Chapter 18
I lean back against the tree trunk, feeling the wind blow through my hair. I look down from the branch I am perched on and can see Candace chasing a butterfly. She is so young, she doesn't understand anything that's happening. I wish I was like her where I didn't have to worry about anything. Where I wouldn't have to wonder if I will make someone angry. Where I'm not afraid to speak my mind.
I know what's going on. They think I'm too young to understand. I just wish they would tell me. I can see it in Mum's eyes. She's got that, I don't know. They call it a glow, but she really isn't glowing. Now, if I gave her one of Uncle Fred and Uncle George's newest creations, yeah, she'd be glowing. But no, there's just something different about her, a certain presence, I guess.
I can see it in Uncle Harry, too. I really shouldn't be calling him 'Uncle' anymore, should I? Not if what I think is going on, is actually going on. I saw this all almost four years ago. I was five then. Mum was sick all the time, throwing up almost every morning, just like she has been for over a month now. When she wasn't getting sick, she would have this sparkle in her eye and a smile on her face. She was always smiling, kind of like she has been lately. She and Dad would talk sweetly to each other and they would rub her stomach and giggle. Just like she and Harry have been doing for a few weeks.
I know what's happening. It happened this way before Candace was born. I'm going to be a big brother again. I'm not sure how to feel about this. I know that Unc… Harry is the baby's dad. What am I then? We have the same mum but different dads. Will it still be my brother? Yeah, I know it's a boy. I have this talent, if you want to call it that. I somehow, just know what a baby will be. I was right with Candace and have been right with every one my cousins, and that's a lot!
Mum doesn't know that I know. I think she's afraid to tell me. I can understand why, looking back at the way I've acted since I caught Harry and Mum kissing in the kitchen. I don't hate him. I really don't. I love him. I like living here with him. I like the way he makes Mum laugh. I like the way he treats Candi and me like we belong here. It took me a while to get used to this, and I'm still not completely accepting of the situation, but I know I can't change it.
Honestly, I don't think I would change it. We have been living here for almost two months now, and I don't think that Mum has yelled at us or cried at all in those two months. Well, except when I was being a spoiled brat. Yeah, I admit it. I was being a spoiled brat. I always thought that Mum and Dad would just work everything out like they always did before. But when I met her, Lavender, I knew that Dad had told me the truth and that they weren't going to get back together.
I fought it tooth and nail. For a few weeks I made that woman's life hell. Oops, I shouldn't have said that word. But that's what it was. I was mean and nasty and awful. I had raided my Uncles' experiment closet when I stayed with them a few nights and used most of my arsenal on her. I think she had pink hair for four days and was spitting out yellow feathers for two. It was so much fun.
But Dad made me pay. I was grounded for two weeks at both houses, no television, no wireless, nothing but homework, eating and sleeping. But honestly, it was all worth it. Harry came up to give me a lecture the night Dad sent me home. He tried to yell at me, he really did. He just couldn't do it. He told me how he wished he could have done some of those things to his cousin when he was my age.
Harry and I have come pretty far in the past few weeks. He loves my mum, and makes her happy. So, for that, I am happy. He takes me flying all the time. He even bought me a broom last week so we could fly together. Mum's old broom was so slow that I could never keep up with him. But now we can race and I have almost beat him a couple times. He's helping me learn to be a seeker, but I think I might be a better beater, like Uncle Fred and Uncle George. Maybe I can be a keeper like Dad. I've got a while to decide, but Harry says if I keep it up, I might be able to make the team in my first year at Hogwarts like he did.
I always knew that Harry was 'THE Harry Potter.' Mum had told us all the stories when we were little. She would tell us about how Voldemort tried to kill him as a baby, and about all their adventures at school. She told us how they finally killed Voldemort and stuff like that. She also told us about Harry. How he grew up in a cupboard at his Aunt and Uncle's house. How he was beaten up at school and made fun of. How he had lost so many people in his life. I used to wonder how anyone who had gone through so many bad things could smile at all. But looking back, I never really did see him smile that much until he got with Mum.
I look down at my sister chasing the butterflies; there are now three. She is so happy, laughing and running around. Something catches my eye and I look to see Mum coming out of the back door. She walks over to Candi, kisses her and Candi runs inside. I know she's coming for me now. She knows my hiding place. I look down to the base of the tree and Mum is starting to climb the small ladder steps that Harry added a few weeks ago. She can't climb the tree. What if she falls? What about the baby?
"Mum, no!" I scream down at her. She looks up at me confused. "You can't climb up here. I'll come down."
"Arthur, I have climbed this tree many times, why am I not allowed now? Are you hiding something up there, young man?"
I started climbing down two steps at a time. "No Mum. It's only a plain branch. I'm not hiding anything. You just don't need to be climbing up the tree."
"And why not?" I know where I get my stubbornness from.
I can't tell her that I know about the baby. Can I? "You just can't Mum. I don't want you to get hurt."
She cocks her head and looks at me funny. "Are you all right, Arthur?"
"Yeah, Mum, I'm OK." I'm out of breath from climbing down so fast. "You wanted me?"
Her eyes are still looking at me, trying to figure out what I'm trying to hide. "I wanted to talk to you and Candace. Come inside." She wraps her arm around me and pushes me toward the house. I can't help but smile as she looks back up the tree, trying to see if I am hiding something up there.
I know what she wants to talk about. I look over at her, her belly has gotten a little bit bigger. I know she's not fat. I know it's the baby. I close my eyes and see the blue haze behind my eyelids in the shape of her silhouette. That's how I know if it's a boy or girl. That's how I am sure that she is pregnant. I knew my teacher was pregnant before she did. It took me a while to see Mum's color because all of my emotions about what was happening blocked it. I never took the time to just close my eyes while I was looking at her. If I did, I would have noticed it.
I open my eyes and she is staring at me, here eyes are huge. "You know what I want to talk you about, don't you?"
I nod and look at my feet. "How long have you known, Arthur?" she asks as she looks down at me. She doesn't have to look too far down, I'm almost as tall as her already. I look up at her and try to remember when I first noticed the change in her.
"Almost three weeks."
She lets out a sigh. I'm not sure if she is relieved or if she is frustrated. Probably both. "Three weeks?"
I nod. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you ask me?" she asks me. I can see tears forming in her eyes. She doesn't need to be sad. I didn't do anything wrong, did I?
"I already knew. I wanted to hear it from you. I know Harry's his dad. I'm not upset. I kind of like the idea of having a little brother. He will be my little brother right? I mean with Harry being his dad and all…"
She is looking at me like a codfish. Her mouth is gaping open, and she looks rather funny. I chuckle at her lightly. "Br- brother?" she asks.
"Yeah, it's a boy Mum. I hope you didn't want to be surprised. I'm sorry if you did, I didn't mean to let it slip."
She hugs me hard. Its almost painful, but I love it when Mum hugs me like this. The back door opens and I see Harry carrying Candace on his hip. "Is everything all right out here?"
Mum look at him. He looks at me when he sees the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Harry, he knows. He can see it."
Harry looks back and forth between Mum and I. I can see the shocked look in his eyes. "I forgot he could do that," he says. I remember when I told Aunt Ginny and Uncle Draco that they were going to have a girl. Harry didn't believe me, but when Annie was born, I was proven right. He had heard from everyone else about my predictions of their babies. I am at 100% correct, so far and I have no doubt that I am right with this one too.
Mum nods at Harry. I'm not sure why at first, but when Harry looks at me, I can see the question in his eyes. Before I can say anything though, Candace yells, "It's a boy!"