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 EIGHT

FOOT IN MOUTH

When Draco Apparated into the foyer of Malfoy Manor on Friday afternoon his eyes went straight to the staircase and then they lit up. Every afternoon for the last two weeks, Drake had met him upon his arrival home from the office, and today was no different.

"Daddy!" Drake squealed, launching himself off the stairs and into Draco's arms.

"Have you had a good day?" Draco asked, almost squeezing the very life out of his heir.

"Yep! Did you?"

"I suppose so," Draco replied evasively. "Do you know where Mummy is?"

"She's in the parlor, but you can't see her yet."

"And why would that be?"

"Grandmother wants to see you first," Drake informed him seriously.

"Does she now?"

Drake nodded gravely. "She said she would be in the- the- the room where she grows stuff."

"The solarium," Draco corrected with a smirked. "Well, she can wait, because right now I want to say hello to your mother and sister."

"But she said the moment you got home or she wouldn't see you at all."

"All right then, I'll go see her. Do you want to come with me?"

"Nope, she said you had to come alone."

"I see." Draco regarded his son's grave expression for a moment. "In that case, you can tell your mother I'm home and will be in very soon to say hello."

"I can do that."

"Good, off you go then." Draco watched his son strut self-importantly down the corridor in the direction of the family parlor.

He rubbed his neck wearily and wondered exactly what it was his mother wanted him for, though he did have his suspicions. As he headed in the direction of the solarium, he hoped she wasn't in a needy mood and he'd be able to extract himself gracefully before too long. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his mother, more that he'd enjoyed the time he'd been able to spend with Ginny and the twins before dinner immensely over the past couple of weeks.

Draco stopped just over the threshold of the solarium. His mother was sitting at the small table on the far side of the room. "Mother, you wanted to see me?"

"Draco, darling, do come in." Narcissa smiled warmly as her son placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. "I've missed you these past weeks."

Draco fidgeted guiltily while he waited to be invited to sit down. It was true he'd made no effort to seek either of his parents out at home for the past fortnight, but with the tension still running high with his father, Draco had thought it best if they avoided contact away from the office, where it was necessary. "I've been busy."

"You can save your excuses." Narcissa waved her hand haughtily. "Sit down; I want to talk to you."

Draco lowered himself into the chair opposite his mother's. "How have you been, Mother?"

"Aside from lonely-"

"Mother," Draco warned. He may have been feeling a little guilty, but he wasn't about to allow her to exploit the fact. "I may not have seen you for a couple of weeks, but Ginny has been keeping me apprised of your activities."

Narcissa sniffed affectedly. "Then you would know about the Charity Dinner for Ancient Artefacts tomorrow evening?"

"Yes, I'm aware of it."

"Ginevra informed me that you're not attending."

"No, we're not."

"We always attend."

"You and father are attending, surely that is enough."

"Quite possibly, but I am curious as to why you're not coming."

"Why?"

"I would have thought it was an excellent opportunity to introduce Ginevra to our social circle properly."

"Perhaps it would have been, but we have other plans."

"Ginevra didn't allude to having other plans. I'll make a point of ensuring she notes which functions are most important."

"She doesn't know we have alternate plans, and the decision not to attend was mine."

"I see," Narcissa responded with a hint of disbelief in her tone.

"You don't want to know what I have planned?"

"Tell me if you must."

Draco chuckled at his mother's faux indifferent tone. He knew she was dying to know what was going to keep him from the charity dinner. "Well, if you're not interested I won't bore you."

Narcissa's blue eyes narrowed on her son briefly. "I never said I wasn't interested."

"It's all right, Mother, you don't have to pretend to be interested." Draco smiled as he stood up, ready to leave. "If that was all, I need to say hello to my family."

"Of course."

"Have a pleasant time tomorrow evening." Draco inclined his head politely and took his leave quickly.

On his way back to the southern wing, Draco pondered the real reason for Narcissa requesting an audience with him. It had certainly never bothered her before if he refused to attend a function, though she did have a point about introducing Ginny to their social circle. The last event where everyone had been together had been their wedding and that hadn't been quite the right time to concentrate on ensuring his wife's acceptance into the crowd they socialized with at some of the most important events on the wizarding world's calendar.

Excited squeals assaulted his ears the moment he stepped into the parlor. Angel flew across the room and into his arms to be tossed high in the air, amplifying of her screams.

"How are my girls today?" Draco asked, once Angel had stopped screaming.

"Good!" Angel replied gleefully. "We had tea with Grandmother."

"Did you? Well, that would have been nice."

The little witch nodded enthusiastically. "We had pumpkin juice and pastries."

"Good for you." Draco smiled warmly as he put his daughter on her feet and winked at her. "I think I'd better say hello to Mummy before she gets jealous."

Angel giggled behind her hand as Draco took Ginny into his arms.

It was always the same: Drake would meet him in the foyer, Angel would attack him the moment he stepped into the parlor, and then Ginny would get her chance.

"Hello, love," Draco uttered as he encompassed his wife in his arms.

"Hello," Ginny responded with a smile. "Did you have a nice day?"

"It was all right." Draco kissed her lightly. "I missed you."

"You say that every day."

"I miss you every day." Draco lowered his face to rub his nose on hers. "How was your day?"

"It was okay. Your mother mentioned something about a charity dinner."

"Don't worry, we're not attending."

"Aren't we supposed to?"

"Yes, but I have other plans." It wasn't until Ginny stiffened in his arms that Draco realized he might have said something wrong, and he quickly rephrased his words. "What I meant was: I have made alternative plans for us."

"Oh?"

"It's a surprise, so don't ask. Tomorrow evening is the earliest you'll find out."

"How will I know what to wear?" Ginny asked cheekily.

"I'll instruct the servants to lay out your attire," Draco answered confidently.

"I see."

"Good," Draco drawled, pleased with her acceptance. "Now, I would like to relax a little before dinner."

"All right," Ginny answered slowly. She knew he had a secret, but he seemed a little too happy with himself at the minute. "What do you want to do?"

"I was thinking about a leisurely stroll by the lake."

"To relax?"

"Well, it will help both of us relax later when these two don't have any energy to argue about bedtime."

"I do believe you are learning."

Draco smirked. "I took notes last night."

Ginny laughed. The evening before it had taken just over an hour to convince the twins to settle into their beds. Draco had been close to losing his temper with both of them, given that they'd already stolen his sanity some thirty minutes earlier. "A walk it is then."

"Shall we?" Draco offered Ginny his hand.

As they walked into the grounds Draco lifted the wards protecting the children's play area, so they could walk to the lake.

"Drake, stay where we can see you," Draco called as his son ran ahead. "Angel, why don't you see if you can catch your brother?"

"Daddy, I'm not dressed to be running around." Angel prissily smoothed her dress down.

Draco winked at Ginny and released her hand. "You know, my fingers are just itching to tickle someone."

Angel's eyes widened in horror and shot straight to her father. She didn't like the way his fingers were wiggling in front of him, as if they were looking for someone to tickle. When her father took a large step towards her, the little witch ran off with a loud squeal.

Draco chased his daughter, never quite catching her, but reminding her often that his tickling fingers weren't yet satisfied. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Drake soon made his presence known with a deafening shriek as he deliberately ran across his father's path.

Ginny stopped under a tree and watched her family running around, being silly and generally having fun. Moments like these could be so easily forgotten as the years went by, but they should be treasured and remembered forever. She hoped there would be many more times like this, and she vowed to remember each one of them. Ginny laughed aloud when Draco finally scooped up Drake under one arm and then Angel under the other. The twins' squeals were ear piercing, and entirely delightful to hear.

"Ginny!"

Draco's concerned tone broke through her thoughts. He was coming towards her with a deep frown on his handsome features.

"Ginny, what's wrong, love?"

"I'm fine." She smiled at his worry.

Draco reached for her, drawing her into his chest. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not."

He held her at arms length and ran his thumb over her cheek, gathering the tears that had fallen from her eyes. "What's this then?"

Ginny giggled, a little embarrassed at her foolishness. "I don't know. I didn't realize I was crying."

"What upset you?"

"Nothing, I'm not upset."

Draco frowned, not believing her for a minute.

"I was just watching you and the twins, and thinking how wonderful moments like these are."

"And now you're crying?" Draco asked hesitantly.

Ginny nodded, feeling a little guilty now for the worry she'd caused him. "My hormones are a little erratic."

"Father said something about this," Draco muttered not quite to himself.

She couldn't hold the snort of laughter that burst from her. "Your mother was apparently a walking faucet for the duration."

Draco's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "You know about that?"

"Narcissa told me."

Draco sighed heavily. "So much for the big family secrets Father thinks he's imparting."

"There are no secrets like family secrets."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Are you all right then?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Ginny smiled to reassure him. "Apart from feeling a little silly now."

Draco placed a lingering kiss on her forehead and held her to him gently. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Do you want to go back to the house?"

"No, of course not."

"All right, but you just let me know if you do."

Ginny bit back the urge to remind Draco that she wasn't terminally ill. "I will."

"Daddy, are we going to run?" Drake asked impatiently.

"I'm going to walk with Mummy for a bit, mate, but you can run."

The little boy's face dropped with disappointment.

"Run with them, Draco," Ginny encouraged.

"What about you?"

"I'm fine. Go and have some fun with them."

"All right, but we won't go out of sight."

She couldn't resist rolling her eyes a little. "I'll be fine."

Draco paused to place a quick kiss on her mouth and then took off in the direction of his son. Even Angel joined in without being coaxed. Again squeals of delight filled the air, and Ginny went back to thinking she was the luckiest woman alive.

