Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Harry Potter Universe.
Thanks so much to Aerileigh for beta-ing this chapter.
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"Father?"
Draco rushed to his daughter's side, his voice panicked as he whispered, "Serena?"
"Where am I?"
Draco grabbed his daughter in his arms, holding her close. He couldn't seem to form words at the moment, and relief swept through him in waves. He leaned back in order to inspect her to make sure there were no signs of injury. The healers had checked her over, of course, and informed him that she was completely unharmed. They had even allowed her to go home. Yet, he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that she was alright, not after he had seen her in that room, her body pale and still.
"Father," Serena said agitatedly. "I can't breathe."
Draco loosened his grip. "I'm happy to see you awake. You've been asleep for hours."
"What's going on?" Serena looked around her bedroom, her forehead wrinkled. "Did the baby come yet? Why am I home? I thought Mum and I were going to the Manor?"
Draco's entire body tensed. For hours, he had tried to to think of what he would tell Serena about Ginny-or about what had happened to her for that matter. He had different scenarios going in his head. The Healers had been unsure about whether or not Serena was aware of what happened. They approximated that she had been asleep for nine hours, which was around the amount of time that the two had been missing. From this evidence, the Aurors had concurred that Serena had been under the sleeping spell since the kidnapping began.
He ran a hand through his hair. "Serena, your mother was kidnapped while you were asleep."
"Kidnapped?" Serena echoed, tears already forming in her eyes.
"She's fine." Draco sat down on her bed and held her close to him once more. "She's in the hospital now, and we can go see her tomorrow."
"But I want to see her now," Serena cried, tears wetting her father's shirt. "Please?"
Draco sighed. "Healer's orders, Serena. She needs some time to heal. I promise we can go and see her first thing in the morning."
"But-"
"Serena," Draco snapped, closing his eyes at the harshness of his tone. "This isn't something that I can change. Your mother is in the hospital, and the Healers are with her. Until they are done, we can't go and see her."
Serena sniffled. "What happened to Mum?"
"You must be hungry. You've been asleep for a very long time," Draco said, swiftly changing the subject. Ginny's situation was not something he felt like discussing at the moment. "Go and wash up. I'll have Zee bring up something to eat."
"Can I have French toast?" Serena looked up at him with hopeful eyes still filled with tears. "Mum likes French toast."
"You can have French toast," Draco said, standing and watching her walk to the bathroom. He picked up the quill and parchment on Serena's side table and wrote down a quick missive. "Zee!"
"Master?" Zee queried, appearing almost immediately.
"Serena would like French toast for her dinner. My parents will be here momentarily, so have dinner ready and the table set," Draco ordered. He handed the letter to Zee. "Have this sent to Ron Weasley at St. Mungo's."
When the house elf disappeared, Draco moved over to the window that looked out at the sea. The moon shone down on the inky dark water, clouds covering most of the stars. The eerie night sky fit his somber mood perfectly,. His thoughts were swimming in every direction, different emotions swirling inside him, some unknown. On one hand, he was happy that Serena was awake and safe. On the other, Ginny was at the hospital in intensive care. He had lied to Serena when he said that Ginny was all right, because she was far from it.
Whatever spell Warrington had cast on her, he had done a good job in making it incurable. No matter how many spells they tried, or Muggle methods, the cut would not heal. Ginny was on every vitamin potion they could find and quickly emptying the stores of Blood Replenishing potion that St. Mungo's had. It was times like these that Draco missed his old Potions professor. Snape would know what to do in this situation, though Draco had not given up.
Between him and his father, they had gotten the five best Healers in the world. At first, the Healers were reluctant, most not wanting to leave their countries and descend on another hospital's territory. However, after the hefty sum of money offered to them, none could say no. The St. Mungo's director tried to say no to an invasion of his hospital by unknown doctors, and while Draco was willing to take Ginny elsewhere, the director was not willing to let the Malfoy name go-nor the money for that matter.
Draco thought back to the scene he'd found at Warrington's secret house. Ginny had been spread out on the floor, naked and bleeding. The sight had sickened him, and the thought of Warrington-he slammed his fist into the glass, glad the window was unbreakable. If Harry hadn't been with them at the time, Draco would have followed through on his threat to kill Warrington with his bare hands. It was the reason why Harry had been with them in the first place. Ron was with the two Malfoys at first, but Harry knew that when they found Ginny, if Warrington was around, Ron wouldn't hesitate to break the law, Auror uniform be damned.
A knock sounded on the door and Draco called, "Come in."
