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The Result of a Drinking Binge by MrsDanielRadcliffe
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The Result of a Drinking Binge

MrsDanielRadcliffe

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.

To everyone who has reviewed, thank you so much. This is my first complete story (that wasn't a one-shot), and y'all have made it a pleasure to complete. I finished writing it a little over a year ago, and I'm so excited to finally be done. I'd prefer to not hear the word "sequel" -- although there is one in the works. It won't be completed for quite some time, but, until then, I have a slew of one-shots that I'm going to put up (still every Sunday) until I've completed the sequel to ROADB.

Thanks again, everyone!

~~~~

Chapter 18

Later that night Draco Apparated to Ginny's flat. He stroked the hair back from her face and shook her gently awake.

"Gin?"

"What could you possibly want now?"

"Get up and get dressed. I want to take you out."

"I don't want to go out with you."

"Gin, get up, take a shower and get dressed. Please?"

"Bugger off. I want to lay here by myself and be depressed."

"Gin, will you please get up and get dressed?"

"Oh bloody hell! You'll never just leave me alone, will you? You insist on making my life this bloody roller coaster of emotion. Everything is fine one minute, then the next you're ordering me around again. Fine, I'll get dressed. You won't leave me the hell alone until I do." Draco helped her up from the couch and she did the best mock curtsy a pregnant woman could do. "I'll be back when I've done your bidding, my Lord."

Draco's cheeks tinged with pink as he watched her mock him and walk away. He flopped down on the couch and turned on the telly flipping through channels until she emerged from the bedroom.

"Draco, come in here please."

Draco sighed and walked towards the bedroom.

"What should I wear?"

"I don't care what you wear, Gin."

Ginny clasped her hands around her stomach and made her eyes wide and innocent. "But, my dear sir, I have been rendered completely incapable of making my own decisions. If I wear something my Lord disapproves of, he might take all my clothes and make me walk around BLOODY STARKERS! Then, he'll buy all the shops he doesn't like and ban me from shopping in them! It will be the catalyst for an entire chain of events that little old me wishes to avoid."

"Bloody fucking hell, Gin!" Draco rummaged through her closet and threw her the first thing his hands met. "Wear that!"

"If my Lord would like me to wear a brown skirt and a purple top, both of which haven't fit in months, then I will squeeze my fat arse into them, as long as it does indeed please my Lord."

"Your arse isn't fat."

"That isn't the point."

"What is the point then?"

"The point is that since you've taken away my ability to make my own decisions on all the topics that really matter, why don't you just make all of my decisions for me."

"Fucking hell." Draco took the few steps it took for him to stand in front of Ginny and clasped her shoulders. "What-the-bloody-hell-is-wrong-with-you?" Each word was enunciated with a gentle, but sharp shake of her body.

"Get your bloody hands off of me!"

"I've told you before that you try my patience, but that I'd never hit you-although I desperately wanted to shake you on occasion. I just couldn't resist at the present time."

"Get the hell out of my bedroom. I'd tell you to get the hell out of my house, but you won't leave until you decide to. Otherwise you'll just stay here and drive me INSANE!"

"You're already there."

"Only because you've made me that way!"

"I'll be in the living room waiting."

"Fine."

Ginny found her trusty overalls and white tank top. Flip-flops and a deep, jewel-toned cardigan sweater were the finishing touches to her outfit. She desperately wanted to dress like a hag and embarrass Draco, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. He's such a bastard.

The second Ginny walked into the living room, Draco walked over to her and Apparated them to Diagon Alley.

"I had planned for this to be nice, but since you threw such a fit at the house I believe we are destined to have a hellish evening. However, we both need to eat and I neither feel like cooking nor do I trust you not to poison me presently."

Practically dragging her down the street, Draco kept his death grip on Ginny's hand. She finally managed to yank her hand away.

"Damnit, Draco. I'm heavily pregnant and am wearing flip-flops, you fucking wanker."

Draco had made it several steps in front of Ginny after she'd freed her hand, so he closed the gap and ran his hands from her shoulders down to her thin fingers. "I'm sorry."

"Fine, just walk slower."

"No, I'm sorry for being such a wanker all the time. I'm just trying to do what's best for my family. I don't deal well with situations when I don't get my way. I don't have much experience with that."

"No, you don't."

"I am sorry, Gin. Can we please put all the nastiness, however warranted, and have a decent dinner and talk?"

"Why bother? You never listen."

"I listen."

