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"We need not speake so much of love, all books are full of love, with so many authours, that it were labour lost to speake of Love" - Yates, Frances A.

"Hurry, Ronald! Your sister is waiting! If you dawdle any more, we'll be late to pick her up from the floo station!"

"I still don't know why I need to go," he grumbled.

"Because she's your sister and has been away for nearly three months, that's why!"

"But we'll see her at school all year!"

Harry elbowed him and shut him up when Mrs. Weasley glared.

"Hogwarts is going to have twice as many first years this year including students that were not allowed to attend and students that willingly did not attend last year, such as yourselves, so you probably won't have that much time with her especially due to all the homework you'll have since you are in your NEWT year and need to study as much as you possibly can!" Ron looked thoroughly berated. Harry, on the other hand, still didn't understand how Mrs. Weasley fit so much into her sentences without taking a breath. "Also, is it so much to ask my own son to come with me to pick his sister up after she has been gone for three months? If you would like to stay here, you can make your own dinner tonight. Imagine what Hermione would say when she arrives. That lecture will be longer and worse than mine so I suggest you march your arse into the living room."

Grabbing a piece of toast, Ron ground his teeth as he stepped into the family's large stone fireplace with Molly and Harry. He really couldn't wait to see his little sister – but he was crabby and hungry, and food took precedence to everything else in his mind until his belly was full. Everyone knew this, which is why Mrs. Weasley wasn't as hard on him.

When they hurried up to the meeting place, Ginny was sitting on her suitcase.

"Ginny!" Molly ran to her and snatched her up in a giant hug. "I've missed you so much!"

"Missed you too, mum. But you should be used to this, most of us have gone to quidditch camp."

"And I miss you all every single time! I rarely see you during the school year, so when you're gone for the summer as well –"

"I know, mum." Ginny smiled and stepped away from her to hug Ron and Harry. "Have you had breakfast yet?" she asked Ron, who shook his head crankily. "Ok, not talking to you 'til you have. Hi Harry."

Molly and Harry had a laugh at that comment. Harry awkwardly hugged Ginny; he had developed feelings for her at the end of his sixth year and promised her that they would get back together after the war, but they didn't. It went unsaid that they were still on a break before she left for quidditch camp. "How was camp?"

Ginny didn't smile as big as he thought she would, but Molly and Ron didn't seem to notice. "It was great… fantastic. Thanks so much, Mum, for letting me go."

"You're welcome, love. I try to do as much as I can for you lot. However, you can thank your brothers tonight when they come for dinner; it's their business that provided most of the money for your tuition. Now let's get back so we can all eat a proper breakfast and you can tell us all about it!"

"Yeah… all about it."

Harry gave her an odd look but left his suspicion alone. She most likely wasn't feeling great. It was probably nothing. He lost his feelings for her and she for him. That must have been why they still hadn't gotten back together. He had to admit, though – she looked good. Her body was toned from training and tan from being outside all summer. And when had she gotten boobs? He shook the thoughts out of his head and followed the group back to the floo station to go home.

Ginny's mood seemed to improve greatly after she had eaten – well, wolfed down – her breakfast. "Oh Merlin, Mum. The food there was great but there's nothing like your cooking."

Molly positively beamed at her daughter. "Would you like anything else?"

"Nothing I can't get for myself, thanks."

"So quidditch camp wasn't as fun as the twins, Charlie, and Bill said?" Ron asked; he chose not to go so he could spend the summer with Harry, and he couldn't go the previous summer since there was a war going on.

"Of course it was."

"Doesn't sound like it. Did something happen?"

"No, Ron. Just like you get grouchy before food, I get grouchy before coffee. You know that.

"Oh yeah, forgot without you being here to bitch at me every morning." dodged their mother's towel and stuck his tongue out at Ginny. She did the same. "Mum, you really shouldn't have introduced her to coffee at such a young age." Molly chuckled.

"Missed you too, Ron."

The three chatted for the next few hours until Hermione arrived. Then the chatting turned to topics such as what classes they were taking and when they were getting their supplies. No one questioned why she drank so little of her beloved coffee.

The next day spent in Diagon Alley was tiring more so than usual because they had to go to special stores to get supplies for their NEWT classes. Ginny was just along for the ride since her list was much shorter. She had managed to get away for a while, though, and was told to meet them at their usual lunch spot. Before she arrived, she made sure the package she bought was stuffed safely in her bag. When she sat down, she was fidgety and acting strange.

