A/N: So since last update I dropped my laptop. This was a scary experience but it still works despite a small dent! It does make some noises occasionally so it may need some repair at some point but it's doing okay for /
I have a water softener in my apartment to treat the hard water, only to find out it has mold! Suddenly does explain my ongoing mysterious stomach aches... I am feeling somewhat improved since I switched to bottled water.
I will be taking a little break at the start of June and will not have reliable access to the internet, so there will be a pause in updates. Next update is 21 May and then it's at the earliest 18th June but could be later. I'll try to update my tumblr schedule by next update.
"Can you please be nice to Hermione?" Ginny asked Fred and George. "She's a really nice person and she is really nervous."
Fred and George held their hands up in mock surrender.
"We'll behave," Fred promised.
"Good." She looked out of the window but there was no sign yet of Ron and Hermione. "Why didn't he simply introduce her to mum and dad first? He's throwing her in the deep end."
"So was I!" Harry commented with a smile.
George snorted. "As if. You were eased in over a decade-long process. And look, how do you thank us? By getting poor innocent Ginny pregnant."
"Innocent where?" Harry retorted.
Ginny gasped. "Hey!" She poked him in the ribs. "Did you all get it out of your system now?"
"Yes," the men said in unison.
Percy arrived too and walked in, greeting them. He exchanged a look with Ginny and then continued to the kitchen to greet their parents.
Ginny shot up a minute later. "They're here!"
Her mum and dad walked into the living too and they all settled down.
"Okay, let's just all behave normally," Molly suggested, sitting quite proper on the couch.
Fred looked around the room and let out a laugh. "This is not normal. We look like we've been posed for a portrait."
Molly scolded him and then got up as the front door opened and Ron announced their arrival.
"Be nice," she whispered before she opened the door to the living room.
Ron stepped in, smiling shyly and holding hands with Hermione. Molly immediately lost her composure and wrapped her in a hug.
"It's so nice to meet you, dear!" she said.
Hermione smiled. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs Weasley."
Ron introduced her to their dad and then introduced Percy. Before he had a chance to introduce the twins, Fred stepped forward.
"Nice to meet you, I am George, and this over here is Fred." He pointed at George.
Hermione smiled at him. "Nice to meet you, Fred."
Fred's eyebrows rose in surprise and nodded. "I suppose I must approve of you then."
Ron shook his head and pointed at Harry and Ginny. "You know those two."
Ginny stood up and wrapped Hermione in a hug. "Hi! Welcome to the family!"
Hermione chuckled and patted her back. "Thank you, Ginny."
Harry hugged her too. "Hi, Hermione."
They all settled down on the couches and everyone got drinks. Hermione was starting to look a bit more at ease.
"Were you nervous the first time you came here as Ginny's boyfriend?" Arthur asked after Hermione had admitted her nerves.
"Just a bit. Of course that was after a long process, she had been introducing me, like a frog in a pot of water that's starting to boil."
Arthur chuckled.
Ginny pushed against him. "As if! May I remind you that you made the first move."
"I think, technically, Cho made the first move," Harry replied. He turned back to her dad. "I was a little nervous, to be honest. Not as daunting as announcing a pregnancy though." He pressed his lips together.
"That does take the cake," Arthur agreed. "And you met at the debate club?" he asked Hermione.
She nodded. "I had met Ginny and Luna before, but Ron and I met at the debate club—we were in opposing teams. I was very impressed by his arguments and skills."
"Really?" Ron asked as he sat back down beside her. "I felt like you absolutely swept the floor with me."
She smiled at him. "Well, that too, but you didn't go down without a fight." She squeezed Ron's arm.
"Thanks," he responded.
"We saw you at the graduation, your grades are very impressive," Molly said. "You must be very hard-working."
"You'd live in a library if you could," Ron told her fondly.
Hermione blushed. "I do like to read. Thank you. My parents found good grades important."
Harry and Ginny left dinner on time since they had class in the morning. Hermione had been approved by the family and she fit in well. She sent a thank you to Harry and Ginny for helping her out, though they hadn't done much at all.
"This photo of us is nice," Ginny said, lifting her phone so Harry could see.
In the photo they were sitting closely together, looking relaxed. Ginny's bump was visible, with Harry's hand resting casually against it. They looked happy.
He walked up to the couch and looked over her shoulder. "Yeah. My mum really missed her calling as a photographer."
"Maybe we should post it," Ginny suggested. She looked up at him.
He chuckled. "What and update your relationship status?"
"Yeah," she replied seriously. "Might as well."
His expression dropped. "For real?" He walked around the couch to join her. "Don't you have criteria before you post your relationships online? So strict you've never actually done it?"