"No, you hear me. You don't listen. You hear what I say, and then do whatever the bloody fuck you feel like doing regardless of what I've just said."

"Fine. We'll have a nice dinner and I'll listen."

"You've told me that before-that you'll listen. You didn't then either."

"I'll listen, I promise. I'm even open to discussion about work and the move."

"I don't want to fight anymore. It's so draining."

"We won't."

"Yes, we will, but only if you don't get what you want."

"Gin, give me one last chance. I promise I'll make good."

She looked-really looked-at his face. He seemed sincere, but then again he'd seemed sincere before. "Fine."

"Leave the `fine' behind, Gin. Now, would you like to go and have dinner?"

"I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"The smell of random foods makes me ill."

"How about this, I'll go get something-anything you want-and we'll go eat it in the park so you don't get sick. It's a lovely night."

"That sounds fine."

"Ok, what do you want?"

"Fish and chips and a cold pumpkin juice."

Draco thought the combination sounded horrible, but he grabbed her hand and led her through the crowd towards the establishment that made the best fish and chips in town.

------

Draco had left Ginny outside the restaurant to wait for their food so he could Apparate home for a blanket a couple of pillows.

They walked to the park in silence. Draco carried the take away carefully wrapped in one arm while Ginny carried two pillows under her arm with the blanket hung from her hand in a neat roll. The hands that were unoccupied clung together as they wove their way through the crowd.

They searched the park for a place with a nice view, but little foot traffic. Ginny spread the blanket and Draco unpacked the food. They ate in the same silence they'd walked to the park in.

Lying back on the blanket they stared at the stars with their heads cushioned on pillows.

"So?" Draco cautiously asked.

"So what?"

"So we should talk."

"What should we talk about?"

"Lots of things that I promised to listen to you about."

"Yeah. What should we talk about first?"

Draco rolled onto his side so he could see Ginny properly. "Let's talk about you moving."

"Okay. It makes sense for me to move back into the house, but I don't like the way you went about the whole situation. Yes, you asked me to move back into the house previously, and I said no-I understand that. However, that doesn't give you the right to run around behind my back and manipulate my life, as if you are the God of my universe."

"I'm sorry, Gin, but I really was doing it for a good reason. My heart was in the right place."

"Sure it was-if the right place is shoved up your arse. When you originally asked me to move back to the house, and I said no, you threw a tantrum. You knew my job and my flat were important to me. You also knew that if I didn't work, I'd have to give up my flat unless I moved back to the house, and I knew you wouldn't pay for my flat unless I moved back into the house."

"Gin, in my mind, my heart was in the right place."

"Yes, I'm sure in your mind it was, but what you have to realize is that I put up with a lot of selfishness from you on a lot of different levels. I put up with it because I know that underneath it all that you're a good person. Plus, you get me gifts, because in your mind that makes you better on some level. I don't bitch because I still get the presents."

"Okay, so I'm selfish."

"Yes, on some levels. You aren't always selfish and you've gotten better over the years, but buying the magazine I work for and forcing me out of a job-that was pure selfishness. That was your wounded ego proving to me that you could make me do what you wanted me to do. You refused to take into consideration what I might want, or what I might need. It isn't as if my job was strenuous. I could understand you putting your foot down if I was endangering the baby, but I wasn't."

"I know you weren't putting the baby in danger, but I hated seeing you in so much discomfort. Maybe I was being selfish in the end, but it started out well enough."

"It did, and that's why I say you're not always selfish. But I'm allowed to say no, Draco. I'm even allowed to say no to you. I don't do it often. I normally let you have whatever your little heart should desire, but if you make all my decisions, I'm not me anymore-I'm merely an extension of you."

"Okay. What about moving?"

"It does make sense and I find myself not wanting to move simply to refuse you. That's not right and it's not fair to me or the baby."

"It's fair to me?"

"There's the selfishness again. This isn't about you. It's about me and our unborn child."

"Maybe it is a little callous and selfish, but I enjoyed being around for the pregnancy last time, and I'd like to be around this time. I know how hard the last one was on you, and I know this one is going to be worse, simply because you don't have as much help, and you have Jayden with you all the time. I want to help, Gin. Why won't you let me help?"

"It's not that I don't want you to help, and it's not that I don't need help, because I do. I just don't want to give in to you, and have you thinking you've won the right to control my life again. Simply because we have children doesn't mean that you have exclusive rights to me, or can make demands of me."

