A/N: Uh very disappointingly, the layout on here is too limited to nicely display the group chat idea I had in mind. I honestly recommend reading on AO3 (GinnyW-Potter on there, fic obviously has the same name). But if you don't want to, all is still below, it simply doesn't look as neat.

You will be relieved that the paternity test is coming up VERY soon and then the result will not be that long after.


Ginny looked up as Harry walked into her room. He was holding a small paper bag.

"Did you finish up your part of the paper?" Harry asked.

She nodded. "Yep. Told Robin he could continue where I left off. Still need to put the references in properly though."

Harry nodded and he showed her the bag. She stood up curiously.

"I got you a gift," he said. He handed her the bag. "Well, it's not really a gift. I just saw it and thought it was cute."

She opened the bag and looked inside. She pulled out a romper. She read what it said. 'I've got the best mum'. She looked back at him with a smile.

"I saw it in a store, I just had to buy it "

Ginny stood up and put her arms around his neck. She kissed him. "It's really cute, thank you."

He put his arms around her. "And just so happens the text is very true"

She shook her head. "You don't know that."

"Well, I think I know you pretty well. So, if I say so... then it must be true."

She pursed her lips, she had too many doubts to believe it, but she did not reply.

Harry pulled her to the bed, and they settled down on it.

Ginny held up the romper and frowned. "Am I supposed to grow that? That's giant."

"Gin, that's for a three-month-old," Harry replied.

"Oh thank god!" she let out. "I was worried there for a second."

Harry let out a chuckle. "I didn't mean to spook you."

"Too late. New worry added to my long list of current worries," Ginny said. She folded up the romper and put it in the drawer.

"Should we start looking at preschools?" Harry muttered.

"I am going to kill you," Ginny said. She was about to reach out to him when both their phones pinged. Ginny looked at the message. She locked eyes with Harry. "They want to go clubbing." She sighed. "I'll have to skip. If I don't drink, they'll figure it out in under five seconds."

Harry squeezed her knee. "I could cover for you."

She shook her head. "I don't want to risk it." She looked in the chat.


SCHEMING TRAITORS - then stop snogging everywhere


LUNA:
Yeees let's go.

CHO:
I desperately need a night out.

GINNY:
Cho, you know you don't need to go clubbing for a hook-up, right?

BF(F) ️:
Yes, I am sure Gin can recommend someone from her long list of ex-lovers.

SEAMUS:
RIP HARRY

NEVILLE:
RIP HARRY

LUNA:
R.I.P

RONNIEKINS:
DUDE, do you have a death wish?

GINNY:
Time of death: ...

Hang on guys, he's tougher than he looks

BF(F) ️:
Don't be fooled, she's not even attempting to attack me

GINNY:
Harry, please. I have a reputation to uphold.
I could give you Matthew's number though. I believe he's still single

LUNA:
Because you broke HIS HEART!

CHO:
That lovesick dude? Ew.
Got anyone else? (No, this doesn't mean we won't go clubbing)

GINNY:
... I'll just send you my whole contact list
Don't think I'll be hitting up any of those soon anyway

BF(F) ️:
Gee, thanks Ginny

GINNY:
(He's holding my hand)

SEAMUS:
This Friday? Otherwise we get too close to the exams

DEAN:
Fine

LUNA:
Great

CHO:
NICE, let's go!

GINNY:
Sorry, guys. We already got something

LUNA:
What about next week then?

CHO:
Nope, can't.

GINNY:
It's fine guys. Go have fun without us!

DEAN:
I can only do this week as well

SEAMUS:
I don't see anything on our calendar...

DEAN:
Do you think I put everything on there?

CHO:
Okay, then we go! If the lovebirds don't want to join...
You better be taking her someplace nice, Harry, to keep her from clubbing

BF(F) ️:
Of course! But it's a secret

GINNY:
He said it would be the most amazing night of my life

CHO:
If a guy says that, it's always a lie
You know what I got from the 'most amazing night of my life'?

SEAMUS:
an STD?

GINNY:
PSSD (Post-sex stress disorder)?

CHO:
OH MY GOD NO! Food poisoning!

