Would love to know your thoughts :)
Ill
"You look pale, Rowena. Are you quite all right?"
Rowena pressed a hand to her mouth as she felt another wave of nausea wash over her. She could not understand what had come over her these last few weeks. She had always prided herself on her strong constitution. Yet, the nausea, the faintness, the general feeling of fatigue, forgetfulness and the bloating... Rowena had found no logical reasons to explain these symptoms. Unless...
"Rowena?"
Rowena returned her attention to Helga whose eyebrows were knit together in a concerned frown.
"I—" Rowena stopped and stood up with such suddenness that the remaining students in the Great Hall looked at their normally composed Headmistress in surprise. "Forgive me, Helga," Rowena said, beginning to make her way from behind the teachers' table, "but you must excuse me for a minute."
Rowena managed to reach her chambers just in time to deal with the next wave of nausea that coursed through her. She pressed a hand to her churning stomach and staggered to the basin in her washroom in which she was promptly sick.
Finally having realised what this could only mean, Rowena's stomach rolled uncomfortably at the thought. Slowly, and somewhat fearfully, she moved to rest the palms of her hands against her usually slim middle. With growing panic, she realised that she could feel a slight curve.
Truths
"You must tell the others, Rowena," Helga said, not for the first time that month. She came into Rowena's small but comfortable living room and deposited two freshly made mugs of tea onto a small wooden table. "They would want to know. Besides, you will not be able to hide it for long," she added, nodding at Rowena's middle. "The truth will have to come out eventually."
Rowena looked away from her friend, knowing that what Helga said was the truth and yet simultaneously not wanting to believe her. It was true that her ever-changing figure would be hard to conceal in the next few weeks; Rowena had already found her clothes to be tightening around her thickening waist. Soon, she would have to mend them to allow more room.
"I don't believe they would want to know," she said quietly. "An unmarried woman carrying the child of a muggle," she added, placing a hand on her slightly curved belly, and looking at Helga significantly. "Do you really believe that neither Godric nor Salazar will judge me?"
"Rowena—"
Rowena shook her head. "I do not wish for you to attempt to convince me otherwise, Helga," she interrupted. "We both know that Godric and Salazar will not take this news lightly."
"Even so," Helga began, however, she was interrupted by Rowena yet again.
"Godric and Salazar have other matters to attend to," she stated. "They need not be distracted by my predicament until they have ironed out their differences and moved on."
Helga was silent for a moment. "Have you told the father?" she finally asked.
Rowena became hard to read - the only glimpse into how she was feeling in response to this question was the slight pursing of her lips, and her answer, "The father is gone, Helga. I would ask that we do not speak of him again."
Helga nodded several times. "Of course, dear," she said hurriedly. She looked around as though searching for something to talk about. Her eyes landed on an intricate diadem resting on Rowena's desk. "Family heirloom?" she asked hopefully.
Rowena followed Helga's gaze to the diadem sitting innocently on her desk. "No," she said, lost in thought. "More of a pet project."
Others
"It was foolish of Rowena to get herself in this state," Godric said.
Helga pursed her lips. "May I remind you that Rowena cannot solely be to blame," she replied sharply. She rolled her eyes and tutted. "You men accuse women all too easily in these situations. Do you not realise that the men are just as much to blame?"
She looked accusingly at Godric, then at Salazar who had remained very quiet in all this time. Though neither appeared to agree, for the sake of peace, the two men kept their mouths shut and did not discuss the topic further.
"Very well. But we still have not settled what will become of this illegitimate child?" Godric said.
"The child," Helga corrected, giving Godric another dark look, "will stay at Hogwarts. Where else could they go?"
"But Rowena's teaching duties?"
"I believe that is the least of our worries," Salazar said, speaking for the first time. "Rowena will take a few months to recuperate when the child arrives. If students ask, we will say that she is taking a leave of absence due to ill health. Until we find a more effective solution, Rowena can take over more of the Headteacher duties."
"And her classes?"
"Godric, I do not think we will find it impossible to cover Rowena's classes for a few months," Helga said rather irritably.
"Besides, I am quite certain she has already finished her lesson plans for the next two years," Salazar added calmly.
Helga caught his eye and they both smiled slightly.
