Secrets

"Ms. Weasley, I'll see you after class," Professor Snape's sharp voice echoed through the dungeon.

Ginny nodded miserably as she finished stuffing her parchment into her bag. She sat at her table, too tired to stand up as the other fifth year students filed out of the classroom. She had been late for potions again. It was the fourth time in the past two weeks.

"I should be giving you detention," Professor Snape told her crossly when they were alone.

"You probably should," Ginny sighed. "I think everyone will suspect something if you don't. They were surprised I didn't get it last time, sir."

"Very well then," he said coldly. "Come down here after dinner and you may use the time for homework."

Ginny nodded and slowly stood up. "Um, Professor?"

"Yes?" His back was to her.

"May I have some more of that potion? I finished it this morning."

"I'll have it ready for you tonight."

"Thank you sir."

"And Ms. Weasley? Do try your hardest not to be late next time."

"Yes sir," she nodded to his back, turning to go. It was hard not to be late. Her class before this was Divination in the tower. The other students barely made it, and so Ginny definitely couldn't.

"What do you need potions for, Weasley?" Draco Malfoy hissed in her ear as she left the dim room. He was standing right outside the dungeon door.

"So now you're a spy?" she snapped back.

"Just on my way to class," he shrugged. "I can't help what I hear."

Ginny began trudging up the steps of the dungeon slowly, knowing that she would be late, again, for Professor Binn's class. She resisted the urge to hold her stomach as she walked and decided not to waste the energy it would take to put the thoughts of Draco out of her mind. She hated the way he sneered at her and the way he talked down to her, but most of all, she hated the way his eyes dug into her skin and tried to pry open her mind.

She was exhausted by the time she got to her history class and sank into her chair only seconds before he started teaching. It was the last class of the evening, and she was relieved because she was staving, despite having eaten extra helping at lunch time. The minute her professor began to teach, she felt her eyelids sink downward. If I'm this exhausted now, she wondered, what is it going to be like when I'm farther along?

"Did you get detention?" Luna asked her as they trudged out at the end of the class.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah. After dinner." She paused in the doorway of the Great Hall, torn between her hunger and her exhaustion, but before she could decide, Ron caught her by the elbow and began steering her forward.

"Snape gave you detention?" he asked, taking her bag.

"I was late again," she told him, filling her plate with roasted potatoes.

"You need to eat something besides that," he told her. "Something with more substance."

She barely glanced up as Hermione and Harry sat down across from them. "I want this."

"You're eating for-" he began.

"Sh," Hermione hissed at him. "Watch what you say!"

Ron glanced around. "No one heard."

"This is the only thing that stays down," Ginny told him. "Everything else ends up in the loo."

"Thanks," Ron muttered, wrinkling his nose.

"So how are you feeling?" Harry asked, pouring her a glass of Pumpkin Juice.

"Tired. Mum said a bunch of," she glanced around and dropped her voice, "baby stuff arrived at the house today."

"Like what?" Hermione asked.

"You know, a crib and that kind of thing." Ginny tried to keep her voice casual.

"Where are we supposed to put it?" Ron demanded.

"Well, it's just me and you now. I suppose it will go in my room." Ginny finished her third helping of potatoes in silence.

CHAPTER 2

She made her way slowly back down to the dungeons, Nearly Headless Nick floating alongside her to make sure Peeves didn't bother her. The teachers wanted Peeves as far away from Ginny as possible to insure that he didn't harm her or discover her secret.

"My dear girl," he said softly, "you may want to reconsider."

"Reconsider what?" she asked, freely rubbing her still small stomach.

His voice dropped even lower. "You should let the father know. It is now his duty to marry you."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Thanks for walking with me." She ducked into the dungeon as quickly as she could.

Snape allowed her to sit in his more comfortable chair behind his desk as she tried to finish her homework. An hour later he dismissed her, and Ginny couldn't believe she had actually gotten off that easy. The teachers had told her that she wasn't going to get any special treatment, and publicly, they didn't give her any, but the last person Ginny ever expected any sympathy from, was Snape.

"Here." He set a large beaker in front of her. "This is stronger than the last batch, so you will only need to add two or three drops to your water or juice."

"Thank you." Ginny accepted the bottle gratefully.

"I will escort you back to your dormitory now," he said sounding rather reluctant.

"I'll do it, Professor," a voice said from the doorway.

Ginny's head shot up and saw Draco's thin, blond form standing there.

"I'm going that way," he lied.

Professor Snape looked reluctant, but Ginny knew he didn't particularly want to be in her presence either. "Very well. See that she gets there immediately. No delays or distractions."

Ginny stomped out of the room as best as her tired feet would allow. "Get away," she hissed as they climbed the steps.

"What's going on, Weasley?" he demanded. "Who's the father?"

Ginny paused in her steps, then continued without answering.

"I heard Nick."

"Why where you following me?"

"Curiosity."

"That's great," she snapped. "Why don't you run along and tell all your little friends that Ginny Weasley is pregnant? That will make great gossip!"

"I don't want to," he said calmly, infuriatingly.

Ginny bit her bottom lip as she walked, struggling to keep her tears in. "Leave me alone."

His voice was low and missing the usual Malfoy arrogance. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

Ginny glanced at him and found that he wasn't giving her a smirk or a sneer. He was giving her a small smile. "Thank you."

He nodded. "See you in the morning."

"Huh?"

"Isn't this the entrance to your hall?"

"Oh. Yeah." Ginny blushed, feeling suddenly insecure.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she said, waiting until she saw his back disappear around the corner before telling the Fat Lady the password.