Chapter one
"It's back to Hogwarts tomorrow!" My mum, Jocelyn McKinnon, states, awkwardly trying to start a conversation between herself and the rest of her family.

My father, George McKinnon, nods, his enthusiasm obviously fake.

"Are you all packed?" He asks my sister, brother, and I, his voice strained. I ignore both of my parents, irritated.

John, my older brother is the only one to reply to them.

"Yeah," He begins quietly, with a pathetic attempt of a smile, "I finished this morning."

I can feel my parent's eyes on me and my younger sister Kate.

"No," Kate states bluntly after a few moments. "I've been too busy listening to you lot tare each other's heads off."

There's an awkward silence.

Ah, Kate. She had my attitude.

I hide a smirk by shoveling a spoonful of potatoes in my mouth.

"Kate—you—go to your room!" My mother hisses angrily. She turns on my father. "This is your fault George," She yells, "If you hadn't bloody spoiled the kids so rotten they wouldn't be so rude!"

My Dad's expression turns venomous.

"I'm sorry if you don't like the way I raised our children! Maybe you should've helped if it bothers you so badly!"

Mum gasps, furious.

"What are you implying? That I don't care about my children?"

"No, what I'm saying is you were never around when they were growing up! All you ever do is work!"

"Do you want me to quit my job, George?" Mum hisses, "I'm the only one out of the two of us who makes any damn money! We'd be out on the streets if all we relied on was your salary!"

"SHUT UP!" I stood up, kicking my chair away from the table. Everyone looked up at me, not even surprised. I was the "bad" child. What did you expect?

Johnny was the one my parents bragged about. He was Head Boy, got great scores on his O.W.L's, plays on the Quidditch team.

Kate was the average one. Who according to herself wasn't paid any attention to.

So that left me the role of the trouble maker.

"Will you STOP bloody arguing? It's getting really old! I can't wait until I can get out of this house and AWAY from both of you!" I bellow, loudly stomping upstairs.

I feel four sets of eyes boring onto my back as I turn away from them all. I slam my bedroom door with a crash, diving onto my bed.

My mum was a high ranking healer at St. Mungo's, so therefore, she hardly ever graced any of us with her presence. Until last year, my fifth year at Hogwarts, I had wanted to be a healer, like her.

Because that was what she wanted. And I wanted to make her proud of something that I did.

But then when I was talking to McGonagall, when deciding about what I wanted to do, I decided I didn't give a rat's anymore.

I was crap at healing.

To tell you the truth I had no bloody idea what I wanted to do.

And that's what I told McGonagall.

She told me I'd better kick ass in my O.W.L's if I wanted options. Well . . . she didn't actually say kick ass. But it was definitely implied.

And that's what I did.

I even did as well as Johnny.

I got an E in Herbology, Potions, and Astronomy. I got O's in Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures, and Charms. And I only got one A, which was in History of Magic, which I was dropping this year. It was impossible to pay attention, given it was extremely boring.

I sigh, running my hand through my hair.

Personally, if I had to pick a side in my parents fighting, it would be Dad.

I mean I owed him big time.

Kate, Johnny, and I all did. Like he said downstairs, he pretty much raised us on his own.

And true, his job isn't the highest paying, but life's not all about money, mother dearest.

Dad worked in Flourish and Blott's bookstore in Diagon Alley. It's not like Dad did horrible in school and sucked at everything. He was actually able to become a pro Quidditch player, and play for the Chudley Cannons, but he gave it up when Mum was pregnant with Johnny. He was too old now, after having all of his kids to return to the Quidditch pitch.

So, while Mum was pregnant, Dad found a job close to home. My mum got pregnant during her seventh year at Hogwarts. Her parents, and my grandparents, kicked her out, so she moved in with Dad at his flat in London. He was a year older than her, so he had already graduated from Hogwarts and was on the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team, but Mum wanted him around and his help raising the baby. So he gave it up for a part time job at the bookstore in Diagon Alley.

A couple years later, they had me. And a year after that, they had Kate.

Mum and Dad have always had their problems. About how Dad had to give up his life as a pro Quidditch player for Mum, and Mum saying if he hadn't gotten her pregnant when she was so young then that wouldn't have happened. And then usual stuff.

But it's gotten worse.

They fight about everything.

Everything.

Even a debate about who ate the last pumpkin pasty turned into world war two.

Think I'm joking? I'm not.

I sigh, gazing out the window. It's that time of the night (or day) when the sun is just setting. There's a knock on my door. I scowl, clearing my throat to make my voice sound as bitchy as possible.

"Come in." I growl. The door opens to reveal a grinning Kate. I exhale, then smile faintly.

"Hey," I say, dully now that I know it isn't Mum or Dad.

"You're brilliant." She says, shutting the door. I smirk.

Tell me something I don't know."

"I know something." Kate says, dropping down the beanbag chair in my room. I raise my eyebrows, questioning her.

Kate smirks, raising a finger to her lips, shushing.

"This is a secret, and you can't tell anyone. Not Johnny, Dad, or Mum, seeing as it's about her. "

"Tell me." I demand, "I promise I'll tell no one."

"Mum's pregnant." Kate whispers. I blink, trying to register what I had just heard.

"What?" I say dumbly.

"Mum's pregnant." Kate repeats, her eyes darting from my closed bedroom door to my face.

"How do you know?" I demand, narrowing my eyes. "Did she tell you?"

"No," Kate looks at the ground, guiltily. "I just figured it out. She's a moody bitch for one," Kate begins.

I scoff.

"She's always like that."

Kate gives me a look. I sigh, beckoning her to go on.

"She's gained weight. Notice how she's always wearing shirts that hide her stomach?"

"Well that could be because she's gained weight from food."

"I wake up early in the morning," Kate begins again, ignoring my last comment. "I've caught her throwing up a few times."

I sigh.

"Kate—I—really doubt that she's pregnant. She could just be gaining weight, and upchucking food up because she's gone bulimic." I reason. Kate scoffs.

"Oh come on," She hisses, "Just watch her, she acts pregnant. She throws up almost every morning, she goes to the bathroom all the time, she's bitchier than usual, and she's gaining weight. If that doesn't say pregnant then what does?"

I look at my sister blankly.

"I don't know. Maybe she is, but maybe she isn't. We'll just have to wait and see. By the time we come back for Christmas it'll be obvious if she is or not, because she'll be huge." I exhale, looking at Kate.

Kate nods.

"Okay, let's just let it go for now, and we'll see by Christmas. Don't say anything." She says, forcefully. Kate gets up from the beanbag chair, yawning. "Well," She begins, "Seeing as we're getting up early tomorrow, I'm going to get a nice long sleep. Night," She sighs, leaving my room.

I emerge from my bed, sliding off my jeans and clothing and putting on my pajamas.

Mum couldn't be pregnant.

She was hardly ever home. And she and Dad were on the brink of a divorce.

What if the baby wasn't Dad's?

I shudder. No even if they were fighting, she wouldn't ever cheat on him.

I push all my thoughts out of my head, well I try too.

Let's just say I didn't sleep to well that night.