"Why did you spread the 'gossip'?" Percy asked, still with his back on Penelope, refusing to acknowledge her insult on his neighbour. He feared he might lose the speck of calm he has if he turns his heels.

"What are you talking about?" Percy heard her asking, making him ball his fists. "What gossip?"

"Don't you play dumb with me, Clearwater," Percy hissed, turning 180° with curled fists and blazing rage blinding his sight. Penelope froze, eyes wide as she absentmindedly placed a protective hand over her lower belly. Penelope found herself speechless and weak, fear in her heart and her skin pale.

"Why are you so-"

"Furious?" Penelope pressed her lips together, a lump in her throat. "Oh, you know. Rumours spread around like wildfire in a dry forest here."

"What rumour?" Penelope asked, wanting to be anywhere but here for her and her child's safety. Percy stepped closer to observe Penelope's facial expression to find no hints that she might be lying. "Are you ok?"

"You spread around about Oliver and me, didn't you?" Percy points his finger at the blonde girl who still hasn't shown any recognition of his words. "You told everyone about Oliver's affair with me!"

"I didn't!"

"Don't lie to me!" Percy boomed as he rushed forth to Penelope's direction, causing her to frantically take more steps back to the point of her back crashing onto the wall behind her. Percy had never been this angry before, not only at her but at anyone at all. He may be a terrible fist-to-fist fighter but she knows how ruthless he can be with magic, even wandless and non-verbal. "The whole Gryffindor Quidditch team beat us up earlier today as everyone heard of Oliver's affair with me. Harry said you told Chavéz!"

"It's not me!" Penelope defended herself, her fingers pushing him away. "I mean, I did tell Flint in the beginning and I did tell Rosa, but that's it! I don't tell anyone else and I know Rosa wouldn't tell anyone!"

"Don't lie-"

"I'm not!" Penelope cuts Percy's words, exasperated. Not long after, Penelope's face changed expressions from horror to realisation, eyes wide as saucers as her breathing slowed down, licking her lips. "I think Flint did this," Penelope answered, her eyes looking anywhere but Percy, biting her bottom lip.

"And how would you know?"

"Last week after the confrontation I got hit with a full-body bind curse by someone, but I can't recall who or why," Penelope recalled. "My vision turned black and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor in front of the Slytherin Common Room. I don't know why, but maybe they questioned me and put memory charms on me."

"Shit, that sounds like something Flint and his mates would do," Percy cursed, his right hand on his hip as the fingers of his left hand are on his face. "And I've let Oliver go by himself."

"So?"

"Which means there's a chance he and his Slytherin mates will attack him and he's alone right now," Percy finished his sentence. "Hopefully, they won't find him. But if they did-"

"He's fucked."

"That's one way to say it," Percy rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing. "And the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team knows about the baby too, just great."

"How?"

"Ask Harry Potter how he knew, it's quite an interesting story," Percy answered. Penelope looked down at her shoes, not knowing what to say or feel. She knew the secret would have to come out in a way- she hoped it wasn't this way. "I tried to get us to leave, but Harry suddenly spoke about how Colin Creevy heard about your pregnancy from Luna who heard it from Cho Chang who heard it from Rosa Chavéz. So much for trust and loyalty."

"You told Wood!"

"Oliver told no one, unlike your liar friend!" For the first time in her life, Penelope watched as Percy struck Penelope's wrist and twisted it, causing the girl to moan in pain.

"P-Percy!" Penelope exclaimed, trying to break free from Percy's grip but he wouldn't let her go, alarming her. "I knew what Rosa did, okay! I knew and I forgave her!"

"Why?"

"You don't know what it's like to have no one!" Penelope exclaimed, causing the redheaded boy to make no noise out of shock. "After the break-up, you sought to be Wood's boyfriend and that's good for you. My life doesn't revolve around you, Rosa is my friend. Through my morning sickness she tried to help and comfort me, when I avoided eating at all because I'm feeling bloated she tried to urge me, when I told her about the pregnancy she helped me with pregnancy books and stuff, did you do that?" Percy looked away guiltily. "Huh? Did you do that? I know what she did but I forgave her! She didn't tell Cho out of malice, it was an accident!"

"Well, we have to tell our parents now, since it's gone this far!"

"Fine-" Penelope nodded, taking Percy's hand. He resisted, but she insisted. "I already have a small bump. Would you like to touch your child?"

Penelope rested his hand over her lower belly, where her uterus would be. It's true, he can feel how it's firmer than her abdomen. Percy can't help but feel the edges of his lips get pulled upwards as his breathing slowed down, gently pressed her lower stomach to make sure what he was feeling was real.

"I love you," Percy whispered to Penelope's ears. Penelope smiled sadly, knowing that those words weren't meant for her, but for the baby she carries. Maybe he's saying it as a way to thank her for wanting to carry the baby, she doesn't know, but the words taste as sweet as honey to her ears and she loves it.

"We should go to Professor Dumbledore, now," Penelope stopped the hug. Percy nods, together with his ex they descended from the stairs.