Ginny
He leaned over to me and whispered in my ear, "I know your secret; you don't have to lie to me anymore."
I turned to him, I tried to look casual, "W-What do you mean by that?"
"I know who you're dating Ginny, isn't it obvious? You're just lying to us all so that you can get mum off of your back." I sighed and told him another lie "That's exactly why, but how did you find out?"
"Ginny, you aren't that good of a liar" Ron smiled.
"No, I'm not" I said with a grin, because I was lying through my teeth without Ron suspecting a thing.
Hermione came back to me and Ron, her expression made me want to throw up, "Ginny, tomorrow morning can we go over some plans for the wedding?"
"Already?" My mother asked, as my mouth dropped.
"Well, Ron and I didn't want to have to wait that long, so we were thinking that we'd get married in three months" I dropped the glass in my hand, and I didn't care that I had shattered on the floor, "WHAT?!"
I couldn't help it from coming out, but the words just flew out.
Hermione looked at me confused, "What's the problem?"
My mother covered my mouth with her hand and she said, "Hermione, why don't you wait and see and sleep on the date, besides winter weddings are sometimes too cold and conditions are never good for people to travel."
Hermione agreed that they'd think about it, but I knew if I only had three months that I'd be hammered to the wall.
When dinner was finished I made an excuse to leave for home, my mother insisted that I stayed for dessert, but I refused to eat anymore.
Going into the apartment, I felt more alone than I have ever felt in my entire life.
When I got home I locked myself into the bathroom to puke. The nauseated feeling that I had in my stomach had been too much for me to bear. I purged in hopes that I wouldn't get morning sickness and so that I could sleep through the night. I changed into pajamas and brushed my teeth to gain a different taste in my mouth.
Hermione didn't come home for another three hours after that and by that time I was pretending to be asleep in my bed, just so I didn't have to talk about the wedding or her and Ron's relationship.
At four thirty my alarm went off, but I hadn't set my alarm, I had only really fallen asleep at three forty-five. "Wake up, lazy head! My wedding is drawing nearer and nearer!" Hermione cheered happily, while I groaned and hit the snooze button, but when it didn't snooze, I threw it up against the wall and shattered it into little pieces. "Ginny, what did you just do?" I put my pillow over my ears so that I could pretend to not hear her. "We aren't all professional Quidditch Players you know, some of us actually have to work during the winter, so get your little butt over here so we can talk about the wedding!" she said partly in a light tone, but about 80% of her was dead serious.
"Some of us don't even have to be at work till eight, which would be you, so I get three more hours of sleep" I pushed the pillow closer to my ear, but she yanked my pillow away and started hitting me with it. She stopped looking skeptically at the floor and asked, "Ginny, why do you have a bucket over here?"
"I told you, I've been sick lately, but I didn't want my mum worrying" I said irritated, lying did not come naturally to me.
"I knew that, but Ginny, that was a while ago, have you still been getting sick?" She asked me worriedly.
This time I didn't lie, "Most nights while you're off with Ron, I'm sitting here getting sick."
I didn't hear anything of the sort from Hermione and she said, "But you're always up before I am."
"Yeah, then I go to bed right after you go to work" I said then thought in my head "then I wake up and toss more cookies."
"Ginny, this isn't healthy" she said worriedly, I didn't want her to meddle into this because honestly, I'd rather have my mom know before Hermione and Ron knew and once Ron and Hermione knew, then everyone was bound to know.
"I've got it under control" I told her, but to be honest, the baby always craved healthy things that my normal taste buds hated, so I swallowed them down, quite reluctantly.
"No you don't Ginny, this isn't right, you've got to do something about this, it isn't very healthy and if your really as sick as you say-"
I cut her off before she could say anything about going to St. Mungo's, because I had already gone there; they said my baby was normal.
A normal health-conscious baby… great.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked her with my annoyance toleration about to be thrown out the window.
She looked at me in shock and said, "What do I mean by what?"
"You said 'If your really sick as you say-' it sounded like you didn't believe me." I told her, finally looking at her, to make matters worse; she turned the bright light on in the room and gave a little shriek, "Ginny, you're really pale!"
"Yeah, I normally am. It runs in the family if you haven't noticed…" I mumbled sarcastically.
"No, not like normal, you're really, really, really pale! Almost ghost-like." she said in a squeak. I had forgotten that I normally had to put a lot of make-up on to conceal how pale I really was from throwing up. I always had to wash it off before I went to bed so that it didn't get all over. How was I going to get out of my ocean of lies?
"That's what I get for throwing up Hermione." I told her, yanking my other pillow and blocking the bright light to get my face.
