Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you may recognize from the wonderful world of Harry Potter, they all belong to the revered JK Rowling; I just like to play with them a little.
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
LUCIUS
Happy in the knowledge that her father had received the necessary attentions from her mother, Angel turned to Lucius. She schooled her expression to one of sweetness that no one could resist. "Grandfather, will you tell me a story, please?"
"Of course, I will. What would you like to hear?" Lucius smiled at his little granddaughter.
She yawned widely as she replied, "You choose, but something with fairies."
"Hmm- fairies?" Lucius thought very quickly before deciding on the appropriate story. "Have you ever heard about the rose garden fairies?"
"There are rose garden fairies?" Angel asked with as much excitement as she could muster with a sleeping draught working through her tiny system.
"Yes, of course, there are. Now if you close you eyes I'll tell you about them," Lucius said so softly that Angel almost had to strain to hear him.
Her eyes drifted closed and she concentrated on her grandfather's deep voice as it lulled her to sleep. She wouldn't have heard more that the first dozen words of the story Lucius was making up, as he spoke, before falling into a deep sleep.
"Ginevra, I think she's asleep." Lucius alerted Ginny who had been resting her eyes as well.
"Thank you," Ginny whispered back smiling at the older man.
"Your welcome," Lucius dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Draco seems to have lost his battle with the sleeping draught also."
Ginny turned in her chair to observe Draco. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully, a small smile playing across his face, but as she was watching him a heavy frown crossed his brow turning the smile into a grimace of pain.
As the evening grew late, Draco continued to sleep fitfully. Despite the sleeping draught, he often moaned or cried out in pain. While Lucius and Ginny sat watching Angel, Lucius noticed that Ginny's gaze was being drawn to Draco more often than her daughter, who was sleeping peacefully. He stood quietly and moved around the bed to the vacant chair beside the flame haired witch.
"May I?" Lucius asked politely, gesturing toward the empty chair with his hand.
"Of course."
"He's not a bad person you know," Lucius said quietly.
"I know," she whispered.
"I will not condone his behavior this morning, but you must admit, in withholding information, you have made mistakes as well," Lucius chided gently.
"I realize that. Perhaps, I should have told him about the twins." Ginny's hands began to fidget in her lap.
Lucius' eyebrow rose questioningly. "Only perhaps?"
"No. I should have told him, but I didn't and I can't change that now."
"No, the past can't be changed, but you need to understand why Draco is so angry. You denied him the opportunity to know his own blood."
"I can't change that."
"You could be more tolerant of his, shall we say, selfishness. He has never had to consider anyone other than himself."
"I know."
"He does not like to share."
"He has no choice - there are three of us."
"It does not seem to have anything to do with you, or the children, but rather it is other men he seems to have a problem with. From what I observed today, he does not want to share you or his children with other men," Lucius informed her of his interpretation of Draco's behavior.
"I am aware of that. He's never been terribly good at sharing, but it's not just me this time. I have to protect the children."
"Draco is not dangerous. There is no need to protect the children from him," Lucius admonished.
"You're his father, you see him differently."
"And you are the mother of his children," Lucius countered.
"That doesn't seem to mean much, at the moment."
"I believe you have trusted him, more than once, with your body."
"That has nothing to do with this situation," Ginny told him harshly.
"Ah- trust is everything," he said knowingly.
"Maybe so, but his behavior today-" Ginny sighed heavily.
"Behavior can be modified."
"Look, I know he's not dangerous, but he is selfish. I need to protect the children from that," Ginny clarified.
"And you are not selfish?"
Ginny frowned at him. "I don't think so."
"Really? Denying a man his children for almost five years, is not considered a little selfish?"
"He left me, not the other way around," Ginny said defensively.
"When did you find out you were with child?"
"About seven weeks after I graduated from Hogwarts."
"After he left you, from what I understand, and yet it never occurred to you to inform him."
"Yes it did, but I was afraid to."
"Why?"
"What if he rejected me? I mean he did leave me. And our families have never been even civil to each other. It would have never worked."
"He loved you. He still loves you, Ginevra. And I think our families are managing quite well. It is surprising what grandchildren can do to mellow old adversaries. Your relationship was working, up until today, was it not?"
Ginny shook her head. "He doesn't love me."
"Oh- but he does. He has since Hogwarts. I knew there was someone who had stolen his heart, but I didn't know whom. However, when I spoke to him, after seeing you in Diagon Alley, I knew immediately, it was you he was in love with."
Tears began to run silently down Ginny's face. "He thinks I'm a bad mother."
"No, he doesn't. He was upset, that's all." Lucius offered her his handkerchief.
"I wasn't watching them. I should have been watching them - none of this would have happened." Ginny strangled a sob.
Lucius shifted his position a little and wrapped a comforting arm around the young witch, drawing her to his chest. As she felt the warm contact across her shoulders, her resolve to be strong crumbled and she broke down sobbing into his chest. Lucius comforted her until she bought her emotions back under control. He shushed her often, patted her shoulder and told her that everything would be all right.
"Narcissa always said a good cry made her feel better. A bit like purging the soul." Lucius offered, in an effort to stem any embarrassment Ginny may have felt in front of him.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"Do you feel better now?"
