Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter Universe, nor am I getting paid.
Huge thanks to Aerileigh, the awesome beta for her skills.
~~~~~~~~
"I can't believe you and Draco are going on a vacation together on your birthday." Hermione Weasley stared at her friend as if the redhead was completely crazy for even thinking about doing such a thing. "It would be okay if you told your family where you were going. But to lie to them? And of all things, a baker's convention?"
"The last thing I want to do right now is put it in anyone's head that Draco and I are dating," Ginny replied calmly to her friend. She unpacked another shopping bag of clothes, the result of a Muggle shopping expedition with Hermione and Luna.
Luna laid back on her friend's bed, her hand resting on her large belly. "I don't understand why you two aren't dating. It's as clear as a Dinkimister's eyebrow that the two of you belong together."
"Should I even ask?" Hermione queried from her seat at Ginny's vanity.
Ginny shook her head with a smile. "I think it would be best to just leave that one alone."
"Doesn't this remind you of something?" Luna sat up on her elbows with a dreamy smile.
Hermione laughed, pressing a hand to her burgeoning belly. "Our last year at Hogwarts when we were packing to go on Christmas vacation?"
"Except at that point I was wondering how to get Harry to go on a date with me, not packing for a vacation that is sure to be painfully emotional with the father of my child," Ginny commented. She held up a paisley dress. "Why did I buy this one?"
"It was on sale," Luna said airily. "That's all semantics though, Ginny. I'm just happy I have girlfriends to do this with again. I was sort of lonely having only Pansy, not like she didn't provide enough entertainment for me. But other from her I only had those dumb society women."
"It does feel good to be back together again," Hermione responded. "Painfully emotional? Does that mean you've finally realized it?"
"Realized what?" Ginny spelled the dresses from her shopping trip to fold themselves.
"That you love him," Hermione exclaimed with a wave of her hand. "Honestly, the two of you are thicker than Ron."
"I resent that," Ginny said. She joined Luna on her bed with a heavy sigh. "I do love him. I don't know how I ended up falling in love with someone who doesn't love me."
A knock sounded at the door, jarring the three women out of their thoughts. Ginny called for the person to enter, and was surprised to see Draco standing there. He took one look at the three women in the room, shook his head, and promptly turned around. His actions sent the three occupants of Ginny's room into a fit of giggles. It was almost comical to see Draco back out of the room with a near frightened look upon his face. It was clear he did not want to interrupt whatever discussion the three were having. Ginny went after him anyway.
"Did you need something?" Ginny asked.
"My question was answered by the clothes on your bed, the unpacked clothes," he said with a shake of his head. "I never understand why women wait until the last minute. Mother never packs her things for vacation until hours before we leave."
"I have until tomorrow morning at seven, right?" Ginny crossed her arms. "Why did you have to pick such an early time?"
Draco smirked. "I want to see if you're a morning person or not."
"I don't think you'll like the answer very much," Ginny said. "So, are you going to tell me where we're going yet? I would like to give my family a general idea of my location."
"In case I decide to kill you?" Draco asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"The thought hadn't crossed my mind, but yes, now that you mention it," Ginny joked.
"We'll be on an island off the coast of Spain," Draco said, answering her original question. "My family has owned it for several centuries now. I sent some of our house elves ahead to get it ready for our arrival."
Ginny gaped at him in shock. "You have your own island?"
"I thought that was common knowledge," Draco said with an air of curiosity.
"No, it isn't. Now, I better get back to packing." Ginny cocked her head to the side with a smile. "I'll see you at your house tomorrow at seven."
"Don't be late," he said mockingly as he disappeared on the spot.
"He's allowed to Apparate in and out?"
The smile was still on Ginny's face as she nodded yes to Hermione. "He doesn't like to Floo with Serena."
"You do know that love is practically radiating off you in waves?" Hermione stood in Ginny's bedroom doorway, a hand on her stomach, a smile on her face.