After running around for an hour, the family returned to the house, considerably more mussed than what they were earlier. Ginny sent Draco and the children off to wash their hands while she checked on the availability of dinner. When they finally appeared in the dining room all three appeared to have taken a bath, without removing their clothes, instead of simply ensuring their hands were clean.

"Which bathroom did you use?"

"Ground floor, closest to the parlor," Draco answered, flashing a cheeky grin in his wife's direction.

Ginny shook her head. "Millie, can you make sure that bathroom doesn't resemble a swamp?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"The least you three could do is look a little remorseful," Ginny said, glancing around the table.

She had to give them credit for their efforts to change their expressions, but it didn't last long. The moment Drake giggled Draco and Angel dissolved into fits of laughter.

"All right, that's enough," Ginny ordered, shaking her head and wondering if she was turning into her mother. "Eat your dinner before it goes cold."

With everyone thoroughly chastised, or as close as Ginny could manage when they kept laughing, they began eating with only the occasional giggling fit interrupting the silence. Just as the family was finishing dessert Lucius walked into the room looking a little uncomfortable.

"Ginevra," Lucius intoned politely.

"Good evening, Lucius." Ginny smiled brightly, though the gesture held more humor than it should have.

"I was wondering if I might be permitted to tuck the children in tonight."

"Of course, they haven't had their baths yet, so it will be a while before they're ready for bed."

"Perhaps I could collect them in an hour?"

"That would be fine."

"Thank you." Lucius inclined his head politely and left the room quickly.

"For goodness sakes," Ginny growled, her good humor leaving with her father-in-law.

"What?" Draco questioned.

"When are you two going to get over this?"

"When he admits he was wrong."

"Draco, he wouldn't even look at you."

"It doesn't bother me."

"Well, it should!"

"Why? Life is peaceful."

"Draco, you're not setting a good example. What if you and Drake have a disagreement in the future?"

"I'm not my father. Unlike him, I will admit when I'm wrong." Draco placed his cutlery on the table and gave his full attention to his wife. "He's accustomed to getting his own way whether he's right or wrong. In the past I have given into him for the sake of harmony and to keep Mother happy. I can't do that this time, Ginny."

"When is it going to end then?"

"I don't know, love. He's not likely to give in, so I guess things will simply return to normal in time."

Ginny shook her head and sighed heavily. It wasn't how she was used to dealing with disputes. To ignore the problem didn't make it go away, but she didn't know quite how to get Draco to see this.

"Just leave it, love. Things will sort themselves out in time," Draco assured her.

"I can't see how."

"They will, trust me."

The twins had watched the exchange between their parents with avid interest. It was no secret that Daddy and Grandfather weren't talking at the moment, and that both of them went to great lengths to avoid each other at home. They finished their dessert in silence and waited patiently for their mother to suggest it was time for their baths.

Ginny pushed her dessert aside and placed her hands on the table. "Come on, you two, let's see about a bath."

"I was going to bath them," Draco said.

"You can join us when you've finished eating." Ginny stood up in readiness to leave the room. "If I don't get them started now your father will be back for them before they're ready."

Draco watched his wife leave with the children. He knew she wasn't exactly upset with him, but she wasn't exactly happy with him either. It bothered him that she couldn't or wouldn't see why he refused to give in to Lucius. The thought that he hadn't told her exactly what had been said between the two of them haunted him. He couldn't bring himself to reveal all the dirty details, because it would cause an all out war and he'd likely find himself in the position of referee. All of a sudden his apple pie didn't taste so nice anymore, and he pushed it away from his with a snarl.

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

Ginny leaned against the parlor doorway with a small smile playing across her mouth. Draco had not come up to the bathroom to help her with the twins and by not coming upstairs he'd also missed out on saying goodnight to the children, because Lucius had turned up exactly one hour after he left the dining room to collect them. After assuring Ginny the children would be in bed at a reasonable hour, he led the twins downstairs and to the northern wing for a short while. She knew Draco wouldn't pursue them while they were in his father's company.

She sighed heavily and pushed herself off the doorframe. Draco was sound asleep in his chair, feet up on the occasional table and snoring loudly. As she drew closer Ginny noticed a tumbler of Firewhisky in his hand. It was tipped precariously towards the Oriental rug on the floor. She stepped forward quickly and seized the glass.

"Hey, that's mine," Draco complained groggily, while reaching clumsily for his drink that his wife was easily holding out of reach.

"I suppose you were enjoying it as well?"

"Yes," Draco responded grumpily.

"So, were you sipping it between snores, or just holding it until the rug got thirsty?"

"I do not-"

"Yes, you do and don't argue, because I heard you," Ginny said sternly. "Now, you're obviously tired, so don't you think it would be a better idea to go up and take a shower now, before you fall asleep again?"

"I was simply resting my eyes," Draco insisted.

"Oh, and the snoring was to scare attackers away while your eyes were closed!"

Draco opened his mouth to respond, but snapped it shut when he saw Ginny's amused expression. To retort would be to play right into her hand and he wouldn't do that. Instead he muttered his displeasure under his breath.

"Are you coming up?"

"I was having a drink."

Ginny rolled her eyes at him. "You were having a sleep."

"I'd like to finish my drink."

"You'll have to come and get it then," Ginny responded cheekily as she left the parlor in a hurry.

Draco looked at the retreating back of his wife in disbelief. Was he being sent to bed like a naughty boy? Granted, he was tired and he had drifted off for a moment, but that was no reason to take his drink and send him to bed. He considered simply pouring himself another drink, but thought the better of it as his hand touched the bottle. It might be more fun to chase the drink he already had, and if it didn't turn out to be enjoyable at least he'd be able to rest his aching body. He didn't think running around so much this afternoon would have affected him like this, but apparently it wasn't such a good idea to participate in such an activity after a long day at the office.

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

Draco waited patiently at the foot of the staircase for his wife to present herself. Even though they were going to be late for their reservation, he wasn't going to rush her. Tonight was about her and only her, so if she wanted to take ten hours to get ready then he'd not complain, or he'd try not to at least. He just hoped the restaurant kept their table, because they were renown for being over booked on Saturday evenings and weren't above canceling the reservations of latecomers.

So far, Draco had done everything to prepare for this evening, other than dress Ginny himself. The twins had been dutifully delivered to his in-laws' house for the night. That, in itself, took longer than he expected, because Molly wanted to know exactly where they were going and what his plans were. At one stage Draco felt a bit like a teenage boy taking the woman's daughter out for the first time, instead of a married man with two children and one on the way. He'd eventually escaped, stating that he didn't want to keep Ginny waiting. After that he'd prepared himself in his son's suite, so that Ginny had the run of their suite to herself. All he'd done was give her a time to be in the foyer.

While he waited, he again wondered why he had never thought to do this before now. They had been out to dinner, but he could count on one hand the number of times they'd been out alone. The twins usually accompanied them, which affected their choice of restaurant and turned the treat of going out into a family meal that she couldn't really enjoy, because she was constantly watching the children. Of course, he knew exactly why he was doing it now - he'd been given a bit of a rude shock when he'd eavesdropped on the discussion the Weasley women had been having at lunch last weekend. They'd all been reminiscing about how their respective husbands romanced them when they were courting. Ginny had very little to say when she was prodded to expand on how Draco had won her heart, and that was when he realized that he'd really only taken her on a 'date' once. He hoped that tonight would go a little way to repairing the cheerless tone he'd heard in her voice last weekend at the family luncheon, not to mention nullifying his own guilt over not romancing her in a memorable way.

A lightly cleared throat from above him intruded upon his thoughts, and he looked up. His breath caught in his throat as his wife began to descend the staircase. Her dress flowed softly from her body, hiding her burgeoning belly to the point where Draco could have sworn she looked as she did when they first got back together. He released a hiss of appreciation as she neared.

"I'll take that as a compliment, shall I?" Ginny commented lightly. She hadn't failed to notice that Draco's eyes had darkened to a deep slate color.

"You are breathtaking, my love," Draco said thickly.

"Thank you." Ginny afforded him a small sultry smile. "You look good enough to eat yourself."

Draco smirked confidently and smoothed his dress robes down. "Are you ready?"

"I am."

"I have something for you."

"Oh?"

Draco reached into his pocket and withdrew a flat, rectangular jewelers box. "For you."

"Why? You know you don't have to-" Ginny stopped when Draco's finger slid across her lips.

"Because I love you and I want to spoil you." Draco kissed her lightly. "Are you going to open it?"

"I love you too." Ginny removed the delicate ribbon surrounding the box and opened the little brass catches. She gasped softly as the sparkle of diamonds caught her eyes. "They're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," Draco whispered, taking the box from her hands and setting about removing the necklace from its secure anchors. "Turn around."

Draco fastened the diamond-encrusted necklace at the base of his wife's neck. He'd taken a gamble on Ginny not bothering to put any jewelry on this evening and it had paid off. She turned to face him, her fingers playing over the diamonds resting against her creamy skin.

"They look amazing on you." He gently secured the earrings to her lobes and smiled at the effect. "Go and have a look," Draco urged.

Ginny smiled softly as she glided over to one of the ornamental oval mirrors in the vestibule. She gasped when she saw the image before her.

"They only enhance your beauty," Draco muttered, pausing to kiss the milky column of her neck.

"They're amazing."

"You're amazing," Draco countered. "I think we should get going before I change my mind and carry you upstairs."

"That's a tempting offer."

"We'll save that for later," Draco muttered into her neck, before summoning her traveling cloak and gently placing it over her shoulders. He had planned the perfect evening and was going to see those plans come to fruition no matter what temptations were waved in his face.

