james
"Ginny honey, why didn't you call me sooner?" Molly had arrived by now and winced slightly at the agonised sound Ginny was making. "Merlin, it's nearly time, isn't it?"
Ginny growled. "Would be nice if it was. I'm only at seven centimetres," she countered through clenched teeth, leaning against Harry.
She had enough. She had been in labour for forty hours and the mild painkiller she had taken had worn off by now. And it was not allowed to take another dose so soon after. If the healers' assumptions had been right, she wouldn't have needed a second dose because the baby would already be here. But the whole process dragged on endlessly and the baby didn't want to make their appearance yet.
"You could have gone for-" Molly started, but broke off when Harry shook his head vigorously and looked at his mother-in-law with wide eyes. "The last few hours are going to fly by, Ginny-mouse," she said instead.
Ginny slowly straightened up a little and looked at her mother. "I'm never doing anything like that again! I honestly don't know how you did it six bloody times."
"Trust me, all the pain will be forgotten once your baby arrives," Molly replied with a smile. She walked towards her daughter and wrapped her in a hug as best she could. Only a few seconds later, Ginny's whole body tensed again and she drew in a sharp breath. "Do you want to lie back down after that contraction?"
She perceived a slight nod from Ginny.
At that moment, Healer Wilson entered the room. "Well, let me see how far along you are, Mrs Potter," she said happily, waiting until the contraction was over and Ginny had settled back into bed with Harry's help.
"Harry?" asked Ginny quietly, cupping his upper arm with her hand. "Can you go with Mum and get me something small to eat and anything to drink that isn't water?"
Harry smiled at her. "Of course. Are you sure you can manage on your own for a moment?"
"Yes," his wife breathed. "The healer will still be there if need be."
~
"Why did Ginny want both of us to get it for her? I could have gone on my own. Or does she not want you in there when they check her dilation? Did she send you out during the other exams, too? I always thought Ginny didn't have a problem about that sort of thing, especially with you," Molly asked as she returned from the cafeteria with her son-in-law
Harry shook his head. "She doesn't have a problem with it and I've been there for all the other examinations. I think she just needs some more time alone. It's the last time she can really breathe for at least the next eighteen years," he replied with a slight smile.
"Probably Ginny's just different from me on that. I didn't want to be left alone by Arthur for a second at any birth." Molly sighed. "I want to give you a heads up Harry. Ginny may say things to you right now that she doesn't mean. It's not her talking to you then."
Harry smiled. "I know, Molly."
With those words, he opened the door to Ginny's room and froze when he saw at least four Healers there in the room. Immediately he had the most horrific scenarios in mind. He made his way through to Ginny who was now sitting up a little straighter in bed and all worries were blown away when he saw her smiling broadly.
"I'm at ten centimetres! Our baby is coming now!" she said excitedly, suddenly seeming more awake than she had in the last 40 hours.
"Our baby is coming now," he repeated her words breathlessly.
~
"Holy shit!" said Ginny breathlessly as tears ran down her cheeks.
Harry grinned at her as he cried himself. "We have a baby!" he replied, averting his eyes from Ginny. Fascinated, he looked at the baby, which was lying on Ginny's chest and making those adorable newborn sounds. The eyes were slightly open and looking around. Harry's hand stroked the soft dark hair and he could have screamed with happiness.
"I'll leave you three alone for a bit. I'll come back before I leave."
Ginny looked up and looked at her mother with a smile. "Thanks, Mum," she breathed.
Molly wiped away her tears and returned her smile.
Only very far away did Ginny hear the door open and close again, for all her attention was on her baby.
"I love you, Gin."
She looked up at Harry and slid to the side as best she could to make room for Harry on the hospital bed. He followed her request and put an arm around her shoulder. "I love you too, Harry. And our baby too."
"Our baby, who we need a name for," Harry said, amused.
Ginny laughed softly. During the pregnancy, that was the topic most avoided. Why exactly neither of them knew, however there were always other things they preferred to discuss when it came to the baby. They didn't even know the sex of their baby yet, so they had taken their time with the name.
"First we need to know if it's a girl or a boy," Ginny interjected, wiping away her tears with one hand. Then her hand slid tremulously to the towel in which the Healer had wrapped her baby before handing it to her.
"A boy," Harry breathed.
"I knew it," Ginny replied with a laugh. "Our little James."
"James?"
"If you're okay with that," she countered. "I've been thinking about naming our baby, if he's a boy, after your father for a while now. And now that I see him, I think the name is pretty good-"
Harry interrupted her with a kiss. "The name is perfect!" he said, kissing her again. "And are we going to give him a middle name?"
"I suppose so, yes. I mean everyone in our family has one."
He considered. "How about Sirius?" he then asked cautiously.
"Sirius?" repeated Ginny. He nodded. "James Sirius. I like the name. But wouldn't you rather keep Sirius in case we have another son someday?"
Harry grinned. "Another son?! I thought you'd never do that again."
"I just changed my mind," Ginny retorted, returning his grin.
"We might never have another son to call Sirius, though."
"So James Sirius."
~
Time flew by and it was already an hour since the birth when Molly entered the room again. Ginny handed her grandson to her as soon as she entered the room.
"This is James Sirius," she said, smiling as she watched tears run down her mother's cheeks.
"He's wonderful," Molly said, sniffling.
"Thank you for being there, Mum," Ginny countered, fighting tears again.
"Thank you for letting me be there."
~
Around midnight, Molly entered the Burrow. The lights were already off everywhere as she walked up the stairs, only in her and Arthur's bedroom did she see any light. Slowly she opened the door and saw her husband lying in bed reading a book.
When she entered, Arthur looked up and looked at her expectantly. Without saying anything, she changed into her sleeping gown and lay down next to him in bed. By now he had put the book away and also removed his glasses.
"We are now grandparents of a healthy little boy at 10:23 tonight. Our first grandson," she said. Tears came to her eyes again as she thought of James and his little fingers that had closed around her thumb and how peacefully he had lain in her arms.
Arthur beamed with joy and hugged his wife. "And how is Ginny?"
"She's fine. She and Harry couldn't be happier."