The early autumn chill crept through the jumper that hugged my now protruding stomach slightly to tightly for my liking, I wasn't even half way through the pregnancy and I was already startlingly uncomfortable. Since the attack on Fleur and Bill's wedding Fred was reluctant to say the least for me to go anywhere without him or someone else he knew with me, and had been trying to no avail to convince me to go and live with the newlyweds for my safety.
This meant that apart from members of the order, I barely saw anyone at all. Mrs Weasley had taken it upon herself to monitor every minor change that happened in my body, and control my food intake which was not pleasing little squid as Fred had begun calling our unborn child after seeing the ultrasound pictures that we had printed off and were now sitting on the bedside table. "Squid" had taken a liking to coffee which had earnt me a stern talking to from my future mother in law, and was forced to remove all caffeine from the flat which had not impressed its other residents.
Mum and Mrs Weasley had seemingly decided to alternate seeing me every single day, meaning I had to travel a significant amount to appease my mother, not that I didn't appreciate their care, simply put however I could go one day without their worrying and prodding. This would be Mrs Weasley's first grandchild, so she was making a point to knit as many items of baby clothing as was humanly possible as well as digging up old baby clothes that all of the Weasley boys had worn in infancy, despite all of my protesting she continued.
Today was my day to visit the burrow, and since Fred would be working I was to go via the floo network so that he could ensure my safe departure and know my destination. After a kiss goodbye I stepped through the green flames and stepped forward into the burrow, where I was greeted by Mrs Weasley as soon as I was out of the fireplace.
"Ah deary, how have you been? You've gotten bigger already, I was like that with Charlie as well, I don't quite know what it was but he was just a huge baby, same with Ronald, though it didn't show as much while I was pregnant with him." She was forever comparing my pregnancy with her own, and was convinced that it was a boy as so far she had found no similarities with her pregnancy with Ginny.
"I've been okay, still no more morning sickness so I think that portion has ended now," she nodded enthusiastically at that, the sickness having continued far past the normal point in all of her pregnancies and caused her to worry greatly over it. "I have been really uncomfortable though, specifically around my lower back." I point to the area as she moved up my jumper and pressed her warm hands into the small of my back.
"Well I'm sure that its perfectly normal," she pulled my clothing back down to cover my exposed back, it was abnormal for her not to find any similarities between her experiences and my own, but that wasn't the worst thing that could happen, as sometimes her stories tended to go into explicit details that I would much rather not hear. Listening to her discuss sex while pregnant would normally have been uncomfortable enough, had it not been for Ginny sitting opposite the table from me, apparently hearing about what you parents did before you were born left lasting discomfort in teenage girls. "Hot water bottles may be best for that, maybe a day of just resting would help a well."
"Will do," she seemed slightly uncomfortable, though wasn't discussing it so I didn't try.
"Oh dear I haven't told you," she seemed suddenly overly excited, "Dora just found out she's expecting a little one as well." Now distracted from whatever had been puzzling her before she went into great detail about it, making sure to emphasise that they had been married pre-pregnancy, and I pretended not to see the clear dig at my situation. After her talk progressed into he and Mr Weasley's wedding night I decided that I would head back to the flat before hearing more than I could bare, the lack of alcohol was something I could cope with, but I was now curious as to how much it would take for me to forget what I had heard.
Mrs Weasley bid farewell as I stepped back through the flames, welcoming the quiet of home. I sat down with a hot water bottle and a baby book and just read the day away.