Chapter 11: Please, shut up!
*The following morning…*
"Heather, get in there!" Jenn ordered, her frustration evident in her voice.
"I do not wish to tell Zach, and I refuse to take orders from someone who is four years younger than me!" Heather exclaimed, crossing her arms and staring defiantly at Jenn.
Ever since the two had found out that Heather was, indeed, pregnant, earlier that morning, they'd been arguing non-stop about what would be the most logical thing to do next. Jenn firmly insisted that before they did a single other thing, Heather should tell Zach about the…err…situation. Heather, on the other hand, was dead-set on not telling ANYONE until after the wedding.
"Heather, he is your fiancé, for Merlin's sake! He deserves…no, he needs to know!" Jenn opened the oak door that led into the dining hall and gestured for Heather to go inside.
In response, Heather immediately reached out with her left arm and forcefully pushed the door shut.
"Do not preach to me about his needs like I'm a complete stranger. I'm his fiancée and I think that I can rightfully judge what he does and does not need to know." Heather's voice was still laced with anger, but it was obvious that she was trying to calm herself down. The guests passing by them were beginning to stare and her face was turning red with embarrassment.
"And I'm his sister!" Jenn, unlike Heather, did not care whether or not she was making a scene. She was not one to give up without getting her point across.
"What I do is none of your business, Jenn. Stay out of this matter."
Jenn's mouth dropped open and for a few moments she just stood and gaped at Heather in amazement. "Have you gone completely insane?! You are the one that CAME TO ME FOR HELP! Now, I offer you help, and you reject it and tell me to mind my own business. You're contradicting yourself."
Heather paused. Then, her voice shaking slightly, she whispered in a hurried voice, "Jenn, if I announce that I'm pregnant after the wedding, then the only one who ever has to know the truth is Zach. He can find out later, but he can't find out now. My parents cannot EVER know about this. They're very old-fashioned, you have no idea how upset they'd be. If one person finds out, another will find out, and then before you know, they'll find out..and, oh God, Jenn, please understand. I have been planning my wedding since I was eight. I used to love to imagine looking into the eyes of the guy I loved and saying 'I do' with my parents looking on proudly. My wedding was supposed to be perfect. If my parents find out about this, everything will be ruined. Both of our parents have worked so hard to make my dream come true…it would be like a slap in the face for them to find out that I'm pregnant. I mean, I don't even think my parents think me and Zach have…you know….yet."
Jenn massaged her head, feeling a possibly severe headache coming on. She observed her future sister-in-law sympathetically. Heather was dramatic enough when her biggest problem was that her wedding coordinator had ordered the wrong colored flowers for the guests' tables. She couldn't even imagine how distraught being pregnant was making her.
Jenn sighed. "Heath, I do understand, but you…listen, you just can't keep this a secret from Zach. I'm sorry, but I don't agree with your decision to not tell him."
Heather looked down. She squeezed her eyes shut for a few moments before she abruptly snapped her head up and pulled open the door to the dining hall.
Jenn's brows knitted together in confusion. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to go in there and have breakfast with my family. I'm going to enjoy myself. I'm going to laugh and smile like I'm on top of the world. I'm going to gaze at your brother, the man I love, with the knowledge that in just 2 days, we'll be married."
She turned to walk into the hall, but allowed her steady gaze to retreat back to Jenn as she wrapped her arms consolingly around her stomach and leaned back onto the door.
For what seemed like forever, she was silent and still. Then, choking on her words, she spoke.
"But most importantly, I'm going to pretend that this isn't happening."
With those last words, she turned on her heel and strode into the dining hall, shutting the solid oak door in Jenn's face.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"How are you doing on this fine morning, Miss. Mandy?" Lily chirped as she entered her friend's room.
"Well, I'm a lot less chipper than you." Mandy grumbled caustically.
Lily grinned slightly. "And yet the sarcasm remains intact. Bravo."
"Of course..it's my 'defense mechanism'." Mandy explained bitterly.
Lily raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"
"Am I just like this big emotionless shell of a person?" She questioned in response.
