FIC--From Worse to Best (gen fic)

[ficsbydeenas]

Title: From Worse to Best
Rating: G
Summary: It's Harry's birthday and he's had a bad day.
Author Note: I had meant to get Harry laid for his birthday, but fluffy schmoopsy words came out instead. I promise smut for Ginny's birthday.

From Worse to Best

He was wet. He was tired. And most of all, he was late. Late for dinner with his family. Late for time with his kids and even later for some private time with his wife. That's how late he was.

He silently cursed the world in which he was head of the Aurors, where inept new recruits completely bunked up an investigation and he had to be called in, where no one, other than himself could figure out how to deal with the situation. But most of all, he cursed the world where all this happened on his birthday.

With another creative use of swear words, he entered his house and shook the rain off his outer cloak and hung it up on the peg in the mud room before stepping out of his shoes. Harry took the few steps from the small room into the kitchen and smiled and groaned at the same time. There, on their round, oak table, were several birthday gifts. On the worktop were three overflowing platters of all his favorite foods. He breathed deeply and inhaled the pleasant aromas; Ginny must have placed warming charms on them. His stomach rumbled, but he ignored it.

Feeling utterly disgusted with life, he turned around and walked into the living room, determined to drink a few glasses of Firewhisky to take the edge off a horrific day. However, he stopped in his tracks at what he saw.

Lying on the sofa were James and Al, snuggled under their blankets, mouths open and spittle in the corners of their lips. James was snoring lightly. On the chaise lounge was Ginny with Lily. His baby girl held her mother's hair in her fingers as her lips moved in reflexive sucking motions. He leaned down and kissed the baby's downy hair and moved to do the same for Ginny, but she woke up and flashed him a brilliant, sleepy smile.

"Hey. You missed the party."

"Yeah. Sorry." There were several other things he wanted to say, but held his tongue.

"Very nice of you to control your temper in front of the kids," she said with a half-smile.

"Whatever." His voice was gruff and he grimaced at the sound of it. "Sorry."

"You said that already. I got something for you," she said, quickly changing the subject. "Take her." Ginny got off the chaise and placed the baby in his arms.

Harry began rocking her and she fluttered her eyes open, smiling her toothy grin. His heart warmed about twenty degrees.

"Hey, Lily Bean," he whispered, earning him another grin and a baby laugh.

"Da-da?" Harry turned around and saw a sleepy Al roll off the sofa and shuffle over to him. "You's home."

"Yeah, I am, Al." With his free hand, Harry mussed up the boy's hair.

"Miss you." At that, the little boy crumpled to the floor at his father's feet, snoring softly.

Feeling a thousand times lighter than when he walked in the door, Harry sat down on the rocking chair to settle the baby back to sleep. What's taking Ginny so long, he thought to himself.

"Happy birffday, Dad," James muttered sleepily from his spot on the sofa and then closed his eyes again.

Harry's eyes traveled from James on the couch with his thumb in his mouth, to Al curled up like a puppy on the floor, and then, finally, to the sleeping Lily in his arms. What was he thinking, assuming that his birthday was ruined? He had three of the greatest gifts, right here in this room.

"Happy birthday, Love," Ginny said from behind him, her hand rubbing his head. "Here you go." She placed a small box on his lap.

Leaning his head back to look up at her, he said, "You didn't need to get me anything at all. I've got everything I need right here."