Now all that was left was telling family and friends before the media caught on. I was feeling pretty happy about that part, actually. I knew Mum would be disappointed, but I also knew she'd be delighted to have another grandchild to coo over. Cooing over Victoire was one of her favourite pastimes so adding another grandchild would just increase the cooing potential. I figured Mum would be pretty easy to bring over to our point of view on this, even if it took a while. Pondering on it, I really did think I'd got the problematic part done, and could now focus on my own newfound happiness. I was happy, I realised as Harry and I arrived in his flat. This may not have been as I had planned it, but now I was used to the idea of a baby I was actually quite excited.

Ron was slouched on the couch when we got in, his face furious. I looked a question at Harry but he just shrugged.

'I'm getting a firewhiskey from the kitchen. Do you want anything, Ginny? Ron?'

I shook my head, worried about how to say I wanted a drink, but not something with alcohol so I just did the easiest thing and said I didn't want one at all.

Ron said, 'yeah I could do with a drink today. Been a bloody nightmare at work – I need a break, but there's just no time.' I muttered sympathetic noises while Harry went into the kitchen. I wished Hermione was here; she could always sooth Ron out of these moods.

When Harry came back with the drinks I saw that he had brought me a juice. He'd obviously sensed my hesitation when I said no. He passed me the drink without a word and I smiled at him. When he sat down next to me, I took the opportunity to kiss him thoroughly.

'What was that for?' he said, his eyes focused on mine and a heart-stopping smile on his face.

'Just for being such a great fiancé. You know me so well – what would I do without you?' I kissed him again and this time he responded with so much passion that I wondered how to get ourselves into the bedroom without making Ron uncomfortable.

'You two are disgusting!' Ron said, his voice surly.

Too late! I pulled away from Harry and turned an icy glare on Ron. 'What do you mean by that?'

'I mean it's bloody obvious you're about to go rip each other's clothes off. You could at least have the decency to keep it private, but oh no it's anywhere and everywhere with you two.'

I bristled. 'You mean you don't think two people who are of age should be able to make their own decisions? Ron, you're a filthy hypocrite and you know it!'

Harry, beside me, was looking distinctly uncomfortable. Ron slid off his chair, slammed his drink on the coffee table and glared at me.

'I am not a hypocrite. You're practically living here, like some sort of trollopy floozy. Hermione and I are at least discreet about what we do, and besides ...'

'Discreet? Discreet?' I shrieked back, now standing too. 'I can't go anywhere without falling over you two putting your clothes back to rights and looking like you've pulled each other backwards off a broomstick. You're one to lecture me; this isn't exactly public, unlike some of your escapades.' I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. 'Look, I've had a long, hard day and I was kissing my fiancé – a title I notice you haven't seen fit to put onto your girlfriend yet, even though you carry on like you're the morality police! – and what Harry and I were doing, that's not exactly a crime, Ron!'

Ron blanched and I felt a stab of guilt. I really shouldn't have got at him about marrying Hermione, but the depth of his hypocrisy always fired me up. He'd made no secret of the fact that he had different standards of propriety for me than for himself, but usually he was more circumspect in what he said. Today, however, his dark mood had pushed him over the line and he'd said something which really upset me. Part of that, of course, was that I had just been thinking how much easier it would be to tell my family my news and now Ron's behaviour had shown me that this wasn't going to be easy after all. I'd planned to tell him that evening while Hermione was there to back Harry and me up, and before telling Mum, but Ron's words had made me rethink. I didn't think he was ready to find out, and I certainly didn't want my happiness any further ruined by Ron's black mood.

Ron was so angry at what I had just insinuated that he started hurling epithets at me, seemingly unconcerned at how his words might sting. I could pick 'scarlet woman' 'trollop' and 'tramp' out of the mix, though thankfully he'd become so incoherent I couldn't hear every word. I could feel my face getting hotter and hotter as my own fury increased. I could tell that any minute now I was going to really explode and let him have it.

My hands were balled into fists and I was on tiptoe leaning in to shout at Ron when Harry finally spoke up. He'd come to stand behind me, his arms reassuring as they circled my shoulders. I'm not sure if he was comforting me or holding me back from murdering Ron, but I was grateful for his presence anyway. I could feel my tension start to slip away as he held me and I put my own hands on top of his, soaking in the support he was offering.

'Ron, mate, you're out of line. Ginny's of age and these things you're saying aren't true. You know that. Just ... chill out, mate. We don't do anything you don't do, you know.'