Lily, who had been leaning against the door frame, crossed the room and climbed onto her friend's bed so that she was laying down right next to her.
"Aren't you just a walking pile of misery today?" Lily observed jokingly.
"Correction-a laying pile of misery." Mandy gestured to her slouched position on the bed with a half-hearted smile.
Lily smiled gently back at her friend. "Ah, my mistake."
A few minutes of comfortable silence ensued. Then Mandy spoke up.
"Lil, what's wrong with me?" She asked, her tone unreadable.
Lily shook her head, a worried frown threatening to overtake her kind smile. "Nothing, Mand. Absolutely nothing at all."
"Then why do I continuously come up with new ways to push Sirius away? It's a rare moment when I allow myself to treat him like I do all my other friends. I just don't get it."
Lily's eyes shone with understanding as she sat up and looked Mandy straight in the eye. "And the mystery of the misery is solved."
"Nice one, Holmes. However did you figure me out?" Mandy joked.
"Elementary, my dear Watson." Lily quipped with a grin.
Mandy's light mood faded at once. "Really, though, Lil, there's no reason for me to treat him the way I do. I hold him at bay like he has some horrible disease."
"He does. It's called insanity."
"Lily, dear, do you think that helps me?" Mandy questioned as if she were talking to a 5 year old.
"Mand, there is nothing that I could do to help you. It's all in your head." She reached out and tapped her friend's blonde head.
"Then I need a new head." Mandy stated pathetically.
Lily sighed and stood up. "Well, I'm meeting James for a Quidditch lesson today…working on my little flying phobia. Do you think you'll be OK alone? I'll stay here if you want me to."
Mandy dismissed Lily's offer with a wave of her hand. "You go have fun with James. You better watch yourself, though, Evans. I'm beginning to not support this new relationship..I refuse to be ditched for a guy. I'll let it slide this time, but don't let it happen again!"
Lily grinned. "I won't as long as you, in turn, don't go and buy yourself a new head while I'm gone."
"It'll be awfully tempting, but I think I can resist it. Deal." Mandy replied with a smirk.
Lily crossed the room and exited the room, her hand grabbing the door knob and pulling the door shut behind her as she went. Before the door was completely closed, she turned and popped her head into the room through the tiny opening she had left herself.
"Adios, Amanda."
"Later, Lily."
The door closed and Mandy sank further into her bed. After a few moments, she sighed and sat up.
"Might as well go bother Jenn with my problems."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Remus Lupin didn't mind silence. This, coincidentally, was a good thing, given that his only company on his way down to the dining hall was a very mute Sirius. Now, Remus was completely fine with giving his friend some space, but one can only put up with so much. When, as the two were rounding the hall, Sirius unknowingly began to walk straight toward an open door, Remus pulled him out of the way, saving his friend from possible injury, and decided that enough was enough.
"Sirius? Sirius?? SIRIUS!" He exclaimed.
Sirius jumped, startled out of his reverie, his eyes now wide and alert.
"Are you back?" Remus waved a hand in front of his face, which he promptly swung away.
"Moony, what the hell was that?!" He demanded, still slightly shaken.
"Oh, nothing, just a little something to bring you back to the land of REALITY."
"Huh?"
"You spaced out, Padfoot. You spaced out like Snape taking a few minutes to fathom how the heck his hair's gotten so greasy over the years." Remus explained, his tone changing to fit his own thoughts, which believed that he was stating nothing but the complete obvious.
Sirius cringed. "Bad visual, Rem, very bad visual."
"Sorry, but I speak the truth."
"Well, next time you feel the
desire to speak the truth, take a
moment and think up a scenario that does
not involve that slimy git! All
right?"
"Gotcha." Remus nodded.
"Glad that we're clear."
"So, what problem up in your head demanded so much of your attention that you couldn't even realize that you were about to walk straight into a door?"
Sirius gave his friend a funny look. "Was I really?"
Remus nodded in amused sympathy.
"Oh."
"Oh? Just 'oh'?? Oh, I don't think so. You can't expect to get away with 5 minutes of complete silence. I was on the verge of taking your pulse."
