Unaffected

The rest of Ginny's vacation week passed in somewhat of a blur. She took Lily to the park to play almost every day while she tried to read. She never got very far in her books, though; as soon as she opened the book, her mind would drift to Draco and what had transpired between them.

Did he really love her, like he said he did? She prayed fervently that he did, because she was so in love with him that it was becoming difficult to do anything that didn't make her think of him. Even the simple act of making and drinking tea made her ache for his presence. It was thoughts like this that would cause her to snap her book shut and just sit and watch her daughter play in the sandbox.

Mealtimes were eerily quiet. Lily could sense that something was wrong with her mother, and she also guessed that it had something to do with the man she liked so much, since her mother would freeze up every time his name was brought into conversation. After the first day back with her Mum, she stopped mentioning him.

She returned to work with renewed vigor, hoping that by immersing herself with her duties that she could dim her thoughts of him, and carry on somewhat normally. So far, it wasn't working. Remus and Hermione had been by several times to see her, but she didn't know what to say to them. She didn't tell them anything that had happened between herself and Draco, and they didn't ask.

What she didn't know was that they had already seen Draco, and he'd been having dinner with them almost every night since the argument had taken place. Hermione had actually grown quite fond of him, getting into stimulating discussions over some of the Muggle literature she'd let him borrow. He seemed to devour the novels with an almost insatiable thirst, and she was delighted. Remus had even teased the both of them about becoming too close, and he had told Draco in not so many words to not even think about Hermione that way.

Of course, Draco wouldn't think about anyone that way, except for the one person who had succeeded in making him feel utterly rejected.

Three and a half weeks had passed when Ginny fell ill. She had to cancel her sessions for three days because she was feeling so badly. Her Mum came and got Lily, and took her to the Burrow so she wouldn't catch whatever it was that Ginny had. Hermione showed up for a visit on the Friday night before Ginny was supposed to talk to Draco again.

"Are you still sick?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows. Ginny was nestled beneath her covers with her eyes closed. She opened one eye and squinted at Hermione.

"I feel awful," she whined, closing her eye again. Hermione lowered herself onto the edge of the bed.

"Have you been to see a MediWitch or anything?"

"No."

"Ginny Potter!" Hermione scolded gently. "All right, what's wrong, then?"

"You mean besides the constant nausea, cramping, and bloating?" she laughed bitterly. "I haven't been to see a MediWitch because it's just PMS." Hermione gave her an odd look.

"Do you usually get nauseated before your monthly?"

"Not usually, but it's happened," she said, wincing as another wave of nausea roiled through her.

"How often does it happen?" Hermione pressed the issue. Before Ginny could answer, though, her eyes flew wide and she clamped a hand over her mouth, then scrambled out of bed and into the bathroom. Hermione felt her lunch tumbling around in her own stomach as she heard Ginny emptying hers into the toilet. A few moments later, Ginny padded miserably back to her bed. Something was slowly dawning on Hermione, and she bit her lip.

"Ginny, is it possible that you could be pregnant?" she asked softly. Ginny looked completely startled.

"I don't think so," she said uncertainly. She shifted uncomfortably under Hermione's intense gaze. "I haven't slept with anyone since..." her voice faded, and the blood drained from her face. Hermione nodded.

"I'm going to take you to a MediWitch right now," she said, standing. "Get dressed." Ginny knew from the tone of her voice that it would be pointless to argue with her, and stood. She was slow about her movements, not wanting to aggravate her nausea into another trip to the bathroom.

When they reached the office of the MediWitch that Hermione was a patient of, Hermione spoke to the receptionist in hushed tones. They were ushered back into a room immediately, and a plump woman in a bright blue uniform bustled in. One look at Ginny's ashen face made her smile brightly.

"First baby?"

"Second, if I am, in fact, pregnant," she said miserably. Hermione bit her lip and patted Ginny's back reassuringly. The MediWitch said nothing, and began her examination. As she was putting her things away, she gave Ginny a bright smile.

"Very healthy baby you have there, Miss-?"

"Potter," she breathed. The woman's eyes widened.

"As in, the Potter?"

"That's the one." She didn't care what the woman would think of her for getting pregnant after Harry's death; she doubted that the woman could think any lower of her than she already thought of herself.

"Ah, well," she said, shaking her head to clear it. "The baby is perfectly healthy. I'd say that you should expect baby Potter to make an appearance sometime in the middle of March." Ginny opened her mouth to correct the woman, then stopped herself. How much more would she aggravate the situation if she told the woman that the baby was a Malfoy?

