WARNINGS: Graphic sexual scenes (including non-con/rape), Sexuality, Implicit drug use, Explicit drug use, Alcohol abuse, Underage drinking, Self-harm, Depression, Anorexia, Language, Pregnancy (teen)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. Any canon characters or situations are property of J.K. Rowling and her affiliates. I do not make money from writing or posting this story, and do it only for my own and my readers' enjoyment.
Chapter 4 – Test Results
December 22-January 5
Upon hearing Aria's story, the others all reacted similarly to Draco. They were thrilled to see Aria, of course, but couldn't believe that someone would treat her that way (or that she'd let them, honestly). Harry, Ron and the twins were all prepared to hunt down Avery. There were many obscenities shouted, uttered, and whispered, much to Molly's shock and disgust, but there wasn't a way for her to scare them down from it. She had considered casting silencing charms on them just to end it all, but soon realized that they all were thinking along the same lines, and most just didn't have the guts or immodesty to say the swears blatantly. Somehow, though, Aria calmed them down enough to not plan to pursue the idea.
For Christmas, Aria got everything she was hoping for, and more. Except one thing: her period. She was terrified, seeing as she hadn't been off her cycle since the first few months she'd ever had it. She hid her anxiety well though, and it helped that everyone was distracted with their new items and snacks.
Her list of Christmas presents were as follows: From Molly and Arthur, a Weasley sweater (of course) and a book mending kit. From Sirius, a sterling silver charm bracelet featuring a charm of a dog (which had lightened her mood considerably). Harry got her a broom polishing kit identical to the one he'd gotten before, which she had been jealous of for some time now. Ron got her a very large bar of her absolute favorite white chocolate from Honeyduke's Sweet Shop in Hogsmeade. Remus had given her a pocket-sized book of charms. Hermione had knitted her a matching scarf and hat (which were a little lopsided, seeing as her friend was still getting the hang of it) and bought her some jeans and tank tops. Draco, surprisingly, also got her something for the holidays. He'd bought for everyone in the headquarters, actually. To Aria, he presented a long, rectangular velvet box. She sent him a playful glare as she opened it, but her curiosity was certainly piqued. The female Slytherin inhaled sharply when she saw what was inside. The chain of the necklace was fine, white gold. The small heart that hung on it held two, small diamonds (yes, real ones; he wasn't going to skimp out on the girl he was trying to woo) on the bottom, to the right of the tip of the heart. She smiled brilliantly as he clipped it on her, his fingers accidentally brushing her neck and giving her goosebumps.
For their New Year's celebration, the clan just had a party-like gathering in the basement kitchen of Grimmauld Place. Everyone in the Order was invited, but Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley were unable to make it, and Dumbledore only stopped in briefly.
The morning of the tenth day after Aria realized she could be pregnant (on January fifth) she pulled Hermione aside before breakfast. Her thin and pale face was contorted with worry. Safely whispering in the room the two girls shared with Ginny, Hermione focused completely on Aria's concerns.
"Mia," the blonde girl murmured, pulling her friend to sit on one of the beds. "I'm late... Like over a week. I'm scared. It's never happened to me before," she confided. "Can you please go with me today to my Muggle doctor? I don't want everyone knowing about it though," she said in a rush.
The brunette pressed her lips together, her worry for Aria flashing briefly over her expression, and hugged her tiny friend carefully. "Of course, Aria," she promised tenderly. "After lunch, okay? We'll make some excuse... say we are going to shop or visit some of your friends- my parents, even- or something. But, well, Ginny might want to tag along," she added a bit nervously.
After thinking for a second Aria said, "I'd rather it just be you and I. The less people who know, the better. I'm going to have to hide up here all morning, just so I don't give myself away," she said, her stomach twisting nervously.
Hermione gave Aria one of her soothing smiles and laid a hand on the other girl's cheek. Aria tried to cover up how she shrunk away. "Don't worry. Everything will work out," she murmured. "Now, come on! We've got to go get some breakfast before Molly pitches a fit." Nodding, Aria stood up and followed her friend out of the room.
Ever since Aria had told them about not being allowed to eat when she was with Avery, the portly woman had taken to offering her food every chance she got and encouraging her to eat more and more at mealtimes. At supper the night before, it became too much and Aria snapped at Molly. "Okay, I get it. You want me to eat more! But not eating has made my stomach shrink. It's going to take time to stretch it out again, so please, just lay off!" she shouted. The whole table (consisting of the Weasleys, Sirius, Remus, Hermione, Aria, Tonks, Harry, Draco, and Snape) went silent, staring at her. She sent them a glare and pushed her plate away. "That's common knowledge. Anyone who has any knowledge of the human anatomy knows that," she added in a dangerously low voice as she got up. Turning on her heel, she marched up to the room she shared with the other two girls and slammed the door.
