Still the Baby (open)

[skyeisthelimit]

Alex was in her room, which was unusually clean, as Ginny had forced her to pick up yesterday. She had plopped down on her bed with a massive book for a nine year-old and had started to read. She didn't particularly enjoy reading in her bedroom, but seeing as it was below freezing outside, she preferred it over reading outside at this point. Stupid winter, she truly despised it. The United Kingdom itself had really bad weather for someone like Alex, who lived for the summer. This time of year always made her grumpy.

"Alexandria!" called Ginny from downstairs, her voice oddly cheerful. She must know how Alex felt about this time of year. But Ginny had never called Alex by anything other than her full name, it was sort of annoying actually. At least Harry called her Alex, that was nice.

"Yeah?" Alex yelled back, wondering what her mother wanted at this time of day. A quick look at the look told her it was two o'clock. They had already eaten lunch. Oh no, it better not be...

"We're going shopping!" Ginny called back up, sounding very enthusiastic. Alex gave a loud groan that hopefully couldn't be heard from downstairs and then slammed her book down on her bed and rose to her feet. Gosh, she hated shopping, especially with her mother. They would be out for hours. Alex started toward the door of her room, wondering how on earth she could possibly get out of it this time.

"Do I have to?" Alex asked pleadingly. Ginny gave her The Look and Alex sighed. Yes, yes she did have to, unless someone saved her. Remarkably, the doorbell rang just then. "I'll get it!" Alex yelled, jumping up and running over to the door. She opened it quickly and found herself looking at...

[calcetines]

Angel, having a pained expression on her face. She was trying to smile, but even the sight of her younger sister couldn't quite ease the burden she had at the moment. "Hi Alex," Angel said, giving another attempt at a smile, but failed again. She had come to tell her parents in person that she was to have a baby. She was nervous, Angel had no idea how they were going to react. They might skin her alive.

[skyeisthelimit]

Alex nearly jumped at the sight of her eldest sister standing before her. She hadn't seen Angel since the summer. "Angie!" Alex exclaimed, wrapping her sister in a hug. There was a surprised sound from the kitchen, and then Ginny scurried into the room to greet Angel as well. Alex let go and grinned at her mother. Maybe she wouldn't have to shop after all!

[calcetines]

Angel was finally able to give forth a good smile as Alex hugged her. She gently hugged back, aware that her entire life could suddenly by derailed in about the course of how long it took her to get the words out of her mouth. "Angel, what are you doing here?" Ginny asked as she pulled Angel into a gentle hug. "Uh, I um-" Angel stammered, not sure of what to do. She closed the door behind herself. "Is dad home?" she asked. "Yes," said Ginny, eyebrows raised. "Why?" "I need to talk to the both of you for a moment." Angel said, feeling her knees tremble and heart flutter.

[skyeisthelimit]

Angel was acting awfully weird and suddenly Alex knew that this wasn't such a good thing. That she shouldn't be so happy about getting out of shopping, because something was wrong with her eldest sister. "You okay, Angie?" Alex asked, her voice sounding so innocent, so young.

[calcetines]

The innocence of a young child, so happily oblivious... If only... Angel wished she could rewind time to un-do the past few weeks and relive them again, in a way that wouldn't ruin her entire life. "I'm all right," said Angel with an entirely unconvincing smile. Harry stepped into the room and she swallowed forcefully. Where to begin? How to say what would surely turn her own parents against her?

[skyeisthelimit]

Alex didn't believe her older sister for a second. Well alright, she believed her for a second, but then realized that Angel was acting far to weirdly to be telling the truth. Alex sat at the kitchen table and looked from her father to her mother and then finally to Angel. What was going on?

