Babies and Pouty Wizards
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Luna sat on the balcony watching the sunrise as she nursed her baby. The Malfoy's beach house was an exquisite place surrounded by gardens on three sides and the ocean on the fourth where Luna rested, eyes closed listening to the soothing sounds of the waves breaking on the sand. She rocked back in her chair placing her feet on a stool, remembering the day before when she'd enjoyed this very balcony as Ron played with his nephews in the distance. She hoped to do the same thing this morning. Luna loved being a mother but it was tiring and days like this were too few.
"What would you like for breakfast, sweetheart?" Ron quietly asked as he walked out onto the balcony.
"Don't you want to eat with your sister?"
"The Malfoys will be eating breakfast with her this morning," Ron turned up his nose.
Dreamily, Luna continued, "She normally eats breakfast with at least five of the Malfoys, doesn't she? Six if you count her."
"Gin's still a Weasley," he complained softly. Luna giggled at him, he smiled and continued, "Lucius and Narcissa are dropping by. Ginny doesn't care if we eat up here. Goyle's eating in his room." He knelt next to his wife and touched their daughter's rosy cheek. Ron gave her a pleading look hoping she'd agree to eat up here on the balcony.
Luna disappointed him though by insisting, "I'd like to have breakfast with Ginny. Lucius is always very civil when the boys are around," she paused, "but I would like a glass of orange juice now."
Ron rose and headed for the door, "I'll be right back with your juice."
The quiet quarrelling of five young boys caused him to stop. He opened the door just enough to hear their whispers. Damn, he thought, I should always have a pair of extendable ears on me. Growing up in a house with five brothers, Ron knew the difference between the hum of boys merely trying to be quiet and the mumbles of boys planning mischief. He could tell that impishness was afoot and hoped it wasn't him they were after. A portable swamp was missing from the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes storeroom and everyone except the twins believed Thuban to have it. Ron hoped he wouldn't be the one to stumble into it and put his ear closer to the crack in the door to listen.
"Why not, Thuban? We have it all planned," Cam protested.
"Yes, I'll go into Diane's room and get it. If she catches me I'll say I had a bad dream," Gary added.
"What are you planning on doing with it?" Thuban inquired.
"See what magic we can do," Kenny almost shouted causing the other boys to hiss at him.
"Bet I summons things farther than you, Thuban," Serpens said boldly, careful to be quiet.
Cam sighed, "We have to do it soon, Thuban. Once she marries Uncle Greg, he'll teach her how to put her wand away so we can't get it."
"They'll sleep together then and it's harder to sneak up on two people," Gary put in.
Ron suppressed his chuckle. He was sure Diane and Greg slept together, just not in front of the children. He put his ear back to the door.
"If you guys had something neat planned to do with the wand, I'd go for it. But it's not worth the risk of getting caught just to play with it," Thuban stated.
"Daddy will only send us to our rooms for a couple hours if we get caught," Cam advised.
"Not me. Wednesday night, Dad said if I do one more thing wrong before I go to summer camp, he'll spank me so hard I wouldn't be able to sit on a broom for a month." The boys gasped at Thuban's words. Ron leaned back and a floorboard creaked. "Besides…" Thuban started then Ron felt his door move open a little more at which point he decided it was time to show himself. The five little wizards stood in front of him.
Thuban smiled, "Good morning Uncle Ron. May I help you?"
"Good morning, Thuban. I was just heading down to get your Aunt Luna a glass of juice."
The boy snapped his fingers and a house elf appeared and bowed low asking, "What is Master Thuban be needing?"
"My Aunt would like a glass of," he looked at Ron.
"Orange Juice," Ron supplied.
"She's in that room, Soppy," Thuban pointed and the elf bowed and Disapparated.
"Snap for an elf, Serpens, I want some biscuits," Kenny asked.
Serpens looked at the ground, "I can only call Tipsy or Nan. They know not to bring biscuits."
"Thuban got us biscuits last night," Gary stated.
Cam gazed enviously at his brother, "That's because the house elves here belong to Malfoy Manor. They have to listen to Grandfather, Daddy and Thuban cause they're the Master of the manor and his heirs."
"But Daddy's orders override Thuban's. That's why he shared with us. Cause if he didn't I'd remind Daddy…" Serpens explained with a smirk.
"Be quiet," Thuban hissed.
Ron ruffled the oldest boy's hair, "I won't rat you out about the biscuits or the wand. But where are Tipsy and Nan? Shouldn't they be watching you?"
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"Get off it," Ron grimaced at the sight on the terrace. Ginny glared at her brother while continuing to kiss Draco. Ron could only see the side of Draco's face but it was enough to tell he was smirking.
