Fifteen Years - Part Two
Late January
"Mr. Malfoy," called Professor Snape from the portrait hole of the Slytherin common room. "A word."
Liam looked up from the impromptu celebration that had sprung up immediately following his successful capture of the Golden Snitch less than an hour ago thus ending Gryffindor's long reign over Slytherin. His house was almost assured the Quidditch Cup this year.
He followed the head of his house out into the corridor, not quite sure where all of this was going. Snape rarely interfered with celebrating, especially celebrating a decisive win over their chief rival. "Sir," he questioned as he entered the hallway.
Snape looked down his hooked nose at him. "Mr. Malfoy, you are to gather your brother and be ready to stay the night in Hogsmeade. Professor Weasley will take you to your parents within the hour."
"My parents?"
"That is what I said. Now go on." Snape turned smartly, his black robes billowing as he stalked off toward his office.
He stood watching the deputy headmaster, Potions professor and closest thing he had to a grandfather on his father's side of the family disappear into the darkness. Snape wasn't nearly as bad as most students thought, he had a softer side that he rarely showed to anyone inside the walls of Hogwarts. He found it odd that Severus was not forthcoming with any information about his parents. He knew they were there for the match. He'd seen his Mum cheering him and his father looking ridiculously proud. They would visit with him before dinner on match days, but never once in the two years he'd been on the team had they stayed the night in Hogsmeade.
At least to his knowledge anyway.
He'd definitely have to ask Charlie when he came to escort him and Gareth to Hogsmeade. Maybe he would know what was going on since the Weasley clan was always up on what was going on with his mother. That was one thing he learned early on, there were no secrets on Mum's side of the family.
It'd been just over an hour since Severus had first informed him that he and Gareth were going to stay with his parents in town. Despite the third degree he tried to pull on Charlie as they trudged through the snow, it was obvious he knew nothing.
"Shhhh, Gin's asleep," is how his father greeted them after yanking open the door to their rooms over The Three Broomsticks. "C'mon in."
Liam slipped in the doorway to look for his mother. The whole situation struck him as strange. He felt that she would never take a nap, at least not when she was expecting to see her boys right away. He could feel the odd sort of tension in his father even has he hugged Gareth and spoke with Charlie. His eyes settled on the sleeping form of his mother lying on a big feather bed in the other room.
Something was definitely amiss.
He stood staring into the fireplace after removing his heavy winter cloak and leather gloves. He was turning the situation over in his mind. Maybe they were getting a divorce and just waited until Gareth got settled in school. He knew it wasn't likely, but he supposed there was always an inkling of a chance. Stranger things have been known to happen.
It wasn't long before he felt his father's hand on his shoulder. "That was an amazing catch today, monster. Even better than Potter I dare say."
"Really?" Liam asked in disbelief. He'd grown up in a household where Quidditch ruled - where Harry Potter was both revered and hated. He couldn't begin to count hours spent on the Quidditch pitch when he was younger with his father, Harry and Uncle Ron learning and practicing the art of playing the game.
"What I would have given to have seen Potter's face when you made that catch. I suppose I'll just have to settle for breaking the bad news to him that Gryffindor is going down this year."
Liam snickered. He could very well imagine the look on Harry's face. "I think if you closed your eyes, Da, you could see it."
Draco closed his eyes then, a broad smile lit up his features. "How very right you were. I still can't wait to tell him in person - there is nothing like the real thing."
"Is Mum alright?" Liam asked quietly as not to alert Gareth who was digging through the Honeydukes bag on the table. This whole situation just didn't sit well with him. He watched his father's reaction out of the corner of his eye.
"Your Mum is fine," he whispered back, stiffening ever so slightly. "Why do you ask?"
"It's just," Liam started, having to firmly beat down the intense desire to ask to what the hell was going on.
"Your Mum wanted to spend her anniversary with her children."
He nodded his head not believing a word that was just said. There was definitely more to it than just wanting to spend time with the kids judging from his father's reaction. Liam knew he was thrilled at having both of his children away at school. How did Da state it - finally, I have my wife to myself again. It was the long running joke in the family.
Yes, this was more than social visit that much he did know. He was just having a hard time trying to puzzle it out with everyone being so damn cryptic.
