Weeks passed and it was as though nothing had happened. The next time Ginny saw Dane he had made it clear he didn't want to talk about what happened the night before. So they pretended it didn't happen. Not that either one of them forgot.
Ginny was aware of a crush Dane might have but had no idea his feelings ran as deep as they did. What kind of friend would she be if she abandoned him? As the baby developed more and more they were able to find ways to distract themselves from the conversation that eventually had to happen.
Letters to Harry had become more verbose since that night. He wrote, sent pictures, and clippings from the prophet. She read each with a smile and replied within the hour generally. It might have been guilt that had kicked in. Maybe she was feeling deceitful.
People may peg her as selfish but she didn't care, Harry didn't need to worry about this, he had enough. He had a week before he wanted to be out of his flat and into the Potter Estate in the British countryside. Not to mention the stress of being a professional seeker for a team that was currently ranked number two with eight games left of the season. It was a stressful time and hearing from her that she was bearing his child wouldn't help anyone.
She was currently making her way to the pub to meet Dane. She was starting to show and had told Dane if anyone asked who the father was to pretend as though he didn't know. The last thing she needed was some one like Rita Skeeter getting a hold of this.
She walked in to see Dane sitting in the booth; he looked up and smiled, got up and gave her a hug.
"Sorry I'm late, finishing up a letter to Harry," Dane nodded, she had either been writing more frequently or made it a point of telling him whenever she did,
"Right," the rest of the conversation was stilted and slightly awkward, and at the peek of all the uncomfortableness Dane said,
"Do you see that?!" she looked around,
"See what?"
"There is a giant elephant in the room that we are refusing to acknowledge"
"Yeah," she said softly
"Yeah," he replied becoming less bold, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything, I didn't mean to it just slipped out, don't even think on it,"
"Don't be sorry, I mean it's always nice to have someone say they love you. I'm in love with Harry, Dane. I am pregnant with his child, the only thing I have to offer you is friendship"
"That's fine," he said smiling half heartedly, "Really"
"Okay," they returned to their meal which they ate in an almost silence,
Dane walked Ginny back to her flat, they hugged briefly and he left. She then put on some warm milk, and finished up with her occulemency homework. They were told to write down their dreams, they were supposed to be closing their minds (as Harry had in his fifth year), lately though she struggled greatly.
She was sure Professor Adams would be talking to her about it soon. She was beginning to show more obviously and a few of her professors let her know they could be lenient. She primarily refused that sort of help; she didn't want anyone to say she made it through because the professors felt sorry for her.
Before falling asleep she tried to clear her mind, thinking of the night sky, focusing, the stars, the way the moon seemed to light up everything it touched. She felt something graze her arm, and then fingers intertwined so comfortably into hers. She looked over to her right, his hair was speckled with gray sticking up on all sides of his head, his round glasses were thicker, but his smile remained the same. The smile she had woken to so many times, the smile she was sure to be the only one she ever wanted.
It was Harry. He was the only one she wanted. From here on out she would no longer entertain the thought of an easy life. She didn't want that. Her child didn't deserve to see her mother married to a man she merely cared about, she deserved to see her mother with a man she truly loved with every fiber of her being.
"Thanks Dobby they're great" Harry said taking the socks from Dobby and attempting to give him a galleon
"Harry Potter doesn't need to give Dobby payment! Dobby loves Harry Potter and his Ginny!" Dobby replied
"Thank you Dobby," Harry responded knowing Dobby wouldn't budge
Harry left Hogwarts holding in his hand the best gift he could think to give Ginny. They were a pair of thick socks, stitched by Dobby which meant they were lopsided and on each sock he had written "H 3 G". It was childish, not entirely romantic, but it didn't matter.
He put the socks in his pocket and apparated to the Puddlemore practice fields where his team was currently having a meeting to discuss the final push of the season. Apparently there would be a new set of laws to abide by as a teammate.
"Men, we have two months left of the season I have decided to put in a few more notes,"
There were collective groans from the players
"We will be meeting at the pitch five hours before every game, the first two hours we will study the other team, the next hour focus on our strategy, the next two hours you have to prepare yourselves for the game" again groans slipped from nearly every players tongues
"Boys, if you want to be number one it takes a SIGNIFIGANT amount of work, much more than what you were apparently visualizing" they nodded reluctantly.
