Confrontation (Jamie)

[Scarlette Meyers]

Scarlette took his hand and used him as leverage to pull herself to her feet. She watched Jamie with assessing eyes, though she wasn't judging him. She was just trying to gauge where they were. He surprised her a lot already. He had only reacted supportively to the news that she was pregnant, and she knew that she was lucky. Surely there were other girls whose boyfriends abandoned them. And had Jamie done that, she still would have done this, even on her own. But having Jamie there with her made it easier. Better. Almost exciting.

And then, as she watched him, she thought that he'd be such a good father, even though he was so young. They were both just children, but Jamie had a potential to love fiercely. It gave Scarlette chills just to realize.

"Come on. There's an empty classroom down the hall." Normally, she would have suggest a walk, but she was tired, both physically and emotional, and she just wanted to be still with him.

[Jamie Ferrera]

Jamie wouldn't let go of her hand he followed her directions to the empty classroon. It was better this way. It was almost better. They hadn't been known as a couple through out the months they had known each other, and now Jamie could be as public as he felt like it. He entwined his fingers with hers and looked down to smile at her. It made him feel even better that she was right next to him. Jamie was just as much at fault for the baby as Scarlette was, although he was starting to see it less as fault and more as something positive. The door was close and he opened it for her, bowing deeply to let her in. He was smiling.

Scarlette was the perfect mother. She was pretty, and knew how to not mince words. She was intelligent, and mentally fit. Especially if she had been able to hold herself together without being mad at him. Jamie himself was doubting his character traits, but he could feel himself already wanting to dote on the baby. Spoil him or her, make the baby a daddy's child.

He did a little jig before settling down to sit on one of the tables set up. "What do you think is best for Jamie Jr.?"

[Scarlette Meyers]

"What's best?" Scarlette asked, raising her eyebrows as she took a seat at a desk in front of Jamie. "Merlin. Parents who know what they're doing?"

It was said as a joke, but it was also half serious. Still, did any parent ever really know what they were doing with their first child?

She sighed. "I'll be seven months when we graduate. I'll be huge. And that means we're going to have the baby right out of school. I'm really scared, Jamie." She decided to get it out in the open and be honest with him. Nothing else had made him run away yet, and how could he even blame her for being scared?

But at the same time... she was excited. They made a baby. There was a miracle in that somewhere, and she adored the very thought of it. So parents be damned, she and Jamie could make this work.

[Jamie Ferrera]

Jamie bit his lip again. Of course, parents who knew what they were doing was an ideal condition fora a baby, "everyone has to learn eventually. I doubt the give away boxes of knowldge on how to have a baby on your twenty- fifth birthday."

"Oh, I forgot about the growing part. And telling everyone. Oh, god. How are we going to tell everyone?" Jamie had forgotten about any repercussions that they might have had. The trouble he was going to get from his family. And Scarlette would have it worse... "But I'll get us an apartment soon. We can move in together... If that's alright with you." He blushed, looking at his hands. "We can be scared together."

It was completely logical that the two of them were afraid. But Jamie saw the positive as outweighing the bad.

[Scarlette Meyers]

Scarlette laughed, and it seemed to lighten the mood immensly... at least for her. "No, I don't suppose babies come with manuals. And Lina and Cyrus did it, and your mum had..." she trailed off, not wanting to upset Jamie by mentioning Roland. "Well, she started young. So why not us? Whose to say we're too young?" She nodded a final affirmation, agreeing with Jamie.

"I'm impressed by you," she told him. "You're handling this much better than I could have even hoped for." He was mature and took it all very matter of factly, but the, that was Jamie, and she wouldn't know how to handle him if he were any other way. He was good for her, because she was brash and impulsive, and he slowed her down a little, brough a little logic into her chaotic life.

"I haven't told anyone," she replied softly. "Not even Madam Pomfrey. I snuck into London last weekend, after I suspected for a while. I mean, I knew, but I figured it was a good idea just to make sure everything was okay. No one knows except some muggle doctor, you, and me. I don't know how to go about telling anyone, or who we should tell... I don't even know how my mum will react."

