Author's Notes: Whee. I'm having a lot of fun writing this and I'm surprised I'm cranking out chapters so fast. Even though I've only posted three, I'm onto chapter six, myself. Heh. Umm...Still don't own any of these guys (J.K.'s), and it's still in Fred's POV.
=KEY=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ = Scene/Time Change
----------------------------------------- = Day(s) Later
`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`* = Weeks or Months
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Oliver came inside the office with me this time. Pomfrey didn't like it, but he refused to leave.
She led me behind a curtain and examined the areas where I told her I was feeling weird and I saw her writing down some stuff on her little parchment and notepad. I told her how I was always tired and got nauseous from the weirdest things. A couple of times she poked my stomach and I made a weird noise, which she wrote down.
A few minutes later she sent me to sit in the front office while she walked off to find something. She left us alone, so it must have been something important.
I glanced at Oliver and then into the wing itself. There were two Slytherins and a Hufflepuff in there. All of 'em hexed, I think.
"Must stink spending your time in the Hospital Wing," I commented.
Oliver nodded, but didn't say anything. When I looked at him, he was chewing on his nails.
"Why're you so nervous?" I asked. I made it sound like this whole thing was casual. I don't know how, since I was practically doing loops in my brain, knowing it was something big when Pomfrey left.
We were in there for a few minutes by ourselves. I heard faint voices in the hall, but paid no attention to them.
I really should have, because about five seconds later, Pomfrey arrived. But she had company. More specifically, my mum, dad and Dumbledore. My heart nearly sunk.
"Mr. Wood," Pomfrey said, sounding highly stressed, "If you would please leave. This is a family matter, now."
"B-But--"
"No buts, I'm afraid," Dumbledore said calmly.
Oliver nodded, definitely defeated and worried. He left, but I knew he didn't go far. Upon his exit, Pomfrey shut the door to the hallway as well as the doors to the Wing itself. Now I was nearing shock. What was going on?
"What in the world is it?" I asked, not wasting any time.
Mum was leaning against dad, looking quite sad. Almost...hurt. I didn't understand it. Dumbledore looked about the same as he always did, so I wasn't able to get anything from him. Pomfrey looked absolutely panic-stricken.
"Someone tell me!" I shouted.
"I advise you not to shout, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said. "It will only stress your body, and you certainly don't need that."
"Please, just tell me then," I pressed, more quietly.
"P-Pomfrey says..." Mum began, choking up. "P-Pomfrey says..."
"She thinks that you're...er..." Dad wasn't much help, either.
Dumbledore was the only one giving me anything. Whether it was something I wanted to hear or not. And I certainly didn't expect to hear what he said. "Madam Pomfrey believes you are pregnant, Fred,"
My jaw must have dropped to the floor.
"N-No," I said instantly. "It's impossible. I'm a boy. I can't get pregnant! This is absurd!"
"All signs point to you being pregnant, Weasley," Pomfrey confirmed. "Morning sickness, nausea, fatigue, pain in the lower back, expansion of the hips and abdominal area...I've been a registered Healer for ages. I know pregnancies when I see them."
"Y-You told me that I was just iron and zinc deficient!" I retorted, still disbelieving the idea.
"Based on my conclusions, you're nearly two months pregnant, Mr. Weasley. I'm afraid that I may have been off at first because I wasn't looking at all of the signs the right way because you are a male. Were you female, I would have sent for your parents--"
"You still did!" I exclaimed. She seemed rather annoyed that I cut her off.
"Anyways, Mr. Weasley! You're pregnant. I'm not quite sure how, but you are. It defies the laws of physics..."
"We do that daily around the wizarding world, Poppy," Dumbledore stated. Then he looked at me. Both my parents did, too. "Now, Fred, can you tell me something?"
I frowned. I was completely lost. "What do you want me to say?"
"When did you start feeling like this?"
"I..." Truth be told, I knew exactly when. It was the night Oliver and I last made love. He wouldn't have sex with me lately because he was afraid he'd hurt me. But it was also the night I had detention with Snape. "It was around the time I finished up my detentions with Snape, Professor. At least, I think so."
"Did you have anything to drink that day?"
"Of course I did," I said dismissively. "Why d'you ask?"
"Because," he said, sounding deathly serious, "I'm afraid someone slipped you a potion."
"What d'you mean, a potion?" Mum asked.
