Chapter 24
Tell the World
A/N: My muse, Maggie, is simple girl. All she likes are plot bunnies and reviews. So be kind to Maggie and feed her review cookies please.
Big thanks to my beta Lbandoly for her hard work. She has spent countless hours editing and providing plot help for my stories. She makes my writing possible.
No copyright infringement intended. All characters are the property of JKR, Scholastic, and any number of other companies with more money than I've ever dreamed of seeing. I didn't make any money off of this, so please don't sue.
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Monday morning broke with sunny skies and children's laughter. "I don't think we are going to get to sleep in today."
"What gave that away, the really loud sound of feet up and down the stairs or the fact that we are sharing a bed barely long enough for me?"
"Oh someone woke up on the snarky side of the bed this morning."
Ginny smacked her hand at Draco's chest. "You can't say anything, you were born snarky."
He smirked in the way that only he could. "Yes, yes I was."
She sat up and stretched. "Mmm, I smell breakfast."
"Who would get up this early to cook for that stampede? Please tell me that ruckus isn't caused entirely by our three?"
"Highly unlikely, Marie was spending the night for certain. I suspect Bill and Charlie's families did as well. I'm pretty sure I saw Percy and Constance leave without Ryan."
"Blimey, how the hell can you keep up with who is who much less which child belongs to what parent?"
"Well I did spend a good deal of my life growing up with my brothers. I would be a poor excuse for a sister if I forgot which one was which. As for the wives and children I guess I just have a knack for placing names with faces."
Draco nodded. "Do you feel better about being here now?"
"Yes. Thank you for not letting me skive off coming."
"Your welcome."
The morning passed quickly for everyone. Children seemed to be everywhere you looked. More than once Ginny would catch her mother staring at her or one of her children with a dreamy look on her face as if the very essence of her dreams had come true. It didn't take a charms master to see they had. Once more Molly Weasley had her entire family together.
They had stayed at the Burrow until well after lunch.
"Gin we need to head back. Mum invited Uncle Severus over for dinner."
She started laughing uncontrollably. "I thought he was going to join us the other night. Oh well. Tonight is going be fun to watch."
He shook his head at her.
"What? You and I both know he's going to be all kinds of uncomfortable having to sit through dinner with all of us knowing about them. Not that the man is frequently relaxed, but still. I would bet he gets frustrated before the second course is even over.
"You, my wife, are one twisted witch."
"Yes I am and you wouldn't have me any other way."
"No I wouldn't. I love you just the way you are, all twisted and quirky."
Molly and Arthur stood at the kitchen sink washing the dishes from lunch watching the two out the open window. "Those two are acting like a couple of teenagers. Isn't it just the sweetest thing you've ever seen?"
"Yes Molly it is. They remind me a lot of us. You know Molly, I know it hurt thinking she was dead for so long, but I think it's probably best they moved away and made a life for themselves. I don't think they could be this lighthearted if they had tried to build a life here during the war."
Molly nodded sadly. "Oh I know you're right Arthur, but it doesn't make it less painful. I would give my right arm to be able to turn time back and find a way for them to have built their lives together near us."
"Well it's a good thing you can't actually do that then isn't it. It would be awfully hard for you to cook their favorite meals with only one arm now wouldn't it."
Molly smiled and flicked the dish cloth at his shoulder. "Oh you stop your teasing or I won't be fixing you anything but watered down tea and stale bread."
"Molly Weasley that threat is as empty as the dried up well out back. We both know the day you only fix watered down tea and stale bread for someone is going to a very bad day indeed."
"You keep it up and we'll find out won't we?" Draco and Ginny made their goodbyes as quickly as possible with so many family members around.
"Now you both know you can come over any time."
Draco nodded. "We know Mrs. Weasley. Thank you for letting us stay here last night."
"Oh pish posh, you're welcome to stay here any time you like. There is no need to thank me."
Ginny gave her mum and dad both a quick hug.