"There are children present you know," Ron muttered. The children at the table giggled. Luna took his hand.
"It's only a peck, Ron," Luna mumbled.
Draco and Ginny continued to gaze into each other's eyes lovingly as the blond took his wife's left hand, kissed it and then held it between both of his. He was whispering something to her and she was smiling. Ron sighed again and started to open his mouth to object again when Crabbe coughed and drew his attention.
"As much as I'd love to see you get hexed, Weasley, it would likely scare the children," Vincent advised laughing. "You'd best shut it."
"He wouldn't…"
"You're right, he wouldn't, but Ginny will," Crabbe was laughing now along with the children.
It was clear to everyone that Draco and Ginny were in love. If she hadn't been his sister, Ron might have found it endearing, but she was his sister and as such should remain pure and untouched. Untouched, Ron grinned to himself reflecting that she had four children. He shook off the thought and quickly surveyed the seating at the table trying to decide where to sit.
Draco at the head, Ginny to his right, Leo in a highchair next to Ginny eating a piece of toast, three empty seats, Gary, Vince and Kenny. To Draco's left were Serpens, Cam, an empty seat, Thuban, two empty seats, Patty and an empty seat. The chair of the foot of the table was also empty but Ron vaguely remembered some rule about that seat being for the guest of honor or the lady of the house. He quickly assessed that the seat between Cam and Thuban was likely being saved for Narcissa. The question was: where was Lucius going to sit? Ron headed for the two seats next to Thuban, thinking he'd be able to avoid sitting across from or next to Lucius there.
Thuban smiled, "Good morning, Uncle Ron and Aunt Luna. I want you to sit next to me."
The rest of the table welcomed the couple and then returned to the conversations they'd been having before the Weasleys showed up. Thuban whispered to his uncle, "So did you figure out what seats are saved for my grandparents?"
Ron shrugged, "Narcissa will likely sit next to Cam. I was thinking Lucius might sit at the foot but there are too many children down there so I'm guessing he'll sit across from Narcissa."
Thuban giggled, "You're right but for the wrong reason. Leo will scream if anyone besides Grandfather sits by him."
"Is that something new? He doesn't mind having others sit next to him at the Burrow."
The little wizard rolled his eyes, "Well, Grandfather never comes to the Burrow does he?" he paused. "Normally, Leo's chair is in between Mum and Dad. He got really excited when Mum placed his chair where it is now. Leo's smart, he knows that means Grandfather is coming."
"Smartest fifteen-month-old I've ever met," Luna affirmed. "Present company excluded, Thuban."
"Nah, he knows more at his age than I did. But that's because he has Serpens, Cam and me to teach him." Thuban looked at his uncle's empty glass and told them, "Breakfast will be served in a couple minutes even if my grandparents aren't here. I can have an elf bring you whatever you want to drink." He looked at his parents in time to see them kiss and he giggled, "Mum should have ordered your beverages but she's distracted."
Ron growled, "He does that to annoy me."
"Dad was kissing her before you came down. Mum's that way because…"
An Apparition pop stopped both the conversation and the kiss as Serpens shouted at the sight of his grandparents, "Aunt Pansy's having her baby!"
"Gamfa, Gamfa," Leo screamed until Lucius kissed his forehead.
The toddler started to complain when Lucius walked away, so he kissed the babe's cheek telling him, "Hush, I'll be back, I must help your grandmother to her chair."
To Ron's astonishment, Leo quieted and watched Lucius courteously assist Narcissa to her seat between Thuban and Cam. Lucius quickly returned to his seat to Leo's great delight and general pleasantries were exchanged by all.
Thuban turned to his uncle and explained, "Mum always gets all kissy face with Dad when she hears about new babies." The boy turned up his nose, "It's a witch thing."
Luna smiled at her nephew. "It sure is, sweetheart," she agreed turning to Ginny and asking, "when did she go to St. Mungos?"
"Around 1 o'clock this morning," Ginny looked from Narcissa to Luna. "Her contractions were 15 minutes apart. I tried to convince her to wait until they were closer but she insisted on going then. Draco had to Apparate her there and I Apparated Blaise. He was a wreck," Ginny giggled.
With that said, Ginny proceeded to direct the house elves as they served breakfast and once that was completed she began again, "I Flooed to their mothers to tell them and then picked up the bag Pansy had packed for the hospital. By the time I got back, Draco had Blaise calmed down. We left St. Mungos at 3 a. m. and Pansy's contractions were ten minutes apart. I contacted Parvati for her this morning and she left with Padma for St. Mungo's early."
