Ravenclaw's Shadow

Chapter 71

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" George asks.

"It'll be fine, I think it's better than I speak to them first," I say.

"Okay, well, I'll be back in a couple of hours to take you to the shower, okay?"

He leans over and kisses me softly, then disapparates. I take a few deep breaths and try to resist pacing the floor. The door bell rings and I nearly throw up. I walk down the hallway and it seems to take forever. Eventually I reach the door and open it.

"Mum, Dad," I say shakily, "come in."

I lead them down to the living room and we all sit down. Followed by an awkward silence.

"Well, you haven't changed a bit," Mum says eventually.

"Of course not, I've aged one year since I was seventeen," I point out.

"Yes..."

"Uh, would you like some tea?" I offer. I see Dad's lip curl up and from somewhere deep in rage - and heartburn - flare up.

"Look, I told you how it would be, I'm not having that anti-human shit around my baby," I tell them both, "especially as there's a chance it could be human."

"It could be human?" Mum asks.

"Yes, it could be," I say.

"Well, I, we, assumed you'd turned George before the... Conception," she stammers.

"Nope," I say, folding my arms across my chest, "so, you could be grandparents to a bouncing baby human."

Dad growls quietly and Mum slaps him on the arm.

"Well, that's fine, darling," she says, "we... We've missed you, you know."

"No, I don't know," I say, "we haven't spoken for the better part of six years."

"Well, we have," Mum says, "the whole family..."

"I've seen the rest of the family," I say, "strangely enough, they don't seem to have an issue with humans."

Mum shifts uncomfortably.

"Yes, well, we see now that we were a little high minded," she says, "oh, here, for the baby."

She hands me a parcel wrapped in black tissue paper. I open it to find a black onesie with "Careful, I bite" and a vampire bite on it.

"Thanks," I say, putting it aside.

"Of course, we didn't realise that it might not be a vampire," Mum says, "less funny if it's human..."

"George seems to be doing well," Dad says, speaking for the first time.

"Yes, he is," I say.

"And what about you?" he asks.

"I'm head of the Beast Division in the Department of Magical Creatures," I say, a little proudly.

"Well, that will be difficult with a baby," Mum says.

"I'm taking some time off after the birth," I say, "then Mrs Weasley will help with childcare during the day."

"Well, we can help as well!" Mum says enthusiastically.

"During the day as in the literal day," I say, "when you sleep."

"We're up now, aren't we?" Dad says, "your mother is right, we can help."

"Thanks, but we've got it sorted," I say, "we can arrange weekend visits for you."