'Yeah take her side, of course,' Ron sneered. 'You get yourselves into more trouble than Hermione and I do. I'm just trying to look out for you, but what thanks do I get? None!' He stormed off to his bedroom and slammed his door with a huge bang. I looked up at Harry in shock. What did he mean 'get ourselves into trouble'? Did he know, somehow, that I was pregnant?

'I don't know,' Harry shrugged, answering my unspoken question. 'I guess I'd better go ask him, though.' He smiled down at me. 'I might wait for him to calm down a bit first. Any chance you might like to ... rip those clothes off, still?' I slapped him playfully, trying to push him away. 'No?' His voice was teasing as he let me slide out of his arms. 'I'm sure I can convince you.' With that he took my hand again, pulled me back over to him and kissed me. Instantly, I was flooded with desire again. I didn't question it then, but I was to learn quickly that being pregnant meant I could very easily put aside any problems and focus solely on being with Harry – my hormones were on such high alert that a mere brush of his hand could electrify me into thinking about the bedroom. Normally, Ron's outburst would have left me feeling out of sorts and uninterested in intimacy, but that day I found it easy to switch off from him.

Once Harry and I were dressed and refreshed again, Harry sighed heavily and went to face Ron. I silently wished him luck, but apparated out of the flat. Now that Harry was out of the room and my hormones were back under control I felt a hot flush of both guilt and rage. I knew it would serve no good purpose for me to see Ron while those feelings were rampaging through me, so I went to the person who was becoming my refuge in the family. I went to George.

'Hey, George!' I called as I pushed my way into his shop. 'Where's my favourite shop-owning brother?'

A muffled voice called out from the back, 'I'm in here, Ginny. Mind the boxes in the doorway.'

I took that as the best welcome I would get and carefully twisted my way through the maze of boxes piled up just inside the back room.

'What's Ron done now?' George asked, his head still stuck inside a large cabinet in the back of the room. His wand was waving around trying to get something to accio.

'How did you know Ron was being a prick?' I asked, passing him the stack of boxes he seemed to be wanting.

'Thanks, sis,' he said as he waved the boxes into the cabinet. He backed out, rocked back on his heels and grinned up at me. 'I know it's Ron because you never call me your favourite-anything brother unless he's bugging you.' He stood up, gave me a quick hug which left me as streaked with grime as he was, then added, 'so give it up. What's my idiot sidekick done now?'

'Same old, same old.' I said perching myself up on the edge of a long table which took up most of the middle of the room. I ignored the pointed look he gave me as I did so. 'He's on his Ginny's a tramp kick again.' I sighed. 'I'm sick of it, George. Harry's his best friend, he knows we're exclusive and yet he still insists on policing our love life. It doesn't say much about what he thinks of Harry, does it?'

'I hear you, Ginny. But this is pretty much par for the course with Ron; why's it winding you up so much today?'

'You didn't hear him, George. Besides ... there's something else this time.'

George's face took on an even wider grin, something I hadn't thought possible. 'Something else? I knew there was something juicy in all this! Spill, sis.' He leaned back against the cabinet he'd just been filling and winked at me.

'I ... um. I might be pregnant.'

The grin slid off his face and George gaped at me. 'Did I just hear you right? You're ...?'

'Yes. I think so. The Muggle test said so, anyway.' I shrugged. 'I thought everyone would be happy, you know. But Ron – I think he might know somehow and he was really mean this time.' To my horror, I could feel tears pricking behind my eyelids. I rubbed my hands over my eyes in an attempt to stave them off.

'I wouldn't worry about it, Gin. Ron's an idiot and the important people – ie, me,' he grinned and bowed ironically, 'we think it's pretty cool.' His brow creased. 'Though I do agree with Ron on one point; I don't want to think about all the gory details of how this happened.' He shuddered theatrically and I giggled, the tears which had threatened now gone.

'Like you don't do exactly the same thing with Angelina!'

'That, my dear Ginny, is an entirely different thing. I,' he put his hand on his chest puffing it out and striking a martial pose, 'don't go advertising it for all to see with a cauldron cake in my oven!'

I chuckled again. 'I'm not advertising it, doofus!'

'Not yet, you're not. But just wait – any minute now you'll pop like a kneazle trying to get out of a bag and the whole world will know.'

This time it was my turn to shudder. 'Bleh. I'm not looking forward to that part!' I stopped laughing and sighed. 'But seriously, George. Ron's being an idiot and I'm worried how Mum will take it.'

