Potter Expecting

"Oh Ginny, you know what will happen if you decide to wear that" said Hermione sternly, picking another pair of discarded robes off the floor and draping them over her arm.

Ginny was wearing a blue dress that complimented her long red hair perfectly. It was a perfect fit, or rather had been until around a month ago, when the first signs of her baby bump had appeared. She ignored Hermione and examined her reflection in the full-length mirror.

"Are you sure you want to make the news public tonight?"

That night was the Ministry's Autumn Ball, something that all ministry employees were invited to, as well as several other famous or high-ranking members of society. Harry Potter was of course invited, having recently become the youngest Head of the Auror Office since its creation. Ginny was invited both as his date (who could he be expected to take but his wife) and as the world renowned Chaser of the Holyhead Harpies. Hermione and Ron were also attending, as Hermione had recently transferred to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

The two women had spent the better part of the afternoon turning Ginny wardrobe inside out, looking for something she could wear, as the red headed witch (who had famously warn the same dress to more than one public event and was well known for her dislike of dress robes) had failed to choose an outfit before the day.

In her mind, the whole event was not worth bothering with.

"Harry doesn't mind when we tell the wizarding world- they're going to find out eventually- he's too over the moon at the prospect of becoming a father" Ginny cast another glance at her reflection in the mirror, running her hand over the small bump.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be a mother -she did- and she knew Harry would make a great Dad. She just wasn't sure if she was ready to hang up her quidditch robes and leave the Harpies.

"Damn his baby" she said under her breath, and was rewarded with a small kick in the abdomen. Running her hand soothingly over the place where her unborn child was nestled, she whispered "Sorry my darling boy".

Hermione laughed. "What makes you so sure it's a boy?"

"Because Harry thinks it's a girl and we can't both be wrong".

Hermione laughed again and glanced at her watch.

"Harry's going to be home in half an hour, if you want the front page of tomorrow's Prophet to read 'Potter Expecting' wear that" she indicated the blue dress, "you look fantastic in it. If you'd rather keep the news to just family for the time being, wear the green dress robes, they're loose enough to hide the bump".

Ginny glanced at the green dress robes she had thrown across her bed, and then at her reflection again. The title of an article she had come across in Witch Weekly -10 REASONS HARRY POTTER WILL HAVE LEFT HIS WIFE BY NEW YEARS, by Romilda Vane- flashed through her mind.

She scowled when she remember that reason number four was that Harry wanted children, while Ginny was unlikely to want to leave her quidditch career to have kids.

Angrily, Ginny glanced again at the green dress robes.

To tell them or not? The blue or the green?

. . .

Half an hour later, when Harry opened the front door, and walked into the kitchen, Ginny was talking to her mother via the Floo network. Her long red hair was tied up in an elegant bun and she was wearing a blue dress, which to his surprise showed off her baby bump.

"Harry's home, so I'd better go" said Ginny.

"Give him my love dear, and know that I think you're making a very brave decision," said Molly smiling.

"Bye Mum".

Mrs Weasley vanished from the fire, and Harry kissed Ginny hello, placing his hand on her growing stomach. "I thought you didn't want to tell anyone else yet" he said, and she was pleased to note that he did not sound upset.

"I didn't but…"

Harry drew away from her to take in her full appearance. "What Ginny?"

"Everyone's going to know in a few weeks when the Quidditch season starts anyway. There's no point in hiding it".

Ginny had asked that her resignation from the Harpies be kept secret for as long as possible. And her request had evidently been honoured. The team had not even announced her replacement, though Ginny was sure it would be Kendra North, a fiery witch and very talented chaser. Ginny thanked Merlin that she and Kendra (who had played on the reserve team the last two years) were on such good terms.

"You're not mad at me for telling everyone, are you?" Ginny sounded more nervous than she felt.

Harry laughed.

"Of course not. To be honest I'm ecstatic. I've been wanting to tell everyone at work since we found out, and I've kept quiet I promise -though it doesn't help that Percy asks how the baby's doing every time he sees me- and telling them now will mean they won't make such a big deal about the promotion and-"

"Oh I see," said Ginny laughing along with her husband now, "You're getting yourself out of the spotlight by pushing your pregnant wife in!"

Harry laughed again, leaning forward to kiss Ginny. In the second before their lips touched he whispered 'always'.

. . .

Overall, the event was not as bad as Ginny has anticipated. The atmosphere was relaxed, despite the formality of the event. People had danced; others had stayed in their seat and conversed freely, discussing everything from quidditch, to the latest issue of Transfiguration Today, to Ginny's personal favourite 'What Ever Happened to Gilderoy Lockhart?'