And then Jamie was talking about getting an apartment, and she couldn't believe how he was just taking everything into his own hands and just dealing with them. Thank Godric for him. "Yeah, that'd be all right," she said softly, blushing as well. "We can get an apartment. I'll help."

[Jamie Ferrera]

Jamie was happy to hear her laugh, it was what he had been aiming for. But with the mention of his mother, he froze for a few seconds. Scarlette hadn't meant to mention Roland, but Jamie felt like he was struck by lightening. he had forgotten about his brother for a couple of moments. It struck him as a coincidence that their baby was conceived on the same night that Roland died. Jamie shook his head, this wasn't a time to think about Roland. It was time to think about his future, plus two. "I bet it will give us a step ahead to be this young. Babies seem to take a lot of energy."

"You're impressed by me?" Jamie laughed lightly. "You managed to sneak out of Hogwarts and keep a baby a secret. That takes twice my courage. I'm saving up to be just like you." He smiled, reaching out to touch her cheek gentley. "You saved me from wallowing in despair. I should thank you eternally." He was smiling. Jamie wasn't sure what he would have done without her.

Jamie thought on it for a while. Who they would tell and who could be trusted with this seemed to put another stake against them. "I would feel a lot better if you told Madam Pomfrey, for the sole fact that I want you and the baby to be healthy. You should get check ups everyday to make sure." Jamie was only half kidding. He wanted to make sure that she wouldn't have any problems. He thought to his own family, and tried to hide a wince. "Do you remember Lina?"

"You're helping enough," Jamie said quietly, lifting his hand from her cheek and placing it even more lightly on her stomach. "As soon as school gets out, I'll get a job. I'll buy you the most beautiful furniture you can find. I'm sure we can get loans until then, and get an apartment. Where do you want to live?"

[Scarlette Meyers]

"I've seen you during snowball fights," Scarlette said, thinking back and remembering that first time they met, when she'd solidly collided with him on the stairway to the owlry. "I don't think we'll have a problem finding the energy."

She shrugged, wanting to kiss him and tell him she was sorry that she didn't come sooner to make him feel better (and it did wonders for her that this news did make him feel better), but instead, she just smiled. Merlin, she'd missed him so much. And yes, she'd gone to a muggle doctor by herself, dealt with the looks and a ten minute lecture on safe sex (what was the point of that? She was already pregnant), but it didn't bother her that she'd gone alone. Jamie needed time to mourn, so she handled her end of things to give him that time. It was just easier now with him on her side.

"I've been worried to tell Madam Pomfrey. I mean, I know I should, but what if she contacts our parents? I want my mum at least to hear it from me... I don't know about you. I remember Lina a little. She was nice. Not welcomed, but nice."

She frowned and her eyes met Jamie's. "Is your mum going to disown you too for this?" there was a sudden worry and panic there. Had she really made things difficult for Jamie? She ignored the question about where to live because it seemed secondary for now.

[Jamie Ferrera]

"The snowball fight that you lost," Jamie teased, laughing. He remembered the first time they met vividly. He had been what he thought was out of character, but it turned out Jamie was just playful around Scarlette in general.

"You make it seem like no big deal," he mumbled. "You're incredible." The fact that Scarlette had let him mourn in his time was almost like Scarlette knew him better than he knew himself. Up until this point, Jamie would have never admitted he was mourning. Scarlette had given him more time than she should have, but it was just the amount of time he needed.

"Well, I'm sure they have to have some sort of secrecy code. Not to menion, we're of age, so we should be able to make our own desicions. I think we should talk to her, just to make sure you'll be taken care of," Jamie was very concerned. Something could easily go wrong, and there was a slim possibility that he could lose both Scarlette and the Baby. That would tear him apart more than anything he could imagine. "What if we owled her anonymously?"

"As for my mum, I don't mind if she disowns me. You're one of the most important people in my life. If she can't accept that, than what point in trying to win her over is there? I just think we break it to her slowly. As in you come over soon for dinner with my family?" he asked hopefully. "And then we tell them when we're more on our feet. I just don't want you to end up treated like Lina. What about your parents?"

