“Does he know about the baby?” Ginny muttered into Harry’s earas Teddy Lupin and his Gran emerged from the emerald flames in the smallsitting room of their flat.
Harry shook his head subtly andwhispered back, “Nah, that’s what today is for. All the…stuff is hidden away,right?”
“Aye. D’you want me around for it then?” Ginny asked quietly as Andromedabrushed the stray ash from the metamorphmagus’ clothes and remonstrated him to‘behave’ and ‘not glue all the toilet seats closed like last time.’
“I think so. It’s probably best to have someone around incase I go all wonky and end up giving him ‘the talk’ about seven years tooearly,” Harry sighed.
Ginny snorted, and patted her husband’sarm, “Don’t worry dear. He’s going to bebeside himself with excitement. He’sbeen jealous of Victoire getting one.”
Before Harry got a chance to answer thatthis was different, Teddy had leaptinto his godfather’s embrace, nuzzling into his Weasley jumper, hair cyclingthrough the rainbow before landing on his favored electric blue, “Hi Harry.”
“Wotcher, Ted,” Harry answered, placinga kiss on his godson’s mussed hair. Ashe grasped Teddy’s small hand in his larger one and lead him to the kitchen,Harry heard Ginny firming up their plans to keep Teddy for the weekend.
Teddy struggled to pull himself up ontoone of the barstools – ‘I got itHarry’ – while Harry fished around in the icebox for a carton of Fortescue’sice cream. At least if he starts wailing we’ll all have pudding to comfortourselves.
Ginny entered the kitchen, givingTeddy’s bum a slight push to secure him on his perch, “So what are we doingtonight boys?”
“Harry’s gettin’ pudding,” Teddyanswered, eyes twinkling.
Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry, pullingthree bowls down out of the cabinet, “God,you’d think this was bad news.”
Casting a furtive glance toward Teddywho was swishing his legs, kicking into the wall under the bar, and singingsome song about snargaluffs – Neville’sdoing. No more Hogwarts visits – “Itcould be, at least to him,” Harrymuttered glumly.
“How could anyone – wait are you having second thoughts?” Ginnyasked, eyebrow quirked and tone slightly concerned.
Harry stopped fishing around in thedrawer for the ice cream scoop, “What? Me? No! I love the little – can we nameit yet?”
Eyes narrowing, Ginny studied herhusband, “You know I can tell when you’re lying.”
Harry huffed, “Well it’s a good thingI’m not then. Lying that is. ‘Sides,it’s a little late for second thoughts now isn’t it?”
Ginny opened her mouth to answer, butsnapped her jaw shut as Teddy made his presence known by jumping from the stooland shouting “Harry, Ginny, Harry, Ginny, Harry!”
“Yes, love?” Ginny answered with asnicker.
“Somethin’s in the bedroom,” hereplied, slowly tip-toeing to the hallway.
Harry and Ginny turned toward eachother, panicked, “I thought you said the door was closed.”
Harry dropped the scoop back into theice cream container and jogged toward the hallway where Teddy had pausedoutside the door, which was closed. How did he?
“There!” Teddy yelped triumphantly as asmall black and grey paw shot out from under the door.
Ginny rounded the corner as Teddyturned the knob and released the tiny kitten from the guest room, who eyed himwarily from its place on the dark hardwood floor. He stared at it for a moment, bright browneyes wide.
“Well, little man, that’s what we weregoing to tell you tonight, I know you prefer dogs like Victoire’s puppy…”
Seemingly unaware of his godfather,Teddy leaned over and scooped up the little bundle, “I’m namin’ it.”
Harry turned toward Ginny who shrugged,before answering, “Sure thing, mate, what’re you thinking?”
The kitten crawled its way up Teddy’sshirtfront and nuzzled his neck, “Minerva.”
Harry’s face paled, “Oh my god, she isgoing to kill me.”
Ginny, unmoved, crossed her arms over her chest, “No. Because she is never going to find out.”