When Draco and Ginny finally arrived at the Burrow, Molly Weasley was frantic. She met them at the door wearing an apron and holding a rolling pin. "Hello, dears."
Ginny knew something was wrong when she didn't comment on their lateness. Her mother said the reception started at three, which meant they needed to be there by two in order to help her prepare and greet any early guests. "Mum?"
The older woman didn't respond, just throwing her hands up and going back to the kitchen. Draco and Ginny exchanged a glance. She smiled before handing him her purse and the light cloak she'd been wearing. "I'll be back." And with only that promise, she disappeared.
While he'd never admit it to anyone, Draco had always been curious about the Weasley home. His father would sometimes come home muttering about Arthur Weasley and the dump they lived in. Lucius would try to describe the structure, but could never find the words to describe it appropriately. Finally, after a few minutes of failed explanations, he'd call the place a "shack" and go off to his study for a brandy. Draco finally understood his father's lack of words to describe Ginny's childhood home.
The place was the complete opposite of Malfoy Manor. The shelves were dusty and cluttered; every corner was stuffed with something different. Arthur Weasley brought his work home with him, leaving various Muggle devices sitting on end tables and every place in between. Beside an old, worn couch was a stack of magazines with different witches waving up at him. If he looked, Draco was sure there'd probably be one or two with his face on them.
His new in-laws were obviously pack rats. He wondered if Molly still kept the blanket Ginny was wrapped in as a child. It wouldn't surprise him. Draco deposited her purse and cloak on a chair. He removed his own and left it there as well.
Draco made a slow tour of the room, studying each of the pictures in the frames. In the center of the mantle was a Hogwarts-era picture of Weasley, Potter, and Granger. He'd only smirked when the Weasel King turned bright red upon realizing his enemy from school was inside his childhood home. Whether his attitude changed because of anger or embarrassment, Draco didn't know.
As he studied each of the pictures, Draco became vaguely aware of what he missed as a child. It was obvious that the Weasley's were a family, not just people who were stuck together. His mother and father always indulged him - they sent him to the best schools, bought him the best clothes, and allowed him to do what he wanted. His life had been easy. The best primary school for children with magical abilities, houses spread evenly across Europe they could visit anytime they wanted, and a dependable staff that insured he'd never have to lift a finger.
Yet, Draco was sure he'd missed out on something. Reaching up, he fingered a picture of a younger Ginny, covered in mud from head to toe. The girl stuck her tongue out at him, and he found himself laughing. In the picture, she was probably a first or second year. He hadn't known her then, much less given any thought to the female Weasley. No, he was still doing exactly what his father wanted at that point.
Draco turned when the front door opened again. He wasn't surprised when Weasley walked in, as the git probably still lived here and of course he'd be invited to the party. What surprised him, though, was that Pansy Parkinson followed him inside. The two were involved in some sort of conversation. From where he was standing, it looked pretty serious. The blond thought about finding a back corner and watching them for a while, but knew it would be wrong. Besides, there was a voice in his head (which sounded amazingly like Ginny) telling him to try and be civil with the git. In the end, the Ginny-conscience won out. "Hullo."
Both Weasley and Parkinson froze, mid-sentence. Their gaze swung to the far side of the room, where Draco was standing. Weasley turned a familiar shade of red, while his companion dropped her eyes briefly. She was the first to recover. "Draco."
"You could sound more excited to see me, Pans."
The Slytherin smiled at him then. "Of course I'm excited. Just didn't know you were… here."
"Yes, well, Ginny insisted. Said it would be impolite to not show up after Mrs. Weasley went through all the trouble-"
"Glad to know someone is teaching you some manners," Weasley cut in.
Draco turned his gray eyes to the room's other occupant. "I've always had manners, Weasley. My mother made sure of it."
Ron was getting ready to reply, when Pansy stepped forward. She shoved her cloak at the redhead, hoping to stop any confrontation. "Ron, be a dear, and put this up. And let your mother know we're here. See if there's anything we can do to help. I need to speak with Draco."