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

Ginny waited politely for Draco to hold out her chair and then she sat down delicately. The restaurant he'd chosen was very fashionable. It certainly wasn't the type of establishment that welcomed children of any age, and as such they'd never dined here before, or at least Ginny hadn't. Draco, on the other hand, seemed to be well acquainted with their waiter. She perused the menu the moment it was placed in front of her.

"Shall I order for both of us?" Draco suggested.

"Yes, I'm having a hard time deciding what I want."

"I've been here before, so I've got a fair idea what's good."

Ginny smiled across the table. "I think I can trust you."

Draco summoned the waiter and placed their order without hesitation. When the waiter had retreated, he turned his attention back to his wife. "Are you having a nice time?"

"Yes, it's lovely."

"Good."

"The twins were all right when you left them with Mum?"

"They were fine."

"Maybe I should Floo her just to check on them?"

"Ginny, they're fine. It's not like your mum doesn't know what to do with children."

"I know. I just feel a bit odd leaving them for the whole night."

"You've never felt that way before," Draco pointed out.

"I have, I just never said anything before."

Draco reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Tonight is about you and me, and no one else. We're not going to think about the twins until tomorrow morning just before we leave for the Burrow, which will be after we've had a leisurely breakfast in bed or wherever else we may choose to eat."

"Okay, but you know what they can get like. I'd hate to think they were giving Mum a hard time or anything."

"Love, your mother can handle them, probably better than anyone else can, in fact." He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Now I want you to forget you're a mother, just for tonight."

Ginny smiled agreeably at her husband. He didn't know that it was easier said than done.

"Tonight you are just Ginny Malfoy, out having a wonderful time with your incredibly handsome husband," Draco said frankly. "You have no responsibilities, apart from having a great time and sleeping late tomorrow morning."

"All right, I'll try to stop thinking about the twins."

"Good girl."

Throughout their meal Draco kept the small talk flowing. It was difficult at times, because he knew Ginny's thoughts were drifting to the twins and what they might be up to at any given moment, but he kept chatting away constantly. He hoped that what he had planned next would take her mind completely off the children.

After paying the bill, Draco led Ginny down the street of the upper class area to a small, but exclusive dance club. He could tell she was surprised, because it was something they'd never done before.

"Don't worry, there's no silly teenagers in this club; it's too pricey for their pockets," Draco whispered in her ear as he directed her to a private table.

"It's very... civilized."

"I wouldn't take you anywhere that wasn't," Draco commented. "Would you like a drink?"

"Yes, please."

After ordering their drinks they sat back and watched the other couples on the dance floor for a while. Draco's arm slipped around Ginny's shoulders and he encouraged her to lean back into his chest. They'd been sipping their drinks for about a half an hour when Ginny suddenly sat up.

"I like this song."

"Well, Mrs. Malfoy, may I have this dance?"

It was the last time they sat down all evening. Draco couldn't have been happier with how the night was turning out. Ginny was having a good time and she finally appeared to have stopped thinking about the children. Of course, he hadn't, but he consoled himself with the thought that they'd be sound asleep by now.

When they finally made their way back to the table, Draco noticed that even though Ginny was happy she was beginning to look very tired.

"Are you all right?"

"Just a little tired."

"I think it's time we headed home then."

"No, I'm fine."

"You don't want to wear yourself out totally."

Ginny couldn't hold back the sigh of relief that escaped her as she took her weight off her feet. "I really just need to sit for a bit."

"Come on, let's just get you home."

"But we're having fun."

"I know, but I would like to do this again sometime, and if you're left with the memory of being completely devastated afterwards you're not likely to be too keen."

"All right then, take me home," Ginny agreed. Draco was making a little too much sense for her to refuse.

After collecting their cloaks, they strolled back to the Apparation point at a leisurely pace. It had been a perfect evening, and Draco was hoping to put the perfect end to it.

When they arrived in the foyer of the manor, Ginny was still giggling at something Draco had said as they'd Apparated from Diagon Alley. He helped her out of her cloak, dropping onto the nearest house elf and scooped his wife up in his arms.

"Draco, put me down!"

"Nope." He grinned cheekily. "You've been on your feet way too long already."

All the way to their chambers Ginny clung to his neck for dear life, muttering the occasional, "I'm too heavy for you", only to be told firmly that she was as light as a feather. He placed her on their bed gently and stepped back to survey the woman he loved.

"What would you like to do?"

Ginny appeared to think for a moment. "A bath would be nice."

"Oh-okay," Draco uttered, trying to mask the disappointment he felt. "I'll have it drawn for you."

"For us," Ginny corrected.

He smirked wickedly, the disappointment he'd felt just moments before evaporating immediately. Rather than have their private space invaded by a servant, Draco ran the bath himself. Just the thought of having his naked wife in the bath again was getting his groin twitching already. He tried to distract his mind by focusing on scenting the water and ensuring the bubbles were perfect. When the water had reached an acceptable level Draco shut off the taps and returned to the bedchamber.

Ginny had changed into her bathrobe while Draco was in the bathroom. She looked so relaxed lying on the bed that Draco thought she might have fallen asleep.

"Your bath is ready, love," Draco ventured, half expecting no reply.

A sleepy smile tugged at Ginny's mouth, but otherwise there was no movement from the tired woman.

Draco sat on the bed next to her. "Do you still want a bath?"

"Mmm... Yes," she mumbled. "I shouldn't have laid down."

"Can you get up?"

"Don't know."

Draco tugged gently at the tie on her robe, encouraging it to loosen and then to fall free. A hungry smirk crossed his features when he discovered she'd removed her underwear as well. "Slip your arms out of the sleeves, Ginny."

She drew one of her arms towards her chest, while Draco hung onto the end of the sleeve and then repeated the procedure for the other side.

"Can you get up now, or am I going to have to carry you?"

Ginny's arms reached up for him. "Carry me."

"Hang on." Draco chuckled as his arms slid under her. He picked her up effortlessly and conveyed her to the bathroom.

It wasn't until he was lowering her gently into the warm bubbly water that Draco realized he should have taken his shirt off before attempting this maneuver. As it was, he was soaked to the elbows and that uncomfortable wet feeling was climbing up his shirtsleeves to his armpits. The moment she was settled Draco withdrew his arms and almost tore his shirt from his body, eager to get the creeping wet feeling away from his skin.

He regarded his sleepy wife hungrily. She had totally relaxed in the water, closing her eyes and resting back against the rear of the tub. Rather than joining her right away he picked up a large sponge, knelt by the tub, and began to caress her bare skin. After taking care of her arms, Draco ran the sponge across her shoulders and between her breasts. When he softly guided it over the undersides of her breasts she purred contentedly. As tempted as Draco was to keep the sponge around the area he moved on, taking particular care to trace her burgeoning midriff.

Ginny sunk into the water, battling the urge to simply slip off to sleep. When Draco started washing her, she thought it would be the end of her battle. The gentle motion of the sponge was soothing at first, and then her body began to awaken. Energy she didn't know she possessed began to fill her veins as he teased her body in the most innocent of ways. When he guided the sponge between her legs, but when he didn't quite touch her most tender parts she could have screamed in frustration. The feel of the soft sponge roaming down her legs was wonderful, but not exactly satisfying.

He could feel her body start to twitch, especially as he made his way back up her legs. There was no question that this was turning her on. The fact that she was tired had become irrelevant. A smirk tugged at his lips when he reached the peak of her legs and she released a small whimper as he lingered in the area. Not wanting her to get too accustomed to getting her own way, Draco began to move further up her body. His eyes widened when a low growl came from his seemingly calm wife. The next thing he knew he was half in the bathtub, wetter than he wanted to be with his pants still on, and Ginny was sitting up looking down at him. She had somehow pulled him off balance and into the water.

"That was not very nice," Draco commented thickly.

"But entirely necessary," Ginny countered with a feral grin.

"I don't-"

Draco's words were cut off as she descended on his mouth with unbridled passion. He could feel her hands running wildly over his chest and back, and then pulling at his dress pants, before grabbing the hardness within. If it wasn't happening to him right at that very moment, he would have thought it impossible to go from simply desiring his wife to having to have her in such a short time. At some point the sponge dropped from his hand in favor of exploring her body more readily with his bare hand.

"Take your trousers off," Ginny muttered into his cheek.

The hard soles of his shoes were doing him no favors as he tried to find purchase on the bottom of the marble tub. It was only when he was finally standing that Draco realized he should have removed his shoes beforehand, because just the idea of balancing on one foot in the slippery bathtub sent chills down his spine - he was sure to break his neck if he tried such a foolish thing. With care he stepped from the tub onto the marble floor. It was still slippery, but he felt a lot safer. After a few attempts, Draco was able to remove one shoe, and then the next followed quickly. His trousers were stuck to his skin, and he had to peel them off his legs to free himself, rather than just taking them down and stepping out.

Ginny watched her husband divest himself of his remaining clothes. It was like some sort of awkward striptease without the music. She suppressed the urge to giggle when he almost fell over. Of course, his facial expression was doing nothing to help her assuage her humor - it was caught between deep concentration and lust, leaving him with a comical look. Her tongue flicked over her lips when she spied his erection. The urge to reach out and touch him sent a rush of heat throughout her body. She wanted to feel him, and to hear his pleasure when she did. Without even realizing she'd done so, Ginny sunk her teeth into the side of her mouth and groaned wantonly.

As Draco prepared to step back into the tub, he glanced down at his wife. Her eyes had glazed over in a most arousing way. She was fixated on his groin, which from his point of view was most definitely a good thing. As he cautiously climbed into the bathtub, making room for his body behind her again, she groaned in a way that set his blood on fire. The simple feel of her against his body was all that he needed to convince himself to seek fulfillment as soon as possible. Ever mindful of the child she was carrying, Draco gently coaxed her forward, and onto her knees. His hands roaming her body the entire time, not only in an effort to arouse her further, but also as a precaution in case she slipped.

