Standard disclaimers apply. Oh, and I fail. But I feel inspired. So I'm going to finish this story, even if it's the only thing I manage to accomplish this summer(besides placing out of Japanese, that is). But that's too much information, isn't it? Oh well. Enjoy.

She would not cry anymore. Or, well, at the very least there would be no more tears of sorrow, only those of joy, or those accompanied by laughter. Alicia Spinnet's life was a mess, of that she was quite aware.

Yet, somehow, sitting at the kitchen table in The Burrow, helping Mrs. Weasley make dinner for the family, she felt like she was going to be okay. Sure, she was four months pregnant, and everything was a complete mess, but

Over the past few weeks, since everyone had seemed to come home to The Burrow, she had started to feel like part of a family again. Arthur and Molly had accepted her with open arms. Sure, George was being a complete moron, but he wasn't living at The Burrow anyway. Percy kind of just accepted her new place in all of their lives, proclaiming, surprisingly, that he was going to be the favorite uncle. Charlie had been a god-send, promising to attend all of her appointments with her.

And he always tried to make her smile when she looked as if she were lapsing back into a depressive state.

Lately, she had been trying to stop worrying so much about how much her heart hurt, and how regretful she was. She was trying to move forward with her life.

She remembered the moment at which the pregnancy became real for her. Charlie had insisted on watching some weird muggle "television show" on some strange muggle contraption that his father had rigged up, and powered with magic.

She'd been laughing at some horrendous joke when she felt something flutter. "Oh!" Charlie had gotten this worried look on his face until she'd grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. He had been shocked, but a smile had broken out over his face. At that moment, she felt her child kick for the very first time.

And she knew that this was what she wanted. "Charlie," she had said, "I'm going to be a mom."

"And you've just now realized this?" he'd replied, with a slightly mocking tone, just because he knew it would make her smile. It did.

"I hadn't really felt like this was real before. It had just felt like some awful nightmare, like I'd wake up, and we'd be okay again. That we all wouldn't have made these mistakes, that Fred . . . "

"I know," Charlie had placed his hand on her cheek, and wiped away a tear that had begun to fall.

At that moment George had walked in, ruining her moment. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to be somewhere-anywhere else. "Um, can I talk to you for a moment, Alicia?"

"Can you give us a moment, Charlie?" Alicia had asked.

She'd gotten untangled from her spot on the sofa with Charlie, he'd excused himself room, then she'd looked at George for a moment.

They had stared at each other, until he had broken eye contact, she'd walked forward, and placed his hand over her midsection. They both felt a flutter, a strange look had come over George's face.

They had just stood there, stuck inside a moment. This time Alicia broke free.

"I'm sorry for hurting you. I really am. But I can't-I can't be sorry for this child."

George seemed confused. "You're the one who is pushing me away."

"Because I won't let you see this child as a mistake. What I did, what we did . . . What you did, those were mistakes. This child is the most important thing that has ever happened to me. I want him, or her, to be surrounded by love."

Alicia, stepped away from him, as if to leave. She moved past him, he grabbed her arm, softly.

"What do you want from me, Alicia?"

"What do you want from me?" she had responded, tiredly.

George had looked like he wanted to say something, like there was something he needed to say. She had wished to the depths of her heart that he would say it, that he would say the words that she wanted to hear. But he didn't.

Maybe he never would.

After that day, she'd felt happier than she had in months, possibly years. Yes, a part of her heart shattered a little bit more when he hadn't been able to say the words she so desperately wanted to hear.

Maybe, maybe he just couldn't love her. No one else really seemed capable of loving her . . . But this child was going to be loved, by her.

When she'd realized, finally, that she needed to move on she'd felt a weight lift from her heart.

Now, she was part of a family, even if all of the members didn't want her to be there.

She carefully dropped the chopped carrots into the bowl in front of her. "You were right, this is relaxing."

Molly turned from her position at the counter, "Yes, dear. Every once in a while, even though you can use magic, it's nice to do something by hand."

And so it was. Alicia and Molly shared a smile.

At that moment they heard talking, and Percy walked in with Oliver Wood. They were teasing each other, as usual.

Alicia wondered, for a moment, whether or not there was something going on between them. Sure, there was a completely oblivious look on Percy's face, but Oliver . . . He looked smitten, and he was definitely invading Percy's personal space.

She turned, when she realized she was staring, back to the vegetables. But not before seeing a look that seemed both bemused, and worried, somehow simultaneously.

As she heard Percy rant about some silly new business protocol that he found completely unnecessary, and heard Oliver suggest (in jest) that the problem wasn't with the protocol, that it was probably with him.

She finished with her preparations, and stood up to set her bowl of vegetables on the counter. She heard someone walk in, so she turned. It was Charlie. She smiled.

This was it. She really was happy.

And when Charlie smiled at her she felt butterflies that had nothing to do with her baby.

At that moment, George walked in, and seeing her face, felt something inside of him squeeze. Then he realized that the smile was directed at Charlie and felt something. Jealousy.

Molly Weasley looked around her children. She thought of Fred, and felt her heart squeeze, then she looked at Alicia, and smiled. Her eyes swept around the room, and she began to worry. Some of her babies were going to get their hearts broken.

She saw the looks on Percy and Oliver's faces.

She looked at Charlie's face, and saw that he was in love.

She looked at George, and saw a conflict beginning to brew.

She could see that George was bothered.

He didn't know it bothered him so much.

But he would. Soon.

And so, she worried.

*coughs* I know it's been a long time. I have issues. Oh yeah, should the baby be male or female? Review and vote. And so it shall be.

Also, I'm writing this minus my beta.