Thoughts

Thoughts

Of course, the initial reaction of the rest of the Weasley brothers to Ginny’s unexpected pregnancy were readiness to hex the culprit into the next century, but they thought twice about it when they found out that it was Harry and that he was not only willing to take responsibility for her care and that of his child, he truly loved her and fully intended to marry her. That was likely to be the only thing which allowed Harry to keep his bits, although he was thankful for both Ginny and Ron’s intervention in his behalf.

Of course, the elder brothers still thought privately that those most concerned were too close to the situation to be objective but, at the same time, were well aware of both their tempers and that of their redoubtable mother Molly … so they accepted it, at least outwardly. After all, it could have been far worse—and Harry had had the decency to marry and care for Hermione, who had also had his child, even though he didn’t love her the way he did Ginny. The point was, he had lived up to his responsibility … and that was what mattered.

Ginny also decided to name the unborn child, which had been discovered to be a daughter, Rosalind Megan. She had done considerable research into both the most popular baby names in the UK and the name meanings, and was quite pleased with her choice. Now all she had to do was get it past Harry and the rest. Of course, she fully expected to compromise over the middle name, but was determined to have at least the first name be her own choice, whatever friends and family tried to do to convince her otherwise.

* * * * *

As she expected, the various friends and relatives had their own suggestions, including Harry, but Ginny was adamant regarding what the first name of their unborn child would be. However, she was open to suggestions in regards to the middle name, although she naturally preferred her own choice. As her pregnancy progressed, Ginny found that her Healer had been proved right regarding the morning sickness. After her fourth month, it was virtually gone—her main problems after that were swollen feet and backaches … and the most humungous appetite she’d ever experienced.

Only her brothers seemed to have larger appetites than she—and when she asked her mother if there was something pregnancy-safe for appetite control, she was given a potion for some … but only after being gently reminded that she was “eating for two now,” and therefore should expect to have a larger appetite. Harry assured her he would love her, no matter how big she got; even as reassuring as that was, Ginny knew that he had to be at least a bit put off by some of her … unusual food cravings which she had asked for at inopportune moments, especially when he had to be the one to obtain them for her.

The looks he must have gotten when he asked … She couldn’t help laughing upon picturing the expressions of either Madam Rosmerta, Madam Puddifoot or even the proprietor of the wizarding supermarket near the Burrow, which was where he usually went if he didn’t go to Hogsmeade. Molly knew what to fix her if she happened to be at the Burrow and got the munchies unexpectedly, but even as she fixed them for her, admonished her daughter not to gain too much weight. Thirty to forty pounds was the maximum a pregnant witch should gain; any more than that was unhealthy for both mother and child, which both Molly and the Healer had told her.

What was more, Harry was still searching for a proper flat, and she was only about three months away from giving birth. It was looking more and more like he would have to conjure something up for them to live in. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to ask if he had ever thought to look into the possibility of a place specifically for Potters ... an ancestral home or something. The wedding day was also getting closer with every passing day, and despite her and Harry’s admonitions to consult them regarding their preferences, there were still occasions when she caught Molly doing things that she knew neither she nor Harry would go for.

Between that and her pregnancy, Ginny had all she could do to maintain her health and her temper. Every little thing seemed to set her off; she sometimes was even tempted to hex Harry, even though he usually had done nothing to deserve it. Ginny was even sure he had asked her parents just what they had done to get through Molly’s numerous pregnancies with their marriage intact.

It also helped to have Hermione give advice on how to handle her pregnancy; of course, not all of it would apply to her, if only due to the differences in a given witch’s body chemistry, particularly when carrying a child. She also made sure to be careful when casting spells or charms because pregnancy had been known to make a witch’s magic go haywire at unexpected times. So far she hadn’t had too many horrendous mishaps – but just the same, she didn’t take any chances, making sure Harry or someone from her family was with her, if only for safety’s sake.

One thing that definitely made her happy, however, was knowing that Ron was happy again, seeing Hermione virtually every moment that he wasn’t working, eating or sleeping. In fact, Harry had even told her in confidence that Ron had confessed to him that he was seriously considering proposing to her. He had even managed to bond fairly well with little Solomon, as had Ginny, although Ginny’s pregnancy-induced moods made Harry think twice about pressuring her to take things further regarding bonding with him. She had enough to worry about just getting through her own pregnancy, then adjusting to motherhood once their daughter had been born. It was for this reason that he had backed off and not mentioned anything as to taking him once in a while so Ron and Hermione could be alone and give Molly and Hermione’s parents a break from babysitting. If Gin specifically asked, that would be one thing. Until then, he wouldn’t pressure her.