[Scarlette Meyers]

"The snowball fight that I let you win," Scarlette corrected with a laugh. It didn't really matter who won the fight or why. It had been the start of them, and she'd let him win every snowball fight for the rest of their lives. Although, truthfully, he had won that fight fair and square.

"What good would it do to owl her anonymously? She'll have to see me at some point." Scarlette sighed, rubbing her eye. "But I know I need to see someone regularly. Maybe not every day..." she teased him. But she did have to make sure she kept herself and the baby healthy. "Do you think we can tell Cyrus and Lina? I want to ask her what to do, and your mum... your mum scares me a little."

She leaned forward on the desk, setting her chin in her hand. "I don't want you to get disowned. You have a really great family, and I see your mum's point. Really, I do, especially since she started young. But you deserve your family to be supportive, and I don't want to get in the way of that." She was actually very deeply troubled by the thought that he might be disowned like Cyrus was.

"We won't be Cyrus and Lina, okay?"

He made her smile again, and she just looked at him for a moment, ever amazed by him. "I'll come over for dinner," she said with a little nod. "And it's just my brother and my mum... and I don't think Todd will care. I don't know how my mom will handle it."

[Jamie Ferrera]

"Of course you did. We'll have a rematch next winter," Jamie rolled his eyes. Next winter was full of possibilities. It was almost surreal that the two of them Hogwarts and living on their own. "I'll even have an extra team mate."

"You will, I assume," Jamie didn't want her to worry, although it seemed inevidentable. "I'll go with you, and explain the situation. I'll ask her to not tell our parents. "He took one of her hands in both of his. "And maybe I'll have Madam Pomfrey come to you if you don't go see her every day. I think we can tell Cyrus and Lina. I bet they could both give us a lot of advice."

"If they disown me, than that's their fault," Jamie was extrememly worried, but he didn't want Scarlette to see anything. "Who would want to put out one of their own children? And Cyrus was welcomed back, and everything is fine now. It's you I'm concerned about. Besides, how would I consider them supportive of me without you there?"

"I don't mind being Cyrus and Lina. They're happy now, with Mara whose a great niece."

"Well, what are you doing this weekend? Maybe I'll owl my parents and have you over before the baby starts to show," as much as he regretted saying something like that, it was better for the family. "And I'll get together with Cyrus soon, as well. I can ask him for advice, maybe ask if you and Lina could get together for lunch? Anything you want."

[Scarlette Meyers]

Scarlette rolled her eyes. "Really, Jamie. Every day is a little excessive." She understood him being worried though, and it sort of made her feel better to know that he was. She felt wanted and loved that he was worried about her.

"This weekend would be fine," she murmured. And then, she sort of just forgot everything else. All of the logistics and the problems and the worries were gone, and Scarlette stood up from the desk she had claimed. Moving to stand in front of Jamie, she nearly laughed at the fact that he was still taller than her, and he was sitting down. She put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him.

"I don't care, Jamie. Whatever happens, I don't care. It's you and me, and I thought maybe we were too young to handle this or too young for me to love you so much, but I do, and that's all that matters. So I don't care how your family treats me... I only care how you treat me and how I treat you. And I think we're going to be fine."

[Jamie Ferrera]

"Maybe it is," Jamie sighed. "I just want this to end up well." He couldn't help that he was starting to worry already on the baby's health. "What do you eat? Don't pregnant people eat weird things?"

"I'll owl them," he mumbled, thinking absentmindedly about how he would word it as to not lie directly to his parents. They shouldn't be suspicious, but Jamie didn't want to lie. Jamie started to concentrate when Scarlettte kissed him, which made him smile lightly.

"Not caring is a bit reckless, isn't it?" Jamie teased, holding Scarlette's face in his hands. "And that's all that should matter. That's all I care about. I really don't care about our parents, although I feel like I should introduce myself to your mother and tell her how well I can take care of you. But anyway it works out, you will be taken very good care of."

