Here's the next bit ~ hope you enjoy it! JKR owns the lot, apart from the plot, which is looking startlingly as if it might be mine! Thanks for all the reviews…
Socks and Shocks
"They told me, Heraclitus, they told me you were dead,
They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed."
W.J. Cory: "Heraclitus"
Summer was upon them, exams looming up in front of them at every turn. Try as he might, Harry couldn't concentrate, and glanced up for the umpteenth time to stare vacantly across the almost deserted common room. Early morning sunshine glowed through the circular room casting a false sense of security and warmth, yet Harry saw none of it. He sighed deeply, and tried to focus back on the Potions text he had laid out before him: he had to learn these antidotes. The words blurred before his eyes, as his mind ranged over events of the last few weeks, his heart filling still with cold dread.
Ginny had been distraught when Colin Creevey had discovered their closely guarded secret. Harry vividly remembered leaving her sobbing in Madam Pomfrey's care and charging off frantically across the school in search of Colin, with Ron by his side. They'd finally cornered him in the sixth year boys' dormitory, and watched him backing away from them, wide-eyed with confusion and fear.
"Colin," Harry said firmly. "We have to talk to you. This is important."
"She's pregnant?" Colin said in hushed tones. He shook his head disbelievingly; hurt radiating through his eyes. "Ginny's having your baby? Don't even bother denying it was you."
"I'm not," Harry exclaimed impatiently. "Why would I?"
"You know, I've always looked up to you," Colin yelled, shattering the stillness of the room into thousands of fragile fragments. "I thought you were wonderful, the great Harry Potter." He gave a cynical laugh. "Just goes to show how wrong I was. How could you even think about doing this to her? Have you got no respect for her at all? Did you just use her or something? How could you do that to her?" His face turned scarlet with fury, and he suddenly flew at Harry, and shoved him hard against the wardrobe. "How could you?" he screamed again, and swung back a tightly clenched fist.
"Colin," Harry caught his breath and dodged sideways to avoid the blow.
"You… you!" Colin's face turned puce. "She deserves so much better than this. You've ruined everything for her, and you don't seem to care at all. Her whole life, everything she could have been; it's gone, ruined! You make me sick."
"But," Harry protested, "it's not like…"
"Ginny's too good for you," Colin raged on, oblivious to Harry's defence. "The thing that really gets me is how she's hiding all this, just to protect you. I can't see why she'd bother. And are you going to stick around her when this baby of yours arrives, or will that be cramping the style of the famous Harry Potter? Some of us actually care about what happens to her."
"Will you just shut up and listen?" Ron bellowed, totally frustrated. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"What?" Colin yelled. "You mean you're happy about this? What happened to the big brother protectiveness that Ginny's always moaned about, or do you think that your sister's honour isn't worth the bother of defending?"
"Defending her against what exactly?" Harry said coldly. "Her husband?" Colin turned and stared, a myriad of perplexed emotions flickering over his face. His jaw dropped.
"What?" he croaked.
"You heard me," Harry said in a deathly quiet voice. "Yes, my wife is pregnant, and at this precise moment in time you've upset her so much that I could…"
"You married her?" Colin interrupted incredulously. "Ginny… and you? Married? But… but she's never mentioned anything."
"Well, she wouldn't, would she?" Ron glared at him. "Maybe it's escaped your notice, Colin, but she's trying not to let everyone know about this."
"This doesn't make any sense," Colin shook his head. "Are you saying you married her because of the baby?"
"No," Harry said firmly. "This is difficult to explain. We got married before the baby came along."
"You did?" Colin's brow furrowed. "B-but why would you?"
"The main reason is because we wanted to," Harry said thoughtfully. "Regardless of what you might think, she means everything to me. We did sort of know that the baby would come along at some point, though."
"So if you're married," Colin's brow furrowed in concentration, "why not let everyone know? Why hide things if it's all above board?"
"Because we have to," Harry said quietly. "Ginny's hidden this pregnancy for months now, and it's been difficult for her. She's absolutely terrified about what you're going to do now that you've found out. I can't tell you all of it, but there's an incredibly good reason why things are like this, and if you don't keep your mouth shut, you'll put Ginny and the baby in a lot of danger. I can't… I won't let you do that."
He glanced at Ron, and there was a slight inclination of his friend's head in response. Whatever they had to do to ensure Colin's silence on the matter would have to be done. A fleeting thought of 'Obliviate' burned through Harry's mind. He steeled himself. He would.
"Please Colin," he begged in the silence that followed, his heart feeling as if it were cracking in two. "Can you imagine what the Death Eaters would do to Ginny if word got out that she was carrying my child?"
