left the waiting room. He was carrying a sleepy looking Lily, who was resting her head against her uncle's broad shoulder. "She's getting a bit fussy," Bill said as he moved towards the bed. "Am not fussy," Lily huffed as she pulled a face and shook her head against her Uncle's shoulder. Ginny was just about to scold Lily for her sassy retort, but was cut off by another voice. "Lily...be nice," Harry admonished tiredly from his bed. His voice had an attempted tone of sternness, which in the end actually sounded a bit more as though he'd had too much to drink as his words slurred together. Lily seemed to perk up slightly at the sound of her dad's voice, her eyes moving towards the bed where he lay. "You need...to be good...for your..." Harry trailed off, breathing deeply and blinking his eyes rapidly as the potions coursing through his system attempted to drag him back to sleep again for a moment. Ginny once more placed her palm against the side of his face comfortingly, trying to coax him to stay awake a bit longer. His eyes closed. "I think she's actually just tired," Bill offered his take on Lily's crankyness; although the words could have been issued to apply to more than one person in the room at the moment. "Are you sleepy my Lilypad?" Ginny asked. "Do we need a nap?" "No..." Lily replied in a small voice, the contention and whininess still there. "I wanna stay with Daddy," she whined out. "Dad's tired," Bill told her in a gentle voice. "We've got to let him rest some more." "Nuh uh..." Lily replied, shaking her head. "Why don't we go lay down for a while and then we can come back and see him?" Bill offered. But Lily was having nothing of it. "Nooo...." she let out with a punctuated cry. "I'm gonna stay here," she continued, now pushing away from Bill as if to leave his retreating hold. Bill tried to gently keep grasp on his niece, but she continued to struggle against him. "Lily," a raspy, quiet voice interrupted her struggles and the little girl paused, paying attention once more to the bed. "Come here," Harry said with his eyes still closed. "Bring her here." "Harry, she can go..." Ginny began to say, knowing that he was exhausted. "Bill...bring her here," Harry cut her off, raising his left hand to gesture to his brother-in-law. Bill looked to Ginny for a moment, who nodded, before moving to the side of the bed Harry was indicating to. "Right here," Harry directed, motioning for Bill to place Lily on his left side. Bill hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether the request was a sound idea. "It's alright," Harry assured him, opening his eyes to meet Bill's. "She'll be ok," he reiterated. Gently, Bill lowered Lily towards the bed. The little girl enthusiastically scrambled out of her uncle's arms and onto the bed in the space that Harry's raised arm had cleared. "Careful now," Harry whispered to her as he tried to get Lily to settle down against his side. "You've got to be still." Lily seemed to sense the importance of his request and snuggled close to Harry, her head resting against his chest. "Now....how bout you take a nap with me...ok?" Harry whispered as he kissed the top of her head. "Daddy's very tired too," he sighed, his eyes drooping even as he spoke. "Does that sound good to you?" Harry asked lazily. Lily nodded. "Right then..." Harry yawned. "Let's close our eyes..." he instructed with a yawn. Ginny watched in amusement as Harry's eyes settled shut--Lily followed suit, her bright brown eyes disappearing behind hastily closed lids. “Lets…just…re-lax…” Harry breathed out in a whisper as his whole body seemed to relax and he faded away into a comfortable slumber not a few seconds later. Ginny continued to watch on, her eyes tracing the slow and steady rise and fall of Harry’s chest. It did not take long for Lily to follow her father into sleep, her little body relaxing completely as she lay in the crook of her father’s arm. Ginny could hear the others moving around her, Bill and Ron and perhaps any number of people seated around the room were conversing quietly with one another as they had been doing all afternoon. But she had eyes only for the scene before her. This really was hers–this little slice of perfection that was her Harry and her Lily. She had gone through and seen truly horrible things in her life. Her family and her sanity had nearly been torn apart by war and the evil that had once threatened them. She’d lost a brother and many people that she had loved and called friends. She’d watched the man she’d love fall to the depths of hell and then bravely face uncertainty and even more hardships to return to her so that they could start a better life together. And now… Now…they were truly whole. ------------------------------ -------------------------------- 3 years later…. There was an extra bounce in his step as Harry made his way through the many winding halls of the hospital, his shoes squeaking slightly against the stone floors as he strode