Of course, the topic of the night was the Potter Pregnancy. Ginny and Harry had received several hundred congratulations as well as many enquiries about due dates, gender, names, etc.

The loud outbreak of whispers and mutterings and the suddenly blinding flashes of cameras that greeted them when they had stepped out of the car had been the first sign that they would not be able to avoid notoriety at this event.

Not that they had ever been able to in the past.

The first time they had been invited to a ministry event they had not been engaged let alone married, and yet pictures of them had appeared on the front of every newspaper and magazine for weeks with captions reading things like 'Has Harry Potter Found His Chosen One?'

Ginny was anticipating the Prophet they would receive the next morning, knowing that she and Harry would be on the cover, her baby bump clearly visible.

The only person Ginny had really wished to avoid had been Romilda Vane, who had the task of covering the event for Witch Weekly. Romilda's eyes had nearly popped out of her skull when she sighted Ginny, holding tightly to Harry's hand.

"Miss Weasley" Romilda had said, sidling up to Ginny while Harry was getting drinks, "what are your thoughts on giving up your career for motherhood? Do you regret -or even resent- that you are being forced out of the Harpies? Do you think the joy of motherhood will be enough to counteract that resentment? Would you have considered children if you hadn't married Harry?"

Ginny had smiled, "I'm over the moon to be pregnant, as is my husband. We can't wait to welcome our little boy or girl into the world. I can't say if I know what I would have done if I hadn't marred Harry, I've known him for so long you see, and I was always rather taken with him. And finally Romilda, while I am leaving the Harpies I won't be giving up my career. Barnabas Cuffe has just offered me a position at the Daily Prophet, writing the sports column. I've written a few pieces for them in the past, you see". It was true that Ginny had been offered the job only minutes before Romilda had appeared, quill in hand.

"So you'll be joining the journalist game?" said Romilda, with sickening sweetness in her voice.

"Yes, though I wouldn't dirty my hands with the gossip you call news Romilda," said Ginny, "and if you're going to print, you'd best get my name right. It's Potter, not Weasley".

Ginny had stalked off, thankfully right into Hermione, who had sensed trouble.

"Don't tell me," the brown haired witch had said, "she made a snide comment and called you Weasley".

"How'd you guess?"

Hermione had laughed mirthlessly, "Lavender's here, accompanying someone in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. She's spent the better part of the last hour sitting across from Ron and laughing at his least funny comments. Apparently she's missed him 'oh so much', and really regrets that that they've seen so little of each other the last few years. She also keeps referring to me as Hermione Granger".

Ginny had laughed at her brother, "well you can't blame Ron, you know he's clueless".

The night hadn't been a complete disaster, and Ginny was surprised to admit she had enjoyed some of it, though she was grateful when Harry suggested they leave early.

. . .

The following morning when Harry and Ginny were sitting in the kitchen making breakfast, a delivery owl appeared at the window, clutching a rolled up Prophet in its beak.

Harry paid the bird, and held the newspaper out to Ginny.

"Would you like to do the honours?"

She took the paper cautiously, as though scared it would exploded.

"It's not a howler Ginny," Harry laughed.

Usually, Harry was the one who got upset when news of them appeared in the papers. He hated the idea that Ginny's privacy was intruded upon because of his fame. This news, however, he was more than happy to share.

There were several unopened letters on the kitchen, which they assumed were from the many friends and acquaintances who not known about the pregnancy until the news became public- those would be tackled after breakfast.

Ginny slowly unrolled the Prophet, not at all surprised to see a photo of herself and Harry taking up the entire front page, grinning identically. His hand around her waist, her hand on her growing belly.

Beneath this was the headline -just as Hermione had predicted- 'Potter Expecting', and the subtitle 'Harry and Ginevra Potter are expecting their first child. That much was immediately clear when they arrived at the Ministry's Autumn Ball last night. For more on the Potter Pregnancy, see pages 3-4. For more on the Autumn Ball, see pages 5-7. For what this revelation will mean for the Holyhead Harpies, see page 9.

"Well, it could be worse," said Ginny, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Oh I don't know, you haven't read the article yet. And the new Witch Weekly doesn't come out for another three days" Harry laughed.

Ginny groaned, throwing the Prophet aside.

"Hey," said Harry, smiling at Ginny, "there is nothing they can say that will make this baby anything less than wonderful".

Ginny looked at Harry, and said, in a surprisingly calm voice, "Did I mention I ran into Romilda Vane last night?"

To her surprise, Harry started laughing.

The story of how the public becomes aware that Harry and Ginny are expecting their first child.