"Now don't you two forget, you need to be at my office no later than 10 AM tomorrow. The press conference is set for 11 AM in the Atrium. You can floo directly into my office or Harry's. Everyone has already said they will be there to support you two. Ron will be there with a smile on his face if I have to spell his tongue to the roof of his mouth myself he will at least look like he's pleased you're home."
"Dad you don't have to do that."
"No Gin, he's been allowed enough time to toss his fit. He'll be there tomorrow if I have anything to say about it."
Ginny gave a wistful smile. "Okay dad."
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"Mumma I can't find my pink shoes, I think I left them at Grandma and Granddad's house when we came back this afternoon."
"Do know where you left them?"
"In your old room or the tree house I think."
"You go finish getting dressed. Your father or I will floo and ask if anyone has seen them."
Serenity bumped into her father as she ran out of the room just as he was walking in. "What was that all about?"
"Sere left her shoes at mum and dad's. I was just going to floo and ask if someone could find them and bring them over."
"Her pink flats?"
"Yes."
"You finished getting dressed. I'll pop over and find them since I'm already dressed."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Five minutes later Draco was back not only with Sere's shoes but Ginny's novel.
"That was fast."
"They were in the tree house like she thought along with the shoes of almost every other child in the family. Heaven knows if you are less than four feet tall and can't find your shoes that should be the first place to look."
"Some things just never change. That is where I always left mine when I was little."
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Draco, Ginny, the children, and Narcissa flooed directly into Arthur's office at exactly 10 AM. The girls wore matching new dress robes; both in a deep navy blue that made their eyes shine. Narcissa had retrieved them the evening before while they had been visiting the Burrow. Draco had opted for a simple pair of black chinos and a blue shirt after his mother had vividly informed him that white just wouldn't do against Ginny's pale yellow summer dress. Possibly the only one to consider Narcissa's defined taste in appropriate clothing, Isaac, had dressed in black trousers and had a white oxford with the sleeves rolled up on account of the unseasonable warmth covered with a black four button vest. Narcissa had smiled and commented that it was like looking at a young Lucius all over again with a far off expression and tears in the corners of her eyes. Clearly she still held some feeling for him despite their many years of unhappy wedlock.
Arthur had been sitting at his desk putting the finishing touches on some neglected paperwork as they arrived. "Good, good you're here. We've just enough time to have a good cup of tea and relax before the meeting downstairs. Arthur moved from his seat behind the desk and out the door." He spoke briefly to his assistant before coming back in to get hugs from his daughter and granddaughters.
Narcissa bade her apologies that she wouldn't be remaining for tea. She had made plans to meet someone ahead of the press conference. If she was to meet them she would have to go ahead.
Fear and stress of the coming hour showed clearly on Ginny's face. She tried sipping on her tea in hopes of calming her frayed nerves but it proved to be no relief.
"Gin Bug, are you going to be okay? We can postpone this if you're not up to it just yet."
Ginny shook her head. "No I'll be fine. We need to get this over with. We can't just send Sere off to Hogwarts with vapid or worse vicious rumors flying about the new Malfoy. That wouldn't be very fair to her or anyone else."
"If you're sure. I don't mind pushing it back a day or two…"
"No honestly Daddy today is fine."
Arthur nodded in understanding. It was best to just get it over and done with now, quick and painless, over pushing it back and back only enforcing the fear that held Ginny onto so tightly. Just as he finished his own tea his assistant poked her head in the door. "Sir, I'm sorry to disturb you however you asked me to come get you if your youngest son showed. He's here sir."
"Send him into the conference room. I'll be over in just a moment. Tell him if he so much as thinks of leaving before I arrive, I'll turn a vital organ or three into furry animals."
"Yes sir." With that she returned was gone.
"I'll be back in a few minutes and then we can walk down and tell the world you're alive. No letting her skip off while I'm gone Draco."
Draco gave a shaky laugh. "She'll still be here sir."
