Chapter 4

It's True

Harry cautiously opened his eyes, grateful to discover that the blinding light from before was not present. He looked around to see where Ginny was, and only then realized that he was not in the Burrow's upstairs bathroom anymore. He looked around, befuddled, and saw the brilliant red sun sinking below the horizon over the lake that he knew was outside the Burrow. The only problem was that he was positive the sun had set over an hour ago, and it didn't make sense that it would set again. I couldn't have been out for that long! he thought.

He turned and looked around for Ginny, and spotted her carrot-top lying on the ground a little ways away from where he was standing. He rushed over to her, but before he could reach her, she sat up, blinking groggily.

"What the . . . " she mumbled, rubbing her eyes, and looking around like Harry had a few seconds previously.

"Gin . . . now don't panic, but I think something went wrong with the charm you did," Harry told her, trying to make his voice sound as reassuring as possible.

"I'm not daft, Harry, I know how to cast a simple — " she was cut off, however by the sound of a laugh in the distance, approaching their direction.

Before the two of them could find a hiding spot, two figures, one considerably shorter and holding what looked to be a bundle of blankets, came walking up the hill from the house. Harry and Ginny froze. They didn't even know where they were, or when they were for that matter, and they really were not in the mood to be confronted by any of Ginny's family members.

They weren't kept waiting for long to find out who the two walking toward them were. As the glare from the sun receded enough for Harry and Ginny to see the people's faces, they saw a head of flaming red hair (not that unusual, as they were at the Burrow, after all) and another of jet black.

"I — I — " Ginny croaked, but that was all she managed to get out. For the two people they saw in front of them, were in fact . . . them.

The Harry and Ginny holding the blankets didn't seem to notice the other pair. In fact, they walked right through them without even batting an eyelash. As they walked past, however, the invisible Harry and Ginny realized that the bundle of white blankets was in fact a child, but they couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl. They continued to walk to a large tree by the lake, while the invisible pair stayed where they were, stunned into silence.

Harry and Ginny with the child, stopped under the tree, the sun casting mysterious shadows across their faces. The other Harry and Ginny stood, transfixed, exactly where they'd landed as Ginny handed the baby over to Harry, who in turn positioned the baby under one arm and draped the other across Ginny's waist. He leaned down, and Ginny turned her head to look at him to hear what he was apparently going to say. But instead of saying anything, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Meanwhile, the other Ginny, the one who now knew that she was indeed pregnant had tears streaming down her face. But for once . . . once in over a month's time, these were tears caused by happiness, and not sadness.

The blinding light overtook the two of them again, and they found themselves on the floor of the Burrow bathroom, back where they'd begun.

"I guess you got your answer, then," whispered Harry, unsure of what she'd thought of the episode they had just witnessed.

"I did," she said softly, and stepped closer to him. "I certainly did," she repeated and leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips.

Though at first a little shaken by the kiss, Harry returned it eagerly. When they broke away from each other, solely for the need to breathe, Harry looked down at Ginny, love shining in his eyes. Likewise, Ginny looked up at him and smiled. She gently reached for his hand and placed it across her stomach.

"I know it sounds strange, Harry, but . . . now that I know for sure, I can feel the life inside me. Can you feel it?" she asked quietly, gazing deep into his eyes.

Concentrating very hard, as though he could maybe feel some sort of movement from within, Harry realized that it was impossible. But he could feel a sort of energy, a life force to Ginny that he hadn't ever felt before. The thing about pregnant women and their certain "glow" was the only thing that came to mind that could explain. "Yeah . . . yeah, I reckon I can," he answered seriously.

"HARRY BLOODY POTTER, GET YOUR SORRY ARSE DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

Harry started from his thoughts of a glowing Ginny and looked down, fear in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Harry. What's the worst that could happen? We just tell her and get it over with. I don't know why Mum's mad at you, though, but I'm sure this will all be taken care of in no time," she tried to reassure him, but it had no effect on him whatsoever. The only thing that penetrated his brain at the moment was the image of Mrs. Weasley and a group of six angry men, all aiming their wands at him.

"I'd better get down there . . . " he trailed off, knowing there was nothing else to say. It felt like going to his own execution. "Your Mum thinks I did it to you, Gin, I know she does."

