Nova's Universe

Chapter 2 (1995)

Charlie

"Ready to go?" I asked as Nova reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Packed for a few days," she replied with a hesitant smile, "assuming everything goes well, of course."

I strode across the room and pressed a reassuring kiss to her cheek. "I don't care what they say," I declared, my voice firm. "It's our life, our decision."

"Are you ready for all the questions?" Nova asked.

"Like what?"

"The usual inquisition, you know," Nova mimicked my mum's voice. "'Why now? How could you be so careless? Where will you live? And don't even think about saying the Sanctuary!'"

I chuckled. "Maybe I'll just channel Ron and roll my eyes the whole time."

"Charlie, this is serious!" Nova whined.

"I know you're nervous, but you overthink things," I said gently, taking the bag from her and wrapping my arms around her.

"What if they don't approve? What if your mum doesn't?" Ever since the positive pregnancy test, the thought of facing my family had been a thorn in Nova's side. Sleepless nights became her constant companions.

"They can't ground us, can they?" I joked with a laugh.

A tear escaped the corner of Nova's eye, tracing a path down her cheek. "What if... what if..." her voice trailed off, her gaze darting nervously around the room.

"What if what, love?" I prompted gently, tilting her chin up so I could look into her worried eyes.

Taking a shaky breath, she whispered, "What if she makes us give her away?"

"Her?" I gasped, surprised. "We're having a girl?"

"I-I don't know," Nova admitted sheepishly. "Just a feeling. A hunch, I can't explain it."

We haven't gone to St. Mungo's yet, like Madam Finch suggested. But we have an appointment after our visit to the Burrow. We talked about finding out the baby's gender, and we both agreed it should be a surprise - boy or girl, we'd be thrilled.

While I'd be happy with either, now that Nova mentioned it, the idea of a daughter with her features filled my head. Having only one sister among five brothers, I always envisioned a girl when picturing our future family.

A smile bloomed on my face as I imagined a little Nova running around the living room, giggling as I chased after her, tickling her mercilessly. Nova would be sitting on the sofa, laughing at our playful chaos.

"Charlie? Earth to Charlie?" Nova's hand waving in front of my face snapped me back to reality.

"Huh? Yeah," I mumbled, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks.

"Lost in daydreams, were we?" Nova asked, barely stifling a chuckle.

"Just... us having a girl," I admitted, scratching the back of my head.

"You really are adorable, you know that?" she said, ruffling my hair before planting a kiss on my lips and heading towards the door.

"Nova, wait!" I reached out to grab her hand.

The idea of a daughter had completely erased any worries about telling my family.

"Come on, Char," Nova chuckled. "We can daydream later. We don't want to miss our portkey, and you know I hate apparating. It always messes with my stomach."

"I just don't want you to be so worried," I confessed, catching up to her side. The thought of my mother wielding her disapproval like a weapon gnawed at me.