Keeping it a secret was awful, I got paranoid and was sure everybody could
tell, until one day I was sure of it. It was in the Summer holidays, since
most of my own family weren't around anymore, Mrs Weasley invited me round
to join their family for some of the holidays. At least by then Percy
acknowledged my existence again and occasionally answered back when I spoke
to him.
"You're looking well love, not quite as thin as you used to be eh?" Mrs Weasley beamed pleasantly trying to make conversation across the dinner table. Percy must have spotted my nervous mumble and the way my cheeks flushed red, or even that George realised why I'd gone quiet and reached his hand over to squeeze mine reassuringly under the table. I know this because of later that night. I was sitting out in the garden alone, my scarf wrapped tightly around me, looking up at the stars my hand resting delicately over my seven months worth of a bump.
"Is there something your going to tell me?" I turned around in surprise as he spoke. Percy. Standing over me, then crouched down besides me to sit on the damp grass. I didn't answer him, but he looked over at my stomach. "Your." He cleared his throat and lowered the volume of his voice. "You're having a baby?" It sounded more of a statement than a question.
I looked away but nodded.
"Oh Penny." He trailed off; I could see the way he was looking at me from the corner of his eye. Looking at me with sympathy.
"Don't feel sorry for me Percy, there's no need," I muttered shortly. I didn't want his sympathy weather I needed it or not. He didn't reply, but sat there still, he pushed his glasses further up his nose and continued to look from the stars to me, then took a deep breath, reaching up to my cheek and stroking it lightly with his hand, not saying anything. I pulled away a little. "I thought you hated me" I said bluntly, shifting away slightly, looking at him.
He shook his head slowly. "Penelope. I don't hate you." As he spoke he kept looking down to my obvious bump. "You've got me all wrong" He paused for a moment. "You'll have to tell my mother you know?" He looked back up at the sky and then added. "Who's is it?"
I felt horrible. I just wanted to get up and run away. How dare he even ask? I could see no point in arguing or even leaving. "George's of course" I said quietly, looking at him with slight disbelief that he actually asked that. He nodded.
"Of course. Just making sure" Typically Percy, defending his words. There was a long silence, and then he spoke again. "He's only 16, your only 17, how will you cope?" He said almost desperately. That was it, I pulled myself up with great difficulty and started to walk away. "Penny. I. Sorry, I shouldn't have." I turned around.
"Percy! You have no right to question how me and George will cope with our baby, no right at all" I had shouted too loud. Mrs Weasley was standing behind me, her face slightly red, George behind her giving Penny a reassuring look.
"You're looking well love, not quite as thin as you used to be eh?" Mrs Weasley beamed pleasantly trying to make conversation across the dinner table. Percy must have spotted my nervous mumble and the way my cheeks flushed red, or even that George realised why I'd gone quiet and reached his hand over to squeeze mine reassuringly under the table. I know this because of later that night. I was sitting out in the garden alone, my scarf wrapped tightly around me, looking up at the stars my hand resting delicately over my seven months worth of a bump.
"Is there something your going to tell me?" I turned around in surprise as he spoke. Percy. Standing over me, then crouched down besides me to sit on the damp grass. I didn't answer him, but he looked over at my stomach. "Your." He cleared his throat and lowered the volume of his voice. "You're having a baby?" It sounded more of a statement than a question.
I looked away but nodded.
"Oh Penny." He trailed off; I could see the way he was looking at me from the corner of his eye. Looking at me with sympathy.
"Don't feel sorry for me Percy, there's no need," I muttered shortly. I didn't want his sympathy weather I needed it or not. He didn't reply, but sat there still, he pushed his glasses further up his nose and continued to look from the stars to me, then took a deep breath, reaching up to my cheek and stroking it lightly with his hand, not saying anything. I pulled away a little. "I thought you hated me" I said bluntly, shifting away slightly, looking at him.
He shook his head slowly. "Penelope. I don't hate you." As he spoke he kept looking down to my obvious bump. "You've got me all wrong" He paused for a moment. "You'll have to tell my mother you know?" He looked back up at the sky and then added. "Who's is it?"
I felt horrible. I just wanted to get up and run away. How dare he even ask? I could see no point in arguing or even leaving. "George's of course" I said quietly, looking at him with slight disbelief that he actually asked that. He nodded.
"Of course. Just making sure" Typically Percy, defending his words. There was a long silence, and then he spoke again. "He's only 16, your only 17, how will you cope?" He said almost desperately. That was it, I pulled myself up with great difficulty and started to walk away. "Penny. I. Sorry, I shouldn't have." I turned around.
"Percy! You have no right to question how me and George will cope with our baby, no right at all" I had shouted too loud. Mrs Weasley was standing behind me, her face slightly red, George behind her giving Penny a reassuring look.