Our First Look (Cedric)

Cho was so nervous, she could not believe she was having her first ultra sound. Cedric was with her, but then again he was the only one with her. Her family refused to speak or even glance at her, and Cho had not even had the heart to ask. Gently she took her beloved's hand as they waited for the doctor. This visit would also serve as her checkup and the Healer would check her health as well as their baby's. Stroking the top of Cedric's hand with her thumb she closed her eyes against the pillow.

This past year had been so hectic and they were still no closer to independence then what they had originally been. Her beloved had finally started his internship, which meant they had a little more money than before. But not enough for them to own their own house. So until then they were still living in the Leaky Cauldron.

"Ced?" she said softly. "Would you mind getting me some orange juice? I have had the worst craving for it all day."

That was another thing they needed to speak with the Healer about, they needed to discuss her strange liquid diet. Seeing that she clearly did not get his attention she lightly pinched his arm.

"Cedric, are you okay?" she continued. "You haven't said a word all morning."

Cedric was a nervous wreck. He had just started his internship at the Ministry and had to face his estranged father every day, he was working his @#!*% off to study for his NEWT's, he was preparing mentally for when he became a father himself. And that part was coming very soon. Today he and his fiancée were sitting in St. Mungo's, awaiting someone to call Cho's name so that she could have an ultrasound done. It would be their first one, and Cedric knew that it was a bit late for the first. Cho should have been receiving care from a Healer since day one of her pregnancy, not to wait months. If he'd been a better provider for her, he would have done whatever it took to get her that care.

He looked up as he felt a pinch on his arm and Cho asked if he was all right. He smiled and nodded, telling her that he was fine. He just had so much on his mind that he was finding it hard to concentrate on what he had going on at the present moment a lot of the time. That certainly got him into a little bit of trouble when he was at work. Fortunately he had some good news for Cho today. One of their immediate problems had a forseeable solution. They needed a permanant home as the Leaky Cauldron was no place for an expectant mother to be living. They needed a place of their own. One where Cho could feel that no one was staring at her, and putting judgement on her situation, and it seemed that the Ministry wanted to do something about this.

They had given Cedric a list of flats to look at that were very reasonably priced and that would, for the time being, be able to work with the young couple on the rent. They did this only for Ministry members, and Cedric's father had spoken with some of the landlords, without his son knowing. Ced had initially said no, since he was still not on speaking terms with Amos, but his anger had given way to the needs of his fiancée and soon-to-be child. He'd taken the list, and thanked the Minister.

He got up and went to get Cho's orange juice for her, bringing it back and clearing his throat as he resumed his seat and handing the cup to her.

"Cho, how would you like to move out from above the Leaky Cauldron?"

Cedric

Well of course Cho did not want to have to live above a dusty bar for the rest of her life, but she knew that it was the best they could do with her being pregnant and him just starting to work at the Ministry. Still, having their own place would make things so much easier. Cho wanted a little apartment with tons of windows that would look out all over the country side. She wanted their little home to be picture perfect. It didn't have to be fancy or super modern, just so long as it had enough windows and kept her and her beloved safe and warm.

"Well of course I would love that Cedric," she said gently. "Did you have something in mind? Where did you get the money for it?"

Cho knew that Cedric had his heart on something perfect, something that they would both be able to raise their little one in comfortably. But comfort cost money and at the present moment they didn't have too much of that. Gently as she could she took his hand and squeezed it. Just that he was there was enough for her, they didn't need a fancy house, or nice things. If Cho had her beloved with her she would be happy.

"I hope the Healer hurries up soon...I don't like the way the nurses keep looking at me. It's a bit embarrassing. I feel like they are making fun of us when we are not listening or paying attention."

Cedric was sure that the Healers and nurses weren't making fun of them. They had other patients that they needed to see, and didn't have time to pay attention to a pair of teenage parents. Besides that, he knew that they couldn't be the first teens to be having a baby that the staff of St. Mungo's had seen. That would be like an ostrich with its head in the ground. Hiding from the truth of the world. Teens had sex now, just like they had in the past, and would in the future. And sometimes, like in the case of himself and Cho, it didn't matter what precautions they took, a baby could still be created. This child was one of the lucky ones. It was wanted by its parents. But Cedric refused for his baby's mother to continue her pregnancy in a dingy little room above the Leaky Cauldron.

"The Ministry has heard of our living situation. They offered me a few places for us to see today, and if we like any of them, the Ministry will pay our first month's rent and the deposit, and the landlords would be willing to work with us on the rent. Whatever we would be able to pay each month, and a few of them have all utilities paid." He pulled the list from his pocket and handed it to her, pointing out which ones would be the best value to them. He didn't want to push her, but he just had to get her out of that room. She needed security, and Cedric was determined to ensure as much comfort as he could for her.

