A/N: Five people have correctly guessed what is wrong with Ginny. Pat yourselves on the back: LoganLermanLover001, golfnjen83, nat3738, Miz636, and BabyGirl! For the rest of you, you will now find out what Ginny's mysterious illness is.

Warnings for this chapter: cutting mentioned

Disclaimer: It deeply saddens me to say that I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter Nine

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Harry asked as he walked Ginny to the Hospital Wing.

"No, I'll be fine. Just wait out here." Ginny kissed Harry chastely before turning and entering the double doors.

Three more weeks had passed, and Ginny was still sick. She knew she could no longer put off going to the nurse. Her appetite was growing, but she still could not keep anything down. Ginny was even beginning to lose weight from not eating.

"What can I do for you, Miss Weasley?" Madam Pomfrey came out of her office as the doors swung shut behind Ginny. She could tell by the look on the other witch's face that she thought Ginny had caused herself harm.

"I haven't been feeling well for a few weeks now. I thought it was just a stomach bug but it hasn't gone away," Ginny told her.

Madam Pomfrey didn't reply as she set about taking Ginny's temperature and her other vitals. When she was done, a grim look settled on her face and she sat down across from Ginny.

"Miss Weasley . . . what was the date of your last menstrual cycle?" Madam Pomfrey asked seriously.

Ginny instantly knew what the matron was getting at. Her eyes widened at her own stupidity. "I'm not sure. At least seven weeks ago. You don't think that I could be. . . ."

"It is a definite possibility." Madam Pomfrey sighed. "However, there's a very simple spell that will tell us. . . ."

Madam Pomfrey cast a spell, her face becoming grimmer yet when Ginny's stomach glowed pink.

Ginny was scared even more when Madam Pomfrey still didn't speak. Finally, she asked, "What does that mean?"

"It means that you're five weeks pregnant." Madam Pomfrey sighed. "I'm assuming Mr. Potter is waiting outside. Go speak with him. I must contact your Head of House, as well as the Headmaster. I will leave informing your parents up to you."

Ginny couldn't find the words to speak, or even the motion to nod. She walked out of the Hospital Wing in silence. Harry stood up as soon as she appeared.

"Gin?" Harry asked cautiously. "What's wrong?"

Ginny didn't answer.

"What did Madam Pomfrey say? Are you all right?" Harry persisted.

Ginny shook her head.

"Will you be okay?" Harry was deeply concerned.

Ginny sighed, sagging against the wall. "In nine months." She couldn't look at Harry after she said that. She knew he had figured it out by the way he didn't speak, just sat down beside her. Finally, Harry took her hand.

"You mean. . . ." Harry's voice trailed off. Ginny found the courage to meet his gaze. She nodded.

Harry sighed. "You're pregnant."

Ginny burst into tears. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Harry!"

Harry pulled her into his arms. "Shhh, it'll be all right, sweetheart."

"How can you say that? I ruined your life." Ginny sobbed against his chest.

Pushing her back so he could look her in the eye, Harry lifted her chin. "You don't really think that, do you?"

Ginny turned her head away, not answering.

"Ginny, you have definitely not ruined my life. You couldn't . . . ever," Harry spoke sincerely.

"B-but we're so young. I'm only 16 and you're 17. What're we supposed to do?" Ginny looked down at her hands.

Harry cupped her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "All we can do is hope and pray that everything turns out fine."

Ginny looked up at him, surprised. "You're really okay with this?"

Harry smiled. "I am more than okay with this." He kissed her deeply.

Harry knew they were young, and had absolutely no clue about raising a child, but he also knew that he was now to have the one thing he had always wanted: a family. Harry held Ginny for a while longer, until Professor McGonagall came hurrying down the hall. She didn't even glance at the couple before entering the Hospital Wing. They heard her questioning Madam Pomfrey, but the conversation was silenced when the doors swung shut. Sighing, Harry pulled Ginny closer.

"I take it we're supposed to speak to McGonagall about this?" he asked.

Ginny nodded. "Professor Dumbledore too."

Harry kissed the back of her hand. "Everything will be fine."

It mystified Ginny that Harry could be so calm about this. There was a life growing inside of her. A life she and Harry had created. A life that would change things forever. And Harry didn't question whether things would be okay or not, if they had made a mistake.

The door to the Hospital Wing opened, and Madam Pomfrey appeared. Harry immediately stood up, helping Ginny to her feet. Madam Pomfrey was clearly unhappy with the pair. "You may come in now."

Harry squeezed Ginny's hand before following Madam Pomfrey into the room. Madam Pomfrey ushered the pair towards her office, where McGonagall and Dumbledore were already waiting. Ginny was trembling beside Harry. He helped her sit before taking the chair next to him, still holding her hand. Ginny was trying, and failing miserably, to hold in her sobs.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, I cannot begin to stress how disappointed I am in the both of you." Professor McGonagall stared down, angrily, at the two teenagers.

Harry was fuming by the time McGonagall finished her sentence. "With all due respect, Professor-"

"No, Potter. I do not believe you realize the seriousness of this matter," McGonagall cut him off.

Dumbledore stopped her before she could say anything else, winking at Harry. "Please, Minerva, let Harry speak."