"Okay, you can knock my block off the next time I'm being unreasonable. Just be sure to let me know why you're knocking me out first."

"All right."

"Are you going to move back in with me?"

"Yes, but know it's just because I need help and the flat really isn't big enough for another baby. I still want to keep it though."

"Okay, that's not a problem. Are you still mad about working?"

"No, I just wish it could have gone a different way. It was completely ludicrous of you to buy the entire magazine, just to get your way. I ought to have beat the hell out of you."

"Yeah, you probably should have. I guess I deserve it." Ginny shot him a scathing look. "Okay, okay! I deserve it, but please don't hit me. I bruise like a peach."

"You really do."

"Are you going to keep working?"

"I don't know. I'd really just like to do some freelance writing."

"You could write for the magazine. I'm sure it could be arranged, as I know the boss intimately."

"No, I don't want any special favors. Of course now my boss isn't going to be honest with me about my work, because you own the magazine, and because of our relationship."

"Well, if you want to keep working, do it. If you want to quit, do it. You know you don't have to work. I've always supported you and Jayden, and that's never going to change."

"You say that now."

"I mean it now, too."

"I might cut back, but I don't want to quit. I enjoy editing, but I'd like to write as well. I'll write under a pseudonym, or something, to get honest reactions."

"That's a good idea. When do you want to move back in?"

"After I get the house redecorated. You did an atrocious job after I moved out last time. Trying to rid the place of my memory?"

"Yeah, I let Mother's decorator have free reign. I hate it. I liked it the way it was when you lived in there. It's far too art deco for my taste."

"I'll start tomorrow. I don't have a lot of time to get it all ready."

"No, you really don't. I'll help if you want me to."

"That would be nice." Ginny sighed and stretched her arms above her head. "I have to pee."

"Do you want to go or do you just want to find a restroom around here?"

"I'd like to stay, but I think I'll be too stiff to move tomorrow if I lay here much longer."

----------

"Gin, when I said I'd help I really didn't bargain for this." Draco was splattered in yellow paint from head to toe.

"I know, but you said you'd help, so quit your bellyaching."

"This is going to take forever."

"I like doing it the Muggle way."

"I don't."

"I don't care, Draco. If you're going to keep up with the complaining I'm going to have to insist that you get the hell out. I'm the pregnant one, I'm the one the gets to bitch."

"All right, I'll stop."

"Good."

"Hey, Gin?"

"Yeah?"

"Look at this."

"What?" As she turned, she was hit with huge dollops of paint launched from Draco's brush.

"Oh, you're going to get it!"

A full on paint war erupted with both parties flinging paint from brushes and rollers at each other.

"Okay, okay-I give!" Draco held his hands up in defeat.

"Okay," Ginny said, laughing. "Get to work, the people come to put in the new carpet tomorrow and we still have to finish in here and then do the living room."

"What color are we doing the living room?"

Ginny walked over to the paint cans in the corner of the kitchen. "This one," she said gesturing to a steely lavender color.

"I like that. Let's finish up here and order delivery. I'm starving."

They finished painting the bottom floor of the house as well as the stairwell. Draco felt like he was home again. The warm jewel tones were back and Ginny was moving back in. What was this feeling he was having? Was it happiness? Yes, of course, I'm happy again.

-------

By the time Ginny finished what she called her "nesting phase," Draco had bought completely new furniture for virtually every room in the house, there were new draperies, new dishes, even new silver. The purchase he enjoyed the most was the new bed Ginny had picked out for their room. It was four-posted, had a thick, plush mattress and she'd topped it with a feather comforter covered with silvery rose colored satin. Pillows of all different shapes and sized in varying shades of green added a contrast that he'd found he rather liked.

The only thing they hadn't completely finished was the nursery. Draco had bought a frilly new bassinette for their bedroom. Ginny had fawned over the surprise and had given him a kiss on the cheek that made him blush.

They were sitting together eating lunch at their new dining room table. Jayden was absent as he was still staying at the Burrow while renovations were still in progress.

"Draco?"

"Yes, pet?"

"Have you ever heard of a sonogram?"

"No, why?"

"Well, I owled the Medi-witch and she said it's too late to find out the sex of the baby with a charm. She advised a Muggle sonogram."

"You want to know?"

"Yeah, I want to buy some more things for the nursery. I'm tired of the white walls. I'd like to put up some border or wallpaper, or buy frilly blankets or something. I'd do green or yellow or some other neutral color, but I did that with Jayden's nursery. I'd really like to do another color this time-a more gender specific color."

