Chapter 5: Truth Be Told…
Harry slept soundly that night, as did the rest of the Weasleys, exhausted by the festivities of the previous night. Something shook Harry violently.
"Whaaa? What!" he mumbled, groping for his glasses. Putting them on he found he stared into the identical faces of Fred and George.
"Ginny wants you," George said.
"Huh!" Harry exclaimed, completely flabbergasted. How could the twins know about them? He started to panic.
"Yea, 's weird? No? Ginny's puking her guts up in the bathroom, but she won't let none of us in! Finally she said 'If you must send someone in here, then make it Harry!'" Fred told him doing a perfect impersonation of his younger sister. "Dunno why she wants you mate, but please, can you get her out of there? I really need to go…"
"And I need a shower!" George piped in. Harry laughed, their secret was safe.
"Sure, I'll see what I can do," he replied and got out of bed.
As he walked down the hall he realized that today their secret would be exposed for real. Worrying about someone finding out was always something that plagued them, but now it would be gone. Sadly, with it's leaving would bring a whole new amount of things to worry about, like how badly he would be crippled after the Weasley boys pummeled him. He mused that after they beat him enough physically, they would remember that they were wizards, and pull out their wands. He just hoped that there weren't any permanent marks. He already had one that was bad enough.
"Alohomora," he whispered as he reached the bathroom door, relishing the fact that there were no holidays to permit him from doing magic anymore. It felt good to be a full fledged wizard.
Ginny was sitting on the floor once again, her head leaning back against the wall. He locked the door behind him and kissed her on her forehead, pulling her to her feet. Then he quickly laid a charm on the door so that anyone who heard them talking wouldn't be able to make out the words they were saying—even with extendable ears.
Wrapping her arms around Harry she said "I don't know what possessed me to ask for you, but I figured it would just be good to see you before…you know…and since we're getting it out anyway…"
He just smiled and said "I know, I'm glad you called me. I'd kiss you, but, well, you've been throwing up." She punched him playfully and made for the door.
"AHHH! FINALLY!" Fred exclaimed and raced into the room. "Nice going Harry! I owe you!" he shouted from inside. No way Fred. Harry thought. It's definitely me who owes you…He started thinking of what life without the Weasleys would be like, but finally forced himself to think of other things. It was just too painful to think about.
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The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were all sitting around the table chatting as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley cleaned up from breakfast.
"You all right, Ginny?" Bill asked from his seat next to her.
"Yes, I'm fine!" she said defensively.
"Ahh, Gin, don't lie! Fred and I heard you puking your guts up in the bathroom this morning!" George put in.
"Ginny! You're still sick!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us!"
"What's all this about being sick?" Mrs. Weasley piped in cheerfully.
Ginny took a deep breath. "Actually, Mum, Dad…can I talk to you guys alone?" Harry coughed.
"Hey we wanna hear!" one of the twins exclaimed as Harry coughed again, trying to get Ginny's attention.
"Oh yea," she said noticing. "Harry too."
"No fair! If Harry gets to hear then I want to too!" Ron shouted as arguments began to fly across the table.
"BOYS QUIET!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. "Fine Ginny, Harry," she said looking a bit perplexed. "Lets go into the parlor." The four of them left the table, with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looking confused, and Harry and Ginny looking like they were headed to their doom. The other Weasleys and Hermione simply sat there looking stunned.
When they left, Ron said "What the heck could that be about!" George smiled.
"Looks like a job for our extendable ears, my dear little brother. I bet with all their confusion they forgot to charm the room!" The five Weasley brothers faces lit up but Hermione said "Hey, guys, don't you think we should afford them their privacy? I mean obviously they had something important to say or they wouldn't have…"
"Ahh Hermione!" Ron groaned. "That's exactly why we have to hear what's going on!"
He and Hermione continued bickering until Fred and George came back downstairs with six sets of ears. Finally she gave in and took a set, and the six of them went to the door.
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"So, dear what is it?" Mrs. Weasley asked tentatively. She and Mr. Weasley looked a bit uncomfortable. Ginny was having a hard time, as silent tears began to roll down her face. Harry wished he could put his arm around her, but he thought that a display of affection in front of her parents wouldn't be too good right now.
"Mum….Dad…" she started, barely managing the words. "I'm, well, I'm so sorry!" she started sobbing.
"Well, for what, dear?" Mr. Weasley said innoscently.
"Well, it's because, it's because that I'm…" Harry hung his head, looking at the floor. Here it comes. He thought. "I'm pregnant!" she sobbed.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's faces held looks of utter disbelief, and stared a Ginny in the split second until the door of the parlor burst open, and the Weasley boys charged into the room.
"YOU'RE WHAT!" Bill yelled, pushing Harry out of the way. Ron was completely red faced and the twins and Charlie looked positively murderous. Mr. Weasley had finally come to his senses and was consoling a sobbing Mrs. Weasley.
"WHO DID THIS TO YOU!" Charlie screamed. "I WANNA KNOW WHAT SON OF A BITCH DID THIS TO MY LITTLE SISTER!" Ginny couldn't do anything but keep crying into her hands.
For no good reason except possibly he might have thought it would make Ginny stop crying, Harry cried out "I am! I'm the father!" However, no one heard him over the roaring Weasleys, save for Hermione who stood in the doorway. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a tiny o.