HERMIONE:
What did I miss?

RONNIEKINS:
Lemme catch you up, I am right by your dorm anyway

GINNY:
So kind of you Ron

LUNA:
When we go clubbing after the exams you HAVE TO join
We need to close this year properly

GINNY:
Of course

SEAMUS:
Do you think you can beat last year's record?

GINNY:
Absolutely not.

BF(F) ️:
She won't admit but she still can't look at tequila the same way
Neither can I, to be fair

GINNY:
I want my liver to stay alive past my twenties
That was too much and you all know it

RONNIEKINS:
Mum gave me the blame for that

BF(F) ️:
You were equally drunk
I covered both your asses as best as I could with your mum

HERMIONE:
Did she buy it?

BF(F) ️:
Surprisingly, yes


"You can still change your mind if you want," Harry said.

She shook her head. "No, I'll just skip this one, it's fine. It's the least I can do for the little nugget."

"The least? You are growing it," Harry replied.

She chuckled. "No, I meant besides the whole mess we are currently in, that's something I am in control of. I am fine not going. I used to go to get drunk and make terrible choices about men."

Harry pulled her closer. "I never knew the bad choices were intentional."

She lifted her head. "Of course it was, I enjoy the messy relationships and heartbreak," she said with sarcasm.

"Then I do apologise for taking that away from you," he said.

She laid back down beside him, returning her focus to her phone.

"Gin gin," he said.

She looked up. "Yes?"

"Am I still your best friend?" he asked.

She sat up in surprise. "What kind of ridiculous question is that? Of course you are." She sat on top of him. His hands landed on her thighs. "You are my best friend first, boyfriend second." She frowned. "No. You are as much my boyfriend as you are my best friend."

He smiled at her reply.

"No, that doesn't feel quite right either." She shook her head. "You're... you're my Harry. You are my Harry. That is the only thing that covers it. You are both and neither and I love you very much." She leaned down and kissed him "Is that a good answer?"

He chuckled against her lips, searching her eyes. "I didn't realise it was a trick question."

She shrugged. "I didn't realise I didn't know the answer. Much has changed since we started dating. It feels like we should have been doing this all along."

"Yeah." He smiled. "We'll make up for lost time." He kissed her again softly.

"How?" she asked.

His hands slid up her side. "However you would like, Weasley."


As they walked through the department store, Ginny suddenly ducked into an aisle. Harry walked on with the rest of the group.

"Wait, where is Ginny?" Hermione asked when she glanced back.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I'll go get her." He turned on his heels back to the aisle she walked into.

"Just off snogging again like we don't know?" Luna waggled her eyebrows.

He turned back to them and grinned. "That's what you fools wanted, isn't it? Do feel free to go on, we'll catch up."

He ignored the mumbles and walked into the aisle to find Ginny with her back turned.

"Gin?" he said carefully.

She turned around when she heard it was him. "Oh, the baby shoes got to me. I'm fine, I just needed a minute." She looked a little teary-eyed.

Harry turned and picked up a pair of the smallest shoes he could find. He sighed. "These are adorable."

"I know!" she said, sounding incredibly annoyed by the fact.

He looked to see their friends were out of sight and pressed the shoes against her belly. "Don't think they'll fit yet."

She pushed the shoes away. "Shut up." She met his eyes and smiled.

He placed the shoes back on the shelf. "You good?"

She nodded and took his hand. "Yeah, let's go."

"I mean we don't need to be in a hurry. They think you just wanted to make out with me," Harry told her. "Told them that's what they asked for."

She chuckled. "Good...The whole peanut could fit in a shoe currently," Ginny mumbled.

"Baby bean," Harry agreed.

"Yeah." Ginny looked around. "Can you see them?"

Harry shook his head as he looked over the shelf. "Must've gone outside already."

When they came outside, they found the guys on a bench. The girls had gone into a lingerie store.

"Go on, I'll wait outside here with the rest of the guys," Harry said, letting go of her hand. He settled down on the bench with the rest of the guys as she made her way inside.

"So is Ginny your one and only?" Seamus asked.

