A/N: Hi, everyone, chapter six is here as promised. I'm really happy that you like my story this much – I was surprised that even those like it, who are no H/G and R/Hr shippers.
Morvidra: you asked me to finish the story – well, you'll have to wait a 'bit' for the end, I suppose…
bluemeanies: no, she won't drop out. That would spoil everything…
persephone malfoy: the baby won't be born in the near future, since Ginny is only six weeks pregnant – be patient!
OK, read, enjoy and REVIEW!!!
Chapter 6
Rita Skeeter's article
Fleur Delacour Weasley went downstairs to make breakfast for her husband, Bill. She saw that the Daily Prophet had just arrived. *Oh well, breakfast can wait.* she thought and sat down at the table, unfolding the paper. Her eyes skimmed over the pages, looking for the 'Health and Fashion' column, which usually was to be found on the fifth page. This time Fleur's eyes stopped on the fourth page. A headline captured her attention.
*Oh, my! Bill has to see this!* she dropped the cup of coffee she was holding and ran upstairs. Halfway to their bedroom, she bumped into her very sleepy mother-in-law.
"Oh, good morning, Fleur, dear." she smiled.
"Good mo'ning, Molly." she said and disappeared in her and Bill's room.
* * * * *
"Holy Snitch, that can't be true!" Bill frowned. "It's just another fiction of Rita Skeeter's."
"But what if it iz true?" Fleur asked. "We 'ave to show zis to your muzzer."
"You are right. She'll get to know it, anyway. Owls will be flocking into our house soon, asking if it's true or not. Poor mom."
"Poor Ginny." Fleur corrected her husband. "An'… poor 'Arry."
"Yeah." Bill sighed. "But they should have thought it over before they… if they really did it, then they'll have to face the consequences." his face turned serious. "C'mon, let's tell it to mom."
* * * * *
"Mother, we have to tell you something important." Bill began.
Mrs. Weasley didn't pay attention to him at first, she was absorbed in making breakfast.
"So, well, you are going to be a grandmother."
Molly dropped the scoop.
"What?" she turned around, her face beaming. "You mean… that you two…" she dashed to Fleur and gave her a big hug, then pulled Bill into an embrace. "Oh, you can't imagine how happy you made me, I'm…"
"Mom, please, let us finish." Bill interrupted. "It's not Fleur and me who are going to have a baby."
Molly's smile faded a bit. "Charlie, then?"
Both Bill and Fleur shook their heads.
Molly's smile faded a bit more. "Percy and Penelope?"
Fleur and Bill shook their heads again.
Molly's smile disappeared. "Fred? George?"
Head-shake.
Molly's face turned dead-pale. "Ronniekins? Please, say it's not him… oh no, no, say it's him, say it's HIM… rather, than my Ginny!"
Bill heaved a deep sigh and placed a hand on his mother's shoulder. "Sorry mom, but… look at this." he handed her the Daily Prophet.
Five minutes later the twins ran downstairs, laughing. They had just received and owl from the W.C. - the Wheezy Community - that their new invention, the liquid toilet seat, had won the first prize of the W.H.I.N.E – the Wonderfully Hilarious Inventions of National Enchanters.
As they arrived at the living room, they saw Bill fanning their mother with a copy of the Daily Prophet. Mrs. Weasley was lying on a sofa, clearly unconscious.
"What happened to her?" George asked.
Bill handed him the newspaper.
Fred and George hopped down on another sofa and started reading.
When Bill saw that they were finished with the article, he asked: "Well, what do you think?"
An impish smile appeared on Fred's face. "That Harry is a naughty boy… I always knew he had it in him."
"Is that all you can comment on this?" Bill looked surprised.
"No!" George laughed. "I'm happy that I'm gonna be an uncle! Good that it wasn't Percy who first made us uncles, right, Fred?"
"Right, George!" his twin smirked. "Should we send a thank-you-card to Harry?"
"Why not? And a pack of diapers to Ginny!"
Molly was just about to regain consciousness when she heard the word 'diapers'. She fainted again.
* * * * *
That night Harry managed to have a good night's sleep. He felt in peace with the world, his guilty conscience didn't bother him that much anymore. Ginny accepted his proposal, so he'd have an opportunity to make his mistake good. He still had a day before Dumbledore returned, so he didn't need to worry about having to tell the news to Ron, Hermione and the others.
He was the first to wake up that morning. He jumped out of the bed, dressed up and headed for the owlery to send a letter to his godfather.
Dear Sirius,
Everything is all right. Ginny and I are going to get married soon. (Of course she has to get the parental consent, but I'm sure that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley won't stand in our way. They like me, anyway.) So I'm getting married to the pretties girl of the wizarding world. I love her and she loves me. The world is beautiful and I'm happy.
Nothing can ruin my happiness now! (Though I don't know how to tell Ron and the others yet. How quickly do you think the news will spread? What will the whole wizarding community think? Will they despise us? I hope not. Even if they will, please say that you won't! You know how important your opinion is for me.)
Harry
On his way back from the owlery, he met Ron.
"You look pretty chipper today." Ron remarked. "Glad to see you happy again. I didn't like the sulking Harry."
"The sulking Harry belongs to the past. Are you as hungry as I am?"
"No, I'm hungrier!" Ron said, and they went downstairs to the Great Hall.
When they arrived at the breakfast table, Hermione gave Harry a questioning look. He didn't perceive it, though.