Narcissa was clearly happy and excited. "Violet must be very happy. Only a year and a half ago she thought she would never have a grandchild."
They were interrupted by a deafening scream as Leo began to have another tantrum. "Mo… Mo…" he screamed again and Ginny made to remove him from the room as Draco watched, wand at the ready in case the highchair started to tip.
Leo threw his head back against the chair once and leaned forward to do it again when Lucius growled a single command, "Stop." Lucius placed one hand firmly on the highchair securing it in place and Leo stopped thrashing and stared into his grandfather's eyes. It was silent for a few moments then Lucius spoke, his voice firm but not harsh, expressing love and caring while, at the same time, demanding to be obeyed, "That was uncalled for, Leo. Your father apparently has yet to inform you that Malfoys do not have tantrums." The senior Malfoy cleared his throat to stop the quiet snickers that filled the air. The adults didn't know what was funnier, the claim that Malfoys didn't have tantrums, the fact that Lucius blamed Draco for Leo's outburst or that Lucius was talking to the toddler as if the child would comply.
Once it was silent Lucius went on, "Young man, screaming and thrashing about will not be allowed in my presence. Proper behavior is a must. Now what do you desire?" Lucius pointed at the platter of eggs, "Would you like more eggs?" Leo shook his head and Lucius repeated this process until finally coming to the sausages. "Would you like sausages?"
Leo gave his grandfather a toothy grin and affirmed his desire with a nod and a, "Peas". Lucius cut the sausage into small pieces for the toddler and received a, "Tanks".
Ginny mumbled to her husband, "Leo couldn't have understood, he's too young." Then she thought for a minute, "They must have a telepathic connection."
Draco grinned at her and turned to Lucius, "You'll have to teach me how to do that, Father Leo's temper has been a problem at bedtime for the last few days."
"Leo is no problem to put to sleep," Lucius puffed.
Narcissa smiled at her husband, "That's because you allow the little cherub to fall asleep on your chest."
Lucius gazed incredulously at his wife and denied her accusation, "The boy is placed in his crib when he's at the Manor."
Narcissa turned up the corners of her mouth ever so slightly and answered, "Of course he is, dear."
The Senior Malfoy glimpsed around the table looking for a way to change the subject and made eye contact with Luna, "Mrs. Weasley, I wanted to thank you for informing Draco and Ginevra of that article yesterday."
"It was my pleasure," Luna replied, "the least I could do for a close friend like Ginny." Luna noticed Thuban listening intently, so she changed the subject, "I've always wanted to see this beach house. It's beautiful. Has it been in your family long?"
Thuban cut in before Lucius could respond, "It's been in the family for years," he answered, as his eyes moved from one adult to another's. "What is this article everyone's talking about?" He had hinted around all day yesterday and hadn't gotten an answer, so he decided to be direct.
"Mind your manners, young man. Your aunt was addressing me," Lucius advised his grandson. "We've owned the land for over 500 years, but my father had the house built for my mother the year I was born."
"What story were you speaking of Grandfather?" Thuban asked again.
"It is an adult matter. Something you need not worry about, young man."
Thuban turned to Luna and announced, "This house is 53 years old."
Lucius scowled at his grandson, "Have you enjoyed these last couple of days at the Beach house, Thuban?" The boy knew his biscuit supply was going to be cut off, but he had still won. His grandfather hated when others knew his age and that little cheek was worth a few biscuits. "Draco," Lucius continued, "have you remembered that the house elves here follow the Manor's rules?"
Draco snapped his fingers on his right hand a couple of times and Soppy appeared with another house elf. "Master Thuban's requests for food or drink must be cleared with me or my wife."
"As Master Draco wishes," the house elves bowed. Draco went to dismiss them but Lucius stopped him.
"Elves, you will also verify Master Thuban's requests for you to purchase items with his parents." Lucius then dismissed the elves.
Thuban turned to his frowning father and made a pleaded, "Soppy just picked me up some trick wands, self-inking quills, spell-checking quills and reusable hangman. I didn't even try to get any cool stuff like Weasleys' Wild-Fire Whiz-Bangs or Ton-Tongue Toffees. Uncle Fred and George are scared of Mum and Grandma, so they won't sell them to me. If I was trying to be sneaky, I would have sent the elf to Zonko's." Draco's look softened slightly.
Narcissa's eyes moved from Thuban to Lucius, "Are you two quite done?"
"Are we done, Thuban?" Lucius asked.
The boy's eyes darted to his grandfather. He wasn't sure if the old wizard had anything else on him, but Draco wasn't looking happy so Thuban took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry for my earlier cheek, Grandfather." His eyes moved back to his father to see if all was well and found that Draco was back to making eyes with Ginny.