"Gareth Black Malfoy!" Draco's loud, accusatory whisper broke the silence they'd fallen into.
Liam turned around in time to see his baby brother get caught red-handed in the Honeydukes bags, mouth smeared in chocolate.
"Sorry, Da," he mumbled, mouth full of the best chocolate money could by. He dropped the piece he had in his hand. "But it's so good!"
"Go get cleaned up before your mother catches you. That was her chocolate. And if you're so hungry there is fruit on the table."
He bowed his redhead shamefully. "Yes, sir."
"Go on," he said, affectionately rubbing his youngest child's head. "We'll eat dinner as soon as your Mum wakes up. Liam, you can put your cases in the other room. Then you can work on homework until dinner."
All three of the Malfoy men settled down for a quiet late afternoon. Liam was sprawled on the floor working on a two-scroll DADA essay on defensive spells due first thing Monday morning. Draco and Gareth were ensconced on the sofa going over his potions essay. Between the warm fire and the quiet of the afternoon, it wasn't long before the boys started to nod off. Neither noticed when Ginny finally woke up.
Hushed whispers drew Liam's attention as he hovered somewhere between being awake and asleep. He cracked an eye open to see his mother leaning over the back of the sofa deep in whispered conversation with his father. When she noticed he was awake, she smiled at him before motioning for him to remain quiet. Gareth was lying against Da's side sound asleep.
He took the few remaining minutes of quiet before Da woke his brother up to observe his parents. They definitely weren't getting divorced, not after that kiss Mum laid on Da. He kept coming back to something being wrong with Mum. It was the only explanation. She did look pale and a good bit rumpled. And Da seemed overly concerned, the questioning looks and not letting go of her hand as she tried to move away. It was the only explanation. He suddenly didn't feel so happy to have escaped for the weekend.
"Who's been in my chocolate?" Ginny turned around to eye the three men in her life, arms crossed, eyebrow quirked up and a very unhappy frown on her face. She'd just ordered dinner and was in the process of clearing the table.
"Not me," Liam piped up immediately, smiling wickedly as Gareth jerked straight up on the sofa, telegraphing his guilt for everyone to see. Draco had just shaken him awake a few moments before.
Draco gave Gareth a quick wink as he put his hand on his arm to still any further incriminating movement. "That would have been me." He turned slowly to face his wife with the most innocent look he could muster. "I was hungry and it's so good. I couldn't resist."
"Draco Malfoy," she whined loudly.
Liam watched in interest as his father scrambled off the couch, making his way quickly across the room to put a stop to his wife's pouting. It always amazed him, the power his father had over his mother. With just a few kisses and a couple of words he could change her mood instantly. She was happy and giggly now in his arms as Gareth stood beside them patiently waiting his turn to give Mum a hug.
When Liam finally made his way over to his Mum she immediately invited him to join the hug she was already sharing with his little brother. She squeezed them both tightly.
"Mum," Gareth mumbled as he started to struggle, face pressed into the gray sweater she was wearing. "Can't breathe!"
Ginny let her baby go so she could lavish attention on her eldest child. "Just look at you, getting more handsome by the day," she said softly, hugging him tightly.
Liam squirmed a little, his cheeks starting to burn red. "Mum, please."
"You look exactly like your father when he was your age," she continued on, completely ignoring his embarrassment. Her fingers tugged lightly on his loose ponytail.
"I'm not cutting it, Mum, learn to deal with it," he replied boorishly. "I like it!" The look that passed between his parents didn't go unnoticed. He knew Mum hated his hair, she thought he looked a bit too much like Grandfather Malfoy for her liking. But he didn't care, he liked his hair long and he was going to keep it no matter what she had to say. "Nope, nothing you can say, Da, will change my mind either."
Ginny sighed heavily, letting go of him. "I didn't say anything. Can we please not have this argument today?"
"Alright," he muttered, relenting under the pointed stare of his father. "But I'm still not cutting it." He knew Da wouldn't stand for him arguing with Mum. It was a no win situation so it was just wise to cut his losses while he was still ahead of the game. "When's dinner? I'm starving!"
"Should be here any minute." Ginny rubbed her tummy unconsciously. "I'm famished too."
