Thank you to Aerileigh for beta-ing this chapter.
This is definitely not a popular chapter--nor was it fun to write.
Disclaimer: Nothing from the Potter Universe belongs to me.
~~~~~~~~
The next morning dawned sunny and warm. A bright strip of sunlight woke Ginny from her sleep, and she felt clearheaded and restful for once. Ginny didn't linger in bed, though she desperately wanted to. She didn't want Draco to think she had regrets about what they had done the night before, nor did she want to give him reason to think that she was nervous about seeing him. On the contrary, she was content.
For once, Ginny felt like she didn't need to stress or worry about forcing herself to make a decision about Draco. She had put the Quaffle in his hoop, and now it was his turn to make up his mind. No longer did she have to worry that her feelings were hidden. He knew she cared for him.
When she finished in her shower, she found that it took a little longer to pick out an outfit, but not because she was trying to find something to impress Draco. It was because she didn't want to seem like she picked out an outfit for his viewing alone. After a few changes, she settled for another one-piece and a simple white summer dress that floated around her thighs.
As she walked down the stairs, she was surprised to see three unfamiliar faces in the kitchen. "Uhm, good morning?"
"I thought Draco would be up first so he could do the introductions." A woman with blonde hair and sparkling green eyes spoke first, her demeanor bubbly. "I shall do it instead. Hello, I'm Astoria Goldstein."
"Goldstein?" Ginny's brow wrinkled. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"This is my husband, Anthony Goldstein," Astoria said, pointing to the man next to her nursing a cup of coffee. "He was a year ahead of you, two years ahead of me at school. He went to Hogwarts with us."
"Us?" queried Ginny.
"Greengrass is my maiden name," Astoria said with a kind smile.
"Ah, yes, Slytherin," Ginny murmured. Her eyes fell on Astoria's brown haired husband. "You were part of Dumbledore's Army, right?"
He grunted something, and Astoria let out a small laugh. "I'm sorry. My husband isn't much of a morning person. He'll be a bit more responsive after his second cup of coffee."
Ginny nodded, and stared at the third person in the room, whom she couldn't have forgotten if she tried. Briefly, she wondered if Draco knew that he had hired one of her ex-boyfriends. With a smile, she greeted him. "Hello, Michael."
"Ginny," Michael said with a grin. He stood up and enveloped her in a hug. "It's good to see you. Or I should say, good to talk to you."
Ginny wrinkled her nose. "I don't find the fact that you've been watching me creepy at all."
Astoria's melodious laughter filled the room once more. "We rotate positions. So he doesn't watch you all the time."
"Good to know," Ginny said with a laugh of her own. "Now, how did two Ravenclaws end up being employed by Draco Malfoy? If I recall, you all had a nice hatred for him at school."
"So did you," Michael pointed out. "But you had a daughter with him."
"Which I must thank you for," Astoria chimed in.
"Me too," Anthony said shortly, downing the last bits of his coffee.
"What?" asked Ginny, suddenly uncomfortable.
"I was Draco's betrothed. He broke the contract by having a child with you," Astoria explained. "If that hadn't happened, I would have never met Anthony and we wouldn't be married."
"Well, er, I'm glad to be of service," Ginny said awkwardly.
Michael chuckled. "Tori, you're making her feel uncomfortable."
"Sorry," Astoria said with a smile.
"It's alright," Ginny said, waving off her apology. "Would anyone like breakfast?"
A house elf popped into the room. "What would Miss Ginny like?"
"I sort of wanted to cook today," Ginny said softly. "You don't mind do you?"
"Miss Ginny mustn't cook," Slinky shouted. "Master Draco said Miss Ginny is on vacation."
Ginny rested her hands on her hips. "You're being ridiculous, Slinky."
"Miss Ginny will not cook," Slinky said determinedly.
Ginny huffed. "But I was in here last night baking. You didn't say anything about that."
"Master Draco says Miss Ginny can bake," Slinky said.
"Oh fine," Ginny exclaimed. "You can make breakfast then."
Slinky beamed. "Miss Ginny is such a good lady."
Ginny glared as Slinky began to prepare to make breakfast. "Stubborn little house elf."
"Well, we'll be off to get some sleep now," Astoria said, clearly amused by Ginny's argument with Slinky. "We trust you and Draco can manage not to get into too much trouble while we take a nap."
"I'll see what I can do," Ginny said with a grin.
