How Do You Choose Between What is Right and What is Easy?

Chapter 19

"News?" Ginny asked nervously. "What are you talking about?"

Draco took her hands in his, and squeezed them tightly for a moment. "Madam Pomfrey said there was something you needed to talk to me about, that you had some news for me."

"Have you been told nothing of what happened?" she asked, her voice filled with a solemn tone.

"I just woke up. After Madam Pomfrey realized that I was awake, she came in and checked me over. I asked her what had happened, and she said that was better for me and you to discuss, and that you had some important news to tell me. Then she left almost immediately to get you. I'm actually surprised you got here as quick as you did. I don't know how -"

"I've been in the hospital wing, too, Draco, she said, cutting off his words.

Draco at once looked thunderstruck. "What - what do you mean, you've been in the hospital wing?"

"Yes, for almost a week now."

"But... but... why?"

"It's quite a long story, actually," she said, not looking at him. "I'm not quite sure you're up to hearing it."

"Tell me," Draco said firmly.

Ginny paused for a moment, before plunging headlong into the story about what exactly had happened. Everything from when Draco was knocked out to when she had woken up in the hospital wing the second time, came tumbling out of her mouth in a rush, as if the words were being magically summoned from her mouth. She hardly even drew breath.

"I don't believe it," Draco said, disbelievingly, when Ginny got to the part (the part that had happened only minutes ago) where she had found out she was pregnant. "I just don't believe it."

"There's something else," Ginny said, and instead of looking away this time, she looked straight into his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked. He sounded afraid of what it could be, as though he couldn't stand the thought of any more bad news.

Ginny sighed deeply before speaking. "Yesterday, Madam Pomfrey had Snape make her a potion. Since Harry had... raped... me... she thought it would be a good idea to have the potion made, to see whether or not I'm pregnant."

"I've heard of that potion. Pink if it's positive, blue if it's negative, right?"

"Yes. However... the potion does two other things. It can tell you how many children you're pregnant with, and also - if there are multiples - whether or not the children inside are from the same father, based on the tone of the pinks."

Draco didn't say anything, just looked down at his lap. The look on his face, however, displayed that he had at least a vague idea of what she was about to say. It was as if he couldn't bear to look at her at the moment. "Just tell me the results."

"There are two babies," Ginny said. She squeezed his hands tightly. "One of them is yours."

"One?" Draco said, looking up into her face. She could tell by his voice that he was gravelly hurt.

"Yes," Ginny said in reply. "One is yours. The other one... the other one is the child of Harry Potter."

~*~

Ron Weasley left Gryffindor tower in a rush. He was tired of mulling around. The day after Madam Pomfrey had given Ginny the sleeping potion, he had bothered Madam Pomfrey so much, wondering if Ginny was awake, that she had ordered him to stay away for a couple of days in order to give her adequate time to rest.

So he was torn. He was torn between making sure Ginny got enough rest after her ordeal, and between almost pulling his hair out because he wanted to know exactly what had happened to her. At least, he had decided to go and see Professor Dumbledore, bound and determined not to leave his office until he was told what he wanted to know.

He walked to corridors swiftly, wanting to get there as quickly as possible. He couldn't stand another moment of being in the dark. He needed to know what had happened, and he needed to know now. A few minutes later, he reached the stone gargoyle that covered the entrance to Dumbledore's study. After saying the password ("Lemon Drop"), the gargoyle leapt aside and Ron began his quick ascent up the spiral staircase.

Although the door was shut, Ron could hear people talking. The voices were so audible, it was as if the door was wide open instead of tightly shut. He leaned closer to the door, his ear pressed up against it, in order to better understand what the voices were saying.

"I assure you," he heard Dumbledore saying firmly, "that nothing like this has ever happened here at this school, and I assure you also that we have put a number of measures into place to ensure that it never happens again. We have Mr. Potter locked up in Filius' office, and we are currently consulting with the Minister on what action should be taken."

From inside, Ron heard a small, muffled sob. He would know that voice anywhere. It was his mother, and judging by the voice that spoke next, it was very clear that his parents were not the only ones inside with the headmaster.