Parallel

Chapter 24 - Holiday Visitors/Harry & Young James/Ginny Gives Birth

As things turned out, Ginny's personal Healer forbade her from leaving the house in the last month of her pregnancy, which just happened to fall during December (witches' pregnancies lasted a month longer than Muggle ones). The only thing Harry could think of to do so she could still see Rose and James and share in the holiday festivities was to ask them to come over to Grimmauld Place. It was time they saw it, anyway. Rose readily agreed, especially since by right, she owned it, but chose to allow the Order to continue using it as their headquarters ... at least for the foreseeable future. For the holiday, however, Harry had asked them to vacate temporarily, promising that they would be able to meet Rose and James later on.

By the time Christmas rolled around, Ginny was unable to get up without help, and it was looking more and more like labour would have to be induced if it didn't start naturally soon. It was already past time for an ordinary twin delivery to have taken place, even if it was still well before her due date.

Harry told Rose to Apparate into the building, giving her the proper coordinates which would put her into the living room, where all was set up for Christmas--tree, presents, decorations and all, even mistletoe (mainly for himself and Ginny, and although Harry never needed an excuse to kiss her, it was nice to have one). It was around ten a.m. Christmas morning that Rose and James arrived, and there were hugs all around.

They brought gifts for their new friends per Harry's suggestion, just as he and Ginny had gifts for them ... a child-sized Invisibility Cloak from her and a new broomstick from Harry, the same brand he had had at that age but the newest model, a Nimbus Three Thousand. Young James did not have one of his own before this because of the tight money situation in his home. A Christmas brunch was served by Harry and young James, who got a real kick out of serving the ladies first--which was only as a gentleman should, Harry told him later.

They talked generalities over the brunch--which was eaten in a casual style, in the living room where each happened to be seated--such as how James was doing in school, what his magical aptitudes were and all that. However, Harry hoped he would be able to sit down with the boy alone and talk to him "man-to-man" about Sirius and the relationship they had had. After a time, Ginny became tired and needed to lie down; Rose helped her into the bedroom and kept an eye on her, the two ladies chewing the fat while their males talked elsewhere.

Naturally, young James had compiled a list of questions he wanted to ask Harry upon learning they would be spending the holidays with him and Ginny, and Harry (for the most part) was only too happy to answer them. Just the same, the conversation started with James saying, "Mum says you knew my dad, Mr. Potter."

"Harry, please ... and that's right, I did. I was about thirteen when I first met him."

"What was your initial relationship like?"

"Not good, I'm afraid. It had been widely believed that your dad had killed many people and betrayed his closest friends--my parents--which were the two main reasons he was put in prison. Once I found that out, all I wanted to do was kill him for it. It didn't help matters that I'd learned he was my godfather shortly before that. Of course, I learned later that someone else had actually betrayed them ... but it was your dad who took the blame for it."

"That's not fair," small James protested.

"For sure--but that's the way life is," Harry replied, his voice a mixture of pain and bitterness. "To put it simply, your father was made a scapegoat."

"What's a scapegoat?"

"Basically, someone who takes the blame--and punishment--for what someone else did."

"Then that's why Dad couldn't be with me and Mum," James guessed.

"That's why," Harry confirmed. "To continue ... your dad told me later that he would have sooner died than betray his friends. Just the same, people thought your dad had killed this other, former, friend as well ... but the latter hid out in his Animagus form. You've heard of Animagi, haven't you?"

"Yeah. They're wizards or witches who can turn into animals."

"Right. Your dad could turn into a dog," Harry told the boy. "My dad could turn into a stag--that's a male deer ... and the former friend who ultimately betrayed my parents to the Dark Lord, his form was that of a rat. In his animal form, he belonged to one of my other friends for a long time. Thankfully he is now in prison, where he belongs. I even have a sister-in-law who can turn into a Persian cat.

"To get back to the subject, once your dad managed to explain himself to me, I had a change of heart about him and that was when we began to grow closer, ending up corresponding on a fairly regular basis, unable to see each other very often since he was in hiding, constantly on the run, after escaping from Azkaban. When we couldn't correspond or see each other, he would usually pop into my fireplace, usually while I was at school, and we would talk that way."

