Making Mistakes

Harry silently opened the door and slipped inside the dimly lit bedroom. He tiptoed into the bathroom to brush his teeth, hoping the sound of running water didn't wake Ginny. He sat on the edge of the tub, trying to keep the minty foam from dripping onto the bathmat. He wondered whether or not to tell Ginny about Ron's visit. Ever since the end of the war, he had made a conscious effort to tell Ginny what he was doing with the Aurors. But in light of everything going on, he wasn't sure.

Death threats were something altogether different.

Harry spit the mouthful of toothpaste into the sink and rinsed his toothbrush. He was going to risk a lot either way. 'Damned if I do, and damned if I don't,' he muttered. Usually anybody or anything he investigated didn't have anything to do with the family. Whoever these people were, they obviously didn't have any qualms about threatening a pregnant woman. He needed to keep this quiet all around. If anything were to happen to Ginny as a result of his involvement...

He knew and understood the risks of his job, and the last thing he wanted was to pull Ginny into this. Dark wizards, or what there were of them any more, would just as soon use a family member to get information, if they couldn't use the real person. He remembered all too well the nights he just watched Teddy sleep in his cot, wondering how Tonks could have willingly put herself in danger. The days when Teddy asked where his mum and dad were. When Teddy started leaning to talk and kept calling Harry 'Da' and the look of hurt confusion when Harry tried to tell him he wasn't his father. The last thing he wanted to do was put Ginny in a position where she could be hurt or killed, leaving James without a mother.

Or Merlin, help them, if something happened to the baby.

-Keep it quiet, then, Harry thought. If nothing else, at least until the case was closed, he would keep Ginny in the dark about it. The less she knew the better. He looked down at his hand. I must not tell lies. 'This isn't a lie,' he said fiercely. 'Just not telling her straightaway.' Yeah, Potter, whatever helps you feel better.

Harry turned out the light, and went into the bedroom. He tried to climb into bed, without waking Ginny, but she was already awake. 'Who was downstairs earlier?' she asked curiously.

Harry's breath caught slightly. Tell enough truth, Potter, then maybe you won't feel so bad about not telling her about the case. 'Ron.'

'Is everything all right?'

'Yeah, just needed some man time.'

'Man time?'

'Yeah, you know... Where we grunt, scratch, and pound our chests.' He caught Ginny's slightly distasteful look and grinned sheepishly.

'I've never wanted you more,' she said dryly.

'I'll show you my chest hair if it helps.'

'All two of them? I think I'll pass.' Ginny slid out of bed and began rooting in her wardrobe for something to wear to bed, besides her knickers and a jumper. She paused, her hands clutching a pair of pajama bottoms. 'I'm sorry. About what I said earlier.'

'It's all right,' Harry said, with a shrug.

'No, it's not. The orphan remark was a low blow. Even for me.'

'Gin, look, we've both said things before in the heat of an argument we didn't mean. It happens.' Harry watched as Ginny pulled the pajama bottoms on, and slid back into bed. 'If it makes you feel any better, having another one scares the hell out of me, too.'

Harry twirled a strand of Ginny's hair around his finger. 'The thing is, I want to become your family. Not with seven kids,' he said hastily at the look of alarm on her face. 'Your family may not have had a lot of money, and I saw that and how it affected Ron, but it never stopped you from loving each other.'

'Thanks.'

'What for?'

'I needed to hear that.' Ginny heaved a sigh, and leaned into Harry's body. 'Do you mind waiting? To tell everyone?'

'Not really, but I do want to know what you've got against saying anything right now.'

Ginny began to plait her hair. 'It took so long for Ron and Hermione to get pregnant. It needs to be about them for a while,' she said quietly. 'Does that make any sense at all?'

'Yeah, it does.'

'After she has the baby. Well, not right after...'

'Because that's not awkward at all to announce you're having another baby, just after your sister-in-law gives birth.'

'Prat,' Ginny murmured a fleeting smile on her face. 'The week after, then.'

******

Harry walked into the Burrow, and was met by a tiny whirlwind shouting, 'Da-deeeee!'