"Ginny, I'm taking you into St. Mungo's right now" she grabbed my hand but I yanked it back. My conscious got the better of me and I figured I should tell her the truth.
"Hermione, I lied to you last night" I told her, but then my mind jerk its decision and I added "I wasn't really asleep last night when you came in, and to be honest, I think I only got about… forty-five minutes of sleep since you woke me up." She didn't look surprised, but said in a weak voice, "Ginny, will you please go to St. Mungo's, please, I'm really worried about you."
"I bet they have worse cases there Hermione than mine" I told her.
"I'll take you after work, please Ginny; I can't stand to see you like this."
After thirty minutes of her begging, I finally said I would go with her after work. This meant that I had to tell mum and dad before she got home; this was bound to be a disaster.
I didn't care, but I fell asleep until after Hermione left and I got up at about 9:30. I smelled Hermione's microwave bacon that she had left for me, but the baby didn't want it. My heart went, awe, but I could live with a healthy baby. He or she made me have two bananas and a peanut butter bagel instead.
Neville
It didn't bother me that Ginny hadn't come back like she had said she would; it just worried me a little. She was all I could think about this morning, and last night. I couldn't buck up the courage to call her and ask her how she was doing, because 1. I didn't know what to say, 2. I'd look like a needy idiot for doing it, and 3. I had no reason to really call her besides asking her like a pathetic idiot, "Where were you?" and I didn't want to be that guy.
I wondered what Ginny thought of me as, a friend, a drinking buddy, an acquaintance, her boyfriend, future husband? The one guy that I didn't want to be was: the guy who ruined her life by knocking her up.
This thought haunted my mind all morning, but I just sat and ate my coco puffs like any good man did. I also didn't have my shirt on because it was hotter than hell last night and I didn't feel like putting one on now, since I was comfortable.
I swished the chocolate milk in the bowl and then I stared at the milk carton… For twenty minutes I just stared at it. Suddenly I was woken up from my train of thought by a knock on the door. It was too early for Gran to have come, but maybe she got here early some how.
I opened the door to find Ginny Weasley staring blankly at my bare chest, a smile formed on her lips. Her eyes slowly found mine after a bit of staring. "Not expecting me were you?" She teased.
"N-No, I wasn't, but it's a pleasant surprise" I told her, and said she should come in. She did, and smiled a little more at my box of coco puffs. "What brings you over here?" I asked, now more than ever consciously aware that I was in a room with Ginny Weasley without a shirt.
"Well, I've come to tell you that Hermione and Ron are getting married." she held a false happiness in her smile and in her voice. "Congratulations to them, but why don't you seem so happy about that?"
She looked at me and told me, "I am now Hermione's Maid of Honor and she wants to have the wedding in three months, which more than likely means, I have to plan most of this with her. This also means I will have to do everything else for her."
"You didn't tell her did you," I said in a low voice, Ginny didn't have to tell me I was right because I knew that Hermione wouldn't have unloaded all of that pressure onto Ginny while she was also pregnant. Hermione just thought that Ginny would be happy to help her since she didn't have to work during the winter.
"No, I didn't" she told me in a weak voice, "but if I had I would have had to tell my whole family right then and there and I didn't want to… Even though now I have to tell my parents before Hermione goes and takes me to St. Mungo's after she gets done with work…" Ginny couldn't look in my eyes, but her eyes seemed fixated on the other side of the room.
"Do you want me to go with you?" I asked her. I knew it was the right thing to do, since this was mostly my fault, but I wanted to go with her. She looked up at me, "What?"
"I'll go with you, but only if you want me to…" she looked at me like I had said a very confusing word like 'proponent.'
"You would do that?" she asked quietly.
"Of course I would, I want to help you through all of this, even through the hard things, that's why I'm here." I told her, and I meant all of it too.
She looked close to tears as she grabbed me and hugged me tightly, "If only everyone were as great as you Neville." I wanted those words on a plaque; it'll be quoted one day.
"Thanks, but I just want you happy and healthy" she smiled and said "I don't think you have to worry about that, the baby's been making me eat only healthy foods for the past three weeks."
I laughed, "Maybe it's not a total bad thing telling your parents now is it."
"I guess not" she looked up at me, "thanks honey" she got onto her tip toes and kissed me lightly. I felt the butterflies in my stomach flitter all around.
"Anytime" I told her, and then the painful pang hit my stomach. I would never get to tell my parents the good news, well, they wouldn't understand if I did. The bright side to that was I could tell Gran, but I would never get to see their happy faces smiling at me in over joy… Maybe this was one of the reasons why I wanted to go with Ginny so badly, or it was just because I wanted to help her out.
