Unofficial Portkey Archive

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 ELEVEN

SMASHING SUCCESS

Draco rolled over as the sun danced across his face and reached for his wife, drawing her flush against his body. In his opinion, every Saturday should start this way, most especially after the last two weeks they'd somehow survived. She groaned lightly as he disturbed her, but seemed to settle back to sleep after cuddling into him further. While he lay there taking in the unique scent of her hair, his mind wandered to the last fortnight of hell, and he reaffirmed his hope that life would now resume a more normal pace.

From Monday to Wednesday the days had mirrored the week beforehand, with Ginny constantly at the hospital and the children left in the care of whatever relative wasn't at the hospital or work. Then, to everyone's relief, Molly had been released on Thursday afternoon. However, this only served to create a whole new set of problems. Ginny, it seemed, had taken it into her head that no one else could care for Molly as well as she did, and it wouldn't have been a problem, except for the fact that Charlie and Anya had agreed to remain at the Burrow for as long as Molly needed assistance, so the rest of the family could resume their regular lives, apart from additional visits just to keep the Weasley matriarch entertained.

Draco had only been made aware of the problem on Friday afternoon when Charlie had Flooed him. It seemed that he'd tried to convince Ginny to go home, but she was steadfastly refusing, and Anya was starting to make noises about returning to Hogsmeade, because there was little point in remaining at Ottery Street Catchpole if she wasn't allowed to even serve her mother-in-law a simple cup of tea. After some discussion, it was decided that Charlie would Side-Along Apparate Ginny home, against her will if necessary, and Draco would meet them there, rather than have the whole situation explode where Molly could hear.

Needless to say, Ginny was furious when she realized she had been transported home. Charlie had, apparently, decided against asking her to come of her own volition. She'd railed for an hour or so about her brother stealing her wand, which he had slipped to Draco when she wasn't looking, and forcing her to return to the manor when she should be at the Burrow looking after her mother, not that Charlie had hung around to hear what she thought of him. Draco had done the only thing he could do in the circumstances: asked Charlie to bring the twins home a bit later, closed the door to the parlor, made himself comfortable and watched his wife as she stormed back and forth while venting her displeasure. When it appeared that she'd run out of things to yell about, he'd gently coaxed her upstairs and into a warm bubble bath. By the time she was ready to get out, Ginny had calmed down considerably. She was still swearing vengeance against Charlie, but Draco figured that was his problem and certainly nothing the Hogwarts Professor couldn't handle.

It had been Bill who escorted the twins home late in the afternoon. Charlie, evidently, had more sense than to show his face around his sister until she'd had long enough to calm down. Although, he didn't turn up himself, Charlie had given his oldest brother specific instructions to make sure that he sighted a living, breathing Draco before he left, just in case Ginny had turned her murderous thoughts into actions. After Bill left, they'd spent a quiet evening in each other's company, and while she wasn't entirely happy, she didn't mention the incident again.

He knew Ginny would spend much of today making certain everything was ready for this evening's dinner party, so he'd planned to make himself and the children scarce for most of the day, unless she objected, of course. However, in an effort to ensure she was well rested, he had left unquestionable instructions with the servants that they weren't to be disturbed until they emerged from their chambers. The last thing he wanted was for her to have a miserable evening due to being exhausted.

Draco heard the door to their bedchamber creak open slowly, and he turned cautiously to see who was courageous enough to intrude on their privacy. Drake's head peeked around the edge of the door.

"Daddy?"

"Go down to breakfast, mate," Draco whispered. "Mummy and I are having a sleep in."

"But you're not asleep."

"I would be if I wasn't talking to you." Draco glanced at Ginny, who appeared to be still sleeping soundly. "Go and have breakfast, then you can play for a while. Tell Angel the same thing."

"Okay, but can we take the brooms out today?"

"If it's all right with Mummy."

Drake let loose a delighted squeal.

"Shh!"

"Did I wake Mummy?"

Draco checked his sleeping wife quickly. "No, you're lucky."

The little boy's face dropped. "Oh."

"If you wake her up there's no way she's going to agree to us flying today," Draco said in a harsh whisper, catching on instantly to what his son had hoped for.

Drake's eyes popped open in alarm. "I'm going to eat breakfast."

"Smart choice," Draco muttered to himself as the door closed and he was once again left with the even breathing of his wife and his thoughts.

With no sign of Ginny waking any time soon, Draco allowed his eyes to drift closed again. He was enjoying simply holding her while she slept. Thoughts of what he'd like to do today and how tonight was going to go began to grow fuzzy in his brain as sleep slowly took hold.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As the haze of sleep lifted slowly from his mind, Draco felt other feelings take up predominant positions in his brain, feelings that clouded all other thought processes. His first clear thought was about how hard he was and the second was along the lines of finding any excuse necessary to lay in bed with his generous wife more often. He let out a groan of appreciation as her tongue swirled around the head of his cock and his hand drifted down to tangle in her hair. This was definitely what Saturday mornings - if it was still morning, not that he actually cared at this point - were all about.

She remained diligently on task for a few more minutes before gliding up his body, pausing only to place lingering kisses on his torso as she ascended.

"You're awake," she purred.

"I am."

"I got hungry."

"You could have ordered breakfast."

"I decided to help myself."

"I'm not complaining."

"I didn't think you would," she muttered before claiming his mouth.

Draco wrapped his arms around her, and then rolled her onto her back while his tongue danced with hers. Much to his delight, she'd shed her nightwear before waking him up in the most enjoyable manner possible, in any man's opinion. His hands ran down her sides, caressing her skin softly, as his mouth trailed over the milky flesh of her neck. Little moans of appreciation reached his ears, telling him how pleased she was with his attention. He maneuvered one hand between her legs, letting his fingers roam about in her most sensitive of areas, eliciting breathless gasps from her as a reward for his diligence.

Ginny arched into him as he took one of her nipples into his mouth. She felt as though she was melting under his touch. Her need was becoming a physical pain, and no matter how she tried to move into her husband's touch it didn't seem to be enough. Natural urges began to take over her body, and her hips started to rock against his hand. Her fingers tangled in his hair and her nails grazed the back of his neck, holding him where she was aching for him most.

She mewled as his hand drifted away from the peak of her legs and he slid over a little further to cover her body completely with his. If he hadn't been so engrossed with the sensations her tongue was creating as it stroked his, he might have noticed her nails digging into the flesh on his shoulders. Draco had only one thought on his mind at that juncture and that was to seek completion. Reluctant to withdraw from her mouth he moved around carefully until he had his position right, and then slid into her slick heat with a satisfied hiss.

Ginny met his every thrust with enthusiasm. Her oversensitive body relished the feelings his most intimate touch evoked and the speed with which it was able to find euphoria. Every nerve ending in her body was sizzling within minutes and she was rocketing towards the point of no return at the speed of light.

If there was a sight more beautiful than his wife writhing beneath him, Draco didn't know what it might be or if he was even interested in discovering what it was. That glazed look in her eyes was just about enough to send him to the very edge of his control. Her panted words, instructing him to go deeper or harder or to linger longer traveled through his body igniting every sense and making his desire to please her second to nothing. After extracting a particularly delightful moan from her lips, he tilted his hips just a little to the right and sank into her purposefully - her reaction wasn't disappointing. Unable to resist, Draco repeated the motion, and again he received a most pleasing reaction from her.

Another throaty moan escaped her and his lips quirked again in a distracted smirk. She'd demand he stop moving like that, but it felt too good and she didn't have the strength to deprive herself of the pleasure. One thing was certain, if he continued she would be screaming his name in no time.

A small quiver of her muscles alerted him to her impending climax. He thought that he was aware of just how close she was even before she was. With the knowledge that he was so close to accomplishing his objective, Draco put everything he had into pushing her over the edge and into bliss. Her half-closed eyes suddenly popped wide open and he knew she was at the precipice, then her muscles clamped around him, rendering immobile for a fraction of a second.

One minute she was consumed by thoughts of how good he felt inside her and the next everything exploded in a rush of pleasure that was so powerful it was almost painful. Ginny clung to Draco and rode out the waves of her orgasm, barely conscious of him stiffening and groaning deeply as he emptied himself inside her. She could feel his lips traveling over her face and neck, and hear the whispered `I love you', but she was unable to respond. When he lifted himself off her and collapsed beside her, she suddenly felt lonely and reached across to touch his arm.

While he waited for his lungs to start functioning again, his eyes drifted over to his wife. She looked glorious laying against their black satin sheets, all flushed with her chest heaving for oxygen. If he hadn't just poured a week's worth of energy into her, he suspected his groin would be twitching for permission to get close to such an enchanting vision again. Draco allowed his eyes to roam downwards. He came to the small, almost indiscernible bulge in her midsection and a smile began to tug at his lips - his child was safely cocooned inside there. The warm, loving feelings that had begun to creep over him were suddenly pushed aside by the most horrendous of thoughts, given he was lying there, naked, with his panting wife. Again his brain demanded that he discovered the secret of sex with a heavily pregnant woman. Unbidden images of his sisters-in-law and their husbands in scenes that threatened to send him insane invaded his thoughts.

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked, her senses returning to her slowly.

"Err-yeah, I'm fine, love." Draco shook his head to clear the nightmarish images from his brain.

"Then why do you look like you've just seen a dragon pooping on dinner plate?"

"No reason," Draco replied lightly in an attempt to close the subject.

Ginny propped herself up on one elbow and began to traced lines over his chest. "Draco, tell me the truth."

He closed his eyes and tried to think of a way out of explaining to her what he was thinking about. If he could have thought of something else to explain his expression he would have used it, but as it was his mind was completely blank - except for visions of pregnant women in lewd positions. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Draco, it can't be nothing. Just tell me."

"No, it's not important."

"Draco."

He groaned miserably, the warning in her tone was unmistakable. "It's just-I keep thinking-"

"What?"

"Well, everyone keeps saying-"

"Saying what?"

Draco turned to face her, making a conscious decision to relieve himself of his burden. "You know how you want to-well you're more... affectionate than before."

"Yes, it's perfectly natural."

"Yeah, well I was thinking-" Draco took a deep breath, steeling himself to voice his query. "When you get big, really big how will we-"

Ginny started to giggle. It wasn't difficult to see where he was going with this awkward line of discussion. "There are ways, I believe."

"You believe? You mean you don't know?"

"I wasn't exactly with anyone when I was pregnant with the twins," Ginny reminded him.

"Oh, so you don't know how?"

"I have a fair idea." Ginny grinned nefariously. "It's just a matter of finding positions that are comfortable for the both of us."

"Yeah," Draco muttered. While he'd never wanted to discuss this, he had hoped that Ginny was more knowledgeable on the subject, so he'd have a safe guide. Now he was left with little opportunity to learn anything of the mystery, unless, of course, he approached his brothers-in-law.

"Why are you worrying about stuff like this now? I'm not that fat yet!"

"It just occurred to me yesterday," Draco answered carelessly.

"Yesterday? We were at the Burrow yesterday." Ginny frowned. "Why on earth would such a thought occur to you there?"

"Hermione, Pansy and Angelina," Draco stated, as if it were obvious.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "And why were you thinking such thoughts in relation to them?"

"I wasn't!" Draco replied defensively, missing the mischievous twinkle in his wife's eyes. "I was just wondering how they managed," he finished weakly.

"That's an odd thing to wonder about a woman who's not your wife."

"I didn't mean to! The thought just popped in there and wouldn't leave."

She couldn't hold her amusement any longer and burst out laughing. "I'm sure we'll sort it out when the time comes, or you could ask Bill or Charlie or even Percy for advice."

"Never! There is no way I'm raising this subject with them. I'd never hear the end of it."

"It was just a suggestion." Ginny giggled at his mortified expression. She knew if there was any information to be gathered, it would be her who would be asking the questions of more knowledgeable family members.

"I think I'll have a shower," Draco ground out suddenly, slipping to the side of the bed and swinging his feet out.

Her amusement followed him all the way to the bathroom. He couldn't quite fathom the ease at which his wife could get him to open up and spill the many deep thoughts stored in his mind. His usual controlled-self abandoned him whenever Ginny and he had a private moment. It was disturbing to a point, but then he thought he might have been even more disturbing if he wasn't capable of relaxing totally in her presence.

The hot water stung his skin, burning it red in patches, but he remained under the spray, still kicking himself for opening his mouth. Most disturbing was the fact that his wife didn't know any better than he did when it came to sex once she grew big. Yesterday's epiphany had been somewhat of a wake up call for him. While he understood, academically at least, that Ginny would grow large, it hadn't really struck home until he'd seen his sisters-in-law. How he'd missed their ever-increasing forms of late was quite beyond him, as he was usually a very observant man. Of course, he'd never paid attention to pregnant women in the past; he'd actually avoided them like the plague just in case one thought to pin their predicament on him and his Gringotts vault. There was only one solution to his current problem: he had to get a grip and deal with his questions. This only left one uncertainty: who could he trust to answer his queries truthfully?

"Are you trying to escape down the drain hole?"

"Ginny, I didn't hear you come in."

"I thought I'd better check on you, because you've been in here for ages."

"Sorry, love, I was enjoying the spray. There's nothing quite like a hot shower."

"I might have to test your theory," Ginny said as she dropped the bathrobe she was wearing off her shoulders, allowing it to slide to the marble floor. She stepped into the shower stall with Draco and immediately began adjusting the water temperature.

"If you're going to do that I'm out of here," Draco whined good-naturedly. "Merlin, witch, you have it cold."

"Not usually, but I just can't stand it too hot at the moment."

