A/N: It's me again. Hope everyone had wonderful holidays and are working diligently on those New Year resolutions (yeah, right). I am actually working on one of mine - I'm trying to teach myself how to play the guitar. It's very slow going, but I'm determined. Enough about me. The title is from the Billy Joel song. Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 11: You May Be Right
The next month passed quickly for everyone but Ron. Between the bouts of nausea and vomiting, he tried to get his work done. People were starting to notice his quick dashes to the loo, but no one said anything about it to Ron's face. Harry covered for him, saying that he had eaten some bad fish, but that excuse wouldn't last much longer. Ron looked exhausted, so everyone assumed he was ill. Ron's co-workers still did not have a definitive answer as to why Ron took the desk job, but the most popular rumor was now that he had some sort of dreadful illness. Given Ron's morning sickness, it seemed the most plausible explanation.
One morning, after Ron had paled and ran for the nearest bathroom, Harry had followed him in. When Ron emerged from the stall, Harry handed him a glass of water. Ron took it with a shaking hand, and muttered a "Thanks, mate" before slowly drinking. Harry took a good look at his friend's face, and noticed the beads of sweat that had broken out on his forehead and the dark circles under his eyes.
"Feeling better?" Harry asked his pasty friend.
Ron managed to send him a glare before replying "Yeah, loads. Considering I'll be at it for another 2 hours, if the rest of this month has been any indication."
"No need to bite my head off. I was just worried about you. You look like hell." Harry wasn't used to Ron being vulnerable, which is the best word he could use to describe his friend at this point.
"Sorry. I'm just tired of feeling like shite all the time. My nightmares are back so I'm up half the night, I'm always sick, and everything hurts. Feels like the flu that won't go away. Oh, and my stomach has gotten so big, that every pair of pants I own is too tight, even with Hermione enlarging them." To prove his point, Ron lifted his robes.
Harry hadn't actually seen the evidence of Ron's pregnancy before, except for the sickness. Now with Ron holding his robes at chest level, Harry could see the waistband of Ron's pants stretched beyond what could be comfortable, and the top button was undone. Ron's stomach, which had gone unnoticed in his wizard's robes, was clearly swollen now. Harry remembered when Ginny was pregnant, and her stomach had been about that large when she was four months along. Ron was not quite six weeks into this pregnancy, and he was already getting large. Harry wondered how big his friend was going to be before all was said and done.
"Merlin's beard! Ron, I had no idea it was that big. What's it feel like?"
"It bloody well hurts, that's what. It's bad enough the little bugger makes me sick everyday and gives me stomachaches, but now I can't even fit into my ruddy pants." Ron rubbed a hand over his swollen belly.
"Well, my friend, what did you honestly expect? You're pregnant, your stomach's going to get big." Harry was trying hard not to laugh at his friend, as that would have made Ron's mood even worse.
"OF COURSE I KNOW THAT! I just didn't expect it this quickly. I guess I hadn't even thought what I was going to do about clothes." Ron looked down at his shoes, and if Harry didn't know better, he would have sworn that Ron was trying hard not to cry. Having grown up without much money, and having to wear hand-me downs, he had always been a bit self-conscious about what he wore.
"Ron, I don't underst...ohhh." Harry suddenly realized why Ron was upset. It's not like he could just go into a bloke's maternity shop and find what he needed. Ron was the first. There wasn't a bloke's maternity shop, and it wasn't like he was going to be wearing women's maternity clothing. "Why don't you just ask your mum to make you some clothes? Or Hermione?"
Ron looked at Harry as if he had two heads. "Mum would love it, and I'd be wearing cutesy jumpers with 'Baby on Board' stitched into them or pants with lacy cuffs. I love Mum, but there's no way I'd let her make my clothes. And as for Hermione, well, let's just say that my wife is brilliant at many things, but making clothing is not one of them. She can enlarge and shrink them well enough, but the last time she tried to make a jumper, it had three arms."
Harry looked puzzled. "But she used to make all of those elf hats. I thought she could knit."
Ron sighed. "Yes, she can knit hats. They're round, no arms or legs to have to work with."
Harry tried to think of what Ron's options were. "You could always ask the twins to come up with a line of clothing..." Harry paused his train of thought. Who would trust the twin's clothing line? The shirts would likely tickle you when you least expect it, and he shuddered to think what the pants would do. "Sorry, that's a truly bad idea. "You could ask Ginny. I'm sure she'd be able to think of something."
"Gin's been wonderful. I don't want to keep pestering her for stupid things like this. You two have your hands full with your own family. Don't worry, I'll figure something out."
