Chapter Text
Harry's hands were shaking. His heart was pounding so hard he felt like throwing up. He looked at the redhead in front of him, so many adverse emotions inside his chest that he couldn’t choose one to focus on. He was angry, and yet excited, also feeling a deep sadness, and fear, and happiness, and disgust, all at the same time. He didn’t know what he should feel at that moment, and felt completely lost.
Ginny had met him in high school. Sister of his best friend, Ginny had always been close and a great friend. Soon they had an affair, but Harry always felt strange in her presence. It wasn’t like he didn’t like her, but there was something that didn’t fit very well, and Harry could never understand what it was. Even when they went to college, Harry thought it was better to stay away, and then they broke up, having only a few “one night stands” here and there. Harry felt his chest hurt every time he thought about how he was still a virgin simply because he couldn’t, in any way, go to bed with Ginny. After a while, he noticed that he had different feelings towards boys. He felt desire, and Harry found himself doubting his own sexuality. Still, he kept it inside for a long time, and graduated while dating Ginny. She always found him a strange guy. Harry never passed on from the preliminary touches. He had even said he was afraid of having sex simply because he was very bad at it, and the redhead couldn’t help her frustration and had some escapades with Dean Thomas at Uni. Of course Harry never knew that, but even if he had, he would have understood.
At the end of his course, he decided it was time to try. He finally went to bed with Ginny, and heavens, he had to struggle so much just to begin with the acting. Even before he was finished, he had decided he didn’t like girls. He only loved Ginny very much, as a good friend, and only because of that had he managed to do something with her. Still, he had to think of another body, other hands over him, to get to the climax.
A week later they broke up, and she understood. Ginny said she already suspected it and was fine with it. And anyway, they couldn’t stay together. Ginny had been chosen to play in a sports club across the country, and decidedly wasn’t going to give up going because of Harry... So it was great that, after all, he was gay.
And now she was here, with moist eyes and trembling hands, with a newborn baby in her arms.
His son. Harry Potter’s son.
“I can’t stay with him, Harry. I can’t be a mum now. My career has only just begun and, God, I need to continue or I will have to abandon the dream of my life. Had I known that that one time we had sex was going to result in a baby, I swear you would have died a virgin!” she said, pressing too hard the child in her arms.
“Ginny ... We can work it out, I know we can,” he tried to say, breathing heavily. His parents, before they died, had left him a wonderful heritage, that he only had access when he was 18, and it was still barely intact. He could raise that child despite being in his job for less than a year, in a law firm just few blocks away. “ I'll take him, I'll take care of him... We will take care of him together. We can even get married, if necessary, I...”
“Harry.” She interrupted, raising a hand. “I don't want this child. If you won’t take care of him, he goes into foster care.” She said gravely. “I can’t be a mother. I said. It's still early. We can make the child's birth certificate. I'll give you full custody. I made an account with a milk bank and I will pass it on to you.”
“Didn’t you breastfeed him...?” He asked, and she shook her head.
“I have no milk.” Her eyes were dry as she said it.
“What ... What's his name?” Harry asked, and she sighed.
“I didn’t name him, Harry. You can choose his name. Can we go now? Or are you busy?” Ginny asked, and Harry could only swallow. He was a lawyer, he knew how things worked and could do everything that day, yes. But still... he couldn't help it but he thought it was inhuman.
“And what does your mother think about it...? And Ron...?”, he dared to ask, and she let out a chuckle, handing the bag with the newborn's belongings to Harry.