"I am not going to post for every date attempt," she retorted. "This photo is nice. People will find out anyway. It feels like a good moment."
"Let's do it," he told her. He squeezed her knee and then it smirked. "With the appropriate announcement attached."
She looked up from her phone. "Like what?"
"Made with love, 9 months from mommy, 2 minutes from daddy. Coming in January," he suggested.
She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, biting back her smile. "I never should have shown you those forums."
"Or," he continued happily.
She looked at him. "Go on…"
"We started early for the holidays. This one is already stuffed!" he told her and grinned. "Proof that—"
She burst out laughing. "Are you daring me to do that?"
"I would… you know I would… but there is a baby involved. Imagine if she reads that post in ten years." He shook his head. "Can I interest you in a romantic quote instead?"
"I got one: True love is finding your soulmate in your best friend." She quirked an eyebrow.
He smiled. "That is actually nice."
"I'll just post the photo and update my relationship status, but you have to put it up too," she told him.
"Yes, of course."
With a satisfied smile, she got comfortable on the couch and posted the photo, tagging him and updating her status.
"Now it's truly official," he quipped, putting his phone down.
She chuckled. "That's the thing that does it?"
He beamed at her. "Oh, for sure."
Ginny's phone started ringing and her eyes widened. She showed the call ID to Harry, it read 'Matthew'.
"Go on, put him on speakerphone," Harry told her.
Ginny seemed to doubt for a moment but then she answered the call and pushed the speakerphone.
"Hi, Matthew," she greeted.
"Hi," his voice came. "I saw your post."
Harry listened silently. Matthew was the last one before him, so he assumed it was weirder for Matthew perhaps. He'd be aware there wasn't too much time in between.
"You must have been looking at your screen when I posted," Ginny quipped. She glanced at Harry.
"Yeah, timing I guess…" It was silent for a moment. "I just…" He sighed.
Ginny pressed her lips together, waiting for him to speak.
"I could have given you all these things, you know?" he continued.
Ginny shook her head softly but didn't say anything.
"I don't understand. I really tried."
Harry locked eyes with Ginny.
Matthew cleared his throat. "I just don't know what I did wrong."
Ginny inhaled sharply. "It isn't what you did wrong. I just didn't—I didn't feel that way about you. You are a good guy, but we were not in the same place emotionally. You know that too."
"We could have been with time, I think," Matthew persisted.
The sympathy dropped off Ginny's face in an instant. "You gave me an ultimatum and I was honest. There was no point in lying." Her eyes danced to Harry. "And I know now what it feels like, and there was no point in us, Matthew. Find someone who loves you wholeheartedly."
Matthew let out a sour chuckle. "Right. How is it Harry? I thought you were strictly friends."
Ginny winced. "Would you believe me if I told you I didn't have the slightest clue about my feelings for him?"
"I'll choose to believe you," he told her. "Does he make you happy?"
"He does," she said immediately.
"Right," Matthew said. "And when's the baby due?"
"January."
"Got right to that then," Matthew noted a bit snippily.
Harry bit back his snort.
Ginny wasn't fazed. "We did."
"Then I guess I can only wish you the best," Matthew told her.
"Thank you," Ginny said. "Take care."
"You too."
Ginny waited for him to end the call and then shook her head slowly.
"You do know how to break a guy's heart, don't you?" Harry noted.
She shrugged. "I don't think it's really my fault."
He smiled at her. "Of course it isn't. He is seriously hung up on you still. Then again it's less than a year ago. It must be weird for him."
"Possibly," Ginny said. She pointed at his phone. "Any comments?"
"The traitor squad is putting a bunch of hearts," Harry told her as he glanced down at his phone. "And there are some surprised emojis for sure."
Ginny scooted closer and leaned against his arm as she looked. "This is fun."
"I think some of them think this is a prank," Harry continued.
Ginny laughed. "Who would joke about that?"
Harry looked up at her. "We're not above that." He looked down at his phone. "How many surprised exes do you think we'll get?"
"I think that's going to be it. Lars isn't online much. Others are blocked…" She grinned at him.
He put his arm around her waist. "Good choice."
"No one seems genuinely surprised we're together now," Ginny muttered as she reached out to scroll down the comments.
Harry nodded in agreement. "It's very upsetting."
Ginny chuckled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I know." She changed position. "Very upsetting." She led his hand to her belly.
He smiled softly. "But that quickly renders all of it irrelevant."
It felt weird going back to class, but simultaneously it felt like getting some normalcy back.
"It's going to be a busy year," Ginny mused as they walked into class. "I hope we're ready for it."
