I'll Be Home For Christmas

Chapter 7: Blue Christmas

Disclaimer: Nope. I don't.

A/N: Prepare for as many post as humanly possible over the next four days. I WILL have this done; even if it means no sleep from now till Christmas. It WILL be done. Thanks so much for the encouragement it really is what keeps me going. So keep it up!! I'm probably going to be sitting at my computer working all day today. I always keep my email alert on, so it tells me every time I get a new review. Getting reviews while I'm working is my favorite thing in the world and it makes me start working even harder with every review I get. So if you want this done by Christmas as badly as I do, or you just love me (which I know you do…. hehe) and want to help me achieve my goal please review or even email me. I LOVE email. You don't have to say much; just anything to keep me rollin. Anyway I love you all and wish me luck!

            That evening Harry and Ginny finally found themselves along again. Ron had offered to carry a snoring James to bed when he and Allison decided to go to sleep.

            "He's perfect Ginny," Harry said to Ginny who had turned to face him.

            "Yeah. He is, isn't he?"

            "I don't know how you did it. I can't even imagine…" he said. Ginny could tell he still was in disbelief that he had a son. She understood though. She still couldn't believe that he was there; that he face was only inches away from his.

            "It wasn't easy. But I could have been worse," Ginny said.

            "When did you find out?" he inquired.

            "I knew that there was something wrong with me in early December. About a week later I did a pregnancy spell and it came pack positive. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I decided not to tell anyone until you came home. I knew once you were home we could get through it together," Ginny told him.

            "But I never came home," Harry said sadly, looking away from Ginny.

            "No you didn't," she agreed. "On Christmas Eve all of my brothers came home. Ron told me that he didn't know where you were. That night I told Ron that I was pregnant. Surprisingly he didn't lose his temper. He just let me cry, and told me that I'd be all right.

            I told Hermione the next day. Obviously she was as supportive as Ron. I hadn't planed on telling anyone else yet. I didn't want to ruin the day. Bu that night after Mum and Dad went to bed, the rest of us were still awake in this room. Ron and Hermione kept giving me looks, urging me to tell everyone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Alright. What's going on?" Bill asked.

            "What do you mean?" Ginny replied innocently.

            "You, Ron, and Hermione have been exchanging little looks all night. Is there something we should know about?" Charlie answered Ginny.

            "No," Ginny responded. But Ron ruined it by replying at the same time.

            "Yes," Ron said. Ginny wanted kill him.

            "What?" George pressed.

            The room fell silent and Ron and Hermione shifted their eyes towards Ginny.

            "Ginny?" Percy asked in a tone that made him sound like a therapist.

            Ginny sighed and bowed her head, answering quietly, in hopes that no one else would hear. "I'm pregnant."

            She hadn't spoken quietly enough. "What?!" she heard from all of her brothers except Ron. She didn't have to look up to know that all of them were now on their feet. She willed the tears away as she heard her brothers ranting endlessly. She looked up when she heard one of them say "And who did this to you?"

            Ginny's head snapped up.

            "First of all, no one did this to me. Second of all," she paused and looked at them sadly, "Who do you think?"

            The answer was obvious and her brothers erupted again.

            "I'll tell you what Ginny," Fred said to her. "You better hope he's dead already because if he's not I'm going to kill him myself."

            "Fred!" Hermione gasped.

            Ginny's eyes flared at his words. She stood up so she was face to face with him. She stared at him for a moment in the silence that had fallen over the room before reaching back and slapping him across the face.

            "Don't you ever say that again," she said in a low voice, no longer fighting the tears that were no falling down her face, before leaving the room. Behind her se could her Hermione berating Fred. She knew he was sorry. She had seen it in his face almost immediately after he said the words. He loved Harry too; the whole family did. She just hoped no one would come after her. She needed to be alone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "The next day I told mum. At first she yelled, I yelled, but it all ended with both of us crying trying to convince each other that it would be all right. We decided I should finish at Hogwarts even if I was going to start showing before graduation. There was really no point in trying to hide it.

            It was hard sometimes, walking down the hall, knowing people were whispering. People weren't mean, in fact a lot of people were much nicer than usual, but it was still hard. By April I was already huge; James wasn't a little baby.  I had DADA last period my 7th year. It had proven to be worthless though since any decent professors had been fighting in the war. And after the war people seemed to suddenly think there was no need for the class anymore. But guess who shows up one day.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Ginny shifted uncomfortably, trying to position her large stomach under her desk. She was considering just leaving and going back to the Gryffindor Tower when a familiar voice spoke to the class.

            "Hello class," the professor said. "Most you remember me I'll presume. I'm Professor Lupin, and I'll be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts for the remainder of the year." Ginny looked at him in shock. She hadn't seen Remus or Sirius since the summer. They had written once, on Christmas day, telling the Weasleys that they were beginning a search for Harry, and she had heard nothing more from them after that. Remus smiled at Ginny and then began the class.

            As hard as she tried at first, Ginny couldn't concentrate on what Remus was teaching. Why was he even there? Had he and Sirius given up? Ginny impatiently waited for the class to end and thanked Merlin that she didn't have another class afterwards. That would give her time talk with Remus.

            After what seemed like forever, Ginny realized that the rest of the class was filing out of the room. After it was clear Remus smiled at Ginny.

            "Now you weren't spacing out in class were you Miss Weasley?"

            Ginny however was too worried that something had happened to joke back.

            "Why are you here?" she asked bluntly.

            "No need for concern Ginny," he smiled knowingly. "Sirius and I could use some type of income to support us while we're looking. At this one just happens to give us the benefits of the school's resources."

