Disclaimer: Hey, I wish I had the ingredients to do the Polyjuice Potion, to make myself look like J.K Rowling, but I would still lack the writing talent, so stick with me…
I do not own Harry Potter… And, I'm really sad that I don't own Draco Malfoy (*sobs*). Oh well, life goes on!
Chapter 11 - Birthday Party
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"Hello family!" Ginny cheered when she got home and found that Ron and the twins were there with their families.
"What are you so happy about?" Fred asked, when he saw the dreamy look on her face.
"I'm just happy to see my family, that's all!" she said half the truth. She did love to be with her family. When the twins had left the Burrow, everything became too silent and boring… She would always miss their jokes, the sounds of the explosions in their bedroom… Everything about them!
Ron had been her only brother then, and they got even closer than they already were. But everything comes to an end, and Ron married Luna, and left Ginny as well… She had no one with her again. Thankfully she had her classes to attend and her new relationship with Carlo… But now, she loved the silence and the privacy of the Burrow.
There was no need to worry about the twins' pranks every time she ate breakfast or washed her hair. Everything was relaxingly calm…
"Ginny, what is it?" Luna insisted, her big blue eyes fixed on her friend. She was sure there was something else behind Ginny's words.
"We'll talk about that upstairs, ok? Right now, I want to kiss and hug my babies!" Ginny said, kneeling on the floor and opening her arms to hug her nephews.
The four of them ran to her arms and hugged her between giggles and laughter.
"I like your hugs!" Sean said, kissing his aunt's cheek.
"So do I, sweetie… Hey, I know there's a birthday party tomorrow, but I don't know who's the birthday person and I can't buy the present. Can you help me?" she asked, trying to look innocent. She knew perfectly well whose birthday it was.
"It's our birthday!" the twins, Anthony and Andrew, yelled. "What's our present?"
"Oh Merlin, how could I forget!" she gasped in mock shock. "I don't know what to buy to my favourite twins!"
"Hey, we resent that!" Fred and George replied, with big grins on their faces.
Ginny laughed, and winked at them.
"Tomorrow I'll think of something…" she finally said.
"Ginny, please don't spoil them! They have you wrapped around their small hands…" Angelina complained, with a big smile.
"I know, but I like to spoil them…" Ginny giggled, hugging Andrew and Anthony in a tight hug. As she did so, Ginny noticed Jessica take a couple of steps back, lowering her head and dropping her red haired doll on the floor. "Jessica, what is it?"
The twins left Ginny's embrace and went back to their parents side, dragging Sean with them. The little toddlers knew that something was wrong and were giving both girls some privacy. Smart kids…
"Nothing…" Jessica replied in a small sad voice that broke Ginny's heart. She truly was a sucker for her little babies.
"Sweetie, you know I love you very much, don't you? So, why don't you tell me what's wrong and I'll try to help?" Ginny insisted, pacing her hand under the girl's chin, to make Jessica look her in the eye.
"I want a present as well…" she complained, a few tears in her eyes. Ginny almost laughed when she heard the little girl. She was jealous of the twins! "I want to blow the candles on the cake…"
"Oh, you silly girl! Your birthday is next month, and then you'll have a party of your own, with lots of presents and candles to blow… Tomorrow it's the twins birthday, and they are the special persons…" Ginny explained, soothing the girl. "But we can let you blow the candles… Do you want to?"
"YES!" Jessica screamed excitedly, surprising everyone in the living room.
"Good… Now, go play with your dolly while I talk with Aunt Luna!" Ginny said, kissing the girls nose and calling Luna to follow her upstairs.
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"What's going on, Gin? Why are you smiling like a crazy woman?" Luna asked, as soon as they arrived at Ginny's sanctuary, her bedroom.
"I've kissed him…" she sighed, throwing her tired body on the comfy bed, staring at the ceiling.
"You what?" Luna choked.
"He invited me for dinner, we talked about hundreds of things and then we had some wine in front of a beautiful fire and I've kissed him…" Ginny explained. "And it felt wonderful, although I've apologised and left right next."
"Did he correspond?" Luna asked, in a concerned voice.
"He kissed me back, yes…"
"Ginny, I don't want you to suffer, you know that, but please, listen to me… Be sure of what you want, before you go any further." Luna said in a worried voice, patting Ginny's knee. "Make sure it's not just a crush, make sure it's not just an adventure… Remember he's your boss."