"Did he ever mention me or Mum?"

"No. I don't know exactly why, although I suspect that it was because your dad was a very private person. Even as close as he and I eventually became, he never told me everything about himself ... which was why it came as such a shock to me to find out that you existed and that he had married your mum shortly before going into Azkaban. Which reminds me--did she ever tell you that you have your father's smile? That's what I first noticed about you."

"Not that I recall," young James replied. "But your wife tells me that you're very good at Quidditch."

"Yes. I was Seeker on my House team for virtually the whole time I was in school; my wife was also on the team. She usually played Chaser, and was, as I recall, quite good, although not quite as good as I am. I was even Captain of the team in my sixth year. Why? Do you play Quidditch too?"

"Yeah. I'm the Chaser on my team," James told him. "But I'm not doing as well as I could. I think it's mainly because I have to use one of the House brooms, and they're neither new nor in the best of shape."

"Your dad was also a Chaser, if memory serves, although he once said that my dad was a Seeker like me and could usually beat him. And you don't have to worry about using House brooms any more. Your new broom should work fine; I had one just like it for several years, until it got destroyed one day during a tough game in very bad weather. Your dad got me a new one, a Firebolt."

"A Firebolt? Wow! I'd love one of those, but Mum could never afford one!"

"You don't have to worry about that any more. You'll have your dad's money to live on now, and later on, this house, if you so choose. Just the same, I think you're too young for a Firebolt right now; they're pretty tricky to use. You need to be a bit bigger. Maybe in a couple of years or so. The Nimbus is a good broom, and you should be able to get quite a bit of use out of it." For a time the boy was silent, seemingly unable to think of anything else to ask, so Harry decided to take a chance and ask him if he would be willing to have him in his life on a regular basis. "James, I'd like to ask you something and I need a truthful answer."

"Go ahead," the boy encouraged.

"Your dad was very special to me--a combination father figure and big brother--and I would like to be that to you, if you're willing, since he cannot be here for you. I believe both he and your Mum would approve of my doing this, and it would be beneficial for both of us, both practically and emotionally. All that remains is what you think."

"I ... think I'd like that ... Harry. Is it all right to call you that? Mum always taught me to address my elders as Mr. or Mrs., things like that ... and at school, we call our teachers 'Professor.' "

"We did too," Harry recalled. "And yes, I would prefer your using my Christian name. 'Mr. Potter' sounds way too formal and stuffy. I always called your dad by his Christian name, by the way, in spite of the fact he was old enough to be my father. In fact, he was just a year younger than my dad."

There was a lot of other stuff that Harry would have liked to discuss with young James, but it was getting late, and besides, he wanted to check on Ginny, see how she was doing. "If you like, we can even begin corresponding via owl post, and you can ask me questions that way that you couldn't think of here. How would that be?"

"That would be great."

"Glad to hear it. And just for future reference, so you'll recognize her when you see her, I have a snowy-white owl with golden-brown eyes. Her name is Hedwig. Have you an owl of your own yet, James?"

"No. Mum doesn't think I'm old enough for one yet. I usually use one of the school owls to send her a post."

Harry made a mental note to look into the possibility of getting young James an owl of his own, since he had gotten Hedwig at the same age that James was now. Of course, he would have to discuss it with Rose first before taking any definite action, since he didn't want to go behind her back. "Tell you what. I'll ask your mum if I can get you an owl of your own and see what she says, all right? If she agrees, we can go pick one out together. How would that be?"

"That'd be fantastic," the boy replied fervently.

"Great. I'll ask her as soon as I can and get back to you. Now we'd better go see how our ladies are doing." Harry stood up and James was only a moment behind him; together, they headed for the door and down the hall to the downstairs bedroom, keeping a brotherly hand on James's shoulder. He found Ginny still lying down and Rose sitting beside her, the women talking animatedly, although he sensed that Ginny was almost asleep.

