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Scarier Than Voldemort
By Fire

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Category: Post-DH/PM
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Other
Genres: Fluff
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: G
Reviews: 16
Summary: With Harry and Ginny's first baby on the way, a very nervous father-to-be decides to have a chat with his father-in-law about just how terrified he really is.
Hitcount: Story Total: 5520



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.



Author's Notes:
So this is it then. My first story in almost 3 years, I hope it’s worth the wait, although I somehow doubt it. I can’t quite believe it’s been so long since I wrote a story. The last 3 years have gone so fast. It seems like yesterday that we were all eagerly awaiting the arrival of Deathly Hallows, and it certainly doesn’t seem like 7 years since my first foray into fanfiction. I started reading just after OotP came out, and writing not long after that. Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun? Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it.




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Scarier than Voldemort


Arthur Weasley was pottering about in the shed next to the vegetable patch. It was just about the only bit of space in the whole world that he could call his very own, and in it he kept his most treasured possessions. He had hundreds of plugs, dead batteries, computer chips and popped light bulbs that had been thrown out by muggles long ago. There were a few duff fuses knocking about on the workbenches and scraps of copper wire were strewn everywhere. Every shelf was jam-packed with broken muggle items — kettles, toasters, hairdryers, fairy lights and clock-radios to name but a few. The small packet of screwdrivers that had been given to him by Harry Potter long ago lay open on the bench. Arthur looked thoughtfully at them for a moment before choosing one with a cross-head, and busied himself with taking a toaster apart. This particular toaster had exploded spectacularly one morning and a delighted Arthur had received it as a Christmas present from his daughter and her husband.

As Arthur wrestled the blackened plastic covering off the toaster, there was a quiet knock on the door.

“Arthur,” came the voice of Harry Potter, the very man who had caused the toaster currently in Arthur’s hands to explode in the first place. Apparently a piece of toast had become stuck, and Harry had attempted to retrieve it with a knife, much to Ginny’s chagrin. “Are you busy? Do you mind if I come in?”

Arthur put the toaster with its half removed cover and the screwdriver to one side, and settled down onto one of two rickety stools.

“Of course, Harry,” he said, as he moved the stool into a slightly less wobbly position. “Come in, come in.”

A somewhat pale and clammy Harry Potter entered the shed and sat down on the remaining stool. As he sat, his foot nervously bounced up and down, and his hands couldn’t seem to keep still.

“What can I do for you, Harry?” asked Arthur. “There’s not long to go now is there? You must be excited.”

“Excited isn’t exactly how I’d put it,” said Harry. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this terrified in my whole life!”

Arthur’s face broadened into a smile.

“It’s only a baby, Harry!” he said. “You faced Voldemort on a number of occasions, for goodness’ sake. This is a doddle!”

Harry turned slightly green at Arthur’s words.

“Given the choice at this point, I think I’d rather take on Voldemort,” he said. “I don’t know the first thing about being a dad!”

“Everyone feels exactly the same first time round,” said Arthur wisely. “I know I did. I was so nervous when Molly had Bill, that I spent most of the time throwing up in the bathroom. I even missed the birth itself.”

“I think Ginny would kill me if that happened,” said Harry.

“Molly didn’t let me forget it for I long time, I’ll tell you,” said Arthur. “Still, I was there for the rest of them.”

Harry sighed.

“It’s not that I’m scared about,” he said. “I’m not worried about the sleepless nights, or the dirty nappies.” He paused and took a deep breath. “What if the baby doesn’t like me? What if we end up loving him so much that he ends up looking like a whale like Dudley? What if he’s naughty when he’s older and we have to punish him and then he thinks we don’t love him? What if he’s too much like his mother and I can’t control him?”

Arthur chuckled.

“Well, I can’t really help you with the last one,” he said. “Ginny was a handful when she was little. But as for the others, you really have nothing to worry about. You’re wonderful with children. Little Teddy Lupin worships the ground you walk on, and Victoire tells everyone she meets that Uncle Harry is her favourite uncle.”

A small smile crossed Harry’s lips.

“It’ll be different with my own child though,” he said.

“It’ll be easier,” said Arthur. “You’ll be there all the time. It doesn’t take a child long before they recognise their daddy. And you don’t need to worry about him getting fat. All the Weasleys can eat ‘til the cows come home and never put on a scrap of weight!”

Arthur smiled at Harry who was chuckling. The colour was slowly returning to the younger man’s face.

“Merlin’s beard!” said Harry. “Ginny’s bad enough. He’ll eat me out of house and home won’t he?”