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Draco's entrance into the small study at the beach house was nothing short of gleeful. Lucius was perplexed as to why his son was so happy given their current problems with Rita Skeeter and took the opportunity to question his son as they sat across from each other in the wing-backed chairs in front of the fireplace.
"You are extremely jovial for a wizard who will likely be spending thousands of galleons defending himself and his business against Ms. Skeeter's article. This story could cost us business deals as well, Draco. She will get some form if it into print."
"I understand, Father, and I'm not taking the matter lightly. You do have our attorneys working on this?" Draco's answer was measured and serious but his face was still lit up by a blissful grin.
"Of course I do," Lucius replied with a frown. "Merlin, boy, what's gotten into you? You're acting as if you've been hit with a cheering charm."
Draco walked to the window and watched Ginny playing with their children. "She still loves me. I mean she really loves me. That article showed the worst about me, all my dark deeds from the war were detailed, and she still wants to have more children with me."
"I'm not following you, Draco."
Draco turned to his father and explained, "Ginevra, Father. She read that rubbish and straight off she believed me. There was no doubt in her mind of my innocence. She read the details of my early crimes in the last war. She was reminded of the ruthless boy I was and still she loves me." He paused. "Yes, this article will cost us galleons. Yes, we will have to once again work hard to rebuild our family name. However, I will not lose the one thing I hold dearest, my family."
Lucius rose and joined his son at the window. Ginny was wearing a blindfold and spinning while the boys and Rani ran away from her. Each boy covered his mouth in varying attempts to suppress giggles as they played blind man's bluff. Draco smiled at his father, "It's beautiful isn't it?"
The older wizard nodded.
"Ginny thinks it's time to have another. It's hard to believe really. She reads about the type of monster people think I am. Her brother even reminds her of my past offenses against her. Despite it all, she informs me last night that she wishes to carry another child of mine."
"That is wonderful news son," Lucius replied as he watched Narcissa join in the game. "Let's complete our task so we can join them."
It didn't take long for the Malfoy wizards to formulate a plan. This wasn't the first time a reporter attacked them or their business dealings and they managed to finish in time to enjoy three hours on the beach before lunch. They played with the children and chatted with the guests as Narcissa delighted in holding baby Sophie. The babe had her mother's blonde hair and her father's sparkling blue eyes.
After lunch Ron and Luna left the beach house for a prior engagement and the Goyles said their goodbyes soon after, leaving only the Malfoys and Crabbes for 3 o'clock tea.
"I wonder if Padma went home," Vincent questioned as he reached for another creampuff.
"She told me she'd be coming back here," Ginny informed him.
"I hope everything is going well for Pansy," Narcissa added.
Vincent looked at his watch. "The children are to be at her parent's at four. I'll have to Floo them and see…"
Just then a very tired Padma appeared at his side and plopped into the chair next to him. "Merlin, I didn't realize it was so late."
"So, how're Pansy and the baby?" Ginny asked.
"She's still in labor. Poor thing got to six centimeters and stopped. The midwitch had her walking the halls of St. Mungo's for the last two hours and her labor finally started again before I left. They think it will be a few more hours." Vince handed her a cup of tea. "Thank you, dear." He nodded then placed a plate of savories in front of her avoiding the scones and pastries. Padma had the bad habit of over indulging in sweets when pregnant. In a show of support Vincent abandoned his half eaten cream puff for a small cucumber sandwich. She smiled at him gratefully and then turned back to the women.
"The pain-relief charms are working so she's not in pain, but she is exhausted. The baby seems to be responding well, but poor Blaise," she paused, "Pansy's been napping off and on. Their mothers have been taking turns napping too but none of them will let poor Blaise so much as close his eyes." Padma paused to have a bit of sandwich and same tea. "Parvati's trying to convince Pansy to let him have a lie down. The poor wizard's been awake for over thirty hours!"
"If he'd stayed where he belongs, in the waiting room or his study, he wouldn't have this problem," Lucius offered.
Ginny looked at Draco and rolled her eyes. She would have loved to tell her father-in-law what she thought of his opinion, but she held her tongue. Her boys were playing next to them, and her bickering with Lucius always distressed them.
"I used to share your opinion, Father, but now I wouldn't dream of not being with Ginevra." Draco turned to Padma and smiled, "If Blaise truly wanted a little rest, he'd have left. Don't worry about him. You should…" Draco stopped himself from telling her that she should take a nap herself. Padma, like most pregnant witches, was very moody when tired and he didn't want to risk being hexed.