This morning, Molly seemed unaffected be the previous evening's events. She was her normally chipper and frazzled self again, beaming at the girls as they entered. "Good morning," she sang. "We have some eggs and toast, if you'd like some," she said lightly. Aria took one look at the table and was instantly nauseated.
George looked up, glaring at his mother as if he was offended. "Mum!" he cried. "You should've made something else! Aria doesn't eat eggs," he scolded, shocking the girl in question tremendously.
"George," Aria said, slightly flattered though her tone was stern. "First of all, you shouldn't shout at your mum. Secondly, how do you even know that I hate eggs?" she questioned. At Hogwarts, they rarely ate around each other seeing as she was sorted into a different House. Even during their vacations spent together, though, they tended to eat at different times. The twins were up and rearing to go with the sun while Aria tended to sleep in as late as she was ever allowed.
He looked over at her and chuckled. "I pay attention," he said simply and winked cheekily at her before returning to shoveling the disgusting food into his mouth.
She smiled to herself, shaking her head. Going over to the table, she grabbed a piece of toast with butter, leaning as far away from the mountains of variously-prepared eggs as possible. She then went to the coffee pot, getting herself a mug of the dark liquid. Molly looked embarrassed as she handed her the cream for her coffee. "I'm sorry dear. I would have made something different if I had known," she apologized.
Aria just shook her head. "It's fine. Toast is all I want anyways," the girl replied pouring some of the cream into her coffee and setting down the mini pitcher. Using the counter as a seat, she sipped on her drink while listening to the others' idle chat.
As promised, the two girls left after lunch (which was some delicious stew Molly had made) and explained that they were going shopping in Muggle London. Aria paid for the train ride into the city, where her long-time doctor's office was. She led the other girl in, smiling faintly at the familiar waiting room. Unlike most medical offices, this waiting room was furnished with very comfortable chairs and had a small refreshment table where coffee and scones were offered.
The blonde girl walked up to the receptionist's desk and put on a bright smile. "Judy! How nice to see you again," she greeted the woman in front of her. Her stomach twisted almost painfully as she spoke, her anxiety and nerves starting to really settle in her bones.
"Aria, darling!" Judy replied, a warm smile on her lips. "Are you coming in for a social visit or do you need to be seen?" she inquired, reaching for a clipboard.
"Um, I was hoping he could see me today. By chance, is there anything on his schedule right now?" she asked, biting her lip.
The receptionist chuckled and took the clipboard from it's resting place. "His schedule is clear, except for a few house calls in the evening. Just fill out the– Oh, what am I saying? You know the procedures," she replied, making a face at her blunder and laughing at herself lightly.
"Of course," Aria said with a nod. She took the clear plastic clipboard from the woman and a pen from the container on the counter.
Motioning for Hermione to follow her, she led them to sit in a few of the chairs while she filled out the information sheets. Hermione waited patiently as Aria scribbled down her full name, birth date, address, allergies, any medicine she was taking, blah-blah-blah. Finally, after the eternity that was only a few minutes, Aria gave the clipboard back and was told to wait a minute while her doctor reviewed her information. She gave the woman another smile before returning to sit with her friend again. Hermione hugged Aria gently and occasionally murmured soothing words when she saw the other girl looking especially upset or worried.
Not five minutes later, a male voice called her. She looked over her shoulder and smiled weakly at her pediatrician. "Dr. Bruce!" she greeted, plastering a smile on her face and hopping up to hug him. The middle-aged man chortled and hugged her back lightly.
"Come on back," he laughed. "You're welcome to come with," he added to Hermione. She smiled, glad to see Aria smiling, even if it wasn't as natural or honest as usual. They followed the doctor to the first examination room to their left. It had two sitting chairs, a small desk with a rolling stool next to it, and an adjustable bed (not unlike the ones in regular hospitals). The only difference was that it was covered with a cotton sheet instead of the loud and uncomfortable paper.
Hermione was shocked by how high-end the doctor's office was. She sat down in the chair by the door while Aria hopped onto the bed and Dr. Bruce (as Aria called him) took the stool. "So, Aria, dear, who's your friend here?" he inquired, a small smile on his lips as he rested the clipboard on his lap.
"The know-it-all is Hermione Granger," Aria introduced with a weak but teasing smile. Hermione laughed a bit at her friend's joking and sent the doctor a polite smile.
"I've heard a lot about you from this girl here," he said, turning his attention on the other girl. "I know of your parents, Miss Granger. I took an Anatomy class with them at the university," he clarified.
