Dragon Tears: The Missing Years

A/N: I am so blessed to still be getting wonderful reviews on all my fanfics. The other day I decided to re-read Dragon Tears to see if I could find some answers to a specific reviewer’s questions about some inconsistencies. I definitely found some and corrected them in my document. However, I was actually sad when I finished DT and closed my laptop. I laid awake that night and wondered what happened in the years between Marissa’s birth and the day she left for Hogwarts? What was it like to tell Draco you are pregnant only months after you had a baby? When did they move into their house? Did Ginny work while the babies were young? What was it like to be pregnant with triplets? I eventually feel asleep and woke up in the morning thinking that it may be time to write and post….

Dragon Tears: The Missing Years

This won’t be a long fanfic (I say that now, but those of you who have read my A/N and stories before know that it may change lol) but most likely just a taste of how it wasn’t all fun for Draco and Ginny to be married so young, and have two babies so close together.

THANK YOU ALL for your reviews! I will still work on “Accio Life” and things should be moving faster on that once school is out for me in mid-December.

**IF YOU HAVEN’T READ “DRAGON TEARS” THEN YOU MAY WANT TO DO THAT, BEFORE YOU READ THIS. THANKS!**

And now…

DT: The Missing Years

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Chapter 1

Ginny Weasley Malfoy found out she was pregnant with her second child the day her daughter turned six months old. She knew the signs a bit earlier having gone through this before: the unusual tiredness, aching chest and the slight queasy feeling if she didn’t eat or if she ate too much.

She wasn’t sure how she was going to tell Draco. It was June and with only one week was left until the end of the semester he was stressed and in a bad mood most of the time. The only time she saw him relax was while he rocked Marissa to sleep at night feeding her a bottle. Marissa was sleeping through the night for a good eight hours so Ginny knew her tiredness wasn’t related to waking up every two hours for feedings. Part of it could’ve been work since she just finished her Healer Training in May and had already delivered three babies in the St. Mungo’s Malfoy Wing under Hermione’s guidance.

As she sat on the living room sofa giving Marissa her mid afternoon bottle she felt nervous about telling Draco. This would be the first pregnancy he would be around in its entirety and in eight months there would be two babies to watch after. One who would be walking and curious about everything and one who would need constant attention. Both would need nappy changes; both would still require regular feedings and certainly a lot more of their time.

Draco had just turned 20 and Ginny was pretty sure that early June was the last time he had laughed about anything. His first years were stressing him out having an unusually rowdy, sassy bunch and simultaneously he was trying to prepare his 7^th years for graduation. While Draco was a perfectionist many of his students weren’t and it was taking every ounce of energy he had to not yell at them. Ginny didn’t envy his students.

Marissa tried smiling as she finished her bottle, making a funny face as she did so, and as Ginny smiled back the door to their flat opened and Draco walked in looking tried and angry as usual.

“Hi,” Ginny hedged as he hung up his cloak and placed his bag in his office. He walked over and gave her a quick kiss on her head then the same to Marissa.

“How’re you?” he asked as he headed into the kitchen for something to drink.

“Fine. Class any better?”

“No.” He took a long pull on a bottle of milk and watched her through the doorway that led to the kitchen. “Work was okay?”

“It was. Quiet for once,” Ginny smiled briefly and grabbed Marissa’s bottle before she flung it on the floor. Ginny handed Marissa a teething biscuit and held her as she gnawed away, her bright eyes watching her father’s every move in the kitchen.

“I need to go finalize the exam,” Draco murmured and seconds later he was holed up in his office like he had been the past two weeks.

Ginny placed Marissa in her highchair, secured her and went about making dinner. Her thoughts were constantly on what was the best way to tell him about baby number two. Should she wait until after school was over? Then he’d be mad once he did the math and found out she waited almost two weeks to tell him. She knew this news would stress him out now so she felt like she couldn’t win.

The evening went by quietly. Draco ate dinner in his office and only came out to put Marissa to bed like he always did. Ginny sat down at the kitchen table and began to answer some mail from her former roommates while at Hogwarts but found she wasn’t able to concentrate. She could hear Draco talking to himself as he graded the last of the assigned work, grumbling about how could someone have missed that question and wasn’t it obvious to keep it warm for ten minutes, not twenty?

Standing up she put together a snack for Draco and carefully placed it on his desk, away from the stack of papers. He looked up and thanked her but she stood there for a moment, putting together the words in her head.

‘Should it be, ‘Draco, I’m pregnant?’ or ‘Remember that time we took a shower together and things got out of hand? Well, guess what?’ or ‘You’re going to be a father again!’

“What?” he asked as she moved her eyes away from the stack of papers on his desk to his face. Ginny’s finger traced a design on the corner of the desk and she saw his eyes flicker to her nervous movement.

“What’s wrong?” he clarified, knowing that her fidgeting was something she only did when nervous.

“I went to the healer’s today.”

“Are you sick? Or was it just a cold?” Draco turned back to his paperwork seeing that this conversation didn’t seem important.

“My cold is gone. But, I found out that -,” Ginny began and paused just long enough for Draco to sigh and place his Quill down.

“I can’t really listen to stories about someone at the hospital right now; I have to get through all of these tonight and have to be at school early tomorrow for a tutoring session.”

“I know. It’s not gossip,” Ginny replied testily thinking for once this month he could think about something other than his class.

“What then? What the hell is it?” he snapped and those were the correct words to make Ginny turn on her heel and sail out of the office.

“Shit. Ginny, come on!” Draco pushed his chair back intent on following her but she spun around and held up her hand to stop him.

“No. I just wanted to tell you something and you automatically assume I’m in there to have idle chit chat with you. I know you are busy and I know you are stressed and the only thing you can concentrate fully on now is school. Do you think I’m stupid enough to come in and tell you about every little detail of my quiet day?”

“No…fuck, Ginny…just tell me whatever it was,” he shoved his hands in his pockets as they glared at each other across the room. She shook her head. She wasn’t going to reveal the fact she was pregnant while he was like this. Three curse words in fifteen seconds made it clear that right now, he was just under too much stress to try and enjoy the fact he may get the son she had promised she would give him during their honeymoon.

“Forget it, Draco.” Ginny spun around so he wouldn’t see how upset she really was. And, for the first time since December, she didn’t join him in bed that night. She curled up on the small sofa in Marissa’s room and dozed fitfully, wondering if Draco would ever come to the door and apologize.

He didn’t.

----

Draco was gone by the time Marissa was up, changed and dressed for the day. It was only seven thirty but Ginny saw that their bed had been made (or was it still made?) his cloak was gone and the papers were off his desk. As she entered the living room, she noticed there was a blanket and squished up pillow on the sofa.

She got a certain sense of satisfaction that he had a rotten night on the couch, like she had. But also knew that this first argument of theirs was going to gnaw at him and her until they could work out the balance of work and family.

Now thinking of work, Ginny began preparing Marissa’s food for Narcissa’s shift and took a quick shower while Marissa played happily in her crib. Ten minutes before her shift was to begin at 8:30, Narcissa floo’d in and was greeted by smiles from Marissa who held out her arms to her grandmother.

“Feeling better?” Narcissa asked after Ginny’s cold she had all last week.

“Pretty much,” Ginny responded patting down her pockets on her cloak making sure she had money for lunch and her notes from the day before. “Marissa had a great night. Ate her biscuit and watered down juice this morning. Her food is in the usual spot. I’d like to try her on Cheerios today since she has her two teeth.”

“Okay. That’ll be messy,” Narcissa tickled Marissa’s foot as she held her but her icy blue eyes were fixed on Ginny. “You look tired.”

“Just a bit. Still adjusting to work I guess,” Ginny murmured as she bent to give Marissa a kiss.

“How’s Draco?”

“The same. Stressed.” Ginny walked to the fireplace and bid her mother in law farewell before she could figure out what was wrong. Draco was fairly astute, but Narcissa was too. And combining that with her female intuition, she could usually guess what was wrong before Ginny wanted her to.

Her morning was busy with delivering twins that were six weeks early and it was close to two before she could stop to eat something. Snacking on a bag of pretzels and orange juice from the dining hall, she walked back towards the wing and spotted a familiar blond head standing at the healer’s station waiting for her. Ginny had half a second to decide whether to turn and walk down a dead end hallway and duck into a patient’s room, or to continue towards him. She also wondered what he was doing at the hospital since he should be teaching. Before she could take the cowardly way out he looked up and their eyes met. She stood still, gripping the bottle hard wondering why she was nervous that her husband was walking towards her.

“What’re you doing here?” she asked almost accusingly. She hadn’t meant to sound like that but she was already bone tired and didn’t have any energy to act like nothing was wrong.

“I had to bring in a student who suffered a head injury at Quidditch practice. He’ll be okay but it was a bit beyond Madame Pomfrey’s comfort zone to treat.” He fell silent and they stared at each other for a moment. Ginny struggled with what to say next; she knew if she was at home she would launch into him for talking to her like he did, but they were in a hallway and Hermione was sitting only a few steps away at the Station.

“Why are you on this floor then?”

That seemed a safe question.

“I thought I’d drop by and see how you were,” he responded carefully and when she didn’t respond he sighed and moved closer, reaching for her hand. Ginny quickly crossed her arms and interrupted what he was about to say.

“Look, not here okay? I have another patient that is going to give birth soon. I’ll probably be home after you are,” Ginny made a move to go around him and he stopped her placing his hand on her arm. She knew what he was going to say even though he wasn’t given a chance. Hermione called her name, telling her that their patient was ready to push. Ginny gave Draco a small smile and hurriedly finished her juice.

In her head she answered his unsaid comment…I love you, too.

---

“February twentieth, Ginny,” Hermione made a note in her friends chart. “All your tests came back and things are wonderful. With the new imaging and formulas they can do, they put the chances of it being a boy at eighty percent. What does Draco think?”

Ginny swung her legs back and forth as she sat on the hospital bed and shrugged, avoiding her friend’s gaze.

“You haven’t told him?” Hermione was incredulous and asked why.

Ginny was quiet for a moment then everything came pouring out. How stressed he was, how he would go into his office every night and work until midnight only coming out to put Marissa to bed.

“And I haven’t fallen asleep with him since…well, his birthday three weeks ago! He’s so stressed; how can I give him this piece of news, yet how can I hide it for another week and a half?”

“Harry is the same way, although I don’t have to tell him I’m pregnant. I just give him the space he needs and have learned to understand that the last month of classes isn’t a very fun time. When we were students we never really realized how stressed the teachers were, trying to cram that last minute knowledge into our heads. Don’t you think he’d be happy?”

Ginny hopped down and shoved her feet into her shoes.

“I honestly don’t know. We have barely had time to live together as a couple until Marissa came; then only three months as man and wife before I have to tell him that before our first year anniversary another baby will be here? It may put him over the edge. Plus, we don’t even have room for another baby!”

“Don’t worry about room yet. You know they don’t care where they sleep being that small. But, I think Draco would be madder--.”

“Yeah, if I didn’t tell him until July. Hell, if I get morning sickness like last time he’ll be freaked out since he didn’t see that last time.”

“Then don’t deny him this, Ginny. Tell him and maybe it’ll put some things in perspective, like he can’t control how much his students study or the scores they will get. He can only teach them to the best of his ability and trust that they studied and listened to him enough to pass their exams.”

“Can you tell him that for me?” Ginny gave her a small smile and Hermione laughed but shook her head.

“He’ll realize it soon enough. He wasn’t here for the end of the year last year but Harry was and learned that the hard way. He is still stressed though. After Marissa is in bed, talk to him. And, if he’s working tell him you only need ten minutes of his time and when he is at a good stopping point you’d like to talk.”

“I’ll try,” Ginny hedged following Hermione out to the Healer’s station to finish her shift.

It was past six when Ginny finished up with the new mother and close to six thirty when she floo’d into her and Draco’s flat. She found Draco eating dinner while Marissa sat in her chair, squealing as Ginny walked into the room.

“Hey baby,” Ginny cooed, picking up a messy Marissa and wiping off her messy hands.

“Dinner is still warm,” Draco nodded towards the counter.

“Thanks. I’m going to give her a bath then I’ll eat.”

Ginny busied herself with bathing Marissa and trying to think of the best way to talk to Draco. They had encountered harder moments than this, but she had never seen him this stressed and trying to minimize the importance of another baby wouldn’t work at all in the end.

“She’s ready for bed,” Ginny called softly across the living room handing Marissa over to Draco as he left the office. Managing to eat a bit of chicken that her mother had made and read a few articles in “The Quibbler” she was surprised to see Draco back in his office. She was hoping to catch him on the way back from Marissa’s bedtime but she must’ve been deeply involved in her reading. Now, she needed to heed Hermione’s advice.

Quickly she changed into her bedclothes, feeling tiredness seep through every bone. She just wanted to sink into bed but being that it was only eight at night she knew Draco would wonder. Also, it would just be an excuse to not talk to Draco. They were married and this was their baby, their life!

She walked up to Draco’s office and he glanced up from his Potion’s book, this time wisely keeping his mouth closed.

“When you get to a good stopping point I’d like to talk to you. Just ten minutes or so.”

“I just need to finish writing out this chapter,” he said carefully his eyes shifting over her face.

“Okay,” Ginny stifled a yawn and padded back to the bedroom, peeking in on Marissa, then with only the intention of reading in her and Draco’s bed, Ginny laid down, opened her book and three minutes later was asleep.

A hand brushed across her face in a familiar gesture and she sleepily opened her eyes seeing Draco sitting next to her.

“I’m sorry. I guess I feel asleep,” Ginny pushed herself up glancing at the bedside clock. Only twenty minutes had passed. He didn’t apologize about waking her up and instead launched into an apology about yesterday.

“I shouldn’t have talked to you like that and I should’ve made time to talk to you regardless of what you were going to say. I’m sorry,” he said quietly grasping her hand tightly in his. “I don’t want to fight with you. Not because I couldn’t sleep last night but because it’s not the kind of person I want to be. It’s too much like my father and I love you too much to put you through that.”

“I know,” Ginny whispered squeezing his hand. “But what I had to tell you was important and not something that I could just yell across the living room and expect you to not stress about it.”

“I didn’t think I was stressed about anything at home until last night when we didn’t sleep together. I realized then how much I have locked myself away.” Draco traced her knuckles with his finger while his eyes followed his simple movements. “Sometimes, I’m still discovering things about myself. I believe I have to learn things the hard way.”

“Yeah,” Ginny agreed softly watching his fingers play with her hand; a touch she hadn’t felt in weeks.

“So. What do you need to talk to me about? Is it work related?”

“It will be,” Ginny shifted and gently pulled her hand from his, clasping them in her lap.

“Are you changing departments?” he looked at her, his eyes locking with hers.

“No.” Ginny took a deep breath and slowly let it out, quelling the slight rolling of her stomach.

“What then?” he asked, patience not one of his best virtues.

“I’m pregnant, Draco and due February twentieth,” Ginny blurted out managing to keep her eyes on his face. For a second he showed no emotion as if the words hadn’t reached his ears yet. Then he bowed his head and covered his face with his hands. Ginny’s heart plummeted thinking he was angry and she began apologizing, watching him push his hands through his hair slowly.

“Stop. Don’t apologize for Merlin’s sake. I’m not mad at you!” His hands grasped her knees under the sheet and squeezed. “I’m angry at myself; that I totally cut you off yesterday when you obviously were trying to tell me and I feel guilty because you seemed scared to tell me.”

“Well, you’re stressed Draco and in my mind it was a not a win-win situation,” Ginny began, placing her hands over his. “You now have one more thing to stress about until exams are over. If I didn’t tell you until next week, you’d know that I kept it a secret and be mad I did. I always envisioned the next time I got pregnant I would surprise you by making you dinner, finding a sitter for Marissa and making it a happy event and right now it doesn’t feel that way.”

Draco’s fingers tipped Ginny’s chin up until their eyes met. “I am happy and admittedly surprised. I never thought we’d be so fertile.” She smiled a bit and he seemed to relax just a touch. “I’m excited to go through this with you…properly this time. Just tell me what I need to do, what you need and it’ll be done.” His hand slid down to her shoulder, curved around her breast and settled on her stomach. Ginny froze, not quite sure what he was looking for but remained silent…wondering.