Harry looked up with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you didn't date before her, for reasons mysterious to all of us... and now you're ... totally game for all of it."

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"Like if you two broke up, would you date other people?" Neville asked.

Harry paused and contemplated it for a moment. He didn't like the thought of it. He didn't want to before; he didn't see how it should change now. "Well, no."

"I have just come to accept him as my future brother-in-law," Ron said with a sigh. "Mum is so over the moon with him that she has stopped asking me if I am seeing anyone."

"And you are very welcome," Harry replied. "Your family is pretty nice to have as in-laws, I suppose."

Ron scoffed. "I should hope so!"

"And do your parents like her? Do they get along?" Dean asked.

"Sure do. The other day Ginny called me an idiot and my mum agreed, so there's that," Harry said.

"The real question is, will you manage to really win her over so she will finally say 'I love you' to someone?" Seamus said with a quirk of his eyebrow.

Harry remained silent but his blush and smug grin betrayed him entirely.

"No! She didn't?!" Neville let out in surprise.

"My sister? No way that happened," Ron said.

"You are the Ginny whisperer," Dean commented in surprise.

Seamus was entirely speechless.

"You don't give her enough credit. She is a romantic, she just hadn't found her ... one yet," Harry defended her. "I am just lucky it's me." He remembered the moment quite fondly. "She took me by surprise too when she said it the first time."

"So what did you say?" Ron said.

Harry looked at him with a frown. "Are you thick? What do you think I said?"

Ron blinked. "You have to mean it, you know."

"You think I'd tell Ginny I love her if I didn't truly mean it?" he said. "I am not playing around, not with her."

The girls exited the shop and they stood up again.

"Want to see what I got?" she asked Harry.

He nodded and she opened the bag so he could look in. It was a loose sleep shirt that had 'Hot mess' printed on the front.

"Perfect," he commented. "I think you should show the guys." He grinned.

She grinned too and pulled the shirt out. "Look what I bought, guys!"

Ron covered his eyes with his hands, Dean turned away, Neville looked at Harry and Seamus frowned, looked and then laughed.

"Great buy, Ginny," Seamus commented.

Ron uncovered his eyes to make a comment but then saw the shirt. He let out a small 'oh'.

They started walking further down the street. Seamus came to walk beside Ginny.

"So, Ginny, how often do you tell Harry you love him?" he asked.

Harry caught her eye and winked.

"Love Harry? I don't love Harry," she said, halting in the middle of the street.

The whole group paused curiously. The girls looked on wide-eyed. Hermione looked ready to pull Ginny away.

"I don't know what Harry told you, I hate to disappoint." Her eyes twinkled playfully at him. "I am simply enamoured by him, I adore him, I yearn for him, my heart aches for him." She let herself drop dramatically into his arms. He caught her easily as he laughed.

She stilled in his arms. The group seemed to roll their eyes collectively at their antics. He pushed her back up and she righted herself.

"You are never forgiving us for meddling with you two, aren't you?" Cho tried.

"Perhaps after we're married," Ginny said, sending a big wink at Harry while taking his hand.

"That's just not going to happen, Gin," Harry said, pausing to get the reaction he wanted. "I am never forgiving them."

Luna shook her head. "You'd think they'd thank us."


Harry woke up, a dressed excited Ginny in front of him.

"Come on, Harry, wake up!" she said excitedly.

He grumbled. "What?"

"They're giving out free samples and so I went out and got us some!"

"I was asleep," he groaned. "You know I am trying to catch as much sleep as I can, while I can before that nugget comes out."

"Details," she waved his comment away. She sat on the bed and showed the two drinks. "I had to flirt to get a second one for you."

Harry reached out for his glasses on his nightstand so he could at least see what mystery soda he was drinking. "Did you tell them it was for your boyfriend?"

"Well, no. I did want to actually get the drink," Ginny said. She paused and looked at him. "Are you jealous?"

"I am not familiar with the sensation," he responded, taking one of the small cans out of her hand, barely sitting up. He was not awake enough for this.

"Harry, you've got nothing to worry about," Ginny said. "Let's see."

