Chapter 2:
Ginny was sitting in the back row of Transfiguration. Distractedly, she copied the notes written on the board, and surprisingly was one of the first to finish. She sat back in her chair, thinking about the class she had next. Thinking back to breakfast, she came to the conclusion that even Harry's smile, and his shining bright emerald eyes couldn't keep the dark, ominous clouds away for long.
Potions.
That was what she had next. In the dungeons. Always with the Slytherins. And always with Snape.
Snape.
The mere thought of his very name brought her face to a red hot boil.
"GINNY!" Proffessor McGonagall almost had to scream bloody murder to get the red-headed girls attention. Ginny smiled sheepishly up at her strict Transfiguration teacher, expecting a look of anger, but instead found a look of sympathy and concern.
"What was the question?" Ginny asked uneasily.
"The question was," explained Proffessor McGonagall, a bit more calmly this time, "When is it appropriate to become an Animagi, if one wishes to do so?" Ginny folded her hands in her lap, and thought for a moment, finally saying, "Once you have graduated and have passed all your tests, then you can speak to the Ministry Of Magic, and take a test there to legally become an Animagi."
"Very good," Proffessor McGonagall said, and moved on.
* * * *
Ginny adjusted her bag over to her right shoulder as she descended the gray stone steps slowly. WHY do I have to have Potions with IT? Why did he choose me.... why am i... She couldn't even finish the thought. She could feel the burning sensation of bile rising in her throat. Ducking into the nearest girl's bathroom, she ran in to the first open stall she could find, closed the door behind her, and emptied her previously eaten lunch into the toilet. Wiping her mouth with a handkercheif she had pulled from her bag, she emerged from the stall to a bell, indicating that she was late for class. Damn, she thought, now I'll never get away from him. The sick bastard will probably give me a detention, and try to have his way with me again. She walked to the mirror, and stared at her reflection. It didn't look like her. The hair was too dull, not firey like hers. The eyes... well... they seemed hard. No, that couldn't be her. It was someone else. She wasn't the one who was pregnant with some crazy assholes baby. It couldn't be! She almost smiled at herself, as if it really hadn't happened, and then reality, whom we all love so dearly, came rushing back to her, and she cried. Silent tears slid down her cheeks, only to fall on the floor like crystals shattering into oblivion.
After fifteen minutes, she wiped her eyes and slid quietly out of the bathroom to the door of the dreaded classroom. She took a deep breath, and opened the door silently. The entire class must have had very good hearing, for they all turned to stare at her. Snape looked up slowly, deliberately, to where Ginny stood.
"Well, well, Ms. Weasely. So you finally decided to grace us with your presence." Snape's remark was dripping with sarcasm. Words burned in her throat, but no matter how much she willed them to, they wouldn't emerge.
"Not speaking to us, I see." said Snape nastilly, "Well, then. I guess I must give you a detention. Tommorow night, meet me in this room. I will decide your punishment then." Ginny shut the door loudly, and it clanked with a sense of finallity.
* * * *
Ginny sat down to dinner next to Harry and gently slipped him a peice of slightly wrinkled parchment. Harry looked at her, confused, for a moment, then opened the note.
Harry,
I have something to tell you. It is extremely important. After dinner, meet me in the Griffyndor Common Room. After everyone else has gone to bed, we will talk.
your friend,
Ginny
P.S. Do NOT tell Ron or Hermione that we are meeting. PLEASE.
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione who where staring at eachother longingly across the table, and quickly grabbed a quill from his bag to jot down:
Alright. I promise I won't tell them. Don't think they'd notice, anyway, the way they're goggling at eachother.
He passed it back to Ginny, and she read it, nodded, and smiled.
* * * *
After dinner, Ginny waited patiently in a soft, squishy chair by the fireplace. Her fear burned down to her very soul, and still she waited apprehensivly for the room to clear of all but Harry and herself. She couldn't tell him. She just couldn't do it. Wait. She wanted to be brave. Harry had gone through a LOT more than her, she was sure nothing like this had ever happened to him, but all the same if people were going to find out soon enough, then Harry should be one of the first to know. Then Hermione. Then Ron. That's what she was afraid of. Ron finding out prematurely would be like signing Snape's death certificate. But what did she care? Snape was just some horny bastard, looking for a good lay, right? Well, if Ron was caught, he'd go to Azkaban. And telling Ron right away, would be like sentencing him to that horrible fate. She shivered, even in the warmth from the fire, and then realized that the last person to go up the stairs was almost at the top.
Harry's emerald eyes glinted as he sat accross from Ginny and said, "So, what's this Top Secret Thing that you've been wanting to tell me?" Ginny smiled a nervous smile, and her chin quivered a bit as she relived the incident in her mind. Harry noticed something was wrong.
