"George!"
He had decided to go for a shower while I was waiting for the potion to kick in. After an hour, I didn't feel any better and now it had been two since I first drank it.
My symptoms were the same.
I felt like shit.
Though now, I could feel my heart beat rapidly against my rib cage and I was sweating but shivering at the same time.
"George!" I shouted again but the strength of shouting sent me into another fit of cougher.
I covered my mouth with my arm, coughing into my elbow as the door to the bedroom opened, but it wasn't the door from the bathroom, it was the door from the hallway.
"George weren't lying when he said you were ill."
"Oh fuck off... what are you doing here?"
Fred stood in the doorway to the room, smiling at me.
"I came to check on you, of course." he smiled as he walked in. "Did George just leave you here to rot?"
I sighed and pulled myself up to sit against the headboard, the duvet sliding off me.
"He's taking a shower."
Fred nodded and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed, handing me a small plastic bag.
"I bought you something."
"It's in a plastic bag." I said. "Plastic, Fred."
He snorted at my joking tone and I grinned as I took the bag, sliding my hand inside.
My fingers touched something soft. It felt like cotton.
I pulled it out to see some very small clothing. All white. It was a three piece. As I held them up, I saw them properly.
A white onesie with white trousers and a white beanie. It was all made of cotton and it was plain with no pattern.
It was for a newborn.
"Oh..." suddenly it all became very real.
George and I were having a baby.
"Is that a happy oh or a sad oh?"
I put them down as I smiled at Fred.
"These are really cute. Thank you." I said, folding them up neatly.
I looked down at my stomach, taking a deep breath.
"Do you think I'm stubborn?" I asked, causing Fred to laugh.
"Hell yeah, princess. You're just about as stubborn as your sister and I think we can both agree that she's stubborn as hell."
I ran a hand over my face and into my hair.
"Have you talked to Nadine lately?"
He shrugged.
"I see her sometimes in Diagon Alley."
I nodded, staring down at the baby clothes in my lap.
"I haven't seen her for a while." I said. "It's never going to be the same as before."
"Before the battle of Hogwarts?"
"Yeah." I breathed. "I wish she was the same as before. I know war changes a person and she had her reason to leave everything behind, but I wish we could have that sibling bond that you and George have with your siblings."
"You've got Henry."
I laughed.
"Henry and I meet for lunch like once a month." I said, and looked at him. "Good thing I've got a few brothers-in-law who likes me, eh?"
He smiled before looking towards the windows.
"Need me to open one for you? You look a little hot."
I shook my head.
"I am hot but if you open it, I'll be shivering within twenty seconds."
"Hmm..." Fred looked at me as if he was trying to figure something out. "...you may not like this suggestion, but my mum tends to be good with illness."
"No." I said quickly, shaking my head. "I am not having your mum look at me."
"She's always been able to take one look at us and know what's wrong." He said. "I don't think you've got the flu. Especially not if the potion hasn't worked."
I shook my head again.
"I don't want your mum to see me in my weaken state." I said. "She's going to drive me mad to the point where I use the killing curse on myself."
The door to the bathroom opened and George walked out while buttoning his trousers.
His eyes landed on Fred and he paused.
"Hello, brother." Fred grinned. George looked at me, then back at Fred.
"Don't you have to be at the shop?" He asked. "Not leaving it to Ron, are you?"
"I came to check on my favourite sister-in-law." He answered. "And I was thinking maybe bringing mum here to take a look, wouldn't hurt."
"No!"
"Mum?" George asked, the two completely ignoring me.
"She's good at seeing and treating illness." Fred told him. "Remember when Georgia got sick and mum figured out that it was food poisoning?"
George nodded slowly, his eyes moving to me.
"The potion still hasn't helped?"
I shook my head.
"But I don't want your mother to come here." I said. "I would rather die."
"Oh stop being dramatic." George scoffed. "It isn't just you to worry about right now, Dahlia. You're pregnant. If you're sick, that puts the baby at risk so I am calling mum and you'll just have to put up with it."
I slowly folded my arms over my chest, raising my eyebrows at him.
"You are not getting laid until this baby leaves for Hogwarts."
Fred snorted with laughter.
"What if she's a squib?" He asked before his eyes widened. "Wouldn't that be so cool? Having a squib as a child?"
"I don't care." I sighed while George pulled on a shirt before finding his phone. "George, don't call her."
"I'm calling her."
"I have to pee." Fred said. "I'm using your bathroom."
He got up and walked out there, the door closing behind
"George—"
"Hi mum." He said, ignoring me as his mum picked up the phone. "I'm sorry if you're busy, but I need your help."
I sighed, leaning back with my arms folded over my chest. I shook my head slightly, annoyed that he was actually getting his mother to come over here.
I didn't want to owe her anything, and knowing her, she was going to use this against me in the future.
"Dahlia is sick. A healer came to see her, said she had the flu but the potion didn't work. She's running a fever, she's dizzy, have complained of headaches, nausea, she's hoarse too."
He leaned against the dresser as he listened to his mum speak, then nodded.
"Shortness of breath too, yes." He said as his eyes landed on me.
I flipped him off and the corners of his lips slightly tucked upwards into a small and weak smile.
"I don't know. One second—" he placed the phone against his shoulder, putting his full attention on me. "...does your chest hurt while breathing?"
"Yes." I sighed. "It feels like there's a ton of weight on me."
He put the phone back to his ear.
"Yes."
There was a few more moments, before George pushed himself away from the dresser.
"One more thing, mum." He said. "She's pregnant."