“So, February? About a month along then?” he asked, his hand splayed over her stomach with just a t-shirt between them.

“Yes, I’m due on the twentieth. It’s not twins and I was told what the sex is to an 80 percent certainty if you want to know.”

He nodded now concentrating on her stomach. Gently she laid her hand over his and decided to continue the tradition.

“Meet your son.”

His hand tightened under hers and she heard him take a shaky breath.

“Really?” it came out as a whisper and Ginny just realized that she may have found the one event that could make Draco cry.

“I believe so. My instinct says it’s a boy but we can find out for sure in another ten weeks or so.” Draco nodded his answer then gathered her into his arms, hugging her tightly. Pressing herself against him, Ginny buried her face in his neck feeling him fight to control his emotions and after a few minutes he pulled back and kissed her slowly then rested his forehead against hers.

“How do you feel?”

“Exhausted. My chest is sore and I’m only a little queasy. Just like last time.”

“Well, if you need time off from work you know you can take it,” Draco said carefully, hinting that they weren’t hurting for money.

“My body will let me know what is too much. I’m fine right now, if you can deal with me acting like a slug most of the time.”

“You aren’t a slug. You’re making our baby in there and that’s not an easy feat. Just tell me what you need,” Draco kissed her again and then let Ginny lay back against the pillow.

“Stay with me for a bit?” she asked feeling the tiredness creep up on her again.

“Certainly,” he stretched out next to her and tucked her against him. He held her for a good half hour after she fell into her deep sleep, replaying her words in his mind.

‘Your son.’

He never thought of children beyond Marissa but now there was going to be one and the thought that he was going to have two children, one of each, was almost more than he could comprehend. It seemed as if the precious gifts weren’t stopping. Ginny, seeing his mother happy, Marissa and now a son.

Gently, he untangled himself from Ginny and walked quietly out to the office. He did the bare minimum needed for tomorrow’s review then sat down with the newest jewelry catalog they received ever since he had bought her the diamond necklace for their wedding.

He’d know it when he saw it and about halfway through the catalog he did.

When Ginny woke the next morning, she found the small box on the kitchen table at her spot. She looked at Draco who was feeing Marissa some baby cereal and he indicated it was for her.

Nestled inside was a pair of pearl earrings with a slight pink hue. As she moved the box around to take them out she saw how the color transitioned from iridescent pink to a lovely watery blue. Her eyes filled with tears as she recognized the effort he went to to find the one gift that would mean the world to her and represent their family at the same time.

“Thank you,” Ginny choked out wrapping her arms around Draco and looking at the box that was still in her hand.

“No, Ginny. Thank you,” he answered thickly and they stood there, holding each other tightly until Marissa tossed her bowl on the floor, effectively breaking the close moment between her parents.

A/N: I am going to pull a JK here. I liked Devon’s middle name as Gray better than anything else I may have said. I glanced back through my chapters and couldn’t find where I may have said if it was “Lucious” or “Draco”. I know JK changed Hermione’s middle name from the first book to the last book, so shall I. Enjoy! Not sure if anything else will get posted before Christmas. I hope everyone has a great holiday and thanks SO much for reading and reviewing!

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Devon’s Arrival

“I can’t do this Draco,” Ginny moaned holding her stomach with one arm and wrapping her other one around the toilet bowl.

“I don’t think our son is giving you a choice,” Draco answered wisely, letting Ginny’s hair flow back to her shoulders as she began to stand up. Sighing heavily she brushed her teeth and splashed water on her face, willing her stomach to calm down. Gripping the sink she bowed her head, taking deep breaths and laid her head against Draco’s arm as he wrapped them around her.

“Better?” he murmured in her ear rubbing his hand lightly over her slightly swollen stomach.

“Yeah, a bit. It seems to be not as violent now in the mornings; maybe it’s wearing off.”

“I hope so. I hate seeing you like this,” Draco kissed her neck and turned around as Marissa came crawling into the bathroom. Using Draco’s leg she pulled herself up and clung to him, eyeing the open toilet with a child’s fascination.

“No you don’t,” Draco said firmly, shutting the lid then picking up Marissa. She squirmed to get down so she could follow Ginny back into the bedroom and Draco obliged, setting her down in the hallway and following them into their bedroom. Ginny managed to finish getting dressed while dodging Marissa who insisted on sitting on her feet every moment she could.

“Do you feel up to doing anything today?” Draco sat on the floor with his daughter giving Ginny time to finish putting on her shoes.

“I need to go find some clothes that fit but other than that, no. Do you need anything for school next week?”

“No. I got all of that last week.” Marissa jumped on Draco’s stomach and he groaned. “Wow, what does she weigh now?”

“A lot. Still not as heavy as James though. He’s a brute!” Ginny smiled as she watched Draco wrestle carefully with a very active eight month old. Now that the summer was here, though it was almost over, he had relaxed and let go of his school stresses. All of his 7^th year students passed their exams and all but two students passed their OWL exams. He was happy with that and it carried over into his home life. He took Marissa to the park every morning as Ginny got sick and then tried to make it into work. Some days were so bad that she had to call in sick and had eventually cut her hours back to part time; only working two days a week and Sunday which was enough for her.

“He is. Speaking of a Weasley, leading me into Quidditch, I’m thinking of buying Marissa a broom since she can almost walk.”

“Really? Already?”

“Why not? I was almost one when I got my first broom and when we move into the new house we’ll have that huge backyard for her to use.”

“Why not get the new baby one while you’re at it?” Ginny teased nudging him with her foot.

“Funny. He can get his at Christmas next year.”

“You probably already have one on order!”

“Not yet. I’m not as bad as Ron was when James was born.” Draco stood up, pulling Marissa up with him as she babbled between the three words she knew: dada, up, baba (bottle). “I’m going to get her a snack.” Draco held Marissa like Superman and flew her out of the room leaving her giggling all the way.

Ginny pulled her hair back and took her time applying makeup trying to give her pale face some color. Finally, she was starting to feel better and the excitement about their new home was settling in. The builders said it would be done in a month, which meant mid September, only a month away. They had gone over yesterday morning to pick out the colors for the walls of the bedrooms. They had five bedrooms, two of which would be used for children but as Ginny wondered aloud whether they would have two guest rooms or just one, Draco had mentioned that eventually it could be another child’s room. Up until that point, Ginny hadn’t thought past her current pregnancy and wondered if she really wanted any more children. Hermione had told her a few weeks ago that she and Harry would like to have more, but not for a few more years. Harry was back to teaching and Hermione was full time as a Healer while her parents watched Brian, now 15 months old, on the days Harry taught.

The first few hours of the afternoon were spent shopping for Ginny at Samantha’s clothing store in London. Marissa managed to walk away with a few cute outfits and by early evening, Ginny was feeling normal again and hoped that her morning sickness had officially ended that morning.

Her normal feeling only lasted until after dinner when they ran into Pansy outside the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. For a moment, they stared at each other: Draco holding a sleeping Marissa against his shoulder and Ginny holding two bags. You couldn’t tell she was pregnant and Ginny wasn’t about to offer that piece of news to Pansy.

“I thought you moved?” Draco asked in way of greeting and Pansy started, seemingly surprised that he spoke to her at all.

“Next week. I guess that’s not fast enough for you? I’m getting some things taken care of before I head down there.” She shifted her weight from one foot to another, looking uncomfortable to be standing there with her ex-boyfriend.

“How old is she now?” Pansy asked suddenly looking at the back of Marissa’s blond head still lying on Draco’s shoulder.

“Almost nine months,” Ginny answered quickly, wanting to just move up the sidewalk and get home.

“And number two due next February,” Draco added with a proud note in his voice.

‘Why did he have to tell her that?’ Ginny thought to herself, squelching the urge to roll her eyes and yank Draco away from there.

Pansy mumbled her congratulations, told Draco to have a good year teaching and quickly left, crossing the street as she did so.

“Why did you have to tell her that?” Ginny verbalized out loud. The note of anger didn’t go unnoticed by her husband.

“I’m happy about it. Why shouldn’t I?” Draco switched Marissa to the other shoulder and together they disapparated back to their flat.

“It’s not her business. After the way she acted while I was in school, she doesn’t really need to know our personal information. That’s why.” Ginny took a sleepy Marissa from Draco and began to get her into her nightclothes.

“Maybe, then, you should tell me who I can and can’t tell,” Draco answered after she came out of their daughter’s bedroom.

“Well, if you had asked me before I would’ve said her. I guess it won’t matter in another month or so when I show--no matter what clothes I wear.” Ginny watched Draco open the mail and owl had deposited on his desk and saw the look of surprise cross his face.

“What?”

“I have a letter saying our house will be ready to move in two days from now. That was fast.”

“Sure was. I know they said they were the fastest, most reliable magical builders but…that was quick,” Ginny looked around her flat feeling sad for a moment that they would be leaving the first place they ever lived together.

“Think of how much room we’ll have. And, we can get stuff for the baby’s room,” Draco sat down next to her putting his arm around her shoulders.

“I know. I’m just sad to leave here. We have a lot of good memories, a few bad ones also, but mostly good.” Ginny smiled as his lips met hers, feeling her heart jump in response to his touch. She had felt horrible for so long, he hadn’t done much else than kiss her good morning and good night over the past three months.

“Well, maybe we should add one more good memory,” Draco teased letting his hand trail down her arm then on to her leg. He felt her shiver and interpreted that as a good sign and let his hand continue to trace her thigh. Grasping his shoulders, Ginny pulled him down towards her as she leaned back against the sofa sighing as he gently settled against her, not letting all of his weight rest on her stomach.

“Here?”

“I won’t make it to the bedroom,” Ginny gasped pushing down his shorts and feeling him do the same to hers. Exploding was a mild word for what she thought was going to happen to her; she never realized how much she missed this side of their relationship until this moment. He moved and was suddenly grasping her hips, pulling her to him in a frantic rhythm they both set.

With a hoarse cry, Ginny pushed into him, feeling every muscle contract around him again and again. Her hands tangled in his hair as he pressed his lips to hers trying to silence their moans not wanting Marissa to ruin their intimate moment.

“Oh…Draco…I can’t believe we’re leaving here,” Ginny whispered as he pulled away, their movements stilled. To her surprise, she felt tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Are you really that sad or is this hormones?” Draco wiped them away with his thumbs, a mild look of concern etched across his face.

“I think mainly hormones,” she smiled and reached up to wipe off the tears. “Still, I can’t believe we’ll have a house and two children this time next year.” She briefly wondered how she was going to handle two young children and work until she saw Draco smile.

“Don’t worry. We’ve encountered and triumphed over worse things. This will be easy compared to last year,” he bent down and kissed her, his hips moving slightly against hers. And, like it had a year before, the feeling of wanting him again rose up inside her and she let that pure-blood feeling take her where it had that day in May, back in his bedroom at his mother’s house.

“I love you,” she whispered before she lost all train of thought. He whispered it back to her—loving her in more ways than she could count.

-----

“That baby book you gave Draco, Hermione? I’m not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse,” Ginny smiled at her friend as they ate lunch at her kitchen table.

“Why?” Hermione gave Brian a piece of her chicken which he mushed between his hands.

“He has a list of names a mile long from Aloysius to Xavier. I hate most of them!” Ginny refilled their tea and sent the pitcher back to her cooling cabinet. “I mean, some are truly horrible Hermione! I told him to just wait and see what he looks like when he’s born. Maybe that’ll help.”

“Well, he won’t have to wait long by the looks of things.”

“No. He won’t. I was ready last week to have him. My back is killing me, I can’t sleep, I’m hungry but can’t eat much and Marissa wants to sit on my lap all the time and there’s not much there for her to sit on.”

“Welcome to full term pregnancy, Ginny!” Hermione laughed wiping of Brian’s hands then setting him on the floor. He spotted Marissa playing with blocks in the living room and ran as fast as a two year old could to be with her.

“Thanks. Also, do you remember if I sent a thank you to your parents for Marissa’s birthday present? I can’t remember anything these days,” Ginny leaned back in her chair and rubbed her ribs, pushing down slightly to move the baby’s feet which were tucked up under them.

“You did. And, you already asked me that. Well, I have to run back to work and get Brian back to our flat so Harry can watch him. Call me if you need anything.” Hermione helped Ginny out of the chair, who paused to gain her balance then follow her friend out to the living room.

“Let’s go Brian. Time for you and daddy to play!”

“NO!” Brian stood up with hands on hips looking just like a little Hermione that Ginny struggled to keep her laughter to herself.

“Yes. Let’s go!” Hermione bent down and picked up an irate Brian and with a quick wave to her friend and Marissa, she floo’d the two of them back home.

“Well, Marissa. I think it’s time for our nap.” Ginny yawned and rubbed her back.

“NO!” Marissa yelled, just like Brian and this time Ginny did laugh.

“Oh yes it is. You can sleep in my bed,” Ginny grinned as Marissa smiled, knowing it was a treat to sleep with mummy. Carefully, Ginny supervised Marissa’s crawl up the stairs and watched her toddle to her room. After a quick nappy change and book, the two of them settled down in what was still Draco’s enormously comfortable bed and like mother, like daughter, they promptly feel asleep.

Ginny was awakened sometime later by rain pelting the windows and Marissa whimpering at the prospect of loud noises. Murmuring comforting words, she tucked Marissa against her best she could, hoping this unusual February thunderstorm would dissipate quickly. The baby moved inside her, pushing down causing Ginny to flinch, biting her lip to keep from crying out. His jabs were more and more painful with each passing day. Since tomorrow was her due date, she hoped she wouldn’t have to endure the movements much longer.

As she laid there, listening to the thunder rumble, feeling Marissa’s chest rise and fall, she felt a strange tightening in her back that slowly circled around to her front, squeezing consistently, annoyingly, but not that painful. Her heart beat a little faster thinking that maybe, finally, this could be it. She made a mental note of the time, remembering everything about childbirth that she had read and been taught. Minutes passed and nothing happened except more thunder and Marissa jerking in her sleep. Twenty minutes passed and Ginny felt the pressure again, beginning just as it had before; lasting for a minute then subsiding.

Knowing that her nap wasn’t going to continue, she disengaged herself from Marissa, made sure she was surrounded by pillows and began quietly moving about her bedroom. She found her overnight bag and double checked the contents. She threw in her toothbrush and some of Draco’s items, all the while talking in her head about when she should contact Draco and her mother. Molly was on alert to watch Marissa as Draco’s mother was due back from Africa tomorrow—February 25^th the day after the baby was due. Pausing in her movements as another contraction came, Ginny rubbed her stomach as she sat down in the chair, breathing quietly and knowing that they were only going to get much worse.

‘Not time to worry yet,’ she told herself and pushed herself back up and levitated everything down to the foyer. Draco was due home in two hours. Being that it was Friday he was done at 3pm rather than 4 and Ginny was fairly sure that for the next two hours she would be able to handle things on her own.

And for one of the few times in her life, she was wrong. By the time Marissa woke up from her nap and saw her mother sitting in the chair only an hour had passed since Ginny first felt the labor begin. Now the contractions were every five minutes and extremely painful.

“Mummy?” Marissa walked over and patted Ginny’s knee. Placing a hand over her daughter’s, Ginny breathed through her nose as the pain subsided and knew she only had five minutes, until the next contraction, to compose a note, get it on their owl, contact her mother and get herself to the hospital.

As she felt her insides starting to cramp up and squeeze together her life outside her body was unraveling. Her mother wasn’t responding to the owl or floo; Hermione was in a “do not disturb” board meeting and she knew Draco was giving an exam so she didn’t want to bother him until she was settled at the hospital. So, she did the only thing she could think of…she floo’d Fred and George at their shop. Being on her hands and knees in front of the fireplace took some of the pressure off her back but she still had to pause in the middle of her explanation to George while she breathed through her contraction.