He had to stop Ginny's pain. Her brothers were barreling down questions on her, completely stressing her out. He tried again, louder. "I AM! I'm the father!" The Weasleys looked at him, astonished and silent, but then Fred said "Nice try, Harry, but it's not time to play the hero now," facing Ginny, he said again, "Who's the father Gin! Tell us now!" Harry threw his arms down at his sides, exasperated. "I'm not lying!" he hung his head, as tears started to form in his eyes. Not now Harry, don't cry in front of them! he willed himself.
"I really am the father!" At that the Weasleys slowly turned to face him. Mrs. Weasley stopped her sobbing to look at his face, and she gasped as the truth dawned on her. Harry gulped as the five Weasley brothers started closing in on him. Finally Ron spoke, well, he shouted "HOW COULD YOU! SHE'S MY SISTER FOR GODS SAKE! SHE'S NOT JUST SOME TOY TO HAVE SOME FUN WITH AND THEN LEAVE! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, THAT'D IF I FOUND OUT I'D ASK 'WELL, WAS SHE A GOOD SHAG?' HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING TO HER LIKE THAT!" Harry stuttered, trying to find his words, but none would form. He saw Fred and George begin to rush at him from either side in his peripheral vision, when a smaller red streak blurred in between the crowd and stopped herself in front of Harry.
"STOP!" Ginny screamed. "Please," she sobbed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Please don't hurt him!"
"Ginny, he's just gonna get as much pain as he's caused you!" Bill told her.
"HE HASN'T CAUSED ME PAIN!" she screeched. The brothers stopped, stunned. She buried her head in his chest and continued, a bit muffled "It's just as much my fault as it is his." Before her brothers had a chance to respond, Mrs. Weasley herself made her way to Ginny, still wrapped around Harry.
"How…could…you!" she whispered, eyes brimming with tears. "HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID!" she shrieked, causing Ginny and Harry to jump. Ginny began to shake violently.
"Please! Could you guys tone it down! I know you're mad, and you have every right to be, but she's pregnant for gods' sake!" Harry said defensively, wrapping his own arms around her and staring defiantly at all of them. Their faces all registered shock and realization. Slowly, each of the Weasleys began to sit down. Harry pulled Ginny towards the oversized chair behind them.
Mrs. Weasley appeared to be trying to collect herself, so Mr. Weasley asked the question on everyone's minds: "How?" his face was a horrible picture of disappointment and shame. Since Ginny was still shaking and buried in his chest, he decided he should answer.
"Well, one time…a friend gave us this drink. And we didn't know, but the drink took away inhibitions…and yeah, well, it lead to this." He finished somewhat lamely. The Weasleys continued to sit in silent stupor, so Harry continued. "I'm so sorry," he said, hanging his head again. "If we were in our right minds, this wouldn't have happened. I love Ginny and I'd never do anything to hurt her…"
"Wait, you what!" Ron exclaimed.
"Huh?" Harry's head snapped up.
"You LOVE her? Really? Or do you just like to get her in the sack!" Ron looked positively vicious, but Harry was sick of it. He pried himself away from Ginny and stood up.
"YEAH Ron, I DO! I'm sorry if it pains you to hear it, but I love her very much! She is amazing and beautiful and sincere, and she is intelligent and funny, and she understands me like no one else! She is the only one who has ever made me feel complete, and has given me something real to fight for me for! She's my other half," he finished, still staring into Ron's eyes. They were still menacing, but their look had softened quite considerably. "And I understand if you all never want to see me again, but I have to tell you that I'm not going to leave Ginny alone through this. I've already promised her I'd be here for her and our…child."
Mrs. Weasley drew a sharp intake of breath. "Harry," she started quietly. "Do you think we'd disown or throw out Ginny over this?"
"No," he said slowly, scared now that the thought hadn't occurred to him.
"Then why do you think we'd do the same to you?" Now there was something he hadn't expected, he thought, but Mrs. Weasley continued then.
"You are just like another son to us Harry, and as you've both told us, it was a mutual fault. I am very, very disappointed in your judgment, but I could never cast either of you out. You have become very dear to us, and now you will really more a part of this family, I guess. I am happy that my daughter has found someone she loves so much," Mrs. Weasley said with tears in her eyes. "I am not happy about her state, but nothing can be done now, so we will have to learn how to cope with it."
Fred, George, Charlie, and Bill all looked as though they had come to terms with it and were angry at the situation, but not so much at Harry as he would have thought. Ron however, just kept shaking his head and turning redder and redder. Mr. Weasley seemed to notice the same thing just then.
"Well, Harry, Ginny, Hermione," he said noticing Hermione's wide eyed stare from the doorway. "Why don't you three go outside for a bit so we can talk over some things. Okay?" The three willingly obliged, though Ginny insisted on keeping Harry from full breathing capacity by gripping him tightly around his middle. He did not protest, instead, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, giving her the assurance she so desperately wanted.
Authors Note: Okay, I know it's short, but I feel like a lot happened ;) I also am not sure if I can get another chapter done this weekend, but I'd expect it early in the week if not. Please Review! Even if you just read it, I'd love to hear a quick blurb from you. And if you don't like something about it, please tell me! I hope my story is interesting for you all! And remember that this story is RomanceAction Adventure, so there's lots more to come from this one…;) Thanks for reading,
Zoë