Harry squeezed her hand. "We'll manage."
"Ah, there she is," Amy greeted her.
Ginny smiled. "Waiting for me, were you?"
"We were waiting to see if that was the real deal or if it was a bet gone wrong and a good piece of photoshop," Amy said. "It's not photoshop."
"Told you," Harry told her quietly.
Ginny shook her head. "Not photoshop. Very real."
Robin walked in and greeted Harry. "Bro, I wanted to have a dorm room near you. Come to find out you have now officially ditched me for Miss Weasley?"
"Sorry," Harry said with a grimace. "It was for practical reasons."
"Yes, I've found out all about the practical reasons," Robin said with a nod towards Ginny. "You traitor."
Harry chuckled. "I am very sorry."
Robin waved his hand dismissively at Harry and then turned to Ginny. "So, what do you think about a trip to Disneyland in early autumn with a small group?"
"I can't go on any rides," she stated.
Robin wasn't deterred. "Yes, you can help us skip queues."
She feigned a gasp. "I feel used."
"I think you're on thin ice." Harry looked from Ginny to Robin and raised an eyebrow.
Robin chuckled. "It was worth a try."
Harry shook his head and the two of them took a seat near the rest of their friends.
When class was over, the pair of them settled down on the grass outside by their regular tree to spend the hour before lunch quietly. Ginny sat between Harry's legs and he put his arms around her. He had just begun the attack on Ginny's neck when Cho and Luna greeted them.
"Hi guys!" Cho said cheerily.
Harry cursed disappointed against her skin and she chuckled.
"Hush, we haven't seen them in ages." She squeezed the hand that was around her middle and looked up. "Hi!"
Without waiting for an invitation, the two settled down on the grass near them. Luna waved at someone further away. Ginny looked and saw Dean and Seamus, they turned and started walking towards them instead.
"How was your summer?" Seamus asked.
The two guys also settled down on the grass and made themselves comfortable. Ginny could almost feel the disappointment radiating off Harry.
"Pretty similar to other summers," Harry said, his hand slipping down her belly.
Dean's eyes danced down. "Ginny, lay off the fries!"
She chuckled. "I know! It's gotten out of control."
"So, how's that going?" Seamus asked her.
She shrugged. "She's learning how to kick against my ribs, which is fun as you can imagine. What else, Harry?"
"You know how a Weasley eats a lot?" he asked the group.
They all nodded.
"Ten times worse now," he concluded. "And if I don't get what she wants there is a good chance of either an outburst or tears. Seen her cry more now than in all the previous years combined."
"Don't be dramatic!" she told him. "It's not that bad. Evidently, if you ask me if I want chicken nuggets, I'll say yes."
Harry hummed in reply. "But how was your summer?" Harry asked the rest.
"Good, good," Seamus and Dean said a little too quickly.
"It was good," Cho confirmed.
Ginny eyed Luna. "How's Rolf?"
"It's been going great," she admitted with a smile. "We're still seeing each other."
"Good," Ginny said in approval.
As the group settled into conversation, Harry leaned closer to Ginny's ear and whispered. "Dean and Seamus… good summer I'd reckon?"
She turned to meet his eyes and grinned. "I think so," she whispered back.
"Hey, you two!" Cho said. "Share it with the group."
Ginny shook her head quickly. "No, thanks."
Cho tilted her head. "Ginny…" she insisted.
"We were considering scrapping Cho off our name list," she lied.
Cho gasped and threw a stray pinecone at Ginny, who caught it easily.
"You're such a liar!"
Ginny grinned widely at her and Harry chuckled in her ear.
"Now that you live together, do you really need to be sitting this close in public?" Seamus wondered.
Harry huffed. "Her back hurts easily, I'm just supporting her."
"It's very helpful." Ginny leaned into him to emphasise Harry's point. "Are you guys joining us for lunch later?"
All of them nodded.
"What are you getting?" Harry asked her. "I know you've thought about it."
"The meatballs and fries," she replied immediately, not bothering to pretend like she hadn't already checked the menu.
"With the tomato sauce?" Harry asked her. "What about your terrible heartburn?"
She shook her head. "That's completely irrelevant!"
Harry sighed in resignation and placed a kiss against her jaw. She squeezed his knee and turned her attention back to her friends.
She knew this year would be different. She had talked to the counsellor about how to manage everything and helped her by contacting the professors whose exams she may miss. Harry had joined too. She knew she was trying to get everything sorted out, but there was always more ahead. For now, sitting in the sun surrounded by her friends and Harry's arms firmly around her, she tried not to let her worries get to her.