Harry was now pretty suspicious. There was something wrong that she clearly didn't want to tell them about. She didn't even get her usual latte – she got water. She must be pretty down about something to not order coffee. He let it go, though, when she said the reason was because their mother had to buy Newt supplies. He knew that pestering her about it was just going to cause her to shut herself off from him completely, and he did not want that. They were already awkward around each other because they didn't know how to act in the other's presence. Add curiosity, and any friendship she still showed him would disappear altogether. So instead of bugging her, he let her stew in her own thoughts. At least for now. If it continued, he might say something. He hoped he was doing the right thing.

She had been forcing her smile all afternoon and she was tired of it. All she wanted to do was go home and use what she bought. It was grating on her nerves so much that she had a hard time pretending to be herself. When they got home, she was so anxious that she ran upstairs to the bathroom and shakily opened the package.

After she followed the instructions, it took all of five seconds to find out she was pregnant.

"Goodbye! I'll miss you! Try to write every week!"

Arthur stood next to Molly and waved as the Hogwarts Express departed.

"Write every week, she says! That woman is mad. Where's that trolley?"

"Ron, you just had breakfast, what do you want sweets for?"

"Hermione, you know how Ron is; why are you even asking that question?"

"I know Harry, but he just ate a Molly meal not an hour ago. That must be a new record."

"Oh shut it. I can't help that I'm a growing boy and need as much food as my stomach can hold, and Mum won't be at Hogwarts to cook them."

"Your stomach couldn't hold a black hole!"

Harry snorted at his friends' bickering. Boy he missed it. This was the first time they were all together again, and the first time they could relax, since the war ended. This was also the first time since he found out about Voldemort that he didn't have to worry about being killed at every turn. It was weird; fearing for his and everyone else's safety was all he knew. Now, though, he found someone he could worry about. "Ginny?" She turned her head to look at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You're quiet."

Ron and Hermione stopped their back and forth when they heard this. "Yeah," Ron said, "you have been since you came home from quidditch camp. Aren't you happy? We're finally free to be normal teenagers."

"Is it because of those we lost in the war?" Hermione asked gently.

Ginny ate up that excuse. "Er, yeah. It'll just take me a while to get over everything, ya know? But I'm fine so don't worry about me. It's not like we lost family… even though Lupin, Tonks, and Colin do come close to family…"

"It's best not to think about their deaths," Hermione said, "but their lives. If you ever need to talk, you know you can always talk to us. We're family."

Ginny smiled at her. Hermione never judged her, and she had a kindness about her, like Luna, that was unfortunately uncommon.

"Thanks, Mione. I know. I'm going to take a walk, I'll see you when I get back."

"Oh probably not me," Hermione said. "I have to go in a bit to report as Head Girl. I'll see you later though, if you don't get back before I leave."

Ginny smiled at her again and left.

Ron looked sad. "Poor Ginny. She was supposed to go to counseling for Colin's death, but she wanted to go to quidditch camp instead."

"Counseling doesn't always work for everyone. Some people need to get away and do something they love to get through." Hermione put her hand on Ron's knee. "She'll be okay. Give her time."

"I know. It's just sad to see her sad."

Hermione smiled at Ron's concern for his sister, who had become one of his best friends. He changed enormously over the last year, which brought him and Ginny closer. Hermione stood. "Actually, I think I'm going to get a head start. See you later." The boys said their goodbyes as she closed the compartment door and walked down the corridor to the next train car. Before she went through though, she stopped at the sound of someone throwing up in the bathroom. Being Hermione, she knocked on the door. "Are you alright in there? Should I get help?"

"No," came the strangled cry. The toilet flushed and the door opened.

"Mione... " Ginny stood there, red-faced and crying, silently begging her to ask a million questions.

"Ginny! What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Shh, Hermione it's nothing. Please don't make a scene – I don't want people to hear. I just… I guess I'm still upset about the war. The conversation we had a few minutes ago set something off in me. I'm fine."

Hermione gave her one of her famous know-it-all stares. "Ginny, Ron told me he heard you throwing up this morning before you went downstairs, and you didn't eat much breakfast. He told me you threw up yesterday morning, too. Do you have the flu?" Then realization dawned on her face. "Wait… Ginny," she said in a scared voice, "are you –"

"STOP!"

Hermione, with eyes wide, didn't finish that sentence. She grabbed Ginny and pulled her into the bathroom, closing and locking the door. "Muffliato. Ginny you had sex? At camp?"