She followed Hermione out of the office, clutching a piece of parchment that proclaimed her to be pregnant, along with some details about her due date and so forth. She had a sinking feeling about revealing any of this to Draco. She had the odd feeling that she would not get the same joyous reception from Draco that she'd gotten from Harry upon hearing the news that he was going to be a father.

Back at home, she flopped down on the couch and sighed. Hermione sat in the chair across from her and smiled sympathetically.

"When are you going to tell him?" she asked softly. Ginny rubbed her face tiredly with her hands.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't want to tell him at all. I can't believe this is happening. This is all my fault."

"It takes two, Ginny."

"No, it's my fault because I instigated it. He was being the perfect gentleman and allowing me my space, not trying to force anything on me, and I basically ripped his clothes off."

Hermione winced. "Too much information, Ginny."

"This can't be happening to me," she moaned, leaning back on the cushions.

"It can, and it is," Hermione said authoritatively. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"What can I do?" she asked desperately.

"Well, there's always adoption. Or, if you're the type that can deal with it, abortion." Ginny's eyes widened, and she shook her head vehemently.

"Neither are an option, Hermione."

"Then you'll just have to suck it up and tell him."

"I know, but I'm dreading it."

"You know, he might not take it as badly as you seem to think he will," she said reasonably. "He seems quite taken with Lily - perhaps he'd be happy to have a child of his own."

"Having a child of his own is one thing, not having it on his own terms is quite another," Ginny snapped.

"Just tell him, and then you can get angry about it afterwards," she admonished, standing. "I've got to go; I'm late meeting Remus for a movie." She leaned down and hugged her friend. "Just be honest, and ease the news out to him. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Have a good time with Remus, and tell him I send my love," she said she said dully, still trying to decide how she felt about it all. Hermione smiled and nodded, then disapparated with a loud crack.

She sat there in total silence for a few minutes, then burst into tears. What had she done to the both of them? He had professed his love for her, and he'd warned her that she was wasting their time by asking for the month that she'd wasted. She'd missed him so badly that a constant hollow ache had developed in her chest, and she'd actually been somewhat looking forward to going to him tomorrow and telling him exactly how she felt.

The prospect of a baby looming on the horizon changed everything, though.

At least his mother will be happy, she thought grimly. She stood and wiped her eyes, then stepped into the fireplace, grabbing a handful of floo powder. A clear cry of "Malfoy Manor!" and she was standing in the middle of a large room that seemed familiar. She was dusting the soot off of herself when she heard a noise from behind her, and she turned to see Narcissa and Severus Snape staring at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry," she said politely. "I didn't mean to surprise anyone, I was just looking for Draco."

"He's in his study, dear," Narcissa smiled. "Down that hallway, fifth door on the left." Ginny nodded.

"Thank you." She took a deep breath to steady herself, then walked down the hallway. When she reached the door, she lifted her fist to knock. She hesitated for a moment, then rapped sharply three times.

"Come in," his voice called. She bit her lip, then pushed the door open.

He stood up as she entered his office, a smile lighting his face. "Ginny! Come to put us out of our misery already?"

Her stomach fluttered and all of her carefully planned pleasantries and speeches deserted her. Almost before she realized she was speaking, she had blurted out, "I'm pregnant." He stared silently at her for a long moment before speaking again.

"I see," he said, his face closing to a blank expression. "Well then, we should make arrangements for the wedding right away."

"Wedding?" Ginny said dazedly.

He smirked. "Not only do I not want my heir to be born a bastard, but it'd be a bit of a tarnish on the memory of Saint Potter for his widow to be up the pole without benefit of matrimony."

"Marry me out of duty, would you?" she asked, her anger quickly surpassing the sharp stab of wretchedness that he'd inflicted on her. "And if I say no? What then?"

"I hardly think you have a choice in the matter," he said coolly, resuming his seat behind the large oak desk.

"I have every choice in the matter," she raged back. It seemed that the cooler he was, the more fiery her temper became. "Besides, since when do you care what people think of Harry? At least he wanted his child."

"So the Sainted Potter and I have something in common," Draco sneered. "Who would have thought it?"

"You-" she blinked in surprise. "You want the baby?"

"Of course I do," he said brusquely. She might've fallen into his arms then, sobbing and confessing her love, if he hadn't continued with, "I need an heir, and it will make Mother happy."

"I see no need for marriage, though," she said coldly, her chin trembling. "The child will have your last name, and we can work out some sort of visitation schedule."