"They are only available to the Ministry members, so I am extremely grateful for my position, and I hope there's one that we do like."

Cho set the pictures to the side. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in looking at them, it was just that it felt a bit overwhelming at the present moment. She did not want to have to think about how much responsibility they were both going to have. At the present moment she was just content with dealing with one thing at the time. And this one thing was the most important.

"We can talk about it later honey," she said gently. "Let's just focus on the baby right now?"

Cho was scared, Cedric didn't seem so, but Cho woke up terrified. She hid it from Cedric. She would wake up at two in the morning and just stare at the ceiling for hours on end wondering how they were going to survive, how they were going to teach their baby that sex before marriage was wrong, how they were going to be good parents. Cho was terrified, and it racked her whole body with a sort of fever.

She was too scared to tell Cedric, too scared that it would break his heart to know that she was terrified of being pregnant...but she knew that one day he would catch her. It was only a matter of when...when would her beloved figure out that she was making herself sick over this whole ordeal.

Cedric took Cho's hand. He knew that she had been trying to hide it, but she was afraid. No, he thought as he looked out of the corner of his eye at her, she was petrified. He knew that it was because everything was happening so fast, and she more than likely thought that he had the feeling that everything was under control, but in truth, Cedric was just as scared as she. He just hid it deep inside.

How was he going to be a father to this child? He was just barely an adult himself, and had not been...... Cedric sighed. He'd not been able to think everything through yet. Here they were, living above the Leaky Cauldron, Cedric doing odd jobs and taking as many hours at the Ministry as he could to provide for his fiancée and coming child. He wanted the baby. That he would never deny. Not for as long as he lived. But he'd not been expecting to be a parent at the age of eighteen. And to go with that, he was afraid of losing Cho. There were times she seemed to be so fragile, he feared that she might not make it through her pregnancy or delivery. That scared him just as much as the thought of being a parent. Losing his love and their baby.

He took her hand and squeezed it tightly, wanting reasurance that she was there and wasn't leaving him. He knew that they needed to talk about what they were feeling, how frightened they were about what was happening in their lives, and how they were powerless to stop it. But Cho had wanted to keep their mindset upon the baby. The baby that they were going to see for the first time today. If the Healer ever arrived to do the ultrasound. But finally he couldn't take it anymore. He needed to know she understood.

"Cho? I have to tell you something. I'm terrified. About us becoming parents, about what's going to happen to you when you deliver, where we're going to live......EVERYTHING."

He turned his eyes to her briefly, then dropped them to the floor. He felt a mild sense of relief in telling her, but it also seemed that it would be short lived if something good didn't happen to the young coulple soon.

Cho was a bit shocked to hear that Cedric WAS actually afraid, and it just made her fear increase. Cedric was her rock, and if he was scared...who would protect her and the baby. She looked up at him and gently took his hand. They would just have to try and band together...try and be brave for their baby. There was nothing else they could really do other than be strong and take care of one another. There was no one else in the world that would be willing to help them if they hit rock bottom.

"It's okay baby," she said gently. "We will figure this out together....we can be strong as one."

Gently she pulled him to sit on the bed with her and gently brought his hand under her top so he could feel her belly. She was showing now, so it was far easier for Cedric to find their little one. She remembered when he had first found out. He would spend nights kissing her belly all over saying that at least one of those kisses would find their little one.

"I think we'll be just fine honey...and we can look for our own place soon. I just don't want to overwhelm you...or myself. There's no real hurry...I know you don't want me living in the Leaky Cauldron all my life....but the baby isn't due for a couple more months...we have time my love...we have time."

Somehow, resting his hand on Cho's stomach, directly over their growing little one, calmed Cedric. His mind cleared and he was able to focus on what was important. They were there to see an image of this child. Their child. The little being that he and Cho had created together. Nothing else mattered at that moment, but the fact that there was a tiny little being inside the woman that he loved, and he would do anything to protect them both.

He smiled as he felt this calm come over him. Funny that this was all it took to make him feel better. To have his hand against the bump that was his growing child. He smiled at Cho and leaned down to kiss where his hand was. This was so precious to him, he vowed then and there that they were going to be all right, no matter what he had to do. If he had to work three shifts at the Ministry and take his NEWT's the next week to graduate from Hogwarts early, he would do it. If he had to sell everything he owned to provide for his fiancée and baby, he would happily do that as well. Of course he knew that it would never come to either of those things, but he would still do it without question. But first, seeing their baby and then going to look for a place to live. Cedric was not going to have Cho living in that tiny little room for another month. If there was a place that she liked on the list and he could arrange it, they would be in a new home within the week.

"Cho, I don't know what has just happened, but as soon as you put my hand on our baby, I instantly became calmer than I have been in a while. We'll be all right. The three of us will have a wonderful future. I promise." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly.