What Do You Say

MrsDanielRadcliffe

Rating: PG13
Genres: Romance, Humor
Relationships: Draco & Ginny
Book: Draco & Ginny, Books 1 - 4
Published: 23/05/2005
Last Updated: 23/05/2005
Status: completed

Harry and Hermione need a night out, so they call Ginny. But what does Ginny do when the Ice Prince of Slytherin shows up?

Chapters

1. Chapter 1

1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the story line...sadly. JKR owns everything - including the characters, spells, and the entire world of Harry Potter. I wonder if I could buy it from her for a dollar?

Thanks to my wonderful, wonderful beta - dragonsangel68.

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This is a one-shot. I know, I know, I hate one-shots. I might continue it someday, but I for now it is a one-shot. Thanks for reading.

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Harry and Hermione had their first child on October Thirty-first, 2005. Both barely twenty-five, they relished in the idea of being young parents. Always the sensible one, Hermione had insisted they finish school and create a solid financial base away from Harry's independently wealthy roots, before making any additions to their family. Harry had insisted on the big Muggle church wedding, but Hermione hadn't cared. They had survived. Weddings didn't count anymore.

So here they sat completely tired, exhausted, fried, and any other word one could use to describe the immense fatigue experienced by new parents. They both hadn't showered in days and Hermione's cheeks were beginning to show a thinness that bespoke of breastfeeding her child more than she was feeding herself.

Abigail Lucy, the newborn menace to the Potters sleeping schedule, began to wail in a high-pitched tone just loud enough to drive her parents insane.

“Harry, I just can't do it anymore! I'm so tired. I'm so dirty. I stink. I'm calling Mum.” Hermione was on the verge of tears she was so worn out. She got up and started towards the kitchen to phone her Mum.

Harry caught her by the arm and hauled her into a hug. Hermione's arms wrapped around him and she started to cry softly into his shirt. “Shh, love, it'll be all right. Ginny said she'd drop by this afternoon. I'll floo her and see if she can't be here any sooner. Why don't you go run a bath? I'll be up in a few minutes.”

Harry flooed Ginny and she arrived minutes later. They chatted it up until Hermione came downstairs.

“Gin, you're my hero. I need a shower…and a bath…and—” Tears began to course down Hermione's face. “—and… I need to get these stupid crying fits to stop.”

“It isn't a problem at all. I'll stay for as long as you need me. I brought an overnight bag,” Ginny replied.

Hermione launched herself at Ginny. “Thank you so much. I just need to sleep some. And eat something. Abbie doesn't understand that for her to eat, Mummy needs to eat too.”

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After soothing Abigail, Ginny whipped up and delivered a plate of cheese and fruit upstairs. She cast a silencing charm, lest anything besides the bath water were to get a little heated, and went about tidying the downstairs. Dobby was away and, regardless of Hermione's views on the servitude of house elves, it was apparent that Hermione had come to rely on Dobby immensely. I bet she's regretting her insistence on giving him two weeks paid leave every year.

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“Ginny?”

“In the kitchen, Harry!”

Harry walked into the kitchen and suddenly felt light-headed. He could see his counter tops again. The odor of congealing, gelatinous muck was gone. The bottles were clean. He walked back into the living room to find that his favorite recliner was no longer the receptacle for the packages Abbie left full of “presents” for him or Hermione's breast pump. Blinking his eyes rapidly, he assured himself this wasn't a dream. Ginny was his hero, too.

Walking back into the kitchen, Harry stared at the red-haired witch stocking his fridge with what, to Harry's amazement, looked like fresh vegetables.

“Gin?”

“Hi, Harry. Abbie and I ran to the market for food. Hermione probably hasn't adjusted well enough to run errands yet. Just thought I'd help out where I could.”

“Gin, you're my hero.”

“Hey, it pays to have six older brothers, who find it necessary to individually out-produce my parents.”

“Thanks so much, Gin. This will help Hermione out loads. She hasn't been eating much, you know. I'm a royal nightmare in the kitchen, so we end up eating take away most of the time.” Harry rubbed his tired eyes still unable to believe what his brain was receiving.