"I know all that, Luna… But I don't feel like I have a crush on him! We have so many things in common, we had a great talk tonight, and although he can be a great git, I enjoy his company… I think I fell in love with him!" Ginny explained, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Tonight, Thomas told me he loved me… Can you imagine how good it felt to hear that?"
"Ginny, remember your position in that house… I know you love Thomas, and you want desperately to help him, but remember, you won't stay with him forever, and the day you have to separate, you'll both suffer… It would be better if you kept a little distance between both of you!" Luna advised, pain filling her heart to having to say those things to her best friend.
"I know…" was all Ginny replied, before she fell asleep in that position, with her clothes still on.
Luna covered Ginny with a blanket and sat on the bed, watching her friend sleep. She seemed to be serious about loving Draco Malfoy, and Luna was happy, she really was. Draco had been in love with Ginny back at Hogwarts, and Ginny had loved him back, but they never knew of each other's interest. Luna had been the only one to know, and she had done something to prevent Ginny's suffer. Maybe she should have let them get together and cope with their feelings, but she couldn't do it then, and she couldn't do it now.
To love Draco, right now, would only make Ginny suffer… Luna believed Draco still loved Ginny back, but there was more at risk…
"I'm happy Thomas has you by his side, Ginny… Neville would have been so happy to see you taking care of his baby." Luna whispered, a tear rolling down her face at the memories of the past. "Just make sure you don't break his heart… I'm sure it would be a second trauma for him!"
With that said, Luna went back downstairs, to her husband strong arms, her little boy in her own arms. She was lucky to have her family here with her, and she could only hope dear Thomas would one day be as lucky.
Next morning Ginny woke up early and went to Diagon Alley to buy presents for the twins, Sean, Jessica and Thomas. It would be impossible for her to give presents only to the twins, and leave the others out. As for Thomas' present, she had a plan, and could only hope Draco would let her carry on with it.
"Good morning, Miss Weasley!" a house-elf said, as he opened the Malfoy Manor's door. "Let me help…"
"Thank you…" she smiled, as the house-elf helped her with the present bags. "You can leave them in the leaving room… Where is Mr. Malfoy?"
"Master is out… In France for 2 days." The creature explained, retreating to the living room with all the bags.
"But I needed his authorisation! Well, Draco doesn't have to find out about our day out…" she grinned mischievously, running to Thomas' bedroom and jumped on his bed, waking him up.
"Good morning, Thomas! It's a beautiful day outside!" she said with a big smile on her lips, as she kissed his forehead.
"Why are you so happy?" he asked, smiling at her good humour, and rubbed the sleep from his brown eyes.
"Harry asked me the same thing last night!" she giggled. "Well, Mr. Malfoy is out for 2 days, and today it's my twin nephews birthday party… I thought that you would like to go with me and have some fun!"
The boy's face became sad and pale.
"Thomas, what's the problem?"
"I've never had a birthday party… I don't even have friends!" he complained.
"I know, and that's why I'm taking you to the party… I'm sure you'll love my family as much as they'll love you!" she replied, taking him in her arms to the bathroom. And so they started their daily routine.
After she bathed and dressed Thomas, she gave him breakfast and they took a walk in the garden. The boy seemed to be very excited about meeting children of his age, and being part of a birthday party. His face held a huge smile all morning, and he often asked when would they go to Ginny's house.
"We're going at lunch time…" Ginny would repeat, with a smile on her face.
Finally lunch time came, and Ginny Floo-ed with Thomas to the Burrow, surprising Molly Weasley, whom had been cooking in the kitchen.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley, you've scared me!" she yelled at her youngest daughter, not noticing the blond boy in the wheelchair.
"Sorry Mum… Can you add two more seats for lunch?" Ginny grinned, kissing her mother's chubby cheek.
"Two? Aren't you supposed to be working?" Molly asked, waving her cooking spoon at Ginny.
"I am working… Mum, meet Thomas, Thomas, this is Molly Weasley, my wonderful mother!" Ginny said, with a big smile.
Molly noticed the boy at last, and just opened her mouth in shock.
"Ginny, why did you bring him here?" Molly asked, still shocked.