"Well, Rose, your boy and I had a very nice talk. One thing I want to ask you, though--he said he doesn't have an owl of his own because you believe he's not old enough for one. I got my owl when I was his age; if I can handle it, I feel sure that James can. If you agree, I'd like to take him to get one at the first opportunity." He still kept a hand on the boy's shoulder, as if unwilling to let him go. "I also think Ginny needs to sleep, so you two better go now. It's been great having you, though. Let's get together again as soon as possible, okay? I'll owl you when."

"Thank you for a wonderful brunch and most thoughtful presents. I've needed a new wand for a long time. My old one is almost shot ... not to mention a new Various Potions and their Uses book, especially the edition that lists all the individual ingredients and what they do."

"Our pleasure, Rose. Now, about the owl ..." Harry's voice trailed off.

"I ... still think James is a bit young, but at the same time, I'm sure you know what you're talking about ... Harry. Tell you what: I'll consider it and let you know my decision within the next week or so."

"I hope so, because if you agree in time, I can get James an owl before he returns to school."

Once again there were hugs all around, and mother and son Apparated back home, along with their holiday gifts, leaving Harry alone with Ginny. He was more tired than he realized, so he decided to join Ginny in bed and get some sack time ... just sleeping this time, though--but he fully intended to get a picture of James and Rose together eventually, just as he had every intention of telling the Order all about them at the first opportunity.

* * * * *

Harry awoke to Ginny's moaning and thrashing, well able to imagine what was making her do this ... but he had to confirm it before taking any concrete action.

"Gin? What's wrong?"

Ginny was scarcely able to speak coherently, the contractions were coming so close together. "Harry ... I think ... the baby ..." That's all he was able to catch.

"Oh, Merlin," he muttered under his breath. "Just what I need." Unfortunately, there were just the two of them in the house, so it was up to him to get her to St.Mungo's ... and on the double, too!

"Hold on, luv. Try to relax ... I'll get you to St. Mungo's ..."

"I don't think there's time for that ... my water's broken ... the baby's coming ... now!"

"Gin, I've never delivered a baby in my life. I'm not a Healer. I don't know the first thing to do."

"You'd ... better ... learn ... fast, Mister. Seriously ... I'll ... try to ... talk you ... through it. But we ... must ... get ready ..."

Harry swallowed painfully, then squared his shoulders. This was just what he had been afraid would happen--but if he could beat Voldemort, he could certainly handle this. "All right. What do you need?"

"Towels ... hot water ... scissors ... twine or string ... then get me ... undressed ... at least the bottom half ..."

Harry didn't want to leave her, so he grabbed his wand and conjured up all the necessary items. He undressed her bottom half, then spread towels beneath her after having her turn on her side temporarily, then on her back again. He used a couple of the towels for her to pull on so she didn't incapacitate his hands, which were needed for delivery of the baby. He then put pillows behind her so that she was in a half-reclining position with her legs apart, gently cleaning there since he noted that her water had indeed broken. Even now he could see that the baby's head had crowned. It wouldn't be long, if his inexperienced eyes were any judge.

"Oh, Merlin, it hurts so much ... Harry ... oh, luv, help me ..."

He conjured up a painkilling potion and gave her some, which helped for a while--then the pains started coming hard, two minutes apart. She moaned and writhed, pulling hard on the towels, ripping and tearing at them ... then gave a piercing scream as the head broke through her opening. Harry felt her pain as if it were his own, fervently wishing they were already at St. Mungo's in the delivery room.

She settled down for a little while, then screamed again as the shoulders came out; he closed his eyes tightly and willed himself to ignore it as best he could, quickly washing his hands in the hot water to sterilise them before using a towel to gently grab hold of the baby and work it out. Within five minutes it was over, but it had taken six sweat- and pain-filled hours to reach this point, for the first baby (yes, she was indeed carrying twins, as it turned out) to be born.