His hot breath roaming across her damp back was sending chills to her very extremities in the most pleasant of ways. The feel of his hands wandering across her most sensitive parts was beginning to feel insignificant, as the anticipation of waiting for him to join her as one was becoming all consuming. If she could have found her voice, Ginny would have been tempted to beg for his compliance, but as it was she was quite breathless already, thanks to his continued ministrations. Unable to see behind her without turning around, she could only guess at what he was doing. His hands began to drift down her sides to her hips, and they held her firmly. She could feel him pressing at her entrance, a feeling that had her wanting to move to welcome him, but she was rather stuck where she was with no power to shift. All she could do was wait until he deemed he'd teased her enough.

He held her firmly by the hips, his fingers digging into her pale flesh as she tried to move back towards him. With a slow, but deliberate thrust Draco entered her welcoming heat. His hiss of relief was drowned by the moan of satisfaction Ginny released. Aware of their perilous position Draco set a slow pace. Even so, water sloshed over the edge of the bathtub settling on the marble floor with a rhythmic splash every time he thrust forward. At Ginny's request, and his own need, he slowly increased their momentum. The water left the tub at an ever-increasing rate that was only matched by his wife's moans of encouragement.

Her orgasm came on suddenly. One moment she was begging him for more and the next her body started pulsing around him, trying to milk him of his seed, while she clung to the side of the tub for dear life. Draco held his breath and grit his teeth, and tried to ride out her climax without giving into the temptation to follow her so early. It wasn't until she threw her head back, chanting his name in a crude form of a mantra, that he lost control. The slight change of position was enough to distract him for the fraction of a second it took for control to go by the wayside and for Draco to pour himself into her with a guttural moan. While the spasms from her muscles were still sporadically grabbing him, Draco stilled deep inside of her, taking a moment to marvel at the woman he loved so profoundly.

As his normal senses began to return him, the first thing Draco noticed was the labored breathing of his wife. She sounded even more exhausted now and guilt began to seep into his conscience. He should have simply let her sleep, because it had been a huge night for her and there was always tomorrow for him to seek gratification. It was too late to repair the damage, but he could minimize the effect as much as possible. He withdrew from her and then gently pulled her back to lean on his chest. With the same gentleness he'd exercised earlier, he washed her again, but this time in preparation for bed.

Before letting Ginny out of the tub, Draco gave himself a quick wash and then braved the slippery marble floor of the bathroom first. He dried the floor and laid a thick towel at the side of the bathtub for her to stand on. If they weren't both fully sated, his drying her body might have been erotic, but as it was it was simply a quicker alternative to allowing her to dry herself when she was completely fatigued. When he was satisfied that there was no excess water left on her body, Draco scooped her into his arms and carried her to bed. With the children safely at the Burrow for the evening he saw no reason to fuss with nightwear, most especially when such garments would likely get in the way of his planned pre-breakfast snack.

By the time Draco climbed into bed beside Ginny, her breathing had already evened out into a slumberous pattern. He spooned her warm body and rested a hand protectively over his growing child, smiling a little as his eyes slipped closed. The evening had been perfect and that pleased him immensely.

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

"Mummy! Daddy!" Angel squealed deafeningly as she ran across the yard.

"Angel," Draco replied happily as he gathered his little girl in his arms. "Were you a good girl?"

The little strawberry blonde nodded emphatically.

"Is everyone here?" Ginny asked absently, scanning the yard.

"Yep! Everyone!" Angel replied excitedly.

"Brilliant," Draco mumbled sarcastically. All he'd wanted to do was collect the twins and go home, but he'd been told in no uncertain terms that they would be staying for the birthday party this afternoon. It was one of the boys birthdays, but he was damned if he could remember which one.

"Draco, Ginny, I wondered when you two were going to show up," Molly expressed loudly as she came to say hello.

"Sorry, Mum, we slept late," Ginny answered. It wasn't really an untruth. They had slept late, but she wasn't about to explain to her mother what they'd been doing between waking up and finally getting out of bed for some sustenance around one o'clock.

"No problem at all, dear. Everyone's here! We're about to cut the cake, so why don't you come and sit down." Molly was already walking back to the kitchen door. "You'll have to tell me how your evening was a bit later."

"Okay, Mum. Do you need a hand?"

"No, everything is under control."

"Ginny, we don't have to stay too long," Draco hissed. With the cake being cut now it would provide a chance for them to escape early.

"We can't just leave straight away."

"Fine, but we're not staying all afternoon."

"All right, we'll stay an hour or so, okay?" Ginny whispered in reply, knowing full well once someone mentioned a game of Quidditch Draco wouldn't want to be going anywhere.

"Good." Draco walked off, placing the child's gift on the table, on his way to where the men were gathered. "Afternoon, all."

Ginny watched as her brothers greeted her husband. She pleased with what she saw. Her brothers, for the most part, had accepted Draco for who he was now, not who they thought he'd been years ago.

"Are you going to stand there all day with that goofy expression on your face or are you going to come and sit down?" Anya asked, suppressing a giggle as she finished.

"Leave Ginny alone, Anya, she is pregnant," Fleur admonished lightly. "Her mind wanders and forgets to return."

"I'm coming," Ginny insisted. "Hello, ladies. Fleur, where is Beau? I wanted to wish him happy birthday."

As Ginny took a seat at the table her sisters-in-law greeted her in a rather garbled chorus.

"He's running around with Matthew and Drake somewhere. Catch him when the cake comes out."

"Where were you last night?" Pansy asked pointedly.

"Oh, Draco took me to dinner, and then we went dancing," Ginny responded happily.

"Lucky you," Pansy said grumpily. "I got stuck at the Charity Dinner for Ancient Artefacts."

"It couldn't have been that bad."

"It was!" Pansy grinned maliciously. "Though there was one part that was most entertaining."

"Do tell," Ginny replied interestedly.

"Mrs. Nott had a few wardrobe malfunctions."

"Oh?"

Pansy giggled hysterically. "She went to the bathroom and came back with her skirt tucked into her knickers, and when she tried to tug it free it wouldn't come. She ended up pulling it that hard that she tore the fabric. Of course, she fixed it, but it wouldn't stay, so she spent much of the night falling apart then trying to inconspicuously repair the tear again. Then one of her heels broke and she was hobbling around. She got so harassed her hair came down. I swear, by the end of the night she looked like she'd been dragged through a bush backwards."

"Oh my god, you're kidding, aren't you?"

"No, it was so funny."

"Did you notice if Narcissa was anywhere close by when all this was happening?"

"They were sitting at the same table." Pansy frowned for a moment as if in deep thought. "In fact, I think it was Narcissa who kept pointing out things that were wrong."

"Oh dear." Ginny giggled. "Well, I guess they're even."

"Even? What do you mean?"

"Nothing, nothing, it's over and done with now."

"Ginny, tell me what's going on?"

"No, I can't."

"Yes, you can."

Ginny sat there tight-lipped, refusing to say a word.

"Come to think of it, Narcissa was acting a little odd. When she was pointing out Mrs. Nott's faults to her she wasn't exactly being discreet. It was very unlike her."

Ginny snorted with laughter, unable to hold it in any longer. "She wanted to humiliate her."

"Why?"

"All right, I'll tell you, but you can't tell a soul," Ginny warned. "Narcissa was looking after the twins for me one day while I went to visit Draco at work-"

"Why didn't you just take the twins with you?" Pansy cut in.

"I-err-I couldn't," Ginny stammered. There was no way she was about to explain why she didn't take the children with her. "Anyway, Mrs. Nott had Owled Narcissa after I left and invited her to lunch. Narcissa Flooed her to make her apologies, and when she explained why she couldn't attend Mrs. Nott likened her to a house elf."

Pansy gasped loudly. "You're ki-"

"She what?"

Ginny spun around in her chair to see her enraged husband standing right behind her. "Draco, it's-"

"Did you say that woman called Mother a house elf?"

"Not exactly." Ginny cringed. "She likened her to one."

"It's the same thing," Draco snarled.

"From what Pansy tells me, Narcissa did get her revenge last night."

Draco sniffed arrogantly. "That's child's play."

Ginny's eyes grew wide. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

Ginny watched as Draco strode away. He was clearly furious, and she felt helpless to do anything about it, not to mention she was kicking herself for opening her mouth.

"Oooh, someone isn't happy," Pansy commented.

"No." Ginny sighed heavily. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"He'll get over it," Pansy assured her. "After he's destroyed the Nott family."

"Don't even joke about things like that," Ginny warned seriously.

"Look there's nothing you can do about it now, so just sit back and let him do what he must."

"Ginny, you know what men are like. They'll rant and rave, but very little will come of it," Anya assured her.

Ginny shook her head. "Draco's not like that."

"I have to agree," Pansy concurred. "Most especially when he's seeking revenge."

"What do you think he'll do?" Katie asked excitedly.

"I don't know," Ginny mumbled.

Pansy snorted. "He'll destroy them."

"Pansy!"

"I'm only stating the facts." Pansy feigned an innocent look or as close as she could get to it. "You just want to hope he doesn't tell Lucius."

"Oh god, don't even think that way."

"Cake, everyone!" Molly announced as she placed an enormous birthday cake on the table.

The yard was suddenly full of noise and activity as everyone moved to find a suitable position around the birthday cake. Ginny threw a curious look at her husband, who now appeared as happy as everyone else at the party. She thanked the deities that he wasn't going to make a scene here.