"I'm sure Draco will know we arrived when he wakes up, with his wards and all. But if you could just tell him we're here, so he knows for sure," Astoria asked.
"I will." Ginny waved when Astoria and Anthony moved upstairs, wondering how the latter would get to sleep after drinking two cups of coffee. She didn't think on it long, instead turning to look at Michael. "Aren't you going to take a nap?"
Michael shook his head. "Not all that tired right now."
"Well, I suppose I could use some company since my daughter and Draco seem to be sleeping in this morning." Ginny jumped a little when a fruit salad appeared in front of her with a glass of juice. A glance at the house elf's satisfied smile made Ginny murmur, "Thank you, Slinky."
"Slinky is happy to help Miss Ginny."
"Why don't we go into the dining room?" Ginny led Michael out into the dining room, and sat down across from him. "So, how is life treating you?"
"Fairly well," Michael said with a shrug. "I work with the Malfoys as personal security. Before you came along, I rotated between guarding Narcissa during her outings and Serena during the Quidditch matches. I also pull security at the main building every now and then."
"Doesn't leave much room for a social life, does it?" asked Ginny.
"No, but I've never stayed in a relationship too long," Michael replied, giving her a pointed stare.
Ginny laughed. "We did have a very short-lived relationship. Volatile, too."
"And ever since, I can't seem to be in a relationship with someone who likes me all the time," Michael said contemplatively. "You've ruined me, Ginny Weasley."
Ginny tossed a grape at him. "Oh, you love it."
"That I do," Michael said, grinning. "There's nothing like a nice shag after a girl slaps you in the face."
"Why Michael, I never pegged you for the type who would like getting slapped around," Ginny teased. "I might have stuck around if you told me about that."
"Into smacking around your men, Ginny?" asked Michael.
"Oh, every now and again," Ginny said with a wink before joining Michael in laughter.
"Happy birthday by the way," Michael said after composing himself. "You're getting old."
Ginny snorted. "You should be the one to talk. Is that a wrinkle I see?"
"I think I might have a gray hair too, from finding out that I had to watch over you," Michael retorted. He watched her laugh before asking, "So are you and Draco in a relationship now?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ginny said, feigning innocence.
"'I'm watching you, remember? I know you've shagged." Michael shook his head. "Why exactly did the two of you think it was a good idea to shag in the coach's box with the glass down?"
Ginny's cheeks flamed red. "You saw that?"
"I turned away when your top went flying through the window, though more at Astoria's insistence than anything else," Michael said with a cheeky grin. "The screaming though, we couldn't block ourselves from that. You have quite the vocals there, Ms. Weasley, and a dirty mouth too."
"Oh, kill me now," Ginny murmured, sinking down in her chair.
"I also know you two stopped seeing each other, and then, out of nowhere, we're being ordered to come watch over you on vacation," Michael said with raised eyebrows. "What's this all about?"
"You're being awfully nosy." His look clearly said that he wasn't going to respond to her trying to change the subject. Ginny sighed. "Serena needed to see that we're all a family. Draco thought a vacation with all three of us would be the ticket."
He grinned. "I'm sure he did."
"What's that supp--"
"Good morning, Draco," Michael exclaimed, staring behind Ginny.
Ginny composed herself before turning to look at Draco. By the dark circles under his eyes, Ginny could tell he didn't get much sleep. She had to suppress a satisfied smile. She could only assume that he had spent the night thinking about what she said, and she was happy about that. She had spent many sleepless nights thinking about her situation. He should have a few as well.
"Morning," Ginny murmured.
He cleared his throat. "Happy birthday, again."
"Thank you," Ginny said with a smile. She turned back to Michael, still speaking to him. "I've met all the guards now, by the way. I actually know two of them. Anthony was in the DA with me, and Michael and I dated in school."
Michael hid his smile at Ginny's casual admission by sipping his tea. "Are you alright there, Draco?"
Draco's eyes narrowed on Michael. "I see. I suppose you two are catching up on old times?"
"I wouldn't say that," Ginny said with a shake of our head. "It's more like updating ourselves on what's happening in our lives, jobs, relationships. That's all."
"Michael, a word," Draco ordered, not bothering to wait for Michael to answer. He simply walked outside, expecting Michael to follow.
Michael set his cup down, shooting Ginny a playful glare. "You've been hanging out with too many Slytherins."