Ginny pressed a hand to her heated cheek, wondering if she was that obvious. "Let's just leave this discussion. I can't quite handle it yet."
"Let's go finish packing then," Hermione said sympathetically. "I wish I could be there when Draco sees you in that one bikini. You might be able to reenact your cave dream."
"You might have to hide his reaction from Serena," Luna said from inside the room. She paused. "Cave dream? Ginny, that sounds very uncomfortable."
The three girls collapsed into a fit of giggles, and Ginny's troubles moved to the back of her mind.
~~~~~~~~
Ginny landed in the entrance hall of Draco's home dressed in a loose gray and blue dress, one of the many she had bought for the vacation. She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear after dropping her bag on the floor. A house elf appeared before her and bowed deeply, his nose almost touching the floor in front of her feet. No matter how many times Zee did that, Ginny would never get used to it. However, the shock was slightly lessened after the tenth time.
"I thought you would be late." Draco glided down the stairs of his home, an act that made Ginny roll her eyes at his dramatic behavior.
"Why would you think that?" asked Ginny, setting her hands on her hips.
"Women are predisposed to never being on time," Draco said nonchalantly. He stared at her small suitcase. "Are you sure you brought enough clothing?"
"The things required for an island vacation are rather miniscule," Ginny said, an imitation of Draco's smirk appearing on her lips when he glared at her.
"Are you planning on doing that all weekend?" snapped Draco.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ginny said innocently. "I'm not doing anything."
"Mother," Serena yelled, bounding down the stairs happily. "Father says that we can build a sandcastle, and I get to be the princess."
"And what a beautiful princess you will make," Ginny exclaimed, and hugged Serena.
"Zee, bring Ms. Weasley's things to the island," Draco said while Ginny and Serena chatted animatedly.
"Can we have a tea party in the castle, Mother?" asked Serena, holding her mother's hand.
"It might be a little warm for tea. How does fruit juice with little umbrellas in the glasses sound?" Ginny smiled as Serena began to tell her what color umbrella she wanted. "We'll work on that idea. In the meantime, I think your father is ready to go."
Draco nodded his head, and procured an ornamental ball from the pocket of his pants. "Come here, Serena."
Serena moved towards her father and quickly raised her arms. Ginny watched as Draco picked Serena up and rested her on his waist. From the way they interacted, Ginny knew that this was a practiced dance between the two. They had obviously done a lot of Portkey traveling together. Though she had not known she was worried about it, Ginny felt relief sweep through her at the thought that Serena did in fact have experience traveling by Portkey.
"It should activate in a few seconds," Draco said to Ginny. "You may want to touch it."
Ginny stood opposite Draco, her hand holding onto the delicate ornament. When her family needed to travel by Portkey, they had to go through the Department of Magical Transportation and take a public Portkey. The Malfoys, on the other hand, had private Portkeys. It seemed odd to Ginny that one could have so much money that they could garner such things from the Ministry. However, Ginny didn't have much time to dwell on that thought. She soon felt the tug on her navel, the rush of air past her ears, and her body spinning and propelling through midair.
They landed on a beach, the warmth of the sun beating down on them. Ginny looked around and found the scene breathtaking. The beautiful clear blue water rushed onto the sands of the beach, the sound soothing to Ginny's ears. Behind her was a beautiful home that was quite unlike what she would expect from a Malfoy. She had expected a monstrosity, something similar to the Malfoy Manor. The house that she saw was simple, not extravagant. It was white with green shutters, french windows, a wraparound porch, and a swing for two at the front. It was beautiful in its simplicity.
"Father, I don't feel so well," Serena mumbled.
"How do you feel?" Draco asked.
"My stomach-" Her words were cut off as she vomited, making both Draco and Ginny wrinkle their noses as their feet, and in Ginny's case, legs, were splattered with vomit. "Sorry."
"No, no, it's okay," Ginny murmured. She removed her wand, and quickly cleaned herself and Draco. "Does your stomach feel better?"
"A little bit," Serena mumbled shyly.