"Mother, that's no way of treating my guest! What's the problem of having Thomas over here?" Ginny asked, sad with her mother's reaction. Thomas seemed to be sad as well.
"I'm sorry, I was just surprised, and that's all!" Molly said, her usual smile coming to her face again. She walked to the boy and surrounded him in a typical Molly Weasley hug. "Welcome to the Burrow, darling! It's great to meet the boy Ginny's working with… Come, let me introduce you to my grandchildren!"
Thomas just nodded his head, not daring to say anything. This was the second time someone he didn't know acted kindly towards him. The first person to do so had been Ginny, and here he was, being hugged and tenderly treated by her mother.
Ginny followed her mother and Thomas to the small garden, and smiled happily. Her mother had accepted Thomas, just like she had expected. Molly had a huge heart, and she would never refuse someone in need of motherly care.
The twins, Sean and Jessica were running around the garden, chasing the gnomes. Once in a while, one of them would catch a gnome and throw it as far as they could. Unfortunately, Jessica and Sean were the smallest and they would trip on their feet and fall in mid-chase, getting all dirty of grass and earth. When they eventually managed to catch a gnome, they couldn't throw it very far, and the gnomes would come after Jessica and Sean and tickle them merciless.
"Kids, come here! I want you to meet someone!" Molly yelled, making them stop their fun.
The four kids stopped and looked at their grandmother, and noticed their aunt Piggy as well. They immediately ran to her and hugged her, as they always did.
"Good morning, my darlings! I see you're having fun trying to de-gnome the garden!" Ginny laughed, rubbing Sean's nose, which was full of dirt.
"It's too hard…" Sean complained, in a pout.
"That's because you trip over your feet all the time!" Andrew laughed, and Sean blushed a deep scarlet, so much like Ron.
"Well, first of all, congratulations Andrew and Anthony!" Ginny smiled, kissing both twins. "And now, I want you to meet Thomas, he's a boy I've been working with and he's my friend… I would like you all to be his friends as well!"
The four kids looked at the boy in the wheelchair and remained silent.
"Aunt Piggy, why does he have a chair with big wheels?" Jessica asked.
"That's because Thomas can't walk… He has a problem with his legs! That chair helps him move around." Ginny explained patiently.
"He can't run like us?" Sean asked, surprised.
"No, he can't… Not yet, anyway! That's why I'm working with him, to make him better!" Ginny explained, with a big smile directed at a shy Thomas.
"Our aunt is OURS! You cannot have her!" Jessica yelled suddenly, at burst in tears.
Thomas seemed shocked with the girl's reaction and his face became pale and worried.
"Jessica is right! We don't want you here!" Anthony said, with a scowl.
Her four nephews were being very unfair to Thomas… Ginny had never expected such a negative reaction from them, and she told them so.
"Kids, you are being unfair to Thomas and to me! I brought him here, because he has no friends of his age… I thought you all would like a new friend, as well! Why are you treating him like this, when you don't even know him?" Ginny asked, anger all over her face.
"You are our aunt… We don't want you with him!" Andrew mumbled. He hated to see his aunt in a bad mood. It always looked like she would explode.
"You're jealous…" she sighed, understanding what was going on. "Kids, you all know how much I love you, don't you? You are my nephews and my small babies, no matter what! But my heart is very big, and in it there's place for everyone… Your parents, the four of you, grandma, grandpa, Harry, Hermione, Thomas and many more people! Can you accept that I love Thomas as I love each one of you?"
The four kids nodded their heads in understanding, and approached Thomas, extending their hands for him to shake.
"Hello, my name is Anthony, this is my twin Andrew, and those are our cousins Sean and Jessica… Welcome to the Burrow!" Anthony smiled, a small blush on his cheeks. "We're sorry for what we said."
"It's ok. I'm Thomas…" the boy said with a small smile, accepting the apologies.
Soon, they were all talking about Thomas' wheelchair, and the twins were starting to have crazy ideas about riding Thomas' chair down the hill to see how fast it would go.
Thankfully Ginny placed a charm on it, to prevent possible accidents. With those twins around, one could never be careful enough.
"He seems to be a sweet boy, Gin…" her mother said, as they both watched the kids through the kitchen window.
"He is, mom… I'm happy the kids are starting to accept him. Thomas never had someone his age to play with, and I'm sure he'll have a great time today…" Ginny smiled, her heart full of happiness for the young boy.