Draco placed a kiss on her forehead just before stepping out of the stall. "Enjoy!"

"I will." Ginny beamed at him before closing the door to the shower.

He dried himself quickly and left the bathroom. While he was getting dressed, Draco's stomach reminded him rather loudly that he was yet to take sustenance for the day. Once he was dressed, he summoned a servant and ordered a late breakfast to be sent up for both of them. Ginny emerged from the bathroom just as the servant was setting the small table on the balcony.

"I ordered breakfast, love," Draco called after her as she went into her dressing room.

"So I see. I'll just be a couple of minutes."

"All right."

By the time Ginny joined him, Draco was already around halfway through the Saturday edition of the Daily Prophet. As she sat down, he folded the paper and put it aside.

"Everything looks lovely," Ginny commented happily. "We should really do this more often."

"We definitely should," Draco agreed heartily. "Perhaps we can make it a rule or a tradition that we have breakfast alone at least one day a week."

Ginny laughed. "And how long do you think we'd get away with it before the twins crashed our private breakfast?"

Draco glanced at the French doors leading into their bedchamber. "They're not here yet!"

"Give them time. I'm sure the smell of the fresh croissants is only just drifting into the playroom now." Ginny reached for one of the French pastries and lavished it with butter.

They ate in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company and the peace that came with having a meal without the children.

"What are your plans for the day?" Draco asked casually, as he reached for his fourth croissant. He was mindful of his comment to Drake earlier, and it seemed like a good idea to have some plans in place before fronting the two demanding five-year-olds.

"I need to check that everything is ready for tonight and pop over to check on Mum."

He'd been afraid of this, yet reluctant to admit it. Yesterday afternoon had obviously had no effect on her belief that she was actually needed at the Burrow. The easy thing to do would be to let her go over there, but he feared if he agreed he'd end up hosting their dinner party alone. Draco schooled his features into a stoical mask. "Why don't you Floo Anya and ask how Molly is today?"

"I need to-" Ginny stopped short as her husband's gaze sharpened.

"Charlie told me you're stepping on everyone's toes over there," Draco said gently.

"I am not."

"Then perhaps you can clarify why you wouldn't allow Anya to pour your mother a cup of tea."

"I-"

Draco smirked. "Yes?"

"She wasn't making it the way Mum likes," Ginny snapped defensively.

"Ginevra," Draco said in a low tone that implied he knew she was simply making excuses for her behavior, and poor ones at that.

"I just want to make sure she's all right."

"A Floo call to Anya will answer that," Draco pointed out.

"What if she needs something?"

Draco couldn't fight the urge to roll his eyes theatrically. "Anya will get her anything she requires."

"But-"

"No buts," Draco interrupted firmly. "Unless Anya needs you over there, you're to leave the woman to what she has to do today. We will make a short visit tomorrow for the sake of entertaining your mother."

The silence between them became oppressive in seconds. His stand had, apparently, not been well received if the color rising in her face was any indication. When her eyes narrowed on him Draco cringed mentally. He needed to head off any reprisal quickly and indisputably before she killed him.

"Ginny," Draco uttered, reaching for her hand, which was snatched away. "Love, you're driving everyone nutters, and you're exhausting yourself. I promised Charlie I'd keep you away today and, as you are well aware, I am a man of my word."

"So, because you make some stupid promise to my brother I can't visit my mother?"

"Yes," Draco affirmed confidently. This was better; she appeared to have gained an understanding of the situation.

Ginny planted her hands on the table and stood up, leaning over the intimate setting to ensure she had his undivided attention. "If you think for a minute that I'm concerned about you keeping your word to any of my brothers you can think again. I will be visiting my mother today, regardless of what your opinion is."

Draco watched his wife stalk off. She had reached the doors of their private sitting room before his brain re-engaged and demanded he rectify this situation. "Ginny, wait."

Although he'd bounded to his feet as the words left his mouth, she had exited the suite before he reached the sitting room. Draco cursed venomously. The last thing he wanted was to argue about this, but he had promised Charlie he would do his best to keep Ginny away for at least one day for the sake of everyone's sanity, as well as her own well-being. Two weeks of running around after Molly had taken its toll on Ginny and she needed to let someone else help before she got sick as well.

He took a deep breath and prepared to do battle, then opened the door. Ginny hadn't quite made it to the end of the corridor.

"Ginny."

He saw her gait falter momentarily, but here was no other sign that she'd heard him call after her. She was going to make him chase her that much was obvious. As he began his pursuit, Draco found it made him feel a bit better to curse Charlie in every language he knew.

"Ginny, love, wait please," Draco pleaded as she neared the staircase.

She stopped, finally, and turned to face him. Her expression was hard, but her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"Love, you're not being fair to yourself," Draco started. "Everyone is worried about you. They're saying the more exhausted you get the more pedantic you're becoming about your mother."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"I've noticed it as well," he admitted. "We all think you need to take a step back for your own good." Draco placed his hands on her shoulders gently. "It's just one day, and you can Floo Anya to see how she is."

"What if-"

"If Anya needs you she'll say so, and then you can go. No one would have a problem with that." Draco sighed heavily. The notion that life shouldn't be this hard crossed his mind. "Ginny, your mother is fine. Charlie and Anya are more than capable of looking after her for one day, and your father is there as well, not to mention Ron."

Ginny closed her eyes and allowed her head to drop onto Draco's chest. "I'm just worried about her," she whispered.

"I know, love," Draco returned softly as his arms wound around her. "But you need to take care of yourself as well. Your whole family is concerned for your well-being."

They stood in silence for while, Ginny sagged against Draco and he stroked her back soothingly. Victory was taunting him, but Draco wasn't foolish enough to claim it just yet. He kissed the top of her head tenderly.

"Are you all right?" Draco asked tentatively.

Ginny nodded against his chest. "Yes."

"It's only one day, love, and that's only if Anya is coping." Draco paused to allow her an opportunity to respond, but Ginny made no effort to acknowledge his comment. "Why don't you Floo Anya now, so we can plan the rest of the day?"

Again Ginny nodded, but she didn't move away from the comfort of his body.

"I'll come with you," Draco offered, gently steering her back to their sitting room.

Once in the sitting room, Draco passed Ginny the crystal bowl filled with silvery Floo powder and encouraged her to move towards the hearth. She seemed reluctant to contact Anya, and it made Draco wonder if something had happened between the two women that Charlie had failed to mention. He was beginning to think he'd have to place the call himself when she finally knelt before the marble setting and took a handful of Floo powder. Now that she was making an effort he didn't want to intrude, so Draco made himself comfortable on the small sofa against the opposite wall and waited.

She talked for what seemed ages and when she emerged from the flames Ginny appeared to be a bit happier.

"Well?"

"Charlie said Mum is fine. She's being a bit difficult, but not so much that Anya can't handle her."

"Good."

"If she gets any worse, I told Charlie to let me know and I'll come right over."

"Of course, love, you are one of the few who can tol-err-handle your mother when she's like that." Draco cleared his throat. "Which leaves us with what we're going to do today."

"I need to make sure everything is ready for tonight."

"All right. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, I think everything is organized, so it's just a matter of checking it's all going to plan."

"How about if I keep the twins occupied while you're doing that?"

"That would be good."

"We might take the brooms up for a while," Draco commented. "It would keep the twins out of your way for a bit at least."

"That's fine," Ginny replied a little distractedly.

"Are you really all right, love?"

"Yes, I'm just thinking about what I need to check."

"Well, in that case, I'll get out of your hair. Shall we set a time to meet up later today?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"How about afternoon tea in the gazebo at three?"

"Sounds lovely. I'll make the arrangements."

"That doesn't mean you can't summon me if need be. Just send one of the servants to find me."

"I will," she murmured.

"All right, I can take a hint, I'll leave you to it."

"I'm sorry, Draco, my mind is going about a million miles an hour at the moment."

"Just remember you've got a big night ahead of you, so don't go wearing yourself out with the preparations."

"I'll try not to."

"Good girl." Draco kissed her softly. "I'll see you later."

"Okay."

Draco left the suite, feeling a little uneasy. Their earlier disagreement was still sitting rather uncomfortably on his conscience. He knew it wasn't fair to keep her away from her mother. Even though Molly had been released from hospital, she still had a way to go until she was back to full health, and she still required some care. If anyone had tried the same with him, if his mother was in the same predicament, he knew he'd commit murder just to get to her. Still, the fact remained that Ginny had been running herself ragged and not letting anyone else be of use, which was especially irritating when there were so many people willing to help.

He found the twins in the playroom with Millie, and before too long they were striding out to the grounds with broomsticks in hand. Even Angel was excited about the prospect of spending a few hours in the air today. Then again, that could be because Draco had allowed her to use one of his old broomsticks, so she didn't have to double up with him all the time. When they got to their usual spot, Drake wasted no time mounting his broom and taking to the air with a triumphant yell.

"Angel, I want you to stay fairly low, unless I'm beside you, all right?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Good girl." The thought of spending the hours at St. Mungo's today simply made his blood run cold. "Mount up and kick off gently."

Angel rolled her eyes. "I do know how."

"All right, let me see then."

The little girl threw her leg over the broomstick and pushed herself off the ground, as if she'd been doing it all her life. Draco looked on proudly. He had no doubt, if Angel applied herself, she could be flying as well as her brother in no time. She had good balance, though that wasn't a huge surprise given she had excellent horsemanship skills, and for as much as she fussed, she didn't really know fear. After watching his children for a few minutes, Draco mounted his own broom and joined them in the air.

Drake wasted no time in showing off his skill with some daredevil dives that had Draco's heart leaping into his throat at times. A warning to be careful floated on Draco's tongue, but he resisted the urge to issue it, because he didn't want to squash his son's self-esteem or halt the progress that he'd made with flying.

"Angel, try this," Drake bellowed just before falling into a steep dive.

"NO! Angel, don't even think about it," Draco responded in a panicked voice. "Drake's had a lot more experience, and he certainly didn't start with such a steep dive."

Angel sat on her broom chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully while she gazed at her brother heading for the ground at breakneck speed.

"Drake, don't encourage your sister to attempt things like that," Draco scolded once his son began ascending again. He was beginning to think that horse riding would have been the better option today.

"She can do it," Drake insisted.

"I've no doubt she could one day, but not today. Your mother has planned a dinner party for this evening and she won't be very happy if she's got to spend the night at the hospital instead of entertaining her friends."

"A dinner party!" Angel squealed. "I'm going to wear my purple dress. No! My blue dress with the sparklies-"

"Angel," Draco interrupted. "This is a dinner party for adults."

"That's all right, I don't mind."

Draco groaned mentally. This was going to be painful, of that he had no doubt. "Angel, you will be in the playroom with Millie and Drake, and then you'll be going to bed at your normal time."

"But-"

"No," Draco said slowly. "It's adults only tonight."

"That's not fair!"

Draco was sure if his daughter had been on the ground her last statement would have been accompanied with a stomped foot and folded arms. As it was, he only had to deal with her pout. "Whether it's fair or not is beside the point, because we make the rules, not you."

"I don't want to spend the night with Millie! It's boring!"

"Too bad," Draco commented dismissively.

"I'm going to talk to Grandfather," Angel informed him as she turned her broomstick around so her back was to her father.

He bit back the urge to tell her to talk to whomever she wanted, because he knew it would sound childish. Ginny had told him before that it was best to ignore her when she was like this, because she was only baiting him for a reaction. Draco looked over to his son, who had watched the discussion from a distance. "Drake, are we going to get some flying done?"

"Yeah!"

"Angel, are you flying or sulking?"

The little strawberry blonde muttered something that her father couldn't quite make out, but she slowly guided her broom over to him. He deduced that she'd chosen to fly.

"Why don't we head out over the lake?" Draco suggested, hoping a change of scenery would lighten his daughter's mood.

"Angel, I'll race you!" Drake challenged.

Rather than warn her about going too fast, Draco let them speed off. He didn't think she would go faster than she felt comfortable handling, and he would be close by to assist her if she found herself in trouble. Drake's whoop of delight let Draco know he'd reached the lake well ahead of his sister. Angel flew on steadily with Draco trailing her. The surface of the lake was lit up with sunlight, and Draco was happy to see that his daughter was taken with the beautiful panorama. Her exclamations of delight rang through the air constantly. Drake once again began diving, this time towards the watery surface, grazing it occasionally and sending a spray of water towards the sky.

After an hour or so over the lake, Draco's backside was beginning to go a little numb. Gone were the days when he could spend countless hours on a broom without worrying about the discomfort it caused his body, unless of course there was a Snitch to chase. He was actually a bit surprised that Angel hadn't started complaining already, but at the moment she looked to be completely taken with gliding through the air and watching her reflection in the lake.

"Come on, you two, it must be well after lunch by now," Draco called loudly.

Although Drake voiced a few token words of protest, he obediently flew towards the house. Angel followed immediately without a word. Draco stayed close to his daughter, even though the exercise was somewhat redundant, as she didn't appear to be game enough to attempt anything outside her abilities.

By the time Draco and Angel landed near the patio, Millie was waiting for them.

"Master would like lunch now?" Millie inquired.

"Yes," Draco answered. "We'll eat lunch and discuss what we're going to do next, but you need to change those pants first, Drake."

The little boy looked down at his legs, which were dripping with water. "Millie can dry me."

The elderly servant looked to Draco for permission and Draco nodded. It would save time and what, after all, was a bit of lake water?

"I have to go and see Grandfather," Angel announced, dropping her broomstick on the servant and flouncing off through the house.

