Through His Mother's Eyes

Chapter Eleven - Better Living Through Potions

Ginny was pretty certain what the end result was going to be, but felt the need to do the test anyhow.

She snuck the little potions kit into her shopping basket during her last shopping trek into Hogsmeade with Hermione; they'd gone the day after Luna and Neville's wedding, while their husbands looked after the kids. Ginny had been feeling awful, but reluctantly agreed to go. After all, she reasoned she'd be able to slip into the Apothecary with the excuse of having to pick up some headache remedy and a few ounces of rat spleen - then nonchalantly slip a pregnancy test into her basket while Hermione browsed through the teeth whitening solutions.

And her reasoning panned out to perfection. She purchased a test kit and Hermione was none the wiser.

The kit had a picture of a very plump witch on the front, ripe and looking ready to deliver quintuplets at any given moment. The witch was smiling benignly, as if the prospect of giving birth to five babies in one shot was nothing at all. On the other side of the kit were instructions for use:

1. Fill cauldron with four cups of water and bring to a boil.
2. Mix in potion ingredients (included) very carefully.
3. Let ingredients simmer in cauldron for fifteen minutes.
4. Add one drop of blood from test-subject to mixture.
5. Allow entire concoction to simmer for one hour.
6. If the solution turns green, the result is positive. Congratulations - start picking out nursery colors!

7. If the solution turns red, the result is negative. Try again.

Ginny peered around the living room and kitchen. Harry was at the office. James was playing in his bedroom. She could casually make her way into the kitchen to throw the potion together.

She found a silver cauldron, filled it with water, set it on the cooker and lit a flame. When bubbles began to dance vigorously inside the pot, Ginny gently tossed in the assortment of pre-packaged ingredients, one by one. Finally, she reached for the last items - two freeze-dried rabbit feet. They made her cringe, but she gritted her teeth and chucked them in with the rest of the lot. She glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall and sat down as she waited for fifteen minutes to tick by.

When the time had come, Ginny gripped a sewing needle she'd found while rifling through the old embroidery kit her mother had given her when she was ten - a kit that was meant to distract her from being miserable about being the only child left at home once Ron left for school, but Ginny seemed to recall embroidering many items with a large Hogwarts crest. Pillowcases, tea towels, tablecloths, handkerchiefs - the sky was the limit. The Weasleys were the proud owners of a vast array of Hogwarts-themed items by the time Ginny was ready to start school herself.

Ginny continued to grip the needle, feeling the perspiration from her hand making it slippery. She needed to concentrate on the task at hand - not think about old needlework - or else she was going to poke herself and send droplets of blood spurting hither and thither in the kitchen. With her luck, that'd be the exact time James would stroll in seeking a snack, only to discover his mum inflicting wounds upon herself.

Feeling as though she'd probably wasted enough time and that the potion would be a failure if she wasted much more, she pricked her finger and squeezed. One fat, crimson bead of blood dropped into the cauldron and hit the mixture with a loud hiss. The red droplet was lost among the murky grey recesses of the rest of the simmering solution, and all that there was left to do was wait.

Ginny plopped down on the sofa with her wand in hand. She set the tip against her pricked finger and muttered an incantation. The tiny wound disappeared. She thought vaguely that she ought to check on James, but she found it hard to exert the extra energy involved in such an undertaking.

She opted for shouting down the hallway instead.

"James...everything okay in there?"

"Yup," was the ever-so enlightening reply she received.

He could have been setting his mattress on fire for all she knew, or any number of other frightening alternatives. She felt that she really should check to make sure no bonfires were being lit (not that her son was a pyromaniac by any means, but a parent could never be too sure), but finding the power to get up off the couch was quite inconceivable at the moment.

She opted for sniffing the air for traces of smoke instead.

No smoke, but the hideous odor emitting from the kitchen was enough to make her retch. She clasped a hand over her mouth to hold back being sick.

Ginny was willing to bet her eye-teeth that the potion was changing from icky grey to bright green even as she sat there feeling like her stomach was about to be wrung out like a wet towel.