He looked down to read what it was. It read 'tomato lemonade'. Ginny already took a swig. A moment later she shot off the bed and disappeared. Harry put down his can and ran after her, immediately fully awake. He wasn't too surprised to find her bent over the toilet, throwing up.

He took her hair and held it for her. When she was done throwing up, he kneeled beside her.

"You good?"

"Splendid," she replied, getting up to rinse her mouth. She turned around to him. "The taste was fine but the moment it hit my stomach... I guess the nugget didn't agree."

"Sure didn't," he agreed. He picked her up. "Come on, back to bed with you."

She settled back on the bed, much less excited than she was a few minutes ago. Harry picked up his can again and took a sip from it. He made a retching sound at the taste.

Ginny clapped her hands over her ears. "Please don't do that! You are going to make me throw up again."

Harry put down the can. "I think I'll have to agree with the nugget on this one. It's terrible," he said.

Harry left Ginny in her room and then went to the kitchen to make her breakfast.

"Good morning, Felicia," Harry said as he waited for the toast to be done. He was frying eggs for himself but he doubted Ginny would want any.

"Morning," she said, curiously looking at the pan. "Cooking for her again? You would think she is spoiled enough..."

Harry took a deep breath, focusing on his eggs. "Remind me again, how many horses do you have?"

She walked closer to him, looking intrigued. "Three. Why? Do you like horses too?"

"I am pretty neutral towards horses." Harry frowned, clearly Felicia had missed his point.

"Too bad, they're great," Felicia said, walking even closer.

Harry looked on puzzled. He thought Felicia couldn't stand him now that he was with Ginny. She met his eyes teasingly and he tried to find a way to escape this situation that wouldn't be awkward. Right on cue, the toaster pinged. He rapidly turned around to them and placed the two pieces of toast on Ginny's plate. Then he put his eggs on a plate, deciding they were ready enough.

"Bye, Felicia," he said, grabbing the plates and making a beeline for Ginny's room. He paused and turned back around, thinking more clearly now there was more distance between them. "She isn't spoiled, maybe you are projecting."

He pushed the door open with his elbow and walked in, quickly closing the door behind him. A shudder ran down his spine.

"Still thinking about that lemonade?" she asked.

He sat down beside her, handing her the plate of toast. "No, Felicia tried flirting with me by insulting you. I was worried she was about to lean in, but the toast saved me."

Ginny shook her head in amusement. "I'm surprised she tried." She eyed his plate. "That's a big plate of eggs."

"If you don't throw up your toast, you can have some," he replied, keeping the plate away from her so she wouldn't steal his food.

"Yes, mother," she snipped with flair.

His eyes widened at her but then they both burst out laughing.

He snorted. "Look who is talking..."

They fell silent as they ate. Ginny seemed to be keeping her toast down okay for now.

"Do you think I am crazy to wait with the ultrasound until I know who the father is?" she said.

They had discussed this before, or rather, Ginny had informed him. He nodded. "Yes, I think so." He set down his plate. "I know you want to see the nugget, so I think you're making it hard on yourself by waiting."

"It's not just that simple, is it? I would want you there but I want you to know when you see that baby if it is yours or not. If it's Dean's, he should be there. If it isn't, he shouldn't be there at all. And I can't make my mind up about it."

"You could go without either of us?" Harry suggested. "You can't go with just Dean though, that is where I draw the line."

Ginny chuckled and reached out for his hand. "No, I need you there with me. I don't want to do it alone."

"I will be there if that's what you want. I know that baby may not be mine. I am prepared for that, including for an ultrasound..." He guided their entwined hands to her belly. "But if you want to wait, we wait."

"It's not just that, isn't it? Right now it's... intangible. Or it was before I started getting nauseous so easily... It's going to feel so much more real if we can see the nugget." She looked up at him. "And I want to know in that reality who the father is, so I can face it full on."

"I am sure either way it'll be worth the wait." He smiled softly.

Ginny looked down at both their hands resting against her stomach. "Yeah, I guess so."


Around seven weeks is when the nausea hit Ginny the worst. On Monday she refused to get out of bed at all. It was the final week of classes for term but she couldn't muster the strength at all.