She heard her father make a funny sound, but chose to ignore him for the time being. If he really wanted her, he'd call her back, but right now she had a mission to complete: she had to speak to Grandfather about the dinner party.

It took her several minutes to walk to her grandparents' wing, but very little time to locate the man who, to date, had never failed to deliver anything she desired. A servant had informed her that he was taking tea with Grandmother in the summer parlor. While it wasn't ideal - she'd rather get Grandfather alone - she would forge ahead anyway. There was always the chance that Grandmother might be equally as horrified that her parents had left her out of their plans for the evening.

Angel paused outside the parlor. Tidbits of the conversation being conducted within floated into the corridor. She took a deep breath and schooled her features into a pained expression, before taking a few steps into the room.

"Angelique," Lucius exclaimed delightedly when he spied his granddaughter. His happy expression collapsed into a frown when he saw her unhappy face and he was on his feet, crossing the room to be at her side in seconds. "What is wrong, my darling?"

"Mummy and Daddy are having a dinner party, and I'm not invited."

"Well, I expect they've invited people you would find boring," Lucius suggested.

"They didn't even ask if I might be bored."

"Oh, darling, dinner parties are no place for children," Narcissa offered in a kind voice. "They're terribly formal. Your father used to make a fuss at being left out of such events, but he had far more fun with his nanny."

"But I wanted to dress up! Mummy won't let me dress up any other time." Angel stomped her little foot for emphasis.

"If I might make a suggestion," Lucius started. "We could host a small dinner party this evening, couldn't we, dearest?"

"Yes, of course," Narcissa agreed.

"Splendid." Lucius smiled at Angelique. "I shall see that your invitation is hand delivered this afternoon."

Angel flung her arms around Lucius. "Thank you, Grandfather."

"You're most welcome," Lucius uttered.

"I have to go and start getting ready!" Angel quickly disentangled herself from Lucius' arms.

"You have hours yet," Lucius protested. "Perhaps you could join us for a short while?"

"All right." Angel beamed at her grandfather and allowed him to escort her to the couch where Narcissa was perched.

"Darling, have you had lunch?" Narcissa inquired.

"No. We went flying this morning, and we were just coming in for lunch, but I wanted to come and see you."

"We'll have some lunch brought in for you."

"Thank you, Grandmother." Angel made herself comfortable on the sofa.

Narcissa ordered a servant to bring lunch for Angel, along with some pumpkin juice and another pot of tea.

"Do you know what your parents' plans for this afternoon are?" Lucius asked.

"Daddy said that Mummy is checking on things for tonight, and we're meeting her for afternoon tea in the gazebo."

"What about between now and then?"

Angel shrugged. "We were going to have lunch and discuss what to do next."

"I see." Lucius was certain his son wouldn't move onto their next activity without confirming the whereabouts of his daughter, but he still sought a servant and discreetly instructed it to inform Draco where his daughter was at the moment.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rather than wait for Angel to return, Draco herded Drake into the dining room the moment Millie had dried his pants. The little boy started voicing his belief that his stomach thought his throat had been cut the moment his sister had disappeared into the house, so Draco wasn't game enough to suggest they wait for Angel. It wasn't until he started eating that he discovered just how hungry he was himself, not that he should have been surprised, because flying had always been good for his appetite. They ate in virtual silence for a while, the food taking their full attention.

Draco finally put his cutlery across his plate when he deemed he'd had his fill, dabbed at his mouth fussily with his napkin and leaned back in his chair. "I thought we might take the horses out for a ride before we meet Mummy."

"Okay," Drake mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"When you're finished we'll find Angel and head out again, otherwise we'll run out of time."

Drake shoved a large fork full of food into his mouth and nodded his understanding.

A servant popped Apparated next to Draco's chair. "Master, Miss Angel is with Old Master and Old Mistress in their summer parlor."

"Thank you." Draco sighed heavily. "Drake, while you finish eating I'll collect your sister."

"Okay, Daddy."

"If you finish before I get back don't go further than the patio, all right?"

"Okay," Drake mumbled, shoving more food into his mouth.

Draco left his son, still shoveling food into his mouth, and walked directly to his parents' wing. There were days when he thought that Drake might just burst from the amount of food he took in, but Ginny assured him that he simply had a healthy appetite.

All was quiet in the corridor outside the parlor, not that it was unusual, because Angel would have been conducting herself as a proper lady in her grandparents' company, and Lucius had had quite enough time to remedy her sour mood with the promise of the world by now. He stepped into the parlor, immediately spying his daughter, who was sitting smugly between her grandparents. Thoughts of what she might have told them about her `tortured' existence floated through his mind.

"Ah, Draco, I was about to seek you out," Lucius drawled as he stood up and moved towards his son.

"Whatever for?" Draco inquired, though he could well imagine the type of issue Lucius would want to discuss.

"Angelique was most upset that you won't allow her to attend the dinner party this evening."

"We don't feel it's an appropriate setting for the children."

"I can understand that," Lucius conceded. "You used to get terribly bored whenever your mother insisted you attend such events."

"Then our decision isn't a problem," Draco retorted caustically.

"It wasn't your decision I was questioning," Lucius assured him. "Rather I would like to make a suggestion."

Draco braced himself. "Yes?"

"Angelique told us Millie will be assigned to stay with her and Drake this evening."

"That's right."

"Your mother and I are most willingly to spend the evening with the children."

"We didn't want to intrude, and Millie is more than capable."

"I am aware of the creature's ability, but I was more interested in perhaps stemming Angelique's disappointment."

"Father, she wants to attend the dinner party and that is not going to happen, therefore anything you do won't stem her disappointment."

"We were thinking of hosting our own dinner party," Lucius posed. "Angelique and Drake would be our guests."

"That will really impress Drake," Draco scoffed.

"Darling, it would be an excellent learning experience for him," Narcissa said.

"I don't dispute that, but he's not likely to be cooperative, especially if he's forced into dress robes."

"Perhaps we could make an exception, as it will be just the four of us," Narcissa suggested. "Clean, tidy attire would be acceptable."

"I still want to wear a dinner party dress," Angel interrupted.

"Of course, darling, you can wear whatever you like. We just don't want to force Drake into something he's not comfortable with when it's not important."

"Why do I get the feeling you've already made certain promises to Angel?" Draco hissed at his father.

"I may have suggested-"

"And what if I say no?"

"To be perfectly frank, I can't think of a good reason for you to even think about refusing."

Draco couldn't think of a good reason to not give his blessing to the plan, especially when Ginny was likely to agree with his father's plan wholeheartedly. It was the fact that the plans seem to have been made before they'd even thought to consult him that irked him the most. Still it wasn't as if he had much choice. "Very well, I'll let Ginny know there's been a change of plan."

"Splendid."

"Angel, Drake and I decided to take the horses out for some exercise," Draco informed his daughter. "Are you coming?"

"Oh yes! We haven't been riding forever!"

"That sounds like a lovely way to spend the afternoon," Lucius commented. "Are you in the mood to ride, dearest?"

"It does sound tempting," Narcissa replied wistfully.

"That settles it then," Lucius exclaimed. "We'll meet you at the stables, Draco."

"Fine," Draco ground out. "We're meeting Ginny for afternoon tea, so we won't be out all afternoon."

"Lovely! You know how I abhor being in the saddle too long," Narcissa said approvingly.

"Angel, you'd best come and change," Draco suggested, knowing his daughter wouldn't mount her horse without the correct attire.

"Yes, Daddy." The little girl gave each of her grandparents a small wave and followed her father from the parlor.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Twenty minutes later Draco was giving Narcissa a leg up onto her mount. Drake was eager to get underway and making constant suggestions of where they might go, which he was trying to field while making certain he didn't boost his mother over her horse. Lucius had taken care of Angel and was standing, holding her horse and his own, near the gate.

Draco mounted his horse and looked around to make certain everyone was ready to leave. "I think we might follow the trail that leads back to the lake."

"That sounds lovely, dear," Narcissa responded approvingly.

"Father, why don't you lead off?" Draco suggested.

Lucius handed Angel her reins, mounted his stallion and led the family out of the yard at a respectable walk. The trail back to the lake brushed the edge of the forest on the vast property. Late blooming flowers that littered the earthy floor were trampled under the horses' hooves and the bees that hovered close to the sweetest of them fled in fear of their tiny lives. The lake and surrounding grounds were tranquil as the horses picked their way slowly through the undergrowth. Apart from the occasional snorts from their mounts, Draco could hear Angel nattering her attentive grandfather's ear off, and his mother doing the same to Drake.

Draco hung at the rear of the riders, content with his own thoughts for the time being. He wondered what Ginny was up to at the moment. Millie had told him she had eaten an early lunch when he'd asked after her during his own meal, which didn't quite make sense to him as they'd had quite a late breakfast this morning. Still, he was new to this pregnancy caper, so he didn't know how often women in Ginny's condition ate. What he did know was that it changed constantly, as did what they wanted to eat.

Before he knew it they'd reached the lake's edge and his mount stopped for a well-earned drink, as it always did when they rode this way. It wasn't something he really had a choice in, because his horse was as stubborn as he was, and if it wanted a drink then it was damned well going to have one.

"What time were you to meet Ginevra, Draco?" Narcissa asked.

"Three o'clock, Mother," Draco answered, keeping his eyes on his horse for any signs of wanting to move on.

"We should start back very soon then, or you'll be late."

"Very well," Draco uttered.

"Perhaps we could go across the grounds for the return leg. Allow the horses to stretch their legs a little?" Lucius suggested.

"With the children and Mother?" Draco queried doubtfully.

"Having your mother with us makes it the perfect time, as she can ride with the children," Lucius countered.

"All right," Draco agreed, forcibly turning his mounts head in the direction of the stables. "Drake and Angel, you are to stay with Grandmother."

"Can't I ride with you, Daddy? I can keep up," Angel said confidently.

"No, we're going to gallop back, so we'll meet you at the stables."

"I can canter."

"I know you can, but you're not ready to gallop yet," Draco said firmly. "You're to walk with Grandmother, understood?"

"Yes."

"Ready, Draco?" Lucius enquired.

Rather than answer, Draco gave his horse a sharp kick in the flanks and started towards the stables in a rush of noise. It was only minutes before he heard his father's stallion gaining on him. The rush of wind in his face and the thunderous noise of hooves racing over the ground made his blood pump fast and thoughts of anything important seem totally insignificant. Eager to beat Lucius, Draco urged his mount on with whispered words of encouragement in his ear. As the stables came into view they were side-by-side, but just before they reached the stable yard Lucius' horse accelerated just a little more and he reached the yard a few feet in front of Draco.

"Better luck next time," Lucius said with the pleased tone of a winner as he reined his horse in and gave it a hearty pat on the neck.

"Good win," Draco muttered.

He knew he should feel exhausted after all he'd done today, but the race back had left him feeling exhilarated. Draco dismounted and guided his horse into the stable, handing the beast over to a servant before returning to the yard to await his children. Angel was the first to canter into the yard, followed by Narcissa and Drake a short distance behind.

"Angel, I thought I told you to walk," Draco said.

"Grandmother said I could canter up to the yard, because I could see you," Angel argued.

"Fine," Draco ground out.

"Darling, there's no harm done," Narcissa intoned melodically. "Angelique has fine skills. She'll be galloping alongside you before you know it."

"I wasn't taking anything away from her skills, Mother. I simply didn't want any unfortunate accidents to ruin this evening."

"And did you restrict Drake's flying in the same manner?"

Draco sighed heavily. He'd walked straight into a trap, and no matter how he answered he was going to come off looking like he was favoring Drake over Angel or that he thought his son's skills were far more advanced than his daughter's. "No, I did not."

Narcissa smiled knowingly at his expression. "Perhaps you should keep in mind that they are both capable of a great deal."

"I'll do that in the future," Draco uttered, not at all happy with himself.

"Thank you, dearest," Narcissa said as Lucius assisted her to dismount.

Draco walked over to Angel and lifted her out of the saddle, and was about to do the same for Drake when the little boy leapt from his mount, landing on his feet some distance away.

"Drake, you've been told before that we don't jump from the horses," Lucius reminded firmly.

"Sorry," Drake mumbled.

"Mate, you need to remember that you could hurt the horse if you keep doing that, particularly as you get bigger," Draco explained.

"Okay, I won't do it again."

"Good. Are you ready to go to afternoon tea?" Draco asked.

Drake nodded enthusiastically. "I'm starving!"

"Can't we please keep riding?" Angel pleaded.

"I think it's best if we all start preparing for this evening," Narcissa answered calmly. "You're going to need a substantial bath to rid yourself of that horrid horse smell."

"Oh, yes!" Angel agreed heartily.

"First we're having afternoon tea with Mummy," Draco stated before his daughter could head off to the house.

"But I have to get ready!"

"You'll have plenty of time after we meet Mummy for afternoon tea," Draco reiterated strongly.

Angel began to pout and her eyes started to well with tears.

"Don't start that either, because the only thing you'll get is wet cheeks," Draco warned.

"Draco," Lucius hissed.

Unable to help himself, Draco rolled his eyes, which sent Drake off into a fit of giggles.

"Lucius, let it be," Narcissa cautioned in a tone that brokered no argument. "The children are having afternoon tea with their mother, and that is final. They've seen little enough of her this week without you interfering."

"I simply don't see the point in forcing the child when she is likely to make everyone miserable with her present attitude," Lucius retorted.

"She's only playing it up, because you're here to fight for what she wants," Draco informed him sharply. "Angel, Drake, we're meeting Mummy in the gazebo, so why don't you two start heading that way?"

