chapter 3
Harry awoke with a start, his vision blurry—because, of course, he wasn’t wearing his glasses. Before he could even reach for them, he became very aware of soft lips pressing against his.
Well, that was a good way to wake up.
Grinning, he kissed back, rolling Ginny over so he was on top of her. Their lips moved in sync, the warmth of the moment making up for the early morning grogginess. After what felt like ages—but was probably just a few minutes—they finally broke apart, breathless but smiling.
"Happy birthday, Harry," Ginny murmured, her brown eyes twinkling mischievously.
Harry smirked. "So… was that my present?"
"One of them," she replied slyly. Then, with a quick peck on his cheek, she added, "Now get dressed and come downstairs. Oh, and wake Teddy when you come down."
With that, she slipped out of bed and exited the room. Harry heard her footsteps fade as she made her way downstairs.
Shaking his head fondly, he sat up and stretched before reaching for his glasses. He pulled on a simple T-shirt and pants, then attempted—and failed—to tame his eternally messy hair. He had just abandoned his comb with a sigh of defeat when—
CRASH!
The loud sound made his heart leap. Without hesitation, he grabbed his wand and sprinted toward the nursery.
He burst through the door, eyes scanning for danger, only to be met with a surprising sight.
The wooden cot had been overturned completely, lying on its side as if someone had blasted it away. And in the middle of the chaos, standing on wobbly little legs, was a very pleased-looking Teddy, giggling madly.
Harry's jaw dropped. "Walking."
Teddy was walking.
And—realization hit him like a Bludger—he must’ve used accidental magic to tip the cot over and escape.
"Gin! Gin, come here quickly!" he shouted, excitement making his voice louder than necessary.
Within seconds, Ginny came running, wand raised, ready to hex whatever—or whoever—had caused the commotion. But as soon as she took in the scene, she gasped and lowered her wand.
"Oh my goodness!" she squealed. "Teddy, dear, be careful!"
Just as she spoke, Teddy stumbled forward and landed on his hands and knees with a soft plop! Instead of crying, he let out a delighted giggle, looking up at them like he'd just done the most brilliant thing in the world.
Ginny rushed over and scooped him up, pressing a kiss to his chubby little cheek. Harry ruffled his hair proudly as they all made their way out of the nursery.
"I reckon this is the best birthday present ever," he said, sighing happily.
Ginny laughed, handing Teddy over to him. "You are easy to please, Potter," she teased. "Now, let's get some breakfast."
Downstairs in the kitchen, Harry settled into one of the four chairs at their small dining table, placing Teddy securely in his highchair.
"So," he said, stretching lazily, "where are my presents?"
Ginny, who was busy buttering slices of bread, shot him a playful look. "Patience, Potter," she said in a mock-serious tone.
Harry pouted but brightened when she placed a plate in front of him—grilled cheese sandwiches with a glass of fresh orange juice. His absolute favorite.
"You do know me well, don’t you, Gin?" he said, grinning as he picked up a sandwich.
Ginny just smiled as she sat down with a small bowl of porridge for Teddy. "Alright, love, open up for me," she cooed, attempting to guide a spoonful of porridge into Teddy’s mouth.
But Teddy, ever the little troublemaker, clamped his lips shut and turned his head away dramatically.
Harry chuckled. "Watch this."
He grabbed the spoon from Ginny, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and made a show of shoving it into his own mouth. He exaggerated a pleased hum, eyes closing as he declared, "Mmmmm, delicious!"
Teddy’s eyes narrowed.
A second later, he snatched the spoon from Harry, aggressively scooped up some porridge, shoved it into his own mouth, and mumbled through a full mouth, "Mine!"
Ginny laughed. "Thanks, Harry," she said, shaking her head as she took over feeding their very determined godson.
By the time breakfast was done, Teddy’s face was completely covered in porridge. Harry snorted at the mess, but Ginny simply flicked her wand, and with a small pop, Teddy’s face was spotless again.
"Magic is handy," Harry admitted.
Ginny smirked. "You could learn a few household spells yourself, you know."
Harry grinned. "Why? I have you."
She playfully swatted his arm. "Cheeky prat."
Harry just laughed, reaching over to ruffle Teddy’s soft hair. "Best birthday ever," he murmured again, watching as the little boy yawned and snuggled into his highchair.
And honestly? He meant it.
"Alright, now go get ready. We leave in an hour," Ginny instructed, hands on her hips as she looked at Harry expectantly.
"Wait, where are we going?" Harry asked, bewildered.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "To The Burrow, you idiot. We’re celebrating your birthday. Everyone will be there," she said with an exasperated but affectionate look.
Harry blinked. "Everyone?"
"Yes! And we’re staying for the whole week because we’ve got a lot to celebrate." She began counting on her fingers. "Tomorrow is Bill and Fleur’s second wedding anniversary, two days after that is Percy and Audrey’s first anniversary, and the day after that is Fred and Angelina’s and George and Alicia’s first anniversaries."