"I'd never do that," Colin burst out. "I'd never say anything. I mean, they'd…" His voice trailed away and he sank down onto the bed behind him, his face becoming ashen.
"Now can you see why she's so upset?" Ron demanded. "Bear in mind that apart from Dumbledore and McGonagall, not even the teachers know about this."
"I wish she'd said something," Colin muttered faintly. "I could have kept an eye on her in lessons a bit more; made sure she wasn't lifting heavy cauldrons and things."
"She's got to act normally," Harry insisted. He looked steadily at Colin, and Colin reluctantly met his gaze. "That means you've got to act the same as you usually do as well."
"Yeah," Colin agreed. "It's more the shock of it than anything else. You know, I just wanted those secateurs to prune the shrub, and there was this sort of soft invisible barrier there. I didn't know what it was until it kicked, and then…"
"You felt it kick?" Harry demanded, feeling a surge of irritation rise within him. He'd known that the baby had been moving around for a couple of months now, mainly because every now and then Ginny uttered a muffled yelp of surprise when a small elbow or foot encountered her ribs or kidneys or something. He'd never actually felt it himself. The flare of anger at the injustice of it all was rapidly quashed. This was neither the time nor the place.
"Colin," Ron said firmly. "We need to know that she's safe."
"She needs to know," Harry added forcefully. "Right now, she's howling her eyes out in the hospital wing, blaming herself for all this, saying it's because she was careless to let you get so close."
"I won't tell anyone," Colin said, looking steadily at Harry, then Ron. "Never."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"I swear on my life," Colin said fervently. "I'd never let anything hurt Ginny."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Harry remarked grimly.
*****
Harry frowned at his book of antidotes, unable to remember much more than he had when he had begun revising earlier that morning. He flung it aside in exasperation, and wandered over to the window, staring idly across the grounds, lost in absent thought. It was strange the way that things worked out sometimes; Colin's discovery had turned out to be more beneficial than the disaster they had first feared. It was reassuring to know that someone was watching Ginny every step of the way, and even Harry grudgingly admitted that he owed Colin a great deal. There had been one particular occasion in Potions where Snape had insisted that Ginny must sample the solution they had prepared. To avoid endangering the baby, Colin had deliberately knocked into their cauldron, sending the purplish liquid splattering across the room, steaming and hissing as it encountered the chill of the flagstones. In the squeals of confusion that followed, Ginny had escaped her fate, and Colin had resignedly accepted his detention from the livid Potions Master.
Harry drummed his fingertips restlessly on the windowsill. This term could not be over quickly enough. Loath as he was to leave the place he had come to love so much over the past seven years, he wanted this baby to arrive and the frantic worry to be over. Another week or so and he'd be taking his N.E.W.T.s; he had to learn the work. He had to. What sort of a future could he provide for his family if he failed these exams? He breathed deeply, and with renewed determination settled down to learn his antidotes.
Sometime later his concentration was interrupted by a scrunched ball of parchment bouncing off his forehead. He glanced up bleary-eyed to see Ron and Hermione smiling down at him.
"What?" he grumbled, throwing the parchment back at Ron.
"How's it going?" Hermione slid into the seat beside him and peered at his Potions book.
"I'm getting there," he sighed, leaning back in his chair and stretching blissfully. "I've done the worst of it now, I think. Just a few chapters left."
"History of Magic tonight," Hermione reminded him briskly.
"Yeah," Ron laughed. "You've got to stop her showing me up, Harry. I mean, who in their right mind would know about the Elf-Troll Councils of the twelfth century?"
"I didn't know there were any," Harry said blankly, wondering if he'd slept completely through that lesson.
"There weren't," Hermione retorted.
"Oh, right," Harry said, bewildered.
"Anyway," Ron said, rapidly changing the subject before Hermione could quiz him on his revision, or lack thereof. "Now that I've finally managed to haul Hermione away from her books for a couple of hours, we're off to Hogsmeade. Is there anything you want?"
"Not really," Harry smiled sadly, wishing he could escape for a few hours with them. A laugh in The Three Broomsticks over some Butterbeer was just what he needed.
"We could stay," Hermione offered, with a fierce glance at Ron. "I wouldn't mind going over some of those potions myself."
"Hermione, you could do these potions in your sleep," Harry laughed. "Go on. Have a good time."
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, looking carefully at him.
"Yes," Harry said, grinning at her persistence. "Seriously. I've got loads to do, and it's quiet with most people out."
