Ch. 3

Ron and Hermione still stood in the common room. Ginny had run off to find Harry, now slightly teary. Ron smiled and reached for Hermione's hand. She blushed a little. It was so strange, Ron being her boyfriend. She giggled softly, which surprised both of them, Hermione didn't think she had done that since preschool. It was truly a very un-Hermione-like thing to do. Ron leaned down and closed the gap between them a second time. Things were just getting interesting when Parvati, Dean, and Seamus burst through the portrait whole. Parvati shrieked and started jumping up and down, clapping. Seamus and Dean stood there gaping at each other, then grinned at Ron.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" Parvati exclaimed, still clapping. She looked rather like a Muggle battery commercial Hermione had seen once while on holiday in America. "We had a bet going as to when you two would finally get together. We started it back in second year. The whole house was in on it, well, except Lavender, but Harry guessed it down to the day." She beamed at both of them. Seamus and Dean chuckled, patted Ron on the back, and headed over to a table to play Exploding Snap.

"Apparently Ginny ran into them on her way to Harry." Hermione laughed, they should've known this wouldn't stay a secret long once Ginny got her hands on it. After a few minutes of feeling like goldfish, Ron suggested they go for a walk by the lake to avoid any more ambushes from their classmates. Hermione agreed whole-heartedly. As they headed for the exit however, they realized they may have been a bit late. Ron made a mental note that if there was ever an attack on the castle, Ginny would be his first choice to sound the alarm. They had almost reached the portrait hole, when they were accosted by a mob of Gryffindors, all of whom were clapping and cheering. Ron had a fleeting thought that this must be how it felt to be Harry. He would never be jealous again. Harry pushed his way to the front of the crowd, and pulled them into a very tight group hug, kissing them both on the cheeks. This made Ron very uncomfortable, he decided to just pretend he was being attacked by brains again, which made a much better story anyway. Harry grinned at them somewhat hysterically.

"Thank God, Ron! I thought you were going to be a virgin forever, mate." Harry laughed and slapped him on the back. Ron would have been embarrassed had something not entered his mind at that moment.

"And you're not?" Ron asked, looking between Harry and Ginny expectantly. Ginny turned on her heel and walked away briskly. The crowd started letting out catcalls as she left. Ron's eyes widened.

"Harry! Tell me you didn't sleep with my innocent little baby sister!" Ron's ears were getting redder by the second, and the color seemed to be spreading to the rest of his body. Harry looked down at his feet, smirking. Ginny must have heard, because she turned around on the staircase. She whistled loudly.

"Hey! Everybody, No way is Harry getting the credit for this. I seduced HIM! I took advantage of Harry, not the other way around. By the way, Harry, we should really talk about that...mind if we talk alone for a sec?" Ron couldn't make out what Ginny said after that, he may have just been in shock, though. After a moment, however, it was no longer any need for anyone present to guess, because Harry suddenly looked as though his head might just roll right off of his neck. He grew very pale and his eyes went sort of blank.

"You...you're what...you're... pregnant?" He stuttered. Ron's anger waned away as he saw a small tear escape down his best mate's cheek. Harry stepped forward and held Ginny close. He stroked her hair tenderly.

"It's okay, I'll take care of you, Gin. I promise, no one's going to hurt you...or the baby. It's okay..." Ron looked over, Hermione was crying silently into his shoulder. Harry already had the responsibility of saving the world, now this too? He pitied him, for the first time in his life, Ron felt bad for Harry Potter, the Chosen One, the Boy-Who-Lived.