After that, instinct seemed to take over and he checked the baby's airway to make sure he was breathing (yes, it was a boy) ... and he already knew what his name would be: Sirius James, for his godfather and friend, and his father. The boy had red hair and freckles like Ginny, and his nose. His eyes weren't open yet and Harry had no idea when they would be. He'd just have to keep an eye and check them when they were.

He then washed the baby in the hot water and vigorously rubbed him down, provoking a loud, lusty cry, then wrapped him in a towel upon severing and cauterizing the umbilical cord with the lighted tip of his wand, laying him on the nearby overstuffed chair. It was too risky to place him on the bed since Ginny had begun moaning, writhing and thrashing around, obviously in the throes of labour with another baby.

"Harry ... Harry ..."

"I'm coming, luv ... hang on ..."

Upon returning to her, he noted that a second small head was crowning and pushing its way out into the world. He winced as she screamed once again, then settled down for a while. He gave her some more painkilling potion and waited for the next go-round--which came within the next five minutes. The shoulders of the next baby came out, provoking yet another piercing scream from Ginny's parched lips.

Harry conjured up some ice and let her suck on it for moisture, since she had said that was the best thing to have; again, five minutes later, the second baby--a girl--had been born. She was the one who looked like him, Harry noted ... a mop of black hair and all ... and when her eyes opened, it wouldn't surprise him if they were as green as his own. Another six hours had gone by, and it was now just past six a.m. All during the long hours of the delivery, Harry had had no sense of time passing, barely noticing that it had darkened enough to say "Lights," so they would go on and he could see what he was doing.

He did the same things with the second baby as he had with the first, making sure she could breathe, washing her and then vigorously rubbing her down (after magically vanishing the old water and replacing it with new hot water), then the umbilical cord bit ... and finally, wrapping his new daughter in a large towel and placing her next to Ginny, who had fallen into an exhausted sleep, her face and hair wet with perspiration, as were the clothes she was wearing. Harry was none-too-fresh himself, but felt a great sense of pride and accomplishment in having personally delivered his children. He and Ginny had debated for weeks on what they would name a girl child, having decided early on what to name a boy, finally deciding on Elizabeth Molly, giving her her maternal grandmother's name as a middle name.

While Ginny was quiet and the babies asleep, he decided to wash her and clean her up, both inside and out. Within fifteen minutes of the first baby's birth, he had had to deliver the afterbirth before the other baby could be born (roughly twenty minutes apart, if he was any judge of time passing, since there had been no opportunity for him to check his watch at any time) ... then again after little Elizabeth had been born.

Once he had gotten Ginny and the babies prepared and settled, Harry had finally cleaned himself and the room up, changing into fresh clothes, then conjured up some pumpkin juice to refresh himself before falling onto the bed, totally and thoroughly exhausted, with his wife and children. He would inform everyone else of the births upon awakening.

* * * * *

Harry considered himself lucky that Gin and the babies were still asleep when he awakened, since he would need peace and quiet in order to be able to owl Molly. He told her to alert St. Mungo's and have a room ready, and that she and Arthur could be there if they wanted--Ron and Hermione, too--but no one else for the moment.

He had had a telephone installed at Grimmauld Place and called for a Muggle taxi, knowing he was going to need help in getting Gin and the babies to the hospital so they could be checked over. They seemed to be all right, but he had no way of knowing how much he had done wrong, how many mistakes he had made. They were alive, at least, so he must have done something right. He had no idea how it was possible, since he had sent an owl to the Burrow barely half an hour ago--but Molly and Arthur Apparated in just the same, both talking at once, worriedly asking how Ginny and the babies were.

Harry just said they were fine, as far as he could tell, but that they needed expert attention which none of them could provide. Luckily the taxi arrived and blew their horn at that point; Harry carried Ginny out to it, holding her on his lap while the two new grandparents carried their grandchildren. He was sure that neither Ron nor Hermione--much less Arthur or Molly or any of the other Weasleys--would ever believe that he had actually delivered his own children, but really didn't care at the moment. What mattered was that he knew he had, and that he must have done at least a few things right.

* * * * *

Ron and Hermione met them in the emergency room of the hospital and they talked as the Healers there checked Ginny and the babies; Arthur and Molly stayed with their daughter and grandchildren.

