Through His Mother's Eyes

Chapter Thirteen - Father's Day

Thankfully, Harry had recovered from the initial embarrassment of having dreamt he'd had the ability (not the mention the figure!) to nurse not one, but two newborn babies - and much to his satisfaction, the mother-to-be dreams didn't seem to want to stick with a father-to-be. The lactating adventure would luckily be Harry's only adventure as his weird dreams ceased after just one night.

But Ginny's pregnancy was nearing an end, and other things seemed to be on Harry's mind. One frigid February evening, while James was sprawled on the floor in front of the fireplace sounding out words in Quidditch Through the Ages, Harry plopped down on the sofa next to Ginny, who was busily sketching her young son.

For a few moments, he seemed content to watch Ginny draw, but after a while, Ginny got the impression he wanted to say something.

"What is it?" she asked quietly as she put her wand tip to the piece of parchment, rubbing out a bit of the drawing she wasn't pleased with.

"I dunno," said Harry, shrugging his shoulders.

Ginny looked at him squarely and said, "You do know, you just don't want to say." She smudged a bit of charcoal on the end of his nose and laughed softly. "I know you very well, my love."

Harry wiped away the charcoal, shifted uncomfortably on the sofa cushion, then glanced down at James, who was muttering, "Wuh...wuh...rrr...rrr..." under his breath.

Before Harry could begin explaining himself to Ginny, James interrupted. "What's this word, Dad?" He held up the green bound volume and Harry walked over and peered through his glasses at the word in question. "That's 'Wronski,' son," he said.

James looked confused. "Oh, like 'Wronski Feint,'" he said, immediately recognizing the Quidditch term. "But why isn't it Wuh-ronski Feint? Mum said double-yoo makes the wuh sound..."

"How about I explain that to you tomorrow, sweetheart?" said Ginny. She discreetly gestured towards Harry, who was again sitting beside her, looking mildly troubled. James seemed to take the hint.

"Okay...I'm going to my room...I wanna play chess with Mr. Snuffles anyhow," he announced.

"I hope you win," Ginny said brightly as James ambled out of the room with his Quidditch book in hand.

Ginny turned to Harry, who had reclined back against the arm of the sofa, his legs hanging slantways, propped up by the coffee table. "Okay...now spill your guts." She set her drawing materials down on the table and crossed her arms - a slightly funny gesture, since they came to rest across her colossal abdomen.

Harry took a deep breath, removed his eyeglasses, rubbed his eyes, then replaced the glasses. He was clearly dawdling.

Ginny was getting anxious. "You're starting to really worry me, Harry," she said, scooting towards him and reaching for one of his hands.

He tried to pull her against him, like he would normally do during non-pregnant times, but she wouldn't let him. "I'll crush the life out of you," she said. "C'mere." She pulled him close to her instead. He tilted an ear to her swollen stomach and sighed.

"What if I don't end up loving these two like I do James?" he whispered. "How is it possible that I could love any other children as much as I do him?

Ginny didn't know how to answer right away. So, this was why Harry was looking like a shell of himself all of a sudden? No wonder he appeared semi-traumatized - out of the blue and without warning, these doubts had obviously tainted his proud Future Daddy of Twins mind and left him drowning in a sea of misgivings. She had to reassure him. She had to tell him there was no possible way he could have less love in his heart for these two babies.

"Harry," she said in a soothing voice, caressing his head as he leaned against her. "Oh, Harry...don't even think that. Of course you'll love them...and you'll see, you won't be able to imagine how you could love them more once they come, you'll love them that much...oh, Harry..."

Her eyes were flooding and a knot had lodged itself firmly in her throat, preventing her from saying more. Those damn Dursleys! She felt like Apparating to Little Whinging that very instant and walloping both Vernon and Petunia for being the root of the problem when it came to Harry's view on families - a tainted view that was apparently still haunting him as the birth of the babies drew nearer: Adore, indulge and pamper one child with all your corroded heart; maltreat, neglect and disregard the next with whatever's left of your rotting soul. She'd reckoned Petunia Dursley probably had that stitched on a pillow, displayed in the middle of a plastic-covered sofa in her stuffy lounge--

"You think I'm being unreasonable?" Harry asked, almost inaudibly.

"I think there's no way on earth my husband won't love his babies, that's what I think," said Ginny softly, but firmly.

"Really?" he murmured.

"Really," she echoed.

"Good," he said, "because I didn't know...I wasn't certain...I mean, how unjust would it be if I didn't--"

"You will," Ginny said stubbornly. "I'll bet you already do."

He nodded slowly, no doubt starting to realize that Ginny had a point. "Your parents..." Harry began to speak but faltered.

Ah, there you go, dear, Ginny thought. Family values at their best - she owed her parents so much, not least of all that they had opened their hearts to an eleven-year-old boy who had no memory of being loved by adults. From that first Weasley jumper and box of homemade fudge on, Harry had begun to experience the first hints of parental love and caring since he was fifteen months old.

"I'll bet your parents didn't love Charlie any less when he came along just because they loved Bill so much," he said. "And I reckon Percy didn't suffer because of their feelings for Charlie--"

The corners of Ginny's mouth twitched into a grin. "No, but Percy did suffer when Fred and George were born, just not at the hands of Mum and Dad!"

Harry actually let out a loud laugh at that, which made Ginny very happy.

"You see, it is possible...I'm the last out of seven, and Mum and Dad loved me just as much as the rest," said Ginny.

"And I love you," said Harry, kissing the summit of her round belly. "And you two, too," he added, giving it two more kisses.

Ginny's eyes widened and she swallowed a great breath of air. "I think you're going to get to love them live and in person very, very soon," she said with a suggestion of anxiety in her tone. "Harry...I think it's time!"