The house elves chose that exact moment to show up with a cart full of food and within a matter of minutes the table was laden with just about everything from the menu, including two bowls of mashed potatoes. They fell back into their familiar routine without any hesitation - Da at the head of the table, Mum at his right with the boys across from her.
Dinner was a pleasant affair as they caught up on what was going on at Hogwarts and at home. Liam was so thrilled at being allowed a glass of watered wine he almost missed the fact that his Mum was drinking milk with Gareth. He quickly added that to his growing mental list of things that were wrong. He could barely stand it anymore and after dinner he was going to get to the bottom of the matter one way or another.
Liam was drawn out of his deep contemplation of the situation by his father's suggestion that they have dessert in the sitting area by the fireplace. They shared pumpkin tarts and sparkling apple cider before the presents were broken out. His father knelt before his mother offering her a little box tied up in a green silk ribbon.
"Oh, Draco," Ginny said, her lips trembled as she stared at the diamond anniversary ring. "It's beautiful!"
He pulled the ring out of the box so he could slip it on her finger. "One diamond for every year we've been married. The best fifteen years of my life."
Liam got the distinct feeling that what he and Gareth were witnessing wasn't meant for anyone other than their parents. Da had gotten down on his knees to give her the ring and Mum had managed to slip out to the chair into his arms. She was in tears and he was whispering something to her the boys couldn't make out between kisses. It wasn't that they hid their love or affection for one another from their children, it was just this seemed on a different level somehow, a very private moment.
She had composed herself after a few minutes and allowed her husband to help her up from the floor. He immediately gathered her in his arms, pulling her back against him so he could nip the nape of her neck as his arms slid around her waist.
Liam thought he'd never seen his Mum look happier than she was in that moment. Her eyes were still sparkling from her tears, her cheeks were tinged pink from whatever Da had said to her and she had the happiest, silly grin on her face. He marked fatal illness off his mental list. The list of things wrong had grown exponentially while the list of causes had shrunk at an alarming rate. He was going to have to corner his father soon before his head exploded.
"Mum, are you going to give Da a present?" Gareth asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.
Draco chuckled. "She's already given it to me."
"Oh! What was it?"
"Gareth," Liam warned, rolling his eyes. He had a pretty good idea just what sort of present their Mum had given to Da. He had the misfortune to walk in on them in the study once when he was twelve. "You really don't want to know the answer that."
"Go on, Gin, tell 'em. I don't think I can hold out much longer," Draco said while rocking her gently back and forth in his arms.
"Okay, okay," she said excited. "Boys, your father and I have something very important to tell you."
Gareth elbowed him in the side in an excited effort to get closer to their parents, but Liam was determined not to seem as interested although he was dying to know. He held his face passive, except for the raised eyebrow directed at his brother.
"Well, go on!" Gareth prodded.
He was acting very much like an overly excited puppy in Liam's opinion.
"There is going to be a new addition to the family," Ginny said in a giggly rush.
"We're finally getting a dog! One of those big wolfhound things?" Gareth all but squealed.
"No, Gareth," Draco said, trying hard to keep from laughing at his youngest child's excitement. "Your mother doesn't like dogs remember."
He looked back to his big brother for help.
Then it clicked. Liam blinked as his mouth fell open, the cool aloofness abandoned. All the odd behavior - Mum sleeping when she shouldn't be, the chocolate incident, the milk at dinner, sparkling cider instead of champagne - it all made sense now. He'd been around the Weasley's enough to know the signs of breeding females. Of course, he cursed himself for not recognizing the signs sooner. Then it dawned on him, this was his Mum, not some random aunt. This time it directly affected him. "Excuse me, but I don't think I heard you correctly. Did you say you were having a baby?" His voice was laced with disbelief.
Gareth flopped back against the couch narrowly missing a collision with his brother. "We're getting a baby instead of a dog?" He sounded vaguely defeated.
"And you got into Ravenclaw, how?" Liam glared at his little brother.
"Yes! I'm going to have a baby," she said slowly, but still managing to giggle a good bit.
He looked at his parents, his old, old parents. All the color drained from his face. What would his friends think of him now? It was bad enough he knew they still had sex. And at their age no less! But now other people would know too. "How?" He sucked in a breath, wondering if the sharp tightening in his chest was the physical manifestation of horror of the question he just asked. "No! I don't want to know! I mean I already know how but, HOW? Never mind, when?"