along. He knew his way through these halls, his footfalls rounding turns without much thought or concern. He passed various people as he moved along, most turning to stare–some bumping unceremoniously into walls or each other as they caught sight of him. All the while, Harry smiled and nodded at each one–sometimes throwing a friendly “hello.” He was blissfully impervious to the reactions that his mere appearance was garnering all around him. He had much more important things on his mind at the moment than worrying about the wave of awed onlookers he was leaving in his wake. His eyes and attention were, however, almost completely focused on the bundle of blue blankets he was cradling in his arms. A bundle, which every few steps, squirmed and wriggled against him as he held tight. Harry looked down to find a new, yet familiar tuft of jet black hair poking out from beneath the blankets and he unsuccessfully repressed the urge to run his fingers through it gently, fluffing it comically. It was soft beneath the sensitive pads of his right hand, fluffy and wispy between his fingers. With a smile, Harry brought the blankets towards his face, kissing his newborn son gently on the forehead--a son who had been born not a half hour before and who was about to meet his big, crazy family for the first time. The little boy's eyes fluttered open momentarily as Harry's lips departed his warm skin--his already jade hued irises unsuccessfully focusing on the source of the slightly scratchy kiss to his forehead. "You're going to be so spoiled, you know that?" Harry whispered to his tiny son as they neared the family waiting room. "Once your Grandmum gets a hold of you..." he said, trailing off wistfully as he smiled even wider. "Not to mention all your aunts and uncles..." "You're going to love them, Al," He said quietly. "They're a bit crazy at times...but they're ours...and I certainly wouldn't trade em'," he added with a smile as he rounded the last corner. Harry looked up, aware of where he was finally, pausing momentarily before he entered the family room. "Here we go," he whispered as he cradled his son gently in his right arm, pushing the door open with his left. "Daddy!" a shrill voice yelled out before Harry was able to take stock in his surroundings and figure out who all had stuck around the day as they'd waited for the new arrival. "Hey there, little man," Harry replied as his 3 year old son, James, bounded towards him from the chair he had just vacated on the other side of the room. "Not so fast, buddy," Ron interjected, scooping up the little boy and swinging him up to his chest. James giggled raucously as his uncle held him tight. "Careful now." "The baby! The baby!" James squealed, fighting against Ron's arms and reaching out towards Harry. "Yes, 'the baby'," Ron chuckled. "Let's settle down a bit, mate, and you can see the baby," he added, smiling at Harry. "James, come sit over here with me and you can meet your little brother," Harry said, settling down onto the end of a nearby sofa as the others in the room began to circle around. Harry knew that Molly was just itching to meet her newest grandson, but he wanted to introduce Al to his siblings first. "Another brother?" Lily asked, sounding slightly exasperated, but there was a smile on her face as Harry’s 7 ˝ year old daughter walked over to meet her baby brother. “Yes,” Harry scoldingly replied with a smile as Lily came and sat on the arm of the sofa, leaning over to get a peek. “Now you get to be a big sister to two brothers–one more to boss around now,” Harry teased, as Lily’s bright eyes rolled at him in a mixture of exasperation and indignation. Ron had come to sit on Harry’s other side; a now stilled James sitting on his lap and straining curiously towards the bundle in his dad’s arms. “And you get to be his big brother,” Harry told James, turning to face his dark-haired, albeit red-headed son, who’s similar big brown eyes were mirroring his sister’s excitement. “I’m big,” James repeated matter-of-factly, having for quite some time now, considered himself a “big boy”. “Yes, you are," Harry replied encouragingly. "And it's your job to teach him all the 'big boy' stuff you know. You think you can do that?" Harry asked with a smile. "Yeah," James replied excitedly, nodding his head reverently as his eyes fell on his little brother. "He's beautiful, Harry," Molly whispered emotionally over Harry's shoulder as she stood behind the couch, looking down upon the scene. "Definitely a Potter," Ron chimed in. "Look at that hair," he added with a laugh as he eyed the thick tuft of black hair that already seemed to be sticking up atop the baby's head. Several people in the room chuckled at the remark and Harry himself could not keep the grin from gracing his lips. "What's his name, Dad?" Lily asked quietly, reaching over to flatten the baby's hair with her hand, her fingers lingering lovingly against his soft skin. "Albus," Harry told her