“They know. They find it absurd, but my mother managed to convince them that it was my decision and that I should do what I think it’s right,” Ginny said, and his eyes dropped to the baby in her arms. "I was in despair when I discovered I was pregnant. I knew I couldn’t expect you to marry me and be his father. You would never be happy married to a woman, and besides, it was my fault. I thought nothing would happen. You were very naive about these things, and I knew it. I knew it had to be me to teach you and I simply ignored everything in a moment of weakness. Mum made me not abort him. She insisted that I had the baby and asked, throughout the pregnancy, that I hand over the boy to you and not for adoption. She told me a few good words, but she understood my reasons in the end. She knew that I would never be happy being a mother so early, and agreed not to say anything to my brothers or to you. If I decided to give you the boy in the end, everyone would know, but if I decided to put the child for adoption, it was better that no one knew," Ginny gave him a sincere smile, looking at the child. “If it was in another time, Harry... I would have loved to raise him. But I wasn’t born to be a mother. I wasn’t born for this,” She said, putting the baby in his father's arms for the first time,.
He was rather like Harry, but no one could tell exactly. He still had a wrinkled, pink face, and slept peacefully. His hair was thin and black, and his mouth was closed in a pout. The man felt his heart drop to his stomach with how much love he already felt for the baby... His son. He had thought he would never have a child, and he swallowed forcefully. Ginny couldn’t be judged for her decision. She had at least decided to have the child, rather than have him aborted. She decided to give him to his father, instead of depriving Harry of the knowledge that he had a son. She wasn't a monster... She was just trying to be happy, and she couldn't be while having a child.
“Why didn't you tell me, Ginny?” he asked, half hurt. “I could have helped you. We could have gone through it together.”
The girl took a while to answer, choosing her words, and decided to be honest.
“I didn’t know if I would give him to you or up for adoption. If I were to put him in foster care, it was better that you didn’t know of his existence. So you wouldn’t... So you wouldn’t be mad at me.” Ginny said, her eyes filling with water. She lifted them up, trying to control the tears. “I didn’t want you to think that... I wanted your money, or that I just wanted to use you because of the baby. I... I know you wouldn't do that, I know you, but... I was so desperate, Harry... So afraid... I... " She sobbed, closing her eyes tightly. She wouldn’t cry in front of him. “I don't want you to hate me.”
Harry smiled, sitting beside her and holding her with one arm, the other gently holding the baby .
“I would never hate you, Ginny. I love you. How often should I say this?” He asked, placing a kiss on her forehead.
They remained in silence for a while, until Harry broke it.
“When was he born?” Harry asked, stroking the boy's chubby cheeks.
“A week ago, three days before your birthday,” She said with a weird smile, holding one small foot, looking at him with some attention. “Ron is furious with me. Hermione is trying to calm him down... Get ready. He'll probably call you soon.”
Harry smiled. Yes, Ron would be furious. But he knew that he would calm down after a while; it had always been like this.
“Can we go now? I... I need to go back. My flight is already scheduled.” Ginny said, and Harry worried his bottom lip thoughtfully.
“Ginny... You... You really can't...”
“Harry, don't insist, please. I had nine months to think about it, and now I really don’t want to go back.” She was keen, and he took a deep breath. He nodded and decided to just go through it, leaving with her so they could sort the important things out.
After a long and tiring day, they went back to Harry's flat. It was large, spacious with three bedrooms, a large kitchen, a living and a dinner room and a porch that had an amazing view of the upper town. He needed to make up a room for the baby, but at least he had the essential material to go through at least the first night.
Ginny was standing awkwardly in the living room. He could see that she still had some weight she had gained in the pregnancy, but was still thin, freckled and red-haired, as he always remembered, her brown eyes looking the green of his with some admiration.
“Take care... Take good care of him, Harry.” She said with a smile, and hugged him tightly before walking away. “I know you will be an amazing father to him”.
Harry nodded, smiling at her. He escorted her to the door and when she left, he turned his attention to the little one. The documents were all in his bag, and now... Well, now Harry James Potter was officially Albus Severus Potter’s father, in tribute to two great men he had known in his life. He smiled, watching the baby, now awake, who gazed at him with some curiosity, as if trying to find out who he was. The man was impressed by his amazing green eyes, exactly like Harry’s. Exactly like his mother’s, Lily.
“Welcome, Albie.” He said, feeling joy hold his heart to the same extent and proportion as despair. Now he was a father.
A single father.