"Don't be stupid. You're a member of our family too, you know. Hey, what if we went to Saba's House of Large and Tall? Maybe we could get you clothes to fit your waist, and then Hermione could take them in everywhere else?"
"Actually, that's not a bad idea. In fact, I think I'll go there tonight after work. Thanks, mate." Ron gave Harry a smile, and clapped him on the back. Harry was glad to see his friend looking better than he had all day.
"Well, that settles it. I'll come with you, and we can grab a bite to eat after."
The two had agreed to meet at 4:30, when the door to the loo opened. A pretty blonde stepped through the threshold.
"What are you two doing in here for so long? Someone said Ron was sick, and you came to check on him." Sam asked Harry, and then turned to Ron, appraising his condition.
"Alright there, Ron? You do look a bit peaky; maybe you should go home. I was just concerned and...Good Lord! What's going on with your stomach?"
Ron glanced down and realized his robes were still up around his chest. He quickly put them in place, and replied, "Nothing. Just put on a bit of weight." Of all people to walk in at that moment. Then he remembered. "Hey, what are you doing in the men's loo? Get out!"
"I told you I was concerned when I heard you were ill. I came to see if you were alright when Harry didn't come back. And that is not a little bit of weight. That's a lot of weight, and it's all in your stomach." She paused for a moment, and then a look of comprehension came across her face. "I don't know how, but you're pregnant, aren't you?"
All the color drained from Ron's face, and he felt light headed. This was so not happening. Especially with this woman. He struggled to keep his tone even. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course not. That's impossible."
Harry, who looked like he had been struck over the head, recovered and stated, "Don't be stupid. He can't be pregnant; he's a bloke. He's just put on a bit of weight now that he's at that desk job."
"I know a pregnant person when I see one, and Ron is definitely pregnant. It all makes sense now. Why he gave up being your partner, why he's looked so tired, and why he's been sick so often. When I saw your stomach, it all clicked. I'm not stupid you know. How long did you think you could keep this a secret. By the looks of that belly, your secret is going to be out in no time."
Ron put his head in his hands. This wasn't happening. His head was spinning and he felt ill again. As if to confirm Sam's suspicion, he ran for the stall.
Harry held out another glass of water when Ron emerged again. Ron took it gratefully. Sam's eyes softened when she looked into Ron's eyes, and she laid a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Ron. I didn't mean to upset you. Obviously, you're not ready to share this yet, and I promise I won't say a word. But I have to ask - why?"
Ron sighed, resigning himself to the fact that the one person he would least like to know of his condition now knew. He might as well spill the information now, for all the good it did him to hide it. "My wife was unable to carry a baby because of injuries she received in the war. We tried for years with no luck. My sister, Harry's wife, is a healer and she's been working on infertility treatments for hopeless cases. I'm the first human guinea pig, so to speak. Obviously, it worked. Look, my wife and I know we can't keep this a secret forever, but we don't want to share the news with the world until after the first trimester. If we were to lose the baby and everyone knew about it, it would be even more devastating. So, only our family and Shanks know."
Sam smiled a sad smile, and hugged Ron, to his surprise. He quickly patted her on the back and hoped she would release him soon. "So, you're going to carry the baby because your wife can't? That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard. I'd like to help you any way I can. All you have to do is ask."
Harry could see the frustration on Ron's face. He knew that Ron hadn't warmed up to Sam yet and now that she knew his secret, well, it was unfortunate that Sam had to be the first one outside of the family to know. Harry knew it wasn't good for Ron's health to get upset, so he tried to smooth things over. "Look, Ron needs to stay as calm as possible. I don't want anyone upsetting him because his pregnancy is high risk enough, without all the outside stress. We're going clothes shopping tonight to get him things that fit. I'd appreciate it if you would keep everything you learned here today to yourself."
"Of course. I do understand. Can I help you with the shopping? I'm very good at picking out what looks best on people, and I promise that no one will be suspicious with a woman along. Two men clothes shopping, by themselves, is a little attention getting. Besides, it won't take very long if you have an experienced shopper with you."
"She has a point, Ron. What do you think?"
Ron didn't want to admit it, but Sam was right. There was no one he wanted less to spend time with, but she already knew. What was that muggle saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? At least he could keep an eye on her if she were with him. "Sure, why not. Let me owl Hermione and let her know what we're doing tonight. I'm sure she won't mind."
Ron had to admit that Sam did know what she was doing when it came to shopping. She took charge, and picked out some stylish looking shirts and pants that actually fit. Even though the rest of the clothes were too big, she shrunk them to fit smartly. She also placed a clever charm on the clothing to automatically expand with Ron's stomach, but that made him look thinner than he was. When he asked her about the charm, she said that she had helped a pregnant friend once with the same charm. Ron hated to admit that she had been helpful with the whole thing, which annoyed him to no end.
