Harry and Ginny pretended to think long and hard about the names for their children, but they knew all along, really. It wasn't that it was something they took lightly—no, never—a name was extremely important for a child, they both thought. A name shaped a child, until they were strong enough to shape themselves. No, it was much more that they already knew exactly who they wanted—needed—to honor with their children's names.

Each decision that they made was special… it was a memory, a tribute, a blessing.

James Sirius was Harry's favorite name—although he never would say such, to Ginny or anyone. Ginny didn't mind it. Harry was one of the fairest people she knew; he wouldn't treat a child differently just because the people he was named after were so special to him. But it was clear in Harry's mind that James and Sirius had to be the first two to be recognized, and Ginny was willing to indulge her husband in his memories. When they saw their son growing up, with that unruly black hair and glinting brown eyes and an unending desire to fly and cause a ruckus, they smiled slyly at each other and knew they had chosen the best name possible.

Ginny and Harry both knew that Albus Severus would be their next son's name. This one was a much more difficult experience to get through for the young couple. Whereas they had been all smiles when they christened their first child, this time around it was a much more serious occasion. The names Albus and Severus instantly brought tightness into Harry's throat, as memories of war and heroes rushed into his mind. Ginny squeezed her husband's hand with a tearful smile as they watched their second son grow into a serious and smart young man, with deep green eyes that reminded them of the firm severity of the their old potions professor and a slow smile that looked like Albus Dumbledore come alive all over again.

Lily Luna was their last child [and name] and Ginny had no shame in admitting that it was her favorite name yet. Of course the other two names had been a joint decision, but they were really chosen for Harry's sake… Ginny had full say in her only daughter's name, and it wasn't at all a hard selection. When she saw her baby girl's emerald green eyes and deeply auburn hair—quite unlike her own brighter Weasley red—she imagined that it was Lily's genes again, coming back to her son and his young wife. And Luna—her other two children were named after fallen heroes, but Ginny couldn't resist this small tribute to the girl who had grown to be one of her best friends, even though they had grown apart a bit after graduating and marrying. Luna had survived the war, but that didn't make her any less the hero after all she had suffered. And as Ginny watched her little Lily Luna grow, she was quite proud of the woman she was becoming—she had all the intelligence of her paternal grandmother, along with the rapid wit and the perfect twist of a whimsical nature that always reminded Ginny of Looney Luna.

Harry and Ginny smiled as they watched all their children grow, because although they had named them well, they were truly content in the knowledge that a name wouldn't really ever matter in the grand scheme of things.