on her own
A week later, the doorbell rang. Ginny sighed as she stood up from the sofa, earning a warning look from Harry, who was sitting on the floor of the living room playing with James.
"Don’t look at me like that," Ginny said as she stood up. "My strict bed rest is over."
"I could’ve answered the door," her husband muttered.
Ginny shrugged and headed to the hallway to open the door. George and Angelina stood there, with Freddie in their arms.
"Hey, why didn’t you come through the Floo Network?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.
George grinned. "Freddie hates the Floo, so we showed him that apparating is even worse."
His sister laughed. "You two really deserve the 'Parents of the Year' award."
"Yeah, right?" Angelina replied, stepping into the Potters' house behind her husband. Harry had by now come into the hallway as well and greeted his nephew.
"James is in the living room," he said. "He’s already waiting for you."
Freddie didn’t waste a second, running as fast as his little legs could carry him into the living room to see his favorite cousin. Harry straightened up and greeted George and Angelina as well. George handed him a bottle of wine and followed his sister into the living and dining room, where the table was already set.
"I thought you were still on bed rest, Gin-Gin," George remarked, eyeing his sister up and down. "I see you're back on your feet again."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "You sound just like Harry. Besides, I’m only walking short distances around the house, which I’m allowed to do. The rest of the time, resting on the sofa or in bed," she replied. "And excuse my appearance. I gave birth two and a half weeks ago, so jeans aren’t happening yet."
She gestured to herself. Ginny was wearing black leggings and a top that was convenient for breastfeeding. It fit snugly, so her rounded belly, which hadn’t fully disappeared yet, was still visible. Over it, she had thrown on a cardigan.
"Believe me, Ginny, I get it," Angelina chimed in as she sat next to her husband. "It took me months after Freddie was born to get back into jeans. Not because they didn’t fit, but because most jeans are just too tight in all the wrong places."
At that moment, Al started crying, and Harry went over to the bassinet in the living room, picked him up, and brought him to the table. Ginny held out her arms for him after adjusting her top to nurse Al. At first, she had been a bit uncomfortable breastfeeding in front of others who weren’t Harry, but by now, she didn’t care at all. With James, who had always been hungry and was breastfed for over a year, it had become unavoidable to nurse in front of others. And if anyone in her family was bothered by it, at least no one had ever said anything.
George wasn’t fazed by it either. "So, how’s life with my newest nephew?" he asked.
"Actually, it’s going quite well," Ginny replied, looking down at her son. "Your oldest nephew, on the other hand, is being a complete tyrant."
Angelina glanced over at Freddie and James, who were playing on the floor. "He looks like an angel right now."
"Yeah, right now he’s playing nice, but he’s been pretty upset that Mummy can’t chase him around the house and can only move between the sofa and the table and back again," Harry explained as he sat down next to his wife. "We should borrow Freddie more often so Jamie has someone to play with." He reached for the wine bottle that Angelina and George had brought and poured them all, and himself, a glass.
Ginny glanced down at her pumpkin juice with a slight frown. "I miss alcohol!" she said before taking a sip. Not that pumpkin juice didn’t taste good, or that she needed alcohol to survive, but she’d been through a lot in the past few months, especially in the last few weeks. She wouldn’t have minded a Firewhiskey, but she wasn’t allowed to drink. Not only because she was breastfeeding Al, but also because she was still on medication that prohibited alcohol consumption.
"I wonder how you handle it for so long," Angelina said. "At least when Freddie only wanted the bottle, that was one advantage."
"It’s not that bad, and in a few months, I’ll be able to drink again. You just can’t feed the baby right after drinking, so apart from my medication, that’s why it’s still off-limits. Once Al needs less frequent feedings, I’ll be able to have small amounts again," Ginny replied.
Harry smiled at his wife, stood up, and announced that dinner would be ready in a few minutes. With that, he left the dining room and headed to the kitchen.
Albus finished his meal, so Ginny adjusted her top and handed him to Harry, who had just returned. She gave him a cloth, which he draped over his shoulder. When it came to baby care, they were a well-practiced team. Harry wasn’t just trying to help Ginny; he wanted to be a fully involved father. Sure, he couldn’t take over any part of the nine months of pregnancy, but he had tried to make things easier for her. And now that the baby was here, he was just as responsible for his son as Ginny was.
"Al is so tiny," Angelina marveled, watching Harry walk around the room, lovingly cradling Al in his arms. "And so sweet."
"Yeah," George agreed. "I never thought a baby that came from Harry could be this cute. Which is why I’m still convinced he isn’t really his."
If the kids hadn’t been around, Harry might have flipped his brother-in-law off. Instead, he just grinned and stuck out his tongue like a child. Then he handed Al over to George without saying a word.
"I’ll go get the food," Harry announced and disappeared again.
"Oh Angie, I want another one," George said dreamily as he admired his nephew.
Ginny chuckled quietly as Angelina took a sip of her wine. "Ask me again in a year."