“I’ll be right there. Just let me close up shop and send my assistant to the Ministry. Maybe mum is there!” George quickly disappeared and three minutes later came stumbling out of the fireplace, almost landing on Marissa who was happily gnawing on a book in her playpen. She squealed when she saw him but he made for Ginny instead, who was sitting on the sofa, her arms wrapped around her stomach.

“Can you apparate there safely?” George crouched down in front of her and looked scared and nervous at the same time.

“Yeah. In a minute,” Ginny breathed slowly. Finally, after what seemed like eternity she stood up and picked up her overnight bag. “Thanks. I’ll have Hermione get in touch with you. Did you find mum?”

“She was at Hogwarts, of all places, talking to McGonagall. She probably already told Draco, Harry and Ron, who was there writing an article about the undefeated Slytherin team.”

“Okay, thanks.” Ginny quickly kissed his cheek, closed her eyes and envisioned the healer’s front desk in the Malfoy wing of the hospital.

As soon as one of the healer’s saw her and recognized who she was and what was going on, things began to happen very fast. She was led into a room near the desk and helped into a gown. Two healers strapped monitors over her stomach, the other asked question after question taking a detailed history. A third came in and told Ginny that Draco would be there in five minutes as he was finding someone to cover the last half of the exam he was giving. Hermione appeared her eyes bright with excitement and with a clipboard and wand in her hand. She began ordering her team around, getting a baby warmer set up, getting medicine ready in case Ginny would need a repeat Cesarean Section and all Ginny could do was to breathe through the primal squeezing her body was doing, then rest until the next one came. At some point she felt a hand on her forehead and a familiar voice in her ear.

“Draco. Make them give me something…it hurts,” Ginny whimpered, curling up as another contraction hit her hard and fierce. She thought she heard him ask someone, and then get angry about the answer that was given. By the time she was coherent again, she felt her legs being pushed up into stirrups.

“We can’t. You are ready to push,” Hermione informed her as Ginny’s water broke on command. She cried out in pain as another wave hit her, digging her nails into Draco’s palm.

“Merlin! I can’t--,” Ginny panted feeling her body changing gears and pushing down and around something that wanted out.

“No choice,” Draco murmured and slid an arm around her shoulders as Hermione instructed. Briefly, Ginny looked around the room in the thirty second reprieve she had and noticed about eight people standing around. Maybe they were here because they expected a problem? Or, maybe to see the first male Malfoy of his generation being born. Another contraction began to build and Ginny heard Hermione telling her to curl up and push.

“It’s the devil in there; damn this hurts!” Ginny’s last word seemed to echo off the walls as she pushed, not being able to stop if she wanted too. She could see the power flicker as she came down off her first real push, then go out for good. A crack of thunder resonated around the hospital before the magical lighting relit itself.

“Sounds like the devil out there,” a healer said and Ginny shot her a look, then began to feel herself being pulled under as another vice gripped her insides and pushed.

“Good, Ginny…I can see…oh Merlin…I can see his head!” Draco leaned forward a bit, sounding enthralled with the whole process.

“Yeah? Well I can feel it!” Ginny snarled back at him, curling over her stomach again as Hermione told her to push.

The next few minutes she didn’t remember, but later Draco told her how awesome she had been. It took only three more pushes to bring their son into the world. A red, wrinkled, bald, screaming baby who flailed his arms and legs around until he was swaddled on Ginny’s stomach. She breathed in huge gulps of air, feeling a gigantic weight literally leave her body. A healer placed him in her arms and she finally opened her eyes to see her son for the first time.

All the pain and suffering had been worth it. She stared at his tiny nose and screaming mouth and watched Draco stroke the tiny hand that was curled under their son’s chin.

“He’s red like the devil,” Draco smiled, wiping the tears off his cheeks. “Maybe that should be his name...”

“I am NOT naming my son Devil,” Ginny said hoarsely, shushing their son and kissing his cheeks, forgetting how soft they were. She closed her eyes and felt the tiny head nuzzle under her chin.

“Devlin then?” Draco tried and saw his wife shake his head. Then she looked up at Draco who carefully took their son from her, holding him for the first time. He quieted down, stretched then promptly fell asleep his little mouth relaxed.

“He’s not the devil…he’s just not happy to be out where it’s cold and bright,” Ginny cooed, running her hand over his small body.

“Did you say Devon?” Hermione asked walking over after cleaning up Ginny.

“No, he wanted Devlin. But…I kind of like Devon, now that you said it,” Ginny hedged, glancing up at Draco. He was smiling and shifted their son from one arm to the other looking prouder than she ever had known him too.

“Devon,” Draco mused aloud, still staring at the little boy in his arms. As if on cue, he stretched and squinted up at his father.

“Awww,” Hermione sighed leaning down and running a finger along his cheek. “He is adorable.”

“I think he likes Devon,” Draco said finally looking back towards Ginny. Their eyes locked for a moment and she saw into the depths of Draco’s soul; a rarity for him to let down any of his guard in front of anyone that wasn’t her or his mother. She could see the immense pleasure he was feeling in having a son, someone that he could help mold into a positive Malfoy role model and right then and there Ginny had to agree with her husband. He loved the name and she wanted him to take part in birthing this child as much as she did.

“Devon it is,” Ginny smiled and received her son as Draco held him out to her. His little eyes squinted up at her, an indefinable blue color which was nothing like what Marissa’s were over a year ago. Devon stretched, yawned and promptly fell back asleep.

“I need to go weigh him and everything. I’ll bring him right back to you,” Hermione said, gently taking her best friend’s son and placing him in the warmed bassinette.

Draco and Ginny watched Hermione wheel him out and suddenly they were alone for the next few moments. Gingerly, Ginny shifted in the bed, feeling every muscle from her head to her toes scream in agony.

“You were incredible,” Draco whispered, leaning down and kissing her head. His hand wrapped around hers and he squeezed, trying to keep his composure.

“Yes…I think I was,” Ginny smiled, her eyes shutting on their own volition.

“No doubt. You gave me a son, just like you promised. How did you manage that?” Draco whispered pressing his lips next to her ear.

“Well, when a man really loves a woman…,” Ginny began slowly, a smile playing at her lips.

“You know what I mean,” Draco laughed low in her ear, then brushed her hair back from her forehead, seeing how exhausted she was.

“Never mind. Just rest. I’ll have Hermione let everyone know our son was born at 3:30 this afternoon.”

“Tell them his name,” Ginny murmured leaning into Draco’s hand which cupped her face gently.

“Devon…with an “O”.”

“Right,” Ginny smiled then suddenly opened her eyes as she thought of something. “What’s his middle name?”

Draco’s eyes widened and he began to laugh, letting the stress of the last hour relieve itself. “Damn, we forgot to get that far.”

“Well think of something because I’m too exhausted to think.”

“I don’t really want to associate my father with any of our kids.”

Ginny nodded and drifted off to sleep, stirring slightly when she heard the door open and Hermione whispering something to Draco.

“I’ll hold him,” he whispered and Ginny heard the rocking chair creak as he lowered himself into it. Everything was quiet and Ginny could see names swirling behind her eyelids as her subconscious tried to put together a middle name for her son. As she began to fall over the edge into a deeper sleep she saw four letters pop up behind her eyelids and suddenly she had it.

“Draco?” Ginny turned towards him and he looked up at her, cradling their sleeping son against his shoulder. “I’ve got the perfect middle name. It just came to me.”

“What is that?”

“Gray.”

“The color?”

“Actually, it’s a combination of “Ginny” and “Draco”…I think,” Ginny shook her head slightly, still a bit stunned at how the name came to her out of nowhere.

“Devon Gray Malfoy. I like it Gin; I think it sounds perfect. Now stop thinking and get some rest. We have people waiting and I’m not letting them in until you have napped.”

“Okay,” Ginny let her eyes flutter shut and gave herself up to the sweet darkness of sleep.

Chapter 3

Ginny drifted in and out of what she thought was sleep and wondered briefly why she couldn’t open her eyes to see her new son, or open her mouth to ask Draco how Devon was doing. It wasn’t long until those thoughts muddled with unfamiliar noises and the blissful state of nothingness stole over her again.

****

It could’ve been minutes or days later when she felt someone holding her hand, talking to her about what the weather was like; the strange thunderstorms that had been around since yesterday morning. Her body felt light and airy as if she were floating in total darkness and she strained to see around her, trying to find something familiar to latch on to. Her hand twitched and she felt a cold ring against her finger. It wasn’t smooth around the edges like Draco’s but rather cut into different levels around the band…similar to Harry’s band.

“Harry, you need to go now. Draco will be back in a few and we can only allow one person in here,” Hermione’s voice said from a great distance. Ginny’s hand was laid on her stomach and she heard the scratch of the chair sliding back.

“It’s just strange, isn’t it? She was fine and then suddenly…not.” Harry touched the back of Ginny’s hand and then he was gone.

Ginny tried to process the words in her head; trying to make sense of Harry’s cryptic comment but it hurt too much, so she gave up and slipped back into her cocoon.

****

“See, Devon? Mummy is still sleeping. She’ll get to give you your bottle as soon as she wakes up,” a low voice said next to her. Ginny could sense that her son was near, being held by her husband and all she wanted to do was reach out and touch them both. Her body, now feeling like lead, didn’t allow her to do much except breathe and listen. Bit by bit her brain woke up, telling her that she was still in the hospital but it wasn’t able to tell her why she couldn’t move anything. She was beginning to get angry.

The anger soon left, replaced by fear when she was dragged up from her peaceful sleep by something scratching against her hand.

“If you can hear me do something, Gin. I can’t stand seeing you like this!” Draco’s voice cracked and as much as Ginny wanted to spring up out of her bed and comfort him she couldn’t. “We just want to know what happened when you were in the loo? Why won’t you wake up?” Her hand was being rubbed across his unshaven cheek and all she could do was let him hold her limp hand. It never crossed her mind to try and squeeze his hand as she felt herself being pulled under, this time being accompanied by a slight buzzing noise that seemed to sweep over her prone body.

****

‘What did happen to me in the loo?’ Ginny wondered to herself as she listened to the sound of Draco’s even breathing somewhere to her right. She remembered getting up out of bed, leaving Devon in his little bassinette. She was by herself as Draco was down signing paperwork for her stay in the hospital. She remembered joking about how they should be able to get away without filling that out since he funded the wing she had given birth in. She walked gingerly to the loo, remembered using it, remembered washing her hands then she reached out to turn off the water when a loud crack resonated around her…and that was it. She had no idea what happened. She was pretty sure she didn’t fall because Hermione would’ve found a telltale knot on her head or bruise somewhere. But based on what she and all the other healers had been saying, no one knew anything and the magical tests weren’t telling them much at all.

****

Draco was getting frantic now, Ginny woke up to him practically yelling at someone else in the room.

“You have to know something! That’s what you all do!”

“Draco, sometimes we can’t explain things. I’m sorry,” Hermione said quietly, but sternly warning him to lower his voice.

“It’s been a week! I can’t take this anymore,” Draco walked to Ginny’s other side and she could hear him fighting for his composure. “I don’t even know what to tell Marissa about her. You better not let her die, Granger. My family is all I’ve got now and Ginny is…well…,” his voice cracked and he stopped before he cried in front of someone other than his wife.

“Special, I know,” Hermione finished his sentence then continued on, “and she’s not going to die. She’s in some kind of coma and her body is fixing whatever went wrong.” Ginny felt a warmth steal over her; Draco wasn’t one to pay out compliments and for her to hear him say how special she was to him made her love him even more.

“Yes, she is,” Draco whispered, clutching Ginny’s hand and setting on the bed next to her. She felt him lay next to her and Hermione began her speech about how she shouldn’t be moved.

“She’s my wife. I’ll lay here if I want to.” Draco snapped at her and with a sigh, Hermione turned and walked out of the door. For a moment, Ginny felt herself being arranged so her head was tucked under Draco’s neck and his warmth seeped through her thin nightgown.

“Please wake up. I can’t take this; I thought I was strong enough to get through anything but apparently for one of the few times in my life I’m wrong. Marissa wakes up at night asking for you. Devon is home and my mum is the one staying with him while I attempt to teach my NEWT class once a day. Why are you like this Gin?” Draco brushed his lips against her forehead and she tried to lean into him, prolong the sweet touch but she couldn’t move. She felt him playing with her hand, absent of all jewelry. She thought she was wearing the ring he had given her years ago; the one charmed to warm up but it wasn’t there now. Her wedding rings had been taken off right before she was screaming about how it hurt to push out Devon. Her body reminded her with a twinge in her abdomen at how much that did hurt.

Her ear was over Draco’s heart and the steady thump slowed as he eased into a fitful sleep, lulling Ginny into her own strange sleep. This time it was filled with white lights, crackling sounds and a pain that shot down her arm so realistic that she jerked in the bed, cracking Draco’s jaw on the top of her head.

“Ow!” was the first thing Draco yelled, jerking before he realized that Ginny was laying on top of him. Ginny tried to respond and all that came out was a low moan, which surprised her as much as him. “Ginny! Are you okay?” his hand pushed her hair back from her forehead and she tried to respond, in anyway she could. She felt so weak, but for the first time in about a week she realized that the pain was the first true feeling she had, other than the alternating lightness and heaviness. She shifted slightly and felt Draco turn her gently, cupping her face with his hands.

“Wake up, please. I love you and I don’t know if I can take another day with you like this,” Draco kissed her, pushing her lips open with his, trying to coax a response out of her. He was urgent, demanding and she tried to respond, using her energy to flick her tongue against his. He pulled back, his hands running over her face, coaxing her to wake up placing a kiss on her nose, her neck anywhere her skin was exposed and slowly Ginny felt feeling return in her body--a slight tingly sensation, like she had sat in the wrong position to long and her foot had fallen asleep. She managed to lick her lips, feeling how dry they were.

“Hermione! I think she’s waking up,” Draco’s voice was quiet, but rushed as Ginny struggled to pull herself up out of the sleep that was pulling her the other way. Again she licked her lips and felt someone place a straw to her mouth. Weakly she took a sip and managed to swallow half before coughing. Someone sat her up and pounded her on the back. Her head flopped forward, muscles screaming against the week rest they had been given. Two, then three voices swirled around her as Draco’s hands gently laid her back against pillows that were fresh and cool to the touch.

“She has some color returning to her cheeks,” someone noticed and indeed Ginny felt warmer and could now see lights moving through her closed eyelids. A hand ran down her arm as Draco’s fingers found and firmly clasped hers, brushing a kiss against the back of it every few seconds or so.

“I need to check her eyes,” someone said and she felt Draco let go of her hand and move to the side. A bright white light flashed before her and she turned away, hearing a laugh that sounded more like a sob coming from Draco. Someone moved her head and opened her other eye and she turned away, trying to reach up and push the offensive hand away. The light hurt her eyes and she was glad when they finally stopped. Draco’s lips pressed against hers and she heard a whisper against them.

“Please. I can’t do this without you, Gin. Truthfully. Wake up,” Draco pulled her to him and with every ounce of energy she had she lifted her hand as high as she could move it and it settled on his knee. He buried his face in her neck and she felt tears against it, prompting her to try and reassure him. She felt her fingers flicker against his thigh as the tingly feeling began to recede out of her body.

“Strengthening potion,” she heard Hermione mutter and suddenly felt a searing pain rip through her body, causing her to cry out hoarsely, jerking back from Draco.

“What’s wrong?” Draco demanded and as quickly as he said it, the feeling went away and Ginny brought a trembling hand to her face, relishing in the feel of her own skin against her finger tips.

“Dr-,” Ginny cleared her throat as she experimentally opened her eyes. It was still too bright so she shut them quickly.

“Dra-co,” she croaked haltingly, feeling herself being gathered against him and this time she did lean into him, pressing a weak kiss against his neck as he rocked her, trying to not break down in front of three healers at his wife’s bedside.

“Ginny. Can you open your eyes?” Hermione asked ready to flash another light into them.

“Too bright,” she murmured, her voice muffled against Draco’s neck. Her hand glided slowly up Draco’s back and she hugged him best she could, feeling him tighten his arms in response.

“Ok, the lights are dimmed. Try now.”

