Chapter 6.
Ginny stared at the note the owl had just delivered to her after Professor McGonagall had handed her her schedule for the fall term. It only had two lines written on it
Meet me at the third floor landing outside of Transfiguration after your first class.
Don't be late.
Ginny's smile faded as Hermione left the table with Ron and Harry for their first class and another wave of nausea hit her only to be compounded with an enormous amount of anxiety. She slowly got up from the bench, picked up her books and headed off in the direction of her first class...Potions with Snape.
Oh merlin, Oh merlin, Oh merlin. He knows. He knows I avoided him last night. He must be mad. Oh merlin, he's gonna hurt me.
On the outside as she sat down next to her semi-friend Luna Lovegood Ginny looked completely composed and slightly bored as she re-opened the book she had been reading on the train, as she waited for Professor Snape to begin the class. But on the inside Ginny was screaming. Screaming in fear, self-hatred and pure loathing at herself for not being strong enough to stop what was happening to her. She was pathetic.
Ginny lowered her eyes and finished off the next paragraph in the chapter she was reading before she noticed Luna frowning at her. She looked up quickly. Snape was standing at the front of the classroom and beginning the lecture.
"Today you are going to be beginning the very difficult Polyjuice Potion. Can anyone tell me what this potion does?"
Snape glanced around the room and his eyes narrowed on the red-headed Weasley girl who had a book open that was not the book recommended for his class. Quickly he strode over and ripped the book from the girl's almost desperate hands. Why does she not want me to see this? Could it possibly contain the notes for the plans that those despicable twins gave their brother to inflict annoyance on me?
"Let's see what appears to be more interesting than making a passing grade shall we?" His eyes narrowed on the text of the page and his mouth opened to begin to read a paragraph aloud.
The words registered in his brain and slowly he re-read the paragraph to make certain his mind wasn't playing tricks on him and then he flipped quickly to the title page of the book. Reading the title he stood still, shocked to his inner core, and then with a quick slam he shut the book and set it on his desk. He turned towards the girl that he had thought to be the only Weasley he had ever met that contained a lick of sense. Damn it all, she at least had a promising intellect.
"You are excused from all potion making during class for the first term. You instead will be helping me with collecting and storing ingredients for future potion usage Miss Weasley during your spare time to make up the work. Do you understand?" He waited for her to nod and when she did he continued on, "Stay after class a moment and I will give you back your book."
The class continued on as normal and Ginny took notes on the potion down to every last small detail and when the others got out their cauldrons to begin the making of the potion she instead went over to the ingredients cupboard and began to make notations on which ingredients they were running low on. At the end of class Ginny gathered up her things and waited while the other students filed out of the room before she went up to Snape's desk where he was waiting for her.
"Thank you Professor for not reading anything out loud." she said in a quiet voice not daring to look him in the eyes.
"Miss Weasley," he paused waiting for her to look up but when she continued to stare at the grain running through the wood of his desk he decided to try a different approach.
"Ginny." The red-headed girl's gaze shot up to him.
"I am going to assume that your parents don't know." He waited for a response and when he got none he continued again, "Don't worry I will not tell them. However there are some things that I must know in order to help you with your safety. The most obvious thing I must know is how long. I know that out of all the people here I am not the one you would want to confide in but even you must admit that I am the one person no one would ask if they had questions." He stopped and looked at her determined to get an answer this time.
"Seven months." she said quietly her eyes never leaving his.
Quickly he tried to hide his shock at this but found he couldn't. "But you don't appear to be..." he trailed off not knowing how to continue.
"I use a simple glamour spell on my robes so no one notices the difference. Unless someone brushes up against me they never know. I made sure of that." she said softly watching his nervousness start to fade.
"That won't work for much longer. Does the father know?" he asked briskly.
Ginny shook her head, "No. I wish he could never find out." Out of the corner of his eye Snape watched as the girl clenched and unclenched her fists. Then he almost swore she muttered something under her breath that sounded like, "That way he'll never be able to hurt the baby like he has me."
"So you wish to give it up for adoption?"
