For the Sake of the Children

“Come on Ginny! You can do it!”

Harry Potter held his wife’s hand as she pushed with all her might. Ginny had been in labor for nearly twenty hours and the exhaustion was creeping in on her. Harry had been by her side the entire time, holding her hand and encouraging her. He was tired, too, but he put on a strong face for Ginny, knowing whatever he was feeling was nothing compared to her end.

“That’s it, Ginny,” said the midwife Healer. “Keep it up. You’re doing beautifully. Any minute now.”

Harry looked down at his wife, red faced and sweaty on the table, but as she screwed up her face, she had never looked so beautiful to him in all the time they had known each other. He smiled down at her, remembering another time when he had found her too beautiful for words.


~*~

It was spring and a sixteen year-old Ginny was lounging under a tree next to the lake. Harry was stretched out beside her, enjoying the peace. He relished the moments he got to spend with Ginny, as they were so few and far between. The hunt for Voldemort’s Horcruxes consumed most of Harry’s time and, though they were not a couple, Harry valued Ginny more than any other person in the world. Her companionship meant more to him than he could ever say. She was everything to him.

That day, by the lake, they talked about nothing and everything while watching the clouds go by. It was a warm afternoon, lazy and refreshing. During a lull in the conversation, Harry turned to look at Ginny. She was stretched out on her back, watching the leaves in the tree shake in the gentle breeze. Her gleaming red hair danced around her face and her big brown eyes were full of life. She was dressed simply, but Harry was mesmerized by her beauty and suddenly a longing, such as he had never known, came over him.

“Ginny,” he said in awe. “Can I ask you something?”

She propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. A shiver went down his spine as her beautiful, brown eyes met his own emerald, green ones.

“Yes?” she asked curiously.

He drew in a deep breath. “Do you ever think about the future? About what will happen if we ever win this war against Voldemort? Or about what will happen if we don’t?”

Ginny frowned slightly and looked at him thoughtfully. “Yes,” she said. “I think about the future from time to time, but I never consider the possibility that we won’t win. That’s…it’s just too horrible to think about. But if we win…well…I’d like to get married to a wonderful man. Someone who can see the humor in life, even in bad times, and who would love me forever no matter what. I want to have kids too. Lots of kids. Maybe not as many as Mum had…but I want at least three or four.” She smiled at him as if she could read his mind. “What about you? Do you ever think about the future?”

Now it was his turn to look thoughtful. “Yea, I think about the future a lot. I mean, I have to. My whole life has been marred with death and violence…Voldemort,” he said distastefully. “I want to win this war more than anything. And if I do, I intend to find out what it’s like to live a life with a job, a wife, and kids. I want to live in a world where there isn’t the threat of evil lurking around every corner. I want to be normal. Just once, I want to know what it’s like to have a normal life.”

Ginny nodded at him. “Yea,” she said. “A normal life…”

Her voice trailed away and they lapsed back into a comfortable silence. Harry looked up at the sky and then back at Ginny and came to a decision. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for what he was about to say.

“Ginny?” he said softly. She looked up at him again with the brown eyes he loved so much. “I want to live a normal life, but most of all, I want to be happy…and I can never be happy if you’re not a part of my life.”

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she did not look angry. He was heartened and plowed on.

“I…you… I guess, what I’m trying to say is that…” He took another fortifying breath. “Is that I love you, Ginny. More than anyone in the entire world and…and I can’t imagine a future without you.” He knew it was ridiculous to say such a thing when they weren’t even going out, but he had to tell her. He had to let her know that he still cared,

She blinked several times, rapidly, and then, without warning, started to cry. Harry’s heart fell to the ground. What had he done wrong? His face burned red with shame at the sound of her weeping and he got up and started to walk away, too embarrassed to stay in her presence a moment longer. He had only gone a few steps, however, when Ginny called out to him. He turned around and looked at her.

“Wait!” she shouted. “Wait! Harry, don’t go. I’m sorry I started crying. It’s just… I’ve waited so long to hear you say those words to me and to finally hear them…” More tears trickled down her cheeks.

“So you mean,” he said confused. “You’re not upset? You mean you…”

His voice trailed away as she got to her feet and ran to him. When she reached him, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled his lips to hers. At first, he was too shocked to respond, but then he relaxed and melted into her embrace.

When they parted several minutes later, Harry looked into her eyes and saw the love he felt for her reflected back at him. He pulled her back to him and brought his lips to hers. He did not know exactly what the future would hold, but, in that moment, it made no difference. He had Ginny now and forever, however long that was, and that was what mattered the most.