Sirius paused before letting out a prolonged sigh. "I-I just didn't sleep too well."
"Oh, really? What, prey tell, did you lose precious sleep over?"
"More like who." He stated simply.
"Ah, so it's a person."
"I-I never said that." Sirius stuttered.
"Then what is it-a poltergeist?" Remus queried sarcastically.
"It could be. Those damn things are annoying."
Remus raised his eyebrows. "C'mon, Sirius."
"I don't want to talk about it, Moony. Look we're here, let's just drop it and have a nice breakfast." Sirius suggested.
He was, indeed, correct. The two had reached their destination and were now standing in front of one of the many entrances to the dining hall.
Remus nodded reluctantly. "Fine."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jenn, who was still in front of a completely different entrance to the dining hall, waited a few minutes before she made her decision. She was going to follow Heather into the dining room. She didn't plan on confronting her in front of all her friends and family. Instead, she planned to stick by her throughout the day. She knew that if she were in the same situation, she'd want constant support. So, she was going to be the one that would give that to Heather.
She opened the door and casually strode over to the table where her family, the Black's, the Bones's, the Prewitt's, and various others were sitting.
"Hey, everyone."
In response, everyone at the table exchanged a warm greeting with her, except Heather, who looked quite uneasy.
"Please sit down, Jennifer. There's a seat right over there between Heather and Kathryn." Mr. Ryan gestured to where Heather and her maid-of-honor were sitting.
Jenn quickly made her way over there and took a seat.
"Hey, Jenn. I haven't seen you in a while." Kathryn Beckley observed in a warm, friendly voice. Jenn knew Kathryn very well, given that she was a very close friend of both Heather and Zach, and consequently, had spent the past 4 summers at her house.
"Kate! When did you get here?"
"I just arrived this morning. I've been extremely busy over at work, but I promised Heath that I would fulfill my duties as maid-of-honor by keeping her sane for the next few days. Can you believe that the wedding is in 3 days??" Kathryn explained. She was one of the head journalists over at the Daily Prophet, so, as she said, she was constantly busy with her job.
"Well, that's what happens when you're the best writer the top magical newspaper has!" Jenn complimented.
Kathryn blushed slightly and responded mischievously, "Oh, well, I'm not the best. I'm up there, though."
Jenn grinned at her and turned to Heather, placing a comforting her hand on her shoulder. "You should be glad that you're surrounded by people who care about you so much."
The comment had its desired effect on Heather and she visibly calmed down, sensing the hidden meaning behind Jenn's words. She wasn't going to make her tell everyone she was pregnant. She was giving her time and support, instead of making her rush into something she wasn't looking forward to.
She smiled gratefully and said, "I am, Jenn. I really am."
It was then that Sirius and Remus entered the dining hall. The two immediately spotted Jenn and headed over to her. They greeted all the adults at the table before pulling up a chair on either side of her.
"Hey, hon." Remus greeted, kissing her on the cheek as he sat down.
"Hey, baby." Sirus jokingly turned toward Kathryn and placed a kiss on her hand.
"Sirius, stop molesting my friends." Heather chastised as Kathryn laughed at his antics.
"God, someone's awfully touchy today." He responded before grabbing a plate for himself and filling it up with as much food as possible.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Sirius, you never change. Not even your eating habits." Kathryn laughingly observed.
"Love ya, too, Kate."
"Actually, I think it's running in the family today, because I am starved." Heather, whose nerves had kept her from even touching her dinner last night, followed Sirius's lead and filled her plate up with almost as much food as her brother had. She then began to hungrily consume it.
Everyone at their end of the table stared wide-eyed at her, including Zach.
"No wonder you didn't eat last night. You were saving yourself for breakfast!" Zach exclaimed, his eyes twinkling as he laughed lightly. A few others laughed along with him.
"Heath, I haven't seen you eat like that since our 5th year..and that was only because Mara was mad at you and placed you under an eating curse."
"Seriously, Heath..someone's eatin' for two." Sirius cracked, smirking.
Jenn bit her lip and closed her eyes. Oh, this was not good.