Harry walked back to the locker room. He had a lot to do before Ron and Hermione got back from their Honeymoon. The wedding had been beautiful, yet while Harry was there he couldn't help but feel more alone then ever. He wondered what Ginny was doing, and why it hadn't been them, there were so many things he would have done differently.
He thought about it a lot now, what he could have done that would have kept them together. He hadn't appreciated enough the lengths she had gone to be with him. He hadn't given nearly as much as she had, she had been right. He had sent her through the ringer without any regard to her feelings.
Next time would be different. He wouldn't let her go next time, he would make sure she knew every day how much he loved her.
Harry walked back to his flat and apparated to his flat. He had been taking things in small loads to the Manor on the outskirts of the city. Today he would finish, tomorrow he would clean and on Saturday Ron and Hermione would come home to a little love nest.
The whispers had started. Primarily when she walked through the halls. Girls looked at her differently somewhat confused or maybe it was apalled she didnt really care to know. Though she had been fairly small throughout the beginning, her stomach was now protruding from her abdomen a great deal. She started feeling incredibly uncomfortable every time she tried to sleep.
Christmas was coming and the idea of staying at school by herself had become much less appealing. Things between her and Dane had improved but it wasn't like it used to be.
"Hey Dane," Ginny greeted as he sat down at the pub,
"How are you doing?" He was noticeably more cheerful than he had been recently
"Everything aches, I'm fat, and I have a peculiar craving for liver and onions, other than that though I'm doing just fine" he laughed
"Are you still planning on staying here for the Holidays?" she nodded, "I just got an owl back from my mum, I asked if I could bring a guest home who had no where to go for Christmas. My mum said she would love to have you,"
"Dane, that was really sweet but I don't think it's appropriate,"
"Of course it is, you drew the lines and I accept. No one should be alone for the Holidays,"
"I have never met your family and the day they meet me I will be six and a half months pregnant, great first impression,"
"My parent's won't care, it will just let them know even more so that we are nothing more than just friends,"
"I don't know… I told my family I was staying here, it seems like even more of a betrayal to go somewhere else for Christmas"
"No one should be alone through the holidays Gin, besides so late into the pregnancy it's not safe for you to be alone,"
"I'll think about it," she said trying to move on to a subject that made her feel less uncomfortable,
"It would be fun Ginny,"
"I said I would think about it," she was getting a little cranky now,
"Okay," again the awkward silence took over the table
"I'm sorry I know I've been a bitch lately, I think I am starting to understand what they meant by hormones going out of whack"
"It's alright,"
They walked together to the library, assuring him she would be staying late into the night and that he needn't wait to walk her back. The library was nearly empty, aside from Julianne Linton. Julianne took many classes with Ginny was generally quiet, reserved and pegged as an oddball of sorts among her classmates.
Ginny sat quietly trying to understand the war strategies placed against Grinwald in 1943. Then without warning and without any respect towards her goals for the evening the baby started kicking. Ginny couldn't focus when something this miraculous was happening; she just put her hand on her stomach and smiled. She noticed Julianne looking at her, she smiled back, trying for once to be friendly with someone other than Dane.
It was time to move on to 1945- the defeat of Grinwald about an hour after the baby kicked. She got up and headed over to the history section of the library, Julianne was also in that section,
"Analysis of Dark Wars?" Ginny asked giving a half hearted smile,
"Yeah, I'm looking for 1943-44," she said thumbing through the books carefully
"Oh, I have it, do you have 1945 on?" Julianne smiled,
"Yeah, here I'll walk it over for you," she said glancing quickly at her pregnant belly,
"Mines just over there on the table," they arrived at the table and Ginny dug through all of her papers,
"Here," she said handing the book over, now easing very carefully into her chair, "Egh its going to be hard to get comfortable again," she groaned, Julianne looked at her nervously,
"How far along?"
"She will be here in three and a half months," Ginny recited with ease,
"She?"
"I'm having a baby girl," Ginny said, it was the first time she had talked to anyone other than Dane about her baby,
"Really? Do you know any names yet?" Ginny paused, she hadn't really thought of any, had it been a boy then it would have been quite easily James, but it was a girl…
"To be honest I hadn't really thought of any" they both sat quietly for a moment,
"Oh man I thought that would be the best part! I need to go study Grinwald some more but how about tomorrow we catch lunch?"