Ginny felt Draco lower her back against the pillows and Ginny told herself to open her eyes slowly. It was much more comfortable this time and as she widened them they moved to her side where Draco was anxiously watching her. He was unshaven with dark circles under his eyes. He looked years older than he had only last week and she smiled weakly at him.

“You look awful,” Ginny whispered and Draco smiled for the first time in a week.

“You can say anything and I won’t care,” he touched her face gently and at the mention of her name she turned back to Hermione who began peppering her with questions asking her name, her age, what year it was, did she know what she was here?

“Devon! How is Devon?” Ginny croaked, suddenly remembering her newborn son. Trying to sit up but feeling dizzy and as she did so she felt panic set in. A healer’s hand pushed her back down as Draco calmed her fears.

“Wonderful. Eating like a champ but he misses you. I was going to bring him by later this afternoon.”

“How long have I been out?” Ginny blinked slowly and let her eyes flutter closed as it required less energy.

“A week. Any idea what happened?” Draco asked reaching out and caressing her cheek.

“No,” she sighed and yawned widely. “I’m still tired.”

“Take a nap. Maybe you’ll remember more when you are refreshed,” Hermione encouraged, patting Ginny’s hand.

“Okay,” Ginny mumbled and this time felt the blanket of a normal sleep wash over her.

****

Ginny woke up a few hours later and found Draco sitting at her side, but this time with a small bundle in his arms.

“Hey,” she whispered, still feeling weak and hearing a slight buzzing noise in her head. Draco looked up from Devon and smiled, bringing Devon up a bit so she could see him. He was awake too, his eyes already showing signs of brown (her color) and she smiled, reaching out to touch him.

“He looks bigger already,” Ginny caressed his cheek as Draco carefully set their son down in her lap, her arms feeling too weak to support him.

“Gained a pound from when he was born. Apparently they are supposed to lose weight then start to gain it. Not him, though,” Draco said proudly, running a hand over the blue hat that covered his head. Ginny reached up and managed to push off the hat, showing a bald head. She couldn’t see any signs of hair and wondered what color would eventually grow.

“He’s cute,” Ginny smiled at him, watching him yawn then curl a hand under his chin and fall back to sleep.

“How’re you feeling?”

“Tired, weak,” Ginny returned Draco’s kiss and sighed as he asked her if she remembered anything.

“No. I just remember using the toilet, washing my hands then reaching out to turn off the faucet. I remember a crackling, a buzzing and then waking up but not being able to move. Harry was here holding my hand and Hermione told him he was going to have to leave because you were coming by.”

“Anything else? Did you feel anything?” Draco asked, sitting on the edge of her bed watching her intently. Ginny reached up and ran a hand through her hair shaking her head.

“No. Just what I said…although,” she glanced down at her right hand noticing her ring was still gone. “Did you take the ring you gave me? I swore they left that one on when I was giving birth.”

He reached for her hand and looked at her naked fingers. “I don’t remember being handed this ring. I have your wedding and engagement rings at home. Are you sure you wore it?”

“I always do,” Ginny answered firmly. “Maybe it fell off in the loo can you go see? Please?” Ginny asked, already afraid that she had lost the first piece of jewelry he had ever given her.

“Are you okay with him?”

“Devon’s fine.” Ginny patted her son’s head who stirred in his sleep. She watched Draco cross the room and turn on the light. She could see everything except the shower from where she was sitting.

“You were standing by the sink?”

“Yeah.”

“And they found you on the floor near the shower,” Draco said almost to himself. “And the water was still running.”

He crouched down and looked under the sink, and then half closed the door as he looked behind it. She heard him mutter something as he opened the door.

“What?”

“I think I found it.”

“Really?” Ginny pushed herself a bit straighter, making sure she didn’t disturb Devon who was sleeping between her legs. Draco walked over and held out his hand. There, lying in his palm was a bit of twisted metal. She could barely make out the green of her birthstone as only a chip was left in the setting. Glancing down at her hand she didn’t see any kind of mark.

“Oh, Draco. Your ring,” Ginny touched it, feeling tears come to her eyes.

“I care more that you are alive. I can always replace this.”

“But still,” Ginny wiped the tears that fell from her eyes, hearing the door to her room open. Draco turned and showed Hermione what he had found. Running her wand over it, she watched the ring glow then fade back to its dull, burnt color.

“What happened?” Draco asked, handing the ring to Ginny who asked to see it.

“I think, Ginny, that somehow, that storm penetrated the hospital wards and you got electrocuted. It went into the pipes when you were washing your hands and went straight for the ring. If you weren’t wearing that, I don’t know if you’d be here now or not.” Hermione paused and examined Ginny’s finger. “Amazing that you don’t have any marks at all.”

“Electrocuted?” Ginny fell back against the pillows, the twisted piece of metal pushing into her palm. “I do have a slight buzzing in my ears. Think that could be why?”

Hermione shrugged and ran a hand over her face. She was tired too after working, worrying about her friend and being a mother to 20 month old. “I honestly have never seen this happen to anyone before. We’ll do a hearing test to make sure nothing is wrong there. You seem to be recovering nicely so I think once you eat a bit better and can stand and walk on your own, you can go home. I’m going to go talk to the other Healer’s and see what they think. May I borrow the ring and show them?”

Hesitantly, Ginny dropped it into Hermione’s hand who promised to bring it back. A moment of silence descended upon her room and the only sound was the occasional snuffle from Devon who snoozed happily between Ginny’s knees. Draco was staring out of the window and the set of his shoulders told Ginny he was angry; they were stiff and he was rubbing the back of his neck. She knew she couldn’t deny him the anger. Every protection that could be made was at St. Mungo’s but she figured sometimes, Mother Nature got the best of everyone. If she knew him, he’d have the Ward Officers go through each and every ward, strengthening it and securing them even better, if possible, than before.

Strangely, she wasn’t angry, just happy that they figured out what happened and a bit nervous that maybe something she couldn’t see was wrong with her. A full body physical would be done in the next few hours, she was sure and for once, she wouldn’t mind submitting to the numerous questions and wand waving that would take place.

“Draco.”

He turned, shifting his face into his patented neutral expression and walked towards her bed.

“Do you think you can bring Marissa in soon?” she reached out and took Draco’s hand, feeling strength returning to her body minute by minute.

“I’ll bring her by tomorrow.” His tired eyes searched her face, and for the first time in years she felt him probe her mind for clues on how she was fairing. Kissing the back of his hand, she reassured him that she was fine.

“That was the worst week of my life.”

“Not so fun for me either.”

Devon let out a sudden wail, stopping their conversation and noticing the time, Draco took a bottle out of the diaper bag his mother had bought them.

“Would you like to do the honors?” Draco asked and for the first time, Ginny was able to feed Devon.

****

“We see nothing wrong with you. I think we can discharge you today,” Hermione told Ginny just two days later.

“Finally! I miss my bed and poor Draco has to get up with Devon every two hours.”

“You still need to rest, so if you can, let Draco take over a few of those feedings.”

Ginny said she’d try, knowing full well that having two children meant that it wouldn’t be quiet and stress free.

“So, I’m really okay. Reproductive, physically, musculoskeletal?” Ginny asked and Hermione nodded, giving her a quick hug as they stood near her bed.

“Yes, it’s like this never happened except for the loss of your ring.”

Ginny looked down, seeing an exact duplicate sitting upon her finger. “I can’t believe Draco had time to go get another one.”

“He’d do anything for you Ginny.” Hermione held out the clipboard for Ginny to sign herself out.

“I’d do anything for him,” was her simple response.

“You sure you don’t want to wait for Draco to get here?”

“I want to surprise him. He’s in class for another hour, so if you could escort me home that’d be wonderful.”

“I can in a half hour. That’s when my shift ends. Let’s get you packed up and ready to go. Everyone is going to be so happy to see you!” Hermione handed Ginny a bag from the closet and they set about finding her clothes and toiletries strewn about the hospital room.

Indeed everyone was happy. Someone had leaked out she was coming home and upon flooing into her living room noticed her entire family, their spouses, her nieces, nephew and even her mother in law were waiting for her.

Minutes later, Draco floo’d home and seemed genuinely confused as to why everyone was standing around eating snacks in his living room until Ron pointed to the chair in the corner.

There sat his wife, holding Marissa while showing her how to feed Devon. She hadn’t seen him stumble in, between the throngs of people that moved about her and for a moment he watched his family intently. Despite being a shade paler than normal, Ginny looked like she had before she had entered the hospital. Still needing to lose the baby weight so she had dressed in a soft t-shirt of Draco’s and a pair of comfortable maternity jeans and he thought she never looked lovelier. It was Marissa that spotted him, and all efforts to feed the baby were abandoned as she launched herself at her father. Walking over with his daughter in his arms, he bent down and kissed Ginny’s cheek.

“Still like to surprise me I take it?” he whispered in her ear, setting Marissa down who went to play with Jillian and Cassandra.

“Yep. By the way…happy anniversary,” Ginny whispered back as she propped Devon against her shoulder while managing to kiss Draco briefly.

“What a way to celebrate our first year together. But since it’s Friday, I was thinking of taking us to our vacation house, just to get away and relax.” Draco smoothed back a piece of her hair that escaped her ponytail and relished in the smile that lit up her face.

“That is just what the healer ordered,” Ginny sighed and leaned her head back, nuzzling her son; glad to finally be home and learning the new Malfoy family dynamics.

Chapter 4

When Ginny was asked to sum up her first year at home with Devon she always used the word “insane.” Between Marissa’s wants and needs and Devon’s Ginny was pulled in so many different directions that she relished the two days a week she went into work. Her mother was able to deal with a two year old and one year old much better than she could. The day after Draco was done school and Ginny was lying in bed, relishing in the fact that Devon, just two years old, was sleeping in…a rarity for him.

July 1^st brought a warm breeze through their open bedroom window and for a moment Ginny wondered if she should get up, go down and read the paper in quiet. Then, she felt Draco roll over, slipping an arm over her waist and settling in behind her.

“Why is it so quiet?” he asked, punctuating his question with a yawn.

“Because Devon is sleeping in. I guess your birthday party last night went a bit past his bedtime.” Ginny nestled back against him, humming softly as he kissed her shoulder.

“Midnight is about three hours past his bedtime,” Draco mentioned slipping his hand under her shirt.

“Draco! What’re you doing?” Ginny laughed swiping his hand away. He just laughed softly, moving his hand in the opposite direction. “Last night wasn’t enough for you?”

“Never,” Draco answered swiftly shifting himself so he was lying on top of her. Placing her hands on his shoulders, Ginny stopped him from leaning down and kissing her.

“We can’t right now. I started my period about three hours ago.”

Draco sighed muttering something about how unpredictable she was.

“I know you don’t like it when you can’t control something and it annoys me too but I think you can live through this,” Ginny smiled as he gave a melodramatic groan.

“Well, maybe this will be a good time to ask you something.” Draco slid to Ginny’s side and she looked up at him, quietly wondering what was running though his always busy mind. As his gaze glanced to the baby pictures of Marissa and Devon on their wall she knew. She had seen him the night before playing with Jeremy, Ron and Samantha’s second child who was almost one year old.

“You want another child?” she asked and saw his eyes flicker over to her in surprise.

“What makes you say that?”

“Because about six months ago we were talking about how three was a nice number of kids to have. Then you played with Jeremy quite a bit and are now gazing at the pictures of Marissa and Devon. I can read you well after all these years, Draco.” She placed a hand on his chest and he remained quiet so she continued on. “I wouldn’t mind having a third, but do you think we can try and time it so he or she is born when you are on break? I’m sure you are getting tired of trying to find people to cover your classes.”

“I’m sure we can try for that. But, given your cycles I’m not sure that it will be a given that a baby will be born in July or August.”

“Well, it will be fun to try won’t it?” Ginny placed a kiss on his shoulder seeing the faint scar where she had scraped him during one of their moments in bed, back when they were at Hogwarts.

“Always is,” he smiled softly at her and for the next few minutes they took comfort in the quiet surrounding them until Devon came bounding into the room, launching himself onto Ginny’s side of the bed. His hazel eyes shown with excitement, knowing that tomorrow would be the day they left for vacation.

“Pack!” he bounced between his parents who laughed at him.

“It won’t take long to pack Devon. We don’t need to start this early.”

“I want to go. Now.”

“Sorry, Devon. We leave tomorrow which gives me a chance to get all my school exams out of the way and concentrate on the summer,” Draco pulled himself up out of bed citing the need for a shower while Ginny led Devon downstairs to feed him breakfast.

“Can I ride dad’s broom?” Marissa asked while they were eating yogurt at the table.

“Marissa, no. Daddy has told you that. You have one; his is too big.”

“Faster broom!” Devon piped up and ran around the kitchen, crashing into Draco as he walked in, hair still wet from his shower.

“Steady, son,” Draco picked him up off the floor and set him back on his feet.

“Pleeeease?” Marissa begged and Ginny repeated her answer.

“She doesn’t understand NO does she?” Draco whispered pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“She’s three and a half. That word is the only part of her vocabulary she resorts to when we ask her to do something.”

As if on cue, Devon yelled at his sister as she tried to reach out and grab his last biscuit.

“Then sit down and finish, Devon. Stop wandering around.” Draco told him firmly, pushing his son’s chair closer to the table.

“She may be old enough now for the intermediate broom, Draco. She’s huge on that little one now,” Ginny whispered as they leaned against the counter watching Devon’s blond head bouncing to a tune only he could hear and Marissa scraping the last of the yogurt out of her bowl.

“She’s not ready, Ginny. We discussed this on her birthday. It’s a huge responsibility and time consuming for one of us to teach her how to use a larger, faster broom.”

“I know that, Draco, it’s six months later and she’s at least an inch taller,” Ginny said firmly keeping her eyes on their daughter. “I have all summer so I could show her. Or, don’t you think I can teach her the basics of an intermediate broom?”

“I didn’t say that. Why do you have to go putting words into my mouth?” He turned and placed his cup in the sink, slight anger in his movements.

“Because that is what I think you are saying.”

“I’m not. I just don’t want her to have one yet. She’s too little.”

“What about what I think? Doesn’t that count?” Ginny asked hotly her eyes now clashing with Draco’s. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by someone calling from their fireplace.

“Well finish this later,” he said firmly turning away from her to see who was calling upon them before ten in the morning.

Ginny and Draco didn’t have much of a chance to continue their conversation as they began packing up their children’s clothes for the two week holiday at their house in Spain. The Potter’s would be joining them days after their arrival, and then heading off to Hermione’s parents.

At lunch time, Draco ran out to purchase some items they couldn’t get in Spain so while Devon napped and Ginny munched on a sandwich, Marissa played outside. Every once in awhile, Marissa would run to the corner, peek around it then seeing her mother on the porch, giggle hysterically as Ginny pretended not to notice. Marissa announced she was going to run around the house, and seeing her mother nod, she took off.

Ginny flipped through the magazine that had arrived in the mail yesterday and on the back page saw the perfect broom for Marissa. It was on sale being last years model and figuring that she had much of a say in her daughter as Draco (and was probably better versed in knowing what she could handle). Ginny sent an owl to the address listed with the right amount of money and the request to express mail it to them that afternoon before they left.

Not sure if she was feeling guilty for outright defying Draco, she began thinking of ways to defend her decision. Suddenly, she heard Draco yelling outside and as she ran down the porch towards his voice, she caught the last of his words from behind the house.

“…Marissa Ginevra Malfoy! What part of NO don’t you understand? You’re lucky you didn’t break something!”

Ginny skidded to a halt seeing Draco’s older Quidditch broom in two pieces on the ground and Marissa sitting next to it, crying. Running to Marissa she asked if she was hurt; her practiced hands running over her daughter’s head, arms and anything else she could reach.

“She’s fine!” Draco insisted pacing up and down, his eyes flashing with anger. “I checked her first! That bloody child broke my broom after we told her she couldn’t ride it!” Draco fumed bending down to pick up the two pieces.

“What’s wrong that you don’t understand NO?” he yelled, turning to Marissa who just cried harder and scooted towards Ginny.

“Draco. She’s three, go easy.”