"Unacceptable," he said. "A child needs two parents, and I will not have our children deprived of what they need."

"Children?" she repeated, snorting derisively. "You sound as though you expect me to bear you more than this one."

"We can discuss the details later," he said, crossing the room to stand beside her. After taking her elbow and dropping a quick kiss on her cheek, he said, "Right now let me call Mum in so that we can start discussing the particulars for the wedding. Do you need to Floo your own mother?"

"I don't want you to marry me out of obligation, Draco," she said, feeling as though the wind had been knocked out of her. He seemed not to hear her, though, as he stepped out of the study. She could hear him calling out for Narcissa and saying they had some good news for her.

His mother appeared moments later, with Severus at her side.

"What's this about good news?" she asked, smiling. She turned to look at Ginny, who averted her eyes quickly and stared out the window. She looked back at her son, who was all smiles.

"Ginny and I are to be married," Draco said. "As soon as possible."

"Why the hurry, darling?" Narcissa asked.

Ginny tensed, but Draco just drew her into the circle of his arms and said, "We're impatient to be together, and we don't want to waste any of our time together."

What he means to say is that I went and got myself knocked up in a moment of weakness, Ginny thought bitterly.

"Well, this is wonderful news!" Narcissa said, clasping her hands together. "Have you decided on any of the details yet?"

"No," Ginny said simply. Narcissa eyed her thoughtfully, and Ginny could feel Draco stiffening.

"We were hoping you could help with that," Draco said smoothly. "Neither of us have the slightest idea how to have a wedding on such short notice."

"Perhaps we should all sit down and discuss this over dinner," Narcissa suggested. At the mention of food, Ginny winced.

"I'm- I'm not so good around food, right now," she volunteered. Narcissa smiled sympathetically.

"Of course, dear, how silly of me," she nodded. "Well, if you have time now, I'm free." Draco looked at Ginny with an odd expression on his face.

"Yes, of course," she nodded, pulling away from Draco. "Lily is with my Mum, so I have plenty of time."

"One moment," Draco said, taking Ginny once again by the elbow. "Mum, she'll be with you in a moment."

As soon as they were alone again, Ginny snatched her arm away from Draco and turned, only to find him striding towards his desk. "What the hell--"

"Language, darling. You don't want to get in the habit of swearing around the children." She seethed at him, but by the time she could control herself enough to speak without cursing or hitting him, he had retrieved something from his desk and returned to her side. "For you."

"I don't want this," she snarled, handing it back to him. "I'm not going to wear something Natasha wore."

He smirked. "Do you honestly think Natasha would have returned her ring? I have no doubt she's hocked it by now."

"You expect me to believe that you just happened to have a ring in your desk, waiting for me?" she laughed bitterly.

"Given how little you seem to think of my honesty, I doubt you'd believe me if I said the sky was blue," he said coldly.

"Wonderful," she muttered, swiping the box from his hand. She opened the lid and gasped; the ring was truly beautiful. The diamond wasn't huge, but it was bigger than the one Harry had given her. She was determined not to let him see how secretly pleased she was, and slipped it on her finger. "I see how much I mean to you, given that the diamond isn't as big as a snitch," she said, snorting.

"I wasn't aware you measured affection by worldly goods," he said with a trace of amusement. "Perhaps that was my mistake all along."

"You bastard," she fumed, clenching her fists. The weight on her finger felt strangely familiar, and it gave her a measure of comfort even as she raged at him. "How dare you! Have I ever asked you for anything?"

"Draco? Ginny? Are you coming out here, or should I come back in?" Narcissa called. Draco couldn't help but feel envious when Ginny visibly softened at the sound of his mother's voice. She turned on her heel and left the room, and he followed her. When the reached the sitting room where Narcissa and Snape were, Ginny purposely chose a small armchair to sit in. She smiled smugly to herself. There was no way Draco could sit beside her and further upset her.

Therefore he surprised her when he perched on the arm of her chair.

"I hope you don't mind, darling, but I've flooed your Mum and asked her over for an informal dinner tonight." The blood drained from Ginny's face.

"You-" she swallowed hard. "Did you tell her why?"

"No, I didn't feel it was my place," she said softly. "But she did ask, if that means anything."

"I believe congratulations are in order," Snape said quietly, his eyes resting on Ginny's. She quickly averted them. She remembered Harry telling her about Snape's abilities, and she knew that one look would give her away.