with a nod. "Aw...aw...aw-bus," James repeated, trying out the name unsuccessfully. The attempts drew laughter throughout the room. "Your mum and I figured we could call him Al for short," Harry said with a smile. "I reckon it's a bit easier to say for some of us," he added, eyeing James in amusement. "How is Ginny?" Hermione asked, holding a slumbering one-year-old Hugo in her arms. "Exhausted," Harry admitted truthfully with a sigh. "But she was great as always...no complications or problems whatsoever," he added. "She wanted to rest up a bit before anyone comes in to visit, but she wanted me to bring him out to meet you all before," Harry continued on. "We'll let her rest for tonight," Molly interjected in a motherly tone. "We can take the children home and then we can visit in the morning...it's been a long and exciting day for you both," she added, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder that somehow told her that she was not going to be swayed on the plan. "Can't we just see Mum for a little bit before we go?" Lily asked quietly, trying not to sound to needy with her request. Lily and James hadn't seen Ginny since earlier in the day. Harry'd dropped them both off at the Burrow when Ginny had started having contractions the night before, wanting to allow Ginny a few hours at home before they had to go to St. Mungo's. And they'd visited once earlier in the day after Ginny had gotten settled into the hospital. But it had been a long day and Harry knew that Lily just wanted to make sure her mum was really ok. "Yeah...we can visit for a little bit," Harry conceded as Lily smiled in relief. ----------------------------- ---------------------------------------- -------- She was so tired--her body ached and her eyelids felt like lead--her head pounding slightly in the quiet of the room pressing in around her. But she was happy...she remembered that much. A small, tired smile played across her lips as the past day's events. Despite the pain and exhaustion that came with labor, she and Harry had been elated to have welcomed their third child, and second son into the world today--if it still was today--she'd fall asleep shortly after Harry'd brought the kids to visit before they left for the night. Her little Albus was beautiful--a spitting image of Harry already with a fluffy tuft of raven hair and amazingly clear green eyes for such a tiny baby. She'd had a hard time taking her eyes from him for even a moment as she'd held him--unlike James and Lily who had both cried and fussed their first few hours--Al had been calm and surprisingly quiet thus far. It had only been the eminent threat of sleep that had forced her to stop. But now that some of her weariness had been remedied, she was awake and ready to see her little boy again. Lazily she opened her eyes, her pupils adjusting to the small sliver of light filtering into the room. It was still night, the room dark and quiet to mirror it. Despite the low light in the room, it only took her a few moments to spot him in the chair near the foot of the bed. She smiled again in that wonderful, blissful sort of way that seemed to fill her entire being as she watched Harry whisper softly into the bundle of blankets cradled in his arms. She couldn't tell exactly what he was saying, but it was moving all the same to watch. That was one thing she would never get tired of witnessing--watching Harry interacting with their children, completely letting himself go and be happy--to be totally free of any lingering thoughts of the horrors that were his past. Not wanting to interrupt this moment, she remained quiet, silently observing. -------------------------- ---------------- "You'd think you'd be snoozing soundly after all the excitement today," Harry whispered to his newborn son as the little boy looked back unfocusedly at him. "But it's ok--I can't sleep either," Harry said with a smile as Al whimpered just barely in what seemed as some response to his father's voice. "It's all your fault too, you know?" Harry said softly. "You don't realize it--but you've got me so wrapped up already..." he added with a lazy grin. "I love you, Al," he whispered, leaning down to kiss his son gently on the forehead. Perhaps as a reaction to the slightly whiskery kiss he had received, Albus shifted in Harry's arms, his own tiny fists breaking free of the blankets he'd been wrapped up in. "Hey now," Harry teased, trying gently to reposition his son within the coverings so that he remained comfortably wrapped. As Harry attempted to pull the blankets back around, a small hand found Harry's and the thin, tiny fingers wrapped around the middle finger of Harry's right hand. The pressure was surprisingly firm, Al's tiny hand holding tight as Harry dared not pull away. Harry marveled in the touch, the sensation of his son’s soft skin against his rough and calloused. He could feel the tiny beat, the gentle pulse of life that was Al’s heart as the little boy