"It doesn't hurt the baby?"

"No."

"How does it work?"

"I don't know, but I can find out."

"All right, make the appointment."

------

A week later, Ginny and Draco were in the sitting in the waiting room of a Muggle obstetrics office. The stood and followed the nurse into the back of the office when they heard Ginny's name called.

"Ms. Weasley, you can undress behind that screen. Put on this gown, opening to the front. You can leave your knickers on, but please remove your brassiere. When you're done, please get up on the table and the doctor will be in a few minutes."

"Thank you. Draco can stay with me, can't he?"

"Of course. You can have a seat in the chair beside the table, sir."

Draco sat in the armchair beside the table Ginny was to lay on and Ginny undressed behind the screen. Draco helped her onto the table when she was done and the doctor came into the room.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Watkins." He shook Draco's and then Ginny's hand.

"Draco Malfoy. This is Ginny."

"Nice to meet you. How's the patient feeling today?"

"I'm fine."

"Do you want to know the sex?"

"Yes, we do. Rather the whole point, isn't it?" Draco asked.

"There are a lot of reasons for a sonogram, Mr. Malfoy, but determining the sex is usually the primary reason expectant parents have the procedure done."

The doctor squirted lubricating gel on Ginny's stomach and turned on the machine. A loud thumping began reverberating through the room.

"Whoa, what's that?"

"That's the baby's heartbeat, Draco."

A look of amazement crossed his face. He stroked Ginny's hair and kissed her forehead.

"There's a leg and an arm. Finger and toes: five of each so far. Oh, there are the others all in tact. That's the head." Dr. Watkins pushed a button between each view.

"Do you know what it is, yet?" Ginny asked with an edge in her voice.

"Yes, I just like to let the excitement build a little." Dr. Watkins winked at her and smiled. "You're having a girl."

"A girl? Are you sure?"

"She's a girl or he's missing some parts." All three chuckled.

Dr. Watkins wiped Ginny's stomach clean and turned the machine off after ejecting a videocassette from a slot underneath the monitor.

"Here are a few pictures of your baby and here's the tape of the whole procedure."

"Thank you, Dr. Watkins." Draco shook the man's hand before he left the room.

Ginny changed and they left the office after paying their bill.

They were walking down the street to The Leaky Cauldron when Draco asked, "What is this for?"

"It's a videotape, silly. You play it in a VCR."

"Whatever that is we should go buy one immediately."

They stopped at an electronics store before reaching The Leaky Cauldron. Draco couldn't stop looking at the pictures of their new little girl.

"Are you excited?"

"Of course."

"Are you excited it's a girl?" Ginny questioned.

"I would have been excited either way, but I'm quite pleased it's a girl."

"Good. Me too. I'll let you in on a little secret. I've already bought a bunch of stuff for a little girl."

"I figured as much. I actually have quite a few things on order."

"Do you really?" Ginny squealed.

"Yes, I couldn't help myself. We really have to do this sonogram bit every time."

"Every time?"

"Yes."

"You're planning on knocking me up again? When were you planning on letting me in on this?"

"Eventually, when the time was right."

"Ah."

They went back to the house to hook up their new VCR.

--------

"That's my new baby sister?" Jayden asked excitedly.

"Uh huh. Da did good, didn't he?"

"Yeah! I always wanted a baby sister!"

"That's good, because you're getting one really soon."

"What's that?"

"That's her tummy. And those are her feet, and that's her neck." As each part of his daughter flashed on the screen, he tickled the matching body part on Jayden.

"Are you lot watching the sonogram video again?"

"Yes, we are. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No." She sat down with Draco and Jayden and snuggled under the blanket with the two of them. It was early on a Saturday morning and all were still clad in their bedclothes. They were smiling and looked like the perfect family. Ginny looked at the two men and smiled.

"Ooh." Ginny grabbed her stomach.

"What's wrong, Gin."

"Nothing, just a little pain. It'll be fine. I'd appreciate it if you'd rub my back a little though. It's been testy for a couple of days now."

Draco rubbed slow, firm circles on Ginny's lower back with his knuckles while Jayden turned the telly from the sonogram video to cartoons.

"Ooh!"

Draco stopped rubbing. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, but I'm fairly certain my water just broke. Ugh, yeah, my water just broke. All over the new couch, damn it."