"Why," Gareth asked in a very small voice.
Ginny immediately went to her baby, gathering him in her arms. "Because, pumpkin, it just happened. It wasn't like we planned on this," she said gently to Gareth as she rubbed his back soothingly, but her eyes were locked with her oldest son's unreadable gray ones. "It's a very happy accident."
"I'm surprised we haven't already heard the good news at school," Liam complained bitterly. "The place is damn near over run with Weasleys." One corner of his mouth quirked up at the sound of his father's choked back snicker.
"I'd like to remind you that you are half Weasley young man. And we haven't told anyone yet. We wanted to share the news with you first."
He gave his mother a dubious look. "When?"
"I'm just at thirteen weeks along right now so around the last of July."
Liam squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to absorb the information his mother just dropped on him. "So would I be correct in assuming that the trip to Japan is now cancelled?"
Japan. He couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts after Christmas hols to tell everyone about the trip he had been promised. His parents were planning to take him to Japan for a week of regional Quidditch World Cup finals. They were going to fly on a muggle airplane and everything. He made sure the Gryffindor team captain, Erin Wood, was within earshot when he told his teammates. Talk about if looks could kill; the thought of that moment still made him feel smug. Only now, she'd have the last laugh because he wasn't going after all…
Gareth perked up. "You mean, I won't have to sit through dull, stupid Quidditch matches?"
He punched his little brother in the ribs. "Shut up!"
"Don't hit your brother," Draco commanded in a very stern voice after Gareth yelped in pain. "There is no way your mother can go now and I am not leaving her at home by herself."
"Gareth can stay with her!"
"No, he's too young."
Ginny reached for her oldest son's arm. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I know you were looking forward to Japan."
Liam snatched his arm away. "Don't touch me!" He shook with anger as he stood up from the sofa to glare at his Mum. "Why can't you just be like normal parents?" he screamed in frustration. "You're so embarrassing! Oh Merlin! And mother - at your age! Really!"
Gareth and his father looked at him as if he'd sprouted a second head, but it was the pained looked that his mother gave him that told him his words had more than hit the mark. His stomach clinched painfully with the guilt of what he'd just said and that fact he was sure his father was going to kill him. He escaped to the safety of the second bedroom, slamming the door hard behind him.
He waited for his father to come after him, but he didn't. So he sank to the floor in front of the fireplace, arms around his knees as he rocked back and forth, mindlessly staring into the flickering light while he turned the events of evening over and over in his mind. The only thing he'd decided on was it had most definitely been one hell of evening.
Sometime later he heard the door softly snick open. He assumed it was Gareth coming to bed; he was sure it was late. The sound of rummaging through a case was the only noise besides the crackling of the fire.
"She's the only Mum you'll ever have," his father said softly.
Liam dropped his head down to rest on his knees. He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears from falling.
"She loves you more than anything."
"I know."
"I didn't appreciate my Mum for years. She died before I could make full amends for my actions. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret the things I said to her," Draco continued on, his voice cracked with emotion.
"Mum isn't going to die is she?"
"Not for a long, long time hopefully."
No more words were exchanged as his father gathered Gareth's things before leaving him to ponder what had been said. To be honest he'd expected Da to really let him have it. He deserved it, he'd admit that much. The few quiet words his father had spoken were far more effective than anything he could have yelled. What really gave him pause was the concern that was evident in his father's voice, like he was scared of losing Mum. There was never a time that he could remember in his fourteen years and seven months that he could remember his father being scared of anything. Maybe his father, the great Draco Malfoy, was not the invincible wizard he'd always imagined him being, but instead just a man who loved his family dearly.
He knew then what he had to do, it just took him a while to work up the courage to do it.
From the doorway, Liam could see his parents lying together in the middle of the bed drenched in moonlight. Mum was draped over several pillows, one knee drawn up so she couldn't lie directly on her stomach, but as close to it as possible. Da was close behind her, lying on his side, his hand resting on her hip. That was one thing he noticed about his parents - they were always touching in some way or another. Even though he found it embarrassing, he knew it meant that his parents had a very deep, loving connection to one another. He'd never given it much thought until now, but somehow he found it rather comforting.