"Thank you, Professor," Draco said, nodding calmly. "You're looking well. How is Hogwarts these days?" Draco and Snape proceeded to have a bit of conversation about Slytherin house, and Ginny sat uncomfortably in the chair, wishing to be anywhere else but where she was.

"Ah, I think that must be your Mother," Narcissa said, seeing the flames in the fireplace turn green. Ginny stood quickly, almost knocking Draco off of the chair as she did so. Her mother and a very excited looking Lily stepped out of the fireplace. Lily squealed and ran immediately to Draco, and Ginny bit her lip to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Hullo, Mum," she said, hugging Molly tightly. Molly pulled away and eyed her cautiously.

"Is everything all right?" she whispered. Ginny nodded, looking down.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor," Narcissa said, rising to her feet. She grasped Molly's hand in her own and smiled warmly. Molly smiled back, and Narcissa waved at a large chair. "Please, have a seat."

When Ginny turned back to reclaim her seat, Draco was already there, cuddling Lily on his lap. She sighed. At least her daughter would be happy with the arrangement. She sat down on the arm of the chair that her mother had taken.

"Thank you for inviting us over," Molly said. "Hello, Severus. How have you been?"

"Well, thank you."

"Draco, didn't you mention that you and Ginny had an announcement to make?"

Draco stood, carrying Lily with him as he took Ginny by the hand and pulled her towards him. "Mrs. Weasley, Mother, Severus... Ginny and I are going to be married."

"Oh, how lovely," Molly said, clapping her hands together. "I'm so happy for the both of you." Lily turned her emerald eyes to Draco.

"You're going to marry my Mum?" Draco nodded. "Does that mean you're going to come and live with us?"

"No, Lils," he said, smiling indulgently. "It means that you're going to come and live here with me." Ginny yanked her hand away from his and pursed her lips, but remained silent. Draco dropped a kiss on Lily's nose and swung her around in the air. "We're going to be a family, Miss Lils, and what do you think of that?"

"Are you going to be my new Daddy?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"No, I can't ever replace your Dad," he said quietly. "But I can be like a second Dad, if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much!" she nodded.

"I have an idea," Narcissa said, moving towards Lily. "Why don't we walk through the Manor, and you can choose the room you'd like to have." Lily's eyes lit up, and she squirmed out of Draco's arms, reaching for Narcissa. Molly stood and followed Narcissa and Severus as they ambled slowly down the hallway. When they were out of sight, Ginny turned on Draco.

"One hell of a bloody family we're going to make," she said, laughing mirthlessly. "You're forcing us into it; what kind of a family is that going to be?" She sank down into a chair and cradled her face in her hands.

"A happy one, if you'd let us be," he muttered, turning away from her. She rubbed her face, then bit on her thumbnail as she regarded him. He really hadn't asked for this any more than she had, and even if he was being a pillock about the whole thing, at least he was trying to rectify the situation. She softened a bit towards him.

"Would you like to see the parchment from the MediWitch?" she asked softly. He turned to her with an unreadable expression on his face, and nodded curtly. She stood and pulled the folded up parchment from her pocket, then handed it to him. He opened it and read silently.

"May I keep it?" he asked, his voice even. She nodded and turned her eyes to the fire.

"When do you want to tell them about the baby?" she asked. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"After dinner." Her stomach roiled unpleasantly.

"Oh, please," she said, squeezing her eyes shut. "Don't talk about anything that has to do with food." He gave her a wry grin.

"Bad, is it?"

"You don't even know," she murmured, shaking her head.

"Does it last all day?"

"It has for the last three days," she admitted, nodding. "I haven't been able to keep anything more than crackers and soda down."

"Has Lily been staying with your Mum for the last few days, then?"

"Yes. I haven't had the strength to get out of bed for anything except trips to the loo."

"How did you manage to get to the MediWitch today?" he asked curiously.

"Hermione," she said simply. He nodded. "She came to see me and talked me into it."

"Sensible woman."

"Too sensible for her own damned good," she muttered. "She figured out my problem before I ever got to the damned examination."

"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "We have details to discuss. How big of a wedding would you like?"

"Small. As small as possible." He bristled.

"Ashamed to be marrying me?"

"No," she said, her temper spiking. "I had a big wedding last time, and it was a royal pain in the arse. I got sick of all the people milling around, just so they could get free food or shake the hand of the Boy Who Lived."

"A small wedding is just as well," he said in clipped tones. "That makes for less planning."

"Why can't we just have someone marry us here?" she asked tiredly.

"You want to get married at the Manor?" he asked, holding his surprise in check.