"Yes, Daddy," Angel responded despondently.

Drake took off as fast as his feet could carry him, eager to see what was for afternoon tea. Angel dawdled away as slowly as she dared, much to Draco's exasperation. He waited until she was out of earshot before turning back to his father.

"It would be nice if you'd keep your suggestions to yourself for a change," Draco growled.

"I was only trying to save you some grief," Lucius countered.

"If you hadn't opened your mouth she'd have gone to afternoon tea quite happily."

"She's going now and that's all that matters, darling," Narcissa crooned. "Now, why don't you go and join them. I'm sure Ginevra is looking forward to hearing all you've done with the children today."

Draco kissed his mother's cheek. "Thank you. I'll see you this evening."

"Of course, darling."

Without another word, Draco stalked off in the same direction the twins had taken. He knew he should feel a little gratitude towards his mother for stemming the argument that was about to erupt with his father, but there were times when he wished she'd just let them bellow at each other. Perhaps then they would be able to clear the air between them once and for all. As he entered the rose garden he could see Angel lingering beside some of the prettiest pink roses in the entire garden.

"Angel, Mummy is waiting," Draco reminded her.

"Can I pick some flowers for Mummy?"

Draco blinked at his daughter a couple of times. Her sweet voice was not what he expected to hear at this point, given her demeanor when she left the stables. "Yes, all right. Do you want me to help you?"

"No, I can get a servant."

"All right, but come straight to the gazebo when you're finished."

"Okay," Angel answered amiably. "HELP!"

Draco shook his head as a servant appeared at Angel's feet, and she started giving the creature orders. Rather than stand by redundantly while the servant followed its orders, Draco headed off to meet his wife for afternoon tea.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Mummy!" Drake charged through the garden and bounced into the gazebo.

"Hello, darling." Ginny gathered her son in her arms. "Have you had fun today?"

"Yep! Daddy took us flying, and then we had lunch, and then we went riding with Grandmother and Grandfather."

"You should be exhausted!"

"Nope." Drake shook his head. "Can we go swimming?"

"Maybe tomorrow," Ginny suggested.

"But why can't we go today?"

"Why can't we go where today?" Draco asked as he mounted the gazebo.

"Swimming," Ginny answered.

"Mate, I'm exhausted," Draco expressed, slumping into a chair for emphasis.

"I'm not," Drake countered.

"Where's Angel?" Ginny asked.

"She decided she wanted to pick some roses," Draco replied casually.

"On her own?"

"No, she's just standing back and pointing at the blooms she wants. A servant is doing the picking and removing the thorns."

"That's all right then."

"What have you been up to today?" Draco asked.

"I think everything is ready to go for tonight. I've chosen my gown and decided how I'm going to wear my hair," Ginny replied.

Draco leaned over to Drake and whispered rather loudly, "You know that's going to change another dozen times before our guests arrive."

Drake sniggered into his hand.

"No, it won't," Ginny contradicted. "Mostly because I don't have much that fits comfortably at the moment."

"You need to go shopping then," Draco stated. "I'm sure Mother would love to help you pick a new wardrobe."

"There's no point," Ginny said. "I don't wear those types of gowns enough to warrant buying new ones just to have them in my wardrobe."

"We will have several events to attend in the coming months, so it would be an idea to have a few," Draco suggested.

"If need be, I can get something when the occasion arises."

"All right, but I just didn't want you to be stressing out when we do have an event to attend."

"Draco, if I bought something next week it wouldn't fit me next month, so there's little point in stocking up on dresses that I won't get to wear."

"Fine, but the offer is there."

Ginny looked out into the garden. "Look, here comes Angel."

"Best I stop all this chatter about shopping then." Draco winked across the table.

"Mummy, I picked you some roses," Angel exclaimed as she neared the gazebo.

"They're beautiful, darling." Ginny accepted the small bunch of pink roses as Angel passed them over. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Angel sniffed affectedly. "Is that pumpkin juice?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Would you like a glass?"

"Yes, please." The little witch smiled sweetly at her mother.

"Can we eat now?" Drake asked hopefully.

"Eat up, mate," Draco answered.

"Tea?" Ginny asked Draco after she'd poured the twins a glass of pumpkin juice each.

"Please," Draco replied, reaching for the plate of pastries.

"Drake said your parents took them horse riding," Ginny commented as she poured the tea.

"They decided to join us," Draco clarified.

"Oh, I see."

"That reminds me, there's been a small change of plans for this evening."

Ginny's eyes opened wide and she stared at her husband questioningly. "What?"

"Nothing to do with us exactly," Draco said hurriedly. "My parents have decided to host a small dinner party this evening with the children as their guests."

"How did this come about?"

"Someone was a bit miffed about not being invited, and took her complaint to a soft touch, who, of course, caved under the threat of tears and offered to host a special dinner party."

A smile tugged at Ginny's lips and she shook her head. "He'd be mortified if he knew how easily someone can manipulate him."

"He'd never admit to it," Draco claimed.

"Probably not," Ginny agreed.

"Who are you talking about?" Angel inquired with a frown.

"No one you know," Draco answered abruptly. The last thing he needed was for his daughter to tell his father that he thought he was a pushover; the vehement denials would grow boring very quickly.

"Did you have fun today, darling?" Ginny asked, effectively changing the subject.

"Oh yes, we went flying, and I'm getting really good. Daddy said so! Then I had lunch with Grandmother and Grandfather, and then we all went riding."

Ginny looked at Draco. "You had lunch with your parents?"

"No, Angel had lunch with my parents. Drake and I ate together."

"Well, it sounds like you had a wonderful day with Daddy," Ginny exclaimed.

"Now I have to get ready for the dinner party tonight," Angel informed her mother.

"You have a little time yet," Ginny replied lightly.

"Grandmother said she was going to start getting ready now." Angel nodded emphatically.

"I'm sure your grandmother will take some time to have a cup of tea before she starts preparing for this evening," Ginny countered. "And you should have a decent amount of afternoon tea, because you'll be eating dinner at a later time than usual this evening."

"You wouldn't want you stomach to be growling when you arrive at your dinner party, would you?" Draco asked.

Angel's eyes almost popped out of her head. "That would be rude!"

"Yes, it would, so eat up now and it won't happen."

A smile passed between Draco and Ginny, over the heads of their children, as Angel reached for the plate of small sandwiches on the table. Between them they were beginning to work out a rhythm to get the twins to do what they wanted them to do. Sometimes Ginny's direct method worked, and at other times Draco's subtle manipulation was best put to use.

After the twins had devoured everything that was on offer, including an entire jug of pumpkin juice, Drake decided he was going to run around the rose beds and burn off a little more energy. It didn't take long for Angel to grow bored with sitting still and join him.

"They're going to be exhausted tonight," Ginny commented.

Draco chuckled. "I can just see Mother's face now when they fall asleep in their soup."

"At least they won't be a problem to get to bed."

"Do we keep them moving or let them rest?" Draco asked.

"Keep them moving. If they sleep now, they'll sleep through dinner and then be up until all hours."

"Okay. Do we have a plan of action then?"

"If we let them keep running around out here for a while, then send them up for baths that should take them through to when we get to hand them over to your parents."

"And if it doesn't work?"

Ginny grinned wickedly across the table. "Sugar!"

"I don't know if I have the energy for that," Draco warned. The thought of the twins hyped up on sugar after such a busy day was enough to give him nightmares.

"It won't come to that," Ginny promised. "After all, it's just after four o'clock now."

"Should we start thinking about heading inside? We have to get ourselves ready as well."

"Yes, I suppose we should."

Millie suddenly appeared next to Ginny holding two scrolls of parchment. "Mistress, Millie has these for Miss Angelique and Little Master Drake."

"I'll take them," Ginny instructed, wondering what on earth they could be. "We're about to head inside, so could you see that all this makes it back to the house?"

"As Mistress wishes."

Ginny turned the scrolls over in her hand as Millie began to clear the table. She frowned when she saw the now familiar Malfoy seal embossed into the wax. "What could these be?"

"I don't know," Draco replied absently as he tried to locate the twins. "Drake! Angel!"

Moments later giggling filled the air as the twins raced back to their parents.

"Is there any pumpkin juice left?" Drake asked as he tried to catch his breath.

"We'll get you some when we get inside," Draco offered.

"These came for you." Ginny held the scrolls out to the children.

Angel's eyes lit up with excitement. "What is it?"

"Why don't you open it and see," Ginny suggested.

With meticulous care Angel broke the wax seal and unfurled the parchment. "Daddy, can you read it to me?"

"Give it here." Draco scanned the parchment before he began to read. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he recognized his father's even script.

Angelique Malfoy

You are cordially invited

To attend a dinner party

This evening

At Malfoy Manor

In the northern wing formal dining room

"An invitation! I got an invitation!" Angel squealed as she jumped up and down on the spot.

Drake rolled his eyes and shook his scroll in her face. "So did I."

"Why don't we go inside and start getting ready for the dinner party then?" Draco suggested.

"Do we have to?" Drake whined.

"Yes, because your mother and I need to get ready for our guests as well," Draco answered firmly.

"And you desperately need a bath," Ginny added, wrinkling her nose at the decidedly horsey smell emanating from her son's clothing.

"But I could-"

"No arguments," Draco rejoined. "Now why don't you catch up with your sister?"

Drake muttered a few words under his breath as he stomped off to join Angel, who was already a good distance away.

"We're not going to have to try and get him to wear dress robes, are we?" Ginny inquired hesitantly.

"No, I told Mother he would be dressed appropriately, but dress robes were not going to be considered."

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"I didn't think you'd want to fight that battle tonight."

"The battle to get him into the bath is going to be quite enough for one night," Ginny said as they headed inside to prepare for the evening.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Ginny, I'll meet you downstairs, just in case we get some early arrivals," Draco called as he crossed their bedchamber.

"All right. Are the twins with your parents?"

"Drake escorted Angel to their dinner party a short while ago," Draco replied. "I had Millie follow them at a distance to make sure they made it without incident."

"Okay. I won't be long."

"Good," he muttered to himself as he left their suite.

The parlor that Ginny had chosen to greet their guests in was close to their formal dining room. Draco thought she must have consulted with his mother, because everything looked perfectly set up for a night of entertaining. A fully stocked sidebar had been discreetly positioned in the corner and the house elves who would be serving this evening were already in position.

He had to admit that he was impressed with what he could see so far. Not that it mattered, because this was her dinner party and she would be the only one to gauge its success. The sound of a throat being clearly lightly from the doorway garnered his attention.

Draco turned and took in the vision that was his wife. "You look amazing, Ginny."

She spun on the spot to give her husband a full view of her gown for the evening. A small grin tugged at her lips when she heard him hiss in appreciation. The dress she'd chosen for the night was a simple strapless gown in emerald green. A bow on her right hip gave the impression that the fabric of the bodice had been gathered to that point, giving the otherwise plain design a little definition. The skirt hung in a basic a-line and her slightly bulging tummy could only be just made out under the heavy silk.

"Enchanting," Draco whispered as he gathered her in his arms. "You know we could tell the servants to send everyone home."

"And waste this dress? Besides I'd never hear the end of it if we did that."

"From whom?"

"Ron."

"He's coming?"

"Of course he is. This dinner party is for our wedding attendants and their partners. Ron is engaged to Pansy."

It wasn't anything he didn't know, but he hadn't really given much thought to the entire guest list. "Who else did you invite?"

"Harry and Hermione, Blaise and Katarina, and Greg and Natasha," Ginny counted off.

"It should be a good night."

"I hope so."

"Are you nervous?"

"Just a little," Ginny admitted. "This is the first time I've done any of this."

"Well, if it helps… So far, I can see you've done a sterling job."

"I have?"

"You have." Draco carefully kissed her forehead, so as not to disturb her perfect makeup. "Did you speak to Mother?"

"She gave me some hints."

"I'm glad you thought to go to her for advice. She really is an expert at this type of thing."

"I think she was itching to take over the arrangements."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Draco smirked. "She'll have a dinner party very soon, just you watch."

"Malfoy!"

Draco's head snapped up to the doorway. "Zabini, good to see you."

"We're not interrupting anything are we?" Blaise smirked nefariously at his friend. "We could come back later if you need fifteen minutes or so."

"If you're only offering fifteen minutes I'd best put my initial plans on the backburner for now," Draco retorted as he pumped his friend's hand.

"Oh, Draco," Ginny exclaimed, slapping his arm playfully. "Keep it clean."

"Ginny, lovely to see you again," Blaise said with a charming smile as he lifted her hand to place a kiss on it.

"I'm so happy you could make it tonight," Ginny responded warmly. "Katarina, you're looking so well."

The women exchanged kisses and embraces.

"Thank you. So are you. You're starting to show!" Katarina gently ran her hand over Ginny's belly.

"I see you are as well," Ginny observed.

"I feel so uncomfortable at the moment. Merlin only knows what I'm going to be like in another couple of months."

"You should try carrying twins." Ginny laughed as she led the other woman across the room to the sofa.

"She's been dying to catch up with Ginny and Pansy," Blaise whispered to Draco.

Draco shot a curious look at his old friend. "Oh?"

"Yeah, she wants someone to talk babies with."

"Oh god, I get enough of that when Ginny gets together with her sisters-in-law," Draco groaned. "Drink?"

"You know I can't say no." Blaise winked.

"I didn't think you would." Draco grinned. "Firewhisky?"

"Perfect."