Harry let out a low whistle. "Blimey. That’s a lot of love in one week."
Ginny wasn’t finished. "Oh, and the day after that is Charlie and Lilian’s first wedding anniversary. So, yeah, we’ll be staying a while. I’ll pack everything—we’ll need clothes for the week. You just get Teddy and yourself ready."
With that, she spun on her heel and headed towards the bedroom to start packing.
An hour later, they stood beside the fireplace in the living room, ready to leave. Harry held three backpacks—one slung over each shoulder and another in his hand—while Ginny held Teddy securely against her hip.
"Alright, you go first with Teddy," Harry said, waving his wand in practiced movements, casting security charms around their home. "I’ll follow with the bags once everything’s locked up."
Ginny nodded, tightening her hold on Teddy as she grabbed a handful of Floo powder. Stepping into the flames, she called out clearly, "The Burrow!" and disappeared in a swirl of green fire.
A minute or two later, Harry followed, stumbling slightly as he landed in The Burrow’s warm, familiar living room. His glasses were slightly askew, and before he could even adjust them, he was engulfed in a tight, bone-crushing hug.
"Oh, Harry, dear! How are you? Happy birthday!" Molly Weasley beamed, squeezing him tightly before letting go.
Harry laughed, straightening his glasses just in time to see Ginny being greeted with the same enthusiastic hug. "It’s great to see you too, Molly," he said warmly.
Arthur Weasley stepped forward, shaking Harry’s hand. "Happy birthday, son!"
"Thanks, Arthur," Harry replied with a grin.
Molly, meanwhile, had turned her attention to Teddy, who was watching her curiously from Ginny’s arms. As soon as he saw her, his hair shifted into the Weasley signature red, making her gasp.
"Oh, aren’t you a clever little thing!" she cooed, tickling his chubby cheeks.
Teddy giggled, reaching out towards her, and she happily took him from Ginny’s arms, bouncing him gently.
About half an hour later, the fireplace flared to life again, and Hermione stepped out, brushing soot off her robes.
"Happy birthday, Harry!" she said, pulling him into a warm hug.
"Thanks, Hermione," he said, just as Ron stumbled out of the fireplace behind her, dusting off his sleeves.
While Hermione went to greet Ginny and Molly, Harry turned to Ron, shaking his hand. "How’re you doing, mate? Last I heard, you were planning to propose to Hermione during a picnic."
Ron grinned as they made their way to the sitting room. "I did, and guess what? She said yes!"
As they entered the living room, Hermione was already cooing over Teddy, who was playing with her curls.
"Shall we tell them, Hermione?" Ron asked, nudging her playfully.
"Oh, yes!" She turned, eyes shining.
"Tell us what, dear?" Molly asked, pausing mid-step.
Hermione beamed. "Ron and I are… engaged!"
For a moment, the room was silent. Then—
"That’s amazing!" Ginny squealed, leaping up to hug her brother.
Molly clapped her hands together, tearing up. "Oh, my dears!" she sniffled, before pulling both Ron and Hermione into a tight hug.
Arthur patted Ron on the back. "Well done, son. She’s a keeper."
Fred, who had just arrived with Angelina, snickered. "Yeah, we always knew she was the smart one. Took you long enough to figure it out."
Laughter rang through the room as the celebrations continued.
As the day passed, the rest of the Weasley brothers arrived one by one with their families. By evening, The Burrow was bursting with people, laughter, and chatter.
The men were tasked with setting up tables outside, while Harry found himself wrangling four little ones, keeping them entertained as they played. He didn’t mind one bit.
That night, Molly brought out an enormous cake, the words Happy Birthday, Harry written in flowing icing.
"You really didn’t have to, Molly," Harry said sincerely, touched.
"Oh, it was nothing, dear," she said with a warm smile, brushing off his gratitude as if baking a giant cake for him was as simple as boiling tea.
They all gathered around, singing loudly and off-key, and when Harry blew out the candles, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmingly grateful for the family he had gained.
The rest of the week passed in a blur of celebrations, laughter, and warmth.
If anyone went looking for Harry, there was a 99.9% chance they’d find him with the kids. Whether it was carrying them, playing hide-and-seek, or making funny faces to stop their crying, he was always there—sometimes even before their own parents. The kids adored him just the same.
By the end of the week, it was time to go home.
As they stood in the living room, saying their goodbyes, Harry turned to Molly with a heartfelt smile. "Our stay was wonderful, Molly. I especially enjoyed the food. Ginny’s a great cook, but your food has a special kind of taste."
Molly’s face lit up, clearly pleased. "Oh, Harry, dear, it was nothing!" she said, brushing off the compliment—but she was smiling ear to ear.
With final hugs and well wishes, Harry, Ginny, and Teddy stepped into the fireplace, ready to return home—hearts full, stomachs fuller, and memories made to last a lifetime.