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The Baby Tale | ||||||
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Category: You're Having My Baby Challenge (2010-1), You're Having My Baby Challenge (2010-1) Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Songfic Warnings: Mild Sexual Situations Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 84 Summary: ** Winner of Best Overall in the You’re Having My Baby Challenge ** A missive from St Mungo's has the whole family in a spin! Hitcount: Story Total: 32066; Chapter Total: 9209 |
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The plastic sticks sat innocuously on the edge of the sink in Hermione’s bathroom. Ginny stared at them malevolently. A sudden banging on the door startled her. “Have you finished yet?” Hermione demanded. “No …” Ginny answered. She heard Hermione heave a frustrated sigh. Ginny stared at the pregnancy tests some more. “Just do it!” Hermione called. Ginny pulled a face at the bathroom door before delicately picking up one of the sticks. She fumbled with it and the little cup from the pink packet and wrinkled her nose as she followed the instructions on the little fold out pamphlet that Hermione had spellotaped to the wall. Giving the stupid plastic sticks one last resentful glance, Ginny washed her hands, set the timer and left the bathroom. “That was the most humiliating thing I’ve ever done!” Ginny complained. “Well it’ll be a lot more embarrassing having the actual baby,” Hermione said, not looking up from the dusty ledger she was scanning on the coffee table. “But I’m not having a baby,” Ginny replied pointedly, flopping into one of the armchairs. Hermione just hummed and kept scanning. Ginny frowned. “You don’t believe me, do you?” “Well …” Hermione finally looked up from the ledger, her finger marking the place she was up to. “You could be, you know …” “Yes, but I’m not,” Ginny said, rolling her eyes. Hermione just shook her head and went back to the ledger. “You set the timer?” “Yes.” There was silence until Hermione’s egg timer buzzed throughout the tiny flat. Ginny stared at the bathroom door and Hermione stared at Ginny. Both women sat unmoving in the living area. “Go look,” Hermione said, jerking her head towards the bathroom door. “What if I am pregnant?” “Then you’ll have a baby,” Hermione said with a smirk. “But I don’t want to have a baby!” Ginny said. “I’m only twenty!” “Biologically speaking you’re perfectly capable of having a baby,” Hermione said, sitting up straighter. “You have been since you were what — thirteen? Plus you just got married and no doubt engaged in a lot of sexual intercourse. So the fact remains — you could be. After all when a male gamete, excreted during the act of sexual stimulation meets a female gamete-” “You sound like a text book,” Ginny grumbled, getting out of the chair and flouncing her way to the bathroom. She didn’t miss Hermione’s satisfied grin. “Don’t think I don’t know what you just did! You should marry Percy instead of Ron. Then you could bore the pants off each other and stop being a menace to the rest of us!” “Just check the tests,” Hermione said. “Then we know if we need to build an expansion charm into your bridesmaid dress.” “Build?” Ginny giggled, turning as she got to the bathroom. “Well, I don’t know!” Hermione said in exasperation. “Just check the stupid tests!” Ginny chuckled as she went into the bathroom. Taking a deep breath she peered at the tests. Nothing. Ginny picked them up and peered closer. One line. For some reason this pulled at her heart. She felt … let down. Ginny slumped down on the closed toilet seat and stared at the offending test sticks. “Ginny?” Hermione called. Ginny didn’t answer her. Why could she feel this empty spot in her chest? She didn’t want a baby anyway so this was a good thing. Despite that, a tear slowly made its way down her cheek just as Hermione appeared in the doorway. Hermione called her name again, softly this time. Ginny turned to Hermione. “Negative,” she said. “Why are you crying?” “I guess I’m … disappointed,” Ginny replied. She stood up abruptly and hastily gathered the test paraphernalia, tearing the spellotaped instructions off the wall and thrusting it all into the rubbish bin under the sink. “But I thought you didn’t want to be pregnant,” Hermione said. “So did I,” Ginny said. “But you do, don’t you?” asked Hermione quietly. “I think maybe it would have been nice,” Ginny said. “I still don’t know if I’m really ready for a baby but … Harry’s baby …” “Yeah …” Hermione trailed off dreamily. “I mean this is Harry,” Ginny said. “And even if I’m only twenty and even if I haven’t finished what I want to achieve with Quidditch yet … I wouldn’t ever pass that up — you know?” “You’d have to quit the Harpies,” Hermione said. “Not right away,” Ginny shrugged. “There are safety spells. Gertrude Wattlemeyer was playing under one for the last three months of the last season. She’s due any second but she’s planning to return in a couple months. But I want to have more than one and it’d be hard to stop and start. I don’t know …” “What does Harry think?” “He hasn’t said much,” Ginny replied. “I mean we talked about it but …” “I want to wait,” Hermione said, “before we have children I mean.” “Well, you would,” Ginny rolled her eyes. “You need Ron to grow up first.” She sighed and headed for the bathroom door. “Maybe two years,” continued Hermione as if Ginny hadn’t spoken, “probably three. I think I’d like to establish myself in the Magical Law department before then. I’m working on something for Kingsley right now and I’ll probably