squeezed tight. It was an awesome feeling, one he wouldn’t have been able to experience only a few years prior. He’d gotten a taste of it when James had been born, only a month after he’d gotten his arm back. But it had still been in a sling and his mobility was limited when his first son had arrived. He had to admit, he’d been a clumsy helper those first few weeks of James’ life, but whatever adjustment period had followed, it was worth it to be able to hold and interact with his son without the worry or hindrance of a prosthetic arm. It had allowed him to become a much more care-free, hands-on dad in the long run--something he’d get to continue now with Al as well. Al was still holding tight when Harry happened to glance up towards the bed. He smiled softly as he noticed the deep brown eyes of the woman lying against the pillows upon him. “Hi,” she whispered, sitting up straighter. “Hey,” he replied back quietly. “I didn’t wake you, did I?” he asked. “No,” she replied reassuringly, shaking her head. “You’ve been quiet…I just…I wanted to see my baby,” she added with a smile. “He must have known,” Harry said, standing up carefully. “He just won’t go to sleep.” “Let’s see what we can do about that,” Ginny said with a grin as Harry neared the side of the bed with Al cradled in his arms. Gently Harry transferred the baby in his arms to Ginny’s outstretched ones, letting her take Al completely. Harry watched totally enraptured as Ginny smiled down at he son, speaking softly and lovingly as she rocked him ever so gently against her chest. “There’s still a bit of room here,” Ginny’s voice interrupted his musings, causing him to once more meet her eyes. She was gesturing towards the space in the bed next to her and Al. “Come on,” she said quietly with a smile. “You’ve been standing and pacing all day long…” she pressed, once more eyeing the strip of bed she was not occupying. “I reckon it’ll be a bit of a squeeze, but it’s better than trying to nod off in that chair.” She was right, of course. With all the happenings of the day and the sheer adrenaline he’d been running on with the arrival of his newest child, Harry’d had few chances to truly rest and take it all in. With a heavy sigh, Harry maneuvered himself onto the bed, sliding next to Ginny so that he was comfortable against the pillows. Ginny leaned into him, taking the opportunity to relish in their closeness. Harry likewise wrapped an arm up and around his wife, pulling her closer to him. Ginny adjusted the baby between them, resting her head now against Harry’s chest. “You’re a much better pillow,” she murmured lazily. “Thanks,” Harry managed with a chuckle that seemed to rumble throughout his chest and fill him up like nothing else. “Look,” Ginny whispered. “I told you all he needed was his Mum and he’d be out,” she said with a small laugh as Harry glanced down. Al was snoozing soundly, his eyes closed and body completely relaxed in sleep. “He can hear your heartbeat,” Harry said quietly, watching his son sleep against his mother’s chest. “I bet you that’s what did it…he feels safe…” he murmured as he put his lips against the top of Ginny’s head. “I can hear your heartbeat,” Ginny whispered as she still lay with her head upon his chest. “Yeah?” Harry sighed as he too began to feel his own lids droop. “Mmm hmm,” Ginny hummed tiredly. “So I make you fall asleep?” Harry asked. “Yes…” she replied breathily. “It makes me feel safe…and…” she broke off, yawning mid-sentence. “It’s a reminder that you’re still here…with me,” admitted quietly and Harry automatically squeezed her tight. “I love you,” Harry whispered to her. “Love you…” she replied back quietly. Harry knew she was on the edge of sleep once more, the day’s events slowly wearing her out once more. Once she had dozed off, Harry would have to carefully extricate himself so that he could put Al down in the bassinet for a proper night’s sleep. “Harry?” Ginny breathed out after a moment. Harry looked down to find her eyes closed, but he knew that she had spoken. “Yes, luv?” he whispered back, encouraging her to carry on. “Thank you,” she murmured. “For...what?” Harry asked slowly and gently. “For being my hero,” she replied simply. Harry remained silent, not speaking after her last comment. He held on tight to Ginny, letting her body relax in his arms as she slipped into sleep, not waiting for him to reply to her. In the silent peacefulness of the room, it became easy to forget about all that had come before this perfect moment. Lying here in this bed–with this woman–in this life–all of the hardships he had endured seemed worth it. He’d gotten his ending–his happy forever with those he loved and the chance to create something more. This was why he’d fought; why he’d given his entire being to the hope that there was some future worth having–a life that deserved saving. And this was it…his perfect ending…his little slice of normalcy. |
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