Unseen - EXTRA CHAPTERS

FROM EDEN

ANNE'S PREGNANCY JOURNEY

James' overprotective tendencies had always been known to Anne, but not to the extent that he insisted on putting himself on while he was home from work and so was she. Sure, she couldn't blame him too much; she did have the annoying tendency to get hurt even when did she didn't mean to do anything dangerous, Lily had an expansion on the shop going on and Regulus – though overjoyed – still had a lot to do with the album that was coming out in less than a month, leaving him, Mia and Anne in the house.

"James, she's grown enough to get a cup of juice by herself!" Mia exclaimed.

"I know, but she worked the whole day, Mum. On her feet; walking and running around people and illness," James said, jumping up from the sofa and walking towards the kitchen. "I can do this much. I did for Lily when she was pregnant, so I can do it for my daughter when her husband is nowhere to be found."

Clearly, James was quite upset over the whole 'hours away from home' thing going on with Regulus, even though it was for work. He, too, was upset over the idea that Anne was working during her pregnancy, though it was a much deeper problem than the Regulus' thing – in Wizarding Britain, it was common for women to take time away from work during their whole pregnancy and the two first months of the baby's lives; it was unpaid, sure, but at least there was the grand possibility of going back to work, after all most places always needed people. But Anne refused to take time-off for now, she wanted to work a bit more before stepping back.

"Dad, I told you, I have a lot to do. St. Mungus' staff is so overworked. I can't step away now," Anne whined. "And I can't just stay another whole year just staying here without contributing like I did after Hogwarts. I'm a grown up now, and I work mostly on the adult's ward, so I don't have to do any heavy lifting. I already warned my superiors about the pregnancy, too, so, please, stop."

"You two, please, stop it," Mia said. "Get her the bloody juice, James." James smugly walked away to get the juice, so Mia turned to Anne. "Don't antagonise your dad. I know it's annoying, but he wants the best for you."

"I'm three months along, there's nothing difficult or hard for me to do," Anne said. "I can handle myself."

"Nobody here is telling you otherwise, but now your body is going through a strain," Mia explained. "I know you remember how Lily was like pregnant, and Elizabeth. They needed help sometimes, even for things that they usually did by themselves. They are not weak, are they?"

"No," Anne said, blushing for even thinking that she could imply any of those two were weak. "They're not."

"Then why would it make you weak for asking for help?"

"Because I don't need it. Not yet," she answered. "Grandma, I can work. I like working. I'm good at it and it keeps my mind away of... everything."

"Everything? What are you scared of?" she asked.

She knew herself to be safe. The world was safe now; she fought for it, after all, and had – literally – died for it, and yet she felt like she was still in danger of something terrible happening and her whole world falling apart again. She was more than scared, she was terrified and there was no logical reason for all that anxiety bursting inside her chest whenever she was alone and silent – and that was the reason she wanted to keep on working, because if her mind was empty, those horrible thoughts and scenarios came crashing down.

"I'm going to fuck this child up," she admitted the smallest of her fears.

"No, you'll not," Mia said firmly. "We're all here. We'll all going to help you and Regulus. Even through everything you two had to go through, you came out pretty decent. You'll do a good job with the child, I have no doubt of it. And I have no doubt that it isn't the only reason you're so scared and so... distant."