[Scarlette Meyers]

Scarlette laughed. "I think that's a little later in pregnancy, but who knows? The library doesn't actually have any books on pregnancy... at least, not that I could find. It's not very magical, is it? All I have are the pamphlets the muggle doctor gave me. And he was very disapproving. I don't see where he has a right to judge."

She waved her hand. She was getting sidetracked. Knowing that Jamie was still her and as caring as he was seemed to open a flood gate of things she wanted to talk about, but had no one to talk about them with until now. "I've been doing all right with the food here for now."

"What part of this isn't reckless? We've blatantly disregarded ever single rule I can think of where this is concerned from sneaking out to London to getting pregnant. I think reckless is the least of our worries right now." She frowned slightly but nodded. "I'll owl my mum too and have you over for dinner." She wondered just how well that would go over. "But Jamie, I can take care of you, too."

[Jamie Ferrera]

"Well, I know know at some point my mom only wanted muggle fast food. I could see the grease dripping. And I don't want the baby to make you eat that," Jamie said, shuddering. "How can they not have books?" Jamie was a little worried. Now they had nothing to read up on except a couple of pamphlets. "What are muggle pamphlets going to tell us about babies who have magic abilities when they're older?"

"And this doctor, what was his name?" Jamie asked, feeling like he should go have a word with him. It was bad bedside manner to treat someone with contempt. Weren't doctors and healers supposed to be caring and empathetic. Jamie's overprotectiveness was kicking in.

"I don't think there is a rule in Hogwarts that clearly states that girls can't get pregnant," Jamie bit his lip nervously. "But there it would be very clear that we weren't allowed to sneak out." He hadn't been one for trouble. Jamie had never gotten a dentention in his life. But this seemed a little over the top to give someone a punishment for getting pregnant. Dumbledore would understand. "What's your mother like? Should I bring her flowers? Or chocolate? I don't think I can get on her good side, despite presents. But it's worth a shot."

[Scarlette Meyers]

Scarlette laughed, an honest, open, carefree laugh. "I think you're worrying more right now than I did in the last two months. Well... you're close, anyway. Take a breath, Jamie, we're going to be okay."

Her back straightened a little, and she decided to tackle his questions one by one. "I'm sure there are books... our school library just doesn't have them. Let's worry about the pregnancy and the first year before we worry about what to do with them when they're older. The doctor's name doesn't matter. I'm not going back to him anyway."

His office had been cold, much like his temperment, and it was no wonder why girls were scared about these things. She'd only gone because she needed to know that she really was pregnant, and asking Madam Pomphrey had been out of the question at the time. It still was.

"My mum... Jamie, my mum doesn't really like magic, or the wizarding world. My dad was an Auror, and we... we took opposing views on the matter when he was killed." She liked magic because it made her feel closer to her father. Her mother, however, blamed it for killing him. "So just try not to talk too much about magic. Otherwise, be yourself. She'll have to like you."

[Jamie Ferrera]

"I have to catch up," Jamie said, taking a deep breathe. "I can't have you tarnish my reputation as the winner in this family." Jamie stopped himself, and thought carefully on the word family. He ducked his head almost immediately. They were a family now, weren't they? He didn't want to impose, Scarlette hadn't made mention of any sort of marriage or anything. It was just him almost jumping to conclusions, which Jame rarely did.

"We can go on a trip to Flourish and Blotts, or Hogsmeade library if nessecary. That is close by, and I believe rules can be bent just a bit more," Jamie tried to reason out loud. "You're right, we can find them. Although I wish I could have a talk with that doctor."

"Oh," Jamie sat still for a few seconds before standing up to give Scarlette a hug. pulling her close. "I don't want to do anything that will make her more uncomfortable with me. Is there anything you would want me to do in particular?"

[Scarlette Meyers]

Scarlette's eyes shot up just as his dropped when he said that word, and he didn't see her smiling. Is that what they were now, that easily? A family? She sort of loved the idea, and the fact that it had come from Jamie with little to no prompting made her feel a lot more secure about where they were in their relationship. And they didn't have to be married or anything to be a family. "Maybe next holiday we have, we can go look at aparments and places to live?" she offered. She hoped he didn't feel obligated to do any of this, but by the way he was acting, she rather suspected he did not.