The 5 kids had a great day, they tried to ride Thomas' chair, and screamed happily, while Thomas laughed, sitting against a tree trunk, they took a wonderful bath in the small pond, they played exploding snap… They had a day full of fun, and it was now dinnertime, but they were all falling asleep on the comfy couches.
"Look at them, they can't even remain awake for dinner!" Kate smiled, covering her baby girl with a pink blanket.
"It's the first time I see my little monsters refusing to have dinner… They usually eat more than Ron, Fred and George combined!" Angelina giggled, caressing her boy's cheeks. "Thomas is a very cute boy, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is…" Ginny replied, watching the boy sleep.
At that moment, Ron and Luna arrived at the Burrow and silently went to the living room. The two of them smiled at their sleeping child and then noticed the blond boy, sleeping next to Sean.
"Who is that boy? I never saw him around here…" Ron asked in a whisper.
"Ginny… That's… Thomas?" Luna asked, in shock.
"Yes, I brought him to have fun with the other kids… They had a great day, Luna!" Ginny smiled, incapable of reading her friend's surprise.
"Ginny?" a small voice weakly called.
"Yes, Thomas, I`m right here, you can go back to sleep…" Ginny replied, with a smile.
The boy's brown eyes locked on Luna, and he stared at her in deep thought.
"Hello, Lulu… You haven't visited!" he said, surprising everyone in the room.
"You… know Luna?" Ginny asked, looking from Luna to Thomas, and back again at Luna.
"Yes, she used to visit me, when I was little… But when my mom… she never visited again!" Thomas replied, rubbing his eyes with his pale hand.
"Luna, you knew him all along? Who is his mother? Is father? How could you know and not tell me?" Ginny asked, feeling betrayed and hurt with her friend.
"I couldn't Ginny… And I still can't. I've promised secrecy, and I'll honour my word until the end!" Luna replied, tears rolling down her face, as she walked over to the couch and kneeled in front of Thomas' small frame. "I'm sorry for not visiting you, Thomas, but there were a few problems… How are you?"
"I'm ok…" he replied in a whisper.
"That's great…" she whispered back, caressing his cheek, and taking in his appearance. "You look so much like your mummy… But your eyes, you have your father's eyes…"
"His father's eyes were brown? So, he truly isn't Draco's kid…" Ginny sighed, seating on a free armchair, running a hand over her face.
"No, he isn't… Please, Gin, understand that I've sworn secrecy… I can't tell you the truth, although I want to, so much! I see you confused and worried, and I want to sooth you, but I can't… Please, forgive me!" Luna asked, casting a worried glance at her best friend.
"Yes, Luna, I understand your reasons, but I'm still frustrated… I need to know, understand? I'll do everything I can to find out who he really is, you can be sure of that!" Ginny promised, determined.
"Come, let's have dinner… Do you want to eat or to sleep, Thomas?" Luna asked the boy.
"Sleep…" he replied, closing his brown eyes again.
"Very well… Sweet dreams!" Luna whispered, covering him and Sean with the blanket and placing a kiss on each head.
The grown-ups had a quiet dinner without the twins' chatter and Sean and Jessica's bickering. Molly placed a Cooling Charm on the birthday cake, so they could eat it the next day, after singing Happy Birthday to the twins. The presents would have to wait as well…
That night, Ginny didn't return to the Malfoy Manor, and Thomas slept with her in her bedroom. Tomorrow she would return him to the Manor, and Draco wouldn't even find out that Thomas and her had spent the day at the Burrow.
Or would he?
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Hello everyone,
This chapter is a bridge to what's coming next.
In case you paid attention, you now know who truly is Thomas' father.
No, not Draco's son or brother.
So, why is the boy in Draco's house?
You'll have to keep reading to find out, of course…
Thank you for the wonderful reviews, they are the reason I keep writing.
Tomorrow starts the EURO 2004, an European Football Championship that is being held here in Portugal. So, tomorrow, Portugal is playing against Greece, and I want all of you cheering for Portugal ok?
Right now, we have dozens of European teams and football adepts staying at Portugal, enjoying the warm sun, the beautiful beaches, the great food, and of course, the best football there is.
Go Go Portugal!
With all the love, from the bottom of my heart,
Carina