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Nighttime Surprise

 

 

Ginny is my only daughter- first girl born into the Weasley clan for several generations, as she never fails to boast. Arthur is damn fortunate; he can chat with the boys any old time- but a mother with her daughter; that's special. I have precious few nights when I'm able to lecture Ginny about "the facts of life" [however embarrassing it is on both of our parts], especially since she's left for Hogwarts.

I have never and will never tell her what to do. Attempting to control a Weasley only inspires rebellion anyway, as I had the grand misfortune to learn with the twins. Instead caution her, and then I teach her useful things; birth control charms and potions, and how to recognize a bad egg from a boy that her brother's wouldn't completely kill if she brought him home. I assume that's what got me with child before I was hitched and ready for kids- my mum never taught me about birth control- or sex for that matter.

"Preoccupo Gravida," I would repeat to Ginny, relentless.

Not that Arthur was a wicked man to sleep with me. I did not bother informing him that I wasn't ready for it. I enjoy telling Ginny these little tidbits- prepare her for the best and worst to come- just so her insane hexing isn't so fantastical when she's in labor. It's what a mother is for, isn't it?

Tonight, I'm prodding her to reveal the names of the boys she fancies.

I gave her a small smirk, ready to beat the names out of her sassy mouth. "I'm sure the boys are just leaping at your feet, carrying your books and whatnot."

She stared at me pokerfaced, and I imagined the corner of her mouth twitch slightly. I supposed I must have been right about the boys- Ginny was quite attractive, despite that mass of red hair I gave her. Didn't really give way to why she thought it was so amusing, though.

"I know you're probably going to have sex anyway," I ploughed on. "But do use the charm I taught you at the very least…"

Ginny had a shadow of a smile on her face- she was holding something back; and I was going to force it out…

I'm sure she was bored to tears of hearing that. I told her almost every night she was home to use that birth control spell- bloody good thing, too, seeing as every time, without fail, a Weasley was careless and didn't use that spell, another baby popped out. Ginny doubtlessly thought I was a persnickety, fastidious mother to talk like a broken record, but she needed to know- no way was I going to let my daughter pop out children like a toaster.

Honestly, I'm her mother for Pete's sake! What else am I going to tell her? 'Get pregnant right now dear, while you're still in Hogwarts'?

"So…" I continued slyly. "Which boys do you like?"

I was sure she was going to say 'Harry'- no secret she's fancied him forever.

"None, really." Ginny said offhandedly. She sounded so sincere. I shook my head in disbelief.

"You must like someone," I insisted, desperate.

"Yes…" Ginny finally confessed. I abstained from letting out a triumphant 'Ah ha!', and let her continue. "I do, come to think of it."

I smiled sunnily at her, almost revealing my triumphant mood. "Details?"

"The one I like is gorgeous. Beautiful brown eyes that sparkle, jet black hair that waves in the breeze. A quidditch player, actually, with the muscles to prove it. Not too much muscle, just the right balance."

An attractive quidditch player- I envisioned a reasonably built, sturdy boy. By the sounds of it, he must have been Asian, with the brown eyes and jet black hair- the way she was talking… almost mad me salivate. Holding back a snort, I raised an eyebrow at her, willing for her to continue. I supposed he mustn't have much brains, since 'handsome' and 'intelligent' hardly ever went hand-in-hand, no matter what those trashy romances said.

"That one really does belong in Ravenclaw," Ginny continued, dreamily. I was baffled. Ravenclaw? He must be a damn God. "A sharper mind I've ever seen. My love is always writing poetry. I get to read most of it. It's beautiful." I grinned: she was in complete bliss right now, I can tell.

But… the way Ginny was talking… made me think she was in love. But at such a young age?

The perfection of her boyfriend almost made me imagine that she made him up. Handsome quidditch player- intelligent and sensitive. Only a female could be all those at once. Perhaps Ginny was just fortunate, I thought.

"So," I said, in good spirits. "When do I get to meet your new boyfriend?"

Ginny lowered her head, as if embarrassed, and turned a brilliant shade of cherry. She mumbled something- I suppose she didn't want me to hear- and I only heard 'Blo un't ru coybled, fhe uf bey jirlblend'. None of it sounded English- more German if anything.

I stuck a finger in my ear and twisted it. "What was that, Ginny?" I asked. "I'm getting older; my hearing's not what it used to be."

The girl shrank in front of me and took a deep breath. "The one I love isn't my boyfriend. The one I love will never be my boyfriend."

I was even more baffled than before- minutes ago Ginny was speaking so passionately about him, so in love with him. It made perfect sense that they were courting, wasn't it? I mean, he shows her poetry, and all that. I shook my head in bewilderment.

"Why not?"

My daughter looked up courageously at me- a true Gryffindor. "Because I love her, and I'm proud to say it's me she loves, me she celebrates every Quidditch victory with, me she thinks of while writing her poetry, and me she dreams of at night."

I blinked. My daughter was a lesbian?

Time and space seemed to slow down and cease to exist as I took all this in within a second. This Ravenclaw girl, made my daughter so blissful. Wasn't that what I wanted her to be? Happy? I couldn't control whom she loved, either- Weasley's were a fickle bunch, they were. 

Half of me wanted to smack her for not telling me, and the other half wanted to hug her for having the valor to tell me. She was put in Gryffindor for a reason. I looked at her, pale, and looking at me expectantly.

I pulled her into a hug. "I love you no matter what."

This was certainly the nighttime surprise.

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