"Let's go have some breakfast. I'll have one of the elves get you a potion for your nausea," Draco murmured, walking towards the house.
When they reached the porch, a house elf opened the door, bowing down. They swept into the home, and Ginny found that the inside of the home was just as simple as the outside. A soft breeze rustled the sheer white curtains, creating an open breezy affect in the entrance of the home. To her right, she saw a living room, and to the left, a dining room. In front of her, there was a set of stairs and a hallway that led to the back of the house. Ginny followed behind Draco as they entered the living room, and sat down to Draco's right, Serena to his left.
"Slinky," Draco called.
A house elf appeared. "Master?"
"We'll have breakfast now," Draco ordered. "I'd also like a nausea potion for Serena. Mix it in apple juice."
"Slinky will see to it, Master." Slinky bowed before disappearing.
Silence overcame them before Ginny asked, "What shall we do after breakfast?"
"Unpack," Draco said as if Ginny were silly for not knowing that.
"And what will we do after we unpack?" Ginny resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Draco.
"Serena?" queried Draco.
The little girl shrugged, her face still pale from being ill earlier. "I don't know. My tummy still hurts."
Before Draco could call for Slinky, a cup of apple juice appeared in front of Serena. Ginny jumped slightly when a cup of tea materialized in front of her. She fixed her tea, and sipped it, watching to see if Serena's mood improved after she drank her apple juice. The little girl was obviously not in the mood to do anything because of her stomachache, which Ginny found to saddening, as Serena had been looking forward to the vacation.
As food began to pop up on the table, Draco eyed his daughter. "Are you feeling better?"
Serena smacked her lips together, and nodded. "Can we go to the beach?"
"After we unpack, yes," Draco answered. He served Serena a plate of food. "Is that a plan?"
"Yes, Father," Serena said excitedly. She beamed at her mother. "Mother, then we can build a sandcastle."
"That sounds fantastic," Ginny replied, putting some fruit on her plate. "You'll have to help me. I can't remember how to build a sandcastle."
"Father can help us. He built me a sandcastle last year when we were in France," Serena said. She bounced on her chair, biting into a piece of the passion fruit tart. "Father, do you remember? It had a moat and everything."
"I remember you destroying the drawbridge," Draco intoned with an amused expression on his face. "Are you going to destroy my castle this time?"
Serena giggled. "No."
"Well, I will help you then," Draco said.
~~~~~~~~
A little over an hour later, Ginny joined Serena and Draco outside on the patio. The house elves had put out three lounge chairs or, rather, three cushioned sofas with canopies overtop, set up in a semicircle. Ginny smiled as Serena slipped one of her hands in Ginny's, and tugged her in the direction of the couches. Over the five years that she had been without Serena, Ginny had never imagined having a child-she was too scarred from her past experience. She never thought she would be able to experience something like a family vacation.
Now that she was on the beach, performing a charm on her daughter's skin to prevent sunburn and another to prevent the seawater from bothering her eyes, Ginny decided that she rather liked her current situation, despite its ups and downs. She loved being able to take care of her daughter. Simple things like casting protection spells against the sun and ridding her dresses of itchiness made Ginny thankful she had this chance with her daughter.
"Can we go in the water?" Serena squealed excitedly, tearing off her dress and tossing it onto one of the couches.
Ginny laughed. "I don't think we have a choice."
"Come on, Mother," Serena beckoned.
"I'm coming." Ginny removed her own dress, revealing the one-piece bathing suit she had chosen for the day. It was more appropriate for an outing with her daughter than some of the bikinis she had packed. Her eyes fell on Draco, whose gaze was transfixed on her. "What?"
He shook his head. "Nothing."
"Are you joining us?" asked Ginny, not wanting to ruin her mood and press him further.
"I'd rather watch," Draco murmured, calling a house elf and ordering himself a drink.
"But Father," Serena whined.
Amused, Ginny watched Draco take his shirt off. "Serena is certainly a spoiled child," she said.