"So when do you want to go and tell them the good news?" I asked her.
"Maybe in an hour or two"
All of the sudden it got quiet as the door knocked four times then the knob turned, Ginny let go of me and I went to go answer the door. Sure enough Gran had to ruin my time with Ginny, once again. "Neville, why on earth don't you have a shirt on?" she turned around to look at Ginny and smiled widely, "Ah, I see. Trying to impress the Quidditch
star."
She let herself into my apartment and gave Ginny a very big hug, when she was done she put her arms on Ginny's shoulders and stood back for a little bit while eyeing her out. I saw her smile grow even wider, "Neville, how come you never told me that I was going to be a great grandmother?" she asked, turning around to face me.
The one thing going through my mind was: WHAT THE HELL? HOW DID SHE KNOW?
"U-Uh… How do you figure that?" I asked her.
"Oh Neville, I'm not that naïve. She's glowing, she had a huge smile on her face even if she is extremely pale, she was a lot thinner the last time that we spoke, and she looks exactly like your mother before your dad and her told your grandpa and me." Ginny smiled at me, half guiltily, and half proud. One less person that we had to tell and she seemed to have taken it very well.
"I was worried about you Neville, I thought for years that I wasn't ever going to get to see my great grandchild, but now I do!" She and Ginny laughed a little bit as I stared with great interest at the floor.
"Dear, have you been eating healthy?" she asked Ginny, I tried to get Gran to stop, but she swatted me away with her hand. "Yeah, I have, the baby craves only healthy food."
"Good, good, just like Alice did." I saw Ginny smile at me; her chocolate eyes were glistening with happy tears.
"Now when are you two getting married?"
Ginny looked petrified from Gran at looked at me for an answer. "We haven't really talked about that much yet Gran. We just found out yesterday…"
She spun around to face me, "Don't tell me that my great granddaughter or great grandson is going to be a bastard."
Ginny's smile quickly faded, as I turned to my Gran, "We never discussed marriage."
"You haven't discussed it?!" Gran repeated irritated, "For Godric's sake you two are having a baby and you aren't getting married! What would your parents think young lady? Haven't you told them yet? Won't they be disappointed?"
"Gran, you are in no right to be talking to Ginny like that!" My voice had come out stronger than I had intended it. Both women quickly turned their attention to me. "Ginny is to be treated with respect. She has done nothing but be gracious to you, so I expect nothing less from you." I felt like it was my duty to stand up for Ginny, even if it was against Gran.
"Neville, you should have proposed! You don't just go getting girls pregnant then leave them the next morning!"
"I'm not leaving anywhere Gran, I could have run before but I didn't, I'm still here aren't I?" I could feel my words getting flustered, "I'm not leaving Ginny to do this all by herself; besides we were already talking about getting a house together." I told her with confidence and Ginny's smile reformed a little.
"Neville, I have no doubt that you will be a great father, but the thing is that a baby needs both parents, and the only way to stay that way is if they get married." She said a little more calmly.
"Just because Ginny is pregnant doesn't mean that we have to get married, who said we want to anyways? If we do it's our decision!" Just as easily as the words had slipped from my tongue Ginny got up and slipped out the door. A fatal "pop" sounded behind the door.
I looked at Gran angrily and said "Thanks a whole lot for nothing."
"Neville, things in life are worth waiting for, and that girl is one of them. The circumstances are bad, I know, but you've got to let her cool down before you go and talk to her. Getting a ring isn't the worst idea either." She gave me a wink and left my apartment, leaving her cookies on the couch.
I plunked myself onto a chair and thought for several hours what I was going to do, what I was going to tell her. Then I saw that it was eight thirty when my phone rang, I picked up and asked, "Hello?"
"Hi Neville" Hermione Granger's voice came on the other end.
"Hi, what can I do for you?" It was odd because I hadn't talked to Hermione for over two years outside of a occasional hello at the Ministry.
"Do you know where Ginny is? Because she isn't here, she isn't at the burrow, she isn't with Ron, Harry, or Luna-" I cut her off and asked "Why would she be with Harry?"
Hermione didn't say anything for a minute and then replied "I just called him in case she was, but is she with you or have you seen her at all today? Because her phone is dead and she left me a note but I can't make anything of it"
"What did the note say?" I asked, ignoring her questions.
"It just says, 'heart… beating… faster… stop… turn time back' I don't know what it means" She said, I could hear her pacing through her apartment. "But I was going to take her to St. Mungo's today and I bet that's why she isn't here… but I've tried everywhere, George and Charlie haven't seen her, Bill and Fleur have been looking but nothing so far, and Ron is also out looking but nothing."
