Chapter 4: Discovered and Scared
3 years later…
Year: 2013
Ginny woke to the sound of a baby's cries and somebody, if she wasn't mistaken, nudging her gently.
"Ginny? Come on, you can't just ignore those cries," Colin said.
Ginny slowly opened her eyes to see Colin in front of her by her bedside.
He looked to be awake for it to be at least 2:35 in the morning.
"Colin, do you even know the slightest about what time it is that you're waking me up at? You're telling me to get up when I literally feel as if I don't have any life in me to be able to get up?"
"Ginny, you know very well that it's been at least 3 years since you gave birth to Lizzie. So, don't even try to tell me you can't get up because I know you can," Colin said sternly.
"Colin," Ginny whined.
"Oh alright, I'll go to her tonight but you've got to start getting up for her. Otherwise, I'm going straight to her father. And I don't think he'd like to get a wake-up call at 2:47 in the morning," Colin warned.
Ginny's eyes were now wide open as he said those last few words.
"Ok, I get the point Colin. But don't you dare ever threaten me like you just did. I know he needs to know but right now, I'm just not ready to tell him ok?"
"Ok, goodnight then, or whatever is left of it," Colin said, getting up from the side of her bed, feeling a sort of calmness that you would feel right after a storm has settled down for the night.
"Thank-you Colin," Ginny mumbled, putting her head back on the pillow.
"That's what I'm here for Gin," Colin said.
"Get some rest. See you in the morning."
And he left her alone for the night.
~*~*~*~
Ginny woke up in the morning to a big snowy white owl with a touch of brown on its feathers, pecking at her hand.
She pulled the covers over her head, in hopes of getting the bird to go away.
The owl started to hoot.
"Oh alright! Enough Already," Ginny mumbled as she sat up and opened her eyes.
"Oh hullo," Ginny said, now noticing the owl. "Aren't you a pretty bird."
It blinked it's eyes at her as she complemented it. Ginny noticed the bird was obviously waiting for a reply. She took the letter from it's leg and opened it and read…
Dearest Sister,
Had to been from Percy. He was the only one that started his letters to her with, 'dearest sister.'
There is no way to say this gently so I'll cut to the chase. I know your secret. I know you have a daughter. If you don't want me to go straight to Mum or and Dad about this then I'd advise you to reply to this. We need to meet and have a "talk" Gin. I know it's not going to be easy explaining how this happened, especially to the family, but you've got to start somewhere.
Sincerely with love,
Percy Weasley
Ginny grunted as she put down the letter and fell back to her pillow closing her eyes as she went.
As soon as her head hit the pillow, the owl hooted again.
Ginny sat back up and said, "Oh yeah, you'd like a reply wouldn't you?"
The snowy owl winked at her signaling that as "yes please".
"Alright, I'm on it," Ginny said, grabbing some parchment and ink.
"You're on what?" a voice asked.
"Oh my idiotic brother, Percy, somehow knows about Lizzie. He wants to meet me somewhere I suppose," Ginny answered.
"What? How'd he find out about her?" Colin asked.
"I don't know but you wouldn't mind if I invited him over here, so we could talk, would you?" Ginny asked.
"No, go ahead," Colin said. "I'll start breakfast."
"Thanks Colin," Ginny said.
"Don't mention it," Colin said. "Remember though, you're getting up for Lizzie tonight when she wakes up."
"Right, got it," Ginny said.
Later on in the day…
"Hullo!" a voice sounded from the fireplace.
Ginny heard Percy's voice and walked into the living room.
"Hello Percy," Ginny said.
"Hullo Gin," Percy said. "So, where is your daughter?"
Ginny gasped for air as Percy mentioned the word: daughter.
"Would you like some tea?" Ginny asked.
"Ginny stop," Percy said.
"Stop what?" Ginny asked.
"Stop trying to change the subject," Percy said. "Where is she? I know you have a daughter. So don't try to deny it because I was the one you bumped into at the grocery store many moons ago."
"Percy that doesn't prove anything and you know it. So if you're going to try to prove a point I suggest you do a little better than that," Ginny said.
"Ok, good point," Percy said.
Ginny looked at him wondering why he was doing this to her. The bigger question was: How did he find out?
"Ok I'll describe her to you," Percy said.
Oh great, where is he going with this? Ginny thought.
Percy continued.
"Little girl about 3 years old I would say. Straight red hair with a touch of curls; freckles trailing across her face just like yours. The clearest and most beautiful gray eyes you could ever find. If she's standing by you, her head comes just a little above your knees. Does that about sum it up about your little girl you call Lizzie? Short for Elizabeth Nicole…. And how could I forget her last name, oh yes, Malfoy."
Percy said it with such vain in his voice as if Mal- Draco were some complete evil person, which in Ginny's opinion, he wasn't. She knew the real Draco. Draco, the person she had left exactly 3 years from today.
Yes, she missed him. She missed him a lot. There had been times when she just wanted to cry out for him in the night when she would hear Lizzie's cries, go into her room, scoop her up in her arms, look directly into her eyes and see Draco. No matter what; each time she saw Draco.
"Gin," Percy said interrupting her thoughts.
Ginny looked at her older brother. She took a deep sigh.
"What do you want me to say Perce? Yes it's true. Yes I have a daughter who looks exactly like her father. It pains me to look at her some days and not be able to see her father looking at me. Do you understand me Perce? Is it bad enough that I love him and that I can't go back to him because of how he might react of the news of his own child?"
Percy looked at her with relief. He got up and sat next down the Ginny, put his arms around her and said, "Go ahead Ginny. Cry if you need to. Merlin knows you probably want to right now."
Ginny looked up at Percy with big and puffy eyes.
"Oh Perce, how am I supposed to face him now? What would he say? What would he do?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know Ginny," Percy said as he held her while she cried.
5 minutes later…
Percy felt a little person's hands tugging at his cloak. He looked down to see a little girl. Lizzie. The little girl who had described to Ginny minutes ago, was now looking straight into his eyes. Ginny was right, you could see Draco in those eyes of her's.
"Well hello there," Percy said as he scooped Lizzie up in his arms.
Lizzie giggled and reached for his nose.
"Lizzie," Ginny said noticing her in Percy's arms.
"Mummy," Lizzie said looking at her mother and then to Percy.
"Whok aark ou ?" Lizzie asked in a jumble phrase towards Percy.
(Translated: who are you?)
"I'm your Uncle Percy," Percy said.
"Uncle Perk," Lizzie managed to get out of her mouth.
"Well, that's better than what you called me," Percy said towards Ginny.
"Percy, you can't tell anybody about her. Please promise me you won't tell," Ginny said.
Percy looked at her.
"Ginny, they have to know sometime," Percy said.
"I know but please promise me," Ginny asked once again.
"Oh alright, I promise."
"Thank-you Percy," Ginny said and hugged him.