transfer out soon.” Ginny tuned out Hermione’s complicated planning and sat down on the couch. She knew she wanted children and Harry definitely did but they hadn’t decided when because neither of them knew when they’d be ready. Ginny had thought she wasn’t but the ache in her chest told her she might be. She needed to talk to Harry, but it would have to wait. She had to tell Gwenog she wasn’t pregnant and then go to The Burrow for tea. She should probably tell Harry they had been summoned by her mother. She’d need to borrow Hermione’s owl. How did this day get so complicated? “I mean it’s such a wonderful thing,” Hermione was saying when Ginny started paying attention to her. “Isn’t it such a lovely way to show someone how much you love them?” She had a particularly dreamy look in her eyes that made Ginny want to reach into her own oesophagus and pull out her own vomit voluntarily. “No,” Ginny said bluntly. “You have a baby for both of you and you show the love by doing everyday things. If you have a baby for someone else that’s not showing love. It’s more like servitude. It should be a mutual decision and shared, not a one sided piece of candy floss!” “Okay, calm down,” Hermione said, holding up a hand. “I think you’re overreacting, here.” “Sorry,” Ginny shrugged. “I just … Harry would lay down his life for us — you know?” Hermione leaned forward earnestly. “Exactly!” she cried. “That’s like having a baby!” “Hermione!” Ginny laughed. “Having a baby is not like dying!” “It might as well be,” Hermione said. “You have to give up your life!” Ginny just looked at Hermione. “Can I borrow Pig, please?” Ginny attempted to change the subject. “Sure, sure,” Hermione said distractedly. “I mean think about it — being willing to do that and give up your whole life for this person — how is that not love.” Pigwidgeon fluttered into the room and began flapping around Ginny’s head. It made it very difficult to think. “Hermione,” Ginny said firmly. “Having a baby is not giving up your life. It’s not a one sided way to please the man in your life or a way to show you love him. He should already know that by the time you decide to get pregnant.” “I know that,” Hermione rolled her eyes. “But isn’t it just a little bit romantic?” “Maybe,” Ginny allowed, smiling. “But think about it we have to put up with all that morning sickness and … and …” “Swollen ankles.” “Fat tummy.” “Cravings.” “Oh, Parvati had the worst cravings — who wants to eat pickled eels with strawberries?” “I still can’t believe she got pregnant,” Ginny grimaced. “How could anyone let Michael Corner touch them like that!” She shuddered. “My mum reckons it was dirt with me,” Hermione mused. “Craved it I mean.” “Mum said she craved pumpkin juice with me,” Ginny added. “I hope my cravings are as innocuous as that. Can you imagine me sending Harry out for pickled eggs and raspberry jelly or something?” Ginny hastily scrawled a message about dinner at The Burrow as she spoke before giving it to Pigwidgeon. “Harry will do that for you, you know,” Hermione said. “He is totally going to Apparate to France for pregnancy induced chocolate éclairs at three o’clock in the morning for you.” Ginny giggled. “Harry would do what and why?” Ron’s pale face darted from Ginny to Hermione as he stood in the entry way to the flat. He levelled a glare at his sister. “What did you do?” ************* Harry frowned at the last report on his desk as he signed and rolled it, tying it with a grubby piece of string he found at the back of his top drawer behind all the broken quills and an empty ink bottle. It had been a long week and Harry couldn’t wait to get home to a nice hot dinner and a cuddle with his wife. It looked like he could even go home early for a change. Unless he was inexplicably accosted by another Weasley. Harry hastened to pack up his desk and gather his things but was thwarted as Pig came fluttering through the door. “How’d you get through the Ministry, you hyperactive little fluffball?” Harry muttered as he tried to make Pig settle down and give up the parchment he was carrying. He finally managed to snatch Pig out of the air and wrestle the parchment from him when a pink memo aeroplane shot through the door, a wax sealed scroll balanced on the top. The paper plane slid to a graceful stop on his desk and the scroll rolled off onto the blotter. Harry convinced Pig to sit still on the edge of the desk while he unrolled the scroll from Ginny. He didn’t know whether to smile or groan at the prospect of tea with Molly and Arthur. He loved Molly’s cooking but he still sort of felt awkward that he and Ginny were now living together and had obviously … you know. Which really was ridiculous because George had never let up ribbing him about his ‘private’ life. Sighing, Harry reached for the scroll. It was heavy and had an official looking seal on it. He figured if he left his office before opening it he could pretend he never got it until Monday and deal with it then. That would leave his weekend gloriously free to spend in bed with his wife. George was right. He did love saying that. Harry tucked the scroll into his pocket and enticed Pig onto his shoulder. Locking his office door behind him he made his way down to the Ministry entrance and out into London. Once on the footpath Harry debated for a moment before he turned towards The Leaky Cauldron. He hadn’t had a pint with Neville since before the wedding and it wasn’t time for tea yet. Pig fluttered once around his head before taking off and Harry wondered briefly why Ginny was at Hermione and Ron’s instead of training. He’d have to remember to