Narcissa picked up on his concern and finished his sentence, "Padma, dear, you look weary. Have you been up since 7 o'clock?" The dark haired witch nodded. "Goodness," Narcissa continued, "when I was seven months along with Draco, I needed to lie down and rest every three hours."
Beautiful Padma genteelly dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin and confided, "I normally do get a little rest after lunch and then again around five."
"Why don't you go up now? Vincent can get the children to your parents and bring your dress back for the Davies' Ball tonight. It's just down the bend from here anyway," Ginny added.
Padma made an attempt to stand and Vincent quickly got to his feet to help her. He whispered something to her and she snapped, "I'm more then capable of climbing a flight of stairs by myself." She bowed her head smiling at the others and gave her farewells. As she walked inside she frowned back at her husband.
Crabbe waited a couple of minutes before returning to his chair. "Thank you, Ginny, Mrs. Malfoy. Last time I tried to get her to rest, she hit me with a stinging hex."
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The Davies had a large tent placed on their beachfront. Enchanted lanterns lit pathways to the beach, their small pier and the main house, a cottage with three bedrooms, a small kitchen and a living room. The surrounding grounds were massive and thirty round tables for ten circled the large dance floor inside the opulent tent. The Davies were intent upon working their way up the social ladder and had pulled out all the stops for this ball at their summer home. Henry Davies had just been promoted to head the Department for International Business Affairs and every business owner in England doing business with the Ministry was there.
So, the evening was more of a business meeting for Draco than a ball, and he wasn't one bit happy about it. International trade was the topic of conversation during dinner. Draco tried his best to change the subject a number of times, but the other businessmen at the table, older and staid, returned to the topic repeatedly. To make matters worse, they demanded his participation. He tried a number of times to have a side conversation with his beautiful wife but would only get a couple of words out before being called back into the main discussion at the table. There was nothing he could do. Currently, he was working on large deals with each wizard present and couldn't risk upsetting any of them.
After dinner he made up an excuse about needing to speak with his banker. "Yes, it's true. Bill Weasley is my brother-in-law and it's essential that I greet him," Draco said and chuckled as he led Ginny away from the table. "I'm sorry, Ginny. I…"
She kissed his cheek and reassured him, "It's fine, Draco. That's the price I pay for being married to a leader of industry," Ginny giggled as she pulled him along towards her brother.
"Oh Merlin, I'd forgotten," Draco stopped her, "Ginny, what would you say about having a party for around two hundred at the beach house?"
She stared at him, "One like this?"
"No, I believe your brothers want a very informal party. You know, where the attire is swimwear."
The redhead raised a questioning brow at her husband, "My brothers want a party for around two hundred people?"
He smiled, "Yes. I told them about our annual nogtail roast and they want to invite a herd of people. They asked to use the beach house grounds and I told them I'd run it by you."
"You're willing to let two hundred Gryffindors onto your property?" she asked, skeptical.
"They're our grounds, not just mine, and they won't all be Gryffindors. We'll have to work out the guest list with your brothers. I do prefer not to have the place over run with Mud…"
"Draco," she hissed.
"I'm not fond of Muggleborns and I would prefer to keep their presence limited."
Ginny shook her head and frowned, accepting that there were some things she couldn't change about him. "If we're going to use the nogtails from your hunt, we have to have it in three weeks. I don't know if…"
"I see you've asked her about the party," Bill grinned having made his way over to the couple. He lead them over to his table and once they were seated and had greeted Fleur, Ginny turned to her brother to continue discussing the proposed party.
"We normally have a small roast two weeks after the hunt and I already have food and drink arranged for fifty on the thirtieth. If I move it out a week to July 7, I'm sure I can arrange it for a hundred, but no more." She paused, "I don't think that large a party is a good thing. Maybe we shouldn't have a party at all. Has Ron talked to you?"
Bill nodded, "He showed me a copy of that rubbish before we got here."
"If that hits the papers…"
Draco took her hand, "Our attorneys have already spoken with the Prophet and the magazines. Since we've threatened to sue, it will take at least a month for any story containing our names to get printed. They'll be passing everything through their legal departments first."
"Ginny, see how much food and drink you can get for the thirtieth. It's a better date for our lot," Bill grinned. "The boys and I have been talking. We knew you wouldn't let us down."
"They've given me a list," Fleur continued, "and the twins need to cull their numbers. I believe they have invited everyone they have ever met." The four laughed. "Charlie has twenty people on his list and we have twenty five and that counts the children of course."
"How many children, Fleur? I always use a two to one ratio for the food count," Ginny opened her handbag and pulled out a quill and parchment.
