TM 244: "That's something I think is growing on me as I get older: happy endings."
[ooc: The following is a canon-based prompt. It takes place in between the final chapter of Deathly Hallows and the epilogue. It has no bearing on RP and characters other than Ginny are canon based, written by me and have no connection to or authorization by their counterparts in theatrical_muse. Spoilers through the end of the Seventh Book. :)]
"You realise his initials will be ASP."
Harry glanced at his wife, thoughtfully. "Well. No, I hadn't." He ran a hand through his unruly hair and shrugged. "I want to honour them."
"I know." She smiled. It lit up her face; lit up the whole room. "So do I. I am just pointing out it's a slithery name. And maybe a lot to live up to."
He nodded. "Yeah."
Ginny looked across at Harry and pursed her lips. She scooched her (big and getting bigger) self over next to him and gave his sleeve a tug. "Hey." He pat he hand distractedly. "Hey," Ginny said, louder. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
Harry shook his head, still not looking at her directly. "I don't know. Expectations - I don't want our kids to grow up under - " He shook his head, unable to articulate what he wanted to say. "I want them to be ---"
"Who they are," she said, finishing the thought for him. Ginny raised a hand and turned his head to look at her directly. "They will be." She said it with quiet conviction. Pregnant with her second child, Ginny felt surer than she had when she carried James. She's older and calmer. She continued, "But they're Potters. They can't escape that."
Harry smiled. "And Weasleys."
"And Weasleys." Ginny answered his smile with a grin of her own. "You know I want to honour them, too."
"I know." He looked like he was going to go quiet and morose again. Ginny nudged closer still to give him a quick kiss.
"Harry," she said with that same quiet conviction. "A lot of people deserve a better life than they got. We can't give everybody a happy ending. But we can give our boys the very best and happiest beginning possible. And giving them your heroes' names? That's sort of giving your heroes their happy ending, too. Yeah?"
He kissed her back, never happier than this minute. Except for every other minute of their life together. "Yeah."
Ginny leaned into him, meaning to place her head on his shoulder -- then pulled back suddenly with a little gasp. "Oh! He's kicking!" She took Harry's hand and placed it over her belly.
Harry grinned and leaned closer. "Hey in there. Albus Severus Potter. I can't wait to meet you."
"You realise his initials will be ASP."
Harry glanced at his wife, thoughtfully. "Well. No, I hadn't." He ran a hand through his unruly hair and shrugged. "I want to honour them."
"I know." She smiled. It lit up her face; lit up the whole room. "So do I. I am just pointing out it's a slithery name. And maybe a lot to live up to."
He nodded. "Yeah."
Ginny looked across at Harry and pursed her lips. She scooched her (big and getting bigger) self over next to him and gave his sleeve a tug. "Hey." He pat he hand distractedly. "Hey," Ginny said, louder. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
Harry shook his head, still not looking at her directly. "I don't know. Expectations - I don't want our kids to grow up under - " He shook his head, unable to articulate what he wanted to say. "I want them to be ---"
"Who they are," she said, finishing the thought for him. Ginny raised a hand and turned his head to look at her directly. "They will be." She said it with quiet conviction. Pregnant with her second child, Ginny felt surer than she had when she carried James. She's older and calmer. She continued, "But they're Potters. They can't escape that."
Harry smiled. "And Weasleys."
"And Weasleys." Ginny answered his smile with a grin of her own. "You know I want to honour them, too."
"I know." He looked like he was going to go quiet and morose again. Ginny nudged closer still to give him a quick kiss.
"Harry," she said with that same quiet conviction. "A lot of people deserve a better life than they got. We can't give everybody a happy ending. But we can give our boys the very best and happiest beginning possible. And giving them your heroes' names? That's sort of giving your heroes their happy ending, too. Yeah?"
He kissed her back, never happier than this minute. Except for every other minute of their life together. "Yeah."
Ginny leaned into him, meaning to place her head on his shoulder -- then pulled back suddenly with a little gasp. "Oh! He's kicking!" She took Harry's hand and placed it over her belly.
Harry grinned and leaned closer. "Hey in there. Albus Severus Potter. I can't wait to meet you."