"It is my understanding that there are some Potions Masters in the world that have managed to create elixirs that can change the innards of a man to where they can bear children. But, it's highly complicated, and I shan't bore you with the details."
"Oh yes you will, Dumbledore!" Mum said rather rudely. He looked and her and then nodded.
"If it is your wish to hear it." Once everyone nodded, he continued on, "I have read about such potions, but encountering them is difficult. It is not exactly a liked type of potion, so I doubt one could just obtain one by simply buying it. But back to the potion. What it does is magically change the man's inner structure. While he does not grow feminine parts on the outside, the potion creates a uterus in which there is a premade, fertilization-ready egg. The type of potion depends on the amount of eggs waiting, however. This uterus forms directly behind the Cowper gland, and the other pieces of the male's inner structure magically shift around to support it. However, the potion is time lapsed. The things created only last for twenty four hours, and if they are unused, they join the waste in the bowels, to which they are excreted from the body."
I blinked. Most of that was in one ear and out the other. But what I got from it was that someone slipped a potion in one of my drinks during the day that made me grow a uterus. Then after sex with Oliver, I must have been impregnated by his sperm.
Wait, this meant I was carrying his child...
I was carrying Oliver Wood's child!
My mood quickly took a turn for the better. But I was the only one grinning.
"Should the male who takes the potion be involved in any..." he cleared his throat, "Sexual intercourse before the twenty four hours is up, then it is quite likely to assume that he would become impregnated. Should he, then the potion's creations stick around, and that part is still somewhat of a mystery to me. But, that is what happens."
"This means that..." Dad began.
Him and mum looked at me with a sort of pained expression.
"That you're a homosexual, aren't you Fred?"
I nodded, then lowered my head, feeling almost shameful. My parents were crushed, I expected. I couldn't look them in the eye.
"Who did it?" I heard my mum say, her wavering voice telling me that she was on the verge of crying. "Who would do something like this to my child? This is a hate crime! Slipping him a potion to change his body!"
I blinked in surprise. She said...Nothing about me being gay. Not a word. When I looked up, she was flushed red and my dad was gripping her shoulders gently.
"That we have yet to find out, Molly," Dumbledore said. He gave me a faint smile. "But with Fred's help, I daresay we'll find out soon enough."
I gulped. I noticed my dad's eyes were on me.
"Fred," he said, soft but quite stern, "you've obviously had...sex." He almost seemed surprised he said the word. "I want to know who with. Who is the guy that did this? Is he around? He has to go to this school...Do you love him? Does he love you? Are you broken up?" His eyes widened. "Fred, are you a whore?"
I nearly snorted out a snicker. "A whore?!" I exclaimed. "I'm not a whore, father. Merlin, what do you take me for? I've only had sex twice!"
"You're only fifteen, Fred!" my mum said matter-of-factly. "You can't have a child while you're in school! Is this man a part of your life? Is he going to take care of this child? Are you going to take care of this child?"
"So many questions!" I cried out. "Just stop it! Both of you, please! Shut your traps!" My head was beginning to pound. "...My head hurts..."
Mum instantly ran over to me and pulled me into her arms. I nuzzled up to her and she stroked my hair. "My poor baby..."
I didn't know it until I felt my face get wet. I was crying. My mum just held me close to her and I felt safe. Secure. Like I did when I was little. All the confusion went away while I was sitting there with her. When she pulled back, I sniffed and wiped my nose. All the feelings came back.
"Is there any way to reverse it?" my dad asked.
I was just about to say I didn't want it reversed when I heard Pomfrey say, "Not that I know of." And Dumbledore agreed with her. I felt a wave of relief.
I know it probably sounded weird, but...I actually wanted the child. I mean, it was Oliver's and mine. It would be like...The ultimate symbol of our love for each other. Why wouldn't I want it?
But would Oliver?
Suddenly I wasn't feeling so happy anymore.
"Mum, I'm worried," I said.
"Come on, Poppy." Dumbledore gently grasped the woman on her shoulder. "Let's leave them be."
"Tell me if you hear any voices from the wing," Pomfrey said to my parents. To me, she offered a soft smile. I'd never seen her smile before. It was...curious.
When they walked out, I heard Dumbledore talk to Wood. My heart skipped a beat, because I knew he'd put it together like -that-. But none of them came in, leaving just me, mum and dad alone.
"Care to tell us who it is, Frederick?" my dad said. He sounded serious.
