Author's note: Don't worry, Leia is actually Quirrell. I just thought it would be fun for Mirana not to know.

"But Sorrell, I.."

"No! Keep yourself and that filthy half-blood of yours away from me!" Sorrell stormed away, looking angry enough to see red. Mirana sunk down, her face in her hands. With Sorrell's hatred of not only half-bloods, but anyone close to him who did anything that could potentially put his reputation under fire, he was sure to tell everyone. Mirana looked down at her belly. Hatred dripped from her voice as freely as her tears fell down her cheeks. "You won't even be born for seven more months, and you're already ruining my life."

"Such a pity," Lucius told the others as Mirana walked by their table that day at lunch. "An entire family's good reputation... ruined. All because some muggle-lover couldn't keep her legs closed." Bellatrix and Sorrell chortled in agreement, while Andromeda kept her head down low. Mirana had once caught her writing a love letter to a gryiffindor named Ted Tonks, who was muggle-born. If Bellatrix found out, she would surely tell their parents.

Mirana hoped that as her baby started to show, the bullying might stop, but her hopes were quickly crushed. Every slytherin had shunned her away, forcing her to sit at the end of their table, all by herself. Lucius kept up with his snide comments, or, as her stomach started swelling, making pig noises as she walked past him. Sorrell had already done his damage, and would sometimes come up with a lie to spread about her, if his Sunday morning was too dull. "I think that she planned on getting pregnant so that she could have as much butterbeer as she pleases," she once overheard him tell another seventh year. Bellatrix, on the other hand, seemed to be on a mission to kill the child. She would trip Mirana as she was walking to her seat in potions, or shove her into a wall as they were walking to class. She was either trying to cause Mirana to have a miscarriage, or was just expressing her hatred toward muggle-lovers. It was sometimes hard to tell with Bellatrix. Andromeda, on the other hand, kept her distance, or just flashed a supportive smile to Mirana.

Mirana had often thought of putting her want to her head, and killing both herself and the baby, but she met two gryffindor sisters, Millie and Penny Spink, who quickly adopted her into their little group. They both had summer jobs as housekeepers at St. Mungo's, and were going to work in the Materinity Ward when they graduated that year, so they knew every little detail about the baby before Mirana even knew, and would tell her every nitty-gritty detail. They had decided to throw a baby shower for her after school let out, and needed to know whether to have pink or blue decorations. "Your baby's sexual organs have finished developing, so please let us know when you find out the gender."

"How did Millie say that without grimacing?" Mirana wondered to herself. She simply forced back a shudder, and said, "I don't know, and I don't care."

Penny's eyebrows jumped up. "How do you not care?" Mirana shrugged.

Millie waved it off. "You'll find out when he or she is born. Now, according to the old witch's tales, you're carrying right in the middle, so you could be having... either."

Penny giggled. "It looks as though you stuck a ball up your shirt!"

"Ugh, I wish it felt like that." Nobody had bothered to tell Mirana about pregnancy. All these aches and pains, and those annoying little kicks and punches that would keep her up at night... Mirana could not stand this baby.

"Well, you said that early on, you were craving sweet things, like butterbeer, right?" Millie stopped, and pondered for a bit. "So that would mean that you're having a girl!"

Mirana grinned a little. A girl would be easier to raise. She would have the same growing pains as Mirana did.

Excitement glowed on Penny's face. "Do you have any names in mind?"

Mirana bit her lip, thinking. "I used to have a doll that I named Leia, so I've always been partial to that. It's Hawaiian for flower."

The shower went well. It was held outdoors in the middle June, with pink covering everything. Penny even went the extra mile, and picked pink wildflowers, to match Leia's name. Because Mirana had such a small group of friends, not many people showered up, but what they gave her was much needed. She got a huge stuffed hippogriff named Hillary Hippogriff and some dresses from Penny and Millie, and a crib with a pack of diapers from the Spink parents (who had graciously let Mirana stay in their house when she left Hogwarts). When Dumbledore arrived, he gave her great news.

"While I was in Honeydukes buying some chocolate frogs, I ran into an old student, who's the owner of the store. Your name came up, and she felt so badly for you that she told me to tell you that she's offering you a job there."

Mirana couldn't believe her ears. "A job, sir?"

"Yes. And I took the liberty of putting the down payment on a house for you. It's just outside of Diagon Alley. It's not very big, just large enough for the two of you. And there's a garden for your little one to play in. Oh! Speaking of playing..." He then pulled out a little stuffed three headed dog that had blue ears and spots, and rattled when you shook it.

"Thank-you, sir, but... blue? For a girl?"

Dumbledore gave her a little smile, and patted her stomach. "I've always been partial to the name Quirinus. It's a good, strong boy's name. During my Hogwarts years, my owl was named Quirinus."

Mirana hoped with all of her heart that he didn't know what he was talking about.

Mirana relaxed against the couch, late August after work. Leia had grown so much that others could see Mirana's stomach move when Leia moved. Millie and Penny stopped by after work, and were playing little games with Leia by pressing lightly on Mirana's belly, and then giggling as a little hand or foot would come along to push them off. "She's trying to give us high-fives!" Penny exclaimed.

"Mirana, I'm worried about you. You can't work at Honeyduke's, AND take care of a baby."

Penny laughed. "And even if you wear Leia in a sling, she might make things a bit harder to manage."

Mirana pressed on her stomach to wake Leia up again. "I know. Just a few days ago, my belly knocked down a case of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and it shattered! I honestly don't know what to do."

Millie's eyes grew large. "You could take little Leia over to our house! We'll be at work, but our mother will be staying at home while everyone's else gone. She loves babies!"

Mirana smiled a bit. "That would be lovely, thank-you."

Now that that was over, Millie and Penny went back to cooing over the baby. "So, are you excited?"

"Not really. I don't know how much longer I can take this. All of this swelling, not being able to bend down, or even sleep right at night! And her favorite spot to sleep is right on my bladder," Mirana said, as she poked at Leia again.

Millie and Penny looked at each other, their smiles falling. "Well, I'm sure that you'll change you mind when you hold that adorable little baby!"

Mirana didn't love Leia. If she hadn't been concieved, Mirana could have kept her secret, went on living at her parent's house, and married Sorrell. But instead, Leia became her scarlet letter. While her former friends got to go live their dreams, explore the world, or simply finish their seventh years, she was stuck working, keeping a house, and taking care of a baby. She had never even held a baby, let alon fed or changed one. And the Quirrells had always kept a house elves, so Mirana didn't know how to cook, or clean a house. She was alone, scared, and angry. But being afraid of losing her last two friends, she just smiled. "Perhaps."