"Right then," Ron said brightening up considerably at the thought of escaping from his revision. "You heard him. He's fine. Can we go now, or perhaps you'd like to check all the books are still in the library first?"
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. "I'm not as bad as all that."
"You are, you know," he teased, making her turn pink. Harry watched, slightly enviously, as they squabbled their way out of the portrait hole. Maybe one day his life would be as uncomplicated as that, but somehow he doubted it.
Before he had a chance to return to his studying, the portrait hole swung open again, and a group of first years swarmed in, chattering excitedly and laughing. Harry groaned to himself as they settled nearby and began a noisy game of exploding snap. Knowing there was no point in complaining, he simply gathered his books together and headed up to his dormitory, wondering if he'd ever been as inconsiderate as that when he was in the first year. He'd always followed the rules, hadn't he? Well, apart from one or two occasions… or maybe three or four… or five.
Slamming the dormitory door behind him, he was surprised to find that he was not alone. A familiar figure stood looking out of the window, a clutch of balled up socks in her hand. Her vibrantly red hair whirled around her as she turned, startled by the sudden noise.
"What on earth are you doing up here?" he asked before he could stop himself.
"Socks," she grinned apologetically, lifting her haul to show him.
"Fair enough," Harry laughed, dropping his books on the bed. "I don't usually catch you at it though."
"I'm a bit slower these days," Ginny giggled. "I almost got stuck in your trunk as well, which would have taken a bit of explaining." She turned her attention back to something beyond the window and a small sigh escaped. Harry wrapped his arms around her, and the baby, hugging them closely. In the warm sunshine of the day he could see the last few students straggling towards Hogsmeade, thankful for a final break before cramming for the exams. Strains of excited conversation wafted across the balmy summer air, mingled with the chirruping of birds overhead.
"Not long now," he murmured, stooping to kiss her cheek. "Another couple of months and we'll be living in Hogsmeade, so you can see it as much as you want."
"I know." She gave a small wistful smile. "It's just some days I feel like making a bid for freedom. I don't know how you do it; I'm sick to death of being cooped up in here, and it's driving me mad."
"Well, let's think of something nice to do to take your mind off it," Harry suggested, wishing they could run off to somewhere they shouldn't be for a while. He racked his brains for a possible compromise. "Maybe there's somewhere marked on my dad's map that we've not explored in the castle, or we could go for a stroll around the lake or something."
"I suppose so," her face fell.
"Oh stuff it!" Harry exclaimed suddenly. He looked at her surprised expression and grinned wickedly. "Let's get out of here for a bit. Do you want to go to Hogsmeade, or not?"
She turned in his embrace to face him, hand placed lightly in the centre of his chest. Her dark brown eyes darted mischievously up to his, and a slow smile spread across her face.
"I can think of something else I'd prefer to do," she whispered, eyes melting like chocolate into his. "Equally against the rules, of course." Harry felt a shiver run through him, before heat flooded his veins.
"Ginny," he gasped. "We can't, can we?"
"Why ever not?" she giggled, caressing his cheek and drawing him into a gentle kiss. "You've got a completely empty dormitory for a few hours, and it would be a shame to waste it."
"What if they come back early?" he wondered aloud, a grin beginning to spread irrepressibly across his own face. "It'll be easy enough for them to catch us."
"Locking spell on the door," Ginny suggested, matching her actions to her words, and raising an eyebrow at him. "And we could always pull the drapes across if you're worried. It'll give us enough time to get the Charm of Illusion back in place at least, and I doubt Seamus, Neville or Dean would die of shock to find me in here with you. We've been together for so long, they probably half-suspect it."
"I suppose so," Harry chuckled, pulling her closer and feeling her swollen stomach pressing into him. "I think you may have twisted my arm, Mrs Potter."
"Well, what's the worst that could happen," she laughed, eyes twinkling up at him. "I can't get pregnant, and they can hardly expel us for it."
*****
They lay entwined together, a tangle of limbs, and hair and smiles. Breathing steady now, Harry gazed up at the canopy above his head, not wanting to move, but somehow to bottle the sensation of present contentment and to savour it for as long as he could. Ginny shifted slightly against him, with a murmur of pleasure, her fingers lightly traversing an idle path across his chest.
Suddenly, he felt a thump against his side. Startled, he jumped slightly, and glanced quickly down at Ginny, feeling a battery of quivers and shudders. She giggled, and leaned closer into him.
"Looks like we've woken the baby up," she said.
"That's the baby?" he grinned with enthusiasm, sensing the frantic activity on his side. She nodded and bit her lip. "I think we've got a Beater in the making," Harry laughed, amazed at the lurching that was going on. "Do you have this going on all day?"