The French witch thought for a couple of moments calculating mentally, "Twenty seven adults and eighteen children, including your parents and Hermione and her children."
"I think we can do it then," Ginny replied, "we'll just tell the twins they're limited to two dozen people each. That'll put us at an even hundred." She turned to Draco and asked, "Do you mind if I don't invite Flint and Warrington? It may cause problems with the twins around."
"That's fine with me, love. Thuban doesn't get along with Marcus' oldest anyway. But while we're excluding people," Draco's voice turned ruthless, "I don't want Finnegan or Jordan." He uttered Jordan's name with a snarl and gnashed teeth, "They might have an accident, a very nasty accident indeed."
"The boys and I would help you with Lee," Bill sneered.
"You will do no such thing. You'll do us no good in Azkaban," Ginny fired back.
Draco's eyes were a chilling black now and surprisingly so were Bill's. His voice was pitched low and unforgiving, "If I were to get caught, which I wouldn't, no wizarding court in the world would convict me once they heard the reason."
Ginny pulled on Draco's arm. "Stop it, you're scaring me. Stop it," tears were forming in her eyes.
His expression softened and he caressed her cheek, "Alright, I'm sorry." Draco rose from his chair, bowed his head and offered her his hand, "Would you care to dance, my love?"
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The Burrow had changed in the last year. It wasn't shabby anymore. The house had never been dirty, but it had been cluttered, in need of updated furniture and fresh paint. The changes began after Ron's wedding when he and Charlie moved out around the same time, leaving Molly with little to do. So she began by removing the clutter from her home and informing her children to take anything of theirs they wanted to keep; the Burrow would no longer be their storage shed. She made Arthur move all of his Muggle collection to the shed and the once cramped house now appeared almost spacious. Molly then proceeded to paint every room and, led by Fleur, the Weasley children pooled their money and gave Molly an account at the furniture shop as a combined Christmas, anniversary and birthday present.
The Weasley matriarch had no problem with the new items for their living room and kitchen but did complain that new furniture was to be purchased for the bedrooms as well. It was only when Ginny took her to the Little Wizards and Witches Bedroom Shop that Molly stopped objecting. Ron and Ginny's old bedrooms were small and if she wanted to accommodate all of her grandchildren at once she would need two beds in each room. So she happily purchased a loft castle for Ron's old room with twin bed on top for Serpens and a full bed on the bottom for Leo and Preston. For Ginny's room they got a dollhouse loft with a perfect twin bed on top for Brittany and a place for a crib for Sophie underneath.
A queen bed was purchased for Percy's room, so it could be used for adult guests and the changes to the twins' old room were the best. Years of the twins' experiments had left the floor and walls of the large rectangular room with a number of black burn marks. It needed to be totally redone. When Molly found Gabe and Thuban had drawn Quidditch goal posts on the shorter walls and were using a rubber ball to play a non-flying version of the wizarding game, she decided to decorate the room in that theme. So the walls were painted as a sky with enchanted white clouds moving high on the walls and ceiling. A green grass like carpet was laid down and loft beds were placed along each of the long walls, one bed on each side of the window and door. From each loft hung one of the four Hogwarts house colors and coat of arms and three Quidditch hoops stood before each short wall.
The Quidditch pitch design was a hit with her grandsons and her sons as well. Fred, George and Charlie were the first ones to sleep in the room. They had jokingly invited Ginny to join them because according to George, "She was the only Weasley who didn't mind sleeping in a Slytherin's bed." The three wizards were left gaping at the door moments later when Ginny gave her brothers the famous Malfoy smirk and replied, "No thank you. I much prefer sleeping with a Slytherin in my bed. Draco's waiting." Then she Disapparated.
As a result of these changes, Cam no longer disliked spending his Saturday nights at the Burrow. In fact, when he knew Bill's children were also staying, he looked forward to it. He enjoyed playing Gobstones and Thuban out right refused to play it with him or at all, for that matter. Brittany, however, was as fond of it as he and, to his surprise, his Grandma was, in his opinion, the best Gobstones player in all of England! Cam made sure that Tipsy always came to the Burrow with him so she could do the cleaning and free Molly up to play. Molly used the elf sparingly at first but had become accustomed to her and now had Tippy doing her ironing.
"Great shot, Grandma," Cam exclaimed.
Brittany sulked, "You're only saying that because it was my gobstone."
The little wizard shook his head, "I said it when she got mine two shots ago." He put Brittany's stone back and handed Molly hers. "Show us how you did that, Grandma, please?"
The two children drew close as Molly explained her technique. The three continued to play their game on the mat in a corner of the living room while, in the opposite corner, Arthur, Serpens, Thuban and Gabe played Exploding Snap.
