Eleanor Snape- Book 5, Part 2

Sarah Beth Drops By

The bigger I got, the worse the pain in my lower stomach. It came more often, too, and at weird times, like when I was laying in bed or walking up stairs. I still didn't tell anyone, though. I didn't really need to. It wasn't like a little pain was out of the ordinary, right? My skin was stretching, as well as my pelvis and everything else. It wasn't like my body was elastic: It had to hurt while it was doing that, right? 

Although the pain got worse, my happiness got bigger and bigger. By five monthes I had knitted enough booties, hats, and nappie covers to fill up a big wicker basket Narcissa had bought me to store them in. And I sitll made more after putting the basket in the nursey that had been fully furnished since I was at three months. I constantly found myself smiling, even if it was for no reason at all. Some mornings I even found myself humming in the shower. I started to eat more and more with out forcing myself.

I was so happy everyone noticed. Although I stayed home with Narcissa most of the time by this point, people started to visit me, and I welcomed them with big smiles. Most of my anxiety was away, with the exception of a few aungsty feelings I would feel as I began to tire at night time.

I was just about to hit five months when the first visitor came.

"Eleanor, dear, there is someone here to see you." Narcissa came into the library, where I was contentlly reading a book. Orion and Virgo were laying at my feet, happily panting.  

"Oh?" I put the text down. "Who is it?" 

"Come see." She smiled, then crossed over to help me up. It was getting hard for me to get up on my own between my baby bump and my swollen ankles. The dogs hopped up as well and followed us out. Narcissa and I walked down the hall, and lead me to the main parlor. I turned into the doorway, only to find an old friend sitting on the sofa. 

"Ellie! Look at you!" Sarah Beth hopped up and ran to me, throwing her arms around me, almost knocking me over. A chuckled escaped my lips even though she usually annoyed me. "You're  going to have a baby! You're practically glowing!"

"I don't think so..." I stood still as I waited for her to let go of me. When she finally did, she stepped back and looked me up and down. I blushed and crossed my arms, trying to hide my stomach. 

"Come, lets sit and talk! We haven't talked in a while!" Sarah Beth pulled me to the chair sitting across from the sofa. Narcissa stayed put leaned in the doorway, her arms crossed with a content smile on her face. I sat, and that is when I noticed that there was another pseron on teh sofa, and must have come with Sarah Beth. 

Sitting beside her was a man who looked a couple years older than us. His skin was bery pale and freckley, and his hair was a curly blazing red. A pair of horn-rimmed glasses were on his face. I reconised him as one of the Weasleys, but I wasn't sure which one. Sarah Beth must have notice me staring, because she smiled, took his hand, and leaned forward. 

"Oh, sorry for not introducing you. This is Percy." She grinned. He forced a smile, but looked slightly annoyed. "We were just on our way to the threatre and I thought about you and thought I could drop in and see you!"

"Oh, hi..." I avoided eye contact with him. Negative vibes seemed to radiate off of him and hit me, making me slightly uncomfortable. It was obvious that he didn't want to be there, but Sarah Beth didn't seem to notice. 

"Don't be rude, Percy! Say hello!"

"Hello." He let go of her hand and reached out to me for me to shake it. I shifted, then shook my head no. He put his hand down. I bit my lip, feeling a little awkward. 

A silence filled the room. Percy put his hand into his lap, which Sarah Beth snatched back up with her own. She used her other hand to touch his cheek for a moment, dreamily. I bit my lip as the pain traveled through my stomach again, trying not to scream. I blinked a few times, trying to make it go away. Finally, I squeezed them shut: If I concentrated hard enough, it would go away.