'Yes, she was quite forceful last time you did something morally questionable, unlike my pure and upright self.' I rolled my eyes and poked him in the ribs and he grinned again.

'I'll talk to Ron if you'd like,' he said. 'I'll tell the little git to pull his head in.' He rubbed his hands together gleefully. 'I have some great new product I could use to convince him ...'

'Hah! As if I'd let you near him! Anyway Harry's with him right now. Hopefully he'll sort the idiot out.'

George looked crestfallen and I laughed. 'Don't worry – if he doesn't pull his head in I'll let you try out your products. My biggest problem is how do I tell Mum?'

All flippancy left George as he took in my serious tone. He leaned against the table next to me and bumped my hip with his. 'You want me there, Gin? I can be your back up – create a big diversion in the back yard if it all goes to pot ...'

As we kept talking I realised I felt better. I wasn't going to let George help me out (who knew what he would inflict on us by way of diversion; his Easter prank was still fresh in my memory and I really didn't want to risk it) but he made me feel better about telling the rest of my family. Ron was an idiot, I already knew that, but George made me realise that Ron was Ron and other people wouldn't necessarily react the same way. As long as I knew that what Harry and I had was special it didn't matter what other people thought. Let them think I was a scarlet woman all they liked; I knew the truth and I while I couldn't control their reactions, I could control my reaction to them. Yes, yes. I know this is a lesson I've had to learn over and over. I'm a slow learner, ok? It's a good thing I have such an understanding husband, really.

I bounced down off the table and kissed George on the cheek. He stopped mid sentence.

'What was that for?'

I grinned. 'For showing me not everyone in my family is a prat. I think I'll be ok now. I'll let you get back to work and go find out whether Harry managed to un-pratify Ron yet.'

'Yeah, thanks Ginny. I get the good end of that deal, huh?'

'You get to lift heavy boxes with a wand and I get to face our moronic brother? Yeah, I think you do get the better end of this one.'

I blew him another kiss and apparated back to Harry's flat. Ron was nowhere in sight so Harry and I snuggled on the couch before heading to bed. I reflected that this was something I could get used to – Harry and I in our own place, relaxing together without flatmates.

'We need to think about getting our own place,' I murmured, curling my legs up beside me as I snuggled closer to him.

Harry smiled and kissed my hair. 'You don't want to live with Ron and a baby? I can't think why ...'

I giggled. 'More to the point, I don't think Ron will want to live with a baby. You remember how he is with Victoire – and she's not even a baby anymore.'

Harry chuckled and nodded. I was sure he was remembering the same incident I was when Victoire had crawled up to Ron and offered him a cauldron cake. The memory of the look of horror and disgust on his face as he contemplated the sodden, slimy morsel made me giggle again.

'You're right, I guess,' sighed Harry. 'I'm so used to this place and having Ron around but it's not really practical.' He looked around at the walls he'd moved into so recently. 'I won't miss all this orange, though – unless you're going to be pasting Cannons memorabilia all over the walls too?'

I poked him in the side. 'Of course not – our house will be tastefully decked out in Harpies' colours. Much less offensive to the eyes.'

Harry laughed again. 'I guess we'd better tell your parents and then start looking. It's difficult to get wizarding-friendly flats in London, and we really do need to be close for the moment what with apparition becoming a problem for you soon enough.'

I gaped at him. 'How do you know about apparition and pregnancy?' He sheepishly pointed to a pile of books on the coffee table which I hadn't noticed before.

'Hermione came by with those and dragged Ron out so he would stop moping. I ... um ... read a bit just to see what we're in for.'

I smiled in contentment. He was so dedicated to our baby that I knew we'd be okay, no matter what came. I pulled the books onto my lap and together we pored over them, united in our wonder of what was happening inside me.

There was a sudden whoosh in the fireplace and Mum's head sat in the middle of green flames, looking stern and forbidding.

'Ginevra, I want you to come here immediately. Use the floo, but bring your wand.' She looked behind me to Harry and added, 'Harry can't come this time, I'm afraid – Weasleys only.' She pulled her head out of the fire and the flames died down before I could protest that Harry practically was a Weasley already. I looked a question at Harry, but he seemed as mystified as I was. Hermione suddenly apparated into the hallway, looking aggrieved. She was obviously checking out whether Harry had been excluded as well. Sighing, I left them to it, gathered my things, making sure I had my wand, then flooed to the Burrow as instructed.