"What! That's rubbish! You saved me, you didn't hurt me!"

"I know that, and you know that . . . but do they know that?" he asked.

"HARRY! GINNY!" bellowed the voice from downstairs again.

They bolted out the door, afraid that any more delay would further anger Mrs. Weasley.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Bill ran over to Ginny and yanked her from Harry's side before she could protest, and dragged her back up the stairs, kicking and screaming the whole way. A muffled groan of pain from Bill alluded to the fact that Ginny had very probably bit him at one point or another.

Harry looked to Ron in desperation. Apparently, he and Hermione had heard the commotion and decided to join the party. He was silently trying to convey the message that he hadn't been the one to hurt Ginny. How could he ever? He was slightly hurt by the fact that the Weasleys would even think him capable of something so horrible.

"I trusted you, mate," began Ron, walking ever closer to Harry. Swirls of sadness and anger exchanged places every few seconds in his eyes. "I let you come here every summer since second year, and this . . . this is how you repay me? You rape my baby sister? You were my best friend, Harry . . . my best friend." He finished, and as he reached Harry, he let loose and punched him right in the face.

"Ohhhh," groaned Harry, bringing his hands to his now throbbing cheek. Ron went back to Hermione, shoving her behind him as if to protect her from what he thought to be his best friend turned vicious rapist.

Knowing that it had to be done, Harry found the courage to stand up tall, holding his head high. He looked into the eyes of every Weasley present. "I swear on my life that I had no part in what happened to Ginny. If you'd like me to tell you who really did it, I'd be more than happy to, but please don't assume that I did something as horrid as that," he said cooly, trying not to wince at the pain still making itself known on his face.

"Who did it, then, Harry?" asked Hermione. She issued it forth as a sort of challenge. "And why haven't you told us anything before now?"

"I didn't tell any of you because I didn't know myself until today. And then, I wasn't going to betray Ginny by telling anyone before she was ready."

Slowly, one by one, Ginny's family's faces morphed from angry, seething masks, to apologetic, contrite ones.

"Harry . . . I — "

"Don't worry about it, Ron. I'll be fine. I know you only did it because you were mad about what happened to Ginny. I'd do the same thing if something like that happened to someone as close to me as she is to you," Harry assured Ron, who looked mortified at what he'd just done to his best friend.

Harry turned to the rest of the people congregated and said, "Before any of you apologize, I just want you to know that it's not necessary. I completely understand. I would have done the exact same thing had I been in your places, so just know that I don't hold any grudges."

A collective sigh of relief was heard around the room, but before anyone could remark, there was a thud from the direction of the stairs, and Bill came tumbling down them. Everyone looked to the top to see Ginny standing there, wand in hand, a look of triumph on her face.

"There. That'll teach you," she said, and walked down the stairs, stepping over Bill, who was currently sitting up and glaring at Ginny.

"Now, to the rest of you," she began, but Harry cut her off.

"They know it wasn't me. I haven't told them who it was . . . maybe you should be the one to do that," he said warily, glancing apprehensively at Ron's fist. He wasn't eager for it to make friends with his face again any time soon.

"Yeah . . . I suppose you're right. Um . . . it was Michael Corner. He did this to me the night before graduation. That's why none of you could find me. That's where I was." Before anyone could say a thing, she blurted, "I'm pregnant."

Silence. Thankfully, this time Mrs. Weasley didn't faint, but she did clutch Charlie's arm for support.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell any of you," Ginny went on, tears flowing from her eyes now. "But there's something you should know. I will keep this baby," she said, growing more confident now, and wiping the tears from her cheeks. "All I know is that no matter how she was created this is my child, and I will care for her, because she is a part of me. She may be fathered by Michael, but that won't matter, because she will never be reminded of how she got here. She will be loved and cared for just like any other child, because she is mine."

By the time Ginny finished this, every woman in the room was past crying, they were bawling. The men looked on uncomfortably, not sure how to respond. Mrs. Weasley left Charlie's side and enveloped Ginny in a loving hug, full of support and understanding.

"I love you, Ginny. No matter what happens, know that. I love you and I always will."

"I love you too, Mum," she answered, tears once more leaking from the corners of her eyes.

She looked over her Mum's shoulder to see Harry watching her. "I love you," she mouthed silently.

"I love you, too," came his reply.