Embers of the Heart ; George Weasley

Sixteen

Angelina's mother found a due date calculator in a pregnancy magazine, so Angie and I sat together and tried to figure it out.

Turned out, I was five weeks pregnant. It had been three weeks since George and I slept together, and apparently you were already considered two weeks pregnant by conception. We also found out that using your teeth to open a condom, was a bad idea which instantly let me know that I was at fault for this happening.

It was New Years Eve, and I was now six weeks pregnant, and so terrified that George had to constantly calm me down.

I hadn't told Mrs O'Malley yet, but today was the day, I'd decided. As I stepped into the living room, she was just putting away a book when she noticed me.

"Hi sweetheart." she smiled. "How was your nap?"

"It was good. Uh, there's something I need to tell you." and I watched as her face paled. The last time I needed to tell her something, it was about her disgusting husband. "It's not that bad, I think."

"Oh... okay." she nodded and took a seat in her usual corner of the sofa. "Go ahead. I'm listening."

"Well..." I reached into the bag I'd brought in here and pulled out the roll of ultrasound pictures from our scan two weeks ago.

Mrs O'Malley gaped at me, obviously having no idea what to say... until she did.

"Aurora, you're pregnant?"

"You're what?!" Finn's voice came out behind me, and I sighed, shutting my eyes. I wasn't expecting Finn to be home. He'd spend so much time at Eva's place lately, and when I couldn't find him, I assumed he'd gone over there.

"How far along are you?" Mrs O'Malley asked, completely ignoring her son.

"Six weeks." I said. "It's not... his. It's George's."

"Oh." she looked a little relieved.

Finn walked up to me and snatched the pictures from my hand. I rolled my eyes at his reaction before snatching the pictures back.

"How? You barely know the guy!"

"Finn!" his mother snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through the tension. "This is not your place to judge or interrogate. Aurora came to us with something important. Show some respect."

He looked chastened but still fuming, his eyes darting between me and the ultrasound pictures. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. This conversation was already hard enough without Finn's added hostility.

"Catherine, I'm really sorry to drop this on you, but I couldn't keep it a secret any longer. I need your support." I said, my voice trembling slightly. "I've been so scared, but George is being amazing about it. He's supportive, but I don't know how to handle this without you."

She softened, reaching out to take my hand. "Aurora, you don't have to apologize. You've been through so much already. We're here for you, and we'll figure this out together."

"Mum, she's seventeen." Finn protested, his tone more incredulous than angry now. "How can she handle this?"

Mrs O'Malley turned to him, her eyes fierce. "Aurora's handling this better than most adults would, given the circumstances. She's stronger than you think, and right now, she needs our support, not our judgement."

I felt a rush of gratitude for her words. Mrs O'Malley had always been a source of strength for me, and in that moment, I realised just how much I needed her.

Finn fell silent, clearly struggling to process everything. I turned back to Mrs O'Malley. "I don't know what to do next. I'm so scared about the future, and I don't want to mess this up."