Bill called for the attention of the family and then lit the six candles on his son's cake. A discordant chorus of 'Happy Birthday' filled the yard immediately.

With his first effort Beau only managed to extinguish half the candles, and then had difficulty getting the job completed as his twin uncles decided to entertain everyone with a bit of mortifying banter.

George gasped loudly. "Oh no, Beau, you didn't blow out all the candles!"

The six-year-old looked up at his uncle with wide eyes.

"Do you know what that means?" Fred asked seriously.

Beau shook his head.

"Ignore those two clowns," Bill whispered in his son's ear. "Blow the rest of your candles out."

Beau leaned forward and took a deep breath in readiness to blow the rest of flames out before they melted the icing on the cake.

George leaned over and got as close to his nephew as he could. "That means you've got-"

"Three girlfriends!" Fred announced at the top of his lungs.

The little wizard exhaled in a hurry, failing to extinguish any of the remaining candles, and began spluttering his protests loudly at the thought of having one girlfriend, let alone three. Drake and Matthew soon joined in the protest with their personal views on witches and what a young wizard was sure to catch if they got too close to one.

"Ignore those clowns, Beau, and blow the rest of the candles out before they melt the cake," Bill insisted loudly. He looked at his younger twin brothers irritably. "Will you two give it a rest?"

"Just warning the lad," George explained with false innocence.

"Can't have him wandering around thinking he's a free bloke," Fred claimed.

"Shut it," Bill snarled.

"Blow the rest of the candles out, darling," Fleur encouraged her son softly, sending her brothers-in-law murderous glares.

Fred and George wisely shut their mouths at that point. Neither of them were foolish enough to truly test their French sister-in-law's temper to the limit, at least not when she had back up in the form of the rest of the Weasley women.

Beau made one more firm statement that affirmed his bachelorhood and blew out the remaining candles.

Bill passed his son the large knife that had been dubbed the birthday knife when he was just a lad. "Remember don't touch the bottom or your wish won't come true."

Beau held the knife over the cake for a second, then nodded to himself seriously and plunged the knife in, stopping just short of the bottom.

"All right, let me through and we'll serve the cake," Molly ordered as she moved through the family.

The children who weren't sitting down scrambled for the chairs closest to their grandma. Beau received the first piece of cake and then his aunts began delivering slices to everyone else in attendance. Molly, herself, delivered pieces to her own twins.

"You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves! Upsetting a little boy like that on his birthday!"

"It was only a joke, Mum," Fred defended strongly.

"Besides it's the only time that one works," George pointed out.

"He'll get over it," Fred said confidently.

"Well, you want to hope so, or you won't get over what I'll serve you," Molly warned sternly before walking away.

"That was a bit tame for Mum," Charlie commented curiously.

"Yeah, it was," Bill agreed.

"It's because she loves us so much," Fred assured his brothers.

George nodded in acquiescence. "She just can't bring herself to be angry with us for long."

"She's never had a problem before," Percy responded pompously.

"Draco, you saw her yesterday, didn't you?" Bill enquired.

"Yes, when I dropped the twins off."

Charlie leaned forward on his chair, his expression serious. "How was she then?"

"She appeared perfectly normal to me." In truth, Draco had been far too interested in escaping to take much notice of his mother-in-law. "She just about nattered my ear off before I left."

"Of course, you don't know her as well as we do," Percy mentioned pointedly.

Draco focused his gray eyes on the brother-in-law he liked the least. "I merely answered the question Charlie asked."

"Well, I was only pointing out that you wouldn't recognize any significant changes, as you don't know her as well as we do," Percy reiterated crossly.

Draco rolled his eyes and bit back the sarcastic retort on the tip on his tongue. "Perhaps she's just tired?"

"Nah, Mum doesn't get tired," Ron said through a mouthful of cake.

"Everyone gets tired," Draco retorted impatiently.

"Not Mum," Ron countered firmly.

"What was that about your mother?" Arthur asked as he sat down with his sons.

"Mum doesn't seem to be herself," Bill said before anyone else could respond.

"She's fine," Arthur assured his boys. "A little sick of the silly antics of some, but otherwise perfectly normal."

"All right," Bill conceded, though he didn't sound convinced. Still, no one knew Molly Weasley like her husband. "I'd better go and do present opening before Beau bursts."

"Did you get it?" Charlie asked cryptically.

"Yeah, I managed to convince Fleur that we couldn't really put it off any longer."

"You know the position you've put me in now," Charlie groused good-naturedly.

"All I've done is clear the way for you, little brother. Anya can't say no now."

"I wish I believed that."

Bill chuckled as he walked towards his son. He'd had quite a time convincing Fleur to agree with him on what he considered to be the perfect gift for their son.

"Dad, can I start opening now?"

"Go for it, mate."

Beau looked over the pile of gifts carefully, obviously searching for one in particular.

"Just pick any one to start with, son," Bill encouraged, knowing full well the one gift his son was searching for was safely hidden in the broom shed. He'd placed it in there so Beau would show the proper appreciation for everything else he received and he'd bring it out when all the other gifts were unwrapped.

Before long Beau had unwrapped the pile of brightly wrapped gifts, and was making his way around the yard thanking his aunts and uncles properly.

While the women were smothering Beau in birthday kisses, Bill slipped into the broom shed and retrieved the final gift. He noticed that his son seemed a little disappointed and he couldn't really blame him, because Beau had only asked for one thing for his birthday. When Beau started to resist his Aunt Ginny's cuddles, Bill stepped forward to rescue his son; after all there was only so much a lad could take.

"Beau, you seem to have forgotten one of your presents," Bill called.

"I did?"

"Yep, I found it under the wrapping paper," Bill fibbed. He knew he'd get away with it, as it was entirely plausible. "Are you going to come and open it?"

Beau wormed his way out of Ginny's arms and ran across to his father. "Is it?"

"You'll have to open it and see," Bill told him with a smile.

The little wizard tore into the wrapping paper excitedly. "A broom! Thanks, Dad!"

"You're welcome." Bill leaned close to his over-excited son. "Just do me a favor and don't break your neck, or your mother will break mine."

Fleur approached her husband and oldest son, please to see them so happy. "Do you like your gifts, Beau?"

"Thanks for the broom, Mum."

Bill sent his son a meaningful look.

"Oh, and I promise you won't have to break Dad's neck, 'cause I'm not going to break mine."

Bill groaned and tried to hide his head in his hands as his wife's eyes landed on him with intent.

"And I like everything else too! But I love this the best," Beau exclaimed holding his broom up. "Matthew! Drake! Look at what I got!"

"I think they're getting ready to go flying," Bill said. "Why don't you get your new gear on while we sort out the rest of the brooms?"

"Okay, Dad." Beau gathered his new Quidditch clothes and guards and ran to the house.

Bill waited until his son was safely inside then he quickly crossed the yard to the men. "Everyone remembered their brooms, didn't they?"

A chorus of affirmative answers rang through the air.

Draco looked around, noting that even Percy said yes. "Umm- I forgot."

"No problem, there are plenty of spare brooms in the broom shed," Harry said, not bothering to hide his amusement.

Ron sniggered. "Yeah, you can borrow my old Cleansweep. It's about ten-years-old, but it's still in good flying condition."

"I wouldn't want to put anyone out, so I might just Apparate home and collect my own," Draco responded uncomfortably. He wouldn't be caught dead on a Cleansweep, if he could help it.

"It's no trouble, mate," Ron assured Draco amusedly with a slap on his shoulder. "You're family, after all, so what's mine is yours."

"No, really it won't take me more than a couple of minutes," Draco said getting to his feet.

"You wouldn't want to keep the boys waiting," Harry pointed out as the younger Weasley wizards burst from the house in an excited rush of noise.

"Well-I-err-It's not only the broom. I'm not exactly dressed to go flying either, so I'll have to pick up my gear," Draco stammered.

"I can fix that!" Ron grinned maliciously. "I've got some old gear you can use."

"It's not nec-"

"You'd look really good in a Canons jumper." Ron nodded to affirm his own opinion. "I'll just go hunt it up for you."

Draco watched in horror as Ron headed for the house. There was no way he'd be putting a Canons jumper on. Hell would have to freeze over before he'd even contemplate it.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked from just behind Draco.

"Love, I didn't see you," Draco answered, slightly startled.

"Is there something going on that I should know about?" Ginny enquired. She didn't like the decidedly gauche expression on her husband's face.

"I forgot my Quidditch gear, and your brother is insisting I borrow his old stuff."

"Oh?" Ginny tried to hide the smile threatening to break across her face. "That's nice of him."

"Nice? Ginny, he goes for the Canons!" Draco's eyes expressed his utter disgust at the thought. "I can't wear that rubbish-I won't!"

"Draco, it's only a jumper. What does it matter what color it is?"

"It's important! It's-it's pride, that's what it is."

"Well, it's a good thing I remembered your Quidditch gear then."

"And my broom? Please tell me you brought my broom! I've never flown a Cleansweep before, and I intend to keep it that way."

"Umm-" Ginny frowned for a moment as if in deep thought, then a fit of giggles burst from her. "Of course, I brought your broom. God forbid you have to sit your sexy backside on something less than the latest racing broom."

"You are an angel," Draco declared, kissing her soundly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Where's my gear?"

Ginny sighed. At least she had his attention for two seconds. "It's in my basket. Come on, you can come and get it."

A much happier Draco followed his amused wife across the yard to collect his flying gear.

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

The moment he was outside, Beau picked up his new broomstick and began admiring it closely. "Check this out, Matthew."