"If you're so anxious to get married and get it over with, why don't you just have someone come here right now and marry us?"

"Oh, no," he said, narrowing his eyes. "You're not going to escape a public wedding. Our wedding will be announced in the Daily Prophet, just as my wedding to Natasha would have been."

"I'm not Natasha, Draco," she said.

"Trust me, I'm well aware of the differences. She at least would have been happy that I was pushing things along. In any case, we need to settle on a date. How is sometime next month for you?"

"I'm not getting married in September," she said softly, her face set in hard lines.

"And why the hell not?"

"Because Harry and I got married in September."

"Then you're forcing us to marry by the end of this month," he said, shaking his head. "You'd be showing by October, wouldn't you? I will not walk down the aisle with you obviously pregnant."

"Draco," she snapped, sitting up straight. "When the baby is born, all people are going to have to do is count backwards nine months and they will know when I conceived. It's not like you're going to be able to hide this."

"That settles it, we'll be married at the end of this month. How is August thirty-first for you? Can you get time off then?"

"What do I need time off for? That's a Saturday, so all we have to do is get married and be done with it." He glared at her, and his lips formed a thin, white line.

"You will need time off for our honeymoon," he bit out. She wanted to laugh at him.

"Honeymoons are for couples who are in love and getting married for that reason, not for two people who are being forced into marriage because of an impending birth."

"We will be taking a honeymoon because everyone will be expecting it," he said, with an air of finality. "It's not negotiable."

"Fine," she uttered, slumping back against the cushions again. She closed her eyes. What was the point in fighting him anymore? She had trapped him with a baby, even though she hadn't meant to. She'd meant it when she'd told him that she would raise the baby alone and just give him visitation, but he had persisted with the marriage idea.

Some tiny part of herself admitted that it was exciting to be marrying the man she loved, even if it had been brought about under the present circumstances. That part of her was quickly squashed under the little voice that harped at her for not using protection in the first place. She felt horrible for him; this wasn't fair to either of them, but least of all, him. She was, for all intents and purposes, saddling him with a built-in family.

"I'll expect your half of the guest list by Tuesday," he said, scribbling something on a piece of parchment.

"I can give you my half of the list right now," she said. He blinked, then nodded.

"Go on, then."

"Hermione and Alice, Remus, Mum, Fred and a guest, and Ron and Blaise." He looked up at her expectantly. "That's it."

"Eight people?"

"I don't have many friends and family left, Draco," she sighed. He blinked again, then went back to his parchment.

"I'll send out owls with the invitations by Tuesday evening, then," he said, finishing his writing, and rolling the parchment up. "I expect that you'll be wanting to buy your wedding dress and something pretty for Lily as well." He reached for his wallet, but she stood quickly.

"If you're going to try and give me money, don't," she said darkly. "I have my own money, and I will not be a kept woman. I can buy whatever Lily and I need without your help." She turned on her heel and began walking down the hallway that her daughter had gone down, and he followed her.

His hand shot out and grabbed her, forcing her to turn and face him. He was surprised to see unshed tears sparkling in her eyes. "I'm forcing this marriage on you; I'll not make you pay for it as well."

"You're not making me pay for anything, I offered," she said, blinking back the tears. "I have to do something to make myself feel useful and involved. Besides, can't have you thinking I'm so concerned with material goods now, can I?" He flinched slightly as she threw his earlier words back at him.

"It doesn't have to be like this," he said, releasing her arm.

"Ah, there you are," Narcissa's voice called. Ginny pulled her eyes away from Draco's and looked down the hallway. Lily wiggled out of her soon-to-be Grandmother's arms and running towards Ginny. Ginny picked her up and squeezed tightly.

"Should you be lifting her?" Draco asked quickly, moving to take Lily away. Ginny handed her over and scowled at him.

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm an invalid!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Perhaps we should move to the dining hall now," Draco suggested, ignoring Ginny. He carried Lily and began moving towards another part of the Manor. Narcissa laced her arm through Snape's and walked with him, and Ginny fell into step alongside her mother.

"Are you marrying him because he's the one who got you pregnant?" Molly asked bluntly. Ginny stopped walking and turned to stare at her mother. "Oh, darling, don't look so surprised. I didn't have seven children and not learn how to recognize a breeding woman when I see one."

"Yes," she said simply, walking again.

"But you're in love with him. Why do you look so unhappy?"

"He's not marrying me out of love, Mum," she said, shaking her head. "He's marrying me because I'm pregnant and he thinks he has to."