Harry shot Dumbledore a grateful look. "Professors, you shouldn't assume that Ginny and I don't know how serious this is. If we didn't, Ginny would not be so upset. But the fact of the matter is that Ginny is pregnant, and nothing is going to change that. So it would be better for you to accept that fact, rather than cast blame about."

McGonagall sighed, leaning back into her chair. "The Headmaster and I have agreed to give you two weeks to decide how you want to deal with this. If you make your decision before that, inform Professor Dumbledore or myself. Otherwise, we will meet again in two weeks. Of course, you must inform your parents immediately. I suggest you go write to them."

Harry nodded, before helping Ginny to her feet and escorting her out of the room. Ginny clung to Harry as they walked down the hall. Somehow, he managed to get her up the stairs and into the seventh floor corridor. Ginny didn't realize where they were until a door appeared in the wall. Harry pulled her into the room, sitting her down on the loveseat that had appeared.

"I'm s-s-so s-sorry, Harry!" Ginny sobbed against his chest.

"I know you are, Gin, but you don't need to be," Harry told her.

Ginny pulled back to look at him. "How can you be so calm?"

Harry smiled sadly. "Believe me, I'm not. But we need to think about this rationally so we can decide what we want to do."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, too upset to think clearly.

"Are we going to keep the baby?" Harry asked.

Ginny shook her head. "I-I don't know, Harry. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that I'm pregnant, yet alone raising a child."

"Well, we need to discuss this," he said firmly.

Breathing deeply, Ginny finally nodded. "Okay. . . . Okay, what do we do?"

"Well, we can . . . you know. . . ." Harry couldn't bring himself to speak the word: abortion. "Or we can give him or her up for adoption. Or we can keep it."

"I-I don't know. I can't, I won't kill it. It . . . the baby . . . it never did anything. It doesn't deserve to die." Ginny rubbed her hands over her face.

Harry nodded. "My thoughts exactly. So that leaves adoption, or keeping it."

"Adoption." Ginny sighed. "I don't think I would be able to do that . . . to give up our baby."

Harry pulled her closer. "I don't think I could either." Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. "So I guess this means we're going to be parents."

Ginny looked up at him. "I guess so." She sighed. "Where do we go from here?"

"Well, we need to write to your parents, and tell them what we decided. Then I say we speak with McGonagall and Dumbledore. Maybe McGonagall will be happy we decided so soon." Harry hugged her.

The words had barely left Harry's mouth when a quill and piece of parchment appeared on top of a desk against the window. Ginny stood up and slowly walked to the desk. She sat down in the chair. Harry rubbed her shoulders as she began to write.

Dear Mum and Dad,

Please don't be upset with me for what I have to say. I'm just going to come right out with it. I'm pregnant. I know that I should've been more careful and I should have been smarter. But I want you to know that Harry and I have every intention of taking responsibility for our actions.

I know we're both young and haven't even graduated yet. But we love each other, and we're going to find a way to make this work. We might not make the best parents, but we're going to do the best we can.

I'm so sorry. We never meant for this to happen.

Love,

Ginny

Harry read over the letter before taking it from Ginny and folding it into his pocket. Ginny looked at him for an explanation. "I'll send my own letter with it after we talk to McGonagall and Dumbledore."

Ginny nodded. Harry pulled her to her feet, his hands straying down her shoulders to her flat stomach.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you too," Ginny answered.

Harry smiled before pulling her in for a deep kiss.

H/G

"Come in, Harry, Ginny," Dumbledore called out when Harry knocked on his office door.

"Professors." Harry nodded as he and Ginny entered the room. He made sure Ginny had sat down before taking the seat next to her.

"I trust you have reached a decision." Dumbledore addressed the couple.

"Yes," Harry spoke. He looked to Ginny.

She took a deep breath before speaking. "We've decided to keep the baby."

McGonagall nodded, but it was Dumbledore who spoke. "I am glad to see the maturity with which you are handling this situation. Madam Pomfrey will need to see you once a month, until you reach your last trimester. Then she will meet with you biweekly until you reach your last month, when you will see her once a week. It would be best if you also attended these appointments, Harry.

"Also, Ginny, you will be moved into Harry's dormitory immediately so he can help take care of you and the child. Do you have any questions?"

Harry looked at Ginny before making his mind up. "I do, Professor. . . . Would you be willing to marry us?"

"Marry us? Harry, what-" Ginny was shocked.

"Please, Ginny. Listen to me. We always knew we were going to end up here. Yes, it's happening sooner than we had expected, but that doesn't mean that this isn't right." Harry took both of her hands in his.

"I don't know, Harry. . . ." Ginny was having trouble thinking. First a baby, now marriage?

"I believe this is something you and Miss Weasley should speak about more in-depth," Dumbledore interrupted.

Harry nodded, helping Ginny to her feet. He had just reached his hand for the door handle when Dumbledore spoke again.

"But, Harry, the answer is yes."

Harry smiled, nodding at the elderly headmaster, before following Ginny out of the room.

H/G

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,

I wanted to send you my own letter, to tell you how serious I am about your daughter. I love her with my whole heart, and would never do anything to harm her. We have decided to keep the baby, and I want you to know that I have every intention of marrying Ginny, as soon as I convince her to let me. So please, don't judge us too harshly. We know we should have been more careful, but this is definitely not a mistake in any way. I love Ginny, and I'm going to take care of her and our child.

Harry