"You should eat something," Harry insisted.

"If you talk about food for one more second, I will throw up," she responded.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked now. She looked miserable.

"No, you should go. At least then I can steal your notes," she replied with a sigh.

"Okay, if there's anything, you call me. I'll come back around lunch." He kissed her forehead.

Immediately as he arrived in the classroom, people asked where Ginny was. Apparently no one was used to seeing one without the other anymore.

"Oh, she wasn't feeling well," he lied. "I think she caught a stomach bug."

"Let's hope you don't catch it then," Amy said.

Doubtful. "She was already feeling off over the weekend, if I haven't caught it by now, I think I'm in the clear," he told them.

Robin looked a little smug. "Even sick, you're not staying away from her."

"Well, someone's got to look after her," he responded, hoping that they would not continue asking questions.

Harry came back around lunch. She was sitting up and nibbling on some toast, but she still wasn't looking great.

He closed the door. "Our classmates were worried I was going to catch your stomach bug," he said, sitting down on the desk chair.

She smiled. "What did you say?"

"They assumed I was so in love with you that I simply didn't want to stay away from you," he told her.

She looked at him, her eyes brightening. "Of course they would."

"Am I that obvious?" he asked with a smile.

"Well, you don't hide the fact, do you?" she said fondly.

He shrugged. "I didn't think I was that obvious." He pushed up his sleeve. "I was thinking of getting your face tattooed here on my upper arm," he said, showing with his hand where he'd get the tattoo. "And then I can add the nugget and any other kids we may have, it'll make a grand tattoo sleeve." He grinned at her.

Ginny laughed. "That's awful, you should definitely do that, but…"

"Do you have a better idea?" he asked, inching closer to her.

"Yes, if we have a cat or a dog, you have to add them too. Everyone wants to see a tattoo of your cat," she replied.

"Splendid idea," he agreed. "We'll just need to get a cat first..." He looked at her. "Are you feeling any better?"

She gave a non-committal shrug. "Slightly but not great."

He nodded. "Well, it's called morning sickness, I think you should get over it, it's like noon."

She shot his back a deadly glare, but there was a smile hiding underneath.

"You have a death wish," she said. "Don't think the nausea will stop me."


By Tuesday, Hermione had gotten worried.

"Is she still sick?" Hermione asked by the door.

Harry was reluctant to let her in but he knew refusing to let her in would cause more suspicion.

"Yeah, same as yesterday," Harry said truthfully.

Hermione walked past him and to Ginny's room before Harry could come up with a reason for her not to. Harry followed.

"Oh hey, Hermione," Ginny said casually, her eyes meeting Harry's for a second. Harry shrugged helplessly in reply from behind Hermione.

"Did you go to the doctor yet?" Hermione asked, concern clear on her face.

Ginny shook her head. "No, it's a stomach flu. It'll pass," she said in an attempt to wave her friend's worries away.

"Can I get you meds from the pharmacy or anything?" Hermione tried now, not so easily dismissed.

"Hermione, Harry's got it handled. Don't worry, I'll be up in no time." Or so they hoped, it would get suspicious fast if this continued.

Now Ron entered the room too.

"I told mum you're sick," Ron said.

Harry watched the worry slip across her face before it disappeared.

She sat up more properly. "Gee, thanks, Ron. I do need mum nagging me about it," she remarked.

"You could just go home, classes are almost over and return for the exams," Ron proposed.

"I'm fine here, I'm trying to catch any classes I still can once I feel better," Ginny replied, her expression unreadable.

Ron turned to Harry. "Are you keeping her here?"

Harry chuckled. "Ron, you and I both know you can't make Ginny do anything she doesn't want to."

"Hey!" Ginny objected at the comment, but she shot a grateful look at Harry.

Ron looked back at Ginny. "Okay, I hope you feel better soon. I know Harry has got things handled, but if you need me to drive you home or whatever, you tell me, okay."

"Yes, Ron. And I am getting back at you for telling mum," Ginny said, folding her arms.

"Yes, you do that," Ron said, taking his leave again.