"She's alright?" Narcissa entered the room, Lucius behind her, hurriedly looking around for her granddaughter. "Where is she?"
"In the bathroom," Draco answered, turning to see his parents standing by the door. "I told her about Ginny being kidnapped."
"Did you tell her that she was kidnapp-"
"No, I'm not telling her," Draco said, cutting his father off. Lucius looked perturbed but waited for Draco to explain. "I'm not going to mess up her psyche."
"Her psyche?" Narcissa smiled, despite the situation.
"I spoke to Luna, who is no longer speaking to me except for situations dealing with Serena and Ginny. She's still angry we didn't tell her that Ginny and Serena were kidnapped." Draco shook his head, slumped in defeat. "I can't tell her something like that without causing her emotional trauma. If Ginny wakes up, we can make a final decision about it. I won't make it without her."
Narcissa walked up to her son, wrapping him in an embrace. "You're not too old to cry."
"Malfoy men do not cry," Draco intoned. He did wrap his arms around his mother though, taking the comfort she offered. "She'll be alright."
"I know." Narcissa rubbed his back.
"Grandmother, Grandfather," Serena yelled, rushing to wrap her arms around her grandfather, as he was the only one with free arms. She threw herself into his embrace, smiling when he picked her up. "I've missed you."
Lucius kissed her cheek, hugging her tightly. "We've missed you too. You'll have to tell us all about your vacation."
"Mum is in the hospital," Serena said sadly.
"Oh, she'll be fine, sweetheart." Narcissa moved from her son to her granddaughter, running her hand through Serena's hair. "Your mother is a very strong woman, a lot like you."
"Father says we can't visit her," Serena said, her eyes downcast.
"Serena, why don't you go down to the dining room with your grandmother?" Lucius set the young girl on her feet. "I need to have a word with your father."
"But-"
"Go on, Serena," Draco urged, his tone that of someone who was emotionally exhausted. He sounded defeated. "You can start telling your grandmother about your vacation."
"Alright," Serena said hesitantly. She grabbed her grandmother's hand and left the room.
"Have you heard from the Weasleys?" asked Lucius as he joined his son by the window.
"A few minutes ago," Draco replied. He ran a hand through his hair and winced at the knots he encountered, a product of dragging his fingers through it. "There's no change. I don't know-I can't."
"I know." Lucius rested a hand on his son's shoulder. "You should go to her."
"Serena just woke up, Father. I can't leave her." Draco stared out at the landscape again, the sight of the sea so overwhelming, a lot like his thoughts. "For the first time in my life, I feel torn between Serena and someone else."
"Which is why you ended things with Ginevra to begin with. Am I right?" Lucius nodded in understanding when his son remained silent. "There are things I never said to you as a child because I was set in my ways. I planned on molding you to be the perfect follower, a man with no weakness."
"Father-"
"Wait." Lucius held up his hand to silence Draco. "You know that when Serena came into your life, I never spoke to you. I couldn't understand how you had made such a mistake. Of all the things I taught you, you had forgotten this one, most vital thing. Looking back now, I regret every moment of my silence. Despite having kicked me out of our bedroom, Narcissa used to tell me about your progress with Serena."
"She was a handful," Draco said with a small chuckle.
"Everything I taught you was forgotten the moment you held Serena for the first time. I was upset, and then your mother showed me the two of you in the garden one morning. You stood there, smiling at Serena, rocking her back and forth. There was a look of such happiness on your face that I felt proud." Lucius sighed. "You were content with Serena, even after you started dating. No one could make you as happy as she did. And then Ginevra came into your life."
Draco frowned. "This isn't going to be one of these stories where you tell me that Ginny and I are destined to be, and you knew from the beginning, right?"
"No," Lucius said with a chuckle. "It wasn't until the ball at the Manor that I first started to notice the changes in you. What you did for her-"
"It was my fault, Father. All the danger she's been put in is because of me," Draco exclaimed. "What else can I do but protect her?"
Lucius smiled. "You're simply proving my point, Draco. After that ball, you were open to something you've never been open to before: falling in love. Before you try and deny it, I know what love looks like. I had to in order to try and stop you from falling in love when you were younger. You were more pliable if you weren't in love."
"Twisted," Draco muttered.
"No one said I was not, but I changed, much like you. I'm going to tell you something that my mother once told me. I thought it was a silly notion when I was younger, but I understood it when your mother gave birth to you." Lucius touched his son's arm. "Love is infinite. You don't have to sacrifice your love for Serena in order to love Ginny."
Draco let out a disgruntled sigh. "That doesn't help me now."