Ginny nodded, "Alright meet me at my flat, Wentel 154"
"I'll see you at around 1:30?" they agreed and Julianne walked back to her section of the library and Ginny was back to studying.
It was almost one before Ginny got back to her flat. She fell asleep soon after taking her daily vitamins.
"Harry please!"
"Oliver I told you I am really busy this weekend,"
"I'll help you!" Oliver had a crush on one of the healers assigned to the team, when he finally built up the nerve to ask her out she told him she would love to but her cousin was in town from Scotland.
"I don't know…" Harry said filling boxes and trying to get things organized,
"I am at your service ALL weekend if you do this for me Harry PLEASE,"
"Alright what time?" Harry finally agreed
"THANK YOU! Eight o'clock at the Pub, then we will go to dinner. Oh thank God. Thank you Harry!"
"You better be a hell of a lot of help to me this weekend,"
"Oh I will! Tomorrow first thing!" Oliver sprinted out of the flat with alarming speed
Harry laughed, it couldn't be too bad, he hadn't been on a first date since that awkward situation with Cho when he was fifteen but things would be different this time. There were no expectations, this girl probably felt about as awkward as he did.
Harry continued to pack up things that were completely necessities. He left out a green sweater and some dark jeans he planned on wearing tonight. He showered quickly and put on his clothes feeling a little apprehensive about this whole ordeal. It was seven thirty and he left for the pub intent on walking as opposed to apparating. It was an easy way for him to relieve any stress.
He met Oliver inside who had ordered a round of butterbeers for the four of them. Almost as soon as Harry sat down he saw Abby and her cousin come in.
He and Oliver stood up,
"Harry you know Abby," Oliver said introducing the two, Abby took the initiative to finish.
"And this is my cousin Claire," she was a beautiful girl, petite figure, long brown hair, and bright blue eyes that shot at him in a way that surprised him.
"Good to meet you Claire" Harry said reaching out and shaking her hand, she nodded in acknowledgement, meanwhile Abby and Oliver started making eyes at each other.
They sat down, Claire next to Harry across from Abby and Oliver who started their own private conversation. Harry sat awkwardly swirling his drink in a circle.
"So I don't know about you but I feel like a third wheel on this date" Harry looked up surprised by Claire's comment,
"Yeah, it is kind of awkward," he replied still caught slightly off guard,
"So I assume you went to Hogwarts?" he nodded
"Yeah I went with Oliver, he was my quidditch team captain for three years"
"I wish I could have gone there,"
"Where did you go?" he thought she had been from Scotland which would have allowed her to go there,
"I went to Newtswarth, it's a school in America," he looked at her strangely
"I thought you were from Scotland"
"My parents were transferred during my fourth year and I chose to remain at Newtswarth but came to Europe to stay with them after graduation,"
"I've never been to America, whats it like?" she laughed,
"Very different, people care a lot less about decorum, but are more puritanical when it comes to morality,"
"Seems contradictory," she laughed,
"In a way it is, I loved it though, I was born here and lived here until I was seven, then moved to America,"
"Wow, I thought I was well traveled being in the quidditch league but you no doubt have probably traveled more than myself,"
"Maybe," she said coyly, Harry smiled, she was quite different than the girls he had been around
The rest of the evening went on rather smoothly, Harry found Claire to be easy to talk to which made the night seem to move along faster than it had,
"Well boys," Abby announced, "It is now half past one and I have to get up early tomorrow, so it looks as though we will be leaving you" Oliver walked her out and they shared a few private moments away from the crowd,
"It was good meeting you Harry Potter," she smiled,
"As it was meeting you Claire…"
"Abshyre" she smiled,
"Yes, right," He was nervous,
"I'll see you around," she said walking away
"Goodbye," Harry said, dumbfounded at the situation he was now in. He felt incredibly guilty, as though he was cheating, and as much as he tried to convince himself they weren't even a couple anymore they were still in a way committed.
"So Harry," Oliver said smiling, "You and Claire seemed to hit it off well,"
Harry nodded, "She was a nice girl,"
Oliver teased Harry about the situation for a while but it became clear it was not something Harry wanted to discuss. For the first time in his life he felt like a scum bag, but even more alarming he was beginning to wonder what he felt guilty about, he didn't have feelings for Claire, he certainly didn't do anything wrong, yet she had made him smile and laugh in a way that only Ginny had been able to do before.
YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT TO DO!!! R&R:-D smiles i made the A on my history final!!