"Excuse me?"
"I am simply stating the obvious." Ginny turned her back to him and rested her folded dress on the empty sofa. "She gets whatever she wants."
"I see," Draco said quietly. "You blame this on me?"
"No, I blame it on myself too," Ginny whispered dejectedly. She knew they were no longer talking about Draco going for a swim. She wasn't entirely sure that they were even talking about him going into the water. "I go along with whatever she says willingly as well. Her actions, wrong or not, seem to shape my own life."
"Come on," Serena said impatiently.
Ginny shot her daughter a lopsided smile. "We're coming."
The two parents did their best to shove the conversation at hand to the back of their minds. Both knew the purpose of the trip was to placate the young child, to make her realize that neither one of them were planning to depart from her life. To think of things such as their own relationship, which both knew they were, would not help in the least. It would only make the weekend miserable.
Serena giggled in excitement as they made their way to the water. The waves washed up onto the shore and the seawater tickled her feet with its coolness. With innocence that only a child could exude, she rushed into the water, laughter bubbling forth from her mouth as she splashed around in it, effectively dousing both her mother and father the closer they got to the ocean.
Ginny couldn't help but to join her daughter, picking her up around the waist and spinning her. The two moved their antics a little deeper so that Serena could successfully shove her mother under the rippling water, joyfully laughing when Ginny came up spluttering and gasping for air. Draco was left standing waist-deep in the water, his arms crossed, and a shadow of a smile upon his face.
"Serena," Ginny shrieked before going under again. She came back up and splashed her daughter. "Oh, this reminds me of the fun I used to get up to at Hogwarts. My brothers and I used to play in the lake all the time."
"Were you and Father friends at Hogwarts?" asked Serena. "Is that where you fell in love?"
Over the top of Serena's head, Ginny could see Draco smirking. "I think that's a question best answered by your father."
Before Serena could turn and ask, Draco hauled her into his arms, dunking both himself and her into the water. By the time they came up, the question was forgotten. The three splashed around in the water, dunking each other, running around, and simply relaxing into the lull of the ocean's movement. After an hour and a half, their bodies were beginning to prune, and their throats were beginning to burn from dehydration and salt water. The small, unconventional family made their way to the shore, and a house elf brought out refreshments and snacks.
Serena happily swung her legs as they dangled off the beach couches. "When we're done, can we build the sandcastle?"
"A brilliant idea," Ginny said merrily. She cast a drying charm on herself before drawing on her dress. "Now, what kind of castle do you want?"
"Lots and lots of towers," Serena shouted.
"Turrets," Draco corrected. "You want turrets."
"They are essentially the same thing, Draco," Ginny said with a slight roll of her eyes.
"Turrets sounds better, Ginevra," Draco retorted.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Serena announced before flouncing off.
Ginny swallowed the apple she had bitten. "Do you think we did that?"
"So concerned about Serena now?" asked Draco petulantly.
"Come off it," Ginny exclaimed disgustedly. "Your attitude has nothing to do with that and we both know it."
"I don't have an attitude," Draco bit out.
"I'm sure you don't." Ginny fished another piece of caramelized apple out of the container. "So what is this non-attitude that you have about? Is it because of our short interlude earlier? I'm sorry I brought it up. It wasn't my intention. I was simply trying to point out that it isn't right to give Serena everything she asks for. Before you ask, I am not talking about our failed relationship or you going to swim right now. I am talking about in general. She can't go through life thinking she'll get every little thing she asks for. Some things in life are earned Draco, and if she doesn't learn that, she's going to end up being hurt."
"I don't spoil her," Draco denied.
"You do, Draco. You just don't see it," Ginny said tiredly. "When I was younger, my family didn't have the luxuries yours had, nor the luxuries I have now. My parents couldn't just give us everything we begged for. I got my first doll, one which is still in my bedroom at the Burrow to this day, because I volunteered to help my mum around the house for two weeks straight."