"I'd tell them you said hello, but they're vacationing in Australia for another month," Hermione replied with a passive shrug.
"Well, how lucky!" Dr. Bruce said. He cleared his throat and turned back to Aria, returning to the doctor persona. "Shall we get down to business, then? Aria, you'll have to take off that sweatshirt and shoes so I can measure your weight and height properly." The patient blushed and nodded slowly. She pulled the sweatshirt over her head while kicking off her beat-up Converse All-Stars. Her hair was a little messy now, but that was far from the reason why her doctor was gaping. She bit her lip and looked down, not meeting the eyes of her companion or pediatrician. Swallowing, Dr. Bruce held out a hand to her, holding it gingerly as the boney girl slid off the bed.
He led her to the electronic scale on the other side of the room, his eyes wide as they found every bruise, welt, and blister that wasn't covered by her sweatpants or tank top. He turned on the scale and released her hand as it measured her. "Oh my! Ninety-four pounds? How long have you gone this time?" he asked, scribbling the number down.
She pressed her lips together and shrugged. "I lost count. But I went to stay with Mia and a bunch of our friends a few days before Christmas. Mrs. Weasley doesn't let me go without, I promise," she said, her eyes pleading as she stepped off the glass and shivered.
"And the bruises? The blisters?" he pressed, raising an eyebrow. Hermione wore a slightly confused expression, but didn't voice her questions. Perhaps I'll bring them up to Aria once we've returned, she mused.
Aria sighed and her shoulders slumped. "What do you think? I spent the first week of the holidays with Avery," she muttered, walking back to get her hoodie. "Worst mistake of my life! That's actually why I'm here today, though," she murmured, wrapping the sweatshirt around her shoulders until he needed to measure her height.
"Really now?" Dr. Bruce said, his voice full of care and worry as he brought her to the height chart next to the desk. She nodded, dropping the sweatshirt and standing with her heels against the wall while he marked down the number above her head. Once finished, he gestured to the bed, signaling that she was allowed to return to her previous spot. She pulled on her sweatshirt while she moved to the bed again. "What seems to be the problem, then?" the compassionate man asked, following her example and resuming his previous spot.
Aria took a deep breath and let it out it a gust. "I think I may be pregnant," she murmured, her cheeks coloring instantly.
"I see," he replied thoughtfully, but he dropped his gaze to the chart so he wouldn't show how frightened he was for the girl. He suspected that it wasn't a mutual mistake that caused her predicament, but couldn't get any sort of authority involved unless she brought up and admitted that he had forced himself on her.
Hermione held her breath while they waited for him to continue, but he was lost in thought for several long heartbeats. He had seen her through her whole life, including all that this mysterious "Avery" had done to her. He had tried with all his might and mind to convince this particular patient to turn in her abuser, but she never faltered. He always knew, deep in his gut, that something like this would fall on the poor girl's shoulders. She was just lucky to get out alive, in his opinion. "We'll just have to find out, won't we?" the doctor finally said. His patient let out a humorless chuckle and nodded.
Dr. Bruce handed her a small cup. "Urine sample," he said simply, pointing to the second door in the room. Aria took it with a sour face, but didn't complain. She closed and locked the bathroom door behind her before filling the cup for her doctor. While washing her hands, she could hear the soft murmurs of her friend and long-time authority figure in the examination room. The doctor was telling the girl that if Aria was only a few pounds less, he'd have to put her in a rehabilitation center to get her weight back up. Luckily, Mia promised that she would do just fine from then on, especially with Molly all but force-feeding her. She dried her hands with the cloth towel that hung there and exited.
She gave him the full cup, which he took with a gloved hand. "I'll go run the test and be back in a jiffy," he promised. The friends nodded in unison and watched him leave.
Less than five minutes later, he came back. His expression was serious. "The test is positive," he told the two girls quietly. "But Aria, what do you plan on doing? I'm not saying abortion is out of the question, but I highly don't recommend it. You're health isn't the best right now, and it could cause your condition to worsen. If you are wanting to keep it, then you need to put on more weight, and stay away from Avery... for good. Adoption is probably best–" he continued, but Aria stopped him by putting a hand up.
"Y-you're sure...? I really am... pregnant?" she asked, her voice a whisper. She pressed her lips together, thinking and trying not to let a lump form in her throat.
Sighing, Dr. Bruce nodded. "I'm absolutely certain," he swore. "The positive result appeared on three consecutive tests before they even finished absorbing the sample. We could do a quick blood sample if you insist, but I'm confident in these results," he explained further while Aria focused on taking a deep breath.
"Aria, what are you going to do?" Hermione asked carefully from the chair.
Looking up with watery eyes, she replied, "I'm going to keep it, obviously."