If he had anything to say, Ron Weasley wisely kept his mouth shut. Draco thought he might have heard him grumble something on his way out of the room, but brushed it off. Anything Ginny's brother had to say to him wasn't worth his time. Instead, Draco turned back to Pansy. "Don't tell me you're dating that git."
"Dating is a strong word…" Pansy began. She crossed the room to where he was standing, pulling him into a friendly hug. "Ron and I have an agreement."
"Shagging, then?"
She shrugged. "Something like that. We talk, we go out on dates, we shag. We're friends." Pansy didn't want to go into detail about the nature of her relationship with Ron, so she changed the subject quickly. "What about you? Don't you have something to tell me?"
Draco walked past her, acting as if he didn't know to what she was referring. Withdrawing his wand, he performed a basic leveling spell on the banner hanging above the fireplace. "I got married."
"I heard," Pansy said dryly. She jerked a thumb towards the kitchen. "Weasley wasn't too happy about the situation."
"Don't really care." He replaced his wand, before studying the banner. It read Congratulations Draco and Ginny in blinking red letters. The background was gold. Gryffindor colors. He wasn't really surprised. "I didn't need his permission. Don't think I was really even thinking about him."
"A Weasley, Draco?"
Draco turned to face his oldest friend, an eyebrow arched. "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Besides, Gin and I have a history."
"History?" she repeated. "I've known you since you were in nappies, Draco, and I don't ever recall you sharing anything other than sneers with any Weasley. Care to elaborate?"
"Seventh year."
"She was the tart-"
"She was the girl I was snogging," Draco finished. "Don't call her a tart. She's my wife and friends or not, I won't allow it."
Pansy studied him carefully, hoping to magically read his thoughts. But, as usual, his face was closed up and told her nothing. "You love her, then?"
"Would I have married her?"
"Must you continue that annoying habit of answering a question with a question?"
"Oh, don't you like it?" Draco felt a smile tugging at his lips. "Ginny and I are very happy together."
Something in his expression and voice convinced her, because Pansy found herself nodding and smiling at him. "Then I'll keep Ron out of your way. I just want you happy, Draco."
"I am," he told her again.
Over the next few minutes, various people from the Ministry started to arrive. Ginny emerged from the kitchen with her mother and brother, the crisis seemingly solved. He'd have to ask her about it later. As soon as she appeared at his side, their coworkers started congratulating them. It wasn't as bothersome as he expected it would be - Ginny did most of the talking and all he was expected to do was shake an occasional hand.
After they'd spoken with everyone, Draco let her go. He knew these people were here for Ginny, not him. All he wanted was another butterbeer and a quiet corner he could sit the reception out in. That was his plan, until he saw Ginny approach a group of people, which included Blaise Zabini.
The black-haired boy had been the only other Slytherin she'd been with at Hogwarts. And he didn't like the way Zabini's hand drifted below her waist to press against her behind. Draco finished the rest of his butterbeer before sitting it on a corner table. They were going to talk about this right now. And Zabini would know exactly whom Ginny belonged to.
On his way across the room, Draco ran into Ginny's father. The man said he needed to speak with him. He'd almost told him it would have to wait, but Draco knew the look Arthur Weasley was giving him. Something was wrong. Instead of rescuing Ginny, Draco followed the older man down the hall to a small study. "Yes, sir?"
"I have some news, Mr. Malfoy. It's not something you're going to enjoy hearing."
"My Mum?" he asked immediately. "Did something happen to her?"
"I haven't been able to reach Narcissa, but it's not that." Arthur gestured to an old chair behind him. "You might want to sit down for this."
"What is it?"
Ginny's father exhaled slowly, as if he were preparing himself and Draco. "Lucius Malfoy was discovered missing this morning, Draco. They think he's escaped."
"That's impossible," Draco scoffed. "No one except Sirius Black has ever escaped from Azkaban."
"He had help," Arthur told him. "Your mother's sister visited him several days ago."
"Aunt Bella?"
