A soft clink interrupted the deadly silence in the bathroom as Ginny let
out a muffled sob, pulled the lever to flush the loo, and sat down on the
closed toilet seat. She hugged her arms around her tightly, pulling her
knees up to her chest and staring into the empty space in front of her with
tear-filled eyes. She hated throwing up. When she was little, her mother
would sit behind her and braid her hair into fiery pigtails, rub her back,
and whisper soothing words into her ear.
'Those days are over,' Ginny thought sadly, pushing away the memories of her childhood. Her childhood had been ripped away from her, as quick as Avada Kedavra. It was gone. Now she'd be responsible for another childhood. Her own child.
There was no other excuse for it. She'd missed twice now, seemingly had the flu, and even the book her mother had on magical pregnancies and the spell she'd used had told her the same thing. She was fourteen and she was pregnant. That was a lot of stress put upon her. Her mother, father and all of her brother's had always expected better of her. They all said how they wanted her to stay an independant woman, have a great job and stand up for what she believed in. Her parents and Percy wanted her to be a ministry worker. Charlie wanted her to join him in his dragon taming persuit, Bill wanted her to work for Gringotts, the twins wanted her in their joke shop, Ron wanted her to be a chaser on the Chudley Cannon's quidditch team, and she...
... wanted to be a mother.
The first time Ginny thought about it was the first time Ginny had wondered why she'd missed. What if I am? she'd thought. It wouldn't be so bad, with Draco around. They could have a cute little house, with a dog and a white- picket fence and daisies under the windows. Ginny had smiled at the thought. But she knew it would be hard, and often doubted that she could do it. She was only a child.
She hadn't told anyone. Not Draco, because she had no way to get a hold of him. Not her parents, because they would have killed her then and there. Definitely not her brothers, because they would castrate Draco and feed him to the garden gnomes. 'I'll tell them in a letter,' Ginny thought suddenly, bringing up her head a bit. 'I'll-'
The bathroom door swung open and slammed into the wall, making Ginny jump a foot in the air and land with a smack on the floor. She closed her eyes and cursed inwardly, reaching a hand to put on her stomach. Harry and Ron stood fuming. Ginny looked at both of them in wild-eyed terror, afraid to think what they were so angry about.
'Oh, I hope they didn't read my diary...' Ginny thought, frightened, as she slowly blinked and gulped, tilting her head to look at them. Harry thrust an article in her face and Ginny read the headline.
LUCIUS MALFOY RELEASED FROM AZKABAN-MINISTER PROCLAIMS HIS INNOCENCE
"WHAT?!" Ginny bellowed, becoming absolutely furious. "BUT HE'S NOT INNOCENT! THAT LYING, CHEATING, SON OF A-" Ron clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her. Ginny glared at him and thought to bite his hand.
"Mum's home." He whispered, then Harry reached out his hand to pull her up, letting it linger for a moment. She looked at him, wide eyed, and he took a step away. Ginny shook her head and brushed past them, slipping into her room and shutting the door behind her, pressing the little button that locked it. She gazed at her school things, spread out over her bed. Striding over, she packed everything into her school trunk, placing her books, parchments and quills at the bottom, followed by her regular robes, then her dress robes, her clothes, an extra pair of shoes, her money, and to top it off, her baby blanket. It was the only thing that had not been a hand-me-down. Her mother had sewn it just for her. There were blue traingles, red triangles, and ones with heart shaped balloons, with the ruffled edge.
She shut her trunk with a soft click and turned the key to lock it, tucking the key into the pocket of the school robes she planned to put on tomorrow. Blowing out her candle, she slipped between her soft clean sheets and slipped into a fretful sleep.
The next morning came rainy. As Ginny pulled her raincoat around her, the door to her parents' new station wagon swung open, and she saw Ron look at her uncertainly. He touched her arm as he slid in, Harry after him, followed by Hermione. They, too, were looking at her with concern.
"Gin, are you okay?" Ron asked, unsure. Ginny looked at him, then to Harry, who spoke next.
"You haven't been youself."
"Yeah," Hermione chipped in, "We've been worried about you."
'At least they care,' Ginny thought, but pushed Ron's hand away. "I'm fine," and she crawled over the back of the seat to sit in the back, so she could watch the Burrow as her father pulled the car out. The rain pounded at the car all the way to King's Cross, as Ginny stared out at them, wishing she could dance and splash in the puddles. Ginny would have normally pulled her trunk out to put on the train, just to prove that she was as strong as all of the boys, but she didn't know if it would do anything to the baby. The book said it wouldn't, but she wasn't taking any chances.