"I think it does." Lucius turned around and readied himself to leave the room. "You're a strong man, Draco, a man I am proud to call my son. But in order to be a stronger man, you need someone to help you carry the burdens of the world. Without it, you will weaken. And Serena cannot be that person."
Draco listened to the door close behind him, Lucius's words running through his head. The words were so similar to the ones that Ginny had once said to him, and even the ones his own mother had said to him, at one point. Looking back, it seemed like such a long time ago, years even. But only two months had passed since Serena had run away, only two months since he had broken things off with Ginny. He frowned as one of his father's statements came back to him: "No one could make you as happy as Serena did. And then Ginevra came into your life."
Prior to meeting Ginevra in her bakery six months ago, Draco had lived a relatively good life. He had his family and regular shags, albeit from a shrieking harpy. However, there were times when he would spend his nights in the arms of aged Firewhiskey because he felt alone in raising Serena, a silly thought. He knew he had his parents, Pansy, Blaise and Luna. But nothing could compare to having Ginny with him, helping him. As she entered his life, he felt a little bit of the weight lift off his shoulders. He had Ginny by his side.
"You need someone to help you carry the burdens of the world," Draco echoed softly.
"Father?"
Draco turned and saw his daughter standing in the door. He was so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't heard her come in. "I'm coming now."
"Are you alright Father?" asked Serena, coming over to him.
Draco reached out his arms and picked her up. "No, no I'm not. We need to have a talk."
"About what? Is this about Mother?" asked Serena, her bottom lip sticking out. "Is she-is she alright?"
"It is about your mother. And no, she's not alright." Draco wiped away the tear that slipped down his daughter's face. "But she will be fine. Your grandfather and I brought in the best Healers in the world. She will be up and about in no time. You'll see."
"Oh, so what did you want to talk about?" Serena's voice was still soft and sad.
"Do you remember when you ran away?"
"I'm really sorry about that," Serena said sadly. "I didn't mean to make you all worry. I was just scared that mother would leave again, and I would never get to see her. If you two got married and divorced, she would leave me forever."
Draco kissed her temple and sat down on the bed with her in his lap. "Serena, your mother will never leave you. I can bet that she's in the hospital, alive and fighting, because of you. You give her the will to live. Nothing will stop her from coming back for you."
Serena sniffled. "You mean it?"
"Yes," Draco said with a firm nod. "But do you remember what I told you? I said that I only care about you, and I ended things with your mother because of it."
"So it was my fault?" Serena's face fell. "I didn't-"
"Shush," Draco intoned. "It was my decision to stop seeing her. But it was the wrong decision. I care about your mother a great deal, Serena. And while I care about you a lot, I can't deny my feelings for her. So whether you like it or not, I am going to date your mother. I don't want you to run away or throw anymore tantrums about this either."
"Are you in love with her?" asked Serena quietly.
"I thought you already decided that we were in love with each other?" Draco smiled down at her.
Serena rolled her eyes. "Well, I know you love her, Father. You had me. But Grandmother says there's a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. She loves me but is in love with Grandfather."
Draco held Serena tighter to him. "I don't know."
"Do you think Mother hates me for breaking the two of you up? Do you think she's in love with you?" Serena rested her head on her father's shoulder. "I think so."
"No, your mother doesn't hate you," Draco replied. He rested his chin atop her head. "Why do you think your mother is in love with me?"
"She looks at you the same way Grandmother looks at Grandfather and Aunt Luna looks at Uncle Blaise and Aunt Pansy looks at Uncle Ron-"
"You think your Aunt Pansy is in love?" asked Draco amusedly.
Serena shrugged. "I'm only six, Father. What do I know?"
"You're smarter than any six-year-old I know," Draco said with a laugh, tickling her side.
"I think you should go see her, Father," Serena urged after her laughter died down. "If you really care about her, you should be there like Uncle Blaise is for Aunt Luna."
"Serena, the Healers wouldn't-"
Serena got up and rested her hands on her hips, an imitation of her grandmother Weasley, though she didn't know her. "Father, you are a Malfoy, remember? Grandfather says that Malfoys can sometimes bend the rules."
"Don't say that out loud again," Draco said with a smirk. "As Malfoys, we don't break rules."
"Because rules don't apply to us?"
"Serena, you have to follow the rules for years before bending them," Draco said. "So there will be no bending the rules for you, ever. I shall have to talk to your grandfather about what is and is not appropriate to teach you."
"So are you going to go?" asked Serena eagerly.