"No," she smiled. "He's fairly quiet most of the time, but he seems to have a bit of a party in there every now and again."
"That's my boy!" Harry laughed. "You know, I reckon with that turn of speed, we've definitely got a Quidditch player in there."
"Fred and George will be pleased," she chuckled. "Hey! What are you doing?"
"I want to see this," Harry exclaimed, burrowing beneath the covers to reveal Ginny's stomach. "You know," he said thoughtfully, rubbing a careful hand across it. "Until we took the Charm of Illusion off, I had no idea that it was getting this big. I don't know how you're managing."
"It's a bit weird to actually see it, isn't it?" Ginny said, ruffling her hands through his hair. "Suddenly my feet seem to have disappeared, and now I know why I'm having trouble getting through some doorways. It's hard not knowing where your stomach stops and the world begins."
Harry grinned up at her, but quickly returned his attention to her swollen stomach, watching in pure astonishment as a distinct lump protruded from it, and slowly traversed the full width before disappearing from view once more.
"Felt like a foot to me," Ginny giggled, propping herself up on her elbows to watch the spectacle.
"This is incredible!" Harry said in awe as a whole host of kicking erupted, making Ginny's stomach jump and lurch in all directions. He touched it hesitantly, feeling the vigorous energy contained beneath his hands.
"Does it hurt?" he asked curiously.
"Not usually," she replied. "A lot depends on where he kicks you. It used to be ticklish, sort of a bit like butterflies in your insides when he was smaller, but now it can get pretty hard. Personally, I reckon he's part of an escape committee trying to tunnel his way out."
"Probably isn't getting enough banana ice-cream," Harry teased, bending to kiss the bump. It wobbled violently, before settling down to a more sedate pace of life. "Oh wow! This really is happening, isn't it?"
"Glad you've noticed," she chuckled. "Although I think the baby arriving in July would be a dead giveaway."
"I can't even begin to imagine what that's going to be like," he confessed, disappointed that the storm of activity had subsided. He prodded her stomach gently, and was met by an outraged kick in retaliation.
"Serves you right," she laughed.
"We need more time together like this," Harry grinned, pulling her close to him and kissing her. "Just the three of us."
"I'd like that," she whispered, sharing his smile.
The dormitory door suddenly rattled on its hinges, and they sprang apart, hearts pounding wildly. Someone had evidently returned from Hogsmeade earlier than expected. Harry shot a quick glance in Ginny's direction and began a frantic scramble into clothing. Ginny's giggles became contagious, and when Harry became entangled in his t-shirt, he collapsed in helpless laughter beside her. Fighting back the shrieks of hilarity made his sides hurt. The door opened and closed swiftly, a set of footsteps clearly audible on the wooden floor. They froze, laughter suspended in mid-air. They held their breath and listened.
Silence. Whoever was beyond the crimson drapes was clearly surveying the scene. It wouldn't take a genius to work out what was going on, Harry thought, daring to glance in Ginny's direction. It was a mistake. The laughter began bubbling up within him again at the farcical nature of being caught like this with his wife. Ginny's expression was somewhere between mortified embarrassment and devilish entertainment at the situation. She caught his eye and her smile widened, the corners of her mouth twitching with barely suppressed laughter. His eyes roamed over her form, realising with a jolt that they'd forgotten to replace the Charm of Illusion. He gesticulated wildly at her; she couldn't be seen like this.
"Er, Harry?" Familiar tones sounded from beyond the hangings. Ginny's eyes widened, and began dancing with sheer mirth.
"Ron?" Harry desperately tried to sound casual.
"You know, I don't know whether to hope it's my sister you've got in there with you or not," Ron's voice sounded slightly strangled. "Either way I'm going to have to kill you."
"Um… what makes you think I've got anyone with me?" Harry hazarded nervously, watching Ginny stuff her fist in her mouth to stop the roars of laughter. He retrieved a set of robes from the headboard, and began to pull them over his head, wondering why they were jamming on his shoulders, the fabric straining and refusing to budge. He re-emerged, puzzled as to why they had suddenly shrunk, until he saw the small form shaking with silent giggles on the bed.
"Well, it's either that or there's something you've not been telling us all these years," Ron spluttered, his right hand appearing through the hangings delicately dangling Ginny's bra from his fingers.
Ginny exploded into torrents of uncontrollable laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks, and Harry couldn't help but join in. Ron may well want to murder him, but he'd never seen anything funnier in his life.
