Chapter 5- Ginny's dilemma
The following day was a Wednesday and the only day that the twins closed their shop. It was done grudgingly and only because all shops in Diagon Ally closed on Wednesday afternoons for half day closing. That morning Molly was frantic with anxiety; she had already told the twins no fewer then six times during breakfast and as she bustled about the house waking the boys, handing out clean laundry and cooking that Ron and the twins had to be home by twelve thirty in order for them to look after Harry, who was to arrive at the Burrow at midday
"Make sure your back here at half twelve!" Molly called once more to the twins as they collected their sandwiches for lunch and apperated to work. She knew that they had heard her even though they had acted as though they hadn't, Molly was too experienced with the ways of her children by now. If she mentioned their task once, then they would never do it, but years of raising the boys had made Molly realise that a constant bombardment of orders and demands eventually penetrated their heads and made them do the things that Molly asked them to do. Even simple things like asking them to clean their muddy shoes before they entered the house or to tidy their bedrooms required insistent nagging. But it wasn't just Fred and George; Ron and Charlie were the same. All of them had to be continuously reminded to do things. Bill and Ginny on the other hand didn't usually have to be asked and Percy only had to be asked once.
Molly instantly stopped as she thought about her missing son; his empty room still pained her whenever she went passed it, the room was left as it had been on the day Percy had departed from the house. His pyjamas neatly folded on the bed, his socks neatly rolled up and stored in colour order in his draws and his small silver Head Boy badge that Molly had seen him wear with pride rested on his bed stand gathering dust. Not that Molly let anything in that room gather dust, she cleaned it religiously every week, sometimes everyday. Molly and the room both waited for its owner to return but after nearly two years Molly knew, deep inside, that that prospect was something that would never happen.
'But still' Molly thought as she quickly cuffed away the tears that formed in her eyes and hurried to retrieve Ron's travelling coat 'there was always hope'
"Ron, please remember not to be late" Molly urged as she regained herself after her moment of thinking about Percy and she helped her youngest son on with his coat "You have to be back here at half past for me and Ginny to get away on time for her to meet her appointment"
"Don't worry we'll be back" Ron said confidently before he grabbed a handful of floo powder and flooed off to the shop.
Soon after Arthur, Bill and Charlie also apperated to work and the rest of the morning was spent waiting. Molly always hated the waiting, every day was the same, she'd say goodbye to Arthur and the boys and then she'd wait. Filling her time with house work and cooking and the occasional trip to the Diagon Ally for supplies, it was different though in the summer months. The children would then be back from Hogwarts, and when they where younger Molly enjoyed having them around. But it was different now. The boys had all nearly grown. They were independent; they had jobs of their own, Friends and careers. They all had lives that were making them drift further and further apart. Molly had seen it all slowly happening over the years. She had devoted her entire life to looking after others and soon they would all be gone, off to start life adventures away from the Burrow and from Molly.
Bill was already half way there, he had fallen in love with a colleague at Gringotts, Fleur Delacour. She was French and very beautiful, Molly knew that Bill was slowly beginning to love the girl's homeland as much as the girl herself and Molly lived in dread of the day that Bill and Fleur would both come to the Burrow announcing that they where both going to live in France, away for the Burrow and from Molly.
The twins also had a life plan, Plans for expansion for their shop, first Diagon Ally, then Hogsmead, Paris and then the world. Like everything else the twins had first shared their ideas for the shop with Molly and the family, but now? Now Molly guessed that the twins plans where too big for people like their mother to be told about them. Even Charlie and Ron had plans. Charlie's ambition had always been to study artic dragons and he was slowly gaining the funding for his expedition by making contacts through his preservation work, Molly also knew that it wouldn't be long until Charlie announced that he would be leaving too.
'Eighteen months' Molly thought, she would be losing another son within eighteen months. Even though Charlie had not yet formally told the family Molly knew that her second eldest son's dream was quickly coming true as their was many people at the Welsh Dragon Preservation centre, where Charlie now worked, that was interested in his idea, and Molly knew that the founder of the preserve was a very wealthy Dragon lover.
'And Ron' Molly thought as she cleared away the breakfast things would be starting his life's journey too, he was graduating from Hogwarts this year and he hoped to be enrolled as an aura, and even though Molly dreaded the thought of her youngest son training for such a dangerous career it was what Ron had set his heart on and Molly could do nothing but wish her son all the best.
'They'd all be gone soon' Molly thought as she carried a large hamper of laundry upstairs, but there was at least one ray of hope, Ginny and the baby. Molly smiled at this thought; it would be wonderful to have a baby in the house again.
