Confident | Fred Weasley

Chapter 50 | River

Alicia had made the girls swear not to tell Professor McGonagall about her pregnancy, even though they encouraged her to tell the Professor herself. After all, Professor McGonagall would know what to do better than anyone.

They were getting ready in their dormitory on a snowy morning when Patricia brought it up again. It seemed that Sarah had been wrong about the weather, it had snowed after all.

As she pulled her jumper over her head, Patricia turned to Alicia, "So, have you told Professor McGonagall yet?"

Alicia, who was folding her pyjamas, glared at Patricia, "You already know my opinion on this, Patty! Now can you stop bringing it up?"

Patricia sighed, as she reached for her hair brush, "Well, you or River are going to have to tell someone eventually."

Alicia's shoulders tensed at the mention of River, which got the attention of Sarah, who was tying her laces.

"So, how did River take the news?" Sarah asked, watching Alicia with calculating eyes.

Alicia dropped the trousers she was folding on her bed, straightening up. She didn't reply, which is what provoked Angelina to join the conversation.

"Did he not take it well?" She asked from where she was clipping on her Quidditch Captain badge.

"I swear if he didn't, we'll kick him," Patricia said with a light laugh.

Sarah knew something wasn't right, especially when Alicia took a defeated seat on the edge of her bed.

"I haven't told him," Alicia muttered, met by the shouts of the other girls.

"What?" Patricia gasped, her hair brush clattering to the floor.

"What do you mean you haven't told him? I thought on that walk - " Angelina said, her eyebrows furrowed.

"I can't believe you haven't told him - " Sarah gasped, looking at the other two for their reaction.

"I know. I know. I should've said something - " Alicia said once the girls had stopped talking, " - But he just looks so happy, I don't want to ruin that for him."

Sarah sighed, before striding across the room to sit beside Alicia.

"Is that all? Or is there something else bothering you?" Sarah asked Alicia, trying to meet her gaze.

Finally, Alicia met Sarah's eyes, and her exterior melted, "I don't want him to leave me."

That one hit Sarah hard. She felt her heart drop at the sheer mention of abandonment. It had happened to her and her mother, and left the both of them with wounds that would never heal. Sarah suddenly felt a strong determination to make sure Alicia and her baby didn't meet the same fate.

"Listen, I've known River since we were like eleven. He won't leave you, it's not in his nature to do something like that. Something that I've learnt about Riv is that he is kind to the bone. Trust me on this," Sarah told her, draping an arm around her shoulder.

Patricia, who had taken a seat on Alicia's other side, said, "Exactly. He's your boyfriend and he loves you. He wouldn't just leave you because you're pregnant."

Angelina, sat on the floor in front of Alicia, said, "Yeah, and if he does, we'll kick him!"

Alicia let out a tearful laugh, as she wiped her eyes, "Thanks guys. I just hope he's a good dad."

Sarah beamed, "He has a younger brother, like way younger and watched him all the time for his parents. You're sorted."

"Oh, yeah. I've met his younger brother. He's cute," Alicia sniffed, before getting to her feet.