Hello, new or returning reader. This is emeraldflash returning to fanfiction after far too long of a hiatus. I just can't seem to get these out on a frequent basis. Writing this took me about a month because I could never really find the time. Never mind, though. Without further ado, I present Parturition and Proposal.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.

Harry Potter had waited nine hours for this moment of complete tranquility with the most important girl in his life. The weary 22-year-old Man Who Conquered sat down and did his best not to move in the hard, plastic chair he was forced to sit on. Air that was hinted with a bit of bleach hung in the nearly pure white room. A coat of baby blue paint covered the wall behind him. Every surface around him was immaculate and without a bit of dust. In this perfectly aseptic room, the dark-haired wizard silently contemplated his life thus far.

Ever since he had defeated the most powerful dark lord in centuries, the Man With Too Many Monikers had taken to a more serene lifestyle. He had first considered becoming an Auror, but his girlfriend had quickly rejected the idea. She had said he had already done so much more than any other Auror. Harry couldn't help but agree with her; from fighting a mountain troll to outflying a Hungarian Horntail, his life was certainly never easy. He had seen so much and had experienced more tragedy than any one person should.

The famed wizard had wanted nothing more than to step away from the constant trials and tribulations that made up his life. Harry still wanted to fight the good fight, but he just couldn't step back into the field of battle. All of the families and friends that were lost during the war weighed on him. Too many people and too much untapped potential were stripped away from the world because of a single man's insane desire to become immortal.

Harry Potter had set out to teach the future of the Wizarding World to save and protect itself. As Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Harry could rest assured that the students leaving Hogwarts could protect themselves and others.

Looking to his right, he saw his beautiful girlfriend of four years. Harry's heart melted at the sight of her. Her barely tanned skin glowed in the sunlight that was coming in through the window. Her chest rhythmically rose and fell as she slept. Her lustrous medium length dark hair she took so much care of lay matted and dry with sweat, but to Harry, she had never looked more beautiful. Although, he may have been biased because of the adorable gift she had given him only an hour earlier.

Harry looked down at the beautiful newborn girl sleeping in his arms. As he stared at his daughter wrapped up in a pink blanket, Harry somehow felt as if his life had been worth it. The Boy Who Lived finally felt at peace as he held his newborn daughter. A feeling of weightlessness settled over him.

"I love you," the newly appointed father whispered as he stroked his daughter's cheek with his thumb.

Harry heard a groan from his right and turned to see his girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson, rubbing sleep from her eyes. The brunette woman stretched like a cat, arching her back off the hospital bed, and plopped back down. Her lightly tanned skin gave off a tremendous maternal glow as she lay down on her side and smiled at the sight of her daughter.

"She's beautiful," Pansy said with a tired smile.

Harry looked down at his sleeping daughter. Her adorable, pudgy face was motionless in a dreamless sleep. She hadn't opened her eyes since she was born, and Harry wondered what colors her eyes would be.

He hadn't given thought to the idea of his and Pansy's children until the day she told him she was pregnant. Though, as the Man Who Conquered held his daughter in his arms and looked into his girlfriend's shining grey eyes, the velvet ring box in his pocket somehow felt heavier. Harry had come across the sterling silver amethyst ring during one of his and Pansy's days out in the Muggle world. That day was three months into her pregnancy.

"She is," Harry said. "She's perfect."

"Perfect?" Pansy said with mock sadness. "Have I lost you to the feminine wiles of another?"

Harry, careful not to wake his daughter, laughed and shifted the chair closer to Pansy's side. He brushed her matted hair back behind her ear and laid a chaste kiss on her forehead. She sighed when he pecked her on her lips.

"Very funny," he whispered before taking her hand in his. "I love you. Thank you so much."

"I love you, too."

Pansy moved over on the hospital bed and patted next to her, inviting him with a tired smile. Harry joined her, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her temple. She melted into his embrace with a sigh and laid her head on his shoulder. Her ebony hair tickled his shoulder and chest. He sunk into the hard mattress with a sigh and unconsciously drew circles on her hip.

"Can I hold her?" Pansy whispered.

The Man-Who-Conquered was laughably gentle with his daughter, fidgeting her in his hands. The 22-year-old witch at his side giggled at his overprotectiveness. He carefully shifted her into Pansy's waiting arms.