Heather's face paled and she quickly stood up. "I-I have to go."
Before anyone could protest, Heather fled the dining room, leaving everyone speechless. Well, everyone except Sirius.
With wide eyes he asked, "Was it something I said?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Oh God, oh God, oh God…Jaaammmess, I'm scared. We need to get down. We need to get down. Are you hearing me right now? WE NEED TO GET DOWN!" Lily shrieked as she tightened her arms firmly around his waist.
"First of all, Lil, we've only been up here for about 5 minutes and I'm not bringing you back down until you get over this fear of your's. Second of all, cutting off my air supply is not exactly helping your safety at the moment."
Lily loosened her grip slightly and tentatively asked, "If I fall off will you catch me before I hit the ground?"
"What if I fall off? Will you catch me before I hit the ground?" James smirked as he heard Lily let out a frustrated sigh. He could practically picture her rolling her eyes.
"Let's just say you'll get better acquainted with that grass down there." Lily quipped, pushing her hair out of her eyes.
"The trust factor is fading out of this relationship." James muttered, making a sudden turn which jerked Lily to the back of the broom.
She quickly scooted closer to him, pressing her chest against his back and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Please don't do that again."
James stopped the broom so that they were hovering in mid-air and carefully swung his body around so that he was facing Lily. "All right, but only because I like you so much."
She shifted so that they were practically nose to nose. "You know, there are other ways you could show me how much you like me."
He laughed and ran his hand through her hair. "Why, Miss. Evans, here I am trying to be a gentleman, and you bring me up here to try to seduce me."
Lily snorted. "Ha…seduce you? Yea, okay, James."
He laughed again. "Well, that's how it's going to sound when I relay all this to Sirius."
She shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Men.."
"Yup, we're great, huh?" James flashed her a lopsided grin.
Lily smiled. "Well, you're great. Sirius…mmm…Joe…eehhh…Remus..mm-hmm…Peter..uh-uh."
"Wow, I had no idea you could express yourself so well while barely opening your mouth." James quipped.
"Was that supposed to have a suggestive undertone?" Lily asked sweetly.
"Lily, dearest, you realize that that you're makin' the story I'm going to tell Sirius later juicier by the minute, right? Watch yourself."
"Hmmph….James?" She asked, sounding slightly irritated.
"Yes, love?"
"Tell me, what does a girl have to
do to get kissed around here?"
"My, my, someone's certainly a
little eager today."
Before she could respond, he leaned forward and covered her mouth with his own. They kissed for several minutes, thoroughly enjoying each other's..err..company.
When they finally came up for air, Lily leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Satisfied?" James queried.
"You definitely made up for lost time."
"Ah, well I try."
"James?"
"Hmm?" He mumbled, resting his chin gently on her head.
She giggled. "I'm really glad I met you."
"Right back atcha, babe." He tilted his head, and in a gesture he couldn't help, smelled the enticing aroma of her hair.
"James, what are you doing?" She questioned, amused.
"Smelling your hair." He replied simply.
She nodded. "I see…and why?"
He grinned helplessly. "Couldn't help it…it smells like strawberries."
"I know..I figured it matched the red. Good choice?"
"Ah, excellent choice. My favorite fruit."
"I'm glad it pleases you." She muttered sarcastically.
He grinned. "Me, too."
She smacked him lightly on the arm. "Shut up."
"Why don't you shut me up?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.
"Now look who's being obvious?"
James sighed dramatically. "Women."
"You know how every time we're about to kiss we start bantering pointlessly for what seems like quite a few minutes…"
"Yea.." James nodded.
"Well, why don't we just get on with it?" She suggested.
He grinned. "I like the way you think."
She smiled back and the two leaned forward and, well, got on with it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Heather, wait!" Jenn cried out as she chased the bride-to-be down the hallway outside the dining hall.
Heather rounded the corner and then collapsed against the wall, breathing hard.
"Heath, Heath…stop….just-just calm down.." Jenn soothed, coming to a stop in a front of her.