"Harry, could you get my trunk, too, please?" Ginny asked, clambering out of the back of the beat-up car. Harry gave her a nervous smile and answered by hoisting up her trunk after his. Ginny returned the half-smile and picked up Hedwig, who promptly woke up and gave a soft hoot. She winked at the owl and followed Harry onto the train. "Sit with us, Ginny?"
She turned to see Hermione and Ron, who had put their things away already, holding hands. 'About time,' Ginny thought. They'd been at each other so much since the day they met it was as though they'd been married. Ginny gave a grateful smile and nodded happily, then the two left, saying something about a Prefect's meeting in a front compartment. Harry put her trunk in the overhead compartment with ease. After placing his trunk after hers, he took a seat next to Ginny, and gave her a little smile. "You can always talk to me, Ginny. You know I'll understand." Ginny looked away, out the window. The hills were flying past now, and there were less and fewer houses and they went. "Please." Ginny collapsed. It was so much. She had to tell; it had been eating at her for months. She fell into his chest, sobbing out her whole story. She told him about how scared she was that she wouldn't do it right. Everything came out before she could stop it.
"Who is the father?" Harry said. That was all he could say; Ginny could tell from the look on his face that he had been expecting something much less dramatic. "I can't say." Harry nodded, telling her that he understood. Ginny felt an all too familiar feeling in her throat. "Excuse me." She managed to choke, and ran out of the compartment and down the hall to the loo's.
She wiped her mouth and rinsed her mouth out with cold water from the tap. Rubbing her eyes, she slid the door open and promptly found herself on the ground. Confused, she looked up to meet Draco's eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, then Draco scowled at her and turned to walk away. "Wait!" Ginny cried, pulling herself up. He looked at her through narrowed eyes, apparently not the same as he was in Diagon Alley. 'I'm pregnant,' she mouthed. His eyes widened, and Ginny thought he'd come back to her, to tell her that everything would be okay. Instead, he let out a snicker and said out loud, "Tough luck." and walked away, diappearing around the corner.
It all hit her at one. Ginny sobbed uncontrollably, hugging her knees to her and rocking herself back and forth. After an hour or so, Hermione and Ron stumbled around the corner, giggling and smiling, until they saw Ginny. She continued rocking, back and forth. Ginny's world slowly turned to black from the outside in, and she tipped over to the right, smacking her head on the heavy wall. Ginny's only thought, as she fainted, was that she was all alone.
'Those days are over,' Ginny thought sadly, pushing away the memories of her childhood. Her childhood had been ripped away from her, as quick as Avada Kedavra. It was gone. Now she'd be responsible for another childhood. Her own child.
There was no other excuse for it. She'd missed twice now, seemingly had the flu, and even the book her mother had on magical pregnancies and the spell she'd used had told her the same thing. She was fourteen and she was pregnant. That was a lot of stress put upon her. Her mother, father and all of her brother's had always expected better of her. They all said how they wanted her to stay an independant woman, have a great job and stand up for what she believed in. Her parents and Percy wanted her to be a ministry worker. Charlie wanted her to join him in his dragon taming persuit, Bill wanted her to work for Gringotts, the twins wanted her in their joke shop, Ron wanted her to be a chaser on the Chudley Cannon's quidditch team, and she...
... wanted to be a mother.
The first time Ginny thought about it was the first time Ginny had wondered why she'd missed. What if I am? she'd thought. It wouldn't be so bad, with Draco around. They could have a cute little house, with a dog and a white- picket fence and daisies under the windows. Ginny had smiled at the thought. But she knew it would be hard, and often doubted that she could do it. She was only a child.
She hadn't told anyone. Not Draco, because she had no way to get a hold of him. Not her parents, because they would have killed her then and there. Definitely not her brothers, because they would castrate Draco and feed him to the garden gnomes. 'I'll tell them in a letter,' Ginny thought suddenly, bringing up her head a bit. 'I'll-'
The bathroom door swung open and slammed into the wall, making Ginny jump a foot in the air and land with a smack on the floor. She closed her eyes and cursed inwardly, reaching a hand to put on her stomach. Harry and Ron stood fuming. Ginny looked at both of them in wild-eyed terror, afraid to think what they were so angry about.
'Oh, I hope they didn't read my diary...' Ginny thought, frightened, as she slowly blinked and gulped, tilting her head to look at them. Harry thrust an article in her face and Ginny read the headline.