"You can't play that card, Serpens, you ninny," Thuban said, exasperated.
"We're never going to get through a game playing with that dingbat," Gabe added just as upset as his cousin.
"Boys," Arthur eyed the two oldest.
"Sorry," Thuban said.
"I'm sorry too," Gabe added. "Grandpa, can't he sit on your lap again?"
"Now boys, Serpens needs to learn how to play for himself. As older brothers, you need to teach and help your younger siblings," Arthur informed the boys.
"He's not my brother," Gabe hissed softly not meaning for Arthur to hear.
"Then consider this training for dealing with Brittany."
While Arthur once again explained the game to Serpens, Thuban's eyes moved to the center of the room where Leo and Preston were playing with blocks. The two toddlers got along nicely when their parents weren't around. Thuban spotted Leo yawn and rub his eyes so he set his cards down and went over to tell Molly.
"Grandma," he whispered and pointed at his youngest brother. Leo rubbed his sleepy eyes again. The witch whispered to Brittany and Cam telling them to continue the game without her and with the skill possessed by only an experienced mother of twins, she lifted the two toddlers, one on each hip. Arthur nodded at her, and she climbed the stairs.
Thuban returned to the table noticing for the first time that Serpens' eyes were tearing. Arthur placed a comforting arm around the boy's shoulder and whispered into his ear. Serpens wiped his eyes. Thuban then whispered to Gabe, "What's he crying about?"
"Because he can't play the game right," Gabe rolled his eyes. "We're going to get another talk about being good older brothers once they're all in bed," the eight-year-old groaned at the idea.
"Oh," Thuban replied in a carefree tone. He assumed Gabe was upset because Uncle Bill, his father, was an older brother; so he didn't need Grandpa's advice on the topic. But Thuban did. Grandfather and Dad were only children and both Grandmother and Mum were the youngest in their families. Thuban always found Arthur's advice helpful. After all, Grandpa was an oldest brother too. Their last conversation went through Thuban's head and he turned to his little brother, "Sur." Thuban's use of the nickname earned a smile from Serpens. "You're doing well. It took Mum and Dad ages to teach me, and I didn't have to deal with a prat of an older brother calling me names."
Serpens beamed and Arthur gave Thuban an approving wink.
Up in Ron's old bedroom, Molly rocked the two toddlers while reading a touch-me book to them. Preston cuddled to his grandma, holding her tight and enjoying being rocked. His eyes were closed and his thumb in his mouth. The eighteen-month-old didn't seem to care about the book while his fifteen-month-old cousin did. Leo was excited and spent a long time touching every item in the little book. The toddler giggled as he touched the Puffskein fur in the book.
After letting Leo touch the white Unicorn coat, Molly placed the book on the table next to the chair and hugged each boy while she hummed a soft tune. It wasn't long before both boys were fast asleep. With wandless magic, Molly turned down the bed and placed both boys in it. She kissed them goodnight, tucked the blankets tight around them and placed a spell on each side so they couldn't fall out of bed.
She wasn't surprised when Arthur showed up just then. His timing had always seemed perfect. "Molly, I've put the rest of the children to bed. Brittany's been tucked in and the boys are getting into their pajamas. I'll kiss these two good night and meet you in the twin's room."
An hour later the couple cuddled on the settee in front of their fireplace. "If I thought any of that article was correct, I'd have Draco's head," Molly muttered into her husband's chest. "I'll be having a talk with Ginny. I understand she wants a daughter, but she needs to let nature take its course."
Arthur grinned. "She may never have a little girl if she does that Mollycoddle. The Ministry birth records go back six hundred years and in all that time, no Malfoy has had a daughter." He gave her a quick squeeze and continued, "No Malfoys had more than two children either and Narcissa is from a family of all witches. Ginny wouldn't do anything to endanger herself. And I believe Draco can be trusted. He keeps you well abreast of her health. If they had all girls and it was a wizard he was after, I would think differently."
Molly nodded. "Have you spoken with Bill? Have all the children had a look at the article?"
"Everyone except Percy, of course. The boys think that it's rubbish. Fred and George had a wonderful laugh about Thuban being Draco's double. They pointed out that Skeeter's never meet Thuban and they intend to train him up a bit so that when the story does hit, everyone will know she's a nutter."
Molly sat up giving Arthur a firm look, "I'll be having a word with them," she growled. "Merlin knows the boy has too much of their wicked sense of humor and willingness to experiment. I'm too old to deal with that again."