“Why? She should know I’m angry. She defied me…us,” angrily he threw the two pieces as far as he could towards the broom shed then pointed a finger at his daughter.

“To your room. Now.”

An unhurt Marissa tore from Ginny’s grasp and ran wailing into the house.

“If you had let me get her a broom when I knew she was ready, she wouldn’t have been bored and looking for yours.”

“You should’ve been watching her!” Draco accused as Ginny marched down the slope of their yard to inspect his broken broom.

“Just leave it there.”

She ignored him and a frustrated Draco followed her. “She’s not getting a broom now, that’s for sure. She can’t be trusted to listen to us.”

“I just ordered her one so she very well will get a broom.”

“What? I said--,” he looked down at her, his blue eyes narrowed in anger and Ginny stared hard back at him, cutting him off.

“I don’t care what you said, Draco! For once, I think I may know something you don’t. You aren’t here with her every day for eight hours. You don’t know what she can and can’t do. She can fly an intermediate broom. She has the height, is over their minimum weight and meets all the other requirements and, even if you don’t see it, she has the talent!”

“You just outright went out of your way to piss me off didn’t you?”

“No. I am doing what I think is right!”

“It’s not!”

“Look at your damn broom! She’s not hurt, but still broke it so obviously she knew how to fall properly in order to cause the minimal--,” Ginny was stopped as Draco held up his hand.

“Stop. You can just cancel that order. We don’t need her killing herself.”

“No. I won’t. You just need to admit you are wrong on this one,” Ginny threw back at him and before she started cursing him out, she turned and walked quickly up the hill, hearing Marissa’s cries through her open bedroom window. He yelled something back at her and she ignored him, walking and going upstairs to deal with the punishment Marissa was going to receive for not listening.

The rest of the day was as tense as Ginny had ever experienced. Draco was short with both children and managed to make Devon cry twice and Marissa stayed glued to Ginny’s leg, never having seen her father so angry. Ginny managed to get Marissa to apologize, her heart breaking as she heard the whispery, quivering voice saying, “I’m sorry, daddy.” Draco nodded curtly, looked as if he was going to fly off the handle again then thought better of it, turning his attention to securing the straps on their trunks.

“Did you pack my healer’s kit?” Ginny asked after the kids were in bed that night. She could hear them talking across the hall to each other, excited about leaving tomorrow but at least they were staying in their toddler beds for the moment.

“If it was out with my items on the bed, I did.” Draco levitated their four trunks, two bags and an assortment of toys to an area in the foyer where no one would run into them.

“Thanks,” Ginny said trying to get him to talk so they could continue their conversation from earlier. He just nodded and announced he was going to finish grading his student’s exams and effectively cut off her effort to talk to him.

Giving up for the moment, Ginny floo’d to Hermione’s and chatted with Harry while Hermione put Brian to bed. She needed to prepare Hermione for Draco’s mood and told her the whole story while Harry listened from his desk, grading papers as well. Ginny felt a bit relieved to hear that both of them agreed with her, but was given a slight reality check when Hermione continued on her train of thought.

“It’s a big decision to buy a broom like that. It might have gone a bit better if you had been able to set him down in a day or two to talk about it.” Hermione waited for Ginny’s temper to kick in, telling her she was wrong but instead she agreed.

“I know. The broom arrived already and I hid it figuring she’ll need it at some point. I tried apologizing while we were eating dinner but he goes “what is done is done.” I pissed him off; quite a bit I believe.”

“Every couple has their squabbles. Hopefully this will blow over,” Hermione said reassuringly before Ginny floo’d home. Remembering the best way to approach Draco when she needed to talk with him, and he was in a “mood” she knocked on the doorjamb to his office. He glanced back over his shoulder, and then continued moving his quill down a row of answers.

“Can I talk to you when you have a moment?”

He gave a slight nod and Ginny snuck away, heading up to check on the children then busied herself for the next hour. She heard him moving around in the kitchen and joined him watching him lean back, cross his arms and look at her with every emotion closed off from her view.

“Will you please sit and listen to what my reasoning was?” Ginny asked making an effort to keep her voice quiet and even.

“I heard what your reasoning was. You thought she was ready, even thought we discussed it back in January that she was not ready. You went ahead and bought one anyway even after I told you my reasoning earlier today. What else is there to say?”

“I’m sorry if I made you angry, but in my heart I know she’s ready and I wish you’d give me the chance to show you.”

“In your heart,” Draco repeated slowly keeping his eyes level with hers. “What about your brain? I would think seeing her on the ground would lead you to the conclusion she’s not ready.”

His comment stung and all Ginny could do was close her eyes and take a deep breath, trying to see things from his point of view. She could feel the first stirrings of her Weasley temper beginning to move around and she knew now wouldn’t be a goodtime for it to rear its ugly head.

“Maybe we could take it with us on vacation and you could observe her on it. If you still-,” she began but he cut her off, slamming his coffee mug down on the counter.

“It’s here already?”

“It is. Maybe we could-,” Ginny tried to begin again and he turned away from him, grasping the counter and trying to control his temper too.

“No. Because then Brian will want to get on it, then Devon and we’ll have a mess on our hands.”

“Then I’ll wait until we get home,” Ginny said thinking maybe he was turning the corner.

“I wasn’t giving you my permission. I’m still saying “No”. I don’t want our three and a half year old daughter on an intermediate broom. I didn’t even get one until I was six. She is not mature enough to handle the movements of one.”

“She is, Draco. I am here all day and have seen her! If you could just watch her and see what I do!” Ginny insisted, becoming impatient with him.

“I do see!” he spun around and walked over to her, seeming to tower above her as his anger radiated off him in waves. “I see you totally went against my opinion, which you asked for then throw to the side like a used candy wrapper.”

“I didn’t!” Ginny said and was stopped suddenly as his hand flew out and gripped her arm, spinning her around towards the table.

“We sat right there and talked about it and I said, “No, she’s not ready for one. When she is old enough to follow directions and listen for more than three minutes then we can buy her one.” He gave her a little shake before Ginny knocked her hand off her arm.

“And I said she has a natural talent and we should encourage it. She’s bored on hers and I told you it was going to lead to problems and it has. Now look where it has us!”

“Exactly. Send it back,” Draco ordered spinning around and walking out of the kitchen. Ginny followed him talking to his back.

“No, I can’t as it was on sale. And, I truly believe-,” she stopped her words as he halted in front of his office.

“What you believe is wrong,” he told her in a tight voice, then quickly walked into his office, shutting the door behind him.

And that was the first night of many that he willingly slept on the couch, leaving Ginny upset and tense as they began their two week vacation.

A/N: This is the 2^nd chapter uploaded today. Please read Chapter 4 first. Having no internet for 4 days and loads of free time gave way to writing <smiles happily>

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Chapter 5

It was stupid really; immature even. The whole argument had spiraled out of control so quickly that Ginny didn't know what Draco was thinking anymore. The past two weeks had been stressful, sad, angering…fake feeling. Marissa and Devon picked up on the briskness with which Ginny and Draco interacted and were crying more than usual about the simplest things. So, having had enough it was Hermione, along with Samantha, who came up with this celebration at the Malfoy's house in Spain. Their hope was that if they could bring Ginny and Draco an enjoyable time, have them actually touch each other and remember what it was like to enjoy each other's company, then maybe that would spark one of them to forget about being stubborn and begin talking to try and save their relationship.

“It can't be easy being married to Draco,” Samantha murmured to Hermione as she nursed a glass of wine. “Hell, if I was her, I'd be ignoring his attitude and concentrating on Jacobo over there.” Twin brown eyes swung over to the edge of the patio where the new neighbors were congregated. Jacobo was from Italy, and had brought his six year old daughter to the party; he was conveniently divorced and conveniently handsome.

“They still love each other; they are just at an impasse. For the first time in their relationship, Ginny did something he didn't want her to do,” Hermione answered, letting her eyes rest on Jacobo for a moment, watching him talk to Ginny using hand gestures quite earnestly. “She did something she felt was right and Draco viewed her decision to not agree with him as saying that he was wrong; that what he has to say isn't important.”

“What would've helped, you think?” Samantha asked, seeing Ron cross her line of vision and her stare at Jacobo was broken. She swung her eyes around searching for Draco. Coincidentally, or maybe not, he wasn't very far from Ginny, holding Devon and breaking apart a cookie for him to eat.

“I think if Ginny had sat down and told Draco the reasons why she bought that broom for Marissa then they could've come to an agreement. Or even shown him how talented she is on her training broom. But, knowing Draco Malfoy's pride, he isn't going to back down and tell her he's sorry; not until something threatens him or his relationship with her. Or someone can clue him into the fact he needs to see her side.”

“Prat,” Samantha sighed and her cousin silently agreed that each of them were acting like prats.

----

Ginny listened with interest as Jacobo described the poor conditions that he was raised in and the countless excuses he made for his strange, magical behavior that none of his family showed before him. Ginny could hear Devon rattling on about the fake snitch Harry had given him the other day and knew Draco was behind her. She hadn't realized there was music being played, listening to Jacobo instead. She was made aware of the fact there was a slow song when he stopped in mid-sentence and glanced out to the dance floor.

“Would you care to dance?” he asked Ginny, holding out his hand in a very gentlemanly manner. Nodding silently, and knowing she'd get even more of a cold shoulder from Draco, she walked out to the middle of the patio, joining her friends and some casual acquaintances they had made on their numerous trips to Spain.

She filled Jacobo in on what it was like growing up in the Burrow and was about to launch into what it was like to degnome the garden when she saw Draco's finger tap her partner's shoulder.

“Mind if I dance with my wife?” he asked neutrally, but with a slight emphasis on “wife” that Ginny was, probably, exclusively aware of him saying. Jacobo let go of her hand, dropped his arm from her back and bowed, smiling, then turned and headed over to where his daughter was swinging from a play set.

Easily, Draco pulled Ginny towards him; his hand spanning her lower back and his other one wrapping around hers, tightly. She wasn't angry he interrupted her dance with Jacobo; if anything she was pleasantly surprised. It was the first emotion he had shown in what seemed like forever but the tense grip he kept on her hand didn't waver.

Knowing Draco as she did, she knew he wasn't expecting her to talk so she stayed quiet still playing around with the idea of telling him that all of this was her fault; that she'd find a new owner for the broom as soon as they got home. Although part of her resisted that idea; knowing that she had done what she felt was right but most likely not in the correct way.

“So,” he began keeping their bodies a few inches apart and not looking directly at her. “Have a pleasant conversation with our new neighbor?”

“It was fine, thanks,” Ginny responded softly, not answering him in the same sarcastic tone. She missed him and had done everything she could think of to get him to open up and respond to her. He had fallen asleep on the sofa more times than in their bed. They hadn't touched each other intimately in two weeks and her body was craving just a hug, a loving caress of her cheek…anything to let her know he missed “them” too.

“What were you talking about?” he pressed and Ginny answered promptly in the same soft tone hoping to break through whatever wall he had surrounded himself with. As they slowly turned to the music, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her knees, pushing her into Draco. Craning her neck over her shoulder, she was met with a miniature Draco smile and a pair of bright blue eyes.

“Mummy! Can I have another cookie? Devon too?” Marissa asked, now linking one arm through her father's knee and one arm through her mother's. Ginny smiled knowing her son put his sister up to this task. Draco answered first, echoing Ginny's thoughts.

“You may, but Devon has had three. Tell your Uncle Ron to not give him any either.” And when Marissa let go, running back towards the house Ginny was acutely aware of her husband pressed up against her, his arm curved around her back protectively.

Draco's gaze had followed their daughter back toward the table near the house, making sure she listened to him and Ginny tried to slow her breathing, feeling her body and soul calling out to him in a pleasurable pain. She knew the moment he realized the safe distance he put between them had been compromised—his head had dropped almost imperceptibly and his hand tightened against her ribs.

Slowly he turned to look at her, their eyes meeting solidly and the array of emotions that she saw in them made her heart plummet to her feet. How could he hide his feelings so well, for so long, and now their simple touch dropped that wall they hid behind? Why couldn't he verbalize what he was feeling? The song ended and immediately, Ginny gathered up all her courage, dropped her hand from his grip and his shoulder and stepped back.

“I'm going to check on the kids,” she whispered, tears suddenly springing to her eyes as she turned, his hand lingering for a moment on her hip until she was out of his reach.

“Ginny?” Hermione called out as she walked by. She set her drink down on the table and hurried after her, leaving Samantha in charge of Brian and James. Ginny had walked quickly away from Draco, after what Hermione had thought may be a breakthrough. She mentally made a note to have a series of slow songs played in a row after the next set. Following her towards the table and seeing Ginny check Marissa's plate and placing some cut up cucumber on her own, she watched her friend suddenly put the plate down then rub her temples.

“Ginny?” Hermione asked gently and stood next to her, watching her friend go from defeated and upset to standing straight and pushing down all her emotions.

“I'm fine, Hermione.” Marissa scampered away for a moment and Hermione waited until she was out of earshot to talk.

“I don't believe that for a moment. You're depressed and that scares me.” Hermione gave her friend a one armed hug. “If that song had just been longer,” Hermione let her unsaid thought hang in the air.

“He would've stepped back, not wanting me to affect him in any way. He's still really angry, Hermione, and I have no idea how long it'll take him to forgive me.”

“He shouldn't have to forgive you,” Hermione said angrily and her friend paused, thinking, then nodded.

“I know that in my brain. I have tried to explain my reasoning to him, calmly, rationally, without children around but his response is always that stone cold expression on his face. I'm not sure how much longer I can take his…indifference,” she chanced a look over Hermione's shoulder and saw Narcissa talking to Draco who looked a bit pissed off, actually.

“I think maybe there are just some Malfoy traits that you can't change. He feels you defied him and went out of your way to ridicule his thoughts.”

“I didn't though, you know that. He is acting just like his father right now and that scares me.” Ginny let her eyes drop as Draco looked in her direction, still talking with his mother and she turned her attention to Devon who was now standing next to her, holding Fleur's hand.

“I `zink he ez tired,” Fleur smiled and Ginny couldn't help but to smile back, seeing Devon yawn widely.

“Thanks, Fleur. Come on Dev, let's go put you to bed.”

“No,” he protested blinking his hazel eyes rapidly as if thinking that would keep him awake.

“You and Marissa,” Ginny reached out and snagged Marissa's arm as she tried to run by her mother. “Be back in a few, Hermione,” Ginny said quickly, quelling any notions of Hermione trying to put her kids to bed. She didn't glance in any direction as she took Marissa's hand and forced her into the house, smiling wanly to Jacobo who was talking to Seamus. He had seemed glued to her side most of the night; definitely more so than Draco which was probably why he had actually chosen to dance with her. Jealousy was an emotion that Malfoys had issues dealing with.

Settling the kids down took a bit longer than she thought and after they had washed up, put on their summer pajama's and she had read them a book it was a good half hour until she bid them goodnight. Kissing their foreheads, she saw Devon's eyes close and stay that way. Marissa turned over in her toddler bed yawning widely.

“Your father and I will be outside if you need us,” Ginny said quietly and saw her daughter nod, clutching her bear to her chest.

For a moment Ginny stood there watching her children fall into sleep. They rarely shared a room but since Ron's family, and Hermione's, was staying with them, they had to double up the children. Brian and James shared one room and were a lot harder to get quiet and to sleep. Jeremy was staying with Samantha's parents which freed up a lot of Ron and Samantha's time.

In just a few minutes, she saw their little shoulders rise and fall rhythmically and the love she had for them hit her hard. Her heart filled with happiness, thinking how lucky she was to have two healthy, beautiful children and she wondered what the future held for them. They had no idea, at this young age, they would never want for money or a roof over their heads, unlike Jacobo's upbringing. She heard a slight movement in the hallway and spun around, horrified for a moment that maybe he had followed her in here.

It was Draco, his tall frame filling the doorway bringing her back to her senses. Swiping at a stray tear she made a move to get past him, whispering they were asleep.