Once Pansy was holding their daughter in her arms, she sank into the white satin sheets. She cuddled into Harry's side, laying her head on his shoulder. He smelled her favorite vanilla scented shampoo as her silken hair tickled his shoulder. The two new parents were content to lie still in silence watching their daughter sleep while Harry drew patterns on Pansy's hip with his thumb.

"I think she has my nose," Pansy said in a deadpan voice, breaking the silence.

Harry laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Then she's absolutely perfect."

"Really?" Pansy said as she turned her head to stare at him with a perfectly sculpted raised eyebrow. "What ever happened to Pug-face Parkinson?"

The raven-haired wizard looked down at his girlfriend. The mischievous glint in her eyes and her small grin tempted him, and he couldn't help but bend down and meet her lips with his. Harry felt her smile into their chaste kiss, asking him to deepen it. He smiled at the way she leaned in as he pulled away.

"I fell in love with Pug-face Parkinson," he said before giving her nose a quick peck. "And now I'm the only one who gets to call her that," he said with a grin.

With a roll of her eyes, Pansy swatted his chest. "In your dreams, Potty."

"Ouch, you wound me, Pansy," Harry said with a smile as he held her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Have you finally decided on her name?"

Pansy looked down at their daughter in her arms. She had yet to wake, and Pansy lightly ran her thumb over her baby's cheek. Harry saw her smile at the feeling of the pure skin that felt softer than silk. With a feeling of butterflies in his chest, Harry drew Pansy onto his lap and between his legs. She leaned back into his embrace and laid her head on his shoulder.

Harry loved these peaceful moments—when the Pansy that everyone other than him and a few select others knew washed away. Her stone cold exterior that gave her the title of Slytherin Princess in Hogwarts just crumbled away and left Pansy in all her vulnerability—her beautiful, prickly vulnerability. During these times in the first months of their relationship, the two of them could just cry out their woes. Everything they feared and regretted had come bubbling to the surface. Pansy had bared her soul to Harry.

"I like the sound of Genevieve," Pansy said. "Coming in here, I had five names bouncing around in my head. Now, seeing her, it's perfect. Genevieve Potter. What do you think?"

As he heard Pansy say Genevieve Potter, Harry felt the weight in his pocket somehow get heavier. He had long held the ring he thought to be perfect for her. However, he never thought she had given much thought to marrying him. She obviously had for her to say Potter. She wanted to marry him. The thought made Harry want to shout for joy if not for the sleeping newborn in her arms.

The overjoyed wizard would have gotten down on his knee there and then, but knew Pansy would think it was only for their daughter's sake. Harry inhaled her sweet vanilla scented hair and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. At this moment, he knew what he had to do, and sooner rather than later.

"Genevieve Potter," the bespectacled wizard said, testing the name as it rolled off his tongue. "You're right; it's perfect. I love it, and I love you," he said, kissing Pansy's neck.

"Somebody's feeling affectionate today," Pansy said between giggles as she tilted her head, exposing more of her neck to his kisses.

"You just gave me—us—a daughter," Harry said, smirking into her neck. "I'm giving you a proper thanks."

Pansy cradled Genevieve with her right arm to run her left hand through Harry's hair, messing it more. Harry lifted his face from the crook of her neck and saw the twinkle in her eyes.

"Keep thanking me, and we'll be back here in another nine to ten months," Pansy said, kissing his nose. "And while I love you, I don't feel like doing this again so soon."

Pansy cupped his face and ran her soft thumb over his cheek. Harry leaned into her light ministrations. Suddenly, a soft whine broke the silence. The new parents looked down to see their daughter slowly waking up. After seeing a flash of her dark blue eyes, both new parents were startled when Genevieve unleashed a torrent of screaming. The shrieking didn't lessen even as Pansy hugged Genevieve to her chest and rocked her side to side.

Pansy and Harry were close to the point of begging their distressed daughter to stop crying. Pansy was whispering soothing words into her ear, trying to calm her. They tried everything they could to do to assuage the cries of their daughter, but nothing seemed to work. In the chaos, the door to the room opened revealing a short woman wearing a cyan St. Mungo's uniform. With olive skin, chestnut brown hair, and striking hazel eyes, Tracey Davis held a classic, timeless beauty. Looking at the family, she grinned like the cat that ate the canary.

"How's the happy family? Sounds like you're doing well," she said, receiving glares from the frantic couple.

