A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

**When I say "Shotgun", you say "Wedding"**





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“You’re WHAT?!”





“You’re angry!”





“No! No, I’m not! I promise! I’m just really surprised, that’s all!”





The crumple Ginny’s face had taken on coupled with the wet cheeks meant to come off as tears moved Harry to wrap his arms around her shivering frame. The muffled noises as Ginny planted her face in the crook of his neck only reinforced the feigned distress.





“Ginny, I could never be upset with you; it’s not like you planned this.”





She swallowed inaudibly, trying to keep her face hidden, but he placed both hands on her shoulders and pushed her to arms’ length.





“What do you want to do?”





An opening! Indignation would serve well in such a place.





“What do you mean?”





“I mean…”





“You want to get rid of it?!”





“What?! Gin’, I would never-“





“You don’t want to even try? You just want to take care of it the easy way?”





“I didn’t say that-“





“Oh, BOYS! All for fun, and no responsibility! Well, it’s not your body, mister! It’s not up to-“





Harry closed his eyes, but not long enough to imply exasperation. That could only serve to further irritate the already squawking tirade.





“So you want to keep it…”





Ginny’s now red face squinched into an uncomfortable shape. She spluttered, mouth opening and closing, causing her to look a bit like a fish before finally: “Of COURSE I want to keep it! I can’t just-“





“Well than, calm down. Go on, sit. I won’t have you hurting yourself or my son.”





Her eyes went wide, and she opened her mouth; to protest?





“Or daughter,” he not so hastily added as he walked from the room. “This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while now, anyway,” this as he re-entered the room with something small clasped between his fingers.





He knelt before her (finally sitting on the sofa) and yes, on one knee. Pulling her left hand into his and holding his right high (with the object) he looked her in the eye. She sat incredibly still, as if disbelieving; only the absence of a frown kept her from appearing disapproving.





“Ginevra Molly Weasley…”





“Oh, Harry…”





The soft whisper, almost a sigh, forced the corner of his mouth up in a grin.





“There is not a moment in my life where I cannot remember loving you.”





She half winced, but he had only imagined it.





“Your family is the first I’d ever had; the Weasleys have treated me with more love and compassion than anyone since my real parents.”





Again; maybe it was only a nervous-tic…





“It is an honour to be considered family by them, and now that we’ve got one of our own coming, I think it would be perfect to make it official.”





She bit her lip, tried desperately to keep her foot from madly hopping up and down.





“Gin’, love; will you marry me?”





“Oh Harry!” and she leapt upon him, nearly knocking him backwards and suffocating him in a giant hug.





“Careful Ginny, the baby!”





She had the grace to blush, and allowed him to place the simple ring on her finger. Her lips met his in a show of exuberance and appreciation. Her smile was a little too wide, and her eyes shown with what could only be called triumph (though why?), and Harry let her to stand again. Her first move was for the fireplace, and he followed.





“Great idea! I can’t wait to see Ron’s face, though I’m a little frightened of your mum,” he admitted, cringing as he imagined her crushing embrace.





Ginny had stopped, however. Her family was NOT on her mind as she made her way for the floo. She recovered quickly, though, turning a bright smile.





“I’d be more afraid of Ron, than Mum. I’m his baby sister, after all.”





They laughed together, good naturedly, as they connected the network.





“Ginny! Harry! How is my favourite daughter and adoptive son?”





The two exchanged an amused glance, before Harry turned back.





“Mister Weasley, would you call everybody together? ‘Mione too, there’s something we’d like to say to everyone.”





The face of Ginny’s father turned somber, brows knitting in concern.





“I shouldn’t be worried, should I?”





Harry hesitated, so Ginny took over, squeezing his hand behind their backs.





“I don’t think so, dad. We’ll be right over.”





They pulled back and Harry turned worried eyes to hers.





“I didn’t just make a mistake, did I?”





She pressed her lips to his, a small smile crinkling the corners of her eyes, “They’re going to love it, trust me.”





**





And they did. Ron and George had made light-hearted attempts at threats to Harry’s bodily safety, Hermione had turned a speculative eye (mostly on Harry) before hugging them both, Arthur had wiped a tear away before it could fall, and Molly had blubbered, practically screaming, shedding more than enough tears for the rest of them combined.





The girls pulled Ginny to one side of the room and men dragged Harry to the other. Hands slapped him on the back, congratulations rang through his ears; he dimly heard someone say ‘champagne’ and felt someone press a glass into his hand. Through the din, he spied the same being done to Ginny.





“No!”





His shout surprised everyone around him, and they all stopped.





“What’s the matter, Harry?”





“You can’t have that!”





Ginny cursed softly under her breath, and all eyes turned on her.





This was the part she hadn’t been looking forward to.





“Well… There’s a part two…”





“Ginevra Weasley, I knew it! You can’t fool a mother!” (Molly)





“What’s going on?” (Arthur)





“She’s pregnant.” (George)





“She’s what?!” (Ron)





“Now Ron…” (Harry)





“I’ll kill him!” (Ron again)





“Down boy…” (George)





“Ron, you approved a few moments ago, it would have happened eventually,” Hermione’s grip on Ron’s shoulder was wrenched loose as Ron advanced on his brother-in-law to-be.