“Why are you crying?” he asked in a low voice as she shut the door. It wasn't “Have you been crying?” because he knew her too well to be confused with her emotions. Ginny lifted a shoulder in response knowing he wanted a verbal answer.

“I was just relishing in the fact we have two beautiful children. Just a mother's moment, that's all,” she turned from him and stopped when she felt his hand clasp her elbow. Startled, she stopped at the top of the stairs and felt him slowly turn her to face him. Her heart thumped erratically in her chest, wondering what he was going to say. Her eyes flicked to his face, seeing dark smudges under his eyes that hadn't been there when they arrived in Spain. Quickly, she shifted them to Marissa's bedroom door.

“Why can't you look at me for more than two seconds?” he asked keeping his voice even-- a task Ginny knew wasn't easy for him at the moment. Every fiber in her wanted to retort, “Well, why do you think?!” but she searched for an answer Draco would understand and accept. The honest truth was the only answer.

“Because it hurts too much to see the lack of emotion in your eyes when you look at me,” Ginny whispered, slightly surprised to see him shift his weight and drop his arm from her elbow; him fidgeting meant something had surprised him.

Thoughts ran through her head: `Don't you realize how you look at me? Wasn't that what you wanted me to see?'

She never received a response as she saw Ron coming up the stairs with Brian passed out on his shoulder and James sleepily walking up next to him.

“Devon's room?” Ron whispered and Ginny nodded, walking past Draco to open the door for her brother, thus pausing their conversation for the moment.

Walking back out to their expansive patio, Ginny noticed many of their guests with children were preparing to leave and her conversation with Draco was put on the back burner. He stood next to her, saying goodbye, shaking hands and soon it was just Ron, Samantha, Harry, Hermione, Fleur, Bill, Charlie, Katharine, Fred, Maggie, George, Lavender, Seamus and his wife Freesia along with Draco and Ginny. They sat around talking about Hogwarts, comparing notes about children, each sipping their favorite flavor of alcohol. Draco sat on the double swing next to her and occasionally bumped her as they shifted position. No one but Hermione and Samantha knew there was a rift between them as they managed to talk and insert a small laugh where appropriate. Waving her wand in the direction of someone's Muggle IPOD, Hermione set up a queue of slow songs and Ron and Samantha were the first ones up and dancing in a darkened corner of the patio.

Draco mentioned he thought he heard Devon and ducked into the house, leaving Ginny to dance with Seamus as Freesia was nine months pregnant and not moving out of her chair. As the first song faded into the second, Seamus and Freesia left and Ginny went in search of Draco, wondering if Devon was giving him a hard time or if it was just an excuse to not dance. She found him walking up the stairs with a sleeping Devon in his arms. Quietly, Ginny turned back around running full force into Hermione.

“Where is he?”

“Taking Devon upstairs.”

“Harry is dancing with Samantha and she gave me this for you. Just arrived,” Hermione held up a floral bag and Ginny peeked inside.

“A dress?”

“Apparently, you borrowed it last summer and loved it. She forgot to bring it with her this time and had Ron owl it over here. She wants you to have it for some reason. Go try it on and let me see it!” Hermione shoved the bag into her hands and a bit unsteadily made her way to the loo. Draco came back down and found his wife leaning against the wall waiting for Hermione. Pausing, wondering what she was up to, he saw Hermione come out and usher Ginny inside, both of the disappearing in there together.

“Why did they both go in there?” Ron asked coming back from checking on his son.

“Do we really want to know?” Draco gave a ghost of a smile.

“Did one of them have a bag?”

“Ginny did. Why do you ask?”

“Ah, it's a dress of Samantha's. Hermione heard how much Samantha loved it on Ginny and now she wants to see it. Apparently, Samantha doesn't like the color anymore and bought a new one.”

“A dress.”

“Yeah. Remember when Ginny came to visit for a weekend while you took the kids to your mother's to do something to her house? She borrowed it then when they went out. I'm hungry…is there any more food?”

Draco pointed to the fridge where Lavender and Katharine had stored most of the perishable food. Not wanting to seem like he was spying, Draco left and found a chair near the patio door, sat down and sipped on his beer while waiting for Ginny. Another set of slow songs started and Harry asked if anyone had seen Hermione.

“Loo,” Draco answered and heard Harry let out a low whistle as he stepped into the kitchen.

Ginny blushed as Harry raised an eyebrow at her.

“Very nice, Ginny. Why did you change?”

“Why don't you compliment me like that?” Hermione challenged Harry giving him a pointed look, but her eyes danced as alcohol freed their restraint. Harry grinned at her.

“You know I like you better naked.”

Hermione gasped and Ginny actually giggled as Harry shut his mouth, telling Ginny she looked nice once more, before he ducked into the loo himself.

Indeed when Ginny walked out onto the patio Draco caught a glimpse of her under the magical torches before Samantha descended. Indeed it was something different than she normally wore and after Samantha gave her seal of approval before being swept away by Fred for a dance, she turned and caught Draco's eye.

Again her eyes met his then looked past him at something in the shadows. The dress stirred memories of seeing her at Hogsmeade trying on dresses and he realized suddenly that this one was similar to that sixth year Christmas dance dress. Except this one was shorter--stopping right at her knees and had straps that graced her freckled shoulders. The hint of green that was in her Christmas dress shown among the blue as she moved away from the light and without realizing it he stood and followed her. The comment she made about how she couldn't look in his eyes bothered him and he realized he was feeling guilty. After exchanging words with his mother--about the fact that she thought he was acting immature and was potentially damaging a very precious relationship-- still rung in his ears.

“Ginny.”

She stopped as she reached for her wine glass where they had been sitting and turned slowly taking her glass with her. She took a sip as she faced him, and then stared down into her glass waiting for him to say something.

“You look lovely,” he said quietly and she felt her heart skip then settle back into its somewhat sluggish rhythm. She wasn't holding out much hope that he would do a one-eighty and she was tired of trying to figure out how to make him.

“Thank you. It was Samantha's,” Ginny explained, lest he thought she was throwing money away for clothes she hardly wore. “Devon okay?”

“He's fine. One of his dreams,” Draco answered his hand playing with some loose galleons in his pockets. Ginny nodded and took another sip hearing someone flip through the IPOD finding a song.

A slow chant-like refrain filled the air and Ginny heard the words, “Do you know where your heart is? Do you think you can find it?” float through the air to her ears. She had never heard this song before and for a minute she wondered if she had truly lost her heart as all Draco did was stand there, watching her.

Then without warning, he took the drink out of her hand, set it down and led her towards the edge of the patio. This time he gently took her in his arms, pressing her close to him so she had no choice but to lay her head on his shoulder. She turned her face into his neck lest anyone see the tears she knew were going to fall. The warmth of his body flowed into hers and as the words of the song swirled around them she could feel their broken connection beginning the process of re-healing.

“…Do you know where your love is?

Do you think you lost it?

You felt it so strong, but nothing's turned out how you want it

Well, bless my soul

Your lonely soul

`Cause you won't let go of anything you hold

Well, all I need is the air I breathe and a place to rest my head”

“Don't cry,” Draco whispered in her ear, his hand rubbing her back tentatively as if this was the first time he had ever held her in his arms. “Please.” His added plea at the end didn't help Ginny who felt the last two weeks of hell burst out of her. Her hands clutched his shoulders as she fought to stem the tears that were soaking his shirt.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered and wasn't entirely sure he heard her. He moved them slowly around their patch of shadow waiting for her to stop trembling in his arms. His cheek pressed against the side of her head, his arms curved around her body, holding her to him possessively. Slowly, their feet stopped moving and Ginny pressed against him, trying to relish in the familiar firmness of his body, the safety of his arms, the smell of his soap and realized she missed more than she had ever imagined.

“Do you know where your fate is?

Are you trying to shake it?

You're doing your best dance, your best look

You're praying that you'll make it”

As Ginny lifted her head, wiping tears away with her hand she caught sight of Hermione leading Harry inside and it was then she realized they were alone on the patio. How they all moved away so quietly she'll never know.

“Sorry,” Ginny apologized again, bringing up her other hand to wipe at her face. “I'm just tired,” she added lamely feeling Draco pull away slowly, his hands on her hips.

“No, don't be sorry. Not about any of this,” he began moving his hand off her hip for a moment as if to place it elsewhere. For a moment it hovered in the air, then settled back on her hip. Standing still Ginny stared at the ground, her hands to her face as she tried to regroup. Knowing he was waiting for her to look at him, she settled her hands on his arms, feeling the muscles quiver under her hands. Swallowing, she lifted her head until her eyes met his, and she struggled to not look away.

“…Do you think you can find it? Do you think you can find it better than you had it?

All I need is the air I breathe and a place to rest my head.”

His eyes locked with hers in the semi-darkness and for a moment she wondered if he had read her thoughts from earlier. His hand lifted from her hip a second time, now brushing up her arm to her shoulder then he brought it to rest against her cheek. Goosebumps broke out at the soft touch and she struggled to keep her eyes locked with his.

“There is never a lack of emotion when I look at you. I want…I need you…to believe that. I thought you were looking away thinking I was going to read your thoughts without your permission.” His voice was low, and she struggled to make it out between the words of the song that was coming to an end.

“…Do you know where the end is?

Do you think you can see it?

Well, until you get there, go on, go ahead and scream it

Just say….”

“No,” Ginny shook her head, feeling his hand push slightly against her cheek. Something made her reach up and take his hand and press a kiss into his palm, closing her eyes as his hand curled around hers and tugged her towards him. Their hands pressed into her breast, near her heart as he tentatively brushed a kiss across her temple.

“I think we need to learn to talk more about our decisions and what our thought processes were towards them,” Draco began his lips moving against her hair. Ginny nodded in agreement, her forehead rubbing against his soft shirt. Briefly she realized it was the one she bought him for Christmas her last year in school.

“I was angry because we had made the decision months earlier, together I thought, that we weren't going to get Marissa that broom. Then I come back from the store, still stressed over grading final exams, arms full of food and see Marissa suddenly fall off my broom to the ground and my first thought was “What did she hurt?” then when I saw she was okay anger set in about how she didn't listen to the rule we set up. Then on the heels of that you tell me you went ahead and bought her a broom…after I just saw her fall… .”

“I shouldn't have. I just saw the sale, saw it ended that night and figured I could talk you into believing me that she is ready. I would never put my daughter or son in harms way,” Ginny explained trying to keep her voice steady. “I wasn't thinking that it would make you think I was questioning your authority or not respecting your thoughts. I do respect you. So much, Draco. I was just excited to get her onto a faster broom so we could actually fly with her.” Lifting her head off his shoulder she briefly let go of his hand to swat at a mosquito.

His hands slid down to her shoulders, one thumb rubbing her collarbone that set off every nerve in Ginny's body. His lips pressed against her forehead and she tilted her head back, seeking his mouth. His lips touched hers and she felt a noise escape from the back of her throat as he pressed them softly to hers.

“I was a bastard, I'm sorry,” he whispered against them, snaking an arm around her waist.

“I was inconsiderate and should've talked to you again so I'm sorry too.” Her words came out fast as she twisted her arms around his neck, wanting every part of him pressing to her, filling the void she had been walking around with for two weeks. Despite the fact she could feel him hard against her, and knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him he found the strength somewhere to pull back. Inches away she could see the blue of his eyes pinning down her hazel ones.

“I love you. Ever second I look at you I know how lucky I am. There is never “no” emotion behind my eyes; that was just me trying to stay calm.”

“Okay,” Ginny breathed as his lips sought hers again, just as soft and shy as before. “Does this mean you'll sleep in our bed tonight?”

“If you'll have me,” he gave a small smile as she nipped his bottom lip. Taking his hand in hers she led him inside dousing each light as she went with a wave of her hand. Somehow everyone made themselves scarce and their bedroom door was barely shut when she felt Draco's hands spin her towards him and this time, he went about her mouth in a much more aggressive way.

Draco hummed appreciatively as Ginny lifted her dress above her head feeling his hands touch what had just been covered. Falling back towards the bed she pulled him with her, hooking her foot in his shorts and helping him kick out of them. She let his arms guide her towards the center of the bed and cried out softly as he entered her. Words tumbled off her lips before she had a chance to think about them, mingling with his mouth.

“Gods, I missed you,” Ginny arched towards him, feeling him sit back and grab her hips driving himself into her with a force she had never felt, causing her to cry out with a mixture of pain and pleasure. He curled an arm behind her and leaned down smothering her cries with his mouth, pushing her beyond her limits with bruising force.

“I'm so…so glad…,” Ginny panted trying to force words beyond their mouths.

“What?” he asked roughly, his mouth sliding up to her temple as his thighs pushed against hers, stretching her to her limits, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist.

“So glad…you're…mine!” she gasped, crying out as he shifted his weight. Her hands flew to his thighs, wanting him to move faster, but wanting the bruising movements to cease at the same time. Her words had no thought, just feeling behind them and Draco drank those words in-- liking the claim they had on each other; knowing he could never live without her. The last two weeks showed him that.

“All yours,” he panted against her lips feeling them open under his as her tremors surrounded him. Pulling back for one moment, wanting to see the love for him expressed on her face, he watched her eyes fly open and connect with his, stopping his heart for a moment with the possessiveness he saw in them. She pushed against him, wanting him to move, needing him to push one last time; throwing her over the edge her body was demanding to be taken.

“Take me,” she whispered and he searched her eyes sliding against her, watching hazel eyes flutter but stay connected to his. Her hands dug into his biceps as he moved and she gasped out her next words. “With you.”

He understood and pressing his forehead to hers pushed every emotion he was feeling deep into her mind, feeling her hands pull him towards her, nails digging into his back. Her legs suddenly locked with surprising strength around his, and she cried out his name, eyes closing for a moment then being forced open as his thoughts poured into her mind.

His timing was perfect; fastening his lips over hers and shifting his hips in a small movement, her breathy cries entered his mouth as they curled into one another; stress suddenly snapping free as they fought to extend the shudders that raced through their bodies and minds.

Languidly they sighed and slowly felt their limbs, bodies and souls relax against one another. As she let her fingertips trace the dip of Draco's back their conversation on the patio came back to her. She realized she never echoed his sentiment. Pressing her lips to his ear as he nuzzled her neck she whispered, “I love you. Always.” She felt the first real smile of Draco's, in two weeks, curve against her shoulder.

“That could be a long time.”

“Not longer than these last two weeks.”

Nodding in agreement, Draco kissed her shoulder and slid off her, neither one giving a thought to what they should have learned way back in Astronomy class.

This year, the middle of July, when there was a full moon increased your chances of conceiving more than one child. And it wasn't until August when Ginny got to break the news to Draco that she was sure child number three was on the way.

At that point, she had no way of knowing it would be three on the way.

**********

A/N: the song they danced to was by “OneRepublic” called “Say (All I Need)”. Awesome album; check it out on your favorite download site!

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Chapter 6

The next morning gave way to rain and low clouds but as Ginny woke up encircled in Draco’s arms she realized it was the best morning she had in two weeks. He was spooned up against her, his chest rising and falling against her back. Relishing in the closeness she let her mind wander back to the previous night, making a mental note to thank Hermione and her cousin for throwing the party. Stretching and blinking sleep out of her eyes, she realized that it felt later than normal. Were the kids still sleeping? They had a late night so she wouldn’t be surprised if they were.

Her eyes fell upon a note slid under the bedroom door. Reaching slowly towards her wand on the nightstand, she accio’d the note to her and carefully broke the seal. From Hermione; it said that she and Harry managed to corral Marissa and Devon before they woke up their sleeping parents and they were eating breakfast with their cousin and Brian.

Feeling her stomach grumble with hunger, she carefully she slid out of Draco’s embrace, freezing in her tracks when he muttered something and turned over, sheets sliding down to his hips.

It was then that she realized for the first time in two weeks she was seeing him, in the light, without his shirt and he had built up quite a bit of muscle. Her eyes followed the contour of his back, arms and shoulders while adding up all the projects he had done around the house to help diffuse his anger. He built the play-set for the kids, built a bookcase for Marissa’s room and helped the elderly Muggle neighbors up the street patch a wooden fence. All that heavy lifting and new found love of woodwork had given way to a body that Ginny was hardly familiar with.

