Secrets

CHAPTER 7

At 10:30. Madam Pomfrey shooed them out of the room. "I really don't want to go in there," Ginny groaned, eyeing the Fat Lady's portrait. "Ron's going to attack me again."

"They stay in there?" Draco asked curiously, a grin spreading across his face.

"Where else would they go?"

He shrugged. "The Astronomy Tower."

"Don't be disgusting. Just because you Slytherin's do, doesn't mean that we Gryffindor's do."

"Right," he rolled his eyes with a wicked grin.

"Honestly," she defended them. "They don't. I mean, they are always studying."

"Or saving the world," Draco interjected dryly.

She poked him in the arm and wondered fleetingly how many times he had been up there and who he had been with. "Well, okay then."

"Good night." He didn't smile, but stared at her with his intense gray eyes that seemed to be reading more into her than she wanted him to.

Ginny felt herself smiling for sheer lack of anything else to do. His eyes made her nervous. "Good night."

She entered the common room as quietly as she could. Harry and Ron had their back's towards her, but Hermione glanced up. She didn't say a word, but her eyes lingered on Ginny for a moment too long, and Ron whirled around. Ginny pretended she hadn't seen them and immediately dashed towards the girl's staircase.

"Ginny! Wait!" Ron's voice followed her up the stairs, but she didn't stop.

She heard footsteps behind her, and dove into her bed as Hermione entered the room. "Are you okay?" she asked. She sat down gingerly on the edge of Ginny's bed and glanced around.

Ginny nodded, pulling off her robes. "Did Ron send you up here?"

"I was coming anyways."

Ginny glanced around the room and found it empty. She didn't believe Hermione for one instant. She and the older girl had never been close, despite Ginny's best efforts when she was younger. "Is he furious?"

"Well, we just can't understand why you would be with Draco Malfoy when you have . . . such a big secret."

"He heard Nearly Headless Nick," Ginny admitted.

"So he knows?"

Ginny nodded.

"Is he blackmailing you?" Hermione demanded, her eyes widening and her nostril's flaring.

Ginny shook her head and reluctantly felt herself questioning Draco's motives. Why was he acting this way? Ginny was positive he didn't know who the father was; he couldn't. He offered to carry my bag today she reminded herself. Draco Malfoy offered to carry my bag. Something is going on. "No. He's acting rather . . . normal. Well, normal for regular people. Abnormal for Draco Malfoy."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Does he know who the father is?"

"No. No one does."

Hermione was silent, and suddenly it occurred to Ginny's tired mind that Hermione had watched her leave the Hog's Head Inn on Halloween night, and there was no doubt in Ginny's mind that Hermione knew who the father was.

Ginny opened her mouth and then closed it. "Goodnight."

"Wait," Hermione said softly.

"No," Ginny pulled her pillow over her head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet," Ginny answered, slowly sitting back up and scooping her thick red hair out of her face. She quickly tied it into a knot behind her head. "My mum keeps casually mentioning adoption. Plus, she just cries every time I've talked to her. Even her letters are full of water spots!"

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose it's very hard for her too. What do you think? Adoption may be a good idea."

"And then what?" Ginny asked rudely. "Then I should just resume life as normal?"

"What does the father say?"

"Nothing." Ginny shrunk back down in her pillow. "Nothing at all." She knew Hermione didn't mean it, but she was beginning to resent the way her words could make her feel like a silly twit of a girl.

"He knows, right?"

"I would imagine so." Ginny got up and crossed the room. "I'm going to wash my face."

She stood in front of the long row of sinks in the girl's bathroom, jealous of the happy, gossipy chatter that was going on around her. She splashed water on her face quickly, to cover the tears that were forming in her eyes. This used to be me she thought sadly, looking around. She used to sit in the restroom with the other Gryffindor girl's and gossip and giggle until late in the night. Now she just wanted to go to bed. I want that back! She wished with all her heart that she could take back that night, Halloween night in Hogsmeade.

Three months ago, they had been at the Hogs Head Inn on Halloween. It was supposed to be only the sixth and seventh year students who were allowed to go that night, but Harry took pity on her and showed her a secret passage that led into the town. The students had chosen the less desirable pub over Three Broomsticks, assuming they might find a bit more action that night. Instead of finding the action, the Hogwarts students were the action, drinking more and more unknown substances until Ginny decided she needed some fresh air. And he offered to walk with her. After it was all over, he came to her the next afternoon as she walked alongside the lake and apologized again and again for his behavior. They decided that it was okay, that they wouldn't mention it again, and that since they were both intoxicated, it was excusable as long as both of them realized that it meant nothing serious.