"What are you talking about?" asked Ginny, innocently eating a piece of strawberry.
"Like you don't know exactly what you just did," Michael retorted.
"No idea," Ginny responded, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Michael shook his head and went outside. Ginny could see Draco talking to him through the window across from her. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but by the deceptively calm look on Draco's face, Ginny could tell it was nothing good. She saw Michael's brow furrow, and then he crossed his arms across his chest with a defiant expression. After that, Draco said something to him and came back inside. Michael followed soon after, waving at Ginny as he went up the stairs.
"Did you send him to bed without supper?" Ginny laughed when Draco turned a glare on her. "You have nothing to worry about, you know. I meant what I said last night, and my feelings haven't changed since then."
"I know," Draco stated with a smirk.
"So what is on the agenda for today?" Ginny suspected a change of subject was in order before she followed through on her urge to toss the remnants of her fruit salad at him.
"It's your birthday, isn't it?" Draco sat down at the head of the table, calling out, "Slinky!"
"Your point?" queried Ginny.
Slinky appeared. "Master called?"
"A cup of tea and the Daily Prophet," Draco said. He moved his eyes back to Ginny. "Is there anything you would like to do?"
"No, just spend time with Serena and you," she said. The last part was added hesitantly, but she wanted to see how he would react.
He didn't get a chance to say anything back, though. In that instant, a house elf popped into the room, and it wasn't Slinky. It was a very harried looking Zee. "Master must come home."
"What is wrong Zee?" asked Draco, concern etched into his face.
"Mistress Zabini is in labor," Zee said hurriedly. "Master Zabini sent Zee."
"Where are they now?" Draco immediately stood from his chair, as did Ginny.
"The hospital, Master," Zee answered.
"Slinky," Draco called. The house elf appeared, responding to the urgency in his master's voice. "Slinky, tell the three guests upstairs that they should return home immediately. I want them to meet me at St. Mungo's maternity ward."
"Yes, Master," Slinky responded.
"I'll get Serena," Ginny said, moving out the room.
She hurried upstairs, hearing Draco give more orders to Zee. Ginny moved into Serena's room, and woke the young girl from her slumber. Not bothering to try talking to Serena while she was in the clutches of sleep, Ginny went and retrieved an outfit for her. After dressing the young girl, who was still rubbing sleep from her eyes, Ginny put a pair of sandals on her feet and picked her up.
Ginny joined Draco downstairs, Serena falling asleep in her arms. "We're ready."
Draco nodded and procured his wand from his shorts. "I had an emergency Portkey made in case this happened. Blaise warned me that Luna was close to having the baby, and I needed to be prepared to make my way to the hospital."
"She must be terrified," Ginny said with a shudder. "She's three weeks early,"
"Hold on," Draco murmured, holding out the square block.
~~~~~~~~
"Ginny," Luna exclaimed upon seeing her redheaded friend in the doorway. "I'm so glad you're here."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Ginny said, moving to her friend's side and taking her hand. "How close are the contractions?"
"They fluctuate between four and nine minutes," Luna answered. "My water hasn't broken yet. But the healer said that it should be relatively soon."
"Do they have you on any potions?" asked Ginny.
"Something for the pain," Luna said. "It feels nice."
Ginny smiled. "That's good."
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Luna rested her free hand on her stomach. "She'll be fine, right?"
"Both of you will be," Ginny said strongly. "I know you will be."
Luna smiled. "We will, won't we?"
"Yes, and you and Blaise will go on to enjoy your time with your two children," Ginny said happily.
"I had to send him outside with my dad and his mom. He was pacing something terrible in here, and he kept asking me if I needed anything." Luna shook her head with amusement. "He almost looked as if he were about to pass out. You would think he was the one about to give birth."
"He's worried about you." Ginny squeezed her hand. "We all are."
"I know," Luna muttered. "I'm sorry I prematurely ended your vacation."
"Don't worry about it," Ginny said offhandedly.
Luna gasped. "I'm ruining your birthday. Oh no, Ginny, I'm so sorry."
Ginny laughed. "You can't control this, Luna. Besides, this is the best gift ever. What more could I ask of you except for my goddaughter to be born on my birthday?"
"You can have joint birthday parties from now on," Luna said with a small grin.
"I can't wait," Ginny said quietly.
"I feel tired," Luna murmured after a beat of silence.
Ginny nodded. "Get some rest. You'll need it for the big event."