            "So Sirius is still out searching? You aren't giving up?"

            "I admit Ginny, that from time to time I start to lose hope. But you know as well as I that Sirius will look for him until the day he dies."

            "Please don't give up," Ginny requested quietly.

            "Ginny," Remus paused. "Maybe you should try moving on a little. I don't mean for you to give up, just let your life go on."

            As offensive as the comment sounded Ginny wasn't angry. She knew Remus cared about her, and that he only wanted her to enjoy her life while she was still young. She smiled soothingly at her professor.

            "I'm not unhappy, if that's what you're worried about. I'm living as normally as circumstances allow. But I'd never want to move on completely. I'd never want to stop loving Harry." Ginny placed a hand on her stomach, which was still concealed under the desk. "But then again, whether I like it or not I guess I'm stuck with him for life," she mused.

            Remus frowned, not understanding.

            "I'm sorry I never wrote,"Ginny said standing up.

            "Oh Ginny…" he said.

            "I'm six months along. Harry doesn't know…"Ginny explained. "I'm okay though. I can handle this."

            Her words of confidence must have calmed Remus because he smiled a little before noting:

            "I told Sirius we should have put locking charms on the Shack when we weren't using it."

            Ginny blushed. So they did know that she and Harry used to sneak off there together.

            "Well lets go tell him he's going to be a great-godfather," Remus grabbed Ginny's bag so she wouldn't have to carry it.

            "Sirius is here? But I thought you said he was still looking!"

            "He's only here for a few days. He's doing some research in the library."

            "Oh," Ginny said relieved. She silently laughed of the thought of Sirius hunched over a book in the library. She then followed Remus out of he classroom.

            "I'm glad you're here," Ginny said as they made their way to Remus' chambers. "It's been lonely with everyone else finished with school, and Harry, and this…well it hasn't really been the easiest year."

            "I'm glad I'm here too," he said genuinely before smiling. "Though it can't be the hardest year…I mean, there's no Snape."

            Ginny laughed. Professor Snape hadn't returned at the beginning of the school year, or when the war ended. While Ginny hoped he was all right, she couldn't say she missed him as a professor.

           

            They reached Remus' quarters and he muttered the password.

            "Padfoot! We have a visitor," he called.

            Ginny then saw a large black dog bounding its way towards her. It stopped mid stride and transformed into Sirius who stood gaping at Ginny, who suddenly found herself speechless.

            Not a word was spoken before Sirius engulfed her into his arms.

            "I promise he'll come back. He'll come back, and it will all be fine," the man promised Ginny. Suddenly Ginny felt herself fall apart and begin to cry. It was the first time she had since the day she told her mother and it felt good to finally let out all of her bottled up angst.

~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I'm glad Remus was at Hogwarts with you," Harry said. Knowing that someone he thought of as a father figure had clearly comforted him some.

            "Me too," Ginny smiled. "Having someone close by that understood was such a relief. That in a addition to the fact that I probably wouldn't have graduated without him. After the complication started…"

            "Complications?" Ginny felt Harry stiffen. She stifled a laugh. It was cute watching him become so concerned and worried over things that seem like history to her. It made her wonder what things would have been like if Harry had been with her for the journey.

            "Apparently I wasn't strong enough to carry James and keep up with school as usual. Madame Pomfrey said it was probably from stress, and put me on bed rest. Remus arranged with McGonagall to let me stay with him, rather than going home. He finished teaching me everything I needed to know to pass my exams. He was good about the pregnancy too. He helped me when I asked for help, and avoided me at all other times. Your godfather was quite as smart." Ginny shook her head at the memories. "Whenever he was at the school he hovered over me day and night. And let me tell you, you think the Weasley temper is bad? Ask Sirius to tell you what he thinks about a pregnant Weasley temper." Harry shuddered teasingly at the though. Then Ginny continued:

            "Though Sirius wasn't as bad as my brothers after I came home. One of them was at the Burrow at all times after I came back. I'm pretty sure they had a schedule worked out.

            July 10th I went into labor…at Bill and Christine's wedding."

            Harry let out a laugh.

            "The waiting room was a sight I'm sure. Filled with women in bridal robes and redheaded men in tuxes. They argued over who was going to go into the room with me when the moment finally came. Ron won. I think he regretted his victory after spending a little too much time with me. I was in labor for a wonderful total of 27 hours," she exclaimed but then got more serious.

            "When I finally held James in my arms I couldn't believe how much he looked like you. I almost expected to see a little scar on his forehead." Ginny paused. "That was to moment when I missed you the most. I didn't know a person could miss someone that much. I wanted you to see your son, and take him out in the waiting room and show him off to the family. I wanted you to be there with me so badly, but you weren't." She looked in to his green eyes and  moment of silence passed.

            "Where were you Harry?"

            Harry paused for moment before answering.

            "I was with Snape."

A/N: One down for today one or two to go. Well I hope you liked this chapter. I know I said you'd find out where Harry was, and you kind of did. Actually I planned on letting him tell him story in the chapter, but then I changed my mind. Don't worry the next chapter will be typed up as soon as this one is posted.

            Okay here's the deal with my review replies. I feel ultra horrible that I haven't been doing them. Problem is I honestly don't have time if I want to get this whole story up by Wednesday. Believe me I love and cherish every single one of your reviews. And the reason I don't have time to write replies is because I'd hate to just write crap replies. I like to think about them. So here's my solution. Maybe I could just do one REALLY REALLY big reply sheet at the end of the story. That way I can take my time doing them. What do ya'll think I should do? Are you too mad that I'm not responding to the reviews? Well let me know what you think, and I'll see what I can do. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!

Love,

Bella