Now that Sam knew about the pregnancy, Hermione and Ginny insisted on inviting her over for the weekly Weasley Sunday dinner. The girls felt sorry for Sam, being alone and not having any close friends in the area. Ron tried to convince Hermione to let him stay home, but it was like trying to convince the wind not to blow. So Ron resigned himself to spend his Sunday with his family and the intruder.
Ron watched Sam closely throughout the afternoon. She complimented Molly on her cooking, hit it off with his brothers and sisters-in-law, and even played with his nieces and nephews. Ron concluded that his family, the whole lot of them, were a bunch of traitors. He couldn't understand how they had accepted this woman into their ranks so quickly, when he, Ron, wouldn't trust her to take care of a houseplant.
Ron was broken out of his musings on Sam by the twins, who each had a grin on their face. Ron knew he was in trouble.
"So, Ronnie, how are you feeling?" asked George.
"Yeah, how's that morning sickness anyway? I heard it's dreadful," said Fred
"Poor ickle Ronnikins. Is your tummy bothering you?" asked George.
"Of course it is dear brother. Just look how big it's getting. It's bothering me too," said Fred, snickering.
From across the room, Ginny heard her twin brothers and was beginning to get annoyed. "Oy, you two. Leave him alone."
"Relax, Gin. We're just having a bit of fun with our poor knocked up little brother," said George.
"Oh, does ickle Ronnie need his baby sister to stand up for him?" said Fred.
"Shut up, you prats," Ron said lamely. He didn't want Sam to see the mickey taken out of him, not when he was busy trying to keep an eye on her.
"Is that the best you've got? Come on now, little brother. Surely you can do better than that," said George.
"Maybe the hormones have addled his brain. Or maybe it was his fourth helping of pie," said Fred.
Ginny's face was red when she addressed her brothers again. "I'm warning you two. Knock it off."
Ignoring their sister, they continued. "Ron, you'd better watch how much you're putting away. You'll get so fat you won't fit through the door."
"Too right, George. Ronnie is on his way there now," Fred said, laughing.
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Ron wasn't in the mood for them today, and they were really pushing his buttons. Ron's ears were scarlet, and he could feel the hot tears behind his eyes. He thought to himself, 'Please, not now, not in front of everybody.' Ron tried desperately to keep the tears at bay. How did women deal with these mood swings?
Ginny was watching Ron closely, and was worried that the twins would add to Ron's stress. When she saw his eyes getting moist, she lost it. "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT." Ginny pointed her wand at Fred and George and said the incantation, "Parvulus Transmitto Sensus". A white light emitted from her wand and struck the twins in their faces. The room was as silent as the grave.
Molly came rushing out of the kitchen when she heard the incantation. "Ginevra! What on earth have you done?"
Ginny was still quite angry, and continued to glare at her twin brothers, ignoring her mother for the moment. "How dare you! You think this is just so funny, don't you? Do you think what he's going through is easy? Ron needs to stay calm for the baby, and you are NOT HELPING. I've never been ashamed to be your sister until now. This was low, even for you two. Well, since you think this is one big joke, we'll see just how 'funny' you think it is when the shoe's on the other foot!"
"Wh...what do you mean?" George asked, nervously. "We didn't mean any harm, honestly. We were just treating him like we always have. What did you do to us?"
"I placed the Parvulus charm on you. You'll go through a type of sympathetic pregnancy, so you'll have some idea of what it feels like to be pregnant. I use it in my practice with expectant fathers so they understand what their mate is going through. It will only last a week, but I think that's long enough for you to learn some sensitivity." Ginny turned away from Fred and George, and went to Ron's side. "Can I talk to you in the other room?"
Ron, who was still speechless from the events of the last couple of minutes, followed his sister into the other room. She could be quite scary when angry, and he didn't want to risk her wrath. Once they were alone, Ginny began. "I'm so sorry about that, Ron. I shouldn't have lost my temper, but they were completely out of line. Are you feeling alright? I saw that you were getting upset. Do you feel any pain or pressure?"
"No, I'm alright. A bit embarrassed in front of our, um, guest, but otherwise I'm feeling okay. Nothing out of the ordinary, anyway. By the way, thanks for that. It was bloody brilliant."