‘No,’ she told herself firmly, feeling a bit sore from last night. ‘Do not wake him. Go eat.’

She made herself presentable and quickly slipped out of the room, the image of her husband on the edge of her thoughts. A small smile played on her face as she entered the kitchen which was bustling; eggs, coffee, sausage, bacon and toast were either being eaten or doled out by the adults.

“Mummy!” Devon smiled waving a piece of bacon at her. A second later he turned and continued listening to Brian talk about what their new house was going to look like when it was done.

“Ginny, good morning,” Hermione smiled and Ginny couldn’t help but smile back. “Everything okay?”

“Wonderful, thank you,” Ginny nodded, pouring herself a cup of coffee and sitting down in the chair Marissa just vacated. Samantha had bought a TV, against Ginny’s protests, and on vacation the children were allowed one hour a day. Marissa chose to watch cartoons in the morning so she scampered into the living room barely aware her mother was now seated.

“Stay up late?” Samantha asked winking at her then jumping as Ron kicked her under the table.

“Don’t need to hear that!” he mumbled with his mouthful of egg.

“We’re all adults Ron. She knows that you,” Samantha glanced at Brian who was still at the table, “that we’ve done it. At least twice, since we have two children!” Samantha retorted rolling her eyes. Ron shook his head and concentrated on his plate.

“Can I go watch the telly with Marissa?” four year old Brian asked Harry, who gave him permission. Brian ran into the living room followed by Devon and soon it was just the adults sans Draco.

“I guess you wore him out,” Harry joked, noticing that Ginny came down alone.

“I don’t think he slept well the past two weeks.” Ginny stretched as she eyed the food on the counter. Waving off Hermione’s help she made her way to the counter to fill her plate.

Harry laughed at something Ron read him from the paper and the soft chatter of her two good friends seemed like music to her ears. Ginny felt renewed, happier than she had in a long time. Drifting off to sleep last night she came to the very mature realization that she and Draco still had issues to work out; some of them you couldn’t prepare for until they happened.

Feeling a hand come to rest on the small of her back she turned, surprised to see Draco standing there in his pajama bottoms and t-shirt. A blush crept its way to her neck as she glanced down at his well defined arm. She saw his mouth turn up a bit at the corner noticing her slightly pink face.

“Good morning. Would you like a plate?” Ginny smiled and gestured to the array of food on their counter. His arm pulled her closer, turning her towards him.

“Would love one,” he answered. Hesitating for a moment he dipped his head and kissed her softly on the mouth. After the blood stopped pounding in her ears, Ginny noticed how quiet it was when he pulled away. They stared at each other for a moment and then he slid his hand off her back took an empty plate from the stack and began putting a bit of everything on his plate.

It took a moment for Ginny to realize what had just happened; Draco had kissed her in front of her friends. The last time he had done that was at their wedding. She knew her friends had noticed it because, even though Harry and Ron were now talking about Quidditch, her girlfriends’ eyes met hers and for some reason Ginny couldn’t help the giggle that came out of her mouth as she slid into her seat.

“Well,” Samantha whispered as Draco pulled open their fridge searching for something. “That was impressive.”

“Surprising,” Ginny murmured. “Maybe his way of saying everything is okay, ‘now back off, everyone’.” Samantha laughed quietly.

“You looked dazed,” Hermione laughed and Ginny nodded. She felt dazed and happy all at once, but she wouldn’t trade those feelings for the world.

She ate her breakfast quietly, feeling her husband’s presence next to her. What she really wanted to do was talk to Hermione and Samantha and tell them that their party had worked. Draco’s leg against hers kept her quiet until Marissa came walking through the kitchen.

Marissa stopped as she caught site of her father sitting at the table. Ginny could see the hesitation in her eyes, trying to assess what kind of mood he was in. It wasn’t fair that it had gotten to that point for a three year old to be scared of him and Ginny could sense Draco was quickly working out the solution in his mind.

“Do you want something, love?” Ginny asked Marissa (who walked the long way around the table to her mother, to avoid her father).

“Another piece of bacon?” she whispered leaning on Ginny’s lap. Ginny had finished all of hers and was fairly sure Draco had taken the last few pieces.

“Here, Marissa. Three is enough for me,” Draco held his piece out over Ginny’s plate and as Ginny pulled Marissa up into her lap, she saw her daughter’s hand slowly reach out and take it.

“Thank you,” she whispered, as if afraid that saying anything louder would set him off. He took it in stride and glanced over his shoulder.

“What is it doing outside, Marissa?” he asked calmly. Marissa glanced out the window.

“Raining.” Her voice was still soft. She slowly munched on the bacon strip, quite intrigued to see where this was going.

“I don’t think we’ll need to stay inside all day, especially since we have a canopy that goes over the whole patio. I’m thinking that after we eat and get dressed we should go out there.” Draco speared some egg and chewed away as Marissa processed what he said. Ginny had no idea where he was going with his line of thinking, but stayed quiet aware that four other people were thinking the same thing and following her lead.

“And do what?” Marissa finally asked, letting Ginny wipe the grease off her fingers.

“I think it would be a good time to practice on your broom.”

Ginny’s heart leapt up into her throat and she had to concentrate on not clapping with excitement. Marissa however was still confused.

“Daddy! I know how to ride my broom. Quite well, in fact.”

Ron snorted in amusement, listening to his niece sounding like a Malfoy.

“That’s what I’ve been hearing. Although, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you on it, so maybe you can show me just how well you can ride.”

Ginny pressed her face into Marissa’s hair, trying not to laugh in relief knowing where the line of conversation was going.

“That won’t take long. Then what will we do?” Marissa asked matter-of-factly, her voice growing stronger as she realized her father was actually having a conversation with her instead of getting angry.

“Well, depending on how well you do and listen to directions, there may be an intermediate broom for you to try.” Draco’s eyes slid to Ginny’s but she couldn’t meet them, keeping them closed as she struggled to keep her composure.

“Mummy, stop,” Marissa reached up and pushed Ginny’s cheek away gently away from where it was resting on her head. “Really? You have one of them? For me?” her attention was now fully on her father. Without waiting for an answer she jumped down running into the living room to share her bit of news.

“Uh-oh,” Ron muttered knowing what was going to come next.

“On that note, I’m going to go get a shower!” Draco hurriedly downed his juice and snuck out of the kitchen before a chorus of voices and stampeding feet came running into the kitchen asking their respective parent for an intermediate broom, demanding it wasn’t fair.

---

Twenty minutes later Ginny found herself on the sofa talking to Hermione and Samantha while Harry and Ron worked on cleaning the kitchen and the kids ran around the house trying to find the broom which was actually hidden out in the shed.

“He apologized?”

“He did. So did I. I guess I never thought of what arguments we’d have until we had one. And I tell you, I don’t want to go through that again.” Ginny ran her hands through her hair, stretching her legs out on the sofa. She still wasn’t dressed and was contemplating going up and getting a shower when she heard Draco’s voice calling her.

“I’m down here!” Ginny’s back was to the stairs but she heard him come out of their room Samantha and Hermione’s faces suddenly stopped in mid-sentence and were both just staring at a spot above and behind Ginny. Turning around on the sofa she saw Draco standing at the top of the stairs in only a pair of dark blue shorts, arms casually crossed on the railing. Now she could understand why her friends were staring. Draco was rarely one to walk around without a shirt. No one had ever seen what was under one, unless they were swimming at The Burrow which wasn’t very often.

“Damn,” Samantha whispered in awe and Ginny blinked, wondering if her husband knew that he had made three women speechless just by the fact he was showing off a very well defined chest and a pair of muscular arms. Added to that--wet hair that was a few shades darker than his normal dry hair made his eyes even bluer.

Clearing her throat and trying to steady her breathing Ginny heard him ask if she knew something pertaining to a shirt.

“Go,” Hermione hissed. “For goodness sake, go and show him where the sodding shirt is and take all the time you need to do it!”

“Umm, I think I know where it is, Draco. Let me see.” Ginny jumped off the sofa not needing anymore prodding. Quickly she ran up the stairs faster than her normal clip and led him into their bedroom, not caring how sore she may be at that moment.

---

“I’m pretty sure, Draco. I’m a week late.”

“You were never on time, unless that has changed and you never said anything,” Draco responded, holding up two white shirts and trying to figure out which one was less wrinkled.

“They were both just washed and de-wrinkled. Pick one! And, no, I’m still not regular. But, I feel the same as I did with Marissa and Devon. Tired, hungry, and then nauseous.” Ginny finished buttoning up her shirt then turned to her husband, holding out his cloak for him to shrug into.

“Don’t jump to conclusions yet. Go see a healer and let them tell you.” Draco shoved the shirt he wasn’t wearing back into the closet then quickly turned to his wife. Kissing her on the forehead he held her for a moment.

“I have to go meet everyone at Hogwarts. Let me know when I get home what they say, okay?”

“Yeah, sure.” Ginny sighed a bit upset that he didn’t offer to go with her to the Healer’s. This could be the very moment they find out baby number three was on the way.

“Or,” Draco said easily understanding her tone, “I can try and make it back for lunch which will be around one or so.”

“Okay, thanks,” Ginny stood on her toes and kissed him, her hand moving until it rested on a small blond head that came crashing into her legs. “Have fun at your meeting.”

Draco nodded, patted Devon on the head and was gone before Devon was even fully aware that his father had been in the room.

“Ready for breakfast?” Ginny asked, her stomach turning slightly at the thought.

“Yogurt!” Devon yawned, stretching out his arms so Ginny would pick him up. She took him downstairs and began setting out Marissa’s breakfast as well.

School was beginning to start up again slowly. Two more weeks until the semester started and the pre-term meetings had begun yesterday. They were hammering out the class schedule for the upcoming year, making up Quidditch schedules and making sure everything was in order for the new first years.

As the morning fell into lunchtime, Ginny managed to squeeze herself in for an appointment to coincide with Draco’s return from lunch. Asking his mother to watch the children (no excuse was needed as Narcissa enjoyed being with them at anytime) she apparated to St. Mungo’s waiting room, seeing Draco lounging easily in a chair waiting for her arrival.

Gracefully, he unfolded himself from the chair and a few wizard and witches heads turned, as if realizing for the first time that he was in the room. Quietly, they walked down towards the area Hermione worked in and were surprised to see someone else in her place.

“She went home sick. I think that was the first time I have ever seen her take off,” Healer Jones said as he introduced himself to the Malfoys. “Right this way for your exam.”

“Where are the kids?” Draco murmured to Ginny as he guided her down the hall.

“Your mother’s,” Ginny whispered back, turning into the room Healer Jones pointed to.

“Okay, Mrs. Malfoy. Looking at your chart and knowing your profession, you know what we need to do. So, just lay still and let me get a reading with my wand.” Healer Jones took it out and less than a second after aiming it toward her stomach, it glowed. “Pregnant, now let’s see how far.”

Ginny’s eyes locked with Draco’s. He was watching her with an air of ambivalence that only she knew as an act. His eyes flicked to her stomach, back to her face and a ghost of a smile touched the corner of his mouth.

“Well, Mrs. Malfoy. Going back the date of your last menstrual period, you are seven weeks and a day. About three weeks and a day into the pregnancy. But, you remember what this past July was, around the time of conception?”

Ginny looked at Healer Jones blankly, trying to understand what he was asking,.

“It was hot?” Draco asked and Ginny laughed at his rare ability to make a joke.

“Well, yes, but also it was a full moon, at the end of July and it is an even year. Also, since it was unseasonably hot, that is all the more reason to do a Muggle sonogram to see if you are pregnant with triplets.” Healer Jones as Draco slapped his forehead.

“Shit! I forgot all about that. We learned that in seventh year Astronomy!” Draco groaned softly, burying his face in his hands for a moment; kicking himself for not remembering that odd piece of information. Ginny never took that class as a seventh year so she didn’t learn it.

“I don’t know if I even remember learning that in my Healer’s courses,” Ginny said faintly watching Healer Jones pull out a machine from a closet in the room.

“Yes, well. We don’t come across it very often, but I have delivered, in my thirty years of being a Healer, two sets of triplets all conceived within days of each other, different even numbered years, so I do have some experience,” he rambled on, setting up the machine which Ginny was vaguely familiar with. He pulled her shirt up slightly and Draco scooted closer, intrigued by this different type of examination.

The first thing they saw was a black and gray mass. Scratching and bumping sounds came out of the speaker on the side of the ultrasound machine and finally the Healer found the appropriate spot.

A slight thumping sound of Ginny’s own heartbeat filled the room as her eyes traveled around the screen. But the healer was faster than her--making movements with one hand and typing things in with another.

“Well?” Draco asked impatiently.

The Healer moved the ultrasound wand to a low spot on Ginny’s abdomen and let the image come into focus. His long finger pointed to the black and white screen.

“One here, another next to it and one a bit lower on the left side of the uterine wall. Now anything can happen in the next three months, but for now, I have to congratulate you on triplets. And they don’t look to be identical, if that is any help to you.”

Ginny felt the blood roar in her ears and found her hand being squeezed, hard by Draco’s. Something the doctor was saying brought her back to the present as she blinked away the spots before her eyes.

“I’d like to see you in another three weeks. We should be able to see the fetuses more clearly at that point. Until then, I know you know what to do to take care of yourself, Mrs. Malfoy.”

“Indeed,” Ginny whispered her eyes moving around Draco’s face as he stared at the monitor. This was one of those rare times she couldn’t read what he was thinking and it unnerved her a bit.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny was still struggling to comprehend she was carrying three babies. Draco kissed her in the waiting room and disapparated back to his meetings. He seemed as distracted as she did. Ginny knew she couldn’t meet Devon and Marissa’s demands until she got control of herself so she made the decision to check up on Hermione. She had never known her to be sick and it gave her something else to think about for the moment.

And it was there that Ginny found Hermione staring into a cup of tea with a dazed look upon her face similar to Draco’s. Little puzzle pieces began to click together in Ginny’s head about the week they spent in Spain. And it was then that Ginny found out that Hermione’s triplets were due only days apart from her own.

Together they had a good cry, then a good laugh over what was to come their way.

Chapter 7—“They Come in Three”

“Another round, if you please!” Draco held up his bottle then let it clank back down to the table.

“I think I'm done,” Harry answered stifling a burp.

“So not fair,” Hermione sighed watching her husband and Draco drink it up.

“This wasn't what we had in mind to celebrate being pregnant with triplets, Draco.” Ginny ducked as he reached out to pat her cheek.

“This is our last outing, I'm sure,” he hiccupped, “with school, holidays, birthdays all coming up.” Draco traded in his empty bottle for the full one that appeared in front of him. Ginny rolled her eyes in mock exasperation, her mind moving to the slight fluttering she was now feeling in her curved belly. Officially, she was twelve weeks, but looked almost five months pregnant. Hermione was the same and they had begun feeling movement around the same time.

They chatted about the Christmas season coming up and what they were going to buy the children. Sneaking a look at her watch, Ginny noticed it was close to 10pm.

“Draco, we need to get going. Lavender and George are probably ready to go home now.”

“Right,” Draco made a move to stand up, stumbled and collapsed into Harry's lap.

“Guess we get to help them home,” Hermione stood up and together she and Ginny pulled Draco off an almost comatose Harry. “Let's go boys. Back home we go!”

The girls threw money down to cover their dinner and bill and left the “Swinging Broomsticks” restaurant holding tightly to their husbands arms.

Ginny insisted to George and Lavender she could take care of her husband. After a quick hug, a few smart remarks about Draco's drinking habits, George left holding onto his almost one year old son and Lavender's hand.

Ginny struggled with Draco, then finally pulled out her wand, used a lightening charm and helped him up the stairs . He was babbling about something, saying how Fred and George looked a lot alike. Ginny didn't try to explain her brothers were twins. She let him ramble enjoying the relaxed Draco which hardly ever reared its head.

“You know,” Draco interjected into his own conversation.

“What?” Ginny unpinned her hair and ran a brush through it, watching him struggle with his shoes.

“You have the most wonderful chest when you're pregnant.”