He nodded. "We think she might have assisted him, yes."
Draco heard a laugh from the other room and recognized it as his wife.
Ginny.
What was he going to do about Ginny? He couldn't tell her. Everything was so… fragile. This wasn't what he needed. What they needed. And his Mum… his father would go for his Mum right away.
Draco sighed heavily, before turning his gaze back to his new father-in-law. "What do we do?"
***
"Zabini, if you could kindly remove your hand from my wife's arse, I need to speak with her."
"Draco!"
His smile was lethal. "Yes, darling?"
Ginny flushed, but moved away from Blaise. Muttering a quick apology, she looked at her husband expectedly. "Well?"
"Yes?"
"Don't you think…"
"What?" Draco asked. He didn't miss the way her eyes were darting towards the other Slytherin. "Oh. Sorry Zabini." Holding out his hand, Draco said, "No hard feelings?"
Blaise accepted his hand with a smile. "None at all, Malfoy. I would expect nothing less."
Ginny seemed satisfied with this and allowed herself to be pulled away from the group she'd been chatting with. He led her to a deserted corner and she immediately knew something was wrong. "Draco?"
"Ginevra, I have something very important to tell you, but not here."
"Draco-"
He placed a finger over her mouth. "Something's happened. Something important. And we need to leave."
His wife gently wrapped her fingers around his wrist, pulling his hand away. "What's going on?"
"Not here." Draco could see the worry etched in her features. "Listen, you and I decided we wanted to have a go at a real relationship, but part of that is trust. I need you to trust me until we get back to the flat. Can you do that?"
After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. "I'll speak with my Mum. She'll be disappointed."
"Your father's already talked with her, I'm sure. She'll let you go, Gin."
She turned to away from him, but not before he pulled her back. "Draco-"
He cut her words off with his lips. They sealed over hers for a moment as he tasted her. But it was enough and Ginny could taste his fear. Something was wrong. "I love you," he whispered.
Ginny nodded, taking a moment to study him. He'd tell her when they got home; she'd just have to trust him for that long. "Stay here, I'll be right back."
She was stopped several times on the path to her mother; various co-workers who wanted to wish her congratulations; some of them genuinely happy for her, while others were only there to beg off an afternoon of work. And of course, there were those who wanted to gawk at the picture of marital bliss a Malfoy and Weasley would make.
When she finally reached Molly Weasley, the other woman was chatting friendly with Hermione and Ron. Ron was blushing, so Ginny was sure their mother was scolding him about settling down already. Hermione was flashing a large ring on a very important finger, and Ginny thought it was safe to assume Harry had finally popped the question. "Mum," she interrupted, "I need to speak with you."
"Ginny, dear, why don't you school your brother-"
"Not now," the youngest Weasley cut in. "Mum, it's important."
Molly must have sensed the urgency of the situation and excused herself from Hermione and Ron. Ginny could feel their eyes on her back as she led her mother away. "Mum, Draco and I need to go."
"Love, this is your reception. You can't leave."
Ginny pushed her hair from her forehead. "Yes, I know. But something's happened, and we need to go. With as little commotion as possible."
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know, Draco hasn't told me anything yet. But Dad knows and he's the one who told Draco."
The matriarch of the Weasley family immediately sought her husband out in the crowd. He was looking at her and nodded once, indicating he'd talk to her soon. "Is everything okay?" she asked her daughter
"Mum, if I knew, I'd tell you. He hasn't told me anything yet."
Molly sighed heavily, knowing this was best for Ginny. "You'll Floo me, if it's serious?"
"Of course."
"And you're not in danger?" her mother pressed.
"I don't think so," Ginny answered. "Mum, this is important…"
The older woman cut off her protests with a hug. "I love you, Ginny. Be safe."
Ginny took an extra moment of being held in her mother's arms, feeling as if it might be the last time for a long time. "I love you, too. And I will be safe."
Molly released her and reached up to wipe at her eyes. "Tell your husband that if anything happens to you, your brothers will be the least of his worries. I've used that rolling pin for more than cooking in years past."