Before Draco could summon a servant one appeared at his feet balancing a tray of pre-poured drinks. He passed one to Blaise and had only enough time to pick his own drink up when Pansy, Ron, Harry and Hermione arrived. Draco watched as the four new arrivals greeted Ginny with kisses and hugs.

"What's this? Are you starting without us, Malfoy?" Harry said as he reached to shake Draco's hand.

Draco looked ruefully at the tumbler in his hand and replaced it on the tray. "I was trying to. Firewhisky?"

"Love one." Harry grinned broadly.

"Hello, Draco," Hermione expressed lightly.

"Hermione, you look lovely this evening," Draco responded in a show of excellent manners.

"Thank you. Where are the twins?"

"They're with my parents, but I have no doubt that they'll convince Father to let them visit us before bedtime," Draco explained.

"I hope they do," Harry said enthusiastically.

"Come on, you two, move along," Ron demanded good-naturedly. "I can't reach the drinks from here."

"Ronald," Pansy warned. "We talked about this, didn't we?"

"Yes, dear. This is a dinner party, not a party, and I should only have a drink or two to be sociable."

"Good to see you remembered. Now let's see if you can put it into practice."

"Leave him alone, Pansy," Draco insisted. "If he gets done, then we all get to have a good laugh."

"That's all very well and good, but I'm the one who gets to try and drag him home, and do you know how impossible that is?"

"I'll help you if need be," Draco assured her. "Have a drink, Weasley."

"Don't mind if I do." Ron accepted the tumbler with a cheeky grin

"Stop looking at him like that, Pansy," Draco ordered. "You'll turn the man to stone."

"Thanks, Malfoy." Ron slapped Draco on the shoulder. "Oh, yeah, Charlie said to thank you ever so much for keeping Ginny at home today."

Draco frowned. He thought he heard just a hint of sarcasm in his brother-in-law's tone. "She did stay home," he ventured cautiously.

Ron shook his head slowly to indicate that Draco was wrong.

"Bloody hell," Draco cursed. "I suppose Charlie's ready to flay me?"

"Nah, he said he'd just toss you straight to his dragons. They like to roast you up, so your skin goes all crispy, before eating you."

Draco glanced over to his wife, who was a picture of innocence as she greeted Greg and Natasha at the door. "She promised, and she didn't say a thing."

"Yeah, and you were out of the way for long enough, so she could duck across to the Burrow unnoticed."

"The woman should have been a Slytherin," Draco muttered mostly to himself.

"I'd agree, except for the fact that Mum would have had a coronary."

Draco shook his head and sighed heavily. "Is everything all right over there? She didn't upset Anya too much, did she?"

"Nah, Charlie stepped in and Bill was there at the time as well." Ron chuckled at the memory. "Besides, it's not like Anya and Ginny have any trouble expressing how they feel."

"There's no permanent damage, is there?"

"I don't think so, and if there is, they'll get over it," Ron assured him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, the girls have all tangled wands at some point, but they get over it fairly quickly," Ron guaranteed.

"All right," Draco said with a heavy sigh. He knew he'd have to bring the subject up with Ginny at some point, but now wasn't an appropriate moment. "I'll have a chat with her tomorrow morning."

"You don't have to," Ron said. "The girls can work things out for themselves."

"Perhaps, but she told me she wasn't going over there, and she still hasn't told me she did, yet she's had the opportunity."

Ron held his hands up in surrender. "I'm staying out of that one."

"Malfoy." Greg Goyle barged into the private conversation and pumped his old friend's hand furiously.

"Goyle, good to see," Draco intoned happily.

"You remember Natasha?"

"Of course, I never forget a beautiful woman." Draco lifted the witch's hand and placed a chaste kiss on it. "Natasha, thank you for coming tonight."

Someone clearing their throat nearby garnered Draco's attention and when he flicked his eyes towards the sound he wished he hadn't. Ginny had a decidedly dangerous look in her eye. He dropped the other witch's hand instantly and gave his wife a sheepish grin.

"Natasha, Greg, would you like a drink?" Ginny asked, still keeping her eye on her husband.

"Love one," Greg answered.

"A wine would be lovely," Natasha responded.

"Draco, perhaps you could get Natasha's wine?" Ginny suggested.

"Of course. Greg, there's a tray of Firewhisky floating around, so help yourself," Draco said before making his way to the small bar Ginny had set up in the corner.

"If you insist," Greg answered cheekily.

"Natasha, why don't we go and sit down with the rest of the women?" Ginny threaded her arm through the other woman's and began guiding her towards the comfortable chairs.

Greg took a tumbler of Firewhisky from the tray a servant presented him and followed Draco to the bar. "Mate, it's a good thing her eyes aren't capable of magic or you'd have been blasted into a million tiny, little pieces."

"I was being polite and nothing more," Draco retorted defensively.

"Tell that to your wife."

"I will, if she brings the subject up."

"You know she will. Women always bring stuff like that up," Greg reminded him.

"It's nothing I can't handle," Draco said firmly. "Would you like to deliver your girlfriend's wine?"

Greg smirked. "All right, but only because I think your murder would ruin the evening."

Draco watched his friend head in the direction of the women for a few moments. He hoped that Ginny would let his offhanded comment about Natasha go, because he really was only being charming. Of course, she might understand once he explained, but there was a small niggle of doubt in his mind, given that her reaction was most likely based on jealousy.

"Uncle Harry!" Angel squealed above the adult conversations as she ran into the parlor.

"Hello, Princess," Harry exclaimed as he scooped her into his arms. "Don't you look pretty tonight!"

Angel preened as best she could in her godfather's arms. "We're having a dinner party with Grandmother and Grandfather, because Mummy and Daddy wouldn't let us come to this one."

"I see," Harry replied with a knowing smile.

"Ah, just in time for hors d'ouvres," Lucius expressed as he entered the room.

"Angelique, we never run into a room screaming, darling," Narcissa chided gently. "Mr. Potter, how lovely to see you again."

Harry placed Angel on her feet and turned his attention to his goddaughter's grandmother. "Good evening, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Draco darling, I hope you don't mind, but we decided to join you for hors d'ouvres."

"Of course not, Mother," Draco responded tightly, not daring to look in his wife's direction.

"The children wanted to come and say hello to your guests, so it's easier if we simply join you for the time being," Narcissa explained further, noticing her son's uncertainty. "Besides, it's an excellent opportunity for them to practice their social skills."

"It's fine," Draco assured her. "Harry was asking after the children earlier, so we were going to send for them at some point."

"Drake, it would be more gracious to greet everyone before accepting any food," Lucius reminded his young grandson.

"Yes, Grandfather," Drake muttered, replacing the delicious looking treat back on the tray.

Lucius groaned audibly. "Now that you've touched the food, you can't replace it. No one wants to eat something that your hands have been on."

The little wizard rolled his eyes subtly, so as not to earn his grandfather's wrath and took the morsel of food back. He looked at it in his hand for a moment, and then shoved it into his pocket.

"Drake-"

"Father, just leave it," Draco advised.

"He will not learn if we fail to correct his errors," Lucius insisted.

"At least he realized that he couldn't greet people with food in his hand," Draco pointed out smartly.

"Can I go and say hello now, so I can eat it before it gets squashed?" Drake asked impatiently.

"Yes, mate, go and make sure you greet everyone properly," Draco answered, before Lucius could open his mouth.

"You are too lenient with him," Lucius hissed as Drake wandered over to the men.

"And you are too harsh," Draco retorted in a low tone before turning on his heel and returning to the men. The last thing he wanted to tonight was to get into a verbal sparring match with his father.

Draco watched on with pride as his son greeted each of the men by shaking hands and engaging in a little small talk before moving on. Ron seemed particularly surprised at his nephew's behavior and took a few seconds to recover to answer Drake's question regarding his health. As Drake left Ron to move onto Greg, Draco crept up beside his brother-in-law.

"Mother has been tutoring him in etiquette," Draco whispered.

"Yeah, whatever that is," Ron mumbled uncertainly.

"Good manners," Draco clarified.

An obviously disgusted snort escaped Ron.

"Scoff all you like, but my son will know the difference between a soupspoon and a dessertspoon."

"There's a difference?"

"Yes, Weasley, there's a difference."

Ron shrugged. "Never noticed. A spoon is a spoon."

"You must give Mrs. Parkinson a coronary every time you eat with them."

"Don't do that too often," Ron mumbled.

Draco leaned in with a smirk on his face and whispered, "And now you know why."

He didn't need to glance back to know that Ron's face was a picture of indignation, as he walked over to where Angel was having her hand kissed by Blaise.

"Do I have to remind you that that's my daughter you're accosting, Zabini?"

"She's positively charming, Malfoy," Blaise responded enthusiastically as Angel extracted herself and moved on to Greg Goyle. "You should be very proud."

"I am, though I can't take all the credit for her manners." Draco dropped his voice to a whisper and continued, "Mother has been giving her direction and she's proved to be an excellent student."

Blaise raised an eyebrow at his friend in amusement. "I should dare you to say that in earshot of your delightfully dangerous wife."

"You wouldn't!"

"I might, if the evening grows boring," Blaise teased.

Draco eyed his friend warily. "I have killed for less."

"As long as you promise to torture me first I won't complain." Blaise winked playfully.

"You're a sick man." Draco shook his head in mock disgust.

"Not sick... Interesting," Blaise corrected cheekily.

"Daddy, I said hello to everyone now," Drake interrupted.

"Good boy."

"Can I eat something now?"

"Go ahead, but if I were you I'd leave whatever it was you put in your pocket in there, because your grandmother would have a fit if she saw you eating it," Draco advised quietly.

"Okay," Drake whispered in return.

Draco laughed as his son made a beeline for the nearest servant with a tray of food.

"You should have let him eat the one he saved," Blaise said amusedly. "It would have added a bit of excitement to the evening if your mother was to have one of her infamous fits."

"Thanks, but I think we can do without the high-pitched shrieking," Draco replied deprecatingly.

Blaise pouted comically. "I've missed her hysterics."

Draco cleared his throat in an effort to squash his temptation to laugh. "I might see how the women are getting along."

"Yes, run away... Don't worry about me, I'll entertain myself," Blaise called after him.

An amused smile tugged at Draco's lips as he crossed the room. He could always depend on Blaise for a good laugh.

"Darling, this is a simply divine little dinner party," Narcissa exclaimed as Draco approached.

"Ginny did all the work, Mother," Draco explained. "All I did was dress myself and show up on time."

Narcissa sighed. "Just like your father."

"What was that, dearest?" Lucius questioned as he arrived at his wife's side.

"I was just saying how like you Draco is," Narcissa reiterated purposefully.

Lucius made a non-committal sound in the back of his throat.

Undeterred, Narcissa ignored her husband's vague noise and continued, "Don't the girls look positively lovely, dear? They're all blossoming!"

"Quite," Lucius uttered blandly, looking anywhere but at the pregnant women his wife was referring to.

"Am I blossoming, Grandmother," Angel inquired earnestly.

"I should hope not," Lucius snapped.

Angel blinked confusedly at her grandfather.

"Oh, Lucius," Narcissa said with a hint of antipathy, before turning her attention to Angel. "No, darling, but you're the prettiest little girl here."

It was enough to placate the little witch, and a broad smile graced her features as she preened for all present. Compliments flowed, encouraging Angel to continue showing off.

A servant discreetly appeared at Narcissa's elbow and when it Disapparated she cleared her throat gently. "I'm afraid we must leave you to your evening. It seems dinner is about to be served."

The moment Angel heard they were leaving she made her way to her grandfather.

"Angelique, you are supposed to wait for me to collect you," Lucius instructed.

"If I wait Grandmother will get you first," Angel explained matter-of-factly.

As Narcissa rose gracefully, Drake scrambled off the sofa he'd been sharing with his godmother, getting to his feet just in time. He quickly crossed to Narcissa and offered her his arm in a chivalrous fashion.

"Bid everyone a good evening, Drake," Narcissa instructed. "It would be impolite to leave prior to doing that."

"Goodnight, everyone," Drake bellowed, so everyone in the room could hear.

A loud growl from Lucius followed the last strains of Drake's announcement, but it was joined amused sniggers from around the room and that effectively took the sting out of any diatribe he may have been planning to deliver.

"Angelique, perhaps you can show your brother how we should bid everyone a good evening," Lucius suggested.

The little girl quickly moved around the room speaking to small groups of guests, before moving onto the next group, and stopping to kiss her parents and godparents goodnight. Lucius stood by the door with an unmistakably proud expression on his features. When Angel returned to her grandfather, she turned to the guests, curtsied in the general direction of everyone, and then took Lucius' arm, ready for the stroll to the dining room.

"Shall we, dearest?" Lucius asked of Narcissa.

"Yes." Narcissa turned vaguely in the direction of Draco and Ginny's guests. "Have a lovely evening."

Various replies to Narcissa's sentiment echoed softly through the room for a few minutes. Given the number of people speaking at once it would have been a miracle if Narcissa had understood a single word that floated her way, but you wouldn't have known it by her reaction. Ever the perfect hostess, she appeared to receive each comment personally.

"Malfoy, you might have to watch your mother with Angel," Blaise suggested after the elder Malfoys had retreated with the children. "She's turning her into a replica of her."

"Nah, Angel was born that way," Ron corrected.

Harry nodded his agreement. "She's always been the little princess."

"Can you imagine what she's going to be like as a teenager?" Greg posed.

Blaise laughed heartily. "I can just see her now, holding court in the Slytherin Common Room, just like Pansy used to when we were there."

"She might be a Gryffindor," Harry reminded everyone.