My mum, however, didn't like him sounding like that and glared at him. "Arthur Weasley, don't you badger your son." Then, in her sweetest, most motherly voice, she asked, "Will you tell us please, Fred?"
"You're not going to kill him or anything, right?" I asked worriedly.
Mum shook her head, but dad made no promises. He didn't look angry, nor hurt, just...determined. I think he wanted to question my mysterious 'lover'.
"I...I can't say," I mumbled.
"W-What? Why?" Mum.
"I don't want to throw his secret out to the world, Mum! He'd hate me forever and I love him."
It came out quicker from my mouth than I'd expected. It was too late to catch it, and the looks they gave me were...beyond difficult to describe. Mum was kind of torn between surprise and enjoyment, while my dad was surprised with...disgust, if I wasn't mistaken.
"W-Wait. You love this boy?" Definitely my mum.
I slowly nodded. "Have for months. He's the only person I've ever been with. Well, been with in both ways, if you catch my drift."
"Well, Fred, this is really important, you know." First time my dad spoke for a while. "I mean, we'll stand behind you in whatever decisions you make, or...er...have made, too, because we love you. But--"
"Your father's right, Fred," mum said. "We love you, and we only want you to be happy. If this...Boy makes you happy, then we'll accept that. What I think we're both more worried about is how to reverse this baby that's growing inside of you!"
"No!" I didn't mean to say that aloud. They looked at me again and I turned pink. "I...Er...."
"D'you -want- this baby?" Dad.
"I...I don't know," I admitted. "I need to talk it over with O--" I cut myself off, quickly saying, "with him."
"Then we'll let you do that," my dad said with a faint smile. "It's a good thing you came to Pomfrey, because otherwise, you would have thought you had a virus or something."
"Who knows in our world," mum mumbled softly. Then she ran a hand through my hair. "We love you, remember that. Whatever happens wasn't your fault. It was whoever put that potion in your drink."
"I swear I'll do something vicious to them if I catch 'em..."
"Arthur, don't go making threats in front of him. That's the last thing he needs right now..."
I sighed some and rubbed my slightly protruding stomach. My head was swimming, and yet still managing to hurt at the same time. Oliver was totally in the dark about all of this, and it worried me to think of how I would break it to him.
My main concern was that he wouldn't want the baby. That he would find it sickening and want nothing to do with me anymore. If that happened, I didn't know how I'd live with myself. He...He owned me. Not in a physical way, mind you, but emotionally and spiritually. He'd been inside of me...He'd filled me with his most precious essence. I'd made love to the man that I loved, and the whole idea that he wouldn't want me to bear his child nearly made me cry.
I guess I'd just have to figure it all out on my own.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After my parents left, Pomfrey came in by herself. She sat me down and lectured me for what felt like hours on the things that I would be going through. Most of the symptoms I was feeling were going to continue, and she said it was only natural that my body would get a little sore. And big, too.
I remember when mum was pregnant with Ron, and then when she was pregnant with Ginny. She ballooned outward. I told Pomfrey of my concern, and she told me that it was different for every woman. Then she corrected herself and made it "everyone".
That kind of made me feel better. Maybe I wouldn't get as big as a house when I was pregnant.
Merlin...Me, pregnant! It still sounded so weird to say, yet it was nothing but the truth.
Pomfrey eventually let me go, but not before handing me some kind of pamphlet. I pocketed it and waltzed down the hallway, offering her a wave as I left. Again, she smiled some at me, which registered as bizarre in my head.
I walked down the hallway feeling rather apprehensive. At first, every glance I got from my fellow students sent a chill down my spine, simply because I was worried they could tell. They couldn't, could they? I wasn't too far along.
I didn't know why, but I headed for Oliver and my's room. It was just a feeling that he was there, and he was the person I was looking for. I placed my hand on the knob, muttering the word we'd taught it to recognize us ("Trumple"), and it slowly turned, allowing me inside.
I was correct in assuming this was where Oliver was. He was hunched over, feet on the floor and head in his hands. He looked positively distraught.
"Hullo," I said, trying to sound cheerful.
Wood glanced up at me and did a double take, almost as if he hadn't expected to see me there. He shot up instantly and stumbled over to me, where he then took me into his arms.
"Nice welcome," I commented.
"Well? Well???"
"Eager, aren't we?"
He nodded, but didn't smile. Didn't even grin. He appeared almost...terrified.
