Chapter 25

Ginny was making pasta, with a cream sauce, just the way she liked it. It smelled delicious and Ginny wanted to eat right then. She had been waiting for this night all week, she loved making food, it was one of her favorit hobbies.

Harry walked into the kitchen, he was wearing a nice sweater and some neat trousers, they looked new. His hair was combed, not making much difference. He was smiling at her and trying to open a champagne bottle.

"That smells really good." he said as he put his head just above the simmering sauce. "Can I have a taste?"

She laughed, "Sure." and she pulled the big spoon out of the pan and towards his lips.

Harry laughed a little, embarassed and took a bite. "Mmm..." He licked his lips. "I don't think your mother could do better herself."

Ginny blushed and shook her head.

Harry placed the bottle of champagne on the table, continueing to lick his lips.

The doorbell rang loudly and he rushed to answer it. Ginny just smiled as he left the room and continued to stir the sauce. Then she heard Hermione and Ron's voices, loud and happy. Ginny sighed and wiped her hands on her colorful apron, stepping out of the kitchen to greet them.

Ron still hadn't shaved his goatee. He looked pretty much the same. He was smiling quite a bit as he hugged Harry.

Hermione was in a nice pink dress standing in the entryway with her arms folding looking around. Her hair looked nice and curly. She looked quite pretty.

Ginny felt a little inadequate as she looked at her.

"Oh Ginny!" Hermione cried as she finally stopped looking at the room and finally saw that she was there. Hermione giggled a little and hugged Ginny.

"Hi Hermione."

Hermione laughed and looked at her quite closely. "You look just like a little wife, in your apron... You even have a bit of something on your cheek."

Ginny blushed terrible and saw that Harry was red in the face to. She rubbed a bit of flour that was sitting on her cheek and kept her eyes towards the floor in complete and utter embarassment.

"Ginny I missed you." Ron said, trying to break the tension and came to hug her.

She smiled a little and hugged him back.

"Dinner is ready." She called and walked back into the kitchen leaving them all behind, looking after her.

"How's she been?" Ron asked Harry in a whisper, even though Hermione knew very well what he had said.

Harry was a little shocked by the question. "Uh... Of course, she's fine."

"No... I mean... is she alright?" Ron looked serious and very worried.

"Look Ron, I don't know what you are talking about, but you best ask Ginny if you have questions like that."

Ron looked shocked and Hermione to looked a little suprised. Harry just walked back to the kitchen.

Soon Ron and Hermione had come walking back and they all sat at the table, pretending that there hadn't been awkward words spoken just a moment before.

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Ginny was eating her pasta slowly savoring the wonderful taste. It was delicious and creamy with just the right amount of spices added. She had to admit she was quite the chef. Everyone was enjoying the meal especially Harry who had stood up for more saying he hadn't had lunch today, winking at Ginny as he said it, because she knew that he had had a large lunch actually.

"This is the best pasta I have ever had." Harry said inbetween a mouthful.

She laughed and looked to see how Hermione and Ron were enjoying it. They were holding hands on top of the table and Ron would feed Hermione a mouthful every so often. It was quite sickening. Ginny thought that after being married for a while they would cool down on the public display of affection (PDA) but quite the opposite.

"Who wants champagne?" Harry asked, seeing the look on her face.

Hermione giggled and blushed. "Sorry Harry I can't... I'm pregnant."

Ginny almost choked on some half-chewed pasta in her mouth. Ron and Hermione were grinning and looking to see their reactions. Harry's face was a little white at first, he was shocked, but then Ginny could see he was trying to smile.

"That's... great!" Harry said.

Hermione laughed.

"Yes, it's very exciting... you've already told Mum?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, she was very excited." Hermione giggled a little and rested her hand on what Ginny now saw as her protruding stomach. It was quite noticeable now that she was pregnant, now that they knew.

"How soon... will the baby be born?"Harry asked. His green eyes were looking intently at Hermione's stomach as if there was a bomb inside of it.

"In about five months. I'm four months along." She couldn't stop smiling.

Ron laughed a little and shrugged.