Ginny left the room when Luna's eyes drifted closed. Blaise was sitting down on a chair outside the room with his head down, his elbows resting on his knees. Draco was right next to him, whispering things to him that Ginny couldn't hear. Ms. Zabini was on his other side, and Luna's father was sitting next to her. Serena was sitting next to her father, her head resting in his lap. When Ginny came out of the room, they all looked at her.
"She's going to sleep now," Ginny said, answering the unasked question. "I think the pain relief potions must be making her tired."
Blaise let out the breath he was holding. "I hate this part."
Ginny stared at Serena's sleeping form. "It's worth it in the end."
Draco looked up and met her eyes, and Ginny saw a ghost of a smile appear on his lips. She sat down on the other side of Serena, and Draco turned to look at her. No words needed to transpire between them for Ginny to understand what he was trying to tell her. He was thankful for the gift she gave him, for their daughter. She simply smiled at him and draped Serena's legs across her lap. Looking down at her daughter, sadness washed over her. She never went through this with Draco. She never had him waiting outside her room, worrying.
Uncharacteristically, Draco's hand rested on her own before he pulled away. "Are you going to be okay?"
Ginny felt silly when tears formed in her eyes. "I'll be fine."
"Okay," Draco said, his eyes showing his disbelief. "I'm going to take Serena to my parents. They're watching Xavier too."
"No, you stay," Ginny said. "I'll take her. Blaise needs you."
"Are you sure?" he asked, though he seemed relieved by her offer.
"I'm sure. Stay," Ginny said, standing and scooping Serena up in her arms. "I'll be back in a flash. Do you need anything before I come back?"
"No, I'm fine," Draco replied. "Thank you."
"It's not a problem," Ginny said softly. "I'm going to stop by my flat and change before I come back, though. I don't think this is appropriate attire."
"I think you look fine," Draco said with a smirk.
Ginny laughed, quieting when she felt Serena shift in her arms. "I'm sure you do."
She walked away and went to the fireplace in the reception area. Borrowing some Floo powder from the receptionist, she threw it into the fire, saying, "Malfoy Manor."
~~~~~~~~
Draco paced the room, waiting for news about Luna, his thoughts consumed with Ginny. He had seen the look on her face earlier, and he knew today would be a difficult day for her, especially when the birth was over. Ginny never got the chance to be with Serena as a baby. She never got to experience the sheer joy of holding her child after hours of being in labor. For Ginny, today would be pure and utter hell.
He paused in his pacing. After what happened the night before, he didn't know what to think. She had openly admitted she cared for him, and then earlier she had said she wanted to spend time with him on her birthday, a meaningful day in her life. She would happily tolerate his presence because she cared about him. That was a new experience for him.
Yes, he had people who cared for him. He had his parents, Pansy, Blaise, and Luna. But he never had anyone care for him the way that Ginny did. He wasn't oblivious to her stares, and he knew what she wanted from him. She wanted him to reciprocate those feelings for her. But he didn't know if he could. He didn't know what that feeling was supposed to feel like.
The sound of heels clicking made him look up to see Pansy, his mother, and his father approaching him. A dark feeling washed over him when he realized that Serena and Ginny were not with them. He rationalized that Ginny might have stopped at home to change first before she went to the manor. She probably felt that it would be inappropriate for her to appear in front of his parents in her current attire. He nodded, that had to be it.
"I nicked some of Ginny's hazelnut chocolate brownies for you," Pansy said, holding out a box and a styrofoam cup of tea. "I thought you might want something to eat."
"Is she at her flat then?" asked Draco, taking the box.
Pansy's eyebrows furrowed. "No, I thought she was here."
"She was supposed to drop Serena off at the manor, and then she said she was going to her flat to change," Draco said, worry coursing through him.
"She didn't come to the manor," Narcissa said, her lips tightening.
"I'll go back and check. Perhaps we just missed her," Lucius said calmly. "I don't think we need to worry about it."
"Lucius is right," Narcissa said, her tone less than convincing. "I'm sure she and Serena are alright."
"I'll go check her flat again. She might have been in her flat when I was downstairs in the bakery," Pansy said firmly. "Yes, that's it."
"Drink some tea, Draco," Narcissa coaxed as Lucius and Pansy walked away. "I'm sure she's fine. How is Luna doing?"