Several minutes later Arthur returned with a much chastised Ron in tow. "I do believe you have something to say to your sister's family." The comment was open ended and intended to force Ron to make peace with his sister and her family.
"Ginny I'm sorry for what I said the other night. Padma, Mum, Dad, Hermione, hell every bloody person I've been forced to listen to for the past few days have been very insistent that I'm wrong. I'll admit they're right. I guess I wasn't prepared for you to ever show back up. Whether you believe it or not, I am happy you're here."
She nodded unable to trust her own voice as he continued to speak. "As for your kids I never meant anything against them. I'm not sure I said anything bad about them to you but I may have to Padma and let me tell you I'm not sure I'll be making it off the sofa any time this year for it. I'm sure your children are wonderful and probably more like you than I'm equipped to deal with. So anyway, I'm sorry if I've said anything to anyone that says differently. Draco, well yeah I'm not sorry for anything I've ever said about you or to you. I don't trust you. I didn't when we were at Hogwarts, I didn't when I caught you two together in the first place, and I don't now. But in the interest of not exiling myself from my entire family I'm willing to put that behind me and at least behave civilly in regards to you. If you want me to trust you, then you're going to have to earn it like everyone else."
Draco nodded. "I wouldn't expect you to trust me. It's all fair after all since I don't trust you either. However I'm a gentleman, I can refrain from any disparaging remarks towards you in your presence or otherwise."
"It's a truce then."
Draco nodded once more. "Truce."
Ron looked between his sister and his nieces and nephew who had yet to speak. Ginny looked up at her father who gave her an encouraging smile and a nod then to Draco who did the same. "I accept Ron, but if you ever so much as utter a single word against Draco or my kids ever again I swear to you on everything that is sacred in this world or the next that I will castrate you in the middle of Diagon Alley on a Saturday morning in July. I won't tolerate your shit anymore Ronald. If you don't agree with something my family or I do you best keep it to yourself because I won't allow you to ever try to run my life again Ron. You're not my keeper. You never were and you never will be. Am I understood?"
He shook his head in agreement as he answered. "Got it sis." He looked down at the floor in shame. "Any chance I can get a hug?"
Ginny was up from her seat on the overstuffed leather sofa in a flash. She tossed her arms around him as if there had never been a thing wrong between them. "You know, as much as you pissed me off Ron, I always missed you."
"I missed you too Gin Bug. I'm really sorry I hurt you back then and then again a couple days ago. What can I say? I'm a moron. Sometimes it takes a while to get common sense through this hard head."
Arthur glanced at the clock on the mantle; there were only fifteen minuets till the press conference was set to begin. "As much as I am enjoying seeing my children make their peace with one another, we need to head down to the Atrium. The reporters are certainly getting all twisted twelve past Sunday. Now remember, Ginny, you and Draco and the kids stay behind the curtain until it is opened for you. The stage has been warded against spells and there are Auroras stationed around the Atrium just in case. I don't expect any fuss outside of the eager press but I'm not taking any chances. I've just gotten all of my family back. I'm not taking any chances to risk losing it."
"Yes sir."
"Ronald, your brothers should be waiting with your mum for us. You'll stand with them please. Narcissa will be with Molly, from what I understand when I heard the two of them nattering on by floo this morning during breakfast."
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Draco clutched a shaking Ginny in his strong arms as they waited behind the mammoth curtain that ran the length of the back of the portable stage that had been set up for the occasion.
Draco could clearly hear his father-in-law clear his throat before he began to speak with the aid of the sanoris spell that would allow everyone to hear what the Minister had to say. He held her a bit more tightly as Arthur began to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen I've called you all together today for a matter of some great personal importance to me and my family. As I'm sure all of you know Molly and I were blessed with seven wonderful children. However tragedy struck our family during the onslaught of the second war against Voldemort. Our youngest, our only daughter, went missing from our family home and the Dark Mark was left in the sky in her wake. In the wake of her disappearance Magical Law Enforcement and The Order of the Phoenix searched for months on end for any sign of what had become of our daughter. After several months the search was called off due to lack of even superficial evidence that she could be found either alive or dead. She was officially proclaimed dead one year after her disappearance in accordance with the laws governing missing persons."