“I figured as much. It's fine, Harry. Abbie and I had a wonderful time. Why don't you go back upstairs and take a nap or something? Take advantage of the fact that I'm here!”

“Hermione is actually having a kip at the moment. I just came down to make tea for when she wakes up.”

“That's a sweet thought, Harry.” Ginny touched his cheek softly. “Why don't you take Hermione out for dinner tonight? I know a home cooked meal would be nice for a change, but some time alone together might be just the trick. She's probably been walking around this house in your shirts, covered with baby muck all day. It might do her some good to get all dressed up and have her realize that you still fancy her. Go get a room at some fancy hotel in London and order wine from room service, watch a flick on the telly and go to sleep.”

“You don't mind, Gin?”

“No, not at all. I brought an overnight bag for that purpose. Abbie and I will be fine for one evening.”

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Harry and Hermione didn't need to be told twice. Regardless of the reluctance they had about leaving their baby for the night, they relished in the idea of leaving the house by themselves. Harry didn't want to admit it, but Hermione had been living in his shirts covered in all sorts of baby goo since three or four days after they brought Abbie home. He couldn't wait to see how his wife's curves would fill out a nice dress, now that she'd had a baby.

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“Gin, the phone number for the hotel and the restaurant are on dining table. Harry has his phone. You should have everything else you need here at the house.”

“I'll be fine Hermione. Go have a good time. Make that husband of yours remember why he married you.”

Ginny gave Hermione a small push out the door. A flurry of thank yous came from both members of the couple as they hastily Apparated away. As if on cue, Abigail began to fuss and Ginny went to retrieve her.

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Ginny had just settled Abigail in the crook of her arm with a bottle when she heard a soft knock at the door. Ginny looked out the peephole and let down the wards reluctantly. It wasn't that she didn't like Draco Malfoy with his simmering good looks; it was that she didn't really care to be alone with sex on wheels. I've been running around with a baby all day, but this would be the time for the Slytherin Sex God to show up. Bugger! There isn't even enough time to cast a couple of well-placed glamours! At least the sight of a baby will send him running. She considered not opening the door, but she knew the chance to ogle at him would be lost. I have no shame.

The door opened with a rush and Draco was taken by surprise. Ginny Weasley stood before him with her hair piled on top of her head, holding a small child. Not the type of woman he usually went for, but for some reason he thought she looked completely edible with her slightly disheveled appearance and the newest addition to the Potter clan in her arms.

“Hello.” A chill ran up his spine at the word. “Harry and Hermione have gone off for the night. I'm taking care of Abbie for them. Did you need something? Harry has his mobile.”

He extended a rather large bag to Ginny. “I suppose the new parents have to take all the moments alone together when they can. Understandably, they must have forgotten I was coming by to drop off a gift for Abigail tonight.”

“Oh. Well, would you mind setting it inside? My hands are a little full.”

Draco walked through the foyer and set the bag down on the first table that could accommodate the package. Ginny stayed by the front door propping it open with her foot, obviously waiting for him to leave.

“I haven't gotten a chance to see her yet. I've been away on business since she was born.”

“Oh.” Ginny let the door slide out from beside her foot. “Do you want to hold her?”

“Sure.” Draco held out his arm in invitation for Ginny to lead the way. He followed her into the living room and sat beside her on the couch. Ginny carefully handed the baby to Draco instructing him lightly on how to hold her. Draco held Abbie's bottle upright and stroked her side softly.

“She's beautiful, isn't she?”

“Yeah, she really is,” Draco replied softly.

“Have you eaten? I was hoping to get her down so I could make myself something to eat.”

“No, I hadn't had the chance just yet. I am quite the famished boy, though.” He smirked at Ginny.

“Would you mind watching her while I go whip something up for us?”

“No, that would be fine. Thank you for dinner, ahead of time. I'm sick to death of take away.”

“No house elves?”

“Not on business trips, my dear. Mother insists she needs every last one of them at the manor.”

“Oh. Well, I'll go make us some supper. If you walk around with her, she'll probably fall asleep,” Ginny offered. “Dinner will be done in a few minutes.”