"It's quite soon isn't it?" Harry asked, he looked a bit concerned, his hands were clasped together as if he were praying.

Hermione giggled and Ron laughed, "We always wanted a baby... we didn't really want to wait." Ron said.

"I love babies." Hermione smiled at her stomach as if it were already a baby.

"Babies are a lot of work." Ginny said.

Hermione didn't even look up at the rude comment. Ron glared at her, Harry just turned and looked at her.

"I'm sure... that you'll be wonderful parents." Ginny tried to smile, "I... let's have some champagne."

Harry nodded at her, a look of concern filling his eyes. He was worried about her, she wasn't taking the news of the baby very well and he wondered why. He poured her some champagne and quickly placed it in her hand, as if she were dying and it was the magic medecine that would make her well.

Ginny quickly gulped it down.

"I'm tired Ronny." Hermione sighed as he was about to take the first sip of his champagne.

He looked to her, a little annoyed and nodded. "We better be going Harry." Ron said with an almost apologetic look.

"Oh... right." Harry stood up from the table to help Hermione from her chair.

They walked out to the entry way, Ginny following slowly behind. She was angry, more jealous than anything. How could they have all of the luck. They were happily married, so much in love with each other, they had a nice house, and a baby on the way. Ginny didn't have any of those things. Life could be so unfair.

"Goodbye." she whispered and hugged Ron. He kissed her cheek.

"I'm sorry Ginny, I haven't been a good brother... do you forgive me?" he sounded truly sorry. Ginny almost felt guilty for her earlier thoughts.

"Of course Ron... I love you." she kissed his cheek.

"Aren't you happy we're having a baby? You're going to be an aunt." He had stopped hugging her and was smiling at her.

Ginny hadn't thought of that, she would be an aunt. She suddenly smiled... It was the closest thing she was going to get to being a mother.

"Of course Ron, I'm so excited." she said truthfully.

"And Harry will be the baby's godfather... if he wants to." Hermione smiled as she held Harry's hand.

He smiled a little. "Can it be a little girl?" he asked bashfully.

Hermione and Ron laughed, but Ginny just looked at him, his eyes were sad. She could just imagine him playing with a little girl, helping her put the little doll's socks on. He would fit so perfectly in that setting. He would be a perfect daddy.

Ginny almost felt herself crying, he would be a perfect husband, a perfect father. Why was it that he couldn't love her, Ginny?

"Goodbye!" She heard them calling, then she heard the door shut with a click.

"Ginny?" She could hear Harry talking but she couldn't wake up from her little dream. "Are you alright?"

Suddenly she looked up and saw him looking worriedly at her.

"I'm fine."

"You're... crying."

Ginny suddenly was embarassed, "I..." she wiped her cheeks off withe the back off her hand quickly. "It must be allergies again." she tried to smile but began to cry again. He was right in front of her but she couldn't have him... she would just sit and watch as some other girl, a pretty young blond witch fell in love with him, and he fell in love with her. They would get married buy a cute little house and have beautiful children. And Ginny would grow up to be an old maid and live with her parents in the burrow for the rest of her life.

Harry touched her hand gently, "Ginny..." He wanted to tell her, tell her that he loved her, they could be together and be happy... but... he had things to do... things that if she got in the way of it could hurt her. Finding the last Horcruxes. He had to do that, it was more important than anything else... even his love for Ginny.

"Uh... your dinner was delicious..." he said for lack of anything else.

Ginny felt her heart breaking. She looked up into his eyes and saw pity. She felt anger burning in her chest. How could he, he was just like everyone else, poor pathetic little Ginny... who could love her? She felt her hand move on it's own accord to pull back and slap him across the face. It was loud and Ginny knew it was quite a slap by the way it sounded off of the walls, and by the way her hand seared.

Harry's cheek was red. He looked sad. His green eyes turned a bit of a blue color as he groaned and ran his hand through his hair.

Ginny couldn't stop crying as she saw how sad he looked, she rushed out of the room and into her bedroom, flinging herself onto the bed. Everything had just gotten a lot more complicated.