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Draco's hands slowly meandered towards Ginny's bottom as they kissed and she giggled responsively when he squeezed her backside and nibbled his way to the nape of her neck. The redhead moaned before pushing him away, "I need to wash the sand off. Some devilishly handsome prat accosted me on the beach."
The blond wizard stepped forward in pursuit of her neck again, "You seemed to enjoy our roll in the sand."
She pushed him away again, "Yes, but sand and sex do not good bedfellows make." Ginny turned her back and ordered, "Unzip me."
He unzipped the dress slowly and slipped his left arm inside it and around her ribcage, his hand creeping towards her breasts. Ginny stepped away, "You're a bad, bad wizard, Draco Malfoy. I told you I needed a shower first."
"Of course, my love," he relented and started to remove his own clothing.
Ginny stepped out of her dress and slip before turning her head to see Draco in his boxers and socks, "I'm showering alone, Draco."
Affronted, he muttered, "I'm must be losing my touch."
Ginny laughed at his discomfort. "Merlin, no, Draco. Your touch remains irresistible," she kissed his cheek, "and you know what'll happen if you join me in the shower..."
"I'll…" he started.
"We'll never make it to the bed. Please indulge me in this and have a little patience." She stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, "Shower in Serpens' room, please."
Draco was back quickly and taking a small bottle of potion from his nightstand, drank it. A wave of his hand dimmed the candles and he sat on the bed in his robe smirking when the bathroom door opened a crack. He could only see Ginny's propped up leg as she dried it. The view sent most of his blood where it would be put to good use. Ginny touched the ring on her leg and called, "Draco, love, have you found a potion?"
"Yes, and taken it," he replied.
She removed the ring and came into the bedroom wearing her robe. "Good. It's unlikely that I'd get pregnant the first month without the ring, but we need to use other methods for the next 15 days at least." Ginny sat at her vanity, lifted her wand, dried her hair and started to brush it. "You do know how to use the potion and its limitations?"
"Ginny," he growled, "you're killing the mood."
"Well, I want to make sure we're giving this its best chance for success. If I get pregnant in the next two weeks, I'll have a boy. Besides you admitted today you didn't comply with other potion instructions."
Draco sat up and growled some more, "I didn't give a damn about the Pervalidus potion, but this I care about. Merlin knows I want our daughter. And if you don't believe that, I definitely don't want you pregnant and puking your guts out before our trip mid July." He realized his mistake too late and immediately made his way from the bed to her side where he caressed her arms and apologized, "I'm sorry, Gin." He paused. "The potion needs to be taken at least 15 minutes ahead of time and it only works for four hours."
She turned and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." Ginny looked at his reflection in the mirror as she applied lotion to her hands, "Draco, I don't want to send Thuban to camp tomorrow. The article could…"
Draco went and crawled into bed complaining, "Bloody hell, Ginevra, why ruin a perfectly romantic evening?" Pouting, he covered his head with a growl.
"Draco, we need to discuss this. I don't want Thuban away from us when…"
He popped out of the covers, "We've been over this, Ginevra. It's unlikely the story will be printed in the next week." Draco paused and calmed himself. "If for some reason it is, I'll Apparate to the camp and collect him right away. There is no risk he'll be exposed to the story or to people who've read it because the camp receives its newspaper and magazines a day late. It will be far more upsetting to Thuban if we cancel his trip than if I pick him up early."
Ginny crawled into bed beside him and agreed, "He's been looking forward to going since he got Greggy's first Owl."
"Precisely!" Draco snorted, rolled away from her and waved his hand turning out the lights.
Ginny waved her hand turning the lights back on.
"Ginevra, you made it quite clear you're not interested this evening. Now, I would like to get some sleep," he pouted.
She leaned over him, "I never said I wasn't interested. Simply needed to clear my mind." He eyed her and she smiled, "Plus you're so damn adorable when you pout, Draco."
"I'm not in the mood anymore," he growled.
The redhead kissed his neck, licked his ear, sucked on his lobe and then whispered, "Bet I can get you in the mood." Sure enough within a couple of well-placed kisses, he was indeed in the mood. But just then a tawny owl flew into the room, landing on Draco's nightstand hooting excitedly until Ginny removed the parchment and started to read.
"Clearly not my night," Draco muttered.
Ginny showed Draco the photo, "They've had an anniversary baby! Rosetta Lynn Zabini, born on Sunday, June 17, 2007 at 12:15 a.m. She weighs 3.50 kg and is 48.1 cm long. She and Pansy are doing fine. Blaise is going to bring them home tomorrow afternoon and he's asking everyone to wait until then to visit."
"Lovely," Draco replied as he removed the letter from her hand. "Now, where were we?"
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