"Yes, okay? I had sex. It was stupid and I hate myself for it because now I'm – I'm –"

"You can't say it?"

"If I say it, it'll be real."

"Ginny, it is real, whether you say it or not."

"Shut up."

"Who was it with?"

"… I can't say."

"But, you tell me everything. At least I think you do."

"I do."

"So tell me."

"Why does it matter? It's over and done with."

"Because he's the father of this child, Ginny! He has every right to know. You have to tell him. Are you even sure you're pregnant? I mean, you could have the flu."

"I've been throwing up every day, Hermione. And I missed my period, and I get nauseous when I smell food in the morning, and my boobs get bigger every time I look at them." Ginny sighed and started to cry. "I don't want to tell him. He'd be a terrible father and I know I'd have custody wars with him for the rest of my life and he's rich so he'd win and I can't, I just can't."

"Ginny…"

"I took a test. Said it was positive. I'm sure. I'm screwed. I'm so screwed. I've ruined my life, Mione. My quidditch career is over before it even got a chance to start. My life as a student has completely changed and my life as a teenager is over. I'll be judged by everyone at school and I'll have to grow up sooner than most and I won't be able to continue having a normal childhood. The only thing I have going for me is that I am legally an adult. But no one has kids at seventeen anymore. I still feel like a child, how can I have one of my own? I don't know what to do."

"With boobs like that, you are not a child." Ginny glared at Hermione. "What? Well it's true, and probably partially because of your pregnancy. Ginny, you are not screwed and your career isn't over. A lot of quidditch players are moms or dads, don't you know that? And besides, you don't have to have this baby."

"What? Of course I do."

"No… there is… well, you can… terminate the pregnancy."

"I thought of that already. I can't do it. I can't kill my own child, even though it's not even showing, even though it can't think on its own yet or feel anything... even with the aid of magic, I think it's barbaric. Not for anyone else, I wouldn't judge anyone else if they did that. I just can't bring myself to."

"But Ginny, if it's going to ruin your life as you said, if you're not going to love it, why bring a child into the world with that mindset? Why would you have and raise a baby that you resent, that would 'ruin your career' as a quidditch player?"

Even though she couldn't see it because her chest was in the way, Ginny looked down at her flat stomach and hugged it.

"Because I do love it."

Hermione smiled sadly. "Well then, we'll all help you out. You know that."

"Mum's gonna kill me."

"You know she won't. She'll lecture you on being young and careless, but you know her. She'll be the biggest support you'll have."

"Dad will be so disappointed in me. God, Hermione. How could I have been so stupid?"

"Did you use protection?"

"Of course, but you know my family. We breed like rabbits, we're so fertile." Hermione snorted, and they both burst into laughter. "I needed that."

"Oh, oh god, DRACO – FUCK!"

"Shut up, I can't finish with you shouting like that."

"You shut up and let me finish before you do, goddamnit. I'm sick of you finishing before me."

"I would say don't fuck me, but you're so easy that you can't help it."

Pansy dragged her nails extra hard down Draco's back as she came. "That's more like it. Do your job right more often and maybe you'll get more sex out of me. Fucker."

"The fuck, Pansy?! You fucking ruined my orgasm, bitch! Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome, darling. Next time, if you wait for me, maybe I'll let you finish."

"Bitch."

"Oh shush. You call me that all the time. It's lost its touch. Besides, I am a bitch. Everyone knows that. But you love me anyway."

"Bullshit. I don't love you and I never will."

"Uh-huh sure, darling. Love you, too."

"Get out. I have to dress to meet with stupid Granger for Head duties."

"Oooh, I love it when you talk to me like that," she said as she dressed herself.

"OUT!"

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving. Don't get your panties in a twist. I know I'll see you in my bed tonight, anyway. Ta-ta."

With that, she left and he shook his head at the incredulity of their relationship. They used each other for sex, she pissed him off, he pissed her off, and they both had sex with other people - yet they still gravitated back to each other. They had no respect for each other; it was selfish sex with no attachments. He shook his head again and left. 'Stupid bitch.' Now he was half-hard and pissed off. He stormed out of his compartment

"I have to report to the Head Student compartment - will you be okay? I can tell them there's an emergency - "

"Hermione, this isn't an emergency."

"An upset friend in a serious situation is always an emergency."

"I appreciate that, but I'll be fine."

"If you're sure - "

"I'm sure. Go."

"Okay. See you later."

