That Mistake I Made

Angelina had managed to eat her dinner without her mother or father noticing anything different. Thankfully, though, when Mrs. Weasley's head popped into the fireplace, she didn't release any information about Angelina's visit to the Burrow, which Angelina was grateful for.

So, when she headed out the house in the wee hour of five in the morning, she was beginning to have second thoughts.

The card Angelina had read said that scheduling appointments had to be made in person.

She Apparated into Diagon Alley and sighed. This was a life-altering decision. So she needed time to make sure she was making the right choice.

"Which is why I'm here," Angelina said to herself.

No one could possibly know who she was. It was July, and she was wearing a black cloak that belonged to her older brother. It hung loosely on all sides and angles and her covered head prevented anyone from getting a good view of her.

The only people in Diagon Alley this early were the shop owners and employees for Gringotts' Wizarding Bank. Angelina saw Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacor walking hand in hand to the bank.

"As soon as I get rid of this problem, I can be carefree and happy like that again."

She heard Fred and George Apparate behind her.

"You know," Fred began, "I've been trying to get a hold of Angelina for a while now. I could understand that she was sick, but her dad said that she was a lot better now. He said she even seemed more than happy. Mum keeps telling me to talk to her, but how can I when I can't even get a hold of her?"

Before she could start crying again, Angelina gazed up at the Knockturn Alley sign and reluctantly headed in.

There was no one there, really. And even if there were, Angelina wouldn't have dared look into their eyes. She had enough problems on her own.

So, she headed to the back of the deserted street and finally reached her destination. Suddenly, Angelina realized why the Ministry had outlawed abortions, and only recently legalized it. If the only place you could turn to was located in Knockturn Alley and had dead roses in the display window, then of course it seemed crazy to be here.

So why was she here?

I'm selfish, Angelina thought. I act on impulse and now I'm taking the easy way out. I'm just being outright selfish.

And yet, she didn't want to leave. She definitely wasn't afraid. Oh hell, she was terrified. But right now...

"It just seems like the right thing," she said aloud.

Not hesitating anymore, Angelina turned the knob to the door and walked inside.

It wasn't quite as bad inside as Angelina had originally thought. In fact, it was quite cozy. She removed the hood and looked around. There was only one person there, a short woman with spiky black hair at the counter. She had a pointed noise and a serious expression on her face.

Once Angelina had entered, though, a smile spread across her lips.

"Well hello," the woman stated kindly. "Welcome to the DeBarrass Clinic for Women. I am Madame Dunwante. I assume you're here to schedule an appointment? " Before Angelina could answer, Madame Dunwante's smile faded and she had begun to protest.

"Because if you're one of those crusaders or protestors from the Ministry of Magic or some other part of the wizarding world, I'm here to tell you that this has reached to the fine line of harassment! I'm doing my job just like..."

"No!" Angelina cut her off, for fear of when the protest might end, "I'm definitely here to make an appointment."

Madame Dunwante's smile reappeared. A long parchment with black lines on it and a quill appeared out of nowhere and she handed them to Angelina.

"If you'll just fill out this form, we'll be able to schedule an appointment..."

When Angelina had left the shop, she didn't feel quite as bad about the decision she had made. Madame Dunwante had told Angelina that there were many girls/women that had been in this situation before. She said there was nothing for her to be afraid of, because she and Madame DeBarrass were both highly experienced medi- wizards from St. Mungo's, and they had been making Antiquo Infanus (the potion used in an abortion) for thirty years.

The potion was, in fact, not supposed to make Angelina bleed. If she did bleed, she should Apparate or Floo to the clinic as soon as possible.

There was really no problem. It would cost fifty Galleons and Angelina was sure she could come up with that amount in less than a week.

Who was she kidding? There were many problems. All of them being named Fred Weasley.

As Angelina stepped out of Knockturn Alley, she headed towards Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes to tell Fred the news.

This could easily be avoided if Angelina would keep this a secret forever. Sure, she would eventually drown in a river of guilt, but if Fred didn't know, he wouldn't be upset at her decision.

It wasn't really a harsh or rash decision. This decision was being made for the best.

Wasn't it?

It was!

Angelina had a life to live. She was only eighteen, she was not meant to be a mother at such a young age. This was just the right thing for her to do. And that was that.

So instead of heading to the joke shop, she cut back towards the Leaky Cauldron and Apparated back home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eventually, Angelina couldn't keep the secret to herself any longer.

When her friends, Alicia and Katie, had come to check up on her, they weren't expecting the news they were about to receive.

"Well, what about Fred!?!" Katie asked, as soon as Angelina had finished telling her and Alicia.

Angelina shook her head. "I think that Fred doesn't really have to know. I'm having an abortion. It's not like we're going to run off into the sunset when I drop news like this."

Alicia clicked her tongue.

"Besides," Angelina went on, "this is the only way. You both know that I have Tutshill Tornado auditions in four months! I can't put my life on hold because of this!"

Alicia sighed loudly and looked out the bedroom window.

Both Katie and Angelina turned to her with confused looks on their faces.

"Is there something you wish to share?" Angelina asked, the annoyance apparent in her voice.

Alicia slowly turned her head back to Angelina and declared, "listen to yourselves! Never mind that there's a baby involved! Never mind that you're taking his or her life away! You're unbelievably selfish, Angelina Jamila Johnson! You are only thinking of yourself!"

Angelina looked at Alicia as if she had been slapped in the face.

"What sort of life can I provide for this baby? You answer me that! I don't see you coming up with any solutions!"

Alicia was now on her feet.

"I would've had the decency to tell the baby's father! I wouldn't just go off and make irrational decisions! You know there are better things to do than to just destroy someone else's life!"

"Weren't you listening to anything I just said?! I've got a life ahead of me! I just can't..." Alicia cut her off.

"I! I! I! The whole time that's all I've been hearing! Instead of telling us about how you're getting rid of this baby like it's some everyday problem! Why don't you go to your boyfriend?! He's the father, anyway... or is he?" She spat.

Katie gasped at Alicia's last comment. Angelina was quick to her toes and in Alicia's face.

"You take that back," she whispered.

Alicia crossed her arms and clicked her tongue once again.

"Please, you two," Katie begged, "let's not say things we'll regret."

"It's much too late for that. Angie here's already decided to kill off a mistake that she made!" After having said that, Alicia Apparated with a loud *pop*.

Angelina plopped onto her bed, looking and feeling defeated.

"Angelina, I'm sorry about Alicia. You know how she is on these types of subjects. They're just so... dodgy. Opinions are flying from every direction."

"Do you think I'm selfish?" Angelina asked Katie, on the verge of tears. "Do you think I'm making a mistake?"

Katie scooted closer to her friend and began to comfort her with a warm hug. "You know it's not my place to tell you what you should do. But I think Alicia's right, you should tell Fred that you're pregnant."

No sooner than Katie had said her last sentence, Fred Weasley burst through Angelina's bedroom door, extremely red in the face.

Angelina knew he had heard the shouting match with Alicia and she knew that she now had no choice but to tell him.