"It's all right," Matthew responded distractedly. He was staring at Drake's racing broom. "Not as good as Drake's."

"Yeah, well, I'll get a racing broom one day." His 'Cleansweep' didn't even compare to his younger cousin's 'Lightning Bolt 5000', but at least he had a broom of his own now. "It's better than nothing."

"No, you won't," Drake said, picking up his own broom.

Beau frowned. "Won't what?"

"Your daddy can't afford to buy you the best like my daddy can."

Ron, who had just exited the house in his Quidditch gear, looked at his nephews incredulously. "What did you say, Drake?"

"Daddy can afford to buy me the best," Drake answered nonchalantly.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Daddy told me." Drake watched his uncle turn a nasty shade of purple and stalk off, muttering angrily to himself. He was just turning his attention back to his cousin's new broomstick when the bellowing started.

Ron looked around the yard for his only brother-in-law. He was beyond fuming and Draco was casually sauntering across to the other men as if he hadn't done a thing wrong. "Draco, where do you get off telling Drake stuff like that?"

"Stuff like what?" Draco responded brusquely, reacting immediately to his brother-in-law's accusatory tone.

"Drake is over there telling Beau that the reason he has a better broom is because you can afford to buy him the best."

"That sounds vaguely familiar," Harry muttered, not bothering to hide his dissatisfaction.

"Familiar? What are you on about, Potter?"

"Do I really have to remind you, Malfoy?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to if I'm to follow what you're saying," Draco spat acerbically as he sat down.

"Second year of Hogwarts ... Your father had just bought the Slytherin Quidditch team Nimbus Two Thousand and One broomsticks."

"Yes?"

"You said something about your father being able to afford the best."

Draco shrugged indifferently. "It wasn't a lie."

"No, it wasn't, but you just had to rub all our noses in it."

"And now you're teaching your son to do the same thing," Ron added nastily.

"Hang on a minute. I have done no such thing."

"Why is Drake spouting off such rubbish then?"

"I was trying to explain to him why Ginny can't home school him, like Fleur does with Beau."

"The type of broomstick you can afford is part of that, is it?" Bill posed evenly, as he moved closer.

Draco took a deep breath to settle his rising temper. "I was attempting to explain to him why Ginny has to do charity work and why that will prevent her from schooling him. I had to put it into terms he could understand and comparing broomsticks was the first thing that came to mind."

"Why does she have to do charity work?" Percy asked importantly.

"That is what the women of the upper class do." Within seconds of the comment slipping carelessly from his mouth, Draco realized he'd said the wrong thing or rather what would be viewed as the wrong thing by this mob. "What I meant-"

"Don't bother trying to explain yourself, we know exactly what you meant," Ron snarled.

Of all the men to react verbally Draco couldn't have been more pleased that it was Ron who chose to open his big mouth. "I'd be very careful if I were you."

"Why is that?"

"What do you think Pansy is going to be spending her days doing once she's at home fulltime?"

"She'll be raising my children."

Draco raised an amused eyebrow at him. "Pansy is from a prominent, wealthy family and she'll be doing what her mother does, and what her grandmother did before her. Your children, if you get any more after this little mishap, will more than likely be cared for by a nanny."

"Over my dead body!"

"That can be arranged." Draco smirked. "I'm sure Mr. Parkinson would be delighted to oblige."

Ron snarled something unintelligible.

"Is he still giving you a hard time?" Draco queried cleverly. If he could change to subject then there was a chance he could escape further scrutiny.

"I don't think he'll ever stop," Ron grumbled. "He gets some sort of perverse pleasure out tormenting me."

Draco smirked. It had worked. The conversation had turned to Ron and his problematic relationship with his future father-in-law. Words of consolation and support flowed from the rest of the men's mouths, yet not one word of workable advice was offered. "Have you tried confronting him?"

Ron looked at his only brother-in-law as if the man had taken leave of his senses. "What?"

"Confront him, tell him to shut his mouth," Draco reiterated.

"Are you mad?"

"No, I'm quite sane, and very practiced at dealing with men who fancy themselves as bullies."

"He has a point," Harry murmured.

"No, he doesn't. Old Parkinson would kill me if I dared," Ron countered.

"He wouldn't be happy," Draco agreed. "But he might just leave you alone if you don't stand there and take it."

"He's Pansy's father," Ron whined.

"And you're going to have to put up with him for the rest of his life," Draco pointed out. "The question is, are you going to be able to cope with being treated as you are now, or are you going to do something about it before it's too late?"

"He'll kill me!"

"You're being ridiculous," Draco said impatiently. "He's just like my father. A bully. When you stand up to them they generally back down. Parkinson is probably just trying to find your backbone for you."

"So, if I stand up to him, he'll back down?"

"More than likely."

Ron nodded thoughtfully. The idea certainly had merit, and he had felt like telling the old coot to shut his mouth more times than he could count.

"Of course, there's also the chance that he'll go with his gut instinct and just kill you for such impertinence."

"Great," Ron mumbled, his fantasy-bubble bursting.

"Are we playing Quidditch or not?" Bill asked impatiently. Whatever Ron's problems were with Pansy's father they weren't going to be solved today, and the boys were anxious to get into the air.

"Yep, let's go!" Charlie stood up and headed for the field beyond the stone wall surrounding the yard.

Draco didn't waste any time leaving the table and hopefully the scrutiny of the other men. He may have successfully diverted the conversation away from himself for the time being, but they'd need time to forget it happened at all. Busy congratulating himself on his successful escape, Draco didn't hear someone come up behind him.

Bill grinned coldly when he felt Draco jump as his hand landed strongly on the blond's shoulder. "If I hear Drake spouting rubbish like that again, you and I are going to have a serious problem. Understand?"

Draco nodded to acknowledge he'd heard the threat. He could understand why they were upset. The fact that he had unlimited wealth gave him a distinct advantage when it came to providing for his children, and they would never be able to compete with that, so of course it was going to make them feel inadequate.

"Good." Bill clapped his brother-in-law on the back twice and then strode away from him.

Draco looked out into the field, suddenly thinking that flying with this lot might not be a great idea. One of them could knock him off his broom, and the girls would believe it to be an accident. They'd have no reason to question it, because it did happen from time to time. Any alternative scenario he came up with, if he weren't dead, would be dismissed as sour grapes.

"Come on, Draco," Charlie boomed, giving the man a little shove in the right direction. "Everyone's waiting to pick teams."

"Yeah," Draco uttered distractedly.

"Right," Bill bellowed to get everyone's attention. "Charlie and Harry can't be on the same team, and we need to take the boys into account as well."

"The same should go for Draco as well," Charlie added.

"Why?" Draco asked, feeling just a little insulted to have been added to the children.

Charlie looked at Draco incredulously. "You're a strong flyer and a Seeker as well, so we need to make sure the teams are even."

Bill looked at the group of wizards in front on him. "I'll take Fred, Harry, Ron and Beau. You can take the rest, Charlie."

"Excellent! That means we've got an extra."

"No, you haven't," Ron disputed drolly. "You've got Percy."

"An extra body on the pitch is always good," Charlie countered. "Are we using Bludgers?"

"No," Bill answered firmly. "Not with the boys up there."

"We can handle it, Daddy," Beau insisted.

"I'm not saying you three can't, but if something should happen - like your mother's seeing you in the air at the same time as a Bludger - you might find yourselves short a father figure and several uncles."

The three little boys sniggered into their hands.

"Right, my team, gather around," Charlie instructed as Bill led his team a short distance away. "Drake and Matthew, get in here nice and close, so you can hear."

The men moved around so the young boys were closest to Charlie and waited patiently for their self-appointed captain to start talking.

"With no Beaters in play, George, I'll get you to be the Keeper."

"No problem."

"Draco, you were a Seeker at school, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"Do you still have your wits about you?"

"Of course."

"Good, you're playing Seeker."

Draco nodded, very pleased with the position.

"The rest of us are going to be Chasers." Charlie looked at Drake and Matthew. "Do you two know what you're supposed to do?"

"Yep! We put the Quaffle through the hoops," Matthew answered confidently.

"Excellent."

"Are you lot ready to lose a game of Quidditch?" Beau called cheekily.

Charlie turned around and regarded his nephew amusedly. He knew Bill had to have put the little boy up to saying something like that. "I'd watch yourself if I were you. We have no intention of losing to you lot."

"Well, you're going to," Beau retorted smartly.

"Oh, we are, are we?" Charlie challenged, approaching the little wizard and upending him over his shoulder in a hail of squeals. "You know your team isn't going to stand a chance against us, especially not once I tie you to the goal posts."

Beau's high-pitched protests filled the air.

"Charlie, what on earth are you doing?" Ginny asked as she entered the field.

"This cheeky little bugger thinks his team is going to win," Charlie stated.

"Oh, for goodness sakes, put him down before we all go deaf."

"I can't do that. I'm going to tie him to a goal post and see how well his team does then."

Ginny's hands drifted to her hips. "You can't do that on his birthday. Now put him down."

Charlie placed Beau back on the ground. "You're just lucky your Aunt Ginny saved you."

"Aren't they in the air yet?" Anya asked needlessly as she approached Ginny.

Beau took the opportunity to poke his tongue out fiercely at his uncle and sprint back to his father's side.

"No, they're too busy tormenting each other," Ginny responded.

"Well, you'd better get on with it, or you're going to have to call it off," Anya informed the men.

Shocked responses came from the men as they hurriedly prepared to get into the air.

"Before we start, there's one more rule," Bill yelled over the top of everyone. He waited until silence fell before continuing, "When the Snitch makes an appearance you three boys are to head for the ground. I don't want to see any of you in the air when Uncle Harry and Uncle Char-"

"Draco's our Seeker," Charlie interrupted.