ask her, Harry thought as he pushed his way through the doors of The Leaky Cauldron. Spotting Neville at the end of the bar, leaning casually against it and talking to Hannah, Harry lowered his head and shuffled along the edge of the wall to the bar. It wasn’t long before the two of them were nursing a drink and Neville filled Harry in on the goings on at Hogwarts while Harry told Neville about his honeymoon. Unlike some people, Neville was interested in hearing about European landmarks and art galleries. “Gerald really has made a fabulous Head Boy,” Neville said. “He’s complete pants at Herbology though and Hagrid thought he’d set fire to something during Care of Magical Creatures the other day.” “Did Hagrid have the skrewts out again?” “No, bowtruckles.” “Why does he take that subject?” Harry wondered. “He seems more studious than that.” “He is,” Neville said as he drained his goblet. “He’s also taking Ancient Runes, Divination and Arithmancy.” “Completely mental,” Harry commented. “Worse than Hermione.” “So, up to anything exciting tonight Mr Old Married Man?” Neville asked. “Tea at The Burrow?” It sounded like a question. Neville snorted and Harry cuffed him on the back of the head. They had another drink and discussed Gilbert Chumley’s growing infatuation with a pimply-faced Ravenclaw who reminded Neville of Eloise Midgeon before Harry had to leave. “I’ll have to catch up with Gilbert at Christmas,” Harry said as he rose to leave. “He’s turning into quite the ladies’ man, that one!” He bid farewell to Neville and Hannah and edged his way out of the pub to Diagon Alley before Apparating to The Burrow. Harry knocked tentatively on the back door before it flew open and Molly Weasley stared at him disapprovingly. “What on earth are you doing, young man?” “Erm … knocking?” “You’re family,” Molly said. “You don’t have to knock.” And she handed him a potato peeler and pointed him towards a pile of potatoes at the kitchen table. He was still peeling potatoes when Ginny stomped through the back door. “That overgrown buffoon!” Ginny huffed, throwing her cloak over a chair and slamming the door. “He’s going to wish he’d never said that.” “What’s Ron done now?” Harry asked with a sigh. Their idyllic, isolated world of the last two months was well and truly over. “He’s … just an idiot,” Ginny muttered, leaning over to give Harry a kiss on the cheek. “I need to go for a fly. You wanna come?” “Haven’t you done enough flying at training?” “Gwenog grounded me!” Ginny said, throwing up her hands. “Sent me to St Mungos for tests because I felt a bit off.” “Are you all right,” Harry threw the potato peeler on the table and pulled Ginny onto his lap, searching her face. “Yes, I’m fine,” Ginny replied impatiently. “I mean, I told her that! I’m just a little tired.” “I’m sure you are,” Molly murmured from the stove with a smirk. “Mum!” Ginny gasped. Her mother’s shoulders shook with laughter and Ginny stood up. “I’m going to fly before tea. I shall come back when everyone can behave themselves!” “I’ll see you when hell freezes over then,” Harry said, giving her a kiss and pushing her towards the door. He picked up the potato peeler again. She’d be in a much better mood if she had some space right now. Harry finished peeling the potatoes and Molly sent him out to fetch Arthur in to carve the meat. Remembering the scroll in his pocket, Harry pulled it out as he ambled over to the shed. He didn’t bother looking at the seal; he broke it and unrolled the scroll scanning the contents. It was written in untidy scrawl and the parchment was splattered with what looked like butterbeer. A Smudge in the top left hand corner didn’t hide the word ‘-easly’. Harry scanned the rest of the parchment and stopped dead in his tracks. ’- pleasure to confirm the results of your tests; positive for pregnancy. Congratulations, and please see the Midwifery department as soon as practical.’ Harry read the partial missive twice, cursing the butterbeer stains that obscured the top left and had smudged the stamp of the Healer at the bottom. Ginny was … pregnant? This was wonderful. Terrible. Bad. Very bad. Fantastic. Harry’s emotions changed faster than a Snitch changed direction. They settled somewhere in the elated vicinity and Harry wondered if Ginny would think it was wonderful or very, very bad. Harry looked up and saw Ginny swooping across the orchard, just beyond the shed. He suddenly had to see her and raced towards the orchard, calling out to Arthur as he raced past the shed. Ginny did another loop around a pear tree and a double roll between two apples trees and Harry’s heart caught in his throat. He hoped once she knew she’d think a little more about what she was doing. She looked so happy, her face was glowing and she whooped as she swung down to skim the ground and pulled to a stop at Harry’s feet. “Hi!” Ginny chirped. “Sorry I was a grump before. Ron was being an idiot. Don’t listen to anything he says, he’s just … an idiot.” Harry just grinned at her before pulling her off the broom and into his arms and kissing her soundly. He was interrupted by Molly calling them in for tea. “Damn,” Harry said, dropping his forehead to Ginny’s and closing his eyes. “Oh I’m starved,” Ginny said. “Let’s go!” Her eyes twinkled up at him and she tugged on his hand, leading him back to the Burrow. Harry could see he wasn’t going to be able to say anything before tea. It would have to wait. He could show her the scroll at home. Until then he would be happy just knowing that his Ginny was having a baby. His baby. Their baby. |
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