***

It was always good to have a plan - that was something Hermione had once told her anyhow. Hermione told Ginny how she should pack a bag and have it ready for when it was time to go to St. Mungo's. Ginny sighed and told Hermione this wasn't her first time at this and that she knew that much already. Hermione also said that it'd be a good thing to have James' things ready, along with a timetable of what he did on a daily basis, since he'd be staying at the Burrow during the hospital trip. Ginny reminded Hermione that her mother had raised seven children and that taking care of her grandson for a couple of days would be a cinch - no timetables, schedules or agendas would be necessary for seasoned professionals in child rearing such as Molly and Arthur Weasley.

So, needless to say, Ginny neglected to take any of Hermione's suggestions to heart until it was too late.

"There's no time!" Ginny had shouted, sitting in a pool of amniotic fluid on the sofa as Harry raced to grab Ginny's things and cram them in a bag, while at the same time trying to expedite his son into packing his own things. "James'll have to come to the hospital with us...Mum and Dad can fetch him in the reception area!"

Harry hustled into the living room, his arms full of two stuffed bags. James was at his heels, clutching his stuffed dog and looking gleeful.

"The babies are coming?" James asked excitedly.

"Yes," answered Ginny, "and they may well be coming right here in the middle of the living room if we don't get a move on!"

Harry dropped a bag and gestured for James to take it. With his free hand, he grabbed a fistful of Floo powder and tossed it into the fire. "Let's get cracking...you first, Ginny." He walked to the sofa and helped Ginny to her feet; her legs were about as steady as a newborn colt. She wished she could Apparate. It certainly would have been a great deal quicker, but it wasn't safe since she was ready to deliver. She'd have to ready herself for a lovely trip through the Floo Network.

"Keep your elbows in, Mum!" cried James as he gamboled around the living room, waiting for his turn in the fireplace. It was the last sight she saw before being whisked off towards the admitting grate at St. Mungo's Hospital.

***

Many hours later, after it was all over with, Ginny let herself sigh at last and take it all in. She was currently experiencing a bit of post-delivery contentment as she looked to the foot of her bed, where Harry was perched, grinning from ear to ear. One tiny bundle was lying asleep in his arms and he cooed at it softly, letting it know that he was Daddy and that he was so pleased to make its acquaintance.

The bundle in Ginny's arms was nursing at the moment, but barely - eyes were shut tight and the little mouth only suckled occasionally. Finally, with the smallest sigh Ginny had ever heard, the little infant finished nursing, satisfied enough to slip into a peaceful snooze. A minuscule bubble rested on the indent of the baby's lips as sleep settled in. Harry looked up and beamed.

"So..." he said, looking at Ginny, his whole being awash with joy.

"So," Ginny repeated.

"Do you think we ought to name these two beautiful creatures?" he queried.

"I think that's a brilliant suggestion, dear," Ginny replied. "Otherwise, it could get a little tricky getting their attention after a while...though, by the looks of it, it may be tricky figuring out who's who after a while, even with names."

To be sure, both babies were exact likenesses of the other. Both heads were covered in a soft down of red fluff and both had bright wide eyes, very much like their very proud mother.

"I think we should call them Ginny 1 and Ginny 2," offered Harry. "After all, they are exact replicas of you, dear."

Ginny furrowed her brow. "I vote 'nay' on that," she said in objection. "Besides, wouldn't I be Ginny 1? And anyway, I'm Ginny only...it'd get too confusing with three Ginnys running around the house!"

"Good point," said Harry. "There's always the old Quidditch name stand-bys...this little beauty looks like a 'Glynnis,' don't you agree?" He gestured toward the infant he was holding.

Ginny's brow furrowed ever deeper. "Don't even joke about that!" she exclaimed, causing the bundle in her arms to squirm momentarily, before drifting back into baby dreamland. "I was thinking - but only if you agree - perhaps we could call them after our both our mums. I mean, I always thought it'd be a good idea if it turned out they were a pair of girls."

Harry pondered the suggestion for a moment, then nodded his head. "I think that's a fantastic idea," he said. He looked at the baby girl in his arms and whispered, "Hello, Lily."

***

Lily Evans Potter and Molly Prewett Potter were introduced to their older brother the next morning, when he and their grandparents came to visit.

"Do you think you can live with two sisters, James?" asked Arthur.

"I reckon," said James, who was leaning over baby Molly's bassinette giving her an appraising stare. "So long as they don't bother my stuff and they like Quidditch."

"How did you smuggle James up here, Dad?" asked Ginny, who was handing baby Lily over to her grandmum. "If I recall correctly, St. Mungo's has a strict no small child policy...don't tell me they changed the rules!"

"Err..." Arthur shifted uneasily on the spot where he was standing and looked at Harry with what Ginny thought was an expression seeking approval. Harry nodded at his father-in-law and Arthur cleared his throat, then spoke in a whisper, "Harry packed a certain something in James' bag that allowed him access to your room, darling." He winked and gesticulated towards a chair, where Ginny noticed a very familiar item wrapped in a bundle.

"Harry James Potter!" Ginny said, flabbergasted. "You had the presence of mind to pack your Invisibility Cloak for James, but forgot to pack me my nightgown?" She laughed in spite of herself.

"Well," said Molly as she settled Lily into a bassinette and prepared herself to pick up her namesake. "It's quite providential that you'd have a pair of daughters on a day when pink balloons are so easy to come by." She looked around the room, which was bedecked with pink balloons, flowers and an army of stuffed toys. "What a lovely Valentine's Day gift you two received this year."

Ginny looked at her husband, who had James on his knee, explaining ways they could identify Molly versus Lily - James made him laugh when he suggested they give one of the twins purple hair. Ginny smiled. What a lovely gift indeed, and even lovelier still was watching Harry enjoy this very impromptu father's day.