LUCIUS MALFOY RELEASED FROM AZKABAN-MINISTER PROCLAIMS HIS INNOCENCE
"WHAT?!" Ginny bellowed, becoming absolutely furious. "BUT HE'S NOT INNOCENT! THAT LYING, CHEATING, SON OF A-" Ron clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her. Ginny glared at him and thought to bite his hand.
"Mum's home." He whispered, then Harry reached out his hand to pull her up, letting it linger for a moment. She looked at him, wide eyed, and he took a step away. Ginny shook her head and brushed past them, slipping into her room and shutting the door behind her, pressing the little button that locked it. She gazed at her school things, spread out over her bed. Striding over, she packed everything into her school trunk, placing her books, parchments and quills at the bottom, followed by her regular robes, then her dress robes, her clothes, an extra pair of shoes, her money, and to top it off, her baby blanket. It was the only thing that had not been a hand-me-down. Her mother had sewn it just for her. There were blue traingles, red triangles, and ones with heart shaped balloons, with the ruffled edge.
She shut her trunk with a soft click and turned the key to lock it, tucking the key into the pocket of the school robes she planned to put on tomorrow. Blowing out her candle, she slipped between her soft clean sheets and slipped into a fretful sleep.
The next morning came rainy. As Ginny pulled her raincoat around her, the door to her parents' new station wagon swung open, and she saw Ron look at her uncertainly. He touched her arm as he slid in, Harry after him, followed by Hermione. They, too, were looking at her with concern.
"Gin, are you okay?" Ron asked, unsure. Ginny looked at him, then to Harry, who spoke next.
"You haven't been youself."
"Yeah," Hermione chipped in, "We've been worried about you."
'At least they care,' Ginny thought, but pushed Ron's hand away. "I'm fine," and she crawled over the back of the seat to sit in the back, so she could watch the Burrow as her father pulled the car out. The rain pounded at the car all the way to King's Cross, as Ginny stared out at them, wishing she could dance and splash in the puddles. Ginny would have normally pulled her trunk out to put on the train, just to prove that she was as strong as all of the boys, but she didn't know if it would do anything to the baby. The book said it wouldn't, but she wasn't taking any chances.
"Harry, could you get my trunk, too, please?" Ginny asked, clambering out of the back of the beat-up car. Harry gave her a nervous smile and answered by hoisting up her trunk after his. Ginny returned the half-smile and picked up Hedwig, who promptly woke up and gave a soft hoot. She winked at the owl and followed Harry onto the train. "Sit with us, Ginny?"
She turned to see Hermione and Ron, who had put their things away already, holding hands. 'About time,' Ginny thought. They'd been at each other so much since the day they met it was as though they'd been married. Ginny gave a grateful smile and nodded happily, then the two left, saying something about a Prefect's meeting in a front compartment. Harry put her trunk in the overhead compartment with ease. After placing his trunk after hers, he took a seat next to Ginny, and gave her a little smile. "You can always talk to me, Ginny. You know I'll understand." Ginny looked away, out the window. The hills were flying past now, and there were less and fewer houses and they went. "Please." Ginny collapsed. It was so much. She had to tell; it had been eating at her for months. She fell into his chest, sobbing out her whole story. She told him about how scared she was that she wouldn't do it right. Everything came out before she could stop it.
"Who is the father?" Harry said. That was all he could say; Ginny could tell from the look on his face that he had been expecting something much less dramatic. "I can't say." Harry nodded, telling her that he understood. Ginny felt an all too familiar feeling in her throat. "Excuse me." She managed to choke, and ran out of the compartment and down the hall to the loo's.
She wiped her mouth and rinsed her mouth out with cold water from the tap. Rubbing her eyes, she slid the door open and promptly found herself on the ground. Confused, she looked up to meet Draco's eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, then Draco scowled at her and turned to walk away. "Wait!" Ginny cried, pulling herself up. He looked at her through narrowed eyes, apparently not the same as he was in Diagon Alley. 'I'm pregnant,' she mouthed. His eyes widened, and Ginny thought he'd come back to her, to tell her that everything would be okay. Instead, he let out a snicker and said out loud, "Tough luck." and walked away, diappearing around the corner.
It all hit her at one. Ginny sobbed uncontrollably, hugging her knees to her and rocking herself back and forth. After an hour or so, Hermione and Ron stumbled around the corner, giggling and smiling, until they saw Ginny. She continued rocking, back and forth. Ginny's world slowly turned to black from the outside in, and she tipped over to the right, smacking her head on the heavy wall. Ginny's only thought, as she fainted, was that she was all alone.