'Hiya, James! Harry swung James into his arms, making the little boy squeal with delight. 'Were you a good boy for Grandmum?' Harry asked mock-sternly. James just giggled and tried to feed Harry a soggy ginger biscuit. Harry pretended to eat the proffered biscuit, making 'nummm' noises. 'Mmmmm. Yummy biscuit,' Harry informed his offspring.

'W'ere Mummy?' James craned his neck around Harry's head to try and find Ginny.

'She's on her way, mate,' Harry said. He set James on the floor. 'Go find Grandad, okay?'

At the mention of Arthur's name, James brightened, and he dug into the pocket of his overalls. He unearthed a plug and held it up to Harry on an outstretched, sticky palm. 'See, Dahdee? Issa pug!' he pronounced proudly. 'Gandahd g'ab it.'

'Brilliant,' Harry said crouching down to admire it. 'See if Grandad will give you another one, eh?' He sent James off with a light swat on his heavily padded bottom. He straightened and Molly handed him a wet dishcloth. 'Blech. I thought the dirty nappies were bad enough,' he sighed as he wiped the soggy mess of biscuit from his hand.

'Where is Ginny?' Molly asked, turning back to the stove.

'She's fine. Just wasn't feeling too good, so she's going to come closer to lunchtime.' Harry rinsed the dishcloth and draped it over the sink to dry. 'Can I have a quick word, Molly?'

Molly had a sneaking suspicion about what it was, but merely nodded.

Harry picked up a spoon and stirred a large pot of soup simmering on the back of the stove. 'She's pregnant,' he said, not bothering with preliminaries. 'And she doesn't want to tell anyone yet.' Harry tasted the soup. 'Needs salt,' he commented. 'But she said you probably knew, and I just thought I'd ask if you'd not say anything.'

'Why doesn't she want anyone to know?'

'It's Ron and Hermione's turn. And she's right. It would be awful to steal their thunder. Given everything they've been through the last year. We've done this before.' Molly continued to gaze at him with a great deal of skepticism. 'Really, Molly, it's fine.'

Molly opened the oven door, and basted the chickens roasting inside. She closed it with a thump and wiped her hands on her apron. 'Could I at least tell Arthur? After you lot have all gone home later?' she pleaded. 'I can't not tell him something like this.'

Harry chewed his lower lip, thinking. 'All right, but please tell him to keep it under wraps for now?' Harry picked up a loaf of bread, and began to slice it. 'Can I ask you something else?'

'Sure.'

'Have you gotten any... Odd letters, lately?'

Molly noticed the slight strain in Harry's voice. 'No. Nothing unusual.'

Harry set the knife down and looked up at Molly. 'Molly, I'm not asking you as a son, I'm asking you as an Auror. I need to know.'

Molly raised an eyebrow. 'Why would we get an odd letter here?' she scoffed lightly. 'Really, dear, we haven't gotten anything.'

Harry slumped a bit in relief. 'Just let me know if you do, okay?'

Molly nodded and the conversation was cut short by the rowdy entrance of George, Katie, and the twins.

******

Bronwyn Rhys Weasley spent most of her life - when not in school, or in St. Mungo's Healer training program - on the dragon reserve near Holyhead in Wales. She did it all - set broken bones, patched up burns, scrapes, gashes, the nastier dragon bites, nursed children (and the occasional adult) through bouts of dragon pox, took care of sick witches and wizards, reversed mild cases of accidental spell damage, and even delivered babies every so often. So when she opened the back door of the Burrow, to call the men from the tool shed in for lunch, the sight of her sister-in-law trying to quietly be sick behind the broom shed didn't even make her blink.

Bronwyn made a show of tramping through the snow so as not to startle Ginny. Ginny straightened up and wiped the back of her mitten across her mouth. Bronwyn pulled out her wand, and conjured a glass, and then filled it with water. She wordlessly handed it to Ginny.

Ginny accepted the water, gratefully, using a few swallows to rinse her mouth. 'Thanks,' she mumbled.

Bronwyn nodded, Healer training taking over, as she took Ginny's face between her hands. 'Just let me have a look at you, all right?' she murmured soothingly. 'If you've got something I can treat, I'll take care of it before lunch, eh?' Bronwyn frowned slightly. No signs of fever, or any sort of illness. Aside from looking a bit tired and pale, Ginny looked healthy. In fact, she looked a lot like she did in the first few months with James. Bronwyn inhaled sharply at the realization and gave Ginny a look. 'Oh. I see.'