"Don't worry about the couch, Gin. Jayden go get dressed and Floo your grandmums. Tell them Mummy's gone into labor and we'll on our way to St. Mungo's in a few minutes."

"I'm not allowed to use the Floo yet, Da. I'm not big enough yet."

"You're about to be a big brother, I think we can make an exception today. Go!"

"Stay put, Gin. I'll be right back." Draco took the stairs two at a time and ran into the bedroom. He changed into a cerulean button down dress shirt and rolled the sleeves up. He slipped slacks over his hips while toeing trainers on his feet. He grabbed Ginny's overnight bag and yelled for Jayden to hurry up.

He ran down the stairs and helped Ginny change into the set of clothes he'd brought.

"Jayden, let's go!" Draco yelled.

"I'm coming, Da!"

Jayden started coming down the stairs a little too quickly. "Jayden! Use the handrail! We don't need Mum to worry about you getting stitches while she's having your baby sister!"

"Draco, we've got to go. It hurts."

"I know, love. Let's get you up. Jayden! Get out of the kitchen!"

"But Mummy hasn't had breakfast!"

"I don't need it, baby-ooh---thank you for the thought though, Poppet. Come out here-ooh-with me and-mmm-your da."

Jayden ran out from the kitchen, grabbed onto Draco's leg, and the three of them Apparated to St. Mungo's.

They went to the admissions desk. Draco helped Ginny into a wheel chair and pushed her down the hall after the nurse. The nurse helped her change, cast a few charms to dull the pain, and left the room to call the Medi-witch.

"Oh, that's so much better. Those charms work wonders."

"Does it hurt, Mummy?"

"Yes, baby, it does, but it's worth it in the end. This is how I got you."

"Oh, okay."

"Why don't you go in the hall and wait for everyone to get here, little man?"

"Okay, Da."

"Draco, we haven't thought of a name yet."

"That's right, we haven't, have we?"

"What do you think?"

"Agnes?"

"No, that's too matronly."

For the next twenty minutes, they went through all the girl names they could think of.

"How about Scarlet?" Draco asked.

"I like that. What about a middle name?"

The brainstormed over the middle name until Jayden came back into the room.

"Mummy, everyone's here. When's my baby sister going to be here?"

"I'm not sure, baby. Soon, hopefully."

"What are you lot doing in here?" Jayden asked.

"We're thinking of baby names." Draco said.

"I like Elaine. We read a story in school about a little girl named Elaine."

"That's perfect, baby. What do you think, Draco?"

"First or middle?"

"Middle."

"Scarlet Elaine Malfoy. What do you think, little man?"

"Is that going to be my baby sister's name?"

"Maybe, what do you think, Poppet?"

Jayden's grin got quite wide and he ran into the hallway. Draco and Ginny laughed when they heard Jayden yelling, "Grandmum Weasley! Grandmum Malfoy! I got to pick my baby sister's middle name!"

Later that afternoon, Ginny delivered Scarlet. Later the room was filled with Weasleys all staring at Narcissa holding her newest granddaughter. Colin was snapping pictures with reckless abandon.

Everyone had their turn holding the little strawberry blonde baby with hazel eyes, and during the din Ginny had fallen fast asleep. The family had left and had taken Jayden with them. All were on their way to a celebration at The Leaky Cauldron and on a quest for a flower shop with enough flowers for everyone to get something for Ginny. Draco sat in the reclining chair holding his sleeping daughter. He petted her hair as her little hand wrapped around one of his large fingers.

"Where did everyone go?" Ginny asked sleepily.

"They went to eat and find you flowers."

"Did they take Jayden with them?"

"Kicking and screaming. He wanted to stay here with you and his new sister, but they got him started on how he got to pick out her middle name and he didn't even realize they were walking him out."

"That's funny."

Draco put Scarlet in the crib the nurse had brought into the room and walked over to Ginny's bed. Ginny scooted to one edge of the bed to make room for the rather imposing man beside her. Draco lay on his side and propped his head up on his elbow. His hand cupped her cheek as his thumb stroked over her lower lip.

"I do love you."

"Maybe. I haven't decided yet," Ginny retorted.

"The jury's still out?"

"Uh huh."

"They'll find in my favor, I'm sure."

"You think so?"

"They won't have a choice, because I am head-over-heels in love with you."

"It's just the excitement of the day, Draco."

"Nah, that can't be it. If that were the case, why would I feel like this everyday?"