~*~

Another of Ginny’s screams brought him out of his reverie. He shook his head and then looked down at his wife and smiled.

“I love you so much, Ginny,” he said. “You’re so wonderful.”

Ginny smiled up at him, but the next minute her face was contorted in pain as another contraction gripped her.

“All right, Ginny,” said the Healer. “This is it. Big push now on three. One… two… three!”

Ginny let out a scream and pushed with everything she was worth. Harry’s heart pounded in his chest as he watched his wife struggle to bring their child into the world. Ginny screamed again as she pushed harder and harder… until a new cry could be heard over Ginny’s continued cries of exertion. Harry looked over at the Healer, who smiled at him.

“Congratulations, Mr. Potter,” she said. “It’s a girl.”

Harry’s heart did a back flip and he turned back to Ginny to see what she thought of this wonderful news.

“Did you hear that, sweetheart?” he asked excitedly. “It’s a girl! I’m the daddy of a little baby girl!”

Ginny smiled up at him tiredly, but did not speak. She started groaning again and Harry’s smile vanished. He turned to the Healer at the foot of the bed who was still concentrating on Ginny’s unmentionables. She looked surprised.

“Okay Mrs. Potter,” she said in an odd voice. “I need you to give me one more good push. Then it will be all over. One… two… three… PUSH!”

Ginny screamed again and the next moment another shrill cry could be heard mingling with the first. Harry looked at the Healer, confused. She smiled widely at him.

“Congratulations, Mr. Potter. It’s a boy.”

Harry stared at her dumbfounded. “A boy? But I thought…”

Then the truth hit him and he started to laugh and dance around like a little boy.

“Twins!” he shouted excitedly. “We’ve got twins! Did you hear that, Ginny? We’ve got twin babies!”

As Harry turned to look at his wife, the smile faded off of his face to be replaced with a look of absolute terror. Something was wrong with her; her eyes were half open and her breathing was labored. He bent close to her.

“Ginny?” he said uncertainly. “Ginny? Ginny, what’s wrong?”

She turned her head to look at him and smiled just slightly.

“I love you, Harry,” she whispered faintly. “You’ll be a… wonderful daddy… I just know it…” Her eyes closed and her breathing became more ragged.

Harry stared at his wife, dumbfounded. It almost sounded like she was saying goodbye… He felt the tears start falling down his cheeks and he bent down and put his cheek against hers

“Ginny, no… Don’t leave me, Ginny. I can’t do this alone… I need you. Oh Merlin, Ginny…I love you so much. Don’t do this, Ginny…”

Ginny’s eyes opened a fraction. “I love you, Harry. Be strong. The twins need you… Be strong, Harry…” Her voice was so faint he had to put his ear next to her mouth to hear it. “For the sake of the children…” And with a sigh, Ginny expelled her last breath.

Harry cried out in agony. He felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest and violently smashed into the ground. She couldn’t be gone; they had twins now who needed their mother. He couldn’t raise them on his own. Tears splashed down Harry’s cheeks as he sank to his knees. His precious wife, the love of his life, was gone and there was nothing he could do that would bring her back.

~*~

Harry looked up as his son and daughter ran across the yard. The twins were three years old now and growing more every day.

Harry smiled as he watched his son, Sirius James, hop around the yard, playing a game. Sirius was the spitting image of his father, with untidy, black hair and emerald, green eyes. He had his mother’s fierce personality and intelligence, though, and Harry knew that his son was going to break more than a few female hearts when he got older.

He laughed as his daughter, Lily Ginerva, jumped out at her brother and rolled around with him in the grass. Lily was like a miniature copy of Ginny. Her fiery red hair, and big brown eyes were almost painful to look at, they held so much of their mother. She was going to be every bit as beautiful as Ginny had been when she grew up. Harry only hoped that she would be just as kind, loving, and sweet.

Harry smiled as he watched his twins playing with each other. After Ginny’s death, he had immersed himself with raising the twins and was satisfied in knowing that he was fulfilling Ginny’s dying wish, but some days, his loss pained him so much that he wanted to just curl up and cry. Then he would remember Ginny’s charge to him. On those days, it was hard to be strong for the twins, but he managed and everyday it got a little easier. He knew that Ginny wanted him to go on living his life and raising their kids. He knew that she wanted him to be strong and to carry on…for the sake of the children.