Arthur laughed.

“Now you know why we never had any money when that lot were growing up!”

Harry pushed his glasses up his nose and grinned.

“You know, that does make much more sense now,” said Harry with a chuckle.

“As for punishing children, well, you’re talking to the man who raised Fred and George,” said Arthur. “Children will always push the boundaries to see what they can get away with, and they have to know when they’re in the wrong. The difference is that when you punish your children, you won’t be locking them in a cupboard under the stairs and feeding them nothing but cold soup, bread and cheese, am I right?”

A dark look crossed Arthur’s face.

Harry started to nod, but then gave Arthur a somewhat startled look.

“How did you…?”

“We knew a lot more about what went on at the Dursleys’ than we let on,” said Arthur. “Dumbledore told us, and he seemed to know quite a bit.”

Harry seemed saddened again.

“I just feel so out of my depth,” he sighed.

“Listen Harry,” said Arthur. “It’s not going to be easy. There’s going to be plenty of nights when you don’t get any sleep, and you and Ginny will be bad tempered, and you’ll fight with each other, but trust me. It’ll all be for the best in the end. Having children is the most wonderful thing in the world, especially when you see the amazing people they grow up to be. And I want you to remember something when you’re tired, and you’re fighting with Ginny, and the baby won’t stop crying.”

“What?” asked Harry.

“Remember that your baby is growing up in a safe, magical world,” said Arthur. “He’ll have two parents who love him and who’ll always be there for him, and he’ll never be without. And when he’s eleven he’ll be disappearing off to Hogwarts and you’ll be safe in the knowledge that he’ll spend seven happy years there, with nothing to worry about except exams and kissing girls.”

“Kissing girls!” said Harry. “He’s not even born yet, isn’t a bit early to start thinking about that?”

“It’s never too early, Harry,” said Arthur. “And trust me, it’s much worse when it’s your daughter and she’s thinking about kissing boys.”

Harry laughed.

“Er… yeah… sorry about that,” he said, blushing slightly.

Arthur chuckled.

“But in all seriousness, Harry,” he said. “You just remember that he’s going to have a happy, carefree childhood, and you made that possible, for him, and for a whole generation of children.”

“Yeah, I ‘spose,” Harry said. “I’m still pretty terr…”

Harry didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence as he was interrupted by a loud screech coming from the house.

“Harry James Potter if you don’t get your backside back here this instant I’m going to hex you into next week!”

There was a loud clunk, which sounded as though a window had just been slammed shut.

“I think I’d better go,” said Harry, jumping from the stool and opening the door. “Thanks for the advice, Arthur.”

“You’re welcome, Harry.”

Harry hurried up the garden path, and almost ran headlong into Molly Weasley who was scurrying towards the shed to fetch him.

“Oh, Harry, thank goodness,” she said breathlessly. “The baby is coming, now!”

The colour that had recently returned to Harry’s face drained away once more. He dashed past Molly and raced into the house.

“She’s in her old room, Harry,” Molly called after him. “The healer is on her way!”

*


It was probably the most beautiful sound Harry had ever heard - the crying of his newborn son. The healer wrapped the tiny baby boy in a blue blanket and carried him across the room to where Harry stood beside Ginny’s bed.

“Are you ready to meet your Daddy, little man?” the healer whispered before placing the precious bundle in Harry’s arms.

The crying stopped as Harry sat down on the bed beside Ginny, who was practically weeping with exhaustion. Harry twisted around and passed the baby to Ginny, who was holding her arms out.

“Look what we did, Harry,” she whispered.

Harry smiled and kissed her softly.

“He has your eyes,” he said.

“And your black hair,” Ginny whispered.

Harry grinned.

“It’s messy already,” he said.

Ginny laughed.

“He’s perfect,” she said.

Ginny rested her head back on the pillow that was propping her up into a sitting position.

“You should get some sleep,” Harry said.

He gently lifted the sleeping baby from her arms, and she was asleep almost instantly. Harry cradled the baby in his arms for what seemed like forever before the door opened. Molly and Arthur rushed, very quietly, into the room.

“Oh, Harry,” gushed Molly in a whisper. “He’s beautiful. He looks just like his Daddy!”

Harry just grinned. He felt as though he was about to burst with happiness and pride.

“I don’t know what I was so afraid of,” said Harry, looking as Arthur.

“I told you, didn’t I?” the older man replied. “There’s no way he’s scarier than Voldemort.”

*

Reviews 16
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