MetaFic

On September the 1st, Ginny and Harry were waiting for their friends in the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione ran up and greeted them before taking their seats. Hermione started to ask Ginny how her exams had gone and what were the arrangements for their living space. Ginny smiled at her friend and told her it would have to wait until after Dumbledore spoke.

As the new batch of first years were brought in and sorted in their respective Houses, Ginny began to notice the other students giving her looks and glances when they thought she wasn't paying attention. Some actually stared at her outright. She assumed that the word must have gotten out about her condition.

The sorting ceremony finished with Zelazny, Amber becoming a Gryffindor. All eyes turned to the Head Table as Professor Dumbledore stood and addressed the school.

"I would like to welcome our new students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I would also like to welcome back our returning students to another year of what I hope will be enlightenment and education. Before the feast begins I have a few announcements to make. The Forbidden Forest is, as always, forbidden. There is to be no magic used in the hallways between classes. Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has in his office an updated list of items forbidden on school grounds." Dumbledore motioned to the Head Table. "I am pleased to introduce Sirius Black as our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

Several students paled. Many still remembered Sirius as being one of the most wanted men in the wizarding world, someone considered only slightly less dangerous than the Dark Lord himself. A Hufflepuff fourth year actually fainted, causing Professor Sprout no end of embarrassment.

Dumbledore looked around the room. "Finally, it is my great pleasure to announce the engagement of two of our students. Mr. Harry Potter and Miss Ginevra Weasley will be joined in matrimony sometime after Christmas holiday, shortly after the birth of their first child."

There was a collective gasp that made both Ginny and Harry flinch. The distinct sounds of low laughter could be heard coming from the Slytherin table. Dumbledore continued.

"I'm sure most of you remember that both Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley, along with several other students, thwarted a Death Eater attack on Hogwarts last year. Because of their great service to the school I expect each of you to be sensitive to the difficulties they will face over the coming term. Because of the increased responsibilities of being a family, they have been moved to private quarters inside the castle and will only have limited contact with the rest of the school. They will be attending classes as normal but will be unable to attend most school functions and activities. Miss Weasley, after an intense set of courses administered by the school over the summer, has been moved up one year group. Because of his increased responsibilities, Mr. Potter has stepped down as Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, and Mr. Ronald Weasley has been named his replacement."

Dumbledore waved his hand, and food appeared on all the tables. "Now enjoy the feast."

After the feast Ron and Hermione, who had to escort the first years to Gryffindor Tower, bid their friends good night, promising they would visit them the following evening.

Ginny and Harry returned to their rooms. Harry had found the mechanism to make the bookcases slide away, so they could come and go as they pleased without needing to step into the hall. Ginny insisted they keep their possessions separate for the sake of form. She reasoned that Dumbledore had put them in separate rooms on purpose, so who was she to not play along. She had been even more surprised to discover that Dobby would be taking care of her and Harry. She'd never had a House Elf before. It seemed a little weird.

The next morning Ginny and Harry made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Ginny had decided that since the school knew her true condition she would not bother hiding it. They had almost reached the Great Hall when the last voice they wanted to hear called out.

"So Potter, gone and knocked up the little Weaselette have you?"

Harry turned to see Draco Malfoy standing a few feet away. Crabbe and Goyle where behind him, as were a few other Slytherins.

Harry smiled his most winning smile. "Sod off, Malfoy."

"Oh, so phenomenally witty, Potter, how ever will I survive." Draco drawled. Pansy Parkinson, who was standing behind Draco, laughed out loud. Draco and his group stepped closer to Ginny and Harry. "Tell me, Potter, how much did you give the Weasleys for the use of their most extraneous child?" Draco looked Ginny up and down. "Couldn't have been too much."

Ginny felt Harry's body tense and then relax. It suddenly occurred to her that Draco Malfoy had no idea how thin the ice he stood on was. That thought was proven true as he opened his mouth again.

"Or did the little bit just slither into your bed one night?" He turned to Ginny. "I always knew you wanted Potter for your own, though I can't imagine why. I shouldn't be surprised you'd finally resort to--"

"To what, Malfoy?" Ron's dangerously calm voice broke in.

Malfoy turned to sneer at Ron, then paled.

Draco's little band had been quietly surrounded by what appeared to be the entirety of Gryffindor House. Even a fair number of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were mixed into the obviously hostile group. Draco Malfoy was not a coward, but he was also not stupid. He realized one wrong word would get him beaten to a pulp. Fortunately Professor Vector walked by and broke up the tense standoff.

As the two groups separated, Millicent Bulstrode made a clumsy attempt to trip Ginny. Ginny fell into Harry, who caught her easily, but everyone knew the gauntlet had been thrown down. Unless something could be done, it was only a matter of time before open hostilities broke out between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

From that moment forward, any time Ginny Weasley left her rooms she was always accompanied by what amounted to a Gryffindor Honor Guard. Any Slytherin who thought to get near her soon found themselves ringed by determined-looking Gryffindors, and it didn't matter how many points Professor Snape took from Gryffindor for, as he liked to call it, "Acting hostile", Professor Black would simply give them back for, as he liked to call it, "Acting chivalrous".

Classes continued as usual for Ginny. Professor Snape did everything he could to torment her, but she managed to remain calm. When his general nastiness failed to provoke a reaction from her, he simply targeted Harry. Professor Flitwick, on the other hand, constantly pushed her to achieve. Harry and Ron had become amused at the subtle game of one-upmanship going on between Ginny and Hermione in Charms. Each was constantly trying to out perform the other, much to Flitwick's delight.

In the evening the two Gryffindor prefects would visit Ginny and Harry in their rooms to insure they were keeping their end of the agreement and not mingling freely with the general student population. The fact that the Gryffindor prefects visiting were Ron and Hermione was lost on no one.

As the term moved through its first month, things settled into a routine for Ginny. She ate breakfast and then went to morning classes. She ate lunch and then went to afternoon classes. She studied in the library and visited Madam Pomfrey twice weekly. She and Harry kept to their rooms after hours. Over the weekends she and Harry planned their wedding.

The biggest dark spot was the first Hogsmeade weekend. Sitting at her window and watching the other students leave the school to visit the village proved harder on her than expected. When Harry tried to comfort her, she only felt worse. She blamed herself because he was also restricted to the castle.

The reality of the situation was driven home again the first time she attended a Gryffindor Quidditch match. Professor McGonagall had informed her in no uncertain terms that she was required to sit by herself at the top of the box usually reserved for Professors.

As the term passed, Ginny resigned herself to the imposed exile and allowed her routine to carry her through term.

Eventually, even the threats of the Slytherins were forgotten, as Draco and his cronies seemed to have gotten the message that harassing Ginny would invite swift and terrible retaliation.

Ginny had almost begun to relax.

Almost.