"Not the time for sarcasm, Tracey," Pansy said angrily.

"Now, now, Pansy. I won't have you taking that tone in front of my goddaughter," Tracey said, wagging her finger.

Harry felt Pansy become tense in his arms. He held her back from getting up and verbally attacking her best friend in the heat of the moment. Rubbing her arms, Harry rested his chin on the top of her head. Pansy relaxed, if only a little, in the warmth of his body.

"Tracey, we haven't named you godmother yet," Harry said. "Can you just please help us?"

"Of course," she said, walking forward to take Genevieve in her hands.

Harry watched as Tracey fussed over Genevieve, looking over every centimeter of her small body. With a beaming smile, Tracey held her delicately as if she was made of glass. Harry was glad Pansy had Tracey for a friend. She may not have been perfect, but she proved to Pansy that she cared for her.

In her eighth year at Hogwarts, Pansy had been treated as an outcast by all of Hogwarts for what she had said during the Battle of Hogwarts. Her outburst to hand Harry over to Voldemort had made her a target for everyone's enmity. Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws had gone out of their way to make her feel as hated and alone as possible. And to try to remove their evil image and get into their peers' good graces, the Slytherins had distanced themselves from Pansy.

Tracey, like all other Slytherins, had pushed herself away from Pansy. The fear of being treated just as much of an outcast pressured her to follow suit. She had eventually come to feel guilty and begged Pansy for forgiveness. It wasn't easy, but at Harry's cajoling, Pansy had heard Tracey out and had eventually forgiven her.

"Everything seems to be fine," Tracey said. "But she's hungry. What's her name?"

"Genevieve," Pansy said as Tracey handed Genevieve back to her.

Pansy moved the hospital gown down to feed Genevieve. Harry strangely looked away like a schoolboy, making Pansy and Tracey laugh. After a couple of tries, Genevieve latched on and started drinking. Pansy shivered at the feeling.

"Ooh. That feels… weird," Pansy said.

Pansy seemed to glow with the feeling of motherhood. An unsure and hopeful smile crossed over her face as she looked down at her daughter. Harry noticed that Tracey, on the other hand, was staring at something other than Genevieve.

"Morgana's tits, Pansy! Your tits," Tracey said. "Pregnancy did wonders for your girls. I'm a little jealous."

Pansy blushed and kept her eyes down away from her friend's lascivious gaze. She made to cover herself and Genevieve with the pink bed blanket. Tracey grabbed her hand and held it between hers, stopping Pansy.

"Don't, Pansy. You don't have to cover yourself up, and taking care of Genevieve is not something you should be ashamed of," Tracey said with a fire in her eyes. "If anyone judges you for feeding her, you can tell 'em to sod off."

Once again, Harry was grateful Pansy had such a loyal friend as Tracey. Ever since she had gotten Pansy's forgiveness, Tracey's devotion to her friendship with Pansy was evident. Tracey had taken it upon herself to protect Pansy from attacks, physical and verbal. The two had stood side by side in Hogwarts and after.

Tracey and Harry had become fast friends over the years. Her slightly licentious attitude was something for him to get used to, but he eventually became accustomed to it.

"But let's get back to what's important," Tracey said with a smirk. "Your girls look stunning. Let's hope they still look like that after you stop breastfeeding."

Sometimes.

"Tracey," Harry said, sighing. "Please don't make us regret naming you godmother."

"Jealous, Harry?" Tracey said with an impish grin. "Don't worry. You're still sexy. Could stand to lose a bit of weight, though." She pinched his side. "Wait! I'm godmother?"

At their nods, Tracey gave a high-pitched shriek. Her face broke into a wide smile, showing her dimples and perfectly white teeth. The excited witch dove forward and hugged Pansy, doing a little dance as she did. Pulling away, she kissed Pansy and did the same to Harry soon after. After Tracey separated from Harry, she danced, spinning and smiling all the while. She eventually stopped at seeing her amused friends laughing at her display.

A tint of red covered Tracey's cheeks, and she smiled with chagrin. Clearing her throat, she straightened her uniform and pulled the chestnut strands of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail.

"Merlin," she said, reaching out and stroking Genevieve's head. "I'm gonna teach you how to live, kid."

"That'll be my job, Tracey," Harry said like a proud father.

Tracey gave the proud new father a blank stare. "Please talk some sense into him, Pans," she said.