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Ginny walked back into the living room to tell Draco the food was ready and felt a pang in her heart when she saw him cooing at Abbie.

“Draco?”

He shifted his gaze to Ginny. “Yes, pet?”

“The food is ready. Her bassinette is in the corner, if you want to put her down to come eat.”

As Ginny returned to the kitchen Draco watched her hips sway. Does she even realize how sexy she is? What I'd given to wrap my arms around…no! Baby! No dirty thoughts around the baby!

Draco found that he was unwilling and unable to put Abbie down in her bassinette. She was so pretty and very reluctant to be laid down. Ginny willingly brought food out into the living room for both of them, after much laughter on her part about the Ice Prince of Slytherin being turned to a pile of goop by a six-week old newborn.

Ginny turned on the Muggle stereo in the hope that it would soothe Abbie to sleep. She sat on the sofa next to Draco and tucked into her dinner.

Draco cleared his throat to gain Ginny's attention. “My hands are slightly full and I'm starving. Care to be of assistance, pet?”

“Draco Malfoy! First I cook dinner and now you want me to feed it to you?”

“That is what I meant by you being of assistance.”

“Oh fine,” Ginny huffed. “Bloody prat wanting me to feed him.”

“I am right here. You could just call me a prat to my face, stop being so passive aggressive, and feed me anyway.”

“Shut it, Malfoy.”

“Please, just call me Draco. You'll call me Draco and I'll call you Ginny. That is the way civilized people do it at any rate.”

“Fine.” She grabbed a fork laden with food and poked it in the general direction of Draco's mouth. “Eat!”

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Dinner was over before Abigail finally went down in her bassinette. Ginny was still waiting for Draco to leave, but no matter what hint she dropped, the bloody git still wouldn't leave.

“Draco, I hope I'm not keeping you from anything important.”

“Not at all.”

“Oh. Well, I do need to sleep sometime and it's getting rather late.”

“Ginny, its nine thirty. Did you have a baby or is your life so terribly boring that nine thirty is your bedtime?”

Ginny crossed her arms and huffed at Draco, but remained silent.

“I'll take your silence as indicative of a positive answer and because of that, I must take it upon myself to keep you company for the evening.” Draco swooped over to the bag in the foyer and glided back into the living room. Handing Ginny a rather expensive looking bottle of wine he said, “I'll get my things from the car and you'll get us glasses and a bottle opener.”

Ginny could do nothing but look at him in shock. When Draco returned from outside, not only was Ginny still standing in the same spot with a wide-eyed look of shock on her face, but the phone was ringing. Draco moved into the kitchen to answer the ringing, Muggle contraption.

“Yes, everything is fine, Harry. —No, no, it's no problem. —I just stopped by to see Abigail. —Yes, Harry, everything's fine. —Ginevra is being the perfect host. —I am much appreciative, Harry. I was actually going to do that. —All right, bye.”

Draco took it upon himself to find stemware and a bottle opener. He moved back into the living room to find Ginny sitting on the couch with the wine bottle precariously dangling from her fingers.

“That's a rather expensive bottle of wine and while I don't find it wasted on you, I would find it to be wasted if it shattered all over the floor.”

Ginny's head snapped up to look at Draco. Leaning against the doorjamb with an arm draped across his midsection, complete two wine glasses hanging from nimble fingers while playing with a bottle opener with the other hand, he looked like the vision of pure, raw sex. His patented smirk didn't help matters. Ginny curled her legs under her bum on the couch, as if to signify defeat.

After lighting a fire, Draco made haste to the overstuffed piece of furniture and made a quick job dispensing the wine. He handed a glass to Ginny and sat back in the corner of the couch.

“Why do you drive a Muggle car?”

“I find it soothing. Takes bloody forever to get anywhere though.”

“Oh.”

The conversation flowed from there and, to Ginny's chagrin, she rather enjoyed Draco's company. The wine had its intended effect. Midnight came and went as the two conversed about almost every topic under the sun. At the other end of the couch, ensconced in a corner much like he was, the witch under his attentive eye was massaging the back of her head and rolling her neck to relieve the tension of the day. A small sound of pleasure slipped out from between her lips as, at that very moment, Draco decided he'd like to be the cause of those sounds.

