Delicate

Desperate Times

Chapter 30 - Desperate Times

As the weeks progress, the weather seems to be becoming warmer and warmer. The Seers are telling us to expect one of the hottest summers in ten years. It's so typical that the one year I happen to be pregnant we get the hottest May ever. I spend most of my time complaining about the weather, but I think everyone has stopped listening to me and are enjoying the good weather. Even Jenny has stopped listening, and it takes quite a bit for her to tune out.

"I'm sweating! Are you sweating? I'm sweating," I moan, while sitting out on the grass in the Transfiguration courtyard. Jenny sighs and flicks over a page in her book.

"It's not that hot," she replies calmly.

"Are you pregnant?" I snap, "No, you're not."

"You're right, I'm sorry," she says caringly. Why won't she argue with me? Why won't anyone argue with me? Even James backs down when I try to start fights with him these days. It's so annoying. Maybe I'll go find some real friends who will fight back.

Robert arrives and sits down beside Jenny, looking handsome and charming as always. Nice people are annoying me even more than usual these days, so this bloke better watch himself.

"Hello Rose, how are you?"

What a prick.

"Fine," I snap shortly.

"Rose is a bit emotional today," Jenny explains.

"What are you talking about, Winters?" I growl.

"I'm not going to argue with you," Jenny sighs. I fold my arms and turn away from her, but I'm positive I just saw her roll her eyes.

I leave after a few minutes of vomit-inducing Jenny-and-Robert-bonding-time and head off to find the father of my child. He's the one person who's guaranteed to argue with me. He's even more easily pissed off than I am. I find him coming out of the library, walking with Henrietta Flint from the Slytherin Quidditch team. He says something and she laughs. And even though she looks like she's been hit in the face by a broomstick, she's still skinny and this angers me. Suddenly I want to cry and skin something alive at the same time. The sooner I have this baby, the safer the wizarding world will be. Voldemort doesn't hold a candle to me.

"Talking to Henrietta Flint, I see?" I hiss and grab Scorpius by the arm. I drag him into a corner.

"Yes..." he says, "What's your point?"

"So do you love her then? Are you going to get her pregnant too? Maybe marry her and live in a disgusting little cottage in some stupid Muggle village? Do you think you'll get a dog? It's not like I care. Our kid will be much better looking than the thing you'd have with her! It might be skinnier, but at least ours will have a personality!"

I think he's too shocked to fight back. His mouth has literally dropped open. Then he bursts out laughing.

"Don't you laugh at me, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy! I will eat your eyeballs! I will eat them raw!" I'm not sounding as threatening as I hoped I would, because he's still laughing. "ARGUE BACK!"

"I'm not allowed to argue with you anymore, Rosie," he laughs, "Lily's warned us all about pissing you off."

I'm going to kill that Lily one.

"Well you're not doing a very good job! Why didn't you just have sex with Flint right in front of me?"

I may be overreacting here.

"I'm not going to argue with you," says Scorpius firmly, "Come on, let's go to dinner so I can eye up Henrietta again." I elbow him in the side, but agree to dinner. I'm so hungry I could eat a small hippogriff.