A/N: The thought plickens...I mean, the plot thickens! (:P Ruby) It gets darker after this, so stop reading if you want!



Chapter 15

Halloween came quickly. Seamus had the girls eating competition stored in his mind, and he wouldn't let anyone else forget it either.

I was luckier than I thought. No one besides my 'group' knew I was pregnant. My own roommates didn't know. When I had morning sickness, I claimed it was just a flu bug, and that it would surely pass.

They were even more suspicious because I was hanging around Draco. Although the girls were obviously worried about my sanity, they kept their opinions to themselves. They didn't question what I did or who I hung with, but I knew that they were dying inside.

I felt bad for them. I felt bad for leaving them. Draco was becoming my fast friend; my confidant. We shared everything, our likes and dislikes, our feelings on teachers, and almost everything else there is imaginable.

Mum sent me owls almost daily, and she asked me to keep her informed about what was going on. I told her in every letter that I would start to show soon, and even though Hogwarts robes are baggy, mine were second-hand.

Madame Pomfrey was also becoming one of my good friends. She gave me weekly check-ups and helped me with just about everything. She was my mentor as well as one of my greatest friends, and I don't know what I could have done without her.

Professor Dumbledore was kinder than ever to me. He helped me figure out where I would sleep and where my baby would stay. He told me that there was a small room near his office where I could stay. It was a small circular room, with one bed, a couch, and a table.

He told me that if I ever needed help moving anything before the baby was born, just to ask and he would be glad to help. Some people might say Dumbledore was batty, of his rocker, whatever, but he was becoming a second father to me, and I could always turn to him for help.

I had gotten to the point in my pregnancy where I was hungry all of the time. I can't say I enjoyed this. Sure, the food tasted better than ever, and I was allowed to eat practically anything I wanted to, but being hungry everyday all the time isn't a dream come true.

Hermione also became closer to me than before. She escorted me to the kitchens when I was hungry, helped me with my homework, and never said a harsh word. She even told me the password to the head-girl's private bathroom.

Ron and Fred were even more amazing brothers. I didn't know they had it in them. Ron was always fussing about me, asking me if I needed anything, and practically obeying my every command. Fred was even more exuberant than ever. He hadn't given us homework since about the time we told him, and I have reason to believe that Professor Dumbledore almost fired him because of his not teaching us anything.

Harry was being such a great boyfriend. I think that most boyfriends would have broken up with their girlfriends if they were told she was pregnant. Especially by their worst enemy. But he was really helpful. He knew it was only the Death Eater's fault, and what really surprised me was that he was almost as excited as if it were his own.

As I struggled through two months, all of my friends and family were by my side.
Now I now I was being uncharacteristically sappy, but I'm having a baby! What did you expect?


Okay, now today was Halloween. It came faster than I wanted it to, but you can't slow down time.

The castle was decorated in black and orange ribbons. Some live bats fluttered around and inside the classrooms-much to the annoyance of the teachers. No one could wait until dinner.

Finally- after what seemed like many years- dinnertime arrived. Nearly Headless Nick did the annual reenactment of his death.

The dinner was tasty as well as a piece of art. Everything had red or orange or black on it.
Seamus ate fast and tried to get us to do the same. I ate slowly to annoy him, and I think he pulled all of his hair out trying to shovel it into my mouth.

Dessert came. Like dinner, it was all black and red and orange.

Seamus and Dean lay out everything in a line, and waited for the starting signal. Thank goodness I was still hungry, or I wouldn't have been able to eat all of this.

"Ready," Fred shouted next to Ron. "Set. Go!"

Hermione and I shoveled some cake down as fast as we could. Dainty Lavender surprised us all by eating more than Hermione and I together when we had just started. Parvati was trying her hardest to catch up, but then she realized she'd never make it and dropped out.

Lavender was getting full and was slowing down. Hermione and I were still going on strong.
Finally Lavender dropped out.

Hermione and I were on the second to last thing- pudding. I grabbed a spoonful and started eating. Hermione beat me somehow.

Finally, the last thing. Peppermint humbugs! No way! I couldn't eat it. I was too full.
Hermione finished one, and won. I was way surprised. How could she beat a pregnant person! She'd have to be…no way. She couldn't be! Could she…?

"Hermione!" I hissed in her ear and poked her in the ribs. "Hermione!" She turned to me.

"What!"

"Are you…you know. Like me?" I asked. She blushed. "No way!"