'Don't say anything,' Ginny whispered.

'Does Harry know?'

'We just found out yesterday,' Ginny said, looking over Bronwyn's shoulder into the kitchen. 'I - we - want to wait to say anything until after Hermione...' She looked back at Bronwyn.

'Not a problem. But...' Bronwyn hesitated. As a Healer, this conversation could be considered a diagnosis, and therefore, strictly confidential. But if Charlie noticed Ginny wasn't feeling well, he'd spend hours trying to convince Bronwyn to tell him what was wrong with Ginny. 'You know Charlie.'

Ginny sighed. 'Yeah. Just...' Ginny chewed her lip, gazing at the kitchen windows again. 'Tell him James acts like Fred and George, and I'm just tired. Please?'

Bronwyn put an arm around Ginny's shoulders. 'He'll buy that. James had him running ragged until he escaped to the tool shed with your dad and Bill.'

*****

Harry sat on the sofa, closest to the armchair where Hermione was sprawled. 'Hey, can I talk to you?'

'If it's baby advice, just stop. I've heard more than I want to hear the past five months. From random witches in the Ministry, Diagon Alley. Even on the street in front of the flat. Women I've never seen before, but who seem to think that the bigger I get, the less intelligent I am,' Hermione huffed indignantly.

'No. Too many people did that with Gin for me to even try.' Harry shook his head chuckling. He sobered and leaned forward. 'It's the letters. Ron told me,' he said quietly, laying a warning hand on her arm to keep her from ranting. 'He's worried, Hermione. You should have said something the first one.'

'It's nothing,' she said flatly. 'Just people with too much free time who have nothing else better to do than try to harass me.'

'Hermione, he's right,' Ron said, sitting on the other side of her. 'This isn't just idle insults like fourth year.'

'Hermione, please. I'm taking this to Kingsley in the morning. I need to be able to tell him everything. So I need you to tell me what's been going on.'

'You're turning into Moody,' commented Hermione. 'Paranoid, seeing shadows that aren't there.'

'Probably,' agreed Harry. 'But still... I need the whole story, Hermione.' He fixed her with a glare. 'And I need for you not to tell any of this to Ginny.'

'Why don't we talk about this later?' Ron interjected quickly, nodding toward the doorway, where Ginny stood, talking quietly to Bronwyn.

Ginny had only half her mind on whatever it was she was talking about with Bronwyn. She watched the hushed, hurried conversation between Harry, Ron, and Hermione break apart as she came into the sitting room. Her hackles rose irrationally at the sight of the three of them cozily ensconced in something that didn't include her. It made her feel like she was sixteen again, and her mother was forcing her to leave the battle, and Harry refused to say anything in her defense.

Harry came over to her, and absently kissed her cheek. Her heart sank at the idea that he was keeping something from her.

******

One by one, Harry went to each Weasley, managing to casually ask if they'd received any strange letters lately, without arousing too many suspicions. They all replied in the negative. All except Percy. Percy had flushed and muttered something about needing to get Parker up from his nap.

Harry followed Percy out of the kitchen and up the stairs. 'Perce?' Percy stopped outside Fred and George's old room, his hand on the doorknob. Percy peered down the stairs, and nervously straightened his glasses.

'I've gotten a couple of... Warnings,' he said softly. 'About working with Hermione on the house-elf regulations. They've come to the house, and I just threw the first few in the fire. The last one was...' Percy trailed off, readjusting his glasses. 'It wasn't pleasant,' he finished.

'Do you still have it?' asked Harry urgently.

Percy looked resigned and unhappy, but nodded. 'Yes. It's in my desk at the Ministry. I didn't want to keep it in the house where Penny could see it,' he said miserably.

'Do you mind if I have a look at it tomorrow?'

Percy shook his head. 'What are you going to do?'

'I don't know yet,' Harry admitted.

'You're not going to tell anyone else, are you?' Percy's face creased in worry.

'I'll have to tell Ron and Hermione. She's gotten some, too.'

Percy swore, then immediately cringed, hoping the children inside the bedroom were all asleep and hadn't heard him. 'Are you going to take it to Kingsley?'