"Thanks Ron," Ginny gasped for breath and seized the evidence from his hand. "Now if Harry will stop trying to wear my robes…" She gurgled and the laughter burst forth again.
"Yours?" Harry chuckled, throwing them over. "That would explain a lot."
"I'll leave you to it," Ron laughed. "There are some things I'd rather not know about, and Harry wearing your clothes is one of them."
"Ron!" Harry became serious. "Stay there for a minute or two, please. Make sure no one else comes in. The Charm of Illusion isn't on."
"You're joking?" Ron groaned, and Harry could imagine his expression. He retrieved his own robes, yanked them over his head, and with a quick grin at Ginny, slid through the hangings.
"Sorry," Harry said, flushing furiously. "We weren't expecting you back yet."
"I can see that," Ron said, rolling his eyes at Harry. "You were cutting it a bit fine though. It's after five."
"It's not," Harry replied, glancing at his watch again. He lifted it to his ear, listening intently for the soft ticking noise. "Ah!" He shook his watch vigorously in an attempt to get it working again.
"It's OK really." Ron said. "I mean, I know, y'know that…you… um… but I'd rather not… y'know?"
"You can hardly not know," Ginny giggled, emerging from the crimson drapes herself, and straightening her robes. "There's this small matter, which you can't really overlook." She indicated the bulge at the front of her robes, and Ron's eyes widened.
"That's huge," he stammered.
"Tell me something I don't know," she laughed. "It doesn't seem so bad when it's invisible."
"Let's get the charm back on," Harry said urgently, hearing the pounding of feet on the stairwell. "Come on Gin."
"Obscuro te…" she began quickly, her wand pointed at her stomach, the racing of feet growing ever louder. Ron flattened himself against the door to prevent anyone entering, as Harry picked up from her part of the spell, binding the Charm securely. The footsteps ground to a halt on the landing outside as he added the final phrasing: "Ad opertum custodiae." Ron glanced anxiously over as the door shook. The Charm had worked. A fist hammered on the door, rattling the door handle. Harry nodded, and Ron stepped aside.
A blonde fourth year boy came flying into the room, landing face down on the floor. He scrambled instantly back to his feet and looked around him wildly. Harry recognised him at once. It was Owen Hughes, one of the Gryffindor Chasers.
"What's up?" Harry demanded.
"McGonagall," Hughes tried to catch his breath. "Wants everyone in the Common Room now."
"Why?" Ron asked curiously.
"I don't know exactly," the younger boy replied. "There was some sort of trouble in Hogsmeade, and she says it's urgent. Come on, we've got to go now."
They hurried down the stairs, into the thronging chattering Common Room, careful to keep Ginny between them. They edged along the perimeter of the room to the spot where Hermione was standing chewing nervously at her thumbnail. Professor McGonagall saw them, and her hand fluttered to her throat. She nodded in acknowledgement of their presence and turned back to the muddle of students before her.
"Your attention please," she said distinctly, her voice carrying to the distant reaches of the Common Room. At once the room fell into hushed silence. "We have grave news; terrible news." She lifted her head, so she was gazing squarely at the curious faces turned towards her. "We have been informed of an attack. This afternoon. In Hogsmeade." Her hand trembled. "Death Eaters Apparated on the outskirts of the village, not far from the Shrieking Shack, we suspect with the intention of terrorising the village." She swallowed, looking carefully around the pupils in her house, who were hanging desperately onto her every word. "Students, including some members of Gryffindor, were seen in that vicinity shortly before the Apparition. Some have been accounted for, and some… have not." A ripple of fear murmured across the Common Room. Professor McGonagall nodded slightly. "We need to discover who has been taken. Please check now for those who share your dormitories."
Harry shivered, knowing how close he had been to taking Ginny to Hogsmeade that afternoon. He clutched her hand tightly in his own. His eyes swept the room, easily locating Dean and Seamus over by the fireplace, heart lurching when he couldn't find Neville. He looked again, more carefully this time, scanning from face to face.
"He's there!" Ron nudged him and pointed to a figure crouched on the carpet beside the grandfather clock. Harry breathed again, listening intently to names being shouted out to Professor McGonagall. Sometimes the owners of the names responded, and on one or two occasions, a deadly hush.
"Luke Barnes?" Professor McGonagall repeated, white faces twisting and turning to see him, but to no avail. "Thank you," she added gravely. "Any other names?" A tiny figure pushed his way to the front and stared fearfully up at Professor McGonagall.
"M-My brother?" he stammered, twisting nervously at his robes. "I can't see him anywhere, but he's got to be. He has to be."
"Colin Creevey?"
There was silence.