Author: Angelight
Rating: PG
Summary: In which Ginny flashbacks about her good friend Elizabeth's wedding day confession.
Author's Note: This was betaed by the glorious Amber a while back. *grin* I tweaked it a bit. It's a cookie for the future "As Told By Ginny." Look for its release soon J
* * * * *Halloween, 2008, 2:34PM, GMT. Virginia's flat.
On the day of the ball, my friends Elizabeth Russo and Renee Kent came to my house and helped me get ready. Nay had promised to bring her daughter, Jessica, over with her. Jess is the perfect daughter- she reads, writes, gets straight A's, and does everything else, plus has a great relationship with her mother.
Sigh.
Liz was a sweetheart who I had known since my pre-school years. She hadn't gone to Hogwarts; instead, her parents preferred the American Salem Witches' Society better. She was a year older than me, and when she met me at pre-school she introduced me to everyone. She was now happily married and had four children. One of them, Nicole, had accompanied her today. Nicole was a spunky eight year old. I had known her since before she was born, and I was very happy to see her. When they got to my flat, before Nay, Nicole bounded through the door and called out my name. I rushed into the living room and smiled at them. Liz grinned, her pearly teeth shining. Her wavy, ultra-frizzy blond hair was pinned up into a messy bun, and her eyes were behind designer glasses. Nicole ran to me and I pulled her into a bear hug. Her dark eyes shining, she looked up at me and grinned, but I was too busy studying her mother to smile back.
"Hello, Virgy," Liz said.
"Hullo, Liz," I replied.
"Aunt Ginn-ey!" demanded Nicole. I looked down and laughed.
"Yes, Nicole?"
"Daddy's coming later."
Elizabeth sighed. She *still* couldn't believe she was married to Simon Kent, even though it had been twelve years since they were married. I could still remember what Mindy had said to me at her wedding. It was something everyone that knew would remember forever...
* * * * *ASWS Hall, April 15, 1999. 10:26AM, EST.
"Virginia, what are you doing? We're supposed to be getting ready for the wedding." Carole Estes was staring at me as I sat calmly eating a marshmallow. I looked up and smiled at her.
"What, Carole?"
She sighed. "We need you to get ready! And Liz wants you in her dressing room." She motioned to the door on the right. I stood up, brushed off my silky, cream-colored and fluffy dress, and walked to the door on my glass slippers. I held up my hand to open the door, but it opened for me.
"Lizzie?" I heard a sniffle. "Elizabeth?" I said, louder.
"Over here." I stepped over some make up strewn on the floor and made my way over to a corner.
"Sweetie? What's wrong?"
"Virgy! I need you."
I found her huddled in the corner. Tears streaks were on each cheek, her beautiful hair was all in her face, and she was shaking. Next to her left hand was something that looked oddly like a used pregnancy test. Before I could read what it said, I decided to speak to Liz first. "Lizzie, talk to me. What happened?" I took her in my arms and hugged her as she cried.
"I..."
I looked at her. "What, Liz?" I pressured slightly. She sniffled and looked up at me.
"I... I'm pregnant."
I started.
"Oh, Lizzie! That's wonderful!" I exclaimed
She shook her head. "No, Virgy, it's not."
I frowned. "Why not?" My hands dropped down and I laid them in my silky lap.
She squeezed a piece of her beautiful white gown and said "Remember that time that I came home really late from the bowling alley?"
I shook my head.
"Yes, you do. You were supposed to meet me at the bowling alley a month ago, and you couldn't come because Ron had the flu. Remember that?"
I searched my memory. "Yes . . . yes, I remember that!"
"Well...." she began. She explained to me how she had spotted her fiancée, Simon, there and had gone back to his flat and how she lost her innocence to the man she loved.
I shook my head for the third time. "Lizzie, I still don't understand why that's horrible. You've got a job, and a future husband, and the father of the child is the man you love," I said firmly. She nodded.
"But, Virgy, I don't think I'm ready for this! And the Minister of Magic has made magical abortion illegal again, and there's no way any of you would let me take my chances with a Muggle abortion. And I'm not ready for a child! I'm not!!!" she shrieked, dissolving into hysterical tears again.
I stared. Why hadn't I though of that? I thought as I gently smoothed down her hair in a soothing motion.
After about five minutes, when the sobbing had died down, I asked, shyly, "Elizabeth?"
"Virgy." She picked up her head and stared into my eyes and pulled me down close to her. "Virgy, you can't tell anyone about this. Not even my mum. She'd make a fuss about it. I have to be the one to tell her. But maybe later I can tell Simon. Perhaps he'll be nice to me and not smother me with questions." She nodded. "Yes, he'll be nice to me. I'm gong to tell him later." She nodded.
"Elizabeth, I can't keep this from your mum!"
"Virgy, please??" she said. Her eyes pleaded with me, earth brown fighting with forest green. Silently, the green, having lost, looked down.
"All right." Liz smiled at me and turned around to lie on her back.
"Now, Virgy, we have to get ready. Get my mum, would you?" She turned her head to look at me and put her hands on her stomach.
"Okay." I pushed myself up and walked towards the door. I turned back once, and saw her charming away all signs of tears with her maple wand. I smiled and walked out the door.
"CAROLE!"
Eight months, two weeks and four days later, on February 2nd, 2000, Nicole Virginia Kent was born, and Elizabeth has been the proud mother ever since.
* * * * *
A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed that short ficlet as much as I did. Be sure to look for the release of ATbG coming soon. *grin*
Happy reading, all!