"What? Ginny? Are you okay?" he asked as Ginny burst into tears. He walked her over to one of the couches, and settled her down into his arms, not knowing what else to do. "Shhh, Shhhh... It's going to be all right, Gin. Now tell me. What is the matter?" Ginny looked through the blur of tears in her eyes, and sat up straight. This was it. It was time for her to tell what had happened. Maybe, she reasoned, this will help me get over it, or at least be able to live with it.
"Harry," she said, strengthened by his very prescence, "Snape... Snape... Well, he... um... had his way... with... me..." As she finished the dreaded sentence, she fell back into Harry's opened arms and sobbed until her very soul felt hollow. Harry stared at her in shock, but not quite in disbelief. Snape would be just slimy enough to do something so vile as to defile such a beautiful young woman. Oh my, thought Harry, as he held the now silent Ginny in his arms, I like Ginny. Maybe more than like. I just thought of her as beautiful. She is beautiful... Without really realizing what he was doing, he tilted Ginny's head up with his finger upon her chin, and kissed her. It was no ordinary kiss. It was pure love. His lips touched hers so softly, that she felt it could only be a dream, and that at any moment she'd wake up. She didn't want to wake up. Even if she was pregnant with Snape's baby, as long as Harry was there to comfort her, she would be fine forever. The kiss ended as abruptly as it had begun, but not discouragingly so. Ginny decided to bare all. If Harry was going to love her, then he should know. He should be the first to know.
"I'm pregnant," she blurted before she could stop herself. Harry stared at her in shock for what seemed liked an eternity, but was only 3 minutes.
"Oh my God," Harry said, staring into Ginny's chocolate eyes, "Are... Are you okay? When did you find out? Are you sure?" Harry's questions surprised Ginny so much, that she barely had time to think before answering them.
"Not really. About two weeks ago. And, yes, I have taken the test at least ten times, and I have started getting morning sickness, and I am getting fat and ugly." Harry smiled, even in this moment of sadness, and said, "You are NOT fat, and you are NOT ugly. YOU are the most beautiful creature that has ever walked the planet. I'll swear it on my parents graves. I'd do it, if it would make you happy." Ginny stared at Harry for the longest time, and finally laid her head on his shoulder and let the crystaline tears slip over her cheeks, and into his clothes, to become a part of him. The tears seared to his bones, but he let her cry. Her child, and his tear-burned shoulder, would be a monument to her obstacles, and in the distance, they could see an ever brightening shimmer of hope that she, they, would live through it.
Ginny was sitting in the back row of Transfiguration. Distractedly, she copied the notes written on the board, and surprisingly was one of the first to finish. She sat back in her chair, thinking about the class she had next. Thinking back to breakfast, she came to the conclusion that even Harry's smile, and his shining bright emerald eyes couldn't keep the dark, ominous clouds away for long.
Potions.
That was what she had next. In the dungeons. Always with the Slytherins. And always with Snape.
Snape.
The mere thought of his very name brought her face to a red hot boil.
"GINNY!" Proffessor McGonagall almost had to scream bloody murder to get the red-headed girls attention. Ginny smiled sheepishly up at her strict Transfiguration teacher, expecting a look of anger, but instead found a look of sympathy and concern.
"What was the question?" Ginny asked uneasily.
"The question was," explained Proffessor McGonagall, a bit more calmly this time, "When is it appropriate to become an Animagi, if one wishes to do so?" Ginny folded her hands in her lap, and thought for a moment, finally saying, "Once you have graduated and have passed all your tests, then you can speak to the Ministry Of Magic, and take a test there to legally become an Animagi."
"Very good," Proffessor McGonagall said, and moved on.
* * * *
Ginny adjusted her bag over to her right shoulder as she descended the gray stone steps slowly. WHY do I have to have Potions with IT? Why did he choose me.... why am i... She couldn't even finish the thought. She could feel the burning sensation of bile rising in her throat. Ducking into the nearest girl's bathroom, she ran in to the first open stall she could find, closed the door behind her, and emptied her previously eaten lunch into the toilet. Wiping her mouth with a handkercheif she had pulled from her bag, she emerged from the stall to a bell, indicating that she was late for class. Damn, she thought, now I'll never get away from him. The sick bastard will probably give me a detention, and try to have his way with me again. She walked to the mirror, and stared at her reflection. It didn't look like her. The hair was too dull, not firey like hers. The eyes... well... they seemed hard. No, that couldn't be her. It was someone else. She wasn't the one who was pregnant with some crazy assholes baby. It couldn't be! She almost smiled at herself, as if it really hadn't happened, and then reality, whom we all love so dearly, came rushing back to her, and she cried. Silent tears slid down her cheeks, only to fall on the floor like crystals shattering into oblivion.
After fifteen minutes, she wiped her eyes and slid quietly out of the bathroom to the door of the dreaded classroom. She took a deep breath, and opened the door silently. The entire class must have had very good hearing, for they all turned to stare at her. Snape looked up slowly, deliberately, to where Ginny stood.
