7

Ron was relieved to find that he was allowed to go with the others to Grimmauld Place for Christmas. Even if the house was going to have Order Members and meetings he was thankful. Even if he had to deal with the dreariness of the place, it was worth it to leave the school after being told he would be unable. The only thing he found himself truly upset by was his mother's greeting.

While the others were walking in and getting a smile and warm hug… as soon as his mum caught sight of him her eyes fell on the bulge in his jumper. Instantly the tears began to well up in her eyes and she reached forward taking him in a long and straining hug. Ron heard her sniffling. Why had she not just sent a howler? The way she was acting showed him that she had been sitting back and just waiting to see him so she could cry and get the emotions off her chest. Now, he felt guilty. She'd been drowning in this turmoil for a while he was certain. At least a month. The article had no doubt reached her. Perhaps one of the twins or Ginny had told on him and only said they hadn't so Ron wouldn't worry himself sick. He bit his lip and waited for his mum to remove herself.

"Oh, Ron," was all she said once she took a step back. "How far along are you now, dear?"

He really wished she would just start yelling at him. "Like, twenty weeks."

A small smile tugged at her lips and she reached out and placed a hand on the bump. "Has Poppy been keeping track of your health? Are you gaining enough weight?"

Ron tensed when she touched his stomach, but could he really tell his mother not to touch him? "She's said everything is fine. I went to her this morning just to be safe." Her eyes were peering into his. There were so many unasked questions, but she seemed to come out of her motherly raptures and said, "Ron, me and your father would like a word with you."

The others had all made themselves scarce as soon as Molly had begun to cry over her son. Ron knew this moment was coming and he supposed he knew his father would be involved somehow. He was glad that his dad had not been there to greet him, because there would be no tears there. Ron's cover was blown. His father would know the truth. Ron felt sick. Not morning sickness anymore—sadly he could only blame his guilty conscience for the nausea now.

Ron followed his mother toward the kitchen. His dad was seated at the table with a cup of coffee and a copy of the Daily Prophet which made no mention of Ron's pregnancy this time around. His mum pulled out his chair and he took a seat. His father began to fold up his newspaper. One of the order member, Tonks, had come in to grab a cup of water, but upon seeing them she quickly vanished back out with a flushed face. Everyone knew this was coming then? Ron felt his father's eyes on him. He'd only just arrived. Could they not let him get settled in before making him wish to run away?

His mum got him some tea, water, and even placed some biscuits in front of him, but Ron did not feel like eating. He took a sip of water. His mum took a seat beside his dad. They both observed him and his mum started to tear up again.

Arthur reached over and placed a hand on Molly's as his wife began to sob, "He's just a baby himself, Arthur."

"It's alright, Luv, he's healthy… The baby is healthy." Arthur looked at his son for confirmation and Ron gave a curt nod. "See, it's alright. No need to get all worked up."

His father's unwavering stared made him shift uncomfortably in his chair. "So, how far along?"

Ron could see the calculating look in his eyes. "Twenty weeks." Half way through, he thought.

Arthur nodded and glanced over at Molly. "You made an appointment for him at St. Mungo's?"

"It's in a couple of days," Molly replied slowly.

After another little bit of discussion on the appointment for him to see a Healer and check on the baby, since it was good to be cautious when dealing with a male pregnancy. "I'd like to speak to Ronald in private, Molly." Ron watched his Mum stand up again. She probably should not have been there to begin with. They'd found out about the baby probably over a month ago and they were just now saying something to their pregnant son. Once his Mum was out of the kitchen, Arthur's eyes closed and he asked, "Did you lie to me that morning?"

Ron wanted to play innocent again, but what was the point now? "Yes, Sir."

"So, you were seeing that man? Am I wrong to guess him?"

"Nope," Ron replied purposefully measured. The anger was spreading over his father's cheeks in the same way that it did when Ron got mad. It started at his nose and blossomed until it consumed his whole head.

Arthur ran his hand through his thin hair. "Ron, why would you lie to me about that? Do you know how much trouble you're in? Do you realize what this is doing to you? You are going to have a newborn in a few months!"

Ron nodded and looked at his cups and biscuits. "I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me you're sorry. You aren't sorry. If you were you wouldn't have lied."

"No, I'm really sorry," Ron said again. "I was scared, Dad. I—I slept with that man and I was scared…"

Arthur could only shake his head in irritation. "Well, do you have his name? Because I'm certain we can get him in plenty of trouble for sleeping with a minor."

"I told him I was of age. He didn't know."

This was enough to cause his typically passive father to shouted, "Ronald Bilius Weasley! Why would you lie to that man about your age? Did you want to get pregnant? Did you want this to happen?" He couldn't even look at Ron because it made him mad to see his son sitting there. He'd tried to hide the fact that he knew Ron had done something. He had felt like maybe it was an innocent crush and then when Ron returned to school it would go away, but as soon as that article began to circulate about Ron's pregnancy he was furious. Ron had lied. He had stared him in the face and acted like he didn't know anything.

