Ever since Angelina had told him she was pregnant, he couldn't stop the smile that was ever present on his face. The grass seemed greener, the sky was more blue, and the days held more hope than they had before. George knew that Angelina found his chipper mood to be highly annoying at times, but he really couldn't help it. If any of his family members noticed his the happiness leaking out of his pores, they made no comment on it.

They'd decided not to tell everyone right away. This time around, Angelina wanted a little time for just the two of them to get used to the idea of having another child, and George had agreed. So, they'd waited for a few months, but Angelina was starting to get the slightest round shape to her stomach as it started to press against the seams of her clothes. They'd decided to make the announcement at dinner this coming Sunday, but first they had to tell their son.

Freddy was sitting in the living room playing with the Muggle blocks that Hermione had gotten him a few weeks ago. For some reason, these were more fascinating that any of his magical toys were. Angelina sat down on the couch, and he followed suit. Freddy was oblivious to them.

"Freddy, darling, we have something we want to tell you," Angelina said, leaning forward eagerly.

Freddy looked at them, blinked, and returned to his blocks.

"Freddy," George said shuffling to the edge of the couch. "It's a surprise."

That caught his attention. The blocks fell to the floor, and the two-year-old toddled over to them.

"For me?" he asked.

"Yes," Angelina said. "For Mummy and Daddy, too."

"Where?" He started to look behind them for any kind of wrapping or gift box. George fought his chuckle.

"Mummy's going to have a baby," Angelina said excitedly. "In a few short months, you're going to have a little brother or sister."

Freddy looked at them blankly.

It wasn't the reaction George had been hoping for. He thought that he'd be excited as George was, maybe ask them some questions first, and then get excited. But Freddy just stared at them in a pensive fashion. The longer he stared, the more unnerved George became.

Finally, he said, "No."

Then he turned and walked back to his blocks.

"No?" Angelina said, confusing clearly written in the wrinkle of her brow.

"No," Freddy repeated.

"Don't you want a little brother or sister?" George asked.

"No."

"But it'd be someone for you to play with," Angelina reasoned.

"No."

"Freddy, don't you want to have siblings like Daddy does?"

"No."

"But-"

"No!" Freddy shouted. He threw his blocks on the floor. "No baby."

George and Angelina stared at him gobsmacked. Freddy usually got along well with other kids. When they went over to the Burrow, he was always squirming to get away from whoever was holding him, and he loved going over to Katie's to play with Jack and Hunter — Alicia's, too, when she was in town. He had thought that a new playmate would make Freddy happy.

"Why don't you want a sibling, buddy?" George asked.

"No share Mummy and Daddy." Freddy crossed his arms over his chest. "Take baby back to store."

He looked so determined with his little arms crossed over his chest and his lips tightly pressed together. There was anger simmering in Freddy's eyes that reminded him of much of Angelina in that moment. Biting his lip, George hid his smile. Now was not the time to laugh at his son for being too cute.

He thought Angelina would share his sentiment, but when he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, he saw that her eyes were welling with tears. Then she pressed the back of her hands into her eyes muttering about hormones, and George was taken back to when she was pregnant with Freddy and sick nearly all the time. It didn't look like this time was going to be any easier for her. Turning back to his son, he realized that Freddy's eyes were also tearing up, no doubt a reaction to seeing his mother upset.

George slid into the floor and opened up his arms. "C'mere, buddy."

Swiftly, Freddy was running to him, nearly knocking the breath out of him, and burying his little head into the crock of George's neck. He heard Angelina sniff, then felt her hand resting against Freddy's head. Sometimes silence and hugs were the best medicine.

"I don't reckon I was too excited when my mum told me she was going to have Ron," George said softly.

A/N: Spoiler alert: Freddy does not get a Baby Ron, but Roxanne makes her big entrance in the next chapter.

Freddy sniffed. "Ron funny."

"Yeah, he is sometimes," George agreed. "But I was the same age as you when Gran Gran told me that she was going to have another baby." It was hard not to say 'us.' Fred had been there, too, and had been just as outraged. "But after he came along, Ron was alright. Funny, too, I guess."

"Me get a baby Ron?" Freddy mumbled.

"Maybe," George said, but he privately hoped not. "But you know that Mummy and Daddy still love you right? That even though you're going to have a new baby brother or sister, Mummy and Daddy still love you just as much as they love the baby."

Freddy was silent, and George thought he finally nailed down the emotion that was running through his son. Vaguely, George could remember the hurt of replacement when he was young. It was probably why he and Fred had been so awful to Ron when they were younger. His mum, as good as she was, had never identified why her twin boys were acting so harshly toward their younger brother. He supposed he and Fred had been quiet proud when Ron had been supplanted by Ginny.

Finally, Freddy looked up, tears gone. "Me get a Baby Ron?"

Angelina gave a watery chuckle. "Maybe. We'll have to see when the baby gets here."