***

The longest hour of her life had finally lapsed, and Ginny discovered that her eye-teeth would safely remain in her possession.

A brilliant jade-green solution was brewing in the cauldron when she peered inside. By that time, James had emerged from his blaze-free room and was interested in filling his tummy. This was an unfortunate turn of events, as Ginny was feeling a fresh wave of nausea and was interested in emptying hers.

She opened up the doors to the cupboards where junk food was stashed and did something she'd never before done in her entire existence as a mother - she gave James free reign to chose whatever he'd like. She set out a plate for him and allowed him to serve himself, knowing full well she'd regret the decision later on, but if she had to face one crumb of food after dumping that green gunk down the sink...

"What was that green stuff?" asked James as her began to unwrap a Cauldron Cake.

"Potion," Ginny said glumly. Her face was probably the same shade as the discarded brew. "Mummy's not feeling well."

"Was that stuff to make you feel well again? Did you drink it?" He looked aghast as the very notion.

"No, I didn't drink it," Ginny assured him. "It was to tell me why I'm feeling sick."

"Why are you feeling sick then?" James asked wisely.

Ginny didn't know how to answer. The last thing she needed was for James to be the one to announce the impending arrival of a new Potter when his father arrived home from work, so she decided on telling him, "Stomach ache," for the time being. After all, it wasn't exactly a lie.

"You should lie down and drink something fizzy," said James firmly, doing a very good impression of his dad's I-Mean-Business voice. "That's what I do when my tummy hurts," he added knowledgably.

Ginny grinned, in spite of the queasiness in her unsettled stomach. "Good advice," she said and allowed herself to be shepherded into the living room by her little boy. She reclined on the sofa and leaned back on a pillow James had punched and squished until fluffy.

James marched purposefully back into the kitchen; Ginny heard a lot of clattering going on, but hardly felt inclined to get up to see the source of the noises. So long as nothing sounded like it was breaking.

A few minutes later, James emerged clutching a glass full of what Ginny expected was Pumpkin Fizz. She took the glass graciously and mustered up enough courage to take half a sip.

"Thanks, sweetheart," she said, meaning it. "Mummy feels much better now." She didn't mean this so much (the Pumpkin Fizz seemed like a hostile invader to her already antagonized insides), but she'd never let on to her doting son. She gazed at him and let herself wonder - just for a moment, while there was a pause between the queasy feelings - if the little life growing inside her would be a sweet, tousle-haired, knobbly-kneed creature like the one standing over her right now, patting her sweaty forehead with a soft touch and telling her that she'd feel better after a nap.

What a sweet little boy, she thought before drifting off to sleep.

***

"Ginny! Ginny...wake up! Wake up!"

An urgent voice and someone's hands on her shoulders jostled Ginny awake. She sat up slowly on the sofa where she'd been sleeping for Merlin only knew how long and looked through bleary eyes into the troubled face of her husband. His glasses were askew and his hair looked frightful, as if he had been running his hands through it over and over again.

"Harry?" Ginny said bleakly. She was too groggy to comprehend why he was looking half out of his mind.

"You're sick!" he blurted out to his wife urgently, as if she hadn't the slightest idea about her own condition. "Someone should have contacted me!" He looked over at James desperately. "Don't you remember how to contact me if there's an emergency?"

James nodded. "But there wasn't an emergency," he said very calmly. "I gave Mummy a fizzy drink, just like she gives me when I've got a tummy ache...an' then I told her to take a nap." He looked very proud.

"But...but..." Harry stammered. He turned to Ginny. "You look...you're very ill...and James said...when I Apparated home...you were just lying there...so still..."

He looked sheet-white and Ginny gripped his hand firmly. "I don't feel too well, that's true...but I'm not dying," she assured him. She cupped his pale cheek with her hand tenderly. "Quite the contrary, actually."

Ginny slowly got up from the sofa and walked into the kitchen. She rummaged through the rubbish bin and returned to the living room clutching the crumpled package that had contained the pregnancy test potion kit and held it up for Harry to see.

As comprehension dawned, his jaw went slack and he stared at her in disbelief. "Honestly?" he asked, blinking faster than normal. "You're really...we're going to..."