Bill raised a curious eyebrow at his brother. "All right. When Uncle Harry and Uncle Draco are flying at breakneck speed, you three are to head for the ground. Clear?"

All three boys nodded and grumbled some form of discontented acquiescence.

"Ginny, can you release the balls?"

"I'll be right there," Ginny called, pausing to whisper something to Anya before making her way to the center of the ground. By the time she reached to battered box holding the balls, the wizards were all hovering about ten feet off the ground. "I don't need to remind you lot that if anything happens to one of the boys we'll be holding a mass execution, do I?"

"Mummy," Drake whined.

"They'll all be fine, Ginny," Draco assured her.

"It's just a friendly game of Quidditch," Bill added.

"We've seen your idea of a friendly game before," Ginny warned.

"Ginny, just release the balls," Ron urged.

"Fine, but consider yourselves warned," she said firmly. With a final glance at all the men Ginny released the Snitch, watching it soar into the air. When it had shown itself to Draco and Harry, and disappeared, she threw the Quaffle as high as she could into the air.

The opening minutes of the game were played hard and a few of the wizards were nearly unseated in the rush to gain first possession of the Quaffle. Draco kept a watchful eye on Drake, but he needn't have worried. The little boy was a fine flyer, and he had enough sense to stay out of the initial fray, unlike his two cousins, who both almost met the ground in an unpleasant way.

A panic-stricken Percy suddenly found himself in possession of the Quaffle. Aware of what his brothers would do to gain control of the ball Percy passed it off to the first voice he heard, despite not knowing to which team the player belonged.

With an excited whoop Drake took off in the direction of the goals, the Quaffle tucked tightly under his arm. He could hear his father yelling encouragement from above him and before long his Uncle Charlie was flying beside him, telling him to take it all the way to the hoops.

When Drake was only fifteen or twenty feet from scoring, a mad giggle filled his ears. A quick look over his shoulder confirmed what he suspected: Beau was catching him. Drake bided his time, checking every few seconds on his older cousin's progress, and waited for Beau to draw almost close enough to give him a solid bump. The moment the older boy began to move sideways towards Drake, the little blond wizard leaned close to his broom and sped off towards the goals, leaving his cousin hanging in the air with no one to bump.

Stunned by the unexpected fine display of broomsmanship from his nephew, Ron was caught off guard when Drake hurled the Quaffle through the left hand ring, scoring for his team. "That's the only one you're going to get, squirt," Ron bellowed, embarrassed a five-year-old had scored so easily against him.

Drake paid his cursing uncle no mind as he squealed jubilantly and accepted praise from his teammates. His Uncle Charlie slapped him on the back so hard he very nearly fell off his broom and would have if his father hadn't caught his arm.

"Well done, mate!" Draco beamed proudly at his heir.

"It was good, wasn't it, Daddy?"

"It was perfect!" Draco insisted. "I couldn't have done it better myself."

"When you lot are finished gloating, do you think we can get on with it?" Harry called. He desperately wanted to congratulate his godson on a brilliant move, but being on the opposing team he thought the better of it for now. After the game he'd let him know how proud he was of him.

"Right, everyone, get ready to do that again," Charlie yelled, as everyone took their positions. "Drake, don't be afraid to keep flying like that."

Drake lifted his chin arrogantly. "I'm not."

Charlie chuckled as he took his position. "Good."

The game continued at a furious pace until the Snitch made its appearance. Although the three young boys tried to pretend they had no idea that the golden ball was flying around, pursued by Harry and Draco, Bill and Charlie took no time in escorting them to the ground. Even Percy hovered a few feet off the ground, while his more adept brothers remained in the air.

Draco could feel the air wavering from the wings of the Snitch, it was so close to his hand. All he needed was another half an inch of distance and he'd secure a victory for the team. It was entirely possible, because Harry was on the other side of the home-built pitch. With care, he slid forward a little way on his broom, gradually closing the tiny distance between him and Snitch. He growled in frustration as the cheeky ball pulled ahead by a couple of inches. Again, he urged his broom to catch the ball and cautiously slipped forward a little further. Draco knew he had to make it a clean grab, because he was far too high off the ground to lunge at the Snitch and risk falling. Without warning, Harry bumped him off course. While he was trying to recover, Draco heard an exultant roar of victory from the opposing Seeker. Furious at the outcome Draco cursed all the way to the ground. The Snitch had been his - he had done the hard chasing and Potter had stolen it with an underhanded maneuver. It wasn't fair.

"Well played, everyone," Charlie reassured his team as they landed. He frowned when he witnessed his brother-in-law throw his broom aside and stalk over to the other team.

"Should we?" George asked, not missing Draco's actions.

"No, let him dig himself a nice hole," Charlie muttered. "Besides, Harry played dirty. He deserves to be told."

"Yeah, but Mum is going to-"

"And then he'll learn not to do it so openly," Charlie advised.

Draco pushed his way past Ron and headed straight for Harry. "Potter, that was filthy play."

"Was it?" Harry asked feigning innocence.

"You know coming in from the side is reprehensible."

Harry shrugged indifferently and grinned amusedly. "Oh, sorry."

"No, you're not," Draco snarled. The raven-haired wizard's attitude was augmenting his ire at a worrisome rate.

"I said I was," Harry rejoined, not bothering to hide his humor.

"You couldn't catch me fairly, so you had to cheat," Draco stated disgustedly. "What a fine example you're setting for the boys!"

"What is going on here?"

Draco spun around. He'd not realized his mother-in-law was standing directly behind him. He cringed as he noted that she didn't look terribly impressed. "Just discussing the game with Po-Harry."

"He's dirty, because he lost," Ron tattled.

"He cheated!" Draco fired back.

"Draco, we don't take these games seriously," Molly said calmly. "And we certainly don't accuse others of cheating. Harry would never do that."

"But-I-he-" Draco's voice failed him under her cool stare. He turned back to face Harry. "You have no integrity."

"Thank you," Harry called to the blond's retreating back.

"Well, that was a bit calm," George commented. "I was hoping for some excitement."

"I'll make a deal with you... You distract your mother and I'll give you some excitement," Draco snapped.

George looked at the infuriated wizard with merriment dancing in his eyes. "I was talking about Mum. She's definitely not herself today."

Draco looked at the man curiously. The jollity in George's eyes dissolved at once and a deep frown creased his brow. Draco didn't think he'd ever seen the man frown, but there was most definitely an expression of grave concern on his face now. Perhaps there was something not quite right with Molly?

"I think you should thank your lucky stars Mum didn't tell you off properly," Ginny said as her arm slid around her husband's waist.

"He cheated, Ginny. Potter cheated!"

"Well, technically it's not cheating," Ginny mentioned cautiously.

"It's not done! Not right!" Draco stepped away from her. "You know that!"

"Yes, but it's not against the rules."

"Ginny, you're supposed to be on my side!"

"I am," Ginny stressed. "Yes, it was a filthy tactic, but it's within the rules."

Draco snorted derisively and stalked away to retrieve his broom.

"Daddy?"

"Drake." Draco forced a smile for his son's sake.

"Did I fly good?"

"Yes, mate, you flew exceptionally." The smile Draco had forced onto his face changed into a genuine expression of pride. "I'm very proud of you."

Drake beamed up at his father.

Draco felt his temper begin to dissipate right away. A simple smile from his son was all it took to make his world right again. It didn't matter that Potter had used a deplorable tactic to win the game; Draco had something he didn't - a son who loved him unquestionably.

"I'm starving!" Drake announced suddenly. "Grandma, can I have some more cake?"

"May I," Draco corrected absently, "and you shouldn't yell across the yard like that."

With a muttered comment under his breath, Drake walked over to where Molly was being asked the very same question by some very hungry little wizards.

Draco shouldered his broom and wandered back to where Ginny was waiting. "Did you see the goal he got?"

"Yes, he flew well."

"Better than some of your brothers," Draco sneered.

"He's better than Percy, but that's hardly an achievement." Ginny smiled. "After all, anyone who's not afraid of the Quaffle is better than Percy."

Draco muttered something under his breath to the contrary. His son was going to whip his uncles' backsides in the air before long. With the talent he showed today there was no doubt in Draco's mind that he would make the house team and could even go on to a professional career, if he wanted.

"Come on, if you're hungry you'll have to hurry, or the kids will eat everything," Ginny encouraged.

"Rather go home," Draco mumbled.

"Well, I'm having a cup of tea before I go anywhere, so you may as well have something to eat."

"The house elves can make you a cup of tea at home," Draco offered.

"They can, but here I have good conversation to go with my tea," Ginny countered. "So, you're going to have to play nicely for a little while longer."

"I'll talk to you," Draco continued.

"I know, love, but I feel like some girl talk, and you're not so good at that."

He knew it was pointless to argue the point any further. Ginny wasn't ready to leave the Burrow and that meant they wouldn't be leaving just yet. The notion that he still had to 'play nicely' for an undetermined amount of time left a sour taste in his mouth. As far as he was concerned, Potter deserved no less than a pain-inducing hex hurled in his direction, and a lifetime ban from backyard Quidditch, so he never forgot what an appalling thing he did today. "Fine," he grumbled.

Ginny watched her husband stomp back to the Burrow. She knew he wasn't happy, but she was enjoying herself this afternoon and the party wasn't exactly over - they always had tea and cake after the Quidditch game. Besides, if he was to get over this anger he was better to stay and see that what happens on the pitch is left on the pitch.

"He'll settle down soon enough," Anya told her quietly.

"I hope so," Ginny mused aloud. "He's pretty angry."