"Potter, think about it carefully. Does she seem like the courageous, loyal type or would she be better described as cunning and self-serving?" Draco asked, confident that he knew his daughter well.

"When you put it that way-" Harry trailed off, seemingly not wanting to admit to which Hogwarts house his goddaughter would likely be sorted into.

"You never know, she might turn out just like Ginny," Ron said in an effort to console Harry.

Draco's eyes popped wide open in horror as his mind wandered down a road of thought he'd rather not associate with his daughter. "No," he choked out.

"What's wrong with her turning out like Ginny?" Ron questioned defensively.

"Nothing," Draco replied quickly. "Nothing at all."

"Until she discovers boys," Greg added in a fiendish undertone.

"Don't go there," Draco growled in a low tone.

Blaise patted his friend's blond locks fondly. "He doesn't like to imagine the day he's going to go gray."

"She's a good girl," Harry said firmly. "Angel would never give us a moment of worry! Right, Draco?"

"Yeah," Draco muttered uncertainly. The thought of his baby girl even considering accepting the affections of a boy sent chills through his body and made his stomach knot uncomfortably.

"You'll just have to hope she's nothing like her mother then," Greg interjected with a snort of laughter.

"And just how do you know what her mother was like?" Ron inquired with a hint of malice in his voice.

"I don't really, but when my dorm mate, who happens to be seeing her on the sly, wakes up every day with a grin on his face, after mysteriously spending hours out of the common room the night before-" Greg left the rest of his statement unvoiced, as Ron's face had gone from slightly pink to a shocking purple color.

"We could always tell when Draco got a bit the night before," Blaise continued, ignoring Ron's demeanor. "He was impossibly cheerful the next day. It was sickening really."

An incredulous expression overtook Ron's face and his mouth worked for a few moments without sound. "Cheerful? When was he bloody cheerful at school?"

"Those would be the days that I'd- ah- only pick on your red hair and freckles, and leave your family's lack of wealth alone," Draco supplied with a smirk.

Ron took a step towards his brother-in-law. "You-you did that a lot!"

Draco's smirk grew into a nefarious grin, and he quirked his eyebrows at the incensed man in front of him. "Yeah, I know."

All the men, apart from Ron, burst into raucous laughter. He continued to look riled for several minutes as the other wizards took pleasure in his indignation.

Blaise landed a heavy hand on the redhead's back and tried to stifle his humor. "Come on, Weasley, you can't tell us that you lot haven't worked out what was going on at school yet."

"Of course we did," Ron answered tetchily.

His attitude caused a renewed bout of hilarity to travel through the men surrounding him. Ron looked to Harry, expecting to find some support in his best mate, but Harry had been laughing so hard he had tears running down his cheeks and was clutching at his stomach. A small smile began to tug at his lips and eventually he joined the men in their amusement.

"If you lot would like to pull yourselves together, dinner is ready," Ginny announced over the din.

After much clearing of throats and strangled snorts, the men brought themselves under control.

"Did you say dinner was ready?" Ron asked hopefully.

"Yes," Ginny confirmed with a nod.

"Excellent!" Ron exclaimed, rubbing his stomach theatrically.

"Well don't just stand there! Come and collect me," Pansy demanded of her fiancé.

"On my way, love," Ron assured her, draining his tumbler of Firewhisky and placing it on the occasional table behind him.

All the men followed suit quickly, collecting their respective partners, then following Draco and Ginny into the dining room. When everyone was seated, Ginny picked up a small bell and rang it softly. Two house elves appeared, one with a bottle of the finest red wine from the Malfoy cellars and the other with a bottle of non-alcoholic cider.

Draco leaned back in his chair and watched his guests while the servants attended to everyone's glasses. He'd attended many dinner parties - both in his own home and at other's residences - but no dinner party had ever made him feel so good. Everyone was getting along famously and conversations had hardly lagged since the first guests arrived. It appeared that all their friends were having a grand time.

He looked to the opposite end of the table to where his wife was laughing at something Blaise was saying. Katarina and Hermione were chatting constantly; Draco didn't think anyone could get a word in edgewise with those two. Pansy was telling Harry off for taking a generous mouthful of wine before Draco had even touched his. Natasha leapt in to defend Harry good-naturedly. Ron and Greg appeared to be needling each other about something, though Draco wasn't concerned because they both had overly amused grins on their faces.

Draco picked up his knife and tapped the side of his water glass to garner everyone's attention, and then raised his glass. "Firstly, Ginny and I would like to thank everyone for joining us this evening. As you may have noticed we have only invited our wedding attendants and their partners, and we have done this with a purpose: to thank you for all your assistance in the lead up to our wedding and, of course, on the day itself. So, without further ado, I would like to propose a toast." Draco paused while everyone picked up their glasses. "To good friends."

"Good friends," everyone echoed.

"Now can we eat?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Ginny answered, ringing her little bell again.

Ten servants, each carrying a bowl of soup, appeared instantly. Conversations only waned while everyone enjoyed the sumptuous feast Ginny had organized. Compliments about the food flew around the table as each course was served and new delights tempted their taste buds.

"You are the best sister in the whole world," Ron exclaimed as his dessert was placed in front of him. "We're coming to dinner more often."

"We're busy," Draco replied in a deadpan tone.

Ron frowned at the end of the table. "When?"

"When were you planning on coming to dinner again?" Draco asked with what seemed like genuine curiosity.

"Very funny, Malfoy." Ron chuckled.

"He thinks I'm kidding." Draco held his stoical expression for a moment longer before joining Ron in hilarity.

"When we move into our own place we'll have you all over for dinner," Pansy announced.

"Have you found somewhere?" Ginny inquired.

"Not yet." Pansy sighed lightly. "We have a few options, but Ron doesn't-"

"Pansy," Ron growled in warning.

The dark-haired witch rolled her eyes, caught Ginny's attention and mouthed, "I'll tell you later."

Ginny nodded her understanding and returned to her dessert. She knew Ron had been a little more than difficult the past few weeks when the subject of their future living arrangements came up.

Draco waited patiently until the last person had placed their cutlery in the finished position. The thought that the women should concentrate on eating the food in front of them rather than gossiping crossed his mind, as all four women finished their dessert well after the men. "Gentlemen, shall we retire to my-"

"We'll be retiring to the parlor," Ginny interrupted firmly, giving Draco a pointed look. She was well aware of the traditions of dinner parties, and she was determined the women wouldn't be left in the parlor waiting for the men to return from doing whatever it was they did in the sanctuary of a study.

"Love, it's perfectly normal for us to have a little-"

"Well, you're not getting it tonight. You can still have your drinks and whatnot, but us women will be privy to your conversation."

"I've always wondered what they talked about after dinner," Pansy exclaimed with a wicked grin.

"You can keep wondering, because you won't be hearing any of that talk in the parlor," Draco retorted dryly.

Pansy pouted. "Why not?"

"It's inappropriate," Blaise answered.

"What on earth could be so bad that we're not allowed to hear?" Hermione asked.

Ron shrugged. "Buggered if I know."

Draco looked down the table at his wife. He knew her expression well and knew it wasn't worth the trouble of arguing. They would be keeping company with the women all evening, whether they liked it or not. Of course, the parlor was large, so they could always congregate on one side and leave the women on the other. "If the ladies wish us to keep them company this evening, we're more than happy to oblige."

"Good," Ginny responded with a satisfied smile. "Shall we move into the parlor then?"

As Ginny stood up Draco, Greg and Blaise came to their feet automatically. Pansy cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Ron, who returned her look with one of confusion.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Ronald, stand up!" Pansy growled. She turned her sharp gaze to her fiancé's best friend, who had possibly picked the worst time to start sniggering. "Don't you start laughing, Harry, you need to get on your feet too!"

"Perhaps we ought to send them to etiquette lessons with my mother?" Draco suggested with a smirk. "I'm sure she'd be delighted to have a couple of new students."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "I'm positive Drake could teach them a thing or two."

"Lessons would be a waste on those two," Hermione interjected. "They've always been allergic to studying."

"We could stand here all night debating Ron and Harry's lack of education, but I'm dying for a cup of tea and a comfortable chair," Ginny announced. "Shall we?"

Without further delay everyone returned to the parlor. The men took up residence near the French doors again, which were open to allow the warm summer breeze to filter through the room. Draco ensured his guests all had drinks in their hands before turning his mind to the conversations taking place.

Ginny guided the women into the comfortable chairs near the hearth, where a large pot of tea stood ready to be served. She shooed the servant away and set about pouring the tea herself.

"Natasha, would you like a cup of tea or something else?"

"Tea is fine, thank you, Ginny," Natasha responded, glancing wistfully at the decanter of Firewhisky that Draco was expertly pouring from for the men.

"Are you sure? You're quite welcome to have some more wine or even some Firewhisky if you want," Ginny explained.

"Go on," Pansy encouraged.

"Just because we can't, doesn't mean you shouldn't," Katarina insisted.

"All right then, I'd love a Firewhisky," Natasha conceded.

"Firewhisky it is then." Ginny smiled warmly at the other woman. "Draco."

"Yes, love?"

"Natasha would like a Firewhisky."

Draco looked surprised for a fraction of a second before turning to pour another Firewhisky and make his way across to Natasha. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Natasha smiled gently.

"Where's Ron?" Ginny asked.

"He went straight to the bathroom," Pansy informed her.

"Oh, I didn't realize." Ginny laughed. "He usually announces that loudly."

Pansy cringed. "I think I've broken him of that particular habit."

Ginny looked incredulously at her future sister-in-law. "Really? I don't believe it!"

"Well, at least when we're out. At home it's a different thing. It's like he has to tell everyone, so no one else will head in that direction," Pansy admitted.

"One bathroom with a house full of people is a problem, believe me." Ginny giggled, remembering all the times she would find the bathroom occupied at her parents' home.

"Speaking of such, I must make a visit there myself," Hermione declared, pulling herself out of the chair.

The women settled into easy conversation about recent events in the wizarding world. Pansy, Natasha and Katarina were well informed on all the social gossip, and Ginny found herself morbidly fascinated with the rumors they were recounting. She knew of some of the people they were discussing through Narcissa and was sure her mother-in-law would be scandalized at several things the other women were telling her to the point where she would disassociate herself from them.

"Oh, for goodness sakes, can't we come up with something more interesting to talk about than who's shagging whom?" Hermione expressed disgustedly as she sat down.

"You might not think it, but it's important to keep up with this sort of thing in our social circles," Pansy explained.

"I can't see how?" Hermione challenged.

"If you're aware of what's going on with certain people then you're less likely to make a faux pas when interacting with the parties concerned," Pansy clarified patiently.

"Why would you be talking about who they're shagging anyway? Isn't that considered gauche?"

"Of course it is!" Pansy gave the brown-haired witch a surprised look. "If you know who they're shagging, then you can ask after the well-being of the right person, instead of their previous partner."

Hermione rolled her eyes comically. "Well, I'm just glad I don't have to bother with all that rubbish, because I really don't have any desire to know what's going on behind closed doors or in sleazy hotel rooms."

"Believe me, some of it is really disgusting," Pansy assured her. "Did you see Ron when you went to the bathroom?"

"No, I didn't," Hermione answered, looking over to the men to see if she could spot her friend. "Didn't he come back?"

Pansy anxiously scanned the room. "I haven't seen him since we left the dining room."

"Do you want me to send Draco to check on him?" Ginny asked with concern tainting her tone slightly.

"Please," Pansy responded.

"I'm sure he's just fine." Ginny patted her hand before rising out of her chair.

Pansy nodded and smiled unconvincingly.

"Draco, I'm getting a bit worried about Ron. He's been gone for ages," Ginny whispered as she reached his side.

"He'll be right," Draco muttered absently, trying to keep his attention on the conversation the men were having.

"Pansy's concerned as well."

Draco groaned just audibly and turned to face his wife. "Ginny, a bloke has a right to use the lavatory in peace."

"But he's been gone too long, and Hermione didn't see him when she went."

"I'm not going after him."

"Fine, I'll send a servant then."

"If you're that worried, do it, but he's not going to be impressed if a servant suddenly pops up in the bathroom while he's busy."

"Which is why I'd rather you discreetly checked on him," Ginny pointed out.

"Ginny, he'll be all right," Draco assured her.

She rolled her eyes at him and summoned a servant. After giving the creature instructions to locate Ron, Ginny sent one last scathing look in her husband's direction before returning to the other women.

"I've sent a servant to check on him, Pansy," Ginny assured the other woman.

"Thank you. It's not like him to take so long when we're out," Pansy explained. "If we were at home it would be a different matter; he wouldn't emerge until he'd finished the latest edition of whatever magazine he had taken with him."

Hermione laughed lightly. "All the boys are like that."

"I'm forever clearing out Blaise's 'reading material' from our bathroom," Katarina added. "Why is it that the only place men read is the toilet?"

"I couldn't think of anything worse." Ginny screwed her nose up, and then laughed with the other women.

"Could this be our lost man?" Natasha asked as a house elf walked into the room.

A harassed looking Ron followed a house elf into the parlor. He headed straight for Draco. "You need sign posts in the corridors!"

"What?"

"Sign posts! You know, so people don't get lost," Ron blathered. "I need a drink."

Draco bit the side of his mouth to stop himself from giving into the urge to laugh. "You got lost going to the bathroom?"

"Yeah, well there are that many bloody corridors," Ron muttered before empting the tumbler of Firewhisky a servant had just provided him with.

"The bathroom is just down the hall," Draco pointed out slowly. "You don't even need to turn a corner."

"I missed the door."