"...have a baby," Ginny said, smiling as she did so. It was the first time she'd spoken the word "baby" aloud, and it sound really quite lovely.

Harry threw his arms around her, giving her a tight squeeze then, regretting his actions immediately, loosened his hold on her and whispered, "Congratulations," softly into her ear. He touched her belly lightly and a silly grin began to play across his lips.

"Congratulations to you, too," Ginny whispered back as she placed one of her hands atop Harry's.

"Baby?" said James, jerking Ginny and Harry out of their baby-induced giddiness. "A baby what?"

"A baby brother or sister, son!" said Harry proudly.

James had an unreadable expression on his face. All pride from being Healer-In-Residence had faded and his mind seemed to be working something through.

"A baby brother or sister?" repeated James slowly.

Harry nodded as James' brow began to furrow.

"I'd rather have a dog...can we get a puppy instead?"

Ginny chuckled nervously, but James was absolutely sincere. She could sense a long talk in her future.

***

Hermione was bursting with joy when Ginny told her the good news.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you both!" Hermione exclaimed. "What did your parents say?"

"They don't know yet," admitted Ginny. "I'm waiting to tell them until after the appointment with my Obstewizard, just to be certain everything is going as it should."

"I'm sure everything's just fine," said Hermione in a reassuring tone.

Ginny nodded. "Me too. I mean, if being sick as a dog is any indication - " She looked sullenly at the pile of soda crackers and cup of Pumpkin Fizz in front of her, as Hermione was nibbling on a piece of apple pie and had a steaming mug of coffee in front of her. Hermione nodded sympathetically. "And speaking of dogs," Ginny said, her expression changing to one of mild amusement. "Let me tell you how my son took the news!"

Hermione laughed as Ginny recounted the tale.

"But finally, Harry and I were able to convince our son that having a sibling could be just as enjoyable as having a pet - and since growing up Weasley is the perfect testimony for the fun of siblinghood..."

Hermione laughed some more. "You know of what you speak," she said before taking another bite of pie.

"Indeed," said Ginny. She picked up a soda cracker and bit off a small corner. "I wonder when I'll be able to enjoy food again," she said, sighing. "I remember being ill at the beginning with James, but it seems twice as bad this time..."

"You should ask your Obstewizard about a potion mine gave me when I was carrying Reid - it's a nausea remedy and it works wonders. The only down side is that, once I started taking it, my queasiness was gone, but my appetite was back and then some! I think I was eating more than Ron was at that point!"

Ginny's eyes widened in amazement. After all, her youngest brother could put away food like a champion.

"Ask about it, at any rate. You'll feel better if you take it." Hermione lifted her fork and took the last bite of pie.

Ginny glanced down at her cracker crumbs. On her visit to St. Mungo's, she'd be sure to ask.

***

"All's well, Mrs. Potter," assured the Obstewizard after her exam. He began scribbling down instructions for the witch in the St. Mungo's Apothecary. "This potion will tidy up those nasty feelings you've been having in your belly." He chuckled and pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his long nose. "Just give this parchment to Madam Prescott and she'll have the potion ready in no time."

After Ginny had thanked the Obstewizard and was getting up to go, he peered through his glasses at her and said, "Incidentally, Mrs. Potter...do you have any multiples in your family?"

"Multiples?" repeated Ginny thickly. "Multiples of what?"

"Multiple births, Mrs. Potter," said the Obstewizard.

"Oh," replied Ginny, wondering why he was asking. Did he know Fred and George? "Yes, I have twin brothers." She thought about it for a second. "Actually, twins run in the family...one of my twin brothers has twin daughters, and my mum's side of the family is..."

"Hmm," said the Obstewizard, smiling broadly. "That explains."

"Explains what?" asked Ginny, starting to feel needled.

"Of course, we won't know for certain until all of my test results are finalized, but sometimes I just know." He tapped a forefinger to his temple and raised an eyebrow at her.

Ginny nodded at him and left his office. As she walked down the corridors of St. Mungo's, she began to wonder just how she was going to convince James that two siblings were even better than one.