"If he doesn't the afternoon is going to get exciting," Anya teased.

"That's exactly what I don't want to happen." Ginny sighed heavily. "I just have a feeling that they're just waiting for an excuse to have a go at him at the moment."

"The boys? Don't be silly," Anya scoffed, linking her arm with Ginny's and beginning to walk back to the house. "They love him."

Ginny rolled her eyes. Her brothers may love a lot of things, but her husband did not number among them. "Anya, I'm not silly, I know something was going on earlier."

"All right, maybe love is a bit of a strong word," Anya conceded. "They don't hate him anymore."

"That's a little more realistic."

"Ginny, they know what happens behind closed bedroom doors and that naturally bothers them, but apart from that they have no complaints. Draco looks after you and the twins. You want for nothing and never will. As for before, well they'll have to settle it between themselves. You can't keep butting in or they'll think he can't stand up for himself."

"I know, but it would just be nice if they could like him."

"Give them time," Anya assured her.

"Tea?" Angelina asked the two approaching women.

"We'd kill for one," Anya replied.

"Is there any birthday cake left?" Ginny enquired, looking around for any trace of chocolaty goodness.

"You might be lucky," Fleur answered. "Molly just took the last of it down to the men."

Ginny's eyes flew in the direction of the wizards gathered at the other end of the table. The plate was sitting in the middle of the table, and it was emptying at an alarming rate.

"Oh, bugger!" Ginny cursed when she finally reached the end of the table.

"What's wrong?" Bill asked casually.

"I wanted a piece of cake."

All eyes went to Draco, who was holding a generous slice of untouched chocolate cake. It had been the second to last piece that had left the plate. The very last had been snatched up by Ron and was now being stuffed unceremoniously into his mouth before someone could suggest he gave it up to his sister.

"She's your wife," Charlie whispered furtively into Draco's ear.

"There's another cake here!" Molly called as she placed an enormous plate on the table.

Draco's eyes lit up when his mother-in-law made her announcement. "There you go, love, you can have a fresh piece of cake."

Ginny looked at the cake Molly had put on the table and wrinkled her nose. "That's teacake. I feel like chocolate."

Draco looked at the delicious slice of cake. He loved chocolate cake, and he'd fast discovered that his mother-in-law had a talent for baking the treat. "The- err- teacake would be better for you, wouldn't it?"

"Better for me?" Ginny frowned. "How?"

George chuckled. "Yes, Draco."

"Tell us how," Fred encouraged.

"Well, the teacake isn't as heavy as the chocolate cake," Draco said uncertainly.

"This is going to be good," Ron mumbled through a mouthful of cake.

"Should we get the kids inside just in case she decides to flay him right away?" Harry asked, not bothering to hide his amusement.

"Nah, we can Obliviate them if necessary." Bill winked at the two best friends.

"Are you saying I'm fat?" Ginny asked sharply.

Draco looked around at the other men. There wasn't an ounce of support for him from any of them - even Percy's eyes were dancing with laughter. He took a deep breath and prepared himself to talk his way out of this mess, if it was at all possible. "Of course not, Ginny. You know I think you're beautiful."

"Beautiful, but fat," Ginny countered.

"NO!" Draco shook his head profusely. This was getting worse by the second and the not-so-subtle chuckling behind him wasn't helping matters. "You're pregnant, with my child, and that just makes you even more beautiful than you usually are. You are most definitely not fat."

"Then why can't I have the chocolate cake?" Ginny posed seriously.

"There's none left," Draco pointed out.

"You have a piece."

He looked at the piece of cake in his hand again. The smell of the rich frosting was making his mouth water and he could already taste the smooth chocolate on his tongue. "Well, I-" Draco glanced around at the other men. All of them were nodding at the cake and then to Ginny meaningfully. He didn't want to give up his cake. Not to anyone.

"You haven't even started eating it yet," Ginny pointed out with a pout.

"Yes, well-"

"You could have the teacake instead."

Draco groaned and cursed silently as he handed over the cake. It wasn't like he had a choice, especially not after she accused him of calling her fat. "Here, you have this, and I'll have the teacake."

"Thank you," Ginny responded curtly, before returning to the women.

"Do you think he's out of it yet?" Charlie asked.

"Nope, he'll have to do penance when he gets home," Bill responded.

"What makes you think I will have to atone for anything when I get home?" Draco enquired haughtily. He'd had just about enough this afternoon and their implication that Ginny hadn't forgiven him for something he didn't do rubbed him the wrong way.

Bill rolled his eyes. His young brother-in-law had much to learn. "Shall I?"

"Please do," Charlie insisted. "I can't wait to hear his opinion."

Draco shot a filthy look at the two oldest brothers. They were so very amused at his loss of chocolate cake.

"You see, Draco," Bill started as he slung an arm around Draco's shoulders, "she wasn't smiling, even when you gave her the cake, she didn't smile."

"She's tired," Draco said, not really believing it himself, because Bill had suddenly begun to make sense.

Bill shook his head ruefully. "No, mate, she's angry. She still thinks you think she's fat."

"But I don't, I never have."

"I believe you." Bill looked at his brothers. "You believe him, don't you, boys?"

All the men answered in the affirmative, showing support for the blond wizard with great gusto.

Draco looked at them all as if they'd taken leave of their senses. He was beginning to feel like they were playing with his head. Their sudden support of him was astonishing.

"See, we all believe you, but she doesn't," Bill crooned caringly. "We know this, because we're her brothers and we've seen her do this before."

"Do what?"

"She'll let her unsuspecting victim think they're safe, and then when you least expect it, she'll pounce, and you'll be sneezing bats or worse before you even realize she's hit you."

"I really think my wife is above that level of behavior," Draco spat indignantly.

"With you, she probably is, because she has far more powerful weapons in her armory now."

"Such as?"

"That couch in your study... Is it comfortable?"

"Ginny doesn't kick me out of our chambers for anything," Draco responded strongly.

"Yeah, but you haven't called her fat before."

"I didn't-"

"I know and the boys know, but she doesn't believe you."

"She didn't make an issue of it."

"Because you gave her the cake."

"This is ridiculous!" Draco spat. "Ginny is not going to make an issue of this, because she knows I didn't call her fat."

"If you say so," Bill drawled. "But if I were you I'd keep my guard up."

Draco snorted derisively.

"And perhaps stow a pillow in your study before she goes to bed this evening."

The blond wizard rolled his eyes expressively. "I'm going to get some teacake, before the women eat it all."

The Weasley men held their laughter in for a few minutes, but once Ron gave into the urge to laugh the rest followed closely behind. Draco snarled and continued walking along the table to get some cake. Bill had gone from making sense to sounding insane, and as such Draco dismissed everything the man had tried to impress upon him. He had nothing to fear from his wife, and if she were still truly upset when they returned to the manor he would soothe her far easier there than he could here.

By the time he returned to where the men were gathered, they had made some effort to bring their humor under control. Draco sat down silently and ate his teacake. It was good, but not as good as the chocolate birthday cake he'd had in his hand. He had decided that he would give Ginny a little while and then insist that they return home, whether she wanted to or not, and if she still protested he wasn't above pretending he was ill to get her to move. Until then he was going to do his best not to interact with the other men. He feared that if he did he might actually lose his mind.

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

"Millie, where are you going with that pillow?" Ginny enquired curiously.

"Master did tell Millie to leave it in Master's study," the house elf answered obediently.

After sending the servant on her way, Ginny went back to her bedtime preparations. She was exceptionally tired after the party this afternoon and really wanted to go to bed.

When she'd completed her usual routine and Draco had still not made an appearance, Ginny went looking for her missing husband. It didn't take long to find him lounging in the family parlor listening to the Wizarding Wireless.

"Are you coming to bed?"

"Yes, love, I'll be up soon," Draco responded. "I'm just listening to the late news."

"Okay," Ginny muttered. "Well, I'm tired, so I'm going to go ahead."

"All right," Draco mumbled, concentrating on the wireless more than his wife.

As Ginny drifted towards the door slowly her thoughts turned to the pillow she'd asked Millie about. Could he be planning not to come to bed? After the afternoon they'd had she wouldn't be surprised if he was considering sleeping elsewhere. Her brothers had been particularly painful in a very devious way, and when she'd heard exactly what they'd done she'd been shocked that Draco hadn't exploded at the Burrow.

"Draco?"

"Mmm."

"Why did you tell Millie to take a pillow to your study?"

"Oh, you saw her?"

"Yes."

Draco sat forward in his chair and focused his attention of his wife. "It was something Bill said."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "And you listened to him?"

"Well, I wasn't sure," Draco admitted. "You had just accused me of calling you-well, you know."

She walked across to him and made herself comfortable on his knee. "I thought we cleared that up?" They'd had a long chat when they got home, and as far as she was concerned the air had been cleared between them.

"Just taking a few precautions."

"I wouldn't do that."

"I wasn't sure. Your moods have been a bit up and down lately."

"Even if I wasn't in a good mood I wouldn't kick you out of bed."

"Can I have that in writing?" Draco grinned cheekily. "It might be useful the next time your brothers try to plant ideas in my head."

Ginny playfully slapped his shoulder. "Come to bed."

"All right, I'm coming."

She lifted herself off his lap and waited for him to stand up. When his arm went around her, Ginny melted into his side. The body heat he was giving off was serving to make Ginny all the more drowsy. She was looking very forward to climbing into bed and falling asleep in the arms of her husband, who thought she was beautiful.

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

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Thanks to Rainpuddle13 for her amazing beta skills and entertaining plot discussions.

The date portion of this chapter was written for Hpbutterbeer when I did the Time Stamp Meme on Live Journal.