"I…oh, God, Jenn, how does he know?!" Heather wailed, raking her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to push it off of her face. She continued to breathe as if she couldn't get enough air.
"Would you please stop before you hyperventilate?!" Jenn demanded, crossing her arms in front of her.
Heather let out one last shaky breath before composing herself.
"Listen, he doesn't-."
"Oh, Jenn, how could he not? Do you expect me to believe that that was a coincidence?!" Heather cried out angrily.
"Heath, please listen-." Jenn began.
"NO! I will not listen-."
"Now, Heather, I've been trying to be reasonable, but you're-."
"Jenn, just leave me alone-."
"HEATHER, SIRIUS DOES NOT KNOW!" Jenn burst out, unable to contain herself any longer.
"What don't I know?" Sirius questioned, regarding his sister and Jenn with suspicion. Unbeknownst to the two women, Sirius and Remus had waited only a few minutes before following them out of the dining hall and seeking out their whereabouts. A friend of Heather's had seen her running and quickly pointed the pair in the right direction. Unfortunately for Jenn, they had arrived just in time to witness her little outburst.
A prolonged awkward silence ensued.
"What is going on?" Sirius asked, for once being quite serious.
Jenn took a quick glance at Heather before eyeing both Sirius and Remus.
"Nothing." She replied lamely, not really wanting to lie to her friend and boyfriend.
Sirius stepped closer to Heather, who was now leaned up against the wall with her head in her hands.
"If I said or did something wrong, I'm really sorry." He apologized in a gentle voice.
"Sirius-." She began.
"No, Heath, I need to get this out."
"Sirius-."
"Really, Heath, I need to realize that everyone has a certain limit-."
"Oh, Sirus, would you please shut up!"
Sirius ignored her command and continued to ramble off an apology. "I'm sorry about your wedding dress, I'm sorry for telling your wedding coordinator that you wanted to enter the wedding by elephant, I'm sorry for telling the cook that you wanted a special platter of cow brains up at the head table, I'm sorry for my future plans to embarrass you horribly during my speech by pulling out naked baby photos, I'm sorry for screwing up all the centerpieces by canceling your order for red roses and replacing it with an order for white ones, and I'm really sorry if you thought that when I said you were eating for two I was implying that you were fat."
Jenn narrowed her eyes and whispered to Remus, "I knew he was behind the roses thing."
Heather sighed as she looked into her brother's apologetic eyes and said, "Oh, Sirius, it's not about any of that anymore." She paused, and then added as an afterthought, "Although, that does explain a lot."
"But, see, Heath, it's just like I said. He doesn't know." Jenn pointed out.
"Jenn, I meant what I just said. None of that matters anymore. Is keeping the secret really worth acting like a lunatic every time someone unknowingly hits a little too close to home? You were right, I can't hide from my family. I mean, I can't even believe that I actually thought I could pull it off. This whole situation is so screwed up!" Heather exclaimed, tears falling down her cheeks.
Sirius moved closer and wrapped his arms around his sister, embracing her. "Heather, I know that I embarrass and disappoint you a lot. Hell, I guess you could even call me an annoyance at times. However, don't think that I won't be there for you when you need me. Never think that you have to hide something from me, because I don't care what your secret is, I'll still help you get through whatever's going on in your life. I'm your brother, even if I don't act like it most of the time, and I should be protecting you from things that cause you pain. Please, let me know what's bothering you. I promise that I won't judge or tease you…I just…I just want you to know that I'm here for you."
"Aww, Sirius, I never thought you had that in you." Heather smiled through her tears and hugged him back.
"Well, you know, I have my moments.." He joked, smiling back at her.
"You really think you can handle anything I tell you?"
"Sure I can."
Jenn bit her lip and leaned her head on Remus's shoulder, whispering, "I hope I was right."
"I hope you were, too. Between his silence earlier, and now his sudden compassion, I don't think Sirius can handle anything that might make him any weirder." Remus whispered back.
"All right, then." Heather paused, looking up at him in silence for a moment.
"C'mon, just tell me." Sirius encouraged.
"I'm pregnant."