"Keep it, and tell me on another day when you're sure."

"I am sure."

"Just keep it, and tell me on another day when I'm covered in baby goo, and the newness has worn off. Tell me when we're staying up all night taking care of a squalling newborn."

"All right, I'll save it for as long as you want me to, but only as long as you realize that I like you covered in baby goo."

"You do not. When Jayden was a baby, you used to make me go shower."

"That was only because I like you better wet and naked. That's how we ended up with Jayden, and I'm fairly certain Scarlet was the product of a very, very nice bath." Draco smirked.

"Of course, I should have known. Wet and naked, I rather prefer you that way as well."

"Do you now?" Draco's chest puffed out slightly.

"Yes, it means you're silent except for the moaning and grunting."

"Yes, except for that. I rather enjoy that part as well." Draco's eyes closed and a leer settled on his face.

"I'm sure you do, pervert. Now, stop picturing me naked."

"I think you enjoy it as well."

"You would think that."

"I might have to cut you off, if you keep it up."

"No sex for a few weeks anyhow. Even if we did have the energy to shag, we're not supposed to."

"Why not?"

"Because everything has to settle back into place and regain its old shape." Ginny laughed at the look on Draco's face. "Draco, I just pushed a baby out of there. It's only natural that everything would be a little-displaced."

"I hadn't thought of it that way."

Scarlet began fussing. "Give her to me. She might want to eat. We'll see if she'll breastfeed. Jayden never would."

"That's because I told him your tits belonged to his da and weren't for eating."

"You're incorrigible."

"I know, and you love me for it." Draco retrieved Scarlet and laid her in her Mother's arms. "Now, Scarlet, I would have a pep talk with you, but since it's so important to your Mummy to breastfeed, I think I can share."

"She's not wanting to."

"Because you're smothering her. Hold it up like this."

Scarlet latched on and began eating heartily.

"I might have read a few books and I might have attended a few meetings. I also might know because that's how I like to do my suckling as well."

"Draco, you're disgusting! I'm trying to feed my child and it isn't sexual. Tits were made for function, not for decoration!"

"But they are so much fun as decoration."

"You can't make feeding our child into a sexual act. That's gross."

"In my mind, what I do with your tits and what Scarlet is doing to your tits are two separate acts: one sexual and one not sexual. I am sexual, Scarlet is not. I'll stop though. I'll remind you that I'm sexual soon enough."

Colin opened the door silently and took a picture of the two proud parents staring down at their new child happily eating her first meal. The next picture he snapped captured Draco placing a soft kiss on Ginny's lips.

--------

Ginny had ordered the nursery repainted a warm ivory shade and had bordered the room half way up the walls with a pretty striped pattern of the same ivory and a dainty pink, not that anyone would notice that considering the state the room was in.

Scarlet had been home for two weeks and last night hadn't been pleasant. Ginny lay in an exhausted sleep with Scarlet draped across her chest. She had tried everything. She'd brought Scarlet to bed with her and Draco. She'd tried walking her and dancing with her. She'd tried singing, and even begging. Finally, she'd sat in the rocking chair and Scarlet had been lulled to sleep after fussing and fighting for an hour.

Ginny woke up when Scarlet started rooting against her chest. She helped Scarlet find her proper place and pushed the rocking chair back and forth with her toes.

"Look at my girls." Draco was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. His silken sleep pants hung from his hips lazily and his hair stuck out in all directions.

"Nice hair."

"You should talk. Yours isn't exactly the height of fashion."

Draco sat on the floor beside the rocker. His hand moved to play with Scarlet's hair in a soothing motion. Ginny smiled down at him before his gaze returned to their daughter.

"I love you, you know."

"I know."

"I'm in love with you, but you knew that too."

"I didn't," Ginny stated as though she was unaffected.

Draco's hand went to cup Ginny's cheek and forced her gaze to his. "I do love you and I am in love with you."

"That's good."

"Why is that good?"

"Because I'm fairly certain I return the sentiment," Ginny admitted in a hushed voice.

"Do you now?"

"I think so."

"It took knocking you up twice for me convince you that you belong with me, huh?"

"I'm pretty stubborn."

"I noticed."

"You are as well."

"I know."

Draco rose up on his knees and placed his hands on the arms of the rocker. A small smile played on his lips. "I love you."

"I think I love you too," were the last words Ginny spoke before Draco gave her a gentle kiss.

The End


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