"So you expect me to reduce my daughter to slave-"
"It wasn't slave labor, Draco," Ginny said, trying to suppress her anger at his words. "And that isn't what I expect of you at all. I was merely giving you an example of what I mean. Instead of getting her a brand new dollhouse when she asks for it, you could wait until you hear about her doing well from her tutor."
"I will raise my daughter the way I see fit," Draco said stoically.
"She's my daughter too," Ginny argued, standing to her feet. "I may not have been here for the first six years of her life, and that's not by my own choosing, either. But I certainly plan on being in it as long as I live. And you, Draco Malfoy, will have to get used to this fact. I'm tired of walking on eggshells around you. I didn't purposely forfeit my right to be a parent. It was done to me."
Draco opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Serena's shout. "Mother, I'm ready."
"Good, then let's get to it," Ginny said with a bright smile. She stood and walked over to Serena, kneeling in the sand. "Have you decided on a name for your castle?"
The trio spent the rest of the day basking in the rays of the sun, building Serena's castle, and occasionally taking a dip in the water. By the time the afternoon rolled around, they were all exhausted from the heat and a shade darker than they had been when they arrived. Deciding to go inside, they made their way to the house, sighing blissfully as the cool temperature of the house, which was regulated by a charm, hit them. Though they had been using charms on themselves, none had lasted very long, nor had they blocked out the persistent heat.
"Upstairs with you," Draco said gently to Serena. "You need to take a cold shower before you do anything else."
Ginny groaned. "Oh, a cold shower sounds lovely-and some food."
"You can't take a shower and eat food at the same time, Mother." Serena giggled.
"Cheeky little girl," Ginny said, reaching down and tickling her sides. Serena shot off up the stairs, her laughter trailing behind her, leaving Ginny and Draco to stand side by side in silence. Not being able to stand it, Ginny cleared her throat. "We could have a light meal after we all take showers. I'm sure Serena and you are both hungry as well."
"I will arrange it," Draco said with a nod.
"Okay," Ginny replied, his shortness towards her making her shoulders sag a bit. "I will see you in a few then."
Ginny made her way to her room with a heavy heart. She knew that this vacation would bring a lot of emotional heartache for her. Ginny didn't come into this vacation with some warped view of what would happen. She and Draco were good together only when they were together. When they were apart, well, it was hard for either one of them to forget what happened when they were together. That alone prevented them from moving forward, from being happy. She sighed, pushing open her room door.
Almost instantly, she relaxed. If she were one of the Malfoys, Ginny would have been spending as much time as she could on the island. The house was absolutely wonderful and cozy. It had a homey feel to it that enveloped her when they arrived. The room, with its serene color scheme of pale yellow and white, calmed her when she stepped through the door. The bed, which she had already tested, was soft and made Ginny think of lying in the clouds. The open windows provided her with a beautiful view of the ocean and Serena's rather large sandcastle.
She made her way into the bathroom, stripping down as she went. As she stepped into the shower, she thought of her conversation with Draco. She meant every word she said. Ginny was tired of having to take a backseat to Draco's parenting. While she knew he had done a good job so far, she also knew that Serena was growing up. Soon, she wouldn't be a child, and Draco would not have as easy a time controlling her-not like he had an easy time now. After all, he caved under all her demands.
Ginny let out a frustrated groan. This all started with that dream she had about her and Draco in that cave. Ever since then, it was impossible to get him out of her head. He would occasionally stop by the bakery in the evenings with Serena, and she would have to hide her blush at the sight of him. He sometimes came in suits, and other times, the times when she blushed the most, he would come after practice, his hair tousled because he was too tired to fix it. Every time, they would steal glances at each other, and each one of his lusty gazes would send her in a pique of frustration, much like seeing his flawless abs displayed earlier when they were outside.
