Chapter Eight

A morning outburst

Ron, Hermione, Harry and Draco had been sat in the boy's front room for the last twenty minutes waiting for Ginny. Hermione had simply told the group that Ginny had something important to tell them but she had not let on anything else. Hermione had been reluctant to let Ginny arrive by herself but she knew she was coming straight from work and hoped that would give the younger witch little time to reconsider. Hermione found herself glad she wasn't in her friend's shoes. She did not envy Ginny having to tell her brother and Harry. "What was Harry to Ginny?" Hermione wondered she knew the younger woman had a crush on Harry for several years but she assumed that it had dissipated years earlier. "He is another brother," she decided "just overly protective of her."

"Harry-" Ron began as a way of stopping the feeling of tension that had crept over the flat.

"Stop it!" Hermione snapped at Ron who looked sheepish. He had been drumming his fingers on the coffee table for the last few minutes and it had been driving Hermione crazy no matter how much she tried to ignore him. Draco put his hand on hers and in spite of herself she calmed down a little. The tension was diffused by Ginny who opened the door and just that moment.

"Hi," she smiled "sorry I am late, work." She tried to give an air of breezy happiness but she wasn't fooling anyone in the room. "Oh Merlin," she said as she sat on the room's large sofa. She felt like she was being interviewed. Hermione sat on one of the armchairs in the room, with Draco perched on the arm. Harry sat on a kitchen stool and Ron sat on the heavy coffee table. Ginny herself took the last seat on the the sofa. All four looked at her although she was going to say something immensely important.

Ginny took and deep breath in. "I am pregnant." It was barely above a whisper but it didn't need to be, everyone in the room heard her.

"Who?" Ron said fiercely.

"If you think I am telling you who my baby's father is then you have another think coming Ronald Weasley. You just want to go and beat him up."

"Too right I do," Ron shouted back as he stood up. "Who knocks someone up and walks away? You have been missing for a week Ginerva. We have had no idea where you have been. Mum and dad have been tearing their hair out. You just went."

"Ron," Hermione said softer facing her best friend. "Please sit down." He did so begrudgingly. Harry moved from the stool to sit beside Ginny.

"Gin you don't have to tell us anything," he smiled at her "but we are here when you need us ok?" She nodded smiling back at him. A silence fell over the group for a moment.

"You knew," Ron suddenly turned on Hermione. She tried to hide it but her face was paler than usual. She sat still and didn't reply. Without a word Ron stood up and exited the flat slamming the door in a manner worthy of the moodiest of teenage girls. Harry looked over to his other best friend who didn't say anything.

"She found me Harry," it was Ginny who explained "I was hiding in London. Don't blame her, she told me to talk to you."

"I don't blame Hermione." He smiled slightly. Ginny felt her heart beating faster in her chest as she imagined Harry turning on her. However he simply stood up.

"Drinks?" He asked the assembled group. "Ginny's having a baby we should be celebrating." He turned to her "no matter who the dad is or if you have to do this alone you will an amazing mum." Ginny's face broke into a wide grin and she wrapped her arms around Harry's neck.

"I'll do the drinks," Draco said breaking his rather stoic silence. "I do know where they are kept. I lived here for long enough."

"Any names?" Harry asked her. She shook her head. "What date is it due?"

"The middle of January."

"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"

"No."

"Do you have to see a healer or something?" Ginny smiled at him.

"Harry I promise to keep you updated I'm not due at St. Mungo's for a few weeks."

"Butterbeer," Draco shouted from the kitchen as he walked through into the sitting room with three butterbeers and a glass of pumpkin juice."

"Sorry Ginny," he smiled as he passed it to her.

"Don't worry," she said smiling at him back.

"To Ginny," Draco proposed.

"And her baby," added Harry.

"Ginny and her baby," they all echoed as the door slammed. Ginny turned to see her brother stood at the door.

"Hi Gin," he smiled weakly. Ginny felt her temper flare up but she tried to suppress it.

"So have you accepted that your little sister is knocked up yet? Or do you still want to punch someone?" He sat beside her as Harry moved.

"I am going to look after you and that baby Gin. If you need anything." She smiled at him and for a second nothing was needed to be said as a sibling bond deepened.

That evening Ginny sat curled on her bed reading "The Magical Baby Book". She turned the book upside down wondering how on earth women were supposed to do this.

"Night Gin," she heard Hermione shout as the older witch left her kitchen.

"Night," Ginny shouted back.

"No Draco," Ginny heard Hermione whisper accompanied with a most un-Hermioneish giggle.

"Come on please," Ginny heard Draco reply and what sounded like the pair kissing.

"For Merlin's sake," she thought. The couple she was living with had gone from believing they could not show any form of affection in front of Ginny to barely putting each other down. Ginny acknowledged that they were young and in love but quite often she wanted to shout at them. "Please put each other down." Turning the lamp on her bedside table off she pulled the covers up to her chin. For the first time in weeks she fell into a deep sleep.