Chapter One: Discovery

Mum was going to kill her. Ginny Weasley stared at the pregnancy test she clutched in her shaking hands. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about Harry, what was he going to think of all this? She knew it wasn't completely her fault (it obviously took two to do the deed), but nevertheless, he had trusted her. She knew he was reluctant, but she persisted and look where it had landed her.

"Ginny!" Molly's voice carried up the stairs, scaring Ginny so bad she almost dropped the test in the loo, "Dinner's almost ready, come set the table! Stop dilly-dallying!"

"Coming mum, I'll be right down," she answered, she noted the shaking in her voice, pausing a moment to see if her mother could somehow detect her secret just from that little quiver. She let out a sigh, not realizing she had been holding her breath.

Looking in the mirror, Ginny brushed her bangs from her face and stared back at the brown eyes she had met in the mirror for sixteen years. They looked haunted and filled with a weight that could never be lifted. She had deep bags under her eyes; she hadn't been sleeping since she realized she was late a few days ago. It had took ages for her to find the opportunity to slip into the nearby muggle village and purchase a pregnancy test.

What was she going to do?

She took a few steps back and lifted up her shirt, examining the pearl white skin of her stomach. It looked the same as it had just a week ago, before the crushing realization of the effects that night all those weeks ago would have on her. Ginny tried to picture a little human in there, a small child, hers and Harry's child. She couldn't imagine herself as a mother, she was too young, to naïve (obviously) and far to irresponsible.

"GINNY! I need help! You look fine darling, there's no need to obsess over how you look in that bathroom for so long. Honestly, vanity isn't a very appealing quality dear! You'll never find a man like that!" Molly shouted up the stairs, shaking Ginny from her thoughts. She almost chuckled at the irony of her mother's statement. Almost.

For now, nobody could know about this. "Evanesco" she whispered, flicking her wand, and the pregnancy test disappeared, the only remnants of Ginny's secret rested within the confines of her troubled mind.

It was the middle of July, and the Weasley family gathered around the old hickory dinner table at the burrow. They chatted idly with each other about the summer's events, nothing really too interesting aside from the upcoming wedding. Charlie, Bill, and Fleur were home for the summer and Fred, George, and Hermione had just arrived that morning to help prepare for the wedding. Arthur and Ron had recently picked up Harry from the hellish Dursley household he resided at during summer months when school was not in session.

"So Harry, darling, what would you like for your birthday, it's coming up you know?" Molly inquired with a motherly tone in her voice.

"Well Mrs. Weasley-"

"It's Molly, dear."

"Well, Molly, I honestly haven't put that much thought into it, I honestly don't even know if I'll be around here for my birthday. Ron, Hermione, and I were planning on leaving—"

"RUBBISH!" Molly interjected, her face bright red, "You three are just children! I will not have you gallivanting around the world when you should be in school!" Molly spat the last three syllables. She had consistently struggled with the idea of the trio heading out this year. She had interrogated each of them on exactly what was so important that they had to miss their last year of school and risk their lives for, but to no avail. The mystery and worry was driving her mad.

"Mum," Ron said, for what felt like the millionth time, "we're not little kids anymore, Harry will be seventeen this month, you can't keep us from going. You know we love you, but Dumbledore left us a mission."

"Dumbledore had it all figured out didn't he? And look where it landed him! I will not have members of my family end up the same way!" Molly said tearfully. She then burst into tears and ran from the room. Arthur quickly pushed in his chair and rushed after her, shooting a pleading look at the children. They could hear his hushed voice attempting to console an extremely upset Molly.

The conversation hit Ginny like a sack of rocks. Harry was leaving, she had gotten so caught up in the situation, that she had forgotten. He had an important task to do, even though the stupid prat wouldn't tell her what it was, she knew it was life or death. She couldn't tell him, it would only distract him from his mission. Whatever it was, she didn't want his head to only be half in it. But she had to. He had a right to know, after all, it was his kid too. He would be crushed if he found out she had hid it from him. She remembered the night it happened, up in Gryffindor tower right after the big quidditch match.

He had just finished changing out of his robes when she entered his dormitory. The rest of the Gryffindor's were still in the common room celebrating. Sweat still clung to his dark, disheveled hair as he sat, with his back turned to her, on his four-poster bed.

"Hey," she said, instantly chastising herself for not coming up with something more clever. The firewhiskey she had downed before entering the dormitory was starting to take affect and it left a warm fuzziness blanketing her mind. She sat next to him and looked deep into his emerald eyes, trying to communicate exactly how she was feeling.

She leaned forward and kissed him, and he returned the favor. Several minutes later, things heated up and he stood over her, both of them shirtless. She grabbed for his pants.

"We shouldn't," he said, looking at her, his eyes betraying his insecurity and concern.

"I don't care," she replied as she pulled the covers over them.

Her memory was cut short as Molly and Arthur reentered the room and sat down as though nothing had happened. Molly busied herself with applying several generous helpings of food onto Harry's plate.

"You're too thin, dear." She explained as he opened his mouth to politely decline, her motherly attitude seemed to have a crack in it though. A crack filled with worry and concern over what exactly Harry, her son, and Hermione intended to do with themselves.

Aside from that short exchange, nobody said anything and the only audible sound was that of the forks and knives scraping against the plates, scooping up the last morsels of food that clung to their ceramic surface. Ginny found her mouth opening before she had the chance to stop herself.

"Everybody, I have an announcement," she said standing up "I'm pregnant."