Simultaneously, 3 jaws dropped open.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hey, guys." Lily greeted as her and James approached the table that Violet, Joe, Sarah, and Peter were sitting at. Today's outdoor entertainment included a live band, The Bewitchers, so the majority of the many tables the Ryan's had set up outside were occupied.
"Aww…look, it's the happy couple." Sarah teased, flashing them both a friendly smile.
"Hey, why weren't we ever dubbed 'the happy couple'?" Violet questioned, nudging Joe in the ribs.
"Maybe because you two are rarely happy." Sarah shot back.
Violet slapped her playfully on the arm. "Shut up!"
"That was a true comeback, Vee. Really, you should write a book." Peter quipped, smirking at her.
Violet crossed her arms. "I see. So, I'm being attacked now?"
Lily grinned as her and James sat down. "You poor thing."
"I guess it's just too much asking for a little compassion from you people." Violet grumbled.
"At least we're open about it." James replied with a grin.
Joe stroked his girlfriend's arm in mock consolation as he asked, "So, have you guys seen Sirius and Remus yet today?"
"Nope, last time I talked to them was the dinner party." James responded.
"Haven't seen 'em." Lily replied.
"What about Mand and Jenn?" Sarah queried.
"Now, Mandy, I saw." Lily announced.
Violet's brow furrowed. "Really? Where has she been?"
"Well, I paid a visit to her room earlier today. She's having a little crisis."
"Crisis? We've been together for the past 3 hours and you never once mentioned a crisis." James pretended to look put out.
Lily grinned and chirped innocently, "Ohhhh, all right then. Next time we're all alone together I'll be sure to just talk away."
James's eyes widened. "You know, on second thought, the whole crisis thing is absolutely none of my business."
Lily's nose scrunched up as she smirked at him. "That's what I thought."
Violet surveyed the couple knowingly. "Looks like we know what you two have been doing all day."
Lily nodded playfully. "Yup…we've been arguing just like this."
Joe raised his eyebrows suggestively. "…and then making up."
Lily blushed slightly as the group laughed.
"OK…I admit it!" She announced dramatically.
Violet shook her head, giggling. "Oh, well, anyway, back to what we were previously discussing. What's up with Mand?"
"She's having some serious problems." Lily stated with a wink.
"Ah, the worst kind." Violet mused, playing along.
"Don't think I'm not catchin' onto that, Lil. I've been best friends with the guy for longer than I can even remember. I've heard every "serious/Sirius" joke known to man." James informed her.
Lily shrugged. "Hey, it was worth a try."
"So, wait, what's going on between Sirius and Mandy?" Peter asked.
"I think that they need to just get over the whole friendship thing and hook up." Sarah stated honestly.
"Here, here." Violet tapped her glass of pumpkin juice against the surface of the table before taking a huge swig of it.
"Guys, we shouldn't be talking about our friends' love lives." Lily scolded.
"Why not? It's fun!" Joe whined.
"Yeah, seriously. Don't think we don't talk about you two when you're not around." Sarah remarked.
Lily's mouth dropped open slightly. "What, exactly, do you say about James and I?"
"What, exactly, do you say about James and I," Joe mocked. "Please, what don't we say?"
James let out a small huff. "They're bluffing."
"Definitely." Lily agreed.
"Actually, Lily, my dear friend, we talk about how perfect for each other you two are." Sarah said sweetly.
"Says the girl who tried to hook me up with my ex-boyfriend..JUST about a week ago." Lily quipped.
Sarah reddened. "Sorry about that, James."
"As long as you're not harboring some secret hatred for me, we're good."
"Good."
"So, wait, no one's seen Jenn?" Violet interrupted.
Everyone shook his or her head "no".
"Don't worry, though. She's probably makin' out with Remus in a closet or somethin'." Joe comforted.
"Hmm…well, then I guess we can assume she's happy."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jenn whipped around when she heard a 3rd gasp. The number of people who knew Heather's secret was quickly growing.
It turns out that the staircase that led up to Mandy McQueen's bedroom also led down to the hall that they were currently standing in.