"Harry, mate, you've got to be kidding! How can you actually have delivered the babies?"

"It barely seems possible, I know, Ron, but I assure you that I did. Gin talked me through it."

Hermione simply beamed beside her husband, ecstatic at the thought of the new babies. "I can hardly wait to see them. I bet they're beautiful. What did you name them?"

"The first baby was a boy; I named him Sirius James. The second was a girl; I named her Elizabeth Molly."

"They sound lovely. Sirius would be so pleased ... just as I'm sure Molly will be," Hermione assured him. "Oh, guess what I just found out!"

"What?" Harry prompted, darting a surreptitious look at Ron, who looked pale as a ghost, knowing what Hermione was going to say and scarcely able to believe it--but it was true nonetheless. Right on the heels of his best mate's becoming a father, he had discovered his own impending fatherhood! Not that he was going to be able to say that, though. He left the telling of that news to his wife.

"I'm pregnant! Three months, to be exact!" she exclaimed happily.

"That's wonderful. Congratulations to you both!" Harry hugged both his friends fiercely, then stepped back and looked them over. He felt happier now than at almost any time in the last year or so. He had defeated Voldemort; he and his friends were in one piece; he had married Ginny; they had met who turned out to be Sirius's wife and son; he and Gin had just become the parents of two beautiful children ... and now this!

A short time later, a nurse came out to tell them they could see the babies and Ginny now. They were settled into their own private room, secured by Harry's name and the money behind it. The three headed through the double doors and into the lift, going up to the new floor which had recently been magically created--the sixth--which would be designated the maternity floor ... and they would be among the first to use it.

They entered to find Ginny sitting up in bed nursing one of the babies while Molly held the other, cuddling and crooning to her new granddaughter. He reiterated the babies' names to the new grandparents; upon hearing that her name was her granddaughter's middle name, Molly hugged the stuffing out of Harry.

He hugged her back, glad that he was able to make her happy for a change. "And I'm sure Sirius is very pleased that you named your son for him and your father, Harry. They're just beautiful, too--your boy looks like Ginny, brown eyes and all ... and your daughter like you--black hair, green eyes and all!"

Her exclamation brought Ginny's head up and she noticed her husband's presence; he moved as quickly as he dared to her side to kiss her in greeting. "How are you feeling, luv?"

"Fine now," Ginny replied, "especially since you're here ... and our babies are here. Do you realize that our son looks like me and our daughter like you?"

"I've noticed." Harry smiled ... and for some strange reason was unable to stop smiling. This moment was one he'd never dreamed would ever come, yet it was here--and he was the happiest, proudest wizard in the world!

"You did a pretty good job delivering them, even without experience." Ginny praised him. "The Healers all said none of them could have done better." She smiled thoughtfully. "We've got to owl Rose as soon as possible, so she and James can come see the babies."

"I'll do that as soon as I can," her husband promised. "Meanwhile, you just rest and recover, luv. You've been through one beastly ordeal. Oh, did Hermione tell you that she's pregnant now?"

"Yes, just a few minutes ago. Isn't it great that we're all parents--or in Ron and Hermione's case, going to be? Who would ever have dreamed we could be so happy now after all we've been through?"

"It helped that we went through it together, that's all I can say," the proud and happy young new father remarked, sitting on the bed next to his wife, one arm around her and her head on his shoulder, even as she continued to nurse their new son. He stroked the baby's head with his free hand. "I could never have done it without you all, that's for sure."

Harry made a mental note to give Ginny a special thank-you, both in an emotional and physical sense, at the earliest opportunity, but for the time being told himself to simply enjoy one of the happiest moments of his life, surrounded by a wife and family--and two friends--he loved dearly. He only wished his mum and dad could have been here to see their grandchildren, not to mention Sirius. He would have doted on his namesake, that was for sure, just as James and Lily surely would have doted on the children. The best he could hope for now, though, was to hopefully be able to tell them in a dream ... all of them, including Dumbledore.