"See you." Hermione left. Ginny waited. She took deep breaths, splashed cold water on her face, dried her face, and went to pen the door - but she turned right around and threw up in the toilet again. "I can't do this. I can't, I can't." She sat on the floor and started crying. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Hermione, I said go away!"

"I am not Granger." Ginny stiffened and said nothing. "Everything okay in there?"

"Not like you would care," she spat, trying and failing to sound angry. She shot up from the floor and puked again.

"Do I need to get a professor?"

"NO!" Ginny wrenched open the door with a wild look on her face. "No."

Draco was shocked. "What's wrong with you?"

"Why do you suddenly care about me?"

"Im Head Boy, Weasley. It's my job to care. But aside from that, I'm not a heartless bastard, thanks."

"You never cared before."

"After this summer, I thought you'd be able to see past my past. I had to treat you lot like garbage before the war, you know that."

"Oh and shagging someone and leaving without a word isn't treating them like garbage?"

Draco winced. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I freaked out."

"Oh god, go back to cold heartless Malfoy. Nice Malfoy is too hard to deal with."

"Gee, thanks, Weasley." She opened her mouth to talk but turned and threw up again. "Are you sure you don't want me to - "

"NO PROFESSORS!"

"But you're sick!"

"It's nothing I can't handle! I'll be fine in a bit! Go away, stop caring about me, and go back to being a cold-hearted asshole!"

He actually looked hurt and she felt a little bad. "Before Voldemort was defeated, I didn't care about anyone to keep them all safe. Now I don't care about anyone because people are so self absorbed that if you care, you just get burned. I don't care about you, but after a life of being forced to train to become a death eater, I care when people are hurting. Excuse me." He slammed the door on his way out.

She sat on the floor again, cast muffliato, and sobbed.

"I'm really worried about Ginny."

Harry looked up at Ron. "You noticed something, too?"

"Course I did. She's not herself. And she's been gone for an hour. I don't wanna hover, but I want to go find her."

"I think it's best to leave her be. She's probably having a really hard time with losing Colin."

"Yeah... hey, whatever happened between you?"

Harry looked at the floor. "I'm not sure. We seemed to be happy before the war, but we never talked about it after."

"Not even once?"

"No. I don't want to bring it up, and neither does she. It's been really awkward. We don't know what to say to each other."

"Well, don't you love her?"

"I - " Harry thought for a moment, and made a shocking realization. "No. I mean I do as a friend, but there's no romance anymore. No more feelings. I think she feels the same. Is that... okay?"

"Yeah, I mean, it has to be, doesn't it?"

"I thought you'd be mad."

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because she's your sister."

"You're my best mate."

"Family comes first."

"You are family."

Harry smiled, then frowned. "Doesn't that make me and Ginny family?"

Ron scrunched up his nose. "Maybe... not if you two don't see it that way, though."

"Maybe that's why we didn't work."

"Maybe. Anyway, you didn't break her heart so there's nothing I can be mad about. Speak of the devil."

The compartment door opened and Ginny walked in. "Hey."

"Hi," they said. She sat next to Ron and he and Harry shared a glance. Ron didn't ask her where she'd been and she loved that. They had become so much closer during and after the war, and no longer fought like cats and dogs. He was still protective of her, but she was just as protective of him. They respected each other equally and he stopped treating her as a little sister. Now, they were best friends. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Sorry if I worried you. I was just wandering."

"It's okay."

There was an awkward silence, then Harry noticed Ron using his eyes to tell Harry that he wanted to talk to Ginny alone. Harry understood. "I'm going to go find Luna and Neville. I'll be back." He scurried out of the cart, throwing Ginny a sympathetic smile.

"Throw up again?" Ron asked.

"Ginny..."

"I'm fine, Ron. Let me nap."

"You know I let you stew in your own mind when you need to, but this is something I have to bother you about. I can't let this be. Ever since you came home from quidditch camp - "

"I'm FINE, Ron!" Ginny sat up and glared at him.

He looked at her sadly. "I know what's wrong with you, Gin. I just wish you'd tell me. I'm your brother. I'm not gonna judge you, I'm gonna help you."

She stared at him wide-eyed and mouth open. Her eyes welled up and he pulled her into a hug. She burst into tears and cried for what seemed like an hour. Harry walked by at one point but Ron caught his gaze and shook his head, silently pleading with Harry to find something else to do. Harry smiled and walked away.

"How do you know?"

Her question startled him; she hadn't said anything in a while. "After hearing Mum bitch for years about how much morning sickness we gave her, it wasn't hard to figure out."

"No one else knows?"