"H-hey, Mand." Jenn greeted, biting her lip.
Mandy's eyes were wide as she covered her mouth.
"M-mandy??" Sirius stuttered, turning away from his sister.
Mandy waved lamely at the small group. "Hi."
As everyone gaped at Mandy, Heather's jaw dropped open. "HEL-LO, people! What is more shocking here?? The fact that Mandy is somehow miraculously standing here with us, or that I am PREGNANT?!"
"Heath, lower your voice!" Jenn hissed.
Sirius turned back to Heather with a hopeful look on his face. "Wow, Heath…you're gonna have a baby."
Heather's eyes started to well up with tears again as she muttered, "Y-yes."
"Heather, don't cry.." Mandy soothed, stepping forward.
"I-I know I shouldn't. It's just..I don't know…this is so….ugggghhhh…it's just so completely overwhelming." Heather sniffed, swiping away the tears that were sliding down her cheeks.
"Yea, but Heath, not to be the bearer of good sense or anything, but…uh…newsflash! You're getting married in 3 days." Sirius announced, holding up three fingers.
Heather slapped him gently on the arm. "I know that, Sirius, but how am I supposed to tell mom and dad this???"
Sirius paused for a moment to think. "Well, you could hide it from them for now and then announce your pregnancy after you get back from your honeymoon.."
Heather glared at him. "That, dear brother, is what I was trying to do. Keeping it a secret was driving me crazy, though, so I decided to tell you so that you could help me out, but obviously you're no help anyway. So, maybe, just maybe, I should've stuck to my original plan and not listened to JENN."
Jenn's hands flew defensively to her hips. "Hey, I didn't tell you to let Sirius in on it. I only wanted you to tell Zach."
"Jenn, if you let one person know, then sooner or later, EVERYONE knows."
"Wait, you weren't going to tell me?" Sirius pouted.
"Well, no, not originally…..but that's not important!" Heather argued.
"So, let me get this straight. You didn't plan on telling me…ever??" Sirius crossed his arms in front of him.
Heather rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, give me a break!"
"Oh…my….God. You-you weren't(he turned to Remus)..sh-she wasn't…going to tell me."
Heather sighed. "Oh, Lord."
"Sirius, get over it." Mandy ordered in an irritated voice.
"Excuse me, but I don't believe I was talking to you." Sirius remarked angrily.
"Guys-." Jenn started.
"Stop being so childish. Maybe you would've wanted Heather to tell you, but she didn't want to! She is pregnant and scared-she doesn't need this!" Mandy shot back.
Jenn put her head in her hands as Remus winced, knowing that the situation was getting quite out of hand.
"Oh, I'M the childish one…I SEE! At least I can admit my own feelings!" He argued.
"I, I, I…you know, how about you take a minute and think about what HEATHER wants."
"Maybe what Heather wants isn't for the best. Maybe she's not THINKING clearly. Maybe she would like what I want if maybe she just gave it a chance!"
"She doesn't need to give it a chance because she knows it won't work!"
Heather raised her eyebrows and whispered to Remus and Jenn, "This isn't about me anymore, is it?"
"I don't even know if it's about anything anymore. They're not making any sense." Remus whispered back.
"Maybe they're fighting just to fight." Jenn suggested with a shrug.
"How does she know what I want wouldn't work?!" Sirius demanded.
"Maybe because what you want is something that she KNOWS she doesn't want." Mandy cried out.
As soon as she finished her statement, immediate silence took over.
Sirius blinked a few times, trying to keep his face neutral. Mandy, meanwhile, was in the midst of inner turmoil. Once again, she had pushed Sirius away, but this time she had the feeling that she'd gone too far. She gulped and folded her arms in front of her.
Finally, Sirius spoke. "So, what's the plan? What's next, Heath?"
Heather paused, knowing that sooner or later she was going to have to decide whether or not she wanted to tell anyone else about her pregnancy.
"You know, I….I think I need to tell mom and dad." She told Sirius.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, seriously, Heath…you can keep it a secret if you want. We'll help you if you want us to." Jenn assured her.