"And it didn't occur to you to turn around?"

Ron sent his brother-in-law a sour look before diverting his attention to Pansy, who had been hovering at his side.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I just lost track of how many turns I'd taken," Ron admitted quietly.

"Don't stare." Draco nudged Greg sharply, who was openly gaping at Pansy as she whispered something in Ron's ear, kissed his cheek, and then made her way back to the other women.

"I can't help it," Greg returned in a whisper. "She's… big."

"You really don't want to say that when she's in the same room," Ron warned, catching onto the conversation the moment his fiancée left him.

"Sorry, Weasley," Greg said hurriedly.

Ron chuckled. "No need to apologize, you just pointed out the obvious. It's just not something that's good for your life expectancy if she hears you."

"I'll bet it isn't," Greg mused aloud. "How do you-"

"What?" Ron inquired, when the question hung unfinished.

The large man went beet-red. "Never mind."

"Come on, how do I what?"

"Where's your mind wandering, Greg?" Draco asked, amused at his friend's embarrassment.

"It's none of my business," Greg insisted.

"You started to say something, now finish it," Ron urged.

Greg groaned, but leaned conspiratorially towards the other men. "How do you fuck?"

Ron's eyes popped wide open. It was the last thing he'd expected to hear from the ex-Slytherin. "I-err-"

Draco masked his curiosity with amusement, but he was keen to hear the answer from another man's point of view. "Go on, Ronald, share with us."

"No, she'd kill me," Ron claimed.

"We won't tell," Blaise promised. "And I'd be eternally grateful."

Ron looked at the wizard with mortification clearly written on his face. "Grateful?"

"Yes, grateful. Katarina's hard enough to keep up with now, and I keep wondering what it's going to be like when she gets bigger. I don't want to make a fool of myself," Blaise admitted. "I do have a reputation to protect."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at the man. "With your wife?"

"Keep them happy and they won't want to wander," Blaise stated firmly.

Ron and Harry passed incredulously looks between them. There was no doubt that Slytherins were an entirely different breed to the rest of the wizarding population.

"Are you going to tell us your secrets, or am I going to be forced to risk your life and ask Pansy myself?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"You wouldn't."

"You know I would."

"Fine," Ron ground out. He took a deep breath, stole a glance at the women to make certain they weren't going to wander over and then looked back at the men. All, except Draco, had an eager expression on his face. "It's all about position. You have to adjust your body positions to make sure they're comfortable and you're putting no pressure on their bellies."

"What sort of positions?" Blaise inquired eagerly.

"It's not that hard to imagine what positions wouldn't put any pressure on their fronts, is it?"

"Just curious," Greg griped.

"I don't know why you are. You're not even having a baby," Ron said to Greg. He looked at the other men and rolled his eyes; they were obviously very interested in hearing what he had to say. "Her on top… Doggy style… Standing up… Her bent over something like a chair or a table… Her sitting on the edge of a table…"

"Where did you find all this out?" Draco demanded, forgetting he wasn't supposed to appear interested.

"Bill gave me a few ideas," Ron mumbled. "Charlie added a few more."

"They actually told you all that?" Draco blinked at him disbelievingly.

"Yeah. Pansy said something to Fleur about it not being comfortable and she told Bill, so he threw some advice my way."

"Do you think they've got any other tricks up their sleeves?" Draco asked eagerly.

"How would I know? If you want information, ask them yourself."

"Like I'd come away from that meeting with my body intact," Draco scoffed. "You forget who I'm going to experiment with."

"It's not like we don't know what you get up to; we just don't like to think about it. Besides, your pride isn't a body part," Ron pointed out. "They'll answer any question you have, and they've both been through it enough times to know what they're talking about. There's just one thing though."

"What's that?" Harry inquired.

"You've got to wait for them to stop laughing before you get any sense from them."

"A small price to pay," Draco muttered, mostly to himself.

"You might think so now, but if the twins get wind that you've had a special little chat with them you won't live it down."

"They would have-"

"They did, or at least one of them did, but that doesn't matter. You know what those two are like."

"What about Percy?"

Ron's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Nah, Percy doesn't have sex, his kids are conjured from thin air, and Penelope is a virgin!"

The men erupted into loud laughter, which earned them a few raised eyebrows from the women's side of the room.

"Want to share?" Ginny asked over the din.

Draco took a few deep breaths, mostly out of dire need for air, but also to bring himself under control. "We were just discussing the mating habits of your brother."

Ginny looked at Ron with a horrified expression on her face, and Pansy followed it with a look that promised a painful end to his comfortable life.

"Not me!" Ron blurted defensively. "Percy!"

A frown creased Ginny's smooth forehead. "You were discussing Percy's mating habits?"

"Yeah," Harry confirmed.

"Percy doesn't have sex," Ginny told them matter-of-factly.

The men broke into raucous laughter again.

"It wasn't that funny," Pansy offered.

"I didn't think so either," Hermione agreed.

"Who's Percy?" Natasha inquired curiously.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ginny responded. "Percy is one of my brothers, and he's a bit prim."

"A bit?" Ron choked out.

"That's an understatement," Harry confirmed, gaining some control of his amusement.

"I have to agree," Draco concurred, wiping tears from his eyes.

"All right," Ginny conceded. "All right, he's more straitlaced than... than... I can't even think of anyone as prudish as him."

"You'll hurt your head if you keep trying," Harry warned, amid gales of renewed laughter.

"Oh, enough! My belly is beginning to hurt," Pansy complained as she struggled to bring herself under control.

A few giggles lingered as the women did their best to stifle their urge to laugh aloud. Hermione was rubbing her belly as well, commiserating with Pansy over the ache that appeared whenever they became too excited. The dark-haired witch stood up and stretched her back for a few moments, trying to rid herself of the nagging ache.

"How pregnant is she, Weasley?" Greg asked quietly, inclining his head in Pansy's direction.

"About twenty-six weeks," Ron answered, looking over at the woman in question with a great deal of pride in his eyes.

"So that's?"

"We've got about fourteen weeks to go," Ron explained.

"That's not long," Blaise mused aloud.

"No, not long at all," Ron agreed. "But Harry's got even less."

"Only by a couple of weeks," Harry reminded him.

"Who's due first out of you and Draco?" Greg asked Blaise.

"I'm not sure. Katarina's just over twenty-one weeks," Blaise answered, looking to Draco for further information.

"Err, I think Ginny's a bit further," Draco muttered uncertainly.

Ron rolled his eyes at his brother-in-law. "You know she's going to kill you for not remembering."

"It's not that I don't know," Draco snapped. "I simply don't recall the exact number of weeks at the moment."

Harry sniggered. "Ginny, how far gone are you?"

"Twenty-two weeks tomorrow," Ginny responded.

"Thanks!" Harry grinned wickedly, then added, "Draco couldn't remember."

Ginny cocked an eyebrow at her old friend. "Tell me, Harry, do you remember exactly how many weeks Hermione is?"

"Twenty-eight weeks," Harry retorted confidently.

"Don't worry about it, Draco, the only reason Harry remembers is because we went for a check up this week," Hermione supplied from the other side of the room.

"I knew before then," Harry replied defensively.

"At least we've got more time than some," Draco commented. "Angelina looked ready to burst last weekend."

Hermione looked at the blond incredulously. "She's still got seven weeks to go."

Draco's eyes just about left his head. "Seven weeks? She'll explode before then!"

He didn't think the notion was so funny, but apparently the women didn't share his view, as they burst into uncontrollable laughter. Before long Ron and Harry joined them, much to Draco's horror. The idea that he'd said something foolish was evident without those two joining the women in his humiliation.

"Oh, Ginny, you really need to educate him," Hermione gasped out.

Pansy took a few deep breaths. "I don't know, I think his innocence is adorable."

"At least he's entertaining," Katarina added.

Adorable? Draco snarled under his breath and turned away from the overly amused women. Perhaps if he ignored them they'd quiet down and leave him alone.

"Don't feel bad, mate." Ron slapped him on the shoulder. "By the time you two have another couple you'll be an expert."

"Oh no," Draco answered immediately. "We're stopping after this one."

An expression of genuine surprise took up residence on Ron's face. "Really?"

"Yes. I think three is more than enough."

"What happened to the Quidditch team you were planning?" Blaise asked.

"When was I ever planning to sire a Quidditch team?"

"Before your wedding. Don't you remember the conversation we had about Ginny's breeding power?" Blaise paused to see if Draco was willing to acknowledge that he recalled the conversation. "You told me you didn't care how many kids you had, just as long as she was happy."

"That was before," Draco growled. "I changed my mind."

"Before? Before what?" Greg inquired with a deep frown.

"Before the kids moved in with him," Ron supplied wisely with a knowing grin.

"Look, I just don't think it's necessary to have any more children. Three, I'm sure you will all agree, is more than enough. I have an heir to carry on the family name already, so there's no point in having more." Draco glanced over to where his wife was sitting, chatting with the women. "I would like to have some time with my wife on a personal level without having to worry about children, and I'd like to do that before we're too old to enjoy it."

"Never thought I'd see the day when this place felt crowded," Greg murmured as he looked around the room. "Is privacy getting to be a bit of an issue?"

"Have any of you any idea what it's like to have a child walk in on you when you're half way through?" Draco blurted uncharacteristically.

"As a matter of fact... Yes!" Ron answered strongly. "And it's usually your son who does the disturbing."

"You're kidding?" Blaise exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, not," Draco expressed dourly.

"That kid has some sort of perverted sixth sense," Ron muttered discontentedly.

"Not to mention a big mouth," Harry added with a smirk.

"He tells?"

"Everyone he possibly can," Ron growled.

"Regardless of my son's habits, I don't want anymore children," Draco explained firmly in an effort to move the conversation back on topic. After all, talking about Drake's uncanny knack of walking in on people, namely him, led to embarrassing comments.

"Does Ginny agree?" Ron asked.

Draco gazed at his brother-in-law and tried to gauge what the man's thoughts were on the matter. It wasn't something that was terribly hard to do, particularly as whatever Ron was feeling at any given moment was clearly displayed on his face. He decided a version of the truth was probably his best option. "She's undecided."

"That's an interesting way of putting it," Harry commented perceptively.

"I need a little time to convince her that more children would just complicate our lives unnecessarily."

Ron snorted. "Somehow, I don't think she's going to see things your way."

"My money's on Ginny having as many as she wants," Harry stated, clearly amused by the idea.

"Best you start designing that Quidditch team uniform, mate," Blaise said with a smirk.

"Before you lot start picking colors and mascots, I feel it pertinent to remind you that it takes two to create a new life."

"As if you'd deny her," Greg scoffed.

Ron snickered. "I'd like to see him try."

"Did we ever find the body of the last person to tell her 'no'?" Harry asked cheekily.

Blaise slung an arm around Draco's shoulders. "Let's face it, mate, if she wants more, you'll have more."

"Are you insinuating that I've gone soft?" Draco eyed his old friend playfully.

"Not at all." Blaise chuckled to himself. "You've always been soft."

"Most especially where the ladies are concerned," Greg added, struggling to keep a straight face.

Draco looked affronted. "I resent any implication that I'm less than firm in my convictions."

"You can resent it all you like, but it doesn't change the fact," Blaise insisted.

Draco muttered discontentedly under his breath. He couldn't believe his friends had such a view of him. Didn't they know he was the man of house? That he wore the pants?

"Don't worry, mate, you can always tell everyone you changed your mind," Greg suggested.

"Malfoys don't change their minds," Draco ground out.

"We won't tell anyone, will we?" Harry choked out amid a snort of laughter.

"Nah, your secret is safe with us," Ron confirmed in a tone that told Draco the whole wizarding world would learn of his change of heart, if it happened.

Laughter, once again, flooded the room as three of the four men gave into their amusement.

"What's so funny?" Katarina asked from the women's side of the room.

"We were just discussing how many kids Draco wants," Ron answered humorously.

Ginny's gaze sharpened instantly, and she directed a look at her brother that very clearly told him not to go there. The men sobered quickly under her scrutiny as her eyes wandered to each of them. She finally stopped on her husband, her eyes narrowed to slits holding a promise that he had not heard the last on this particular subject.

Try as he might, Draco couldn't help but meet Ginny's gaze. Under the cutting glare of his wife, he began to feel a bit like a house elf punishing himself for some misdemeanor. It wasn't a feeling that sat well with him, but he couldn't drag his eyes away. The noise of some one purposely clearing their throat right next to his ear finally enabled him to avert his eyes.

"Here, you need a stiff drink," Blaise whispered, holding a tumbler right under Draco's nose.

All of a sudden the other men gathered around him, and he could no longer see Ginny, no matter how hard he tried.

"Don't," Ron instructed, after Draco purposely tried to look around him. "She'll turn you to stone."

"I gather you two have had discussions about the number of children you're going to have," Harry said cautiously.

"Yeah," Draco muttered uncertainly, not really sure why he was answering such a personal question.

"Sorry," Ron mumbled. "I didn't mean to get you into trouble."

Draco blinked at his brother-in-law in confusion. Did the man just apologize? Not only that, he actually looked forlorn. "Err- It's all right," he uttered haltingly.

"Maybe I should speak to her or something," Ron offered, though his tone told everyone who could hear him that he'd rather be hit with the Cruciatus Curse than face his sister at the moment.

The offer was tempting for about half a second, then Draco's good sense kicked in. "Thanks, but it's probably better if I handle it myself."

"If you're sure," Ron countered with a hint of relief in his tone.