They had just started to eat when the owls flew into the hall with the daily posts.
Ron, Harry and Hermione didn't get any messages, so they finished their meals and headed for the door when a malicious voice stopped them.
"Tut, tut, tut, Potter, I knew you were a no-good bastard, but I would never have thought that you'd be capable of this!"
"What the hell have you concocted again, Malfoy?" Ron snapped.
A diabolic smirk appeared on Draco's face. Hermione cringed from his expression. She had a very bad feeling – and it was somehow connected to their previous evening's dispute with Malfoy. This boy knew something that they didn't. But what?
"I haven't concocted anything, Weasel." Draco replied. "Have you seen today's paper?"
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged confused looks.
"So you haven't." the blond boy drew the conclusion. "Want to have a look at it? It's darn interesting, especially for you, Potter." he threw the Daily Prophet to Ron and left with a huge smirk on his face.
The trio peered into the paper. Seeing the headline, Harry started to feel dizzy, Hermione's jaw dropped and Ron's face turned as red as his hair.
Who does Harry Potter love?
Ginny Weasley or the caretaker's cat?
An amazing report from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
by Rita Skeeter
Who would have thought? The famous and venerable Harry Potter turned out to be by far not as honest as we all believed him to be. Did he conquer You-Know-Who at the age of one? Did he successfully battle him over and over the years? Maybe. But this Harry Potter is the same who kept crossing lines again and again – according to Professor Severus Snape, Potions teacher at Hogwarts.
"That boy has always been up to something. Reckless and naughty – the greatest ringleader the school has ever seen."
And now this greatest ringleader of Hogwarts has really crossed the mark.
After having fallen in love with Argus Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris – as a result of an attraction potion made at Professor Snape's class, - Harry Potter left for the infirmary, where a young lady, Ms. Virginia Weasley was being examined. This poor, innocent girl had fainted during a Transfiguration class with Professor McGonagall. She was taken to the medic bay, where Potter later visited her.
We can only imagine Potter's horror-stricken expression when he was informed about Ms. Weasley's faint – for this boy had all reasons to believe that the whole world collapsed around him.
Still under the effect of his burning desire for the caretaker's cat, he left the hospital wing and headed for his dorm. He fell asleep soon – who knows whom he was dreaming about: Ms. Weasley or Mrs. Norris? Not much later Madame Pomfrey, the medic of the school woke him, saying that Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to him. (We must mention that Professor Dumbledore was absent that day.) No one knew what they could be talking about in the middle of the night, but the following day Potter seemed to be incredibly distracted. As if he was absent-minded, or something.
The revelation of the truth still hadn't come, though.
That evening, however, Potter again visited Virginia Weasley. If this wasn't suspicious, then nothing!
Fortunately a watchful student of Potter's grade managed to overhear a discussion between Pomfrey and McGonagall about the proposal Potter was about to make to Ms. Weasley.
Proposal? At their age? Why? – you would ask.
Now Rita Skeeter is unveiling the answers to these questions:
- Proposal? – Yes. Do you think that young Ms. Weasley has another choice?
- At their age? – Exactly. They simply cannot wait any longer.
- Why? – Because Ms. Weasley is expecting a baby – a little Potter.
Now do you still think of 'The Boy Who Lived' as someone holy and respectable?
Do you still think that everyone can make mistakes? Well, you may think so, but don't forget: this time you are speaking about Harry Potter – and if someone, then HE should have set an example for his fellow-students. He seems to have failed.
By the time they read through the article, not only had Ron's face turned as scarlet as the Hogwarts Express, but his hands holding the paper had also started to shake.
"Is… is this true, Harry?" he asked in a low voice.
Harry glimpsed at Hermione, pleading her to do something, but the girl didn't see his hidden plea. Even is she saw it, she had no intention of helping him out. There was no way out of this situation. He was trapped. He took a deep breath and said: "Yes Ron, it is."
Both Ron and Hermione gasped.
"How… how could you?" Ron clenched his fists. Harry hadn't seen him this furious in their seven-year friendship. Not even when Ron was angry with Malfoy. No… this was not only anger – it was hate.
He couldn't stand his friend's - ex-friend's – stare, so he looked at the girl standing next to them.
"Have you got no shame, Harry?" she scowled at him. By that time Harry was sure that neither of his two friends would give him any support. On the contrary. He needed support AGAINST them.
"I'm… I'm so sorry…" he mumbled. "Ron, I love your sister, and I'm gonna marry her, and…"
"I don't want a fucking bastard like you to become my brother-in-law!" Ron howled at him and ran out of the hall.
"Herm…" Harry turned to the girl.
"So that was why I couldn't find clupea in Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions."
"Huh?"
"Never mind, Harry." she said. Her voice was full of sadness. Not fury, not hatred, just eternal sadness… and it tore at Harry's heart like a dagger. It hurt him even more than Ron's hateful stare.
"Herm, do you…"
"Not now, Harry." she turned on her heels and left.
Ron left, Hermione left – Harry was left alone.
Alone.
A/N 2: So, what do you think? Sorry if there are repeated words like 'you you' – my PC has gone crazy, and when saving the Word document in HTML format, it likes to repeat words, and I cannot do anything to prevent it.
Chapter 7 will be up soon, with a VERY-VERY angry Ron. Until then, review, review, review!!!