Hermione was suddenly looking at her with a puzzled look. "Hey, Ginny, didn't you..?" She shook her head. "Nevermind. Okay, I'm going to go. If you need anything, just shout. I'll hear you." Hermione left too.

"Do you think Hermione's on to something…?" Ginny asked when Harry had closed the door.

"Oh, so that wasn't just me. Well, if anyone catches on quick, it's Hermione."

"If she asks I'll tell her but I'd rather not at this point," Ginny said.

"Yeah. It sucks you can't really talk to anyone about it," Harry told her.

"Well, I got you to talk to," she said, holding her arms open for him. "Come here, I promise I'm not contagious."


"Morning, Dean," Harry greeted as he passed by his dorm on the way to class.

Dean was at the table having breakfast. "Stomach bug?" he inquired without saying more.

"I figured you'd catch on," Harry said, stepping into Dean's dorm and closing the door for a moment. "She had a few bouts of nausea before but not like this … and for it to keep her in bed… it must be pretty bad but she's not letting that on."

"She is pretty stubborn," Dean agreed.

"Yeah… I hope it passes soon," he told Dean.

"If there's anything I can do," Dean suggested carefully.

"Actually," Harry said, thinking about it for a minute. "Feel free to drop by if you don't have class in the morning. She can't talk to anyone about it except me because no one knows, she may appreciate different company."

"If you don't mind that I go…" Dean said, clearly worried about overstepping.

"No, I trust Ginny. I trust you to want to keep the use of your genitals a little longer." He smiled. He didn't feel particularly worried about Dean, but he may as well set a boundary.

Dean promptly closed his legs at his words.

"And besides you're on Ginny's little cottage list." He watched for Dean's reaction.

Dean's eyes widened. "With who?"

"I think you know," Harry said, glancing at Seamus' room.

"Right," Dean said, looking a little embarrassed. "She caught onto that, then?"

"I don't know when but yes. Once she pointed it out I saw it too." He glanced at his watch. "I have to go. Go ahead and swing by her dorm, you can talk about boys or something." He smiled.

"You keep that to yourself, won't you?" Dean said carefully before Harry could step out.

He looked straight at Dean. "I think between us we've got enough secrets we both want to keep quiet so don't worry."


Ginny looked up when there was a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" she said.

Dean popped his head in. "Just me. Harry said you were miserable."

She sat up and waved him in. "Sent you here, did he?"

Dean walked in and nodded. "Yeah, he did." He sat down in the desk chair.

She shook her head. "I don't know how he does it..."

"Puzzles me too, frankly," Dean admitted.

"I think we will just have to agree that he's a better person than both of us," Ginny said with a small smile.

Dean nodded in agreement. "He's just that way, isn't he? Puts out fires instead of evacuating... Remember when he helped that old lady with her bike?"

Ginny paused for a moment. She had always thought it was inherently a 'Harry' thing to do, but she now wondered how much of it tied into the agency job. She concluded the work was rather fitting for him.

"If you were single and you had a baby, he would have been there too, for you. No questions asked," Dean said.

She sighed. "I know. It just feels unfair to him, you know." She looked at Dean. "I am glad I told him we hooked up before I found I was pregnant... at least he never thought..." She trailed off.

"If it is not mine you can just continue with the two of you and he'll be all the happier for it. If not, then we're all prepared to make that work, right?" Dean said.

She nodded. "I guess I should feel lucky, and Harry has said as much, that it's just one of you two. Harry is Harry and you're..."

Dean smiled. "Pretty okay too?"

She nodded in reply.

"Harry let slip I am on your cottage list," he said.

Her jaw dropped. "I can't believe he tattled..." She looked at Dean, who seemed a little embarrassed. "But yes, I know."

"Then you can help me, right?"

Ginny grinned. "Gladly. What do you need?"


When Harry came back from class, Ginny was on the phone with her mum. Harry could see she was biting back tears.

"No, I am fine to stay here, I am sure I'll be better soon, Harry's keeping an eye on me." Her eyes landed on him as he closed the door. "Actually, he just came in, if you want to talk to him."

Harry held out his hand for the phone.