"I'm sure. I don't want to keep secrets from my family. I'm not going to announce it to everyone, but..I think they deserve to know."
"…and Zach?" Jenn questioned.
Heather smiled. "He's family."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Unfortunately for Zach and Kathryn, when they had finally gotten their chance to make their way inconspicuously out of the dining hall, no one was around to point them in the right direction. You see, they had been forced to lie a bit in order to assure everyone that Heather was just fine and there was no reason to worry. In fact, the truth was, they themselves were hoping that that was the case. However, they both knew how very unlikely that was.
"Oh, God, Kate…where could she be??"
Kathryn shrugged and began to bite her nails. It was a bad habit that had been plaguing her for years and she knew that if Heather were there with them she'd be scolding her for it. That was just the problem, though. Heather wasn't there.
Zach sighed and combed his fingers through his short, wavy brown hair.
Kathryn could sense his anxiety, which, consequently, made her's even worse.
"I'm her best friend. I should know if something's bothering her! Ugh…I should've been here from the start! If it wasn't for my damn job I would've been!"
There was a short silence.
"Zach, don't you have any ideas as to what could be bothering her?"
"You're the creative writer! Come up with some scenarios for me!"
Kathryn bit her lip. "All right. Let's see…female problems, female problems. Um…maybe she's nervous about the wedding!"
Zach paled. "Why would she be nervous about the wedding?"
Kathryn inwardly scolded herself and flashed Zach a bright phony smile. "Wedding?! I didn't say wedding! I…I-I said bedding! Maybe she's nervous about…the..the bedding."
Zach raised his eyebrows at his friend and cleared his throat. "The bedding?"
"You know…on your honeymoon! What if..what if she's allergic to the..to the sheets..and breaks out in hives!"
Zach shoved his hands in his pockets and began to pace, eyeing Kathryn skeptically. "You know, you really scare me sometimes, Kate."
"Ok..ok…um…more scenarios! Let's see……maybe she…lost her engagement ring!"
Zach snorted. "Heather? Lose her engagement ring? C'mon, Kate."
Kathryn, who knew that Heather had already lost the ring, grinned. "Of course she wouldn't!"
"Any other ideas?"
"Hmmmm….uh….maybe she has her period!"
Zach's eyes widened. "I-if she has it now…what…what about the honeymoon??"
"Well, I'm sure she's not at the beginning of it….she-she's probably at the end of it."
"Oh, no…she hasn't had it."
Now it was Kathryn's turn to raise her eyebrows. "How would you know?"
Zach gave her a look. "Trust me. I know."
Kathryn had to think for a moment before it hit her. "Ohh……ooooooooohhh."
"Anything else?"
"Well, there's always the opposite of her period!" Kathryn joked.
Zach gulped. "You-you mean pregnancy, right?"
Kathryn blinked. Could she honestly not think up one situation that wouldn't make Zach anxious? If there ever was a time when she should just shove her foot in her mouth, it was now. She had to at least answer him first, though.
"Yes, I mean pregnancy…but I don't think she's-." Kathryn stopped talking as she noticed Zach's eyes widening.
"Oh…oh my God."
"What is it?!"
"K-Kate….this all adds up. L-last night, at dinner I asked her why she wasn't eating and she said 'Why should I be, I'll be pigging out soon enough.' Then, this morning, do you remember what Sirius said to her before she ran off?"
Kathryn's mouth dropped open. "That she was eating for two….OH MY GOD! Zach, I think Heather's pregnant!"
…and that's where I'll leave ya!
Author's*Note—Well, guys, I am VERY sorry that this chapter took so long. It's just that school has started back up and I just haven't had time to get back into the story lately. I promise that I'll try to get you the next chapter soon, though! Hope you liked this one! Wow, this story is almost over! Only 2 chapters left! Granted, it did end up being a whole lot longer than planned, but wow…I'm finally going to finish a story! However, once again, I will promise you guys that if you'd like me to continue it back into Hogwarts and then until L and J die, I'll do a sequel. I have some ideas and I pretty much already know what everyone's fate is…so, please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading…please review!!