Lean On Me (SEQUEL)

Chapter 6

Athena

A day had passed and all the students from the other schools started to get used to things around here. I noticed I had been extremely different lately. My temper, my eating and sleeping habits, and I was sick to my stomach all of the time. I knew I should go see Madame Pomfrey, but I didn't want to worry anyone. If they found out something was wrong with me, they'd never leave me alone. George begged me every minute that passed. He was in agony thinking there was something seriously wrong with me.

"Go, now." George ordered. "I'll even go with you to make sure you get there." His arms were crossed over his chest, and he had a look of authority in his eyes.

"If you don't give it up I will punch you." I spat, trying to finish my potions essay. He had even at me for close to an hour to go to the hospital wing. I continued to tell him I was fine, but he wouldn't budge.

"Please Athena. I just want to know that you're okay." He said quietly. I paused at the words written on my page. I couldn't handle it anymore.

"Fine." I said, placing my quill down. I let him lead me to the hospital wing while I protested against it. "This is really stupid. There's nothing wrong." I tried to convince him. He continued to pull me behind him. I wasn't sure where Fred was, but I was glad he didn't have to witness this. I felt like a two year old. George was ordering me around like one, at least.

Behind the doors, Madame Pomfrey was at her desk. She looked up at us as George pulled me through them. She stood to greet us, and ushered me to a bed. "What's the matter, dear? You feeling okay?" She asked as she checked me over for any external injury.

"I've been a little off lately. My sleeping, my mood, I've been getting nauseous when I wake up and when I eat." I explained. "I think it's stress," I added. "This year is really heavy work-wise." I told her.

"She's trying to brush it off, something's wrong with her." George stated, nodding at me as he spoke.

"Alright then, let's get into it." Madame Pomfrey spoke cheerily. She was a kind woman, and I always liked her. She did an external exam, checking for swollen lymph nodes, a fever, or anything out of the ordinary. She didn't find anything. She gave a defeated sigh, and she stared. "I'm going to have to give you something you don't like." She stated, walking over to one of her shelves. She graves a vial, and stared at it for a moment. "You're going to have to drink this." She stated, returning to my side.

I turned up my nose at the black liquid. It looked disgusting, and I wasn't even sure what it was. "What will it do?" I asked, taking it from her hands.

"Give me an answer." She said. "Drink up, the whole thing now." She said, motioning for me to open the glass bottle. I swallowed hard and shared a look with George. He had the same look as Madame Pomfrey. I took the cork from the vial and smelled the contents. It didn't smell like anything at all. I put the glass to my lips and tipped it backwards. The cool liquid ran down my throat in a swift motion. It didn't taste like anything, either.

"What's it supposed to do, Madame Pomfrey?" I asked again. She watched intently. As soon as I spoke, my eyes widened. What had she given me? My stomach began to bloat, and extend outward. Her eyes followed it sadly. As soon as my body endured the change, it went back to normal. "I would really appreciate if you told me what was happening?" I asked again, my nerves getting the better of me.

"Well, you're not sick." She said, simply. She retrieved the glass from my hand and looked me up and down. "It seems as though you're pregnant." She finally answered. Dread filled my chest at her words. How was this possible? Fred and I had used every precaution imaginable. George gave me a raised eyebrow. "That would explain why you're feeling so sick to your stomach. The tiredness, too." She sighed. "We're not used to this here. Not saying it's never happened, just not often." She explained.