Draco took a sip of the tea, trying to calm his nerves. Something wasn't right; he could feel it. "Her water broke ten minutes ago. I heard her start screaming a few minutes back, so I guess she's started pushing now. Blaise, Ms. Zabini, and Mr. Lovegood are in there with her."
"That's good," Narcissa said offhandedly. It was clear she was thinking of Serena and Ginny, worrying much like Draco.
Minutes passed by in tense silence, and the occasional grunting, screaming and murmurs drifted from inside Luna's hospital room. Draco had taken up to pacing again, much to Narcissa's annoyance, evident by the pinched expression on her face. It was another twenty minutes before Lucius appeared with a shake of his head, and a sense of fear began to creep through Draco's being.
"She might be at home, Draco," Narcissa said, her voice cracking.
Lucius wrapped his arms around his wife. "They're fine."
When Pansy appeared moments later without Serena and Ginny in tow, the box that Draco held fell from his hand. His tea followed soon, the liquid falling and spilling out onto the floor. He sank down in the chair behind him, his hands going into his hair. For a moment, Draco felt as if he was about to black out. Spots danced before his eyes and his body felt numb, his fingertips tingling.
"Draco," Narcissa called.
"I'll go and tell Ron. He'll get the Aurors into motion," Pansy said, running off.
"Draco," Narcissa said urgently, gently nudging her son.
"No, this can't happen," Draco mumbled.
He stood up and let out an enraged scream, the sound echoing down the hall and coinciding with one of Luna's own screams of agony. Heads began popping out the rooms along the hall, and people began to question what was going on. Draco didn't care though. The only thing he could think of was that Serena was missing. Ginny was gone. It was her birthday. She couldn't be gone. He began to see red, his body shaking with intensity that shocked both Lucius and Narcissa.
"I'll go and see if Theo knows anything," Lucius said before stalking away.
"I'll kill whoever took them from me, Mother, with my bare hands," Draco said vehemently.
As he said this, a cry reverberated through the air. The baby was born.
~~~~~~~~
Ginny blearily opened her eyes, looking around. She wasn't in the manor. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her legs were bound at the ankles, the rope cutting into her skin. Panic settled in as her eyes searched the dark room for Serena. When she saw her lying across the room, her body stilled, fear and anxiety overcame her. Serena wasn't moving.
"Serena," Ginny croaked, her voice scratchy. "Serena!"
Ginny struggled against the bonds that held her hands behind her back. She drew her knees up to her chest and dragged herself across the floor. She could feel the stone of the floor scratching at her legs, the hem of her dress snagging on the floor. It took her what felt like hours to drag herself over to her daughter's prone form. Relief flooded her as she saw the girl's chest rising and falling. It was clear she was either unconscious or in a deep sleep.
Now that she knew Serena was alright, she tried to recollect what had happened. She remembered whirling through the fireplace, and then she felt a wrenching feeling in her stomach. She had been pulled out of the Floo network. It wasn't an impossible feat, but whoever did it had to be watching her very carefully for that to happen. Suddenly, a shudder ran through her. She only knew one person who would want to hurt her, only one person who was obsessed with her.
She looked around at her surroundings, hoping to find something she could cut her bonds with. Her wand wasn't in the pocket of her dress where she had put it earlier. There was nothing around her except bare walls with one exit, and that was the door. She assumed she was in a dungeon cell of some sort. She turned her back to Serena, and used her hands to try and untie the ropes bonding her daughter's hands to no avail.
The door creaked open, and Ginny positioned herself in front of Serena's body, blocking her as best she could. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"I see you're awake, poppet."
Ginny paled upon hearing that familiar, distasteful pet name. "Warrington."
"Yes, poppet. It's me," he said with a vindictive smile.
"What do you want?" spat Ginny.
"Oh, I won't reveal all my cards at once, poppet," Warrington teased. "That would be a bad play."
Ginny trembled at his stare. "Please, don't hurt her. Do whatever you want to me. I don't care. But leave Serena alone. Send her back. Please. I won't fight you if you send her back."
Warrington crossed his arms and leaned in the doorway. "I'll think about it, poppet."
"Please," Ginny begged.
"I'll be back, poppet," Warrington taunted, closing the door behind him.
Ginny let out a shriek, tears streaming down her face, her body shaking in fear. She wouldn't let him hurt Serena. She couldn't. Ginny vowed that she would die before that man dared to lay a finger on Serena.