It was now time for Christmas. Esme woke up and walked down the stairs to see Bill had arrived to celebrate the holiday.
"Hey Bill," she greeted her best friend with a hug.
"Hey Esme."
She waddled to the couch and sat down.
"So, how are you doing?" Bill asked.
"Pretty good for being seventeen weeks pregnant," Esme sighed.
"Hey Bill!" Charlie greeted his older brother.
The two brothers greeted each other and sat down on either side of Esme.
"So, I'm pretty sure I find out the gender of my child after the holidays," Esme smiled.
"Do you need someone to with you to find out the gender? I can't go since I have to go back to Egypt," Bill asked.
"I can handle it, Bill," she assured him.
Bill glanced at Charlie. "Would you go with her?"
"I think I'm leaving before that time too."
"Bill, I'm a big girl. Besides I know your mum would come with me since I already asked her."
"I suppose that's more appropriate anyway. How would we explain the situation?" Bill sighed.
Esme nodded. "I'll write you and tell you the gender of my child if you'd like."
"Okay, I'd like that," Bill smiled.
Before Esme could respond Molly and Arthur walked down the stairs and greeted their oldest. They began opening presents even though there were few.
—
It was now after the holidays Bill went back to Egypt. Just a few days after he returned Charlie came to visit.
"Hey Charlie," he greeted his younger brother.
"Hey Bill."
"I appreciate the company but I sense you're here for another reason than brotherly bonding," Bill laughed.
"Do you know anything about the father of Esme's child?"
"I know where you're going with this, Charlie. You want to hex this guy to oblivion."
"Don't you want to hex this git for abandoning your best friend?"
Bill sighed. "I've wanted to do the same thing since she told about how he reacted to her pregnancy."
"She never told me the reason he abandoned her and their child."
"It's because she's a muggle born."
"What does that matter?" Charlie asked.
"This git was a pureblood and didn't like that their child would be a half-blood," Bil explained.
"That makes him even more of a git. It doesn't matter that she's a muggleborn," Charlie said.
"It doesn't."
Charlie said. "Do you know where he lives?"
"I'm pretty sure he disappeared."
Charlie sighed.
"All I know is that his name is Tamrat Otieno."
Charlie nodded. "He's definitely a rat."
Bill laughed. "I agree. You must be rather fond of Esme to want to beat up her useless baby daddy to defend her honor."
Charlie blushed. "I am very fond of her."
"She's just so magnetic isn't she? I mean she was rather shy when I first met her when she had just finished Hogwarts but she's really broken out of her shell."
"She is. We bonded when we made that Irish Potato cake since she was craving something chocolate."
"What's Irish Potato Cake?"
Charlie smiled and began to explain. "It's a wonderful dessert made with mashed potatoes and chocolate."
"Mashed potatoes and chocolate?" he asked confused.
Charlie said."I was confused at first too but it's delicious."
"So, it's true what they say the way to get to a man's heart is through his stomach," Bill laughed.
"Especially me," Charlie said.
"It's kind of funny that both of us have female best friends."
—
It was now January 5th, Esme sat in the waiting room at St. Mungo's after she signed in. Molly was sitting next to her.
"Esme Abrams!"
She audibly gasped, used the bars of the chair to push herself out of the chair and slightly waddled towards the examination room. Molly dutifully followed her to the examination room.
"Miss Abrams, I presume?"
"Yes, I am. This is Molly Weasley. She's here for some support."
"What about your mum?"
"I rather not talk about her or the father."
The healer nodded and the appointment started.
"So, you're nineteen weeks correct?" the healer asked
Esme nodded. "Yes, I am. Am I supposed to be feeling my child kick already?"
The healer said. "This is your first pregnancy isn't it?"
"It is."
"Being a first time mum you may not feel any kicks until your sixth month or so. Though, you might feel some earlier."
Esme nodded disappointed.
"There's your baby, Miss Abrams," the healer said.
Esme looked at the image of her child tearfully. To comfort her Molly walked over and took her hand. She smiled at her.
"Would you like to know the gender?"
"Yes."
The healer nodded and smiled. "You'll be the mother of a baby girl in about five months, Miss Abrams."
"A little girl?"
The healer nodded. She was dismissed.
"I'm going to be a mother to a baby girl, I can't believe it."
Molly smiled. "I remember having to go through labor five times in order to get Ginny."
Esme winced. "I can't imagine going through pregnancy seven times. I don't think I want to go through pregnancy again anytime soon."
Molly nodded. "Charlie seems rather fond of you."
"We bonded when we made that cake. He's a lot like Bill but more rambunctious."
"Bill may never have those feelings for you and you may never have feelings for him but I think Charlie is a different story," Molly noticed.
"I think he's too preoccupied with dragons, Molly," Esme argued.
Molly shook her head. "I know Charlie, he seems fond of you in a different way that Bill does."
Esme said. "I'm older than him."
"You know I'm older than Arthur. That shouldn't matter."
Esme sighed as they walked into the Burrow. Esme excused herself to go write Bill and tell him that she's expecting a little girl. She grabbed some parchment and started writing.
Dear Bill,
I just found out that I'm expecting a daughter. I can't wait. Would you like to be godfather? I would ask Ben if I was able to ask him. You know how much I miss him. He's my baby brother.
Your friend,
Esme
She finished the letter and went to go send it through the family owl Errol.