"It was consensual too," Ron added. "I went to his house and… I cooperated?" he could think of no better words besides "had sex". He was crying. His father hated him. Was he going to kick Ron out of the family? Was he going to make Ron live alone with the baby? Ron let out a choking sob. "Please don't hate me…"

Arthur reached across the table at Ron and placed his clammy hand on his son's arm. "Ron, I don't hate you. I don't hate the baby. I hate that you lied and that you have kept this hidden. I'm mad at your actions, but I would never hate you. I'm disappointed, beyond a doubt, but you're still my son."

Through sniffles and violent inhales Ron managed to say, "I'm sorry… I made a mistake… I thought… I thought I was in love with him."

"You thought you were in love with a man you'd known for half the summer?"

Ron nodded. "I don't know why. I don't know why I thought he was… handsome, but I did."

"Who is he, Ron? Who is he really? Do you even know?"

"His name is Lowell."

Arthur just watched to see if Ron would say anything else. Ron glanced up at his father after going half of the conversation in tears and while covering his face. Did he say anything else? Did he admit the biggest error yet? Ron bit down on his lip and placed his hand over his stomach. The fluttering sensation that had started about a week or so ago was emanating from the bump. He didn't know if he liked the feeling yet. He still wasn't so sure about his feelings on the baby either. He didn't know about Lowell. He didn't know about anything anymore.

"Is that it?" Arthur asked.

Ron nodded.

Arthur frowned and in a sad tone said, "I don't know if I believe you."

"I don't deserve your trust."

Ʃ

"I'm not going!"

"Ronald!" his mother shouted back through the door.

It wasn't until that morning that he remembered his parents discussing his appointment. "Just tell the whole bloody world then!"

The other occupants of the house, who waited for Ron to leave the bathroom, heard the sudden shouts from mother and son. One tried to get the other to leave; while the other insisted on staying. It was not an argument that anyone wished to hear. In fact, they did not wish to impede in the slightest. Privacy had been the one thing most of the Members of the Order, Ron's siblings, and Harry had all decided to give the boy. Harry approached the door and stood by Mrs. Weasley. He rapped on the door and said softly, "Ron, this is for the baby. You need to make sure the baby is healthy."

"I don't care!" Ron's voice cracked as he screamed. Sometimes, he found himself worrying, because he honestly felt like he could care less. It was the baby who had come in and screwed up his life. Why had he gotten pregnant? He was sure that so many other Hogwarts students had sex and none of them came back pregnant. Why was he the one to suffer?

"You don't mean that," Harry said.

Ron was glad that the door was separating them, because he was on the floor with his shirt off and pants at his ankles. At the moment he heard his mother calling him out for his appointment he had been observing the bump. The idea of someone poking at him and checking on the growing thing inside of him made him ill. Pomfrey did it, but at least he knew her. He snatched his jumper and pulled it over his head. Then he grunted in frustration as he had trouble doing up his pants. "Bloody well, whatever!" he shouted as he threw open the door and rushed passed both his mother and friend.

Harry smiled a little to himself, because Ron's giving in came as a relief. It meant the Ron did care even if he didn't want to admit it. There was hope yet. Soon after this display, they had made their way to St. Mungo's and everyone in the party sat quietly awaiting Ron's being called back. Ron chided that it wouldn't be half so bad if he were not the only pregnant teenaged boy.

Ron kept his head down and wanted to rush to the door and leave. He was glad that Harry was there with him, but it was embarrassing. His fears were subdued when he saw a friendly looking witch open the door and call his name, "Weasley?" When Ron stood his mum was also standing, but Ron told her to stay. He wanted to go in alone. His eyes traced the tiled floor and he only looked up to make sure he was heading into the threshold. The woman took him into one of the nearby rooms and he noticed the assortment of posters of women with their internal progressions on display.

Ron stood by awkwardly until the woman said, "Well, it's nice to meet you Mr. Weasley. I am Healer Phyllis Pinkerton. If you don't mind I would like you to get on that bed." As he sat down at the edge she told him to remove his top. Ron obliged. "Lay on back."

He bit his lip and said, "I feel like puking."

Healer Pinkerton gave him a soft smile, "Are you having morning sickness still?"

He shook his head and said, "It's my nerves. I haven't had morning sickness in a while."

Healer Pinkerton approached him with a small instrument and told him to lay down once more. Ron reluctantly sat back on the bed and it was firm and uncomfortable beneath him. She walked up and placed a gloved hand on his protruding girth. "You're first name is Ron?"

"Yes."

"How old are you, Ron?"

"Fifteen," but quickly he added, "I'll be sixteen in March." It was simply spoken for the sake of not sounding too young for a baby. Perhaps, in retrospect, he should have told the man that he was not of age. That one lie got him here. Then that lie turned into a dozen.

"Do you attend Hogwarts?" Healer Pinkerton asked as she pulled out her wand and placed the devices next to his stomach.