"No! I'm keeping this baby. Without the father. I don't care if I am kicked out of Hogwarts or my parent's house. It's my baby! Mine! It wasn't intended but it's mine! No one is taking it from me!" she burst out looking as though she was about to cry.
Snape came around the desk and awkwardly held the girl in his arms for a few moments while she calmed down. Then another niggling question popped into his mind.
"Ginny, you have seen a doctor haven't you? A midwife? Anyone to tell you if the baby is healthy?" He began to panic when she shook her head against his chest.
"I'm underage. If I went to anyone they would have told my parents. And they would make me give the baby up or sign my rights over to them. They would just see the baby as another mouth to feed." she sniffled as she tried to hold back her tears.
Gently Snape pushed her chin up so she would look at him. "You need to see Pomfrey. She'll be discreet, I promise. I'll see to it personally."
Ginny shook her head, "No, no, no..."
"You have to see a doctor. You need to make sure the baby is okay. Poppy knows how to keep a secret. You do realize that you will have to inform the headmaster. He won't kick you out. I assure you. But he will set up some new quarters for you to help you take care of the baby better." Gently he pried her out of his arms and held her at arms length. "You don't think you are the first pregnant student Hogwarts has seen do you?" At her astonished gaze he continued on, "Yes, there have been other expectant moms and all have graduated from Hogwarts and there have also been married students who have graduated as well. Sometimes if asked politely Dumbledore will even allow the student to stay on during the summer holidays and will help them find a part-time job even if he himself has to watch the child while the student works. He really is a softy about children. I suppose it's because he never had any of his own." Snape paused, "Ah, but I have gotten away from myself. So, will you go to Poppy on your own or do I need to escort you?" He asked casually but with the hint of force behind it.
"I'll go. Right after Herbology. I promise." Ginny said as she started to scoot towards the door.
"Your book Miss Weasley." he said holding out the unmarked book to her.
"Oh right, thank you." she stuttered as she grabbed it and started back towards the door again.
"Oh, and Miss Weasley I recommend confiding in Miss Granger. For a know-it-all she does seem to be a truly loyal friend. Besides, how you managed to get it past her for this long is beyond me." he added as she opened the door. Ginny nodded and started to close the door and then made a quick decision and turned around.
"Thank you for your help Professor Snape. And to show you my appreciation-Do not touch the homework assignment Ron tries to hand in to you. Have all the students pass their work down to Harry before you collect it. Trust me." she said conspiratorally with a smirk on her face as she left the room and closed the door behind her.
Ahhh, an ally in the young Weasley. And a detention for the other. Snape thought as he started to check the beginning steps of the potion the students had been working on and found one student had already managed to burn a hole straight through their cauldron. Oh, not another one like Longbottom.
Glancing at her watch Ginny realized she was going to be late to Herbology if she didn't hurry and so she began to run up the stairs and down the corridor that led to the greenhouse. Suddenly just as she rounded a corner someone grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her into one of the tiny side halls.
"Didn't you get my note?" asked a male voice. Ginny blanched at the venom laced through the words. Oh merlin, he's going to hurt me.
"Snape held me after. I had no choice." She started to walk back out into the main hallway. "I'm going to be late for Herbology. I have to go." The hand grabbed her again and threw her against the wall.
"No, you need to explain why you didn't come last night. You also need to explain why you weren't in your bed when I came looking for you." he said angrily.
Ginny started to breathe fast as she saw him lift his fist. Before she could even flinch his fist had connected with her cheek and she was down on the ground. She watched him as if through a dim fog as he lifted his left foot to kick her in the stomach, luckily footsteps came from the other end of the small hall towards them and her attacker fled so as not to be caught.
"This isn't over. We'll talk later, sweetheart." he snarlrd as he left.
The footsteps started coming closer and as she picked herself up from off the floor Ginny decided right then and there that she was going to kiss whoever came around that corner even if it was Lord Voldemort himself.
"Ginny, what happened to you!?"
The red-head smiled halfheartedly, "Mione I need you to take me to the hospital wing and I need to tell you something on the way."
Continued in Chapter 7....
Author's Note:
i'm scrapping my story 'father knows best' until i finish one of the others i have been working on. sorry