"A little." Ginny offered him a small smile.
"Good. Now believe me, when I tell you that none of this is your fault," Lucius told her genuinely.
"I should have been watching them," Ginny choked out.
"I presume that you didn't know the children were playing with Draco's broom?"
"No," Ginny responded in horror.
"Well then, you can not watch them twenty-four hours a day, Ginevra. It's not possible and it's not normal. They'd never develop properly if they were denied the opportunity to explore for themselves. Merlin knows, Draco used to get up to all sorts of mischief. Narcissa would be beside herself by the time I got home each evening. Perhaps Drake has inherited his love of adventure." Lucius delivered his lecture quietly, but in a firm tone.
"Even with all of that, Draco still thinks I'm a bad mother."
"As I told you before - he was upset. We all say and do things when we're upset, that we don't necessarily mean."
"I don't know what to do next."
"I do. Both of you need to sit down alone, without the children and discuss everything that has gone on since you were first together at school."
"What if he doesn't want to?"
"He will. He loves you and I believe he is regretting his performance from this morning, already."
"I doubt that," Ginny replied flatly.
Ignoring her words Lucius continued, "I suggest a weekend away somewhere, perhaps at one of our other properties. The children would be welcome at the Manor, of course. Narcissa and I would enjoy having them very much-"
A startling groan from Draco disturbed their conversation. He sounded as if he were in a colossal amount of pain. Ginny made a slight move to go to him then sunk back into her chair. This did not go unnoticed by Lucius, who thought it was time he pushed the issue.
"Could you possibly check on Draco, I'm afraid if he finds me fussing over him, he may not be accepting of any comfort I may be able to offer." Lucius explained hoping that she would be accepting of his reasoning.
"Of course, if you're sure," Ginny replied hesitantly.
"Positive. I'm sure he would prefer to have you fussing over him than me."
Ginny rose tentatively from her chair and approached Draco's bed. She noted that his forehead was covered with beads of sweat and his face was quite flush.
"I'll be back in a minute."
"Is there a problem?" Lucius asked, concern etching across his features.
"No, I don't think so. I just want to get a cloth to dampen. He looks very hot. If I can cool him down, perhaps he'll rest easier."
Ginny was not gone long when she returned with a cloth and a bowl of water. At Draco's bedside, she placed the bowl on the small table beside him, dipped and rung out the cloth. Very gently, so as not to disturb him unnecessarily, she applied the cloth to his forehead. Draco groaned again and she bought her face very close to his.
"Shhh- just relax, Draco," Ginny whispered as she sponged his forehead soothingly.
Lucius watched on as Ginny tended to Draco. He could tell by the way she looked after him that she did not just care for his son, but was deeply in love with him.
As Ginny ran the cloth gently over his face, she could feel him relaxing beneath her touch. His moans ceased and he seemed to slip into a deeper sleep. Despite the fact he was no longer distressed, Ginny found herself unable to move back to the other side of the room, and her original seat. She summoned a chair quietly she and placed it right next to his bed, making herself comfortable.
Sometime later Ginny drifted off to sleep, with her head resting on her hands on the edge of Draco's bed. Lucius was sleeping, sitting up in a chair with his feet on the end of Angel's bed. Before dawn, a hand running gently through her hair awakened Ginny. She raised her head slowly and saw that Draco was awake.
"I didn't mean to wake you," Draco whispered.
"It's all right. How's your arm?" Ginny asked softly so as not to awaken Lucius or Angel.
"Bearable."
"Do you need anything?"
"Need- no." Draco smirked at her. "Of course, `want' is an entirely different matter."
Ginny sighed heavily. She'd heard Draco turn on the Malfoy charm many times to get himself out of trouble, and knew it's unequivocal tones by heart. She smirked back at him. "Alright, I'll play. What do you want, Draco?"
"I want you to lay beside me and get some decent sleep," Draco said confidently.
"Draco, I don't think that's such a good idea," Ginny said hesitantly.
"Why?" He pouted in such a way, that he looked just like Drake when he couldn't get his own way.
"We need to talk first and don't pull that face at me either. It doesn't work, ask Drake."
"We will talk, Gin. Later when we're all home, but for now I really want to feel you close." His hand drifted up to stroke her face.
Ginny automatically relaxed into his touch and she could feel her resolve to be angry with him melt entirely away.
"Come on," Draco whispered smiling at her.
She stood up, climbed onto the bed carefully and lie down next to him. With Draco's good arm around her shoulders and her head resting on his chest she felt him place a lingering kiss on the top of her head.
"Comfortable?" he asked.
"Mmm-" Ginny responded smiling into the blankets.
"Gin?"
"Mmm-"
"Look at me," he barely whispered.
Ginny raised her head slightly and turned to look at his face.
"I love you." Draco whispered and without waiting for a response he claimed her mouth in a searching kiss.
On the other side of the room two sets of eyes were open and watching the scene play out before them.
"Grandfather, are Mummy and Daddy snogging?" Angel asked quietly through her light giggles.
"Angelique, that's not a very ladylike question," Lucius replied, but he couldn't help but smile, for what he was witnessing, was indeed, a fine example of snogging.
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AUTHORS NOTES
Big hugs to everyone who took the time to review :D
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