"Well, well, Ms. Weasely. So you finally decided to grace us with your presence." Snape's remark was dripping with sarcasm. Words burned in her throat, but no matter how much she willed them to, they wouldn't emerge.
"Not speaking to us, I see." said Snape nastilly, "Well, then. I guess I must give you a detention. Tommorow night, meet me in this room. I will decide your punishment then." Ginny shut the door loudly, and it clanked with a sense of finallity.
* * * *
Ginny sat down to dinner next to Harry and gently slipped him a peice of slightly wrinkled parchment. Harry looked at her, confused, for a moment, then opened the note.
Harry,
I have something to tell you. It is extremely important. After dinner, meet me in the Griffyndor Common Room. After everyone else has gone to bed, we will talk.
your friend,
Ginny
P.S. Do NOT tell Ron or Hermione that we are meeting. PLEASE.
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione who where staring at eachother longingly across the table, and quickly grabbed a quill from his bag to jot down:
Alright. I promise I won't tell them. Don't think they'd notice, anyway, the way they're goggling at eachother.
He passed it back to Ginny, and she read it, nodded, and smiled.
* * * *
After dinner, Ginny waited patiently in a soft, squishy chair by the fireplace. Her fear burned down to her very soul, and still she waited apprehensivly for the room to clear of all but Harry and herself. She couldn't tell him. She just couldn't do it. Wait. She wanted to be brave. Harry had gone through a LOT more than her, she was sure nothing like this had ever happened to him, but all the same if people were going to find out soon enough, then Harry should be one of the first to know. Then Hermione. Then Ron. That's what she was afraid of. Ron finding out prematurely would be like signing Snape's death certificate. But what did she care? Snape was just some horny bastard, looking for a good lay, right? Well, if Ron was caught, he'd go to Azkaban. And telling Ron right away, would be like sentencing him to that horrible fate. She shivered, even in the warmth from the fire, and then realized that the last person to go up the stairs was almost at the top.
Harry's emerald eyes glinted as he sat accross from Ginny and said, "So, what's this Top Secret Thing that you've been wanting to tell me?" Ginny smiled a nervous smile, and her chin quivered a bit as she relived the incident in her mind. Harry noticed something was wrong.
"What? Ginny? Are you okay?" he asked as Ginny burst into tears. He walked her over to one of the couches, and settled her down into his arms, not knowing what else to do. "Shhh, Shhhh... It's going to be all right, Gin. Now tell me. What is the matter?" Ginny looked through the blur of tears in her eyes, and sat up straight. This was it. It was time for her to tell what had happened. Maybe, she reasoned, this will help me get over it, or at least be able to live with it.
"Harry," she said, strengthened by his very prescence, "Snape... Snape... Well, he... um... had his way... with... me..." As she finished the dreaded sentence, she fell back into Harry's opened arms and sobbed until her very soul felt hollow. Harry stared at her in shock, but not quite in disbelief. Snape would be just slimy enough to do something so vile as to defile such a beautiful young woman. Oh my, thought Harry, as he held the now silent Ginny in his arms, I like Ginny. Maybe more than like. I just thought of her as beautiful. She is beautiful... Without really realizing what he was doing, he tilted Ginny's head up with his finger upon her chin, and kissed her. It was no ordinary kiss. It was pure love. His lips touched hers so softly, that she felt it could only be a dream, and that at any moment she'd wake up. She didn't want to wake up. Even if she was pregnant with Snape's baby, as long as Harry was there to comfort her, she would be fine forever. The kiss ended as abruptly as it had begun, but not discouragingly so. Ginny decided to bare all. If Harry was going to love her, then he should know. He should be the first to know.
"I'm pregnant," she blurted before she could stop herself. Harry stared at her in shock for what seemed liked an eternity, but was only 3 minutes.
"Oh my God," Harry said, staring into Ginny's chocolate eyes, "Are... Are you okay? When did you find out? Are you sure?" Harry's questions surprised Ginny so much, that she barely had time to think before answering them.
"Not really. About two weeks ago. And, yes, I have taken the test at least ten times, and I have started getting morning sickness, and I am getting fat and ugly." Harry smiled, even in this moment of sadness, and said, "You are NOT fat, and you are NOT ugly. YOU are the most beautiful creature that has ever walked the planet. I'll swear it on my parents graves. I'd do it, if it would make you happy." Ginny stared at Harry for the longest time, and finally laid her head on his shoulder and let the crystaline tears slip over her cheeks, and into his clothes, to become a part of him. The tears seared to his bones, but he let her cry. Her child, and his tear-burned shoulder, would be a monument to her obstacles, and in the distance, they could see an ever brightening shimmer of hope that she, they, would live through it.