Ginny didn't do what everyone expected her to do. They all expected she'd call off the engagement with Seamus. They all expected her to go to Draco immediately with news of the baby. They all expected things to go back to the way they had been before, with their little sister happy and energetic again, and the tall blonde man to be a regular fixture at the burrow.
But what happened instead was that Ginny once more retreated from life. She went back to her room. She didn't talk to anyone, not Bill, not Charlie, not the twins, not Percy. Not even Ron when he banged on her door for half a day, begging her to come out, yell, scream, hit him, hex him, anything, just come out. Harry too, spent the better part of a day at Ginny's door, begging her to talk to him, to anyone. Hermione tried, Molly tried, Arthur tried. But for five days, Ginny never once came out of her room except to scurry to the bathroom, or into the kitchen to gather food and take back up to her room.
"At least she's eating." Arthur said.
"Yes, but did you see her?" Molly asked, worriedly. "She looks awful."
Ginny did look awful. Black circles under her eyes, nearly paper white skin, the red eyes and nose, all told of someone in misery.
It was finally Seamus who brought her around. He stood at her door and called to her.
"Ginny? I know you're in there. You don't have to say anything Gin, just listen, ok? I don't know what to do, Gin. I don't know if the engagement is off, or if you still want to marry me. Arrangements have to be made Ginny, and I can't make them till you tell me what you want to do? Can you just think about it Ginny? Think about it and let me know?" he said softly, laying his forehead on the door. "I love you lass. Whatever you want is what we'll do."
Seamus, as well as Hermione, Harry and Ron, who were standing in the hallway behind him, were surprised when the door suddenly creaked open. A red eyed, sniffling Ginny peeped around the door at him.
"Do YOU still want to marry me Seamus? " she asked.
"Gin, lass, of course I do." He said, smiling at her and opening his arms.
Ginny hesitated only a moment then went into them, resting her head on his chest. "Then we will. But, would you do something for me?"
"Anything love. What is it?" he said, kissing the top of her red head.
"Will you take me away, Seamus? Far away from here? Can you and I, and the baby go away and never come back?" she asked, looking up at him pleadingly.
Seamus looked surprised but then said, "If it's what you want lass. I've family house in Ireland. I'm sure my parents would be happy to turn it over to us. It's been empty for quite some time."
"Ireland." Ginny said, dreamily." Yes, that would be fine. Thank you Seamus. I'm going to wash my face now. I'll be down in a few minutes."
Seamus, Ron and Harry went down the stairs, happy to have finally gotten Ginny out of her room. Hermione though, noticed the glazed quality of Ginny's eyes, and the strange blank look on her face, and stayed behind. She followed Ginny to the bathroom and as she washed her face, Hermione said, "Ginny, do you think moving to Ireland is the answer?"
"I think it's a lovely idea. Don't you?" Ginny said.
"Well actually, "said Hermione, "No. I don't. I think the right thing to do would be to call off this marriage to Seamus because you don't love him. I think the right thing to do would be to tell Draco that he's about to become a father."
Ginny looked up and met Hermione's eyes in the mirror. There was a look there that Hermione recognized as a mixture of defeat, resignation, and resolution. "I can't tell Draco now Hermione. Don't you get it? It doesn't matter what the truth is anymore. I lied. He won't understand. It won't make a difference in things now."
"You can't know that Gin. And does it really matter whether it makes a difference or not? It's the right thing to do." Said Hermione.
"I DO know Hermione. I know Draco better than anyone, and I know how he will react to a lie as big as this. And I can't say as I blame him. And yes, it matters if it makes a difference or not. It's very easy for you to judge what the right thing is, but step into my shoes for a moment. I have a baby to think of. God knows if I didn't, I'd still be in that room, or worse. But there is a baby. Draco will never marry me now. He'll hate me if he finds out about all this. I'd deserve it. But I don't believe that raising a child with a man that detests you is all that good for the child. So, I'll go on with my plans and marry Seamus. Seamus knows I don't love him. But he's still willing. And I will be a good wife to him. I will." Ginny said determinedly.
"And moving away?" Hermione asked. "It's going to destroy your mum. None of them want you to leave Gin."
"Mum will understand." Ginny said, looking back down. "I have to leave Hermione. I can't face him again. I can't take a chance I might run into him on the street or at some party. I have to move on and the only way to do that is to get away. It's the only way for him too. He'll find someone else if I'm not around to remind him. I love him too much to let him continue suffering at every sight of me."