For a moment, Ginny paused in her movements not quite sure what to say. True, with this pregnancy she had gotten bigger faster. Draco always seemed to enjoy all of her. Never had he singled out a body part and made a comment on it.

“Well, it won't last that long after the pregnancy. I'm not nursing triplets.”

“I should enjoy it while I can,” he smiled, his blue gray eyes bright with drink and mischief.

“Behave, Draco Malfoy,” Ginny laughed changing into her nightshirt, aware of his eyes on her. “No more firewhiskey for you.”

“It's not bad after the fourth one or so,” Draco sighed, wrapping an arm around her waist as she slid under the covers next to him.

“I'll take your word for it.” Ginny touched the back of Draco's hand as he rubbed her stomach in small circular motions. Her heart quickened as his hand slid over her nightshirt then cradled her breast in his hand. He mumbled something which Ginny thought was the word “nice” but her concentration wavered as he gently copied the same motion there that he had on her stomach.

“Draco-.”

“Shh,” he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, causing shivers to race down her spine. Ginny didn't even realize she was pressing into his hand until her hips slid back against his. “Let me know if anything hurts or is uncomfortable.”

The hand that wasn't leaving her speechless slid under her neck and wrapped around her shoulders pinning her against him. Apparently, he wasn't so drunk he couldn't be in the mood judging by what she felt against her rear. Heat raced to a burning flame inside her and a cry escaped her throat as anticipation swirled around her. His hand was doing wonderful movements against her sensitive breasts. Trying to turn so she could kiss him, his hand tightened against her shoulder, bringing her back to reality for a moment. She wasn't sure when his hand had left her breast, but now it was on her waist, working the boxers she wore to bed down off her thighs.

“Draco!” Ginny gasped, feeling his hand press into her thigh. She tried to angle herself closer to him, for him to finish what he had started.

“It's okay.” His voice was rough against her ear and his tenderness enveloped her.

Pounding blood reverberated in her ears, letting through a few words she understood. “Read…about this…comfortable. Trust me.” She wondered what he meant. Soon, she found out. His arms curved around her, forcing her to her stomach, which wasn't comfortable to lie on anymore.

“I can't lie like this,” Ginny whispered. With pressure from his hands, she began to understand what position he was thinking of. She had read about it, especially in the pregnancy magazines. Being on her hands and knees in her bed wasn't something she had particularly thought of doing with Draco.

Before she could voice her concerns, his hands settled on her hips- fingers stroking her lightly making her breath and body tremor uncontrollably.

“Trust me, Gin,” he breathed and before she could answer, he pushed into her creating a friction and movement she had never felt before. Like anything new, it took them a minute to figure out what to do and when, but soon Ginny grasping their pillows in a death grip, trying hard not to yell out. Draco didn't have the same thoughts about the lack of wards put up and with an uncharacteristic yell he pulled her hard back against him, fingers digging into her hips. She arched back against him, biting her lip so she wouldn't scream as she wanted.

A flush heated Ginny's face as their pace began to slow, as their breathing began to even out. Expertly, she thought, he pulled back and lowered her to her side, her stomach now covering his hip and kissed her softly. His fingers traced the contours of her face he kissed her, coaxing her tongue to meet his. She could taste fire whiskey on his breath but didn't mind. Her body throbbed, her stomach was tight in a rather pleasurable way; Ginny Malfoy just had the best sex of her life and only her husband mattered at that moment.

---

Too bad Draco didn't remember their moment. When Ginny awoke to a child tugging at her arm, she realized Draco was already up and in the shower.

“Mummy. I'm hungry.”

“Okay Devon. Go ahead downstairs. I'll be there in a minute.” Moving gingerly, due to pregnancy and unaccustomed soreness, she wrapped herself in a robe and shuffled downstairs. Marissa was already coloring in a book at the dining room table and Devon was attempting to use wandless magic to bring down a box of biscuits from the top pantry shelf.

“Have a seat young man,” Ginny kissed the top of his blond head, did the same to Marissa and got them set up for breakfast. Draco came in buttoning his shirt and looking like he hadn't drank anything the night before.

“Morning,” he smiled and kissed her on the mouth. A flush rose up into Ginny's cheeks as she remembered what they did and how they did it last night.

“You're blushing.” Draco touched her cheek, cocking an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Last night,” she whispered, leaning into his hug.

“Why are you blushing about last night?”

Ginny pushed back, hands resting on his chest as she searched his eyes. He looked calm but his eyebrows were pulled down slightly. His version of being confused.

“You…you don't remember?”

“I remember falling down into Potter's lap. Hermione saying something, then vaguely remember using the loo when we got home. That's about it. Why?”

“Ah…Merlin…umm…later, Draco,” Ginny hurriedly whispered turning to get the kids some juice.

“Must've been something…interesting if you blush when I kiss you.”

“What does `blush' mean?” Devon asked and Ginny stopped in midstep. Cutting Draco a look she shook her head. He just shrugged, bent in to kiss her again and quietly told her she was going to tell him. Soon.

How do you tell your husband that last night was the best sex of your young life, explain why and have him believe you? For the next hour as Draco went flying, and as she got the kids dressed and set up to work on their writing, she thought about what she was going to say.

She heard Draco apparate outside on the porch and knew he would be questioning her. Just the thought of talking to him about it made her blush even more.

“Damn, Ginny. I can see your blush all the way up your neck. Let's go into the den and you can tell me what is embarrassing you so much,” Draco touched the small of her back, but turned towards their children sitting on the floor.

“Devon, Marissa.” Two pairs of eyes turned up from their puzzle and fixed on their father. “I need to talk to your mum in private. You remember the rules about that.”

“Yes, daddy. Come get you if someone floos, owls or is bleeding.”

“Or someone comes to the door,” Devon added.

“Right,” he patted them on their head and pointed out a puzzle piece that fit into the border they were working on.

“Okay, tell me.” Draco demanded as soon as his office door was closed.

“Ummm…well,” Ginny felt tiny kicks inside her and reflexively her hand when to her stomach.

“Ummm…well…what? Did I say something that is going to embarrass us?”

“No. Not at all. This is…,” Ginny buried her face in her hands, thankful they were cool to help quench the warmth of her cheeks.

“Just tell me step by step,” Draco coerced, his hand pulling hers down from her face.

Taking a deep breath she began rehashing their dinner, how she apparated him back to the house and Hermione took care of Harry. How she used a lightening charm to help him up the stairs. She told the story softly, until she got to the part about his hand moving up the front of her.

“I said that about…about your chest?” Draco looked at her in surprise and saw she was blushing again. She couldn't lie about what she was saying—about what they did.

“So…I actually…said I read about that? I mean, I know I have. You leave those magazines lying around and occasionally I'll flip through it,” Draco stuttered, shocked he didn't remember last night.

“Yeah, and well…I have to say if there is any way I can make you remember let me know.”

“I'm sure there is,” he mused, eyes narrowing. “So…are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” Ginny gave him a small smile still feeling bashful about having such an open conversation with him.

“How was it?”

She took a deep breath her eyes flicking down to his shoulder, as she gathered her wits about her,then back up to his face.

“The best ever.”

He stared at her, eyes probing and she saw what he was trying to do.

“May I?” he whispered, taking her into his arms. Nodding slightly she locked eyes with him and guided him into her mind from the moment she laid down next to him in the bed.

It was strange, unnerving and…tingly…letting him into her private thoughts. She felt his heart quicken under her hand; felt his hands tighten around the small of her back.

“Merlin,” he breathed, his face close to hers. Reliving their moment again and feeling his response caused her to press against him, pressing her lips against his as her eyes stayed locked with his.

“At least you didn't yell out his name,” Ginny whispered against Draco's mouth, feeling him press into her.

“I can't believe I yelled.” His voice was hoarse and muffled as he let his lips slide down her throat. “But, yet I can.”

“It was different.” Ginny let her head tilt back and for the next twenty minutes let herself become completely absorbed with her husband, cringing only slightly as he took her against his desk. Definitely remembering this time.

-----

Months later…

“I have to say, I find it amusing that you had absolutely no morning sickness what so ever with three babies in there.”

“I think I deserve that, don't you?” Ginny asked groaning happily as Draco rubbed her right foot delicately between his hands.

“Of course. I was just making an observation.”

“I know. I wonder, though, since I haven't felt sick, what the delivery will be like.”

“As long as you don't get struck by lightning after you deliver.” Hermione piped up from the couch next to them. She was balancing a magazine on her large stomach waiting for Harry to return home from a late night meeting. Her hand was absently making circles around the magazine and Ginny noticed over the past hour, Hermione hadn't moved much, nor said much of anything.

Carefully, Draco set down Ginny's leg heeding a call from Devon upstairs.

Bedtime had happened and trying to get Devon and Brian to sleep wasn't proving as easy as they thought.

“Hermione, are you okay?” Ginny struggled to sit up watching Hermione's dark eyes flutter shut.

“I think I'm in labor.”

“Want me to check?” Ginny pushed herself off the couch, caught her balance and found her wand on the end table. Before she could even wave it in her friend's general direction, Hermione jerked and managed to push the magazine to the floor.

“Dammit, I think my water just broke.”

“I'm owling Harry.”

“You can't. He'll be home soon.”

“I can, and I will. He'll kill you if he knew you waited much longer to go to the hospital.” Ginny shuffled over to Draco's den and scribbled a note for their owl to carry to Hogwarts.

By the time she had shut the window against the damp early spring air, Draco was at her side questioning whether to take Hermione to St. Mungo's or if they should wait for Harry.

Ignoring Hermione's protests, Ginny sent Draco to the Potters to collect Hermione's overnight bag. Ginny performed a quick exam on Hermione and was told through a series of complicated movements, she was already halfway to the pushing stage. Thoughts ran through Ginny's head on how long Hermione had felt her contractions until she had caught on. `Not a very observant friend', Ginny scolded herself.

A pop announced Harry's arrival. He looked flustered; it was almost four years since he had gone through this and Ginny could see the concern replacing confusion as he assessed the situation.

“Let me know ASAP,” Ginny demanded patting Hermione's shoulder.

“We will. Thanks,” Harry murmured, wrapping an arm around his wife's middle and a second later they were gone.

“Well.” Draco stared at the spot Harry and Hermione just disappeared from.

“I'm sure we'll be next.” Ginny felt someone move inside her, then settle down. Her feet were already killing her so carefully she lowered herself into their new chair. One big enough to fit her, Devon and Marissa so she could read to them in comfort.

“Are we taking bets on what she'll have?” Draco asked trying to keep his wife's thoughts off their impending difficult birth.

“I keep saying two girls and a boy.”

“I saw three girls.”

“Poor Harry.” Ginny smiled slightly, and moved over a bit so Draco could sit next to her.

“I'm glad we know what sex our babies are. I can't imagine coming up with six different names. Rather, 12 if you add in middle names.”

“Agreed. But, Hermione wanted Harry to have some say in the pregnancy. He didn't want to know. I know it's been killing her, but in the end all that matters is that they are healthy.”

“Six weeks early is okay for triplets?”

“Should be.” Ginny murmured, resting her head against Draco's shoulder. She didn't remember falling asleep until she felt a kiss against her temple.

“Wake up, Gin.”

“What?” Ginny shifted and blinked against the dim light. The clock said 1am and she saw Draco flutter a piece of paper into her lap. Pushing herself up into a sitting position she read Harry's familiar handwriting.

“We welcome, today March 29, Laura Jane: 10:15pm, 3 lbs 10 oz, Taryn Lily: 10:20pm 3 lbs 14 oz, and Kirstin Hannah 11:01pm 3 lbs 13 oz. All are well. Birth didn't have any complications. Will call on you later tomorrow morning. ~Harry, Hermione and big brother Brian.”

----

“They are small.” Marissa noted peering over the window at Brian's baby sisters.

“They are. Your new brothers and sister will be like that too.”

“Can I hold them?”

“Not them. But, when mum has our babies you and Devon can hold them.” Draco shifted Marissa to one hip as he balanced Devon on the other.

“When can we see mommy?”

“In just a few minutes. They have to measure her stomach and give her and the babies a check up.”

As if on a cue, a healer motioned to Draco from behind the desk and led the three Malfoys into Ginny's exam room. He saw her face move from happiness, to uneasiness to a smile to calm her children.

“It's okay Draco, don't look so concerned. The healer said the babies are getting to the point where we may want to think about inducing me. The girl is getting big and taking up a lot of space and one of the boys' fluid is low.”

“Ah.” Draco set down Marissa and Devon who were distracted by the healer offering them a treat.

“I'll take them out to get a drink while you talk.”

“Thanks,” Ginny smiled, then turned her eyes to her husband.

“Everyone is okay?”

“For now.”

“For how long?” Draco asked sharply, stress beginning to settle upon him. It was April first and even though the end of the school year was months away, he was dealing with a hard schedule, difficult Quidditch team, a three and two year old. Ginny squeezed his hand.

“We need to deliver soon. I can feel their movements slowing down. We're five weeks early. They're over three and a half pounds each.”

“Okay. Just tell me what you need me to do.” Draco left the decision to his wife, knowing she knew more than he did when it came to babies.

Ginny felt a sense of calmness wash over her as she saw Draco mentally preparing for what was to come. She gave him instructions on who was to watch Devon and Marissa. She told him where her overnight bag was. With a soft kiss he left to do as she asked, knowing that in a few hours their life was going change and their family double in size.

A Cesarean Section was needed, according to the healers. Their daughter was lying sideways and nothing would turn her head down.

Hours later, Ginny felt the familiar tugging and pulling as the healers began moving the baby around to pull her out into the world.

“Here we go…beautiful baby girl!” An intern held the baby over the drapes set up around Ginny and she could only smile as her second daughter wailed away. She was tiny and had a head of dark hair. A minute later baby boy #1 was presented followed by baby boy #2. It took Ginny some urging to get Draco to leave her in the hands of skilled Healers and for him to follow the babies.

“Don't forget to let Hermione and everyone know!” she called out blowing him a kiss as well as she could.

He nodded still in a daze and followed three small rolling carts into the premature wing. The one his mother had set up years ago.

For once, everything went normally. Ginny recovered for an hour and then was wheeled to the nursery so she could touch her triplets. They all slept, tiny bottles and tubes set up around them. Their magical properties already evident according to one healer.

“Baby boy 2 was wailing when we were weighing him and somehow made a stack of thermometers fall over. You have some powerful children, Mrs. Malfoy.” Ginny could only nod as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

Her daughter had dark hair which she was certain would change to blond. Her heaviest son was bald, just like Devon and her other son had the blond fuzz that Marissa had. They were skinny, small, but breathing well on their own. Only able to squeeze Draco's hand she communicated that she was happy, and relieved.

“Did you send out a note?”

“We kind of need to have names don't you think?”

“I like the ones we originally picked out.”

“Fine by me.” Draco paused, his hand resting on Ginny's shoulder. “They're so small.”

“Only for a bit. They'll grow and soon be three years old and giving us hell.”

“Well, I wouldn't trade it for anything.”

“Me either.” Ginny smiled up at him and he smiled back, bent and kissed her.

“Thank you. For beautiful children, for helping me become the man I wanted.”

Ginny could only nod, touched by his sincerity.

Later that night, as everyone but Draco slept he scratched out a note, made copies and sent it to all the family members and friends on the list Ginny created days earlier.

“Everyone: The Malfoy's welcome Erin Chrystine: 4 lbs 4 ozs at 4:22pm, Derek Thomas: 3 lbs 10 ozs at 4:23 pm and Dixon Xavier 3 lbs 4 ozs at 4:25pm today, April 1^st. All are well and were born via Cesarean Section. Ginny will begin accepting visitors tomorrow afternoon. ~ Draco, Ginny, Marissa & Devon.”

---

A/N: I finally updated! I have one more chapter in mind, then I believe this story may be over. I hope everyone enjoyed it; I had fun getting back into it. As for “Accio Life”? I think I will have to reread the whole thing so I can make sure the last few chapters have the correct information in them. That will take some time! Thanks so much for your support, comments and for reading! ~ JG

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