"Hermione, I think there is a big piece of the puzzle that you're missing" I told her. "Ginny came over to my flat today and she was over here yesterday. She came over to tell me some rather big news. Now I know that she would rather tell you, but since you can't seem to find her I think it would be best if I tell you now… Ginny is pregnant."
I had let out Ginny's secret, well, partly mine too, but Hermione was a blabber so not before long till everyone knew, but Ginny wasn't being found so it was just something that I had to do. "What?! Why would she come over to tell you before she told-" Hermione stopped and dropped the phone. There was a popping noise and Hermione Granger stood in my living room. Her face exasperated, "You and Ginny…?"
I gave her a short nod of the head and she fell into the chair closest to her. "I can't believe it… You and Ginny… are having a… I never would have thought in my life that you and her…" The frizzy haired woman covered her mouth with her hands. "That's why she's been so sick these past few weeks. That's why she came home in your t-shirt. That's why she freaked out when I offered to take her to St. Mungo's…" The brown haired woman looked nearly broken down. "I can't believe she didn't tell me."
I tried to cheer her up by saying, "If it makes you feel any better she just told me yesterday."
Hermione gave a stiff laugh and then looked up at me, "How are you handling all of this?"
"Honestly Hermione? I'm excited, but I'm afraid that I completely messed it up with Ginny tonight. My Gran came over and started pressuring us to get married and I said something a little rash." I fell into the couch seat closest to Hermione, who had her eyes directly on mine. "I don't think she'll ever forgive me."
"She will. You just have to have faith that she will." She put a reassuring hand on my knee and smiled, "But I'm not so certain that her brothers will."
"Are they going to kill me?"
"I wouldn't doubt that you get at least one bat bogey hex or a Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes product. But that's all a part of becoming one of the family."
Ginny
I stared at the name "Fred Weasley" as the rain poured hard onto my face. Just below that, it said "April 1st 1978 - May 2nd 1998."
I told him everything even if he couldn't hear it. I poured everything out that was bothering me. Even with my soaked clothes clinging to me. I was hit hard when he had died… I found out as his body was being carried into the Great Hall by a crying Seamus Finnigan and an inconsolable Oliver Wood. I had collapsed onto Luna and I had lost all control. That was the part of my life when I felt that nothing was worth living for anymore.
Sitting in the rain, my silent tears kept on flowing down my face. Then I heard footsteps behind me, shoes meeting the puddles, they walked slowly. Not even worrying about them seeing me; I kept on crying.
Their warm hand was placed onto my shoulder, "Ginny, come on, lets get you somewhere dry."
"I'm not leaving" my voice cracked.
"Come on Ginny, it's already eleven thirty-four and it seems like you've been here for over twelve hours" the voice told me.
"I'm not leaving him" I told the voice coldly.
"Don't do this now Ginny, you have to go, he'd understand, you know Fred." The voice told me.
I looked at my brother's tombstone and I remembered his dead face, smiling at me.
The wind picked up and started to blow harder. "Ginny please don't do this to yourself, you're going to get a cold and then you'll get sick. Now please Ginny come with me. I know you hate me and all, but can't you put that aside for a minute or three and talk to me about why you weren't at your apartment?" Harry's voice asked me.
"I wasn't at my apartment because I was here" I told him flatly, "Now can you leave, you're being very insensitive right now."
His voice didn't get stern, but he said, "Ginny please, I'm asking you as a friend."
"Oh, of course" I spat out distainfully, "Friends, but never more than that."
"Ginny… please"
"Don't you dare call me a friend Harry Potter" I snapped, "we were never friends and we will never be friends." I could feel him coming closer to me instead of backing away.
Getting onto his knees and to my level Harry pleaded, "I'm begging you Ginny just for you to talk to me and go some place dry so that you don't get sick."
"Eat slugs Potter."
My heart ached. I knew that Harry and I were through and that he would never come back to me, but every time he came around there was always a glimmer of hope in my heart. This time would be the last that I felt that glimmer. "C'mon Ginny, don't be like this…"
My emotions swept over me like they never have before. My heart could take it no longer and my soul had broken into millions of pieces that it could not be repaired. "Don't you have another damsel to save? I am not the same first year girl that you have to save from Tom Riddle. I am not the same 15 year old girl that you had to break up with because of Voldemort. I am the woman that is trying to have a conversation with her brother and would like to be left alone."
"Ginny… please."
"Piss off Potter."
(A/N: 7/29/13- Hopefully you are enjoying the story and hopefully I can get to start writing the new chapters! Thanks!)