While she began to poke and prod, just as he'd presumed she would, he closed his eyes because he didn't want to see anything. He could feel it. He could feel those cold gloved hands on his stomach, but he didn't want to watch.

Ron said that he did indeed attend Hogwarts.

The woman gave a friendly chuckle. "So, Poppy has you all taken care of."

"She's been very helpful," Ron replied.

The healer was giggling now and it was with all affection that she said, "I think you might want to open your eyes, Sweety."

Slowly, he opened one eye. Displayed before him as a small and fuzzy little image.

"Looks like baby is about 10 ounces and only about 25 centimeters." Ron watched the image as it moved slightly and he felt the fluttering at the times that he saw it squirm.

"That's really small. It's… sucking its thumb there." He reached up slightly to point to where he thought he saw a finger and what may have been a mouth.

"You're about twenty weeks a long?"

Ron stared at the image still and didn't say anything until the woman asked, "Would you like to know the sex?"

"I can know now?" Ron asked even while his eyes were on the baby's likeness projected before him.

"Most certainly," Healer Pinkerton said. She found it endearing to see the young man looking so awestruck by the baby. "So, how about it?"

Ron could barely tell which part of the baby was what so he said, "Yes, please."

"I'm almost certain that this is a little boy."

A suddenly wetness rolled over his cheek. What was wrong with him now? He was crying? Ron mouthed the words "little boy" to himself and swallowed. He certainly hoped his little boy didn't grow up to be like him. Healer Pinkerton cooed softly about how he would most certainly be as handsome as his daddy. "Do you want a little photo of him?"

A fluttering in his stomach made him instantly agreed to have a small photo. With a photo and a new found knowledge of the baby's sex Ron was escorted back out into the waiting room. Where his family and friend were situated in wait. He was still teary eyed and Molly got to her feet immediately. "Is everything alright?"

Healer Pinkerton was behind Ron and assured them all that the baby was getting along fine. They were all relieved and decided that Ron's tears were of joy.

Ʃ

On the day of Christmas, Ron opened his presents and found them mostly to be baby things. All of which were gender neutral and cute. He got an I.O.U. from his mother, because she wouldn't be able to knit anything for the baby until it was born. "Then I'll knit it some little booties." Even if she was unable to make sweaters for his unborn son she still managed to get him another sweater with his initial that was large enough to engulf his growing stomach and would fit for months to come as well.

Harry ended up getting money for Ron and he did not give it to his friend until after everyone was going down for Christmas breakfast. "You can't give this to me, Harry."

"I did and you will accept it. It's for baby stuff. I didn't know what to buy so if you need it then you can get it."

"Thanks, Mate."

They hugged and Ron found it awkward that his stomach was bumping into everything. He had to watch how he walked and felt off balance a lot. He placed a hand on his stomach and said, "Do you wanna see something?"

Harry said he did and watched as Ron produced a small photograph. It was a sonogram of the baby. "Wow, Ron, it's really cute."

Ron could tell that Harry was at a loss as much as he had been. He placed his finger right at where the image showed the baby's thumb was being sucked. "He can suck his thumb. He's not even born yet and he can suck his thumb. Pomfrey told me he could, but I didn't believe it until I saw it on this display." Ron took the photo back and stared down at it.

"It's a boy then?" Harry asked at the sudden arrival of masculine pronouns.

Ron said, "It is… Yes."

"Have you told your parents? Or Fred? George?"

Ron shook his head. "I don't know if I'm ready to talk so openly about the baby to them. You and…" Ron didn't want to add that he had been sneaking down into the Dungeon's and talking to Snape—of all people—about his baby. He wondered if the man would be interested in seeing his picture… Ron flushed and was glad when Harry asked;

"Have any names picked out?"

He hadn't thought about it. Didn't he still have time? Ron decided he would ask the baby that evening before bed. He'd taken to talking more often to his stomach. Almost everything he had promised himself he wouldn't do… well, he was doing them. Maybe because he felt closer to it than before. The baby was a boy… not an "it". He had a photo of him in his pocket at all times. For the first time in his pregnancy he was excited about the whole ordeal. This was his little boy. He got to name it.

"Um… I don't have any names picked out yet, but I guess I'll start thinking about it."

The entirety of that day was Ron thinking about names. When the day was over with he lay on his side and rested his hand on the bump and said, "What about… Leopold? Ambrose?" Ron heard a snicker from behind him and when he readjusted he saw Harry was watching him from the other bed. "Don't laugh, this is my baby's name. I can't pick any old name."

"Name him Barry."

Ron rolled his eyes and laughed. "I will not name him Barry."

Harry continued to snicker and mused, "Leopold was kind of nice. He could be Leo for short. Like Leo the lion."

"If he got sorted into any house than wasn't Gryffindor than I am sure I would regret such a decision." Blimey, he thought, since when have I been such a… parent? Thinking about him going to Hogwarts already? He wasn't due for some time still.