Draco lifted himself on all fours and crawled to the other end of the couch. Ginny's eyes popped open from the reverie she was absorbed in through her self-massage.

“Let me do that.” Draco removed her hand from the base of her neck and began massaging at her hairline. The massage continued for a number of minutes relieving the tension in Ginny's neck and scalp. Little sighs and light moans of contentment fell from her lips as Draco continued his ministrations. It might have continued had Abigail not voiced her distress over being left in a wet nappy.

Ginny snapped out of the trance she was in. She was at the bassinette and had scooped Abigail up before herself or Draco realized she was even on her feet. Draco moved off the couch, grabbed his bag, and left the room.

He returned minutes later with freshly changed. Abigail was still wailing. Ginny was attempting to give her a bottle, but the small child wasn't having it. Draco moved to Ginny's side and gently lifted Abigail from her arms. “Go change into your bedclothes. We'll lay with her and she'll go to sleep.”

“You're staying?”

“I still have a long drive yet.”

“Oh, all right.”

“Go change into your bedclothes.”

“All right.”

Ginny went into the bathroom and retrieved an oversized button up shirt from her bag. Putting it over her head, she still felt naked. Walking around in an oversized, men's button up was comfortable, but it wasn't something she wanted to walk around in with Draco Malfoy standing in the front room. It's all I've got. I'm just going to have to deal with it. She let her hair down from the messy bun on top of her head, brushed her teeth and made her way back out into the living room.

Draco had Abigail draped across his bare chest. If I could just freeze-frame this moment, I could live on it forever.

“Is she asleep?” Ginny whispered.

“No, but she's settled down. Why don't you get some blankets and pillows from the spare room? They should be in the closet on the shelf. She'll like it better out here with the fire and all.”

Ginny looked at him suspiciously.

“I stay here a lot,” he reasoned.

Ginny left to get the blankets and pillows as instructed.

When she returned, Draco handed Abigail to Ginny and set about making a makeshift bed out of the couch. With a swish of his hand, the lights were extinguished and all that was left was firelight. He sat down on the couch and motioned for the baby. Ginny handed the child over to him and watched him settle into the couch-bed he'd made for them. Ginny moved to leave, when she felt Draco grab her hand.

“Stay,” he whispered, “there's plenty of room.”

“I'll fall off the edge.”

“No, you won't. I'll make sure you don't.”

Draco scooted over to create a space for Ginny between himself and the back of the couch. He pulled her hand towards the couch. Against her better judgment, Ginny crawled up into the hollow created for her. “This is not a very good idea,” she thought.

Ginny put as much distance between her body and Draco's as she possibly could, but given the confined quarters she was subjected to it wasn't possible to place more than an inch or two between them.

“I won't bite…this time. Can't have Abbie here learning any bad habits.”

Ginny smiled at the comment and looked up at Draco.

She relented to Draco's whim and sat up to grab the blanket lying on the arm of the couch. She spread it over them as she lay back down. Draco guided her into the crook of his arm as Ginny threw a leg over his. She settled into his side and began stroking Abbie's back at the same tempo Draco petted her upper arm.

Ginny's eyes began to droop. “Who could blame me? A gorgeous man cradling a baby wants me to cuddle with him— How do I turn that down? I would be crazy.

She fell into a contented sleep. Draco delivered light scratches to her scalp and played with her hair. She stayed that way until she felt lips being pressed to her forehead. Draco pulled back and Ginny looked up at him. A lazy, sleepy smile graced his features and Ginny couldn't help but return it. She snuggled back into his shoulder and was, once again, very nearly asleep when Draco spoke.

“So, what do you say?”

“About what,” Ginny mumbled sleepily. Draco kissed Ginny's forehead again as if to cajole her into agreeing to whatever he asked. Ginny's eyes opened enough to look at Draco's fingers trailing lazily up and down Abigail's back lightly.

“About having four or five of these for me.”

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