"Dumbledore said it was big and that I might want to go do something else. D'you reckon he knows about us?"
I shrugged faintly. "That wizard knows things none of us will never comprehend. Wouldn't put it past him."
"What happened?" he asked.
Oliver slowly walked us over to the sofa, and I sat down, instantly reaching for his hands. My heart was pounding in my ears and I was getting sick, but I needed to tell him. I needed to know what Oliver wanted.
But then, a voice in the back of my head said doubtfully, "He's not going to want it. And you'll still have to carry it, then give birth to it. There's no reversal for this potion, you know."
To which I replied, "Shut your mouth! You know nothing. Oliver loves me. He'll love the baby, too."
He squeezed my hands and that brought me back around. Looking away for a brief moment, I frowned. What if the voice was right?
"Oh come on, Fred! Tell me! I'm worried sick about you and I just want to know you're okay!"
"I'm not okay," I finally said. "You know all those ailments I've been having? The throwing up in the morning? The pains and the fatigue? Even the slightly wider hips?"
He nodded along. I think anyone would have gotten it now if they'd been through a pregnancy, whether it was or wasn't their own. Obviously this boy was an only child.
"I'm..."
"You're...?"
"I'm...I'm..."
"You're...?!" He leaned in. I leaned back.
"I'm going to be sick!"
I stood up quickly and rushed over toward the trash. I retched my little heart out into that bucket, and after I seemed to empty all of my insides, I noticed a hand on my back. Oliver was gently rubbing it over my robes, trying to make me feel better.
"You all right?" he asked me when I lifted my head from the slightly steamy bin. I curled up against him and he helped me over to the sofa, where he lied me down and knelt beside me. His hands were wrapped around mine. "Come on, Freddy, tell me what it is."
"I'm pregnant," I blurted out, covering my eyes with my arm.
No response for a few seconds. When I removed my arm from my line of vision, Oliver looked shocked. He was mouthing words, but no voice was filling them.
Finally, "You're...You're what?"
"Pregnant," I confirmed.
"Men don't get pregnant," he replied in disbelief. "It can't be that."
"It is," I said a bit more firmly. "It's possible and it's what happened to me."
Oliver did a near one-eighty and began to grin like an idiot. "I...I can't believe it. Fred, you're having my baby! You're...You're having my baby!" Then he went back to the morose, disbelieving nature. "Oh, no...This isn't good...We can't afford a baby...I mean, I've been fighting tooth and nail to make sure I get into Puddlemere, and I can't just up and leave that...Dad'll kill me..."
The nightmare I had been thinking about was starting to come true. He didn't want it.
"So you don't want it?" I asked sadly.
He shook his head quickly, much to my surprise. "No, no! Of course I want it. I mean, Fred...It's our...Child...Though I never thought it possible for us to have one...It's still our child! I'll love it to death. Not that I'd kill it!" He was stumbling over his own words. It made me laugh softly.
"How're we going to do this?" I asked rather quietly. "It's...It's only two months along. When it's born, you'll be out of school and I'll be...Alone...with it..." I felt a hiccup rise in my body. First signs of tears, I'd learned. Along with a burning sensation in my chest.
Oliver stood, and my moved my legs so that he could sit beside me. He brought me into his arms and hugged me gently, rocking back and forth. "Just because I'm off playing for Puddlemere doesn't mean I can't see the baby, Fred! I'll...I'll..." He was searching for something to make it better. "I can learn to Apparate! Then I can come visit you and the baby any time."
"You can't Apparate on school grounds," I said, sounding very much like Hermione. In fact, I'd learned that from her.
"Well, I can Apparate to Hogsmeade, then come from there. I know my way. I'll bring a broom."
I smiled some and set my head on his shoulder. I was happy because he was okay with it. In fact, I was ecstatic that he wanted it. But he would only be here when the baby wasn't even born, and that was...well, painful. I felt a silent tear roll down my cheek and I sighed. Pomfrey said to expect mood swings, but this was ridiculous.
"It doesn't have to be hard, Fred," he whispered into my ear soothingly. "We'll figure it out. We have nine months."
"Well, seven, but who's counting?" When I looked up at him, I grinned. I grinned like I did when I was a carefree teenager who was more interested in jokes than marks. I grinned like I'd just won the Quidditch Cup (which we already did). For a short period of time, I was my old self again.
But that wouldn't last very long.
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Author's Notes: Review Review Review Review ^_^