Hermione said nothing. She turned and went down the stairs with Ginny. The Weasleys were all too happy to have Ginny back to semi-normal again, and too afraid to question her decisions. They all gathered round the kitchen table and Molly bustled at the stove to get something going to feed them all. Hermione observed them for a few moments, then reached a decision in her mind. She slipped quietly over to Ron.
"I have to go out for a bit. I'll be back soon, ok?" she said.
Ron turned from his family and asked, "Where you off to love? Can't it wait?"
"No, "she said, shaking her head. "But I won't be long, I promise. Look after Grange for me, please."
"Sure." He said, kissing her cheek. "Hurry back."
Hermione smiled at him then flung her cloak over her shoulders and apperated out of the burrow.
She found Draco easily enough at his apartment. He saw it was her and opened the door to let her in. "Granger, what in the world did I do to rate a visit from you?"
Hermione surveyed Draco. The normally groomed-to-a-tee man was completely disheveled. His clothes were untucked and wrinkled, his hair was a mess, there were dark circles under his eyes and he looked like he might fall down from exhaustion at any moment. It was unsettling to see Malfoy this way.
"Malfoy, I have some things to tell you. You better sit down." She said, and taking a deep breath, began to tell him the story Isolde had told her.
Draco's face grew stormy. "You mean to tell me, I never even slept with her?"
"Not according her. " Hermione said. "She spelled the fire whiskey, got you to the night club, had that wretched Rita Skeeter take your picture, then drug you home. She planted the underwear, and waited, like Ron told her to."
"And that day in Diagon Alley?" he asked.
"Bill told Ron about owling you to let you know where Ginny would be. Ron was prepared. He just flooed Isolde and told her what to do. Her getting pregnant afterward was her idea though; Ron swears he had nothing to do with that."
"No offense, Granger, but I'm going to kill your husband." Growled Draco.
Hermione sighed and said, "Don't think I didn't consider it myself. Try not to hurt him too badly Draco. Your godson needs his father."
"I need to tell Ginny all this. Maybe it will make a difference in things somehow." He said, pacing the room.
"Ginny already knows." Said Hermione.
Draco stopped pacing. "She knows? That must be why. She came to see me that night. I thought at first she had decided to stay, to call the marriage to Finnigan off…."
"She came to see you? The night she disappeared she was here? You can't imagine how we've all wondered what happened to her that night. She came back the next morning, went straight to her room and wouldn't come out for almost a week. Even with Ron begging her to come out and hit him." Hermione said. "What happened that night Draco? Something must have, because she completely melted down after that."
"I don't know. She came, we…we made love. I started talking to her about staying with me, and she seemed responsive at first." Draco ran a hand through his hair. "Then I told her that I would take care of her and Finnegan's baby, and she did a complete turn around. I begged, but she said she was going to marry him anyway."
Hermione grew still at the mention of the baby. "Draco, did you say anything derogatory about Isolde lying about the baby?"
"Yes, I said what an awful unforgivable thing it was to have a baby and keep it a man that he was the father. Why would that have any effect on Ginny?" Draco asked.
"Sit down Draco." Said Hermione. "There's something else you should know. Ginny's baby….it's not Seamus'. Ginny's seven and a half months along."
Draco frowned. "But that can't be right. If she were that far along, the baby would be…..OH MY GOD, Hermione? Is Ginny's baby mine?"
Hermione nodded. She watched as Draco's face went from shock to joy to anger. It was the anger that worried her. She knew Draco, and was quite fond of him, but he was stubborn as a mule and if he decided he had been wronged, even by Ginny, he would seek retribution.
"No wonder she wouldn't stay here that night. She lied! Lied to me! About something like that! How could she? Why? WHY would she do that?" he ranted.
"Draco, calm down, please." Hermione said, laying a hand on his arm. "She didn't know she was pregnant at first. By the time she found out, Isolde had moved in here and she thought the two of you would be getting married. She didn't know what to do."
"DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO???" he said, shaking Hermione's hand off and glaring at her. "I'll tell you what she SHOULD have done. She should have told me. For god's sake, I LOVED her!"
"Don't you love her still Draco?" asked Hermione. She wondered worriedly if she had just made the situation worse. But she still felt Draco had a right to know about his child. And once everyone involved knew all the facts, this situation could reach some closure, and good or bad, and an end was needed. "Because if you do, you need to do something and soon. Seamus and Ginny are getting married next week, and Seamus is taking Ginny to Ireland, for good."
Draco sneered at the question. "How could I not?" he asked. And with that he stalked out the door, leaving Hermione staring after him.