Her daughter laughed, even though she was crying. "I will. I love you, Mum. I'll see you soon."
With that, Ginny turned away from her mother. Both of them were left wondering what was going on and how long it would be until they would see each other again. With those thoughts in mind, both Weasley women made their way to their husbands.
Draco was exactly where she left him, although Blaise had joined him. The Slytherins were each drinking and chatting amicably. Ginny knew there would be no hard feelings from before. She immediately slipped her arm around the blond's waist. "Ready?"
"Yes." He lifted the butterbeer to his longtime friend one more time. "Zabini, if you'll excuse us."
"Sneaking out early, are you?"
"Yes. And sneaking is the key word here. Don't want anyone to know." Draco was looking straight at the black-haired boy.
Blaise seemed to understand and slowly nodded. He stepped forward and kissed Ginny on the cheek. "I would have married you, love."
She blushed pink, but didn't comment. She felt Draco pull her closer to his side, but he said nothing. "Take care of her."
"I will," Draco promised.
With one last glance at them, Blaise turned. He rejoined Pansy and Ron, who were standing closely together and talking near the fireplace.
"C'mon. There's a Floo in Dad's study. It'll be the quickest way out."
Draco wasn't one to argue and allowed himself to be led down the hall. They made it to the study without incident and Ginny softly closed the door behind him. "What's going on?" she asked again.
"When we get home, love. No one can know."
"But-"
"Ginny."
She nodded, knowing she'd have to trust him. "Okay." Walking past him, she went to the fireplace. There was a simple jar sitting on the mantle. She removed it and took out a handful before offering it to her husband.
The redhead tossed the powder into the flames and when they turned green she shouted, "Flat in Brighton!" before jumping inside.
A moment later, her husband followed her.
Draco led her to couch, where he sat beside her. Taking one if her hands in his, he said calmly, "Would you be against spending a few weeks on holiday?"
"Holiday?" she echoed.
"A honeymoon."
Ginny frowned. "What's going on?"
Her husband sighed heavily and Ginny got the feeling that whatever was bothering him was important. "Draco?"
"Love, something happened last night. And…"
"And?"
"I don't know how to say this, Gin. I don't understand it myself, but I have to react to it. I… it's not just me anymore."
The redhead pressed the back of her hand to his cheek and smiled encouragingly. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out. We're in this together, remember?"
"I don't deserve you," he told her. "I've never done one good thing in my life, especially not something that made me deserve you."
"Draco."
"Your father told me at the party that my father escaped from Azkaban last night."
"Wh-what?"
"My father escaped," Draco repeated.
"That's impossible! Only Sirius has ever escaped…"
"The Ministry thinks Father had help. Bellatrix Lestrange visited him several days ago. They don't know how he got out, but I have little doubt he's coming here."
"Here?"
Draco frowned. "He's not… pleased with this arrangement."
"He ordered it!" Ginny exclaimed. "He wanted you to marry me!"
"Yes, he did," he said calmly. "However, he didn't know how I felt about you. If he had, he would have never even dreamed it."
"What do we do?" his wife asked. "Is this why you think we need a holiday?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
Ginny nodded. "Where are we going?"
"A Muggle resort. We need to leave as soon as possible. How fast can you pack?"
"Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be ready.
Draco nodded. "Okay. After you pack, we'll Floo my Mum and let her know what's going on. If he can't find me, he'll go after her and I won't allow that to happen."
The redhead stared at him, her heart fluttering in his chest. His life was in danger and his first thought was his Mum. There was no doubt anymore.
She loved him. Ginny smiled at him, happy at her sudden realization. She loved him.
"What?" Draco asked.
"Nothing."
If he suspected anything, he didn't push it. "Go pack. I need to answer whatever post can't wait, then we'll go."
Ginny turned away from him, but stopped. "Draco-"
He was already going through the post on the table. "Yes?"
She looked back at him, not sure what to say. Should she tell him?
"Gin?"
The redhead flushed pink, and smiled again. "Nothing."