Arthur paused for what he hoped would prove to be dramatic effect. The crowd that had gathered stood quietly before him. He suspected that had you asked any one of them what they thought he was about to say they would probably have suggested that evidence of her death had been found.
"Some weeks ago Molly and I received evidence that has finally put this painful portion of our lives to rest for good. As Minister of Magic I would greatly like to introduce to you my missing daughter Ginevra Molly Weasley Malfoy with her husband the also assumed dead Draco Lucius Malfoy as well as their three children Isaac Draco, Serenity Grace, and Molly Katharine." Arthur was smiling from ear to ear. Pride and pure pleasure shone on his cheery face.
As the curtain pulled back Ginny ducked her head shyly. She had always hated being on display but there was no way she couldn't face it this time. It had to be done. The crowd gasped in disbelief. Ginny, Draco, and their children joined their mothers. Molly instantly reached for Ginny's hand holding it close to her.
"As all of you might recall my daughter's husband was an accused Deatheater, son of the now past Lucius Abraxus Malfoy. I can personally tell you having seen with my own eyes Draco was no more a Deatheater than I am the Tooth Fairy. So for those who doubted the efforts put forth by Mrs. Malfoy and Mr. Snape some years back to clear his name posthumously let me be clear in saying Mr. Malfoy is innocent of any and all charges that were levied against him in his youth. Both my family and Mrs. Narcissa Black Malfoy are extremely happy to have our children returned to us happy and safe."
Arthur smiled in the direction of his family. "My daughter and son-in-law have kindly agreed to answer a few short questions for which you have approximately ten minuets for."
Draco took Ginny's hand and led her to the podium that her father was backing away from. Arthur leaned over and kissed Ginny on the forehead when she reached his side. "See I told you it would all be okay."
Ginny smiled. Draco stepped to the podium and took a deep breath. "Ask away."
"Blane Gurbelshrub of the Wizarding World News, have you and your wife been together the entire 15 or so years you have both been missing?"
"Seventeen years together actually. We were together for a year before we went missing."
"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet. How did you two come to appear dead? If you'll excuse my saying does seem a bit fishy in retrospect."
Draco sneered. He had never liked that woman. "Madam, we left under our own design. The war just made it conveniently easy to make our "deaths" seem the likely excuse for our lack of presence."
A frumpy middle-aged woman raised her hand quickly waiting until Draco motioned for her to speak. "Why did you both leave Britain Mr. Malfoy?"
"I'm sorry I believe I missed your name ma'am."
"Not at all, Elimara Picket of the Quibbler."
"We left for personal reasons, the least of which was the war itself."
"Brian Picket, also of the Quibbler. How old are each of your children and where were you for the duration of your self imposed exile?"
"A family villa in Italy for the entirety of the sixteen years we've been away. Isaac is sixteen, Serenity is eleven, and Katharine is nine."
A dark haired witch who looked as if she had stepped from the pages of a witch's fashion magazine called out. "Pansy Parkinson, I'm the ex-best friend of Draco-Turncoat-Malfoy. Why did you bother to come back at all?"
The look on Draco's face looked dark enough to kill. Arthur gave the witch a stern look and quickly took over before anyone said anything that would only aggravate the obvious tensions between the once friends. "I believe that is all for now. Thank each of you for coming. We ask that you please leave each of our family's in peace as we spend the coming weeks reuniting with our missing children."
With that the entire Weasley brood plus the Malfoys, the Potters, and Severus moved back up to the conference room next to the Minister's office. The group enjoyed a lovely lunch of tea and sandwiches that Arthur's assistant had placed out for them as they talked.
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