As the morning progressed Ginny was becoming increasingly apprehensive and Molly suspected that her daughter's nervousness didn't have anything to do with her forthcoming appointment. Something else was bothering Ginny and as the morning crept slowly on Ginny disappeared into her room refusing to come out. But even though Ginny may not have been nervous of the forthcoming appointment Molly was. She wondered what healer Sedgewick would say, whether the baby and Ginny were both healthy and whether he would say something about Ginny's age and deem Molly a bad parent for allowing her teenage daughter to become pregnant.
At half eleven Molly stopped work and prepared lunch for when Harry arrived and when the twins and Ron would come home. Noon came and went and at ten past the twins and Ron came home, Ron was infinitely proud of the fact that he had persuaded Fred and George to close even earlier then normal but at half twelve Harry and his uncle still hadn't arrived and Molly, against her better judgment, had no other choice but to leave the twins in charge as she and Ginny headed to St Mungos.
Neither Ginny nor Molly spoke as they pulled on their travelling cloaks and flooed to the wizarding Hospital and then headed to Healer Sedgwicks office. Despite their appointment there was a very long queue of patients waiting to see the healer, as Molly knew there would have been and so in yet more silence Molly and Ginny waited.
"Your not going to tell Harry are you?" Ginny said unexpectedly as they moved further up the queue.
"Tell Harry what?" Molly asked not understanding Ginny's question
"A-About me and the….the baby?" Ginny said softly as the old witch opposite Molly raised her eyebrow in disgust at Ginny's words
"I won't if you don't want me to" Molly replied ignoring the reaction of the old witch. Ginny smiled weakly up at her mother but didn't say any more, Molly knew that it was due to the disapproving stare of the old witch. But Molly couldn't help but wonder at her daughters words. Was Harry the father? Molly struggled to hold back a smile,
'If he was?' Molly thought joyfully, then it was the best news that Molly had heard in a very long time.
It was half one when Sedgewicks assistant finally called Ginny's name and Molly noticed that Ginny walked slowly into the healers office, almost as though she was expecting something ominous to happen,
"Come on dear" Molly encouraged as she stood and held the door open for her and she heard the old witch loudly tutting disapprovingly, Molly watched Ginny inside,
"Why don't you mind your own business you old hag" Molly hissed at the old witch out of the side of her mouth before she followed after Ginny and closed the door to the outraged gasps of the old witch. They where barely fifteen minutes in Sedgewicks office, he confirmed that Ginny was, as she had rightly told, pregnant and that she was approximately two months gone. Which as Sedgwick needlessly told them meant that the baby would be born at Christmas.
Molly couldn't help but feel sad that it had it taken Ginny such a long time for her to finally confide in Molly. But Molly instantly dismisses this, telling herself that her hurt was ridicules. Ginny would still have been at Hogwarts when she would have realised that something was wrong and Molly knew only too well that even a missed period or two didn't really mean anything. And Ginny was still young, Molly tried to remind herself, Her daughters body was still in it's stages of development and it was such an easy mistake to miss. Molly guessed that it wasn't until several months later and when the morning sickness had started that Ginny would have finally understood what had happened.
"Congratulations Miss Weasley" Sedgewick said his tone sounding as though it was a forced cheerfulness as he indicated that the appointment was over "I'm sure the father is thrilled, a midwife witch will be assigned to you shortly and she will visit you every two weeks at first to see how you're progressing. Have a nice day" with that Sedgewick bustled Molly and Ginny out of his office and beckoned the old witch inside who glared at Molly as she hobbled passed but Molly ignored her and led Ginny back down the corridor.
"I need to Owl your father" Molly said as they headed back to the reception hall and Molly pulled parchment and quill from her handbag, scrawled down what the Healer had told them and then handed the letter to the receptionist who promised to post it immediately.
"Why couldn't you have waited to tell dad when he gets home?" Ginny asked miserably as they waited in line to floo home. Molly guessed that her daughter's sullenness was due to the prodding and probing that healer Sedgewick had done. In his examination he not only insisted on examining Ginny but had also insisted on asking lots of questions about both about Ginny herself and also the father. The latter Ginny had answered in as broad a sense as she possible, leaving Molly still uncertain as to wheatear Harry was the father.
Molly guessed that it was a combination of the examination, the questions and the anxiety of the day that had made Ginny want to rush the examination and so she had refused to let Sedgewick cast a projection charm that would have allowed both Ginny and Molly to see the baby.
"Your father has to tell Dumbledore what's going on" Molly said replying to Ginny's question as they quickly moved up the line towards the floo station.