Pansy laughed and reached out to ruffle her friend's hair, but the healer backed away frowning. Tracey fashioned her hair back into a ponytail with a playful glare towards Pansy.

"Harry, love, even you have to admit most of what you did during Hogwarts wasn't exactly living," Pansy said with a smile. "It was more so, er, what's the word Trace?"

"Escaping death by a head," Tracey said without losing a beat.

"Or an arm," Pansy said, giggling.

"Maybe a foot," Tracey quickly followed.

"But definitely a hair."

The two laughed when Harry hid his face in Pansy's hair in embarrassment, but Pansy could feel him lightly laughing. The two best friends had always enjoyed making light-hearted jokes, often at his expense. He didn't mind, though. In fact, he enjoyed the banter that his girlfriend and friend shared. They reminded him of Fred and George.

After the war was over, the two women had helped him through everything. In the first few months after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry could only think about those who were lost. Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Colin, Fred—so many people gave their lives in the name of finally defeating Voldemort. The Boy Who Lived/Man Who Conquered had taken it upon himself to arrive at every funeral and ceremony to personally thank every person. Over the course of five months, the Savior of Magical England had been to twenty-two funerals and seven ceremonies for those who had died in the Battle of Hogwarts.

If not for Pansy and his friends, Harry was sure he would have fallen into depression. His guilt had hung around him like a personal rain cloud and nearly drowned him in his sorrows. The praises he received as the Man Who Conquered at the end of the final battle only made him feel worse. His friends were his light through the clouds, and Pansy had been the brightest. She had been particularly persistent in her efforts to console Harry during what he thought his most trying time.

Pansy had been ready and willing to join him in his brooding, saying that if he was going to "brood like a disturbed little second year," she wasn't going to leave him be. Not many people, even his closest friends, could understand what he had gone through. Pansy and a few others could, though. Like him, she had lost her family to the war.

Their shared moments crying on each other's shoulders had truly been the beginning of their relationship. Hidden in the dark corners of Hogwarts, they had bared themselves to each other. The icy exterior that made her Slytherin Princess had melted away, revealing the scared girl who just wanted the war to end and was outcast because of a moment of fear. Over time, the Gryffindor and Slytherin had become something more. While it wasn't easy for the two, they had finished Hogwarts with the other by their side.

At that moment, the famous emerald-eyed wizard couldn't have been more grateful. Leaning down, Harry kissed her cheek. Still laughing, Pansy turned to him with a joyful gleam in her eyes. She met his lips with hers, and he could feel her smiling into the kiss. He wished he could have enjoyed it more until-

"Ah, ah, ow," Pansy groaned, tilting her head down.

Separating his lips from hers, Harry saw Pansy with her face lightly scrunched up in pain. He looked down and saw Genevieve holding Pansy's dark tresses in her little hands. He also saw Tracey covering his daughter's eyes. When he looked at the healer, she just smirked at him.

"What?" Tracey said. "No kid should have to suffer watching her parents practically making out right in front of her."

"Very funny, Trace," Pansy said. "Now can you help me out here. Ow! She's pulling on it."

"Oh, stop being a baby. We've pulled each other's hair harder before," Tracey mockingly reprimanded her.

Tracey carefully pried Genevieve's hand open, freeing Pansy's hair from her vice-like grip. The baby girl kept clasping at the air in front of her, though, so Tracey grabbed Harry's hand. Sticking out his finger, she placed it in Genevieve's outstretched hand. As soon as her hand came into contact with his finger, Genevieve seized it as though it was a lifeline.

"Don't cry like your girlfriend, Chosen One. It doesn't hurt," Tracey said with a wink toward Pansy, making the ebony-haired woman roll her eyes.

The pressure his daughter kept wrapped around his finger comforted the famous wizard. In the hour he knew his daughter, she seemed to ground him in a way no one else could. He was responsible for raising his daughter. He finally had a family, something he always wished to have.

"You two are so cute. I love you guys," Tracey squealed, lunging forward and embracing the two of them in a tight hug. She stepped away from the bed and gave the three an appraising eye. "You're so domestic."

At Tracey's final word, Harry felt the velvet ring box get heavier in his pocket again.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this for any reason, please let me know. The same goes for if you didn't like it. I am trying to become a better writer, so I really enjoy getting constructive feedback.