the fever of fall

"She asked him?" Charlie hadn't meant to sound so dreadful, when Lily told her the news about Macy and Draco.

"Yeah, that's what dad said." She'd spent a weekend of  picking apples and pumpkins, out at the pumpkin patch with her dad and new fiance Macy.

Charlie couldn't believe it. But then again, she knew Draco never thought of the obvious thing to do. She went back to cutting a slice of hot lasagna for Lily's supper.

"You're not mad, are you?" Lily looked at Charlie as if she'd spoken of a forbidden subject.

"Oh no." Charlie did her best to be her calm self. Still, this had shaken her. She didn't want to be irritated by their decision. She would do her best to always be friends with Lily's father..but still..

She squinted hard with her back to Lily at the kitchen counter.

Why Macy? Macy of all people.

Wasn't Charlie the one who introduced Draco to Macy? She never ever expected this to happen. After all, Macy had been like a little sister. She'd really wanted to be there for her, during her whole pregnancy, but Draco took over.

"Maybe, its because you..always expected her to be on your side, not his." Barry said later when she was cutting him a slice of pumpkin pie, after Lily went to bed.

"I dunno." Charlie didn't like the idea of Macy taking sides. "Maybe." Charlie shook her head. She didn't think so.

"You, aren't mad are you?" Now Barry was asking the same question.

"No." She didn't think so. She didn't want to be.

"I..I just..maybe its too soon." Charlie was straight lipped then, as she sat down with her cup of decaf, and watched Barry eat the slice of goodness.

He gave her a taste at the end of his fork.

"Maybe, we should invite them over." Berry shrugged. "Celebrate or something."

Charlie shook her head slowly as she tasted all the pumpkin spice and sweetness in her mouth. Suddenly, she made a face of disgust. Her eyes sprang up. Was she sick?

She held her stomach and got up quick enough to make it to the bathroom in time.

A few minutes later Barry tapped on the bathroom door and asked if she threw up.

"No." Her voice echoed as she sat on the toilet. The smell was foul and such sewage to come from her own body. Still, she was waiting to throw up. She had intended too. "Just..just a number 2."

This couldn't mean anything. It couldn't. No. Definitely..no. Still, she was certain her body was telling her something.