"Tell Dumbledore about me?" Ginny gasped a little too loudly drawing the attention of a few neighbouring wizards "Will-will doing that mean that Madam Pomfrey can be my midwife witch?" Ginny whispered as she lowered her head
"We'll see" Molly said softly as they finally came to the start of the queue and flooed home.
"What did the healer say?" called Fred as Molly and Ginny entered the kitchen
"Everything's ok, Ginny's fine" Molly said happily as Ron handed her a cloth and she cleared the ash from her eyes,
"Harry dear" Molly called as she saw who was sitting at the table
"Mrs Weasley" Harry said happily as he hugged her and Molly couldn't help but remember what Ginny had said about Harry before they entered Sedgwicks office. Was Harry really the father of her soon to be grandchild? Once more Molly couldn't help but smile.
"It's so good to see you" Molly said earnestly "I'm sorry I couldn't have been here to meet you, it's just that…Well you're here now" She beamed at Harry and he smiled in return his eyes flicking towards Ginny.
"I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about don't you?" Molly said as Ginny looked up at her in horror.
"Now?" Ginny said in a very small voice
"It's ok" Harry said suddenly, his voice reassuring "Ron told me all about it, I'm so sorry Gin"
"Ron told you!" Ginny cried horror-struck, "He told you that I'm Pregnant!"
"Pregnant?" Harry gasped his green eyes widening in shock as Molly watched aghast as Harry's reaction turned from one that was cheerful and happy to one that was confused and then horrified,
"You didn't know?" Ginny squealed in horror, the little colour that was in her face instantly draining as she stood momentarily frozen to the spot before she hurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs fresh tears spilling from eyes.
"I said she'd been ill, that's all" Ron said meekly as the twins glared at him
"Nice going genius" Fred hissed
"G-Ginnys pregnant?" Harry said softly he was still in a state of shock.
"Go start dinner" Molly told the boys as she headed after her daughter.
Molly headed upstairs after her daughter, she didn't know she would be able to say that would heal the situation that the boys had course and Molly climbed onto the second landing she cursed the twins and Ron for having told Harry anything.
There was enough problems in Molly life at the moment dealing with Ginny, Arthur and the rest of the boys, more then enough work. And Molly hadn't really thought about dealing with a shocked and confused father. Not at this stage anyway.
Molly headed towards Ginny's bedroom and knocked on the door gently. She paused listening to the sobs of her daughter.
"Ginny, it's me?" molly called softly but when now answer came Molly slowly pushed the door open knowing that she had to take each problem at a time and to start with Ginny needed the most help.
"Ssshhh" Molly cooed soothingly as she entered the room and sat next to Ginny on the bed "Its ok. Everything will be fine. I know that you didn't want Harry to find out like this but…but well he knows now. He may be a little shocked to begin with but he's a good boy, he'll do you right"
"Everyone is disgusted by me aren't they?" Ginny said through the tears, her eyes where growing puffy as more tears rolled onto her cheeks and her small frame shuddered as she wept.
"No one is disgusted by you" Molly replied firmly as she sat next to her daughter on the bed, but Ginny cut her off ignoring her words
"Harry is! And so are Fred and Charlie. That old witch at st Mungo's was and even healer Sedgewick was unpleasant to me, asking questions that he didn't need to know, rushing us out of his office!"
"Sedgewick's a busy man, he's unpleasant to everyone and it's his job to ask question, but he's a very good healer, and it was you that wanted to rush the appointment not Sedgewick" Molly said softly, as she put her arm around Ginny holding her gently, "And as for Fred and Charlie they aren't disgusted, their just shocked, that's all. It's hard for them to understand, they still see you as the little baby that I brought home from St Mungo's sixteen years ago, they always will"
"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO UNDERSTANDING?" Ginny screamed as she pulled away from Molly and stood facing her "YOU SHOULD HATE ME! YOU SHOULD YELL AT ME, PUNISH ME, DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING BUT BE SO UNDERSTANDING! TELL ME I'M BAD THAT I'M DISGUSTING THAT I'VE RUINED MY LIFE!"
Molly sighed deeply and shook her head "Why should I punish you? You haven't done anything wrong. You're punishing yourself over something that's so natural"
"Natural!" Ginny screamed "it isn't natural to be having a baby at sixteen in our world!"
"Having a baby Ginny, is the most natural thing that any woman can do!" Molly said soothingly as she continued "You've created a new life and it's growing inside of you, that's something wondrous, it's the greatest magic of all. How can you be punished for that?"
Ginny looked at Molly in amazement and Molly knew that Ginny was trying to gauge the sincerity in the words that she had spoken. But Molly was sincere, she meant everything that she had said, she loved her daughter and all her family and she knew that she would love the baby too, and she would love Harry no matter what he and Ginny decided to do.
Ginny's tears had finally stopped, she sank onto the bed looking exhausted from her yelling and the three days of continues crying. Molly couldn't help but feel tears in her own eyes as she looked at her youngest child. Ginny was slowly becoming wraith like, she hadn't laughed or smiled in weeks all summer and Molly knew that the weeks she had spent building up the courage to tell the family about the pregnancy had taken there toll and Molly knew that Ginny had probably spent her time scolding herself over an event that she could now no longer change. Molly knew exactly how Ginny was feeling and she hoped that by telling Ginny this that her daughter would understand.
"Ginny?" Molly said tenderly as she slowly slipped her arm around her daughter and Ginny allowed her to do so, "I was barely older then you when I was first pregnant with Bill" Molly confessed "That's why me and your father married so young"
"B-But you and dad where in love" Ginny sobbed
"And you don't love the father?"
"No" Ginny confessed and now Molly knew why Ginny had been so hard on herself "I thought I did, I want to! But I don't, I like him! But that isn't the same is it?"
"No, it isn't the same" Molly said softly as she thought of Harry and the dream that she had concocted of Harry joining the family and he, Ginny and baby living happily ever after suddenly faded away "He's a good boy though, he'll see you right"
"He's the best sort of person I know" Ginny said softly and Molly smiled at her daughter. Molly stayed with Ginny, holding her, until eventually Ginny fell asleep and Molly couldn't help but think about her own first pregnancy.
Molly had been eighteen when she had discovered that she was expecting Bill and just like Ginny she too had been scared and tearful but Arthur had been there to support her and so had Molly's younger brothers, Gideon and Fabian. Molly had always looked on her brothers as her own children, they where ten years younger then Molly when their parents had died and saying that it had been a struggle to raise them and to comprehend the changers that she was going through as she grieved for the loss of her parents was an understatement. But Molly had come through that hardship a stronger person and she knew that Ginny would, with help, understanding and reassurance, would come through this as well.
Molly left Ginny's room fifteen minutes later and returned to the kitchen. The sky outside was darkening and Molly knew that Bill, Charlie and Arthur would be arriving home soon and with Arthur would come the news that Molly was dreading the most this day.
Arthur had promised that he would leave work early and would personally deliver to Dumbledore the news that Molly had sent in the letter from St Mungo's.
Molly had tried all day not to think about Arthur's visit to the headmaster, the news of those arrangements could wait for now and Molly knew that Ginny wasn't in any state to understand her parents reasoning at the moment and so Molly convinced herself that it was for the best not to tell Ginny so soon. All Molly could do now was to wait for Arthur to return home and Molly didn't have to try hard to find things to preoccupy her until then, as she stepped into the kitchen Molly was greeted by silence. Harry was sitting at the kitchen table looking as though his world had just fallen to pieces.
"How is she?" George asked
"She'll be ok" Molly said hoping that she spoke the truth as she reassuringly squeezed Harry's shoulder and forced a smile, "it's ok" she told him before she headed towards the stove and began to prepare the evening meal.
Over an hour past in silence as Molly prepared the meal, the old grandfather clock in the living room chimed signalling both Charlie and Bill's arrival home. Half an hour later Arthur arrived, and Molly heart sank as soon as she saw her husbands face. And Molly knew that her husbands task had pained him as much as it had Molly.
"What did Dumbledore say?" Charlie enquired as soon as his father had arrived into the kitchen "What's he going to do?"
"Do?" Bill asked as he shot his brother a look "What do you want him to do? Track down the father and string him up?"
"That'd be a start!" Charlie growled and Molly heard Harry gulp next to her as she laid the table
"Why don't you go talk to Ginny" Molly suggested to Harry "I'm sure she'd welcome your company"
"O-Ok" Harry said as he turned to head up the stairs, Molly watched him go then turned on her sons "I wish that all of you would stop making this so hard on Ginny!" Molly growled taking all of the boys by surprise "Don't you think she has enough to worry about without you lot adding to it, if you like it or not the baby is coming! Arthur!" Molly called to her husband for back up
"Your mothers right boys, Ginny needs us all on her side, she isn't going to understand a lot of the things that's going to happen and she's going to need all our help soon"
"Especially when we tell her about Arthur's visit to Dumbledore" Molly added "And I don't want any of you upsetting her do you understand me? So no questioning her about who the father is, Ginny needs to know that we love her no matter what. Do I make myself clear? Molly demanded heatedly taking all of them, Arthur included, by surprise. The boys all nodded, each of them looking at their mother as though she had just slapped them across the face
"And no upsetting Harry either" Molly added surprising herself by her words "I want his visit here to as painless as possible he needs to know that he's welcome here."