'I was thinking about it.'

Percy nodded. 'Good idea. Gibson'll just wave it off as nonsense.'

'I'm going to set some surveillance on you. At home and the Ministry.' Harry ran his hand through his hair. 'I'll arrange it so it won't disrupt your home life.'

'Thanks. I appreciate that.' Percy opened the bedroom door, and tiptoed into the room to scoop Parker from one of the beds. Before he went back downstairs to Floo home with Penny, he stopped and looked at Harry. 'I hope you find them.' He shifted Parker to a more comfortable position, so Parker's sleep-sweaty head rested on his shoulder. 'The last one - it threatened to do something to Penny. And Parker.'

Harry's breath caught as his eyes swiveled to Parker's disheveled curls. 'I'll do everything I can,' he vowed.

*****

Ginny's head throbbed. She was as tired as well, from the fake smile she'd plastered on her face all afternoon. She had walked in on another conversation between them again. They had all schooled their expressions to something resembling smooth neutrality. Harry had mouthed, 'Tomorrow,' at Ron and Hermione, as he took his coat from Ginny. As soon as they had Apparated home, Ginny busied herself with James, letting him spend some time on his toy broom, before giving him a bath.

She kneeled next to the tub, scrubbing the accumulated grime from a day at the Burrow from his face and hands. Harry had been distracted all day with something, but he kept brushing off her inquiries with a distracted "fine". Ginny handed James a few wooden spoons and bowls so he could spend a few minutes playing in the bubbles. She smiled fleetingly at his antics. She sat back, leaning against the wall, trying to figure out what Harry had been talking about with everyone else. Funny, she mused. He talked to everyone today, but me.

Ginny racked her brain, trying to figure out what was going on. Was he still angry at her from last night? She had apologized numerous times last night, and he kept telling her it was fine, but was it? Was it something else? 'Mummmmmeeeee!' James sang. Ginny looked up from her entwined fingers. He was festooned with bubbles. Ginny had charmed them to randomly change colors. 'I's like Teddeee,' he crowed.

'Yes, you are,' she told him, before she lifted him from the tub, and wrapped him into a fluffy towel. James giggled as she dried his hair, making it stick up wildly around his head. It always struck her how much James looked like Harry sometimes. 'You're going to have a baby brother or sister,' she said, nuzzling his hair, bundling James into the towel.

'Baby?' he repeated, perplexed. 'W'ere baby?'

Ginny touched her still-flat stomach. 'In here.'

James kneaded Ginny's stomach, trying to feel the baby. 'Hi, baybeee!' he shouted, his face an inch away from Ginny's navel.

'He can't hear you yet, silly boy,' Ginny said. 'Go on to your room.' James scampered out of the bathroom, leaving the towel in a wet heap in his wake. Ginny pushed herself to her feet. She heard Harry intercept James outside their bedroom.

'Nice outfit,' Harry commented, as James raced by.

'Dahdee,' James began earnestly. 'D'ere's baybee in Mummy,' he announced.

'There is?' Harry picked up James, and held him upside down as he carried him into his bedroom.

'Uh-huh.' James nodded vigorously.

Harry pulled a pair of pajamas, decorated with the Cannons logo from a cupboard, and began to dress James. He sat with James in his lap in the overstuffed chair they'd put in the room, when they'd taken the rocking chair out. 'How about "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny" tonight?' James sat quietly; drowsing against Harry's chest, the vibrations of Harry's reading making him fall asleep before the story was over.

Harry finished the story. It had been one of his favorites as a child. He placed the book on top of the shelf and his arms tightened around his sleeping son. Ginny stood in the doorway. 'Want me to take him?' she asked softly, so as not to wake James.

Harry shook his head. He stood and carefully placed James in the cot. James immediately flopped on his back, his arms and legs splayed across the mattress.

He closed the door to James' room, and began to go downstairs. He needed to draw up a plan for how he wanted to pursue the case. The last thing he wanted was to go to Kingsley with nothing but a few insane letters. 'Harry?' Ginny's soft voice stopped him. The hint of distress in it made him realize he'd barely said two words to her all day. 'What's going on?'

Harry closed his eyes briefly. 'I can't tell you,' he said miserably.