"Mum," he whispered as he stood by the bed. He waited for her to stir before he tried it again, a little louder. "Mummy."
"Liam," she questioned groggily as she turned on her side to look up at him.
"Can we talk?"
"Yes, of course." Ginny struggled to get out of bed as she had to pry her grumbling husband's hand off her hip before she could make a move. He turned over in a huff once she was out of reach. She slipped on Draco's thick dressing robe and followed her son into the second bedroom. Gareth was sleeping soundly on the sofa.
Liam immediately wrapped his arms around her middle, burying his face in the folds of the robe as he hugged his Mum tight. He was almost to her shoulders now in height. "I'm so sorry, Mum, for what I said."
She wrapped her arms around him, kissing the top of his head. "I know you didn't mean it, baby."
"I shouldn't have said it." He gave her a tight squeeze. "I love you, Mummy."
"I love you so much, Liam." She took a deep breath. "I'm very sorry for ruining your trip. Please believe me when I say I didn't do this on purpose."
He finally let go of her and led her over to the bed so she could sit. He'd observed Da taking care of her like that all night so he figured he'd best do it too. "Deep down I know that, but I'm still a little angry."
"You have every right to be - I would be too. But your father and I are trying to work out a way that you could still go."
"Really?"
She gave him a soft smile. "Really. You left before I could explain earlier."
Liam bowed his head in shame. "I'm so sorry."
"It's alright. I'm just glad that you're talking to me again." She ran her fingers through his soft, loose hair. "You are so much like your father. He has to go off and brood a while too."
"I'm a lot like him then?" He finally smiled for the first time then.
"So much so, sometimes it's scary," Ginny snorted.
"Why now, Mum?"
"I don't know. As my Mum always said, babies seldom wait to be invited."
"Was I invited?" Liam asked with all the seriousness in the world.
Ginny laughed. "No, sweetheart, you weren't, but you're the best thing that ever happened to me and your father. If you hadn't come along we might not have gotten married for another few years."
"How can you be so sure he would have eventually caved?"
"Because what we have is special and he couldn't have fought it forever."
He might have thought his parents were embarrassing at times, but it made him feel better knowing that his Mum was so confident about Da. He knew he could always count on them being together.
"How about Gareth? Party crasher was he now?"
"Yes, guilty as charged. Just please don't tease him about it."
He nodded gravely; disappointed that he couldn't hold it over his baby brother's head. Teasing him until Gareth cried had always been particularly fun, but the look Mum was giving him told him that it would not be tolerated. Well, they'd be back at Hogwarts soon enough what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her…
"That means even when you're back at school too young man," she admonished.
Liam looked up into his Mum's amused brown eyes; he always hated it when it felt like she could read his mind. "Yes, ma'am. I won't be allowed to tease the new baby then?"
"No," she smiled. "You're getting too old for that, but you'll always be my baby boy." She pulled him into a hug.
"Mother, please," he muttered, squirming out of her embrace. "I'm supposing you want a girl then?" He eyed the general region of her stomach while thinking a sister might not be so bad. After all, he'd be at Hogwarts most of the year anyway. If it made Mum happy, then he could live with it he guessed.
She smiled warmly. "Yes, I would very much like to have baby girl."
"What about the Malfoy curse? And there are only three female Weasleys counting you! The odds aren't so good."
"You sound like your father. He insists that the baby," she said in a slightly irritated voice as she rubbed her tummy through the robe, "will be a boy. So does Gareth. I'm willing it to be a girl."
He tentatively reached out to touch her stomach. "I'm with you on this one, Mum. I want it to be a girl just to spite them."
"I knew I loved you for a reason," she giggled as she took his hand and pressed it against her still soft belly. "When we come up for your match next month I will be showing then."
Liam looked at his Mum, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "We should get to name it if it is a girl and they get to name it if it is a boy."
"I dunno, baby, your father wanted to name you Balthazar as I recall."
"Balthazar? Really? Ewww."
"See what I mean?"
"Yeah, but Mum, there is no way we're going to lose at this!"
"How do you figure?" she asked
He gave her his most devious Malfoy grin. "Allow me to explain."