Lilliana Snape (Book 5)

Part 11

The next morning, Fred looked as though he was about to faint. He was pale and clammy and he gripped my hand so hard that I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore. We’d opted against going to my dad and had gone to McGonagall instead and now, we both stood before her, terrified that she’d say no.

“So what you’re asking is to leave Hogwarts to get something from your home to return?” She said, peering over the top of her glasses at us.

“That’s right Professor” Fred replied sounding more confident than he actually was.

“And you don’t want me to tell your father?” She asked me.

“That would be nice” I said nervously.

“May I ask what is so important that you must go home to fetch it because it seems a little suspicious to me.”

“Well, Fred can stay but it’s easier for me if he comes along with.”

McGonagall surveyed us for a moment before saying “you may go, Lilliana, but Fred will stay. You may leave through my fireplace and you will return within the hour; if you are not back here before the hour is up then I will tell your father; is that understood?”

“Yes professor” I replied, a little disappointed that Fred had to stay but I would be back within half an hour.

“Very well” she headed over to her fireplace and through some powder into the flames. “Step in and you will be sent home. Remember, Lilliana” she added as I stepped inside the green flames. “An hour.”

As promised, the fire took me home and I made no hesitation on running up to dad’s room to grab the muggle money he keeps in his sock drawer before heading out toward the local supermarket. I had enough money for 5 packets of two tests; I then ran back home and was back at Hogwarts within fifteen minutes.

“What the hell is that?” Fred asked as I pulled out one of the tests. We were in the prefect’s bathroom; Hermione had given us the password when I promised to tell her what was going on as soon as I knew.

“This is a muggle pregnancy test” I replied “do you have the cup?”

He handed me the disposable plastic I’d also brought with me and frowned as I disappeared into a toilet cubicle.

I took three tests and all of them were positive.

Like yesterday, the blood drained from my face but, unlike yesterday, I began to feel faint as the panic set in. I slumped against the toilet wall as I stared at the two pink lines that were about to change my life forever. “Lil!” Fred hammered on the door “are you ok?” When I didn’t answer, he pushed it open and, when he saw the state I was in,  rushed in and knelt down putting his hands on my knees. “What is it?”

“Bad news” I muttered “I guess I’m eating for two now.” My stomach churned as I said it and threw up, surprisingly neatly, into the bin beside me.

“What- what are we going to do?” He asked me, his eyes never once wavering from my face. “What do you want to do?”

Ideally, I’m too young to have a child but I couldn’t bear the thought of getting rid of it and I couldn’t stand the thought of having to go through all of this just to give the child up. “I guess I only really have one choice” I told him “Fred, you don’t have to- you can walk away, you can-”

“Stop it” he snapped “I helped get us into this situation, I’m not going to leave you to deal with it by yourself!”

“But we have to tell dad at some point” I told him “and everyone will find out too; Fred, it’s not going to be easy.”