[calcetines]

Angel looked down at her shoes, feeling her throat tighten. She imagined this to be easy, why then was she feeling so close to collapsing on the ground? Three pairs of eyes were on her, six ears waiting to hear what she had to say. Then came the tears. Silently at first, but then they escalated into full-fledged sobs. "I'm p-p-p-pregnant!" Angel said, nearly going into hysterics. She waited. Nothing was happening. It was Harry who spoke first. "Get out." said he. "Don't come back." This disturbed Angel. Her own father was throwing her out with a tone one would use to discuss the weather! "B-b-but daddy," Angel whispered. "GET OUT!" Harry yelled. She didn't need another telling. Angel turned on her heel and ran out the door she had not bothered to close behind herself.

[skyeisthelimit]

"Dad!" Alex exclaimed as Angel started to get up. Then she yelled for her sister, "Angel!" Alex started to run after her, desperately wanting to bring her sister back, and not caring that she was pregnant. It was her sister, her sister. Her dad grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He was far to strong for her nine year-old body and Alex collapsed to the ground crying. "Angel, Angie," she sobbed.

[calcetines]

She wasn't even paying attention as to where she was going, the tears were coming too fast for her to see anything anyways. Angel had not been expecting her father to do that. The sheer hatred in his voice... He didn't love her anymore, the love was gone. She had not even seen how Ginny had reacted since she had been so focused on how Harry was treating her. Angel stopped two blocks away and sank to her knees, unable to continue.

[skyeisthelimit]

Alex was still on the floor, her father's hand long drawn away from her arm. He was now running it through his thick hair, as if wondering what he had just done. Alex just looked at her parents, both looking slightly worried, but neither of them in tears as she was. That was when Alex got angry, her temper snapped and she rose to her feet.

"What did you do that for?!" she yelled at her dad, not even aware that the house seemed to be shaking, the room looked sort of a red. "Alex," she barely heard Ginny say, trying to break the situation. The lights were flickering, a vase broke in the hallway. "Why?!" she yelled at him again. He had no answer and the house shook for a few more frightening moments. Then it began to fade again.

Alex ran too, she ran for the back door to their house, not bothering to look at her parent's faces as she left the kitchen. The snow made her short legs slow, but she never stopped. She reached for the tree, watching it as it bent ever so slightly for her arm to grasp. Alex pulled herself up, her body had always been strong. She climbed up a few branches and then sat there, tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched Angel run.

[calcetines]

Angel put her face into her hands, losing all control of herself. She had the strongest urge to go back and beat her father to a pulp with her bare fists, but she wasn't stupid, that would create more problems and solve nothing. She ran a hand through her hair, then disapparated. She found herself on her knees beside the fence that encircled the shrieking shack, not very much alone.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella was sitting on a rock nearby, thinking about what she would have to eat that night. The air smelled like wolves, which was one of her favorites, but she was in the mood for another centaur. They made her feel a little bit better. But when Angel popped up before her, everything changed.

Gabriella jumped up and came over to her cousin, knowing instantly that something was wrong. Her eyes changed from black to brown and she sat next to Angel, wrapping her arms around the girl who had been through so much and who still managed to be her best friend. Tonight had been the night she was going to tell her parents about being pregnant. "Angie, what happened?" Gabriella asked, knowing it had to have been bad.

[calcetines]

Angel couldn't find the words to respond at first. She just needed to cry her eyes out on the shoulder of Gabriella, her cousin and best friend. She was still in shock as to how Harry had reacted, it was as if she weren't his daughter anymore. She sniffed, and took a stab at talking. "He told me to get out of his house and not to come back." Angel said in a quiet tone and dissolved into tears once more.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella was shocked, there was no way around that emotion. This was her Uncle Harry they were talking about, the same Harry who had a million adventures at school and who had gotten in trouble a million times. The same person who had loved Angel so much. And yet he had kicked her out? It seemed unreal.

Gabriella refocused on Angel, she had to. For a second she had no words, she just hugged her cousin a little tighter- not too tight, though- and rubbed her back soothingly. "Oh baby, I'm so, so sorry," she said quietly, smoothing Angel's hair.