"No, I kept it secret. But they'll have to, eventually."

"I have time to think. Mione knows."

"She does?"

"She figured it out when she found me puking in the bathroom earlier."

"Who's the father?" Silence. "Gin?"

"I can't."

"Ever?"

"Not if I can help it."

"Won't he know when word gets out?"

"I'll lie and say it isn't his."

"Ginny, come on. That's not right."

"You'll kill me. You'll hate me. I can't."

"No matter who it is, you need to tell them. They have the right to know. Do the right thing, even if it's Malfoy." She stiffened and he felt her stop breathing. "Oh Merlin, Gin... did he hurt you?"

"I can handle it."

"That's not what I asked."

"We did it a few times, then he freaked and ignored me the rest of camp. He found me in the bathroom before I came back in here and tried to help because I was barfing up a lung, but I told him to get lost among other things. Said go back to being cold-hearted Malfoy because nice Malfoy is too weird to deal with." Ron snorted. "He kept trying to help, offered to get a professor, but I got mad and now I feel bad because he really was just trying to help… he looked hurt before he put his aloof mask back in place and stalked off."

"Malfoy? Hurt?"

"He has feelings just like we do, Ron. Don't forget what he did in the war."

Ron sighed. "Well, at least that means he isn't actually an icicle. He needs to know about this, Gin."

"I really don't want him to… I can still say it's someone else's."

"Why are you so reluctant?"

"I don't want custody battles. I don't want the drama. I just want to raise it around love and support."

"How do you know he wouldn't be able to provide that, too?"

She sat up and looked at him. Really looked at him. He hated when she did that; it felt like she was staring into his soul. "When did you grow up?"

"You know it was the war."

"I know, but… you're so different. If this happened before the war, you'd have lost your marbles."

"We lost a lot of people. I almost lost my best friend and our brother. It made me re-think a lot of things, and if it wasn't for Malfoy, we would have lost Fred."

She looked down at her knees. "I know."

"He deserves to know, Gin. He's not a bad person. He won't fight you for custody. And, even if he does, you'll have a mob of angry Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione to back you."

She laughed. "Thanks, Ron."

He pulled her into another hug. "I know I haven't been the best brother. My temper gets in the way of any sort of logic, I was too protective, sexist, didn't pay much attention to you… but that's changed and you can come to me for anything. I won't judge you."

"Same here, Ron."

Ron saw Hermione at the door through the window, and she smiled. He motioned for her to come in, so she sat across from them. Ginny smiled at her from Ron's chest. "Ron knows."

"I figured as much."

"He's known for days, apparently."

Hermione looked surprised.

"You know, aside from hearing my whole life all about how much torture we put mum through, we did have sex ed."

"I didn't think you paid attention," Hermione snarked. They all laughed.

"So," Ron began, "when will you tell Harry?"

"NO!" Ginny shouted, startling Ron and Hermione. "He can't know. Not until the last possible moment."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. "Why?"

"I'm already stressed out and crazed as it is. The last thing I need is his hero complex kicking in and thinking he has to step up and be some sort of father figure to this baby. Knowing him, he'll probably trick himself into thinking he has feelings for me again."

"Ginny..."

"No, Hermione."

"But he's our best friend! He'll feel really put out when he finds out that Ron and I have known and didn't tell him. He'll be so hurt and angry... I don't think there's a good reason to keep him from knowing. You don't have long before you start showing anyway, and how can you expect him to not find out? Please don't put Ron and I in this position."

"Don't put YOU in this position?" Ginny's voice was on a dangerous level of low. "I didn't tell you. YOU found out! Both of you found out! I wasn't going to tell you until I started to show and could gather my wits about me! I'M the one in a position, here! If you want to tell him, be my guest! But I refuse to deal with his shit! I'll direct him over to you and YOU can deal with it."

Hermione looked so conflicted that Ron decided to butt in. "Mione, you know he's likely to step up and either pester Ginny about who the father is or try to take over. He's protective. I love him, but he's intense when he thinks he needs to protect. He'll treat Ginny like glass."

"I know he will! But it's going to happen anyway." She looked out the window. "I think you should tell him, but more importantly, I think you should tell the father."

"Obviously he'll find out. But I am not telling him soon, especially not today. Leave me alone about it and stop being so righteous. Let me do this MY way, not yours."

Hermione stood. "Fine. You're right. I have to go back to the Head compartment, anyway. I only snuck away to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine. I just need to do things my way. See you later."

"See you at dinner."