"Are you so sure of that?" her Mum asked, giving her a shrewd look.

"Yes," she said, clamping her mouth shut. They entered the dining hall and Molly gaped for a moment before sitting near Narcissa. Ginny was about to take the seat between Molly and Lily, but Draco motioned for her to sit in the empty seat next to him.

As soon as she had taken her seat, food appeared on the table in front of Ginny, along with a glass of wine. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to fight off the wave of nausea that the smell of the soup was causing. After a moment, she couldn't stand it anymore, and had to excuse herself for a quick trip to the loo.

Once she had dry heaved several times, she crumpled into a pile on the cold floor and began to sob. She cried for the new baby, she cried for Lily and Draco, but mostly she cried for herself. Her marriage to Harry had been a joyous one, and she had truly enjoyed every moment of it. Now here she was, about to marry Draco, and dreading it. She loved Draco, and she wanted to marry him, but not under these circumstances.

But really, she had no one to blame save herself. She had been the one who'd taken his clothes off, hadn't she? She sobbed harder, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging them to her. She wanted another baby, and she knew Lily would be excited about one. Draco had said he wanted the baby as well, but he'd said it with such coldness- surely he hated her now, for doing this to the both of them.

A knock at the door caused her to bite her lip in order to silence herself. "Ginny, are you in there?" Draco called. She stood quickly and wiped the tears away.

"Yes, I'll be out in a moment," she said. She splashed water on her face, then dried it, noting that it did little to help with the redness of her eyes. She took her wand out and cast a glamour spell on herself, hoping that it would conceal not only the red rims of her eyes, but the pain that resided there as well.

When she opened the door, Draco was standing there with his arms folded across his chest. She stuck her chin up slightly and began heading back in the direction of the dining hall, but he stepped in front of her. She put her hands on her hips and stared at him.

"What?" she snapped.

"I heard you in there," he said. She wondered what he was referring to - the crying, or the glamour spell.

"And?"

"You left the dinner table to have a cry in the loo?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, it wasn't for that. The smell of the soup made me sick."

"And the sickness progressed into crying?"

"Yes, it did. Look, Draco," she sighed. "Pregnant women are way more hormonal than regular women, so it's very likely that I'm going to have some wicked mood swings. Please try not to take anything personally, if for no other reason than your own sanity." A smile tugged at his lips.

"I'll remember that." He extended his arm to her, and she rested her hand in the crook of his elbow. They started slowly back towards the dining hall.

"At least you don't have to live with me the entire time," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not going to gloss over the details - pregnancy and I do not mix well." He chuckled softly.

"I'll only be missing about two weeks," he reminded her. "And I think I can handle you, even pregnant."

"Good thing no one's paying you to think, then," she quipped, her eyes twinkling. He stopped walking and turned to look at her.

"Gin, I know this is hard for you, being forced into something without much of a choice. I want you to know that I do want this baby, despite what you may think."

"I believe you," she said quietly. "And I want this baby, too - I'm just sorry that things have happened the way they have. I never meant for that moment between us to trap you into something you didn't want to do. I wouldn't have purposely done that to you. So," she said, taking a deep breath. "Do you want to tell everyone, or should I?"

"Ginny..." He stopped, turning her to face him. "This might accelerate things, but nothing is happening that I didn't want, or plan for." His eyes were serious as they bored into hers and she felt tears pricking at her own as she was tempted, desperately tempted, to believe him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I was going to ask you to marry me sometime in the near future, which is why I just happened to have that ring in my desk drawer. Ever since that day in the park, the idea has been in my mind."

"But you were engaged to someone else at the time," she pointed out.

"And I was desperate to find a way not to be."

"So you wanted to get engaged to me so as not to be engaged to her?" Ginny asked, her hands going to her hips and her eyes lighting with anger once more.

"Oh, for-- You're determined to misunderstand everything I say," he growled. "Let's see if you can understand this." He grabbed her arms and pulled her close, his lips descending on hers with such intensity that it took her breath away. She whimpered as his tongue plundered her mouth ruthlessly. When he pulled away, her wide eyes still registered her surprise.

His breath was harsh and irregular as he looked at her with fire in his eyes. In a low, almost threatening tone, he said, "Get this straight, because I'm tired of your doubts. I'm in love with you, Ginny Weasley Potter, you and your daughter and the child that you carry, and you're going to be mine, because I'm not about to live without you now that I've found you." Without giving her a chance to respond, or even to catch her breath, he kissed her again and then dragged her back into the dining room to face their families.