"Positive," Draco assured him. The last thing Draco needed was for Ron to make matters worse, and he had the distinct feeling, if he had accepted the offer, all hell would have broken loose.

"She won't make an issue of this now, will she?" Blaise whispered.

"No, of course not." Even to his own ears he didn't sound all that confident. There was every chance that Ginny would appear right in front of him, at any given second, frothing at the mouth and demanding an explanation.

"I'm going to have to blindfold you if you keep trying to look at her," Ron warned as Draco's eyes flicked over to the women.

"I can't help it," Draco snarled.

"Well, best you bloody well do help it, because if you keep looking at her you're going to cop it for sure," Ron explained harshly.

"Who made you an expert?" Draco snapped.

Ron rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner. "Apart from the fact that I lived with her for over twenty-three years, she's just like Mum. You never, ever make eye contact when they're in mood like that, because they will rip you apart before you even know what's happening."

"At least it'd be over then," Draco mumbled mostly to himself.

"Believe me, you don't want that to happen when there are witnesses," Ron advised seriously. "You'd never live it down."

"Not to mention that you'd never see your friends again," Harry added.

"And why would that be?" Blaise asked.

"Yeah, we wouldn't desert Draco," Greg supplied.

"Have you ever seen Ginny in full-flight?"

"No," the men answered in unison.

"Trust me, you'd both be too terrified to return," Ron answered.

"She can't be that bad," Blaise commented.

"She's worse," Draco admitted before he could stop himself.

"Worse than what?" Blaise pressed.

"Picture you worst nightmare." Draco paused to give the men a chance to visualize their personal horror. "Now triple it."

"Maybe we should call it a night," Greg suggested tentatively.

"No!" Draco looked around at his friends in dismay. "Stay. Have another drink!"

Ron's face morphed into one of great amusement. "You're not going to try and dull the pain before it hits you, are you?"

A clear answer in the affirmative was seen in Draco's face, and the men burst into laughter. It was one way of dealing with his impending doom, and none of the men saw reason to fault his logic. Over the next hour or so they all consumed far more alcohol than any had planned to at such a gathering. When Firewhisky grew boring, Draco produced a bottle of well-aged cognac, and the men stood around nursing snifters that Draco insisted on topping off frequently. Their conversations grew more bizarre with their level of intoxication, as did their volume. It wasn't until Draco and Harry started singing their old school song, with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, that the women saw fit to interfere.

"Harry," Hermione interrupted, cringing at the sound they were making. "I think it's time we said goodnight."

"No, you don't have to go yet!" Draco exclaimed as he staggered away from Harry. "Stay and have another drink."

"I'm not drinking, Draco," Hermione reminded him.

"Harry is," Draco replied earnestly.

"Yes, well... I think Harry's had more than his fair share this evening."

While Hermione was trying to convince Draco it was time for them to leave, the other women were surreptitiously gathering their own partners and moving them in the direction of the doorway.

"Where is everyone going?" Draco looked around in surprise.

"Sorry, mate, I've been given my marching orders," Ron replied dolefully.

"Draco, come and say goodnight to our guests," Ginny encouraged firmly.

"Women spoil all our fun," Draco mumbled under his breath as he staggered into the entrance hall.

Pansy rolled her eyes at her old friend, as she threw her traveling cloak around her shoulders, and then kissed his cheek lightly. "You behave yourself and no throwing a tantrum, because your friends couldn't stay and play."

"Would I do that?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Ask yourself why I would feel the need to mention it if you didn't," Pansy countered with a knowing smile. "Ginny, it was a lovely evening. Thank you for having us."

"You're welcome. Are you going to be able to get Ron home on your own?"

"I've done it a couple of times," Pansy assured her. "He's usually no problem once we get away from the other men."

"Good." Ginny smiled understandingly. "Draco, are you going to say good night to Ron?"

"I'm getting to it," Draco grumbled.

The two men shook hands and slapped each other on the shoulder heartily, while passing a few words between themselves that no one else could decipher.

"Ronald, thank your sister for having us," Pansy prompted when the two men parted.

"Thank you for having us," Ron repeated and gave Ginny a clumsy kiss.

"Goodnight, Ron," Ginny said, wiping the slobber from her cheek.

Pansy ushered her fiancé towards the front doors before he could start up a nonsensical conversation with whoever would listen to him just to delay the inevitable.

"Natasha, thank you so much for coming," Ginny said. "Are you going to be right to get home with Greg?"

"Thank you for inviting us." Natasha smiled warmly. "Don't worry about us, we've done this a couple of times before."

"I'd hate for you to Splinch yourself."

"It hasn't happened yet," the witch insisted.

"All right, but if anything happens, please don't hesitate to Floo me."

"I will."

The women embraced briefly, then waited for the men to finish dribbling whatever nonsense they were filling each other's ears with.

Draco stumbled over to Natasha and took both her hands in his. "Greg is a very lucky man," he slurred.

"Thank you," Natasha responded uncomfortably.

"I mean it, he's very, very lucky to have a good woman like you."

Ginny cleared throat purposely. "Draco, leave Natasha alone."

"I was just-"

"Yes, dear, we all know what you were just doing," Ginny responded sardonically. "You're making her feel uncomfortable, so leave her alone."

"I wouldn't do that! Am I making you uncomfortable, Natasha?" Draco asked with genuine alarm.

"Err-I-"

Ginny stepped forward and gently guided her husband away from Natasha.

"A bloke tries to pay someone a compliment and he gets in trouble for it," Draco muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Why don't you save your compliments for when you're sober," Ginny suggested with a hint of humor.

"I think we'll go now," Natasha whispered to Ginny.

"Be careful going home," Ginny replied. "Bye, Greg."

"Mrs. Malfoy, it was a pleasure to be in your company this evening," Greg said with a deep bow.

"Oh for goodness sakes." Natasha gave Greg's arm a sharp tug. "Come on, before you do something you'll regret, but won't remember."

"Never!" Greg raised his arm in farewell as Natasha all but dragged him out the door.

"If I don't leave right now I'm going to have to use the bathroom again," Hermione stated. "Harry, say goodbye quickly, because I'm not joking."

"Why don't you go before we leave?"

"Because it will take me as long to walk to the bathroom from here as what it will to get home, if you don't dilly dally." Hermione turned her attention to Ginny. "Thank you for a wonderful evening."

"You're welcome. Thank you for coming."

"We'll have you over for dinner really soon," Hermione promised.

"I'm looking forward to it," Ginny replied.

"See you later, Ginny," Harry mumbled.

"See you, Harry."

"Draco, thanks for a good night," Harry said as he shook the blond's hand.

"It was a good night," Draco confirmed.

"Thanks for having us, Draco," Hermione interrupted. "Harry, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"Well, come on then," Hermione insisted.

Ginny turned to the only guests left. She was surprised to find Blaise standing so close to her. Although, she tried not to cringe as Blaise leaned even closer it was impossible not to, not that he seemed to notice in his drunken state anyway.

"It wasn't Draco's fault. We were all teasing him, so be nice," Blaise slurred.

Ginny patted his arm awkwardly, while wishing him away and wondering what on earth he was on about. "All right."

"He didn't even want to talk about it, honestly."

"I believe you."

"So you won't turn him out of his bed?"

"No, I won't."

"Good, because I'd hate to think we got him in trouble or anything."

"You haven't."

"Okay, because you know-" Blaise leaned closer still in a conspiratorial manner. "-I think, deep down, he really wants more kids."

Ginny smiled as she took a step backwards to place some distance between them. At least she knew what he was on about now. "It's all right. It's something Draco and I have to work out, but I think it would be better to leave it until he's sober, don't you?"

"Oh yeah, good idea! He's got a dreadful memory when he's drunk," Blaise advised austerely.

A quick bite of the side of her mouth quelled the urge to laugh at how earnest the dark-haired wizard was trying to be while he was almost fall-down drunk. "He does have a horrid memory," she agreed.

"Blaise, are you going to say goodnight, or are you going to keep chatting until poor Ginny passes out from the fumes you're breathing on her?" Katarina inquired.

"I'll have you know, we had some serious business to discuss," Blaise informed his wife.

"I think you finished, didn't you?" Katarina suggested.

Blaise picked up Ginny's hand, albeit a little roughly, and placed a sloppy kiss on it. "Thank you for an enchanting evening, Mrs. Malfoy."

It took all her strength not to snatch her hand away and wipe it furiously on her gown. "You're welcome, Blaise. We hope you can come again some time."

"We'd love to, wouldn't we, Kat?"

"Absolutely." Katarina smiled apologetically at Ginny. "Now, should we go and leave these good people in peace?"

"Can't yet! I haven't said goodbye to my mate," Blaise declared.

"Looks like we'll be here for another half an hour," Katarina whispered to Ginny as their husbands embraced each other heartily. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Ginny began to giggle as the two men declared their undying love for each other. "Draco's just as bad, if not worse."

"Should we break them up?"

"No, we'd never hear the end of it, and besides it's rather funny." Ginny laughed aloud. "Who'd have thought those two very proper gentlemen could express themselves so-so- sloppily!"

"Oh for Merlin's sake," Lucius growled as he descended the staircase. "How much have they had to drink?"

"More than their fair share," Ginny admitted.

"Did it not occur to you to at least encourage a little decorum?" Lucius snapped.

Ginny rolled her eyes melodramatically. "They're not hurting anyone. Well, except their own egos when we relay this lovely scene to them."

"That is hardly the point." Lucius stared disgustedly at his heir, who appeared to be preparing to plant a sloppy kiss on his mate's cheek. "Their behavior is undignified."

"Lucius, there's no one around to witness their behavior," Ginny reminded him in an even voice. "Draco will feel the humiliation of his behavior this evening, but it will be when I'm ready to make him suffer."

Surprise flicked across Lucius' cold gray eyes.

"You don't think I'd let him forget this, do you?" Ginny asked with a sly smirk.

"I don't think either of them deserves to forget this," Katarina added.

"Yes, well... Would you like some assistance getting him to your chambers?"

"Thank you, that would be good," Ginny answered.

"Perhaps if I intervened, Mrs. Zabini might be able to get her journey home under way?" Lucius suggested gently.

"If you think you can convince those two that they can spend a night apart," Ginny challenged.

"Hardly a challenge," Lucius drawled.

Ginny put her hand on Katarina's arm to stop the other woman from following Lucius over to the men. If he thought he could get the two intoxicated men to cooperate then he could do it alone. They watched closely, with poorly veiled humor, as the older wizard tried several different methods to garner his son's attention.

"Draco!" Lucius snarled loudly.

"Father!" Draco squinted as he tried to focus on the newcomer. "Blaise, look at who's here."

"Mr. Malfoy!" Blaise pumped Lucius' hand as though he hadn't seen him for years. "A drink! We need to have a drink."

"Thank you, Blaise, but I feel I must decline at this late hour," Lucius replied in an overly formal manner.

"You can't." Blaise shook his head and placed one of his hands on Lucius' chest. "I insist."

"Perhaps another time," Lucius countered, removing the wizard's hand from his front. "At the moment, I must confess, I'm rather concerned about your lovely wife."

"Katarina?"

"Yes." Lucius paused to ensure he had the man's full attention. "She's expecting, is she not?"

"Yeah." Blaise grinned and puffed his chest up. "I'm going to be a father."

"She's looking a little peaked at the moment," Lucius informed him seriously.

"She is?"

"Yes, and here you are ignoring her needs at such a delicate time, just to have some fun with a friend." Lucius smirked as a now concerned Blaise raced to Katarina's side with promises to escort her home immediately.

The women hardly had time to say their goodbyes before a fussing Blaise was rushing his wife across the foyer.

As the front doors closed behind the last of the guests Lucius turned to face his daughter-in-law. "That is how it is done easily, my dear."

"Well done," Ginny praised.

"Now, shall I escort this one upstairs?" Lucius inquired, tilting his head in Draco's direction.

"Thank you, that would be good."

Ginny stayed by the staircase and watched Lucius gather his protesting son. Draco was demanding that his father join him for a drink and trying to steer them in the direction of the parlor, but Lucius politely declined each time and directed him firmly to the staircase.

"You are a stubborn old bastard," Draco stated halfway up the stairs.

"Thank you," Lucius responded courteously.

"You are," Draco reiterated. "But I still love you."

Lucius' chuckle was stifled when Draco placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek. If he'd had a free hand, he'd have wiped the slobber from his face immediately, but as it was he had his hands full negotiating the stairs with his inebriated son leaning heavily on him. When they reached Draco's chambers, Lucius gently guided his son onto the sofa in his private sitting room.

"Thank you," Ginny whispered.

"You're welcome." Lucius sighed heavily as he looked at his son sprawled on the long seat. "He's going to be feeling a little more than regretful in the morning, I should think."

"I've no doubt," Ginny agreed.

"He should be asleep in-" Lucius stopped as Draco's first snore filled the room. "It's probably best to leave him here for the night. You need your sleep, and you won't get it with that noise right next to you."

"Probably not." Ginny sighed as another grating snore rattled her eardrums.

"Goodnight, Ginevra."

"Thank you, Lucius. Goodnight."

When Lucius had closed the door softly behind himself, Ginny summoned a blanket and threw it over her husband's body. Their first real dinner party seemed to have been a smashing success, in more ways than one. Everyone appeared to have had a grand time, despite the men drinking more than they should have, and that was all that really mattered. She placed a gentle kiss on Draco's forehead and retired to the bedchamber, leaving the door open just in case Draco woke up during the night and wanted to join her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Thanks to Rainpuddle13 for her amazing beta skills and entertaining plot discussions.

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