We squealed and hugged, and we both had silent tears of joy running down our faces. "So that's why you came with me to the kitchens with me all that time!"

We hugged again. "Have you told Ron?" She shook her head.

"I don't want to tell him just yet. He's only seventeen. Is he ready to be a father?" She asked nervously.

"Hermione, were you considering abortion? Is that why you talked about being not as brave as me?"

"I won't lie to you, I was considering it. Then I thought about how you were brave enough to go through with it, and I changed my mind. I'm very nervous though. What will his reaction be? What if he dumps me? Oh, there are so many things that I could worry about!"

"Well, when do you plan on telling him? You're about as far along as me, and I'm starting to show. You can't keep putting it off."

"I know, I know." She looked worried. "I'll do it tonight. That way he'll know and I can get it over with. You'll be with me right?"

"Look, if you don't want to tell him, just hang with me and talk in whispers. If he doesn't get it pretty soon, we'll just come out and tell him. If he asks you first, just calmly tell him yes. Don't get all excited about it until after. Just be cool and calm."

"Alright. So how do we pull that off?"

"When we walk back up to the common room, we'll just lag behind and giggle and touch each other's stomachs. Showing off, kind of. I'll probably go get more food later on in the common room, and you come with me. If you're anything like me you'll be hungry a lot."

She nodded her agreement.


Dessert was over, and everyone filed out into the Entrance Hall and headed to their common rooms.

Ron and Harry were some of the last people to go, and we were the very last. We lagged right behind them, and I filled Hermione in on what had been happening to me.

"What do you think it is? Girl or boy?" I asked.

"I think boy. What do you think?"

"I think mine's a girl, but you know men. Draco wants a boy."

"I hope I don't have twins. It might be fun, but I don't know how Ron would handle it. Wouldn't that be nice? One girl and one boy."

"Yeah it would." I giggled, attracting stares from Harry and Ron. I touched my stomach, and Hermione touched hers. We both giggled.

"Oh my gosh, that was so funny! Did you see the look on Ron's face!"

"Ginny, I don't know about this. Maybe I should just tell him."

"No! Look; don't tell him when there are other people around. Tell him tonight at around midnight, in the common room. That would be so romantic. Oh no! Where are you going to stay when you have the baby!" I said that a little too loudly, and quickly clamped my hand over my mouth. "Damn." I cursed myself. How could I do that!

Ron and Harry turned around. "Excuse me?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"Uh, Hermione I'm getting kinda hungry…let's go down to the kitchens." We started running down the stairs, but Ron grabbed our arms.

"What did you just say?" His eyebrows were threatening to get lost in his hair.

"I said I was kinda hungry," I repeated.

"No, no, no, before that. What did you say?" Hermione turned to me.

"He has a right to know." She looked at Ron. "Ron, maybe you should sit down for this."

"No, I'm fine. Just tell me what you said."

Hermione took a deep breath. "Ron, I'm going to have a baby." She smiled slightly. Ron went pale as a sheet and sat down on the step.

"That's what I thought you said." He rested his elbows on his knees and sat his head in his hands. "Oh, great. Oh, great. First Ginny, now you."

"Well, it's not really all my fault. I was going to get an abortion, you know. Would you rather have me done that?" She said irked.

"Look, I didn't want this to happen, but it did." She sat down with a little difficulty next to him.

"Hermione, why didn't you tell me before?"

"Well, I didn't know until a few weeks ago. I was thinking about having the abortion and never telling you, but then I realized that if Ginny could be brave, why couldn't I? So, I went to Madame Pomfrey and asked her what she thought I should do, and she just said to do whatever I thought was best. I thought it was best not to tell you yet, because I was worried about how you would react." I sensed a sensitive moment and moved up the stairs to where Harry was watching.

Hermione continued. "Then Ginny figured out tonight at the feast, probably because I ate so much. If she couldn't eat as much as I did, and she was already having a baby, why could I? So I asked her what I should do. I was just afraid of telling you because I thought you'd dump me and forget about me."

"Hermione, I'd never forget you! I wouldn't dump you, either. Look, if Ginny and Harry can get through their troubles, we certainly can. Now, are you really hungry or was that just an excuse?"

"Well, I was thinking of getting something from the kitchens in case I want a midnight snack. Ginny, you're coming, right?"

"Of course!" I answered. I grabbed Harry's wrist, and together, we walked down to the kitchens.