"Hi, Mrs Weasley." He tried to sound chipper as the tears spilled from Ginny's eyes.

"Hi, Harry, how are you doing? You're not feeling sick yet?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"No, I am fine. It's just Ginny that's sick," he replied.

Ginny turned onto her stomach as she cried into her pillow and he put a comforting hand on her back, rubbing softly.

"Usually she comes home when she's sick but she said she's fine to stay…" Mrs Weasley sounded a bit upset about the fact. "I guess you're taking good care of her, which is comforting but obviously I'd rather have her home."

"I know. I have been making sure she's eating something at least. The professor on Thursday does take attendance and it affects your final grade so I suppose she would rather stay. Don't worry, if anything changes I'll let you know," he spoke, both trying to reassure her mum and coming up with a reason she couldn't come home.

"Okay…well, thank you, Harry." She seemed to accept it. "I am glad we can count on you. Can you give Ginny back?"

"Sure, I'll hand her back," he said out loud to give Ginny a second more to compose herself. He handed the phone back to her, she wiped her tears before she spoke.

"Yes, mum. No, I will call you back on Friday at the latest. Love you too, bye." She put her phone down, the tears already falling again.

Harry shrugged his backpack off and got onto the bed with her. She curled up against him as his arms wrapped around her.

"I felt awful telling her I couldn't come home. I just know she'll take one look at me and figure out what's going on and I can't possibly explain this whole mess," she sobbed.

"It is complicated," he agreed. He placed a small kiss on her hair.

"My nausea has been getting better but emotionally I am just done. The morning sickness made me realise how much it will be affecting me and my body…" She shook her head, more tears dripping down.

Harry hugged her a little closer, remaining silent.

"I wanted to have kids and I understand all this comes with it but it's all wrong and messed up and backwards…" she went on.

"You weren't prepared," he said softly. "It wasn't on your terms."

Ginny wiped at her eyes and nodded. "This baby deserves better too than I can feel I can give it right now."

His heart ached for her. "In a month or so we will have a lot more sorted out. We'll know who the dad is, you'll likely be feeling better and you can tell people. We will be able to really plan from then on and something tells me that after the initial shock, our parents will be more than happy to help us out."

"I'm feeling a little overwhelmed," she told him, meeting his eyes.

He offered a comforting smile. "Frankly, me too," he admitted. "We have to take things one at a time. First, we get all the initial tests done, that's our next big hurdle. After that, we'll take the next step."

Ginny nodded. "Okay." Then she suddenly planted her nose against his neck.

"What are you doing? I thought your sense of smell was heightened?" he asked her in confusion.

"Yes, but you smell amazing." She slung her leg over his as she cuddled closer.

"Thanks, I showered," he muttered sarcastically.

"Whatever body wash you used, you need to stock up on that right now. It's doing miracles for my nausea," Ginny told him, remaining with her nose against his skin.

"It is new, it was lemon something? Since you said you didn't like the other, I switched." His hand came to her waist and pulled her closer.

"I am sorry but that was an assault to the senses," she replied.

"I had been using it for months!" he argued.

Ginny did not reply and remained tucked against him for a while.

"Gin?" Harry spoke softly.

"Hm?" she replied.

"I love you."

Ginny lifted her head to look at him. "I love you too. You're the best."

Harry kissed her temple.

"I think I'll go to class tomorrow. I think I am getting the hang of the nausea. Evidently, we still need to avoid the cafeteria and such," she decided.

"Alright." He nodded. "I'll make sure to shower freshly so I smell like a whole-ass lemon."

Ginny smiled. "You read my mind."


"Look who's back!" Robin said when Ginny appeared hand-in-hand with Harry. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah. My stomach is still feeling a bit off but overall fine," Ginny told him. She was not about to mention she already threw up before coming to class.

"Good, because Harry looked absolutely lost without you," Robin replied with a grin.

Harry swatted at him with his free hand. "You're such a prat, that's not true."

"Okay okay!" Robin said, holding his hands up in defence but then shot a wink at Ginny.

"I am totally aware of it," Ginny replied. "He can't fool me." She shot a look at Harry, and he rolled his eyes.