Washing the remnant of conditioner out of her hair and soap off her body, she stepped out the shower. She dried herself off with one of the thick towels provided before wrapping herself into a fluffy white robe on the back of the door. Once she entered her room, she was glad she had chosen to put on the robe rather than walk out into the room naked. Serena was sitting on her bed in her new attire, a navy blue summer dress with a white print. In her hand she held a brush and a ribbon, her hair wet and pressed against her back and forehead.
"Let me guess, you want me to brush your hair?" Ginny motioned for her to take a seat at the vanity. "You're like my own living, breathing doll."
Serena smiled. "Can I do your hair too, Mother?"
"Sure," Ginny said with a slightly worried expression. "I think I'll put your hair in a French braid."
"Okay," Serena replied, allowing her mother to brush through her hair. "Mother, what house do you think I'll be sorted in at Hogwarts?"
"Jumping ahead a little, aren't we?" Ginny parted Serena's hair to the side, and pulled it back to start braiding it. "I don't know what house you will be in to be honest. I think I will leave that job up to the Sorting Hat. But no matter what house you're in, I'm sure you'll do brilliantly at Hogwarts."
"Were my uncles in Gryffindor too?" asked Serena.
"Every single one of us," Ginny said proudly. "Although, I think your Uncle George and Fred belonged in Slytherin. They were sneaky those two. They used to get up to all kinds of mischief at Hogwarts."
"Who's Uncle Fred?"
Ginny froze. She hadn't been aware that she had mentioned Fred. She tied the ribbon at the end of Serena's hair. "Uhm, he was your uncle."
"What happened to him?" asked Serena curiously.
"He-uh-he-"
"Serena," a voice called from the doorway.
"Father?"
"Could you give your mother and me a minute alone? I need to speak with her," Draco said, staring at Ginny's back. She had yet to turn around.
"Oh, but I wanted to try on Mother's makeup," Serena said dejectedly.
"Not a chance," Draco said seriously. "You will not be wearing makeup."
"Fine," Serena sighed morosely, leaving the room.
Ginny sank down on the bench her daughter vacated, her body slumping over. "Thank you."
"Are you alright?" Draco closed the door behind her, stepping into the room almost cautiously.
"I am," Ginny said slowly, unsurely. "I mean I came to terms with his death already. But I haven't thought about it in such a long time that it took me by surprise."
"I understand," Draco said.
"I-hum, I've been meaning to ask you about something." Ginny crossed her legs, and looked up at him, apprehension on her face. "What have you told Serena of the war-of your place in it?"
Draco's face was blank for a moment before he responded. "I told her as much of the truth as she could handle."
"Draco," Ginny said softly. "I know what you and your family did, and I'm here. You need not worry about how I may feel if you say certain things to me."
His lips formed a thin line as he snapped, "Not of your own volition."
"You didn't kidnap me," Ginny said with a smile. "I came here."
"Not for-" His mouth snapped shut instantly.
"Not for what?" Ginny stood, suspicion on her face. She had an inkling of what he was about to say. "Not for what, Draco?"
"I told Serena that Father and I made many mistakes in the war, ones that caused many lives." Draco's eyes clouded over. "She ignored Father and me for two weeks after."
Ginny could't say she didn't expect such a reaction from the little girl. However, she wasn't insensitive enough to say it. "I'm sorry. That must have been devastating for you. I know you share a close bond with her."
"I suppose you have no urges to shag me then?" asked Draco after a moment of silence.
"What?"
"The last time you played in water and talked about your brother, we shagged and conceived Serena." Draco raised an eyebrow. "Having any of those urges?"
Ginny couldn't help but to laugh. "No, I can't say I am."
"Liar," Draco murmured, his eyes flashing. "I can read you like a book, Ginevra. Don't forget it."
Suddenly uncomfortable, Ginny said, "I better go get dressed."
"Don't mind me," Draco replied with a grin.
"You really know how to change subjects," Ginny said, shaking her head. She pointed to the door. "Go before your daughter starts to think wild thoughts about what's going on up here."
"She's my daughter now?" Draco's tone was playful.
Ginny tossed a makeup brush at him. "Get out."