“You’d better think carefully before you answer this, Potter.”





Harry swallowed convulsively, stepping back a half-foot.





“Are you just marrying her because you got her pregnant? Because she deserves better than that!”





“No, I swear. I admit it was a motivating factor, but I’d already got the ring, she just dropped this on me today.”





“And you’re happy about it?”





“Of course I’m bloody happy, wouldn’t you be?”





He cast a glance at Hermione, surprised to meet her calculating stare, but Ron looked too and her gaze softened. Ron looked back at Harry, still in a defensive stance. He advanced closer, but surprised everyone by pulling Harry in a hug.





“Welcome to the family in official capacity, Harry.”





Everyone laughed, Molly started crying again, and Ginny stood in the corner looking a little green.





**





The next day The Prophet held an attractive cover-page display concerning the entire affair. There were pictures of the happy couple, pictures of the whole family, even a mock-up of what the new Potter baby would look like.





In every picture Harry looked happy enough to burst, and Ginny Weasley looked tense, a little uncomfortable. Everyone chalked it up to early pregnancy complications. ‘First time mothers always have it a little harder.’





The rest of the article held speculation on reception sites, names, even the likelihood that it was identical quadruplets, sob stories on Harry’s past, and a cute little addition about Ginny being Harry’s first and only true love.





And absolutely no mention of Draco Malfoy.





That was the line that made said Malfoy throw the paper across his room, tossing a wrath-filled Incendio after it for good measure. A wave of anger, rage, washed over him and he couldn’t help thinking how unfair it was; that it should have been HIM, instead of the Weasley slag, in that article.





Draco hadn’t even known that they’d ever really been together, apart from that pathetic stint during Hogwarts. It hurt him to the depths of his soul to think Harry had been lying to him for all that time. It hurt so much that it sapped all caring from his organs and he went from angry to flat, and from flat to negative in a matter of thoughts.





The entire affair drained Draco of his will to live.





Which meant he no longer had a reason to hide from his father.





**





“I see you’ve finally made it back.”





“My entire family hasn’t left me alone since I first spoke to Harry.”





Ginny slumped tiredly in the chair across from Lucius Malfoy’s great desk. A hand to her forehead held her head up and her eyes had slid closed.





“I just can’t wait until it’s all over.”





Lucius lifted a pale arched eyebrow.





“Are you regretting our actions?”





Her eyes flew open and her own eyebrows jumped up.





“Not at all! I just wish it would all quiet down again. Then he can be mine for real, no meddling family members.”





She settled back into the chair, eyes sliding closed again. A twinkle lit in the corner of the Elder Malfoy’s eyes, an invisible smirk ghosting over his lips.





“So you’ve sunk your man, so to speak?”





A dreamy smile split her face before her brows knit.





“I’m not sure what he’ll do when he finds out I’m not really pregnant… Once the potion wears off, I’ll go back to normal… then what?”





“I’m sure we can discover a solution to your… dilemma. But first we have a matter of business to discuss.”



She finally met his eyes to find his cold gaze trained on her, and not just on her, but THROUGH her. She felt like he was staring at her soul. She felt naked and vulnerable under that stare, and she shivered compulsively.



“Wh-what do you mean? I thought we were finished. I mean, I’ve got Harry now, we’re getting married… and your son is nowhere to be found-“





“Ah, but what of your payment? Draco may no longer be with your Mister Potter, but his… disappearance leaves me with an altogether new problem…”





Her lip trembled slightly, quite afraid by the timbre of his voice.





“You never mentioned a new problem… Nor did you ever say anything to me about payment…”





Ginny knew logic was on her side, but knew that age and power was on Mr. Malfoy’s side.





“Miss Weasley, you do understand that we entered into a bargain, yes?”





She nodded, still trembling.





“And as we are two, of age, full-blooded wizards… It is considered a Wizarding Bargain. Not as dangerous as a Debt, but still as binding.”





She knew he was right, but still couldn’t fathom how that would get her into the trouble she felt she was slowly sinking into.





“I believe your side was something along the lines of obtaining Mister Potter for your own devices, in this case: marriage.”





He swept his gaze over her once more, leering slightly in as civil and polite a manner as possible.





“As for my end of the bargain, I wished Mister Potter away from my son for the purposes of securing a further heir to the Malfoy line.”





Her eyes grew wide as she slowly put two ends of the story together.





“As you have already stated, Draco’s whereabouts are unknown…”





Her round, glassy eyes met his again, tears slipped down her cheeks and her lips parted, maybe to cry out or protest, but no sound came forth.





A slow, yet sinister, smile spread over his lips, a smirk of the most dangerous caliber.





“I see you’re finally beginning to understand.”





--





**She didn\'t choose this role

But she\'ll play it and make it sincere

So you cry, you cry

(Give me a break)**