"Don't do anything specific for my mum. Just be yourself. I want her to see just how wonderful you can be, you are. She'll love you. And even if she doesn't... it's just you and me anyway, right? We'll figure this out on our own if we have to."

[Jamie Ferrera]

Jamie looked up with a huge smile on his face. She wasn't shooting down the idea of being a family, and she catually rather seemed to like it. His head was spinning, was everything really going to be this easy with Scarlette? If so, life after Hogwarts didn't seem as bad as everyone had made it to be. Jamie felt as if he was getting to plan something to go just the way he wanted. "Next holiday, of course. We just need something simple, it won't cost too much."

Another thing was straying on his mind. "What do you want to do after Hogwarts, Scarlette?" Scarlette was strong-willed. What if she wanted to go to work and get a job? That didn't faze Jamie at all, but what would happen to the baby? Would they need a nanny or maybe find someone close to babysit? Jamie was back to biting his lip.

"I'm really excited," Jamie was feeling a bit nervous as well. "I've really wanted to meet your mom. And I promise I won't embarass you. I'll just be myself." Meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time had always sounded like a stressful situation. And Jamie wasn't sure exactly who he would be around Scarlette's mother. Would he be the sarcastic Jamie that he was around Scarlette, or the calm, quiet one that he was around his own family?

[Scarlette Meyers]

"We could probably get by in a one bedroom apartment," she agreed. "Maybe in Black Cat apartments? That way we can be close to your brother... I mean, we don't have to be. I just thought maybe the help would be nice if we had an emergency. Because I think we can handle this, but what if something happens? Or anyway, it can be anywhere. But the baby can have the living room as a nursary... it's not ideal, but it would be cheap until we can save up a little for something better."

They didn't have to have a well put together apartment. If they had the bedroom, and they turned the living room into the baby's room, so what? It would give them time to get on their feet, to figure things out, and to save up. And maybe someday, in the not too distant future, they could get a house.

When he asked her what she wanted to do, she sighed. She already knew that he wanted to be an Auror, and that scared her, if she were honest with herself. Her father died doing that line of work, and Roland had almost died... what happened to her if she lost Jamie?

"I don't know," she replied. "I kind of wanted to be a curse breaker, and while I think it would be a good idea for us to have two incomes, especially while you're in Auror training, I don't want to leave the baby with someone else to raise them." The Auror deparment didn't pay a lot during the training... they paid enough for one person to live on, but two? Two plus a baby? No. She was going to have to get a job to help keep them afloat. She wasn't going to ask anyone for money, so working was the only other option. "Maybe I'll work nights, and you'll be working during the day, so one of us would always be with the baby." Again, it wasn't ideal, but it wouldn't be forever either.

"Don't stress about my mum too much, okay? It'll be fine."

[Jamie Ferrera]

(Isn't Roland still dead? He wouldn't live there.)

"One bedroom sounds easy," Jamie smiled, not wanting to verbalize that he had been worried that Scarlette might want her own room. It was a ridiculous worry, but it made him feel less like something might happen that could tear their relationship up. "I wouldn't mind being close to Cyrus and Lina, and Mara might have someone to play with for a while. And they'd help us in an emergency, hopefully." Scarlette and Jamie had to be prepared for anything.

Jamie was worried about the two careers thing. Scarlette would still be pregnant when they graduated, and it would be during the third trimester. There was no way that Jamie would feel comfortable with her working. Even after the baby was born, how would Jamie feel about having her not be able to rest at all?

"No," Jamie shook his head, "I want you to be a curse breaker. But I don't think you should pull double duty as a mother and someone just breaking into the workforce. I'll work two jobs for you, just until the baby's a bit older. I don't want you to get burned out. I can handle it until the auror training is over, and we can move on from there."

This was the only issue that had arisen that Jamie felt very strongly on. He was terrified of Scarlette getting too tired to be herself, and if it took Jamie not getting too much sleep for a few months, then that was a fair price to pay. He hadn't a clue that Scarlette was worried about his safety for being an auror.

"I'll try," Jamie smiled.