"Well, I couldn't let them get away with it. I have a feeling you'll get an apology from them after this spell wears off. I'm sure they didn't intend to upset you, they just thought they were being funny. I don't think they'll be laughing about pregnancy over the next week, anyway. Listen, I need to be honest with you. I can't stress enough how important it is for you to remain as calm as possible. You could be endangering the baby and yourself if you aren't careful. This includes dropping your dislike of Sam. She has only tried to be kind to you, and you've been nothing but rude to her since you first met. I don't know what you have against her, and frankly I don't care. Get over it Ron. It's not good for you or the baby." Ginny kissed her brother on the cheek, and went back to join the rest of the family now that she was calmer.
Ron seriously thought about what Ginny had said. Sam really hadn't done anything to him. In fact, she had really gone out of her way to be nice to him, and all he had done was to throw it back in her face. Maybe he was being unfair. He couldn't explain why he didn't like her, only that he had a bad feeling about her. Perhaps it was his jealousy over her role in Harry's life now. Whatever it was, he needed to 'get over it' as Ginny suggested before it affected the baby.
Ron walked through the back of the Burrow to go outside for some fresh air. While he was standing there taking in the cool evening air, he heard someone walk up behind him. His instincts took over immediately, and he whipped around while reaching for his wand.
"Hey, sorry, it's just me. Guess I should have announced my presence before coming up behind you." Sam had apparently been sneaking outside as well. "Are you feeling alright?"
Ron took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just another fun family get-together. Welcome to the Weasley Circus."
"I really like your family, Ron. They seem to really get along with each other, even when they're teasing you. I can tell there's a lot of love there. You really are very lucky."
"I know. I have to remind myself of that sometimes - especially with Fred and George around."
"Family is the most important thing there is. Blood will always be thicker than water. I understand you lost two brothers in the war?"
"Yeah. Charlie and Percy." Ron couldn't understand why she was talking about this. He didn't like to talk about losing his brothers, even after all these years.
"Sorry to hear about that. War tears families apart, and many good people are lost long before their time. Did you catch the ones responsible for killing your brothers?"
Ron really didn't want to continue this particular conversation. It was just too painful to relive. "Sorry Sam, but I really don't want to talk about this. It was a long time ago, but it still hurts. I need to concentrate on this new life, not the ones that were lost."
An odd look passed over Sam's face, and her eyes flashed for a brief moment. "Right, sorry. Anyway, I guess you should be getting back inside. You'd better be careful, Ron. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you or the baby."
An arctic chill swept over Ron so quickly, he would have sworn that he had fallen into an ice-covered lake and someone was holding his head beneath the surface.
A/N: Much love to the lovely and talented beta team of LJFan and Michelleywelley who had this chapter beta-read in record time. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, it really does make my day.
Arwentheelf: So you don't like Sam, huh? You must be siding with Ron, because it looks like the others like her.
penguingirl266: Now we have a vote FOR Sam. People were pretty much divided on how they felt about her, but she will prove herself one way or the other pretty soon.
Michelleywelley: I look forward to more long e-mails from you letting me know how you're doing. I can't believe how fast you had this chapter done! I'm sure I'll be talking to you soon, but I just wanted to say thanks again.
La'Ruelia: Thanks so much for reading. Glad you like it.
Triniroo: Something that will never change about Ron is his jealousy, which is one of the things that I love about him. He feels what he feels, and doesn't apologize for it. Yes, he's extremely jealous of Sam, but he hasn't been replaced other than at work. Perhaps he's afraid of Sam taking over in other parts of his life too, or maybe it's something else altogether. Thanks for being one of my most loyal reviewers. It really does help me to write even when I don't feel like it.
Clothespeg-rules: Thanks again. Glad you're enjoying it.
Missy: Thank you! I'm a huge music geek, so I get to indulge that a little by choosing song titles for the chapters. It's time consuming to find the right song, but when I do find the right one, it usually fits perfectly. For example, the title of this chapter can be taken a couple of different ways. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
Strycat: The Dutch delegate is voting in favor of Sam, with the provision that she not be a home wrecker. Sorry, but I can't make any promises. All is fair in love and fan fiction. :)
huggles4all: Thanks again. Yes, you did make me smile. :)
romanceFreak: Thanks, I'm looking forward to writing more of Sam and her interactions with Ron. Yes, he certainly has something to worry about now, at least he thinks he does. I can't give anything away, but she will play a pretty big role in the next couple of chapters.
b2bbrules3326: Thanks for reading both of them! Although I must say, this one has been much harder to write, but I am quite happy with the way it's turned out so far. Hope you continue to enjoy it.
Hp/charmed obsessed: Ron really is having a rough time at the moment. Opinion is pretty much split down the middle with those who like Sam and those who don't. Glad you picked up on the Bulgarian comment - Ron still isn't too chuffed about Krum, even after all this time. The 6th book will be out before we know it. It just seems like forever until July. Thanks again for always leaving me a review.