CHAPTER 8

Ginny awoke earlier than she wanted to the following morning, but couldn't convince herself to go back to sleep. After drinking several drops of her potion from Snape, she crept out of bed and to the showers. Once inside the small stall, Ginny charmed the wall to be reflective. She couldn't examine her continually changing body anywhere else for fear that someone would see her. She ran her hands over her stomach, then turned sideways, and finally decided that it was still flat. Her chest was different, she noted. Most definitely larger and achy. She turned several times to see if there was anything else, but found nothing. She de-charmed the wall, finished washing her hair, and then stepped out of the shower, humming to herself.

Although part of her was still wondering how stupid she was for letting herself even begin to be interesting in Draco, the truth was, she couldn't wait to see him. She used a drying charm that Lavender had taught her to dry her hair, making it perfectly straight and shiny, and then a few cosmetics charms to brighten her eyes and lips. She pulled on her robes, glanced at her reflection once more and then headed down to the Great Hall.

You're pathetic! her mind kept yelling at her as she made her way down the stairs. You're pregnant! And you let Draco Malfoy trick you into telling him. You're going to regret this!

At the end of January, she had to go visit Madam Pomfrey since she was beginning her second trimester.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, as she poked Ginny with her wand.

"Fine," Ginny said absentmindedly, staring out the window. She knew Draco was out there waiting for her. She felt the need to build a snowman and he volunteered to help her.

"Over all, how do you feel each day?"

She shrugged. "Okay. I get tired a lot."

"Are you keeping up with your school work?" the Healer asked.

Ginny nodded. It all got turned in, even though Draco had to help her with most of it. "You take a nap," he would tell her, "and I'll finish it."

"This is going to be the trimester when most of your physical changes will happen," Madam Pomfrey said. "Do you remember your charm?"

"Yeah, but I don't need it yet."

"You will soon though." She put her wand away. "I'm going to have Professor Snape fix you a potion of vitamins and minerals that I want you to take. How are things going with your friends?"

"They haven't noticed, I guess," Ginny squirmed in her chair. "I mean Harry and Ron and Hermione already know."

The Healer continued to look at her. "What about Mr. Malfoy? He is in the atrium waiting for you."

"He is?" Ginny perked up. "He doesn't know anymore than he needs to."

Madam Pomfrey sat down next to Ginny and sighed. "How are you really doing, Ms. Weasley? I know it cannot be easy to be pregnant at 15. Having to keep so many secrets."

Ginny shrugged, pretending to be indifferent. "I just try not to think about it."

"That's not healthy either. You need to be concerned with your health and the baby's health."

"I want to put it up for adoption."

"Do you really?"

She nodded. "I want my life back."

"What does the father say?"

"He doesn't know."

"He'll have to know," the nurse told her gently. "Wizard law requires that both parents sign adoption forms."

"That's fine," she said, standing up. "I don't think he'll care. He'll probably be relieved."

"Let's wait and see how you feel when the baby starts moving."

"I won't change my mind," Ginny said firmly, heading out the door.

When she was through, Draco insisted that Ginny wrap warmly enough to be able to comfortably visit the artic circle before he let her go outside. They built Ginny's snowman, and then ended up sitting on a group of stones while Draco sketched pictures of Ginny.

"I didn't know you drew," she told him, watching in fascination as she appeared on the paper.

He nodded but didn't answer.

Ginny glanced around and shaded her eyes against the bright, sparkling snow. Harry and Ron and Hermione were huddled together on the path that led to Hagrid's hut, and as she watched, Harry smacked his hand against his forehead, causing Hermione to jump and grab him and Ron to hurry down the path. She felt a guilty sensation creep over her. She should be supporting Harry, and she was busy getting cozy with his tormentor.

She tore her eyes away and spotted Pansy Parkinson and several other sixth year Slytherin girl's watching her from the bridge. She knew Pansy had never liked her, especially not after last year in Umbridge's office. Pansy had marched in there only to find Ginny and several other Gryffindor's being held in headlock's by sixth and seventh year Slytherin's. She had gotten in Ginny's face, taunting and laughing so Ginny had kicked her with all her strength square in the stomach. Pansy had slapped her so hard she left a long, bloody scratch down the side of Ginny's face, but it had been worth it. Now, since Ginny was with Draco, Pansy hated her even more. Draco had taken the Slytherin girl to the school's dances, and who knew what else, and the fact that Draco had chosen a Gryffindor, and a Weasley, over her irked her continually.

Pansy didn't turn away, but kept her eyes locked with Ginny's until the girl's friends pulled her further down the bridge.