"You are to stay within sight of your grandparents at all times," Draco ordered. "Come on, let's go tell them."
"There's no way Mum isn't in love with you," Serena said with a giddy smile.
Draco chuckled. "You really are a Malfoy."
~~~~~~~~
"Draco?"
"Pansy? What are you doing here?" Draco shoved his hands in his pocket as all the Weasleys standing behind Pansy turned to stare at him. "I thought it would be family only at this point."
"I wanted her here," Ron said, moving to stand behind Pansy as if Draco would strike.
"Ron, go sit," Pansy ordered quietly. When she saw that Ron was settled in his seat, she led Draco away from the Weasley family, who gazed at their retreating backs. "Your letter said you wouldn't be arriving until tomorrow. Is something wrong with Serena? Didn't you say she was awake?"
Draco reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Serena's fine. I came-I want to see Ginny."
Pansy smiled and patted his back. "The Healers are in with her now. They said they thought they found a way to stanch the bleeding, even if they can't heal the cut yet. I was planning on sending an owl in a few minutes."
"Well, I would appreciate if you could update Father and Mother while I am in with Ginny. They'll want to know," Draco said, straightening his back in hope that the gesture would toss off the hesitancy he felt when approaching the Weasleys.
"They don't blame you, Draco," Pansy said softly, pressing a hand to his arm to stop him from walking away. "Stop approaching this situation with guilt. You're not the enemy, not anymore at least."
"I know," he said, though his voice lacked conviction.
Pansy looped arms with him and escorted him back to the Weasleys. "Draco wants to see Ginny."
Draco was shocked when none of them resisted. Instead, they all gave him short nods, and Mrs. Weasley gave him a small smile. He took a seat next to Pansy and stared around the room at the Weasleys, their mirrored expressions of worry and anxiety. His eyes landed on Hermione, who had her hands on her protruding stomach and tears in her eyes. She was staring at him with this mixture of relief and complete fear. But when she locked eyes with him, she gave him a watery smile and rested her head against her husband's shoulders, closing her eyes but leaving her hands on her stomach.
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his head bowed and thoughts roaming wildly about. He couldn't help but to feel vulnerable to this family that, for a good portion of his childhood, he had abhorred. Yet, here he was, waiting next to them for news of their daughter, a woman he not only had a child with but also cared about deeply. Since he first held Serena in his arms, he found himself in situations that he could only exert minimal control over. But when it came to the battle for Ginny's life, he had no control over it, nor his emotions. The thought was scary, and he slumped his shoulders, an invisible weight of worry pressing down on him.
"Ahem."
Draco's head shot up when an elderly man came out, his white hair tied back at the nape of his neck and a visitor's badge pinned to his chest. He was one of the first and foremost Healers in the arts of injuries caused by Dark Magic, and he happened to be the first Healer that the Malfoys had approached. He held a folder to his chest, and when his eyes landed on the blond head amongst the sea of red, a look of fear appeared in his eyes that Draco did not like.
"What is it, Healer Mosley?" asked Draco, standing from his seat and taking control of the situation. In that moment, he was at his most intimidating, even in his casual khakis and black shirt.
"We've managed to slow the bleeding," Healer Mosley said, clearing his throat. "However, we haven't managed to discover the spell used or any counteracting methods."
"Is she stable?" asked Hermione, standing and peering over Draco's shoulder. "How about her blood work? Did it come back clean?"
"Her-"
Hermione waved him off. "Just give me the chart."
"I cannot-"
Hermione pointed at her stomach. "Do you see this? I'm a very hormonal woman, Healer Mosley. I have the utmost respect for you, but if you do not hand over the chart, I will hex you to China and back."
Draco couldn't help the amused smirk that appeared on his face. "Healer Mosley, this is Healer Hermione Weasley."
"Of course," Healer Mosley said, giving her a slight bow. He handed over the charts. "I have to Floo my assistants."
"Thank you," Hermione said, opening the charts. She turned back to the family. "The bleeding is bad, but they've slowed it down a great deal, which is good news. She suffered from a severe head injury. It looks like they're working on fixing that at the moment. Other from that, she's fine. Her vitals are good for all the bleeding she's doing. In fact, after they do some final tests on the head injury, they may even be able to try and wake her up. The pain in the wound on her stomach is numbed so it shouldn't cause many problems."
The Weasleys and Pansy all visibly relaxed a tiny bit.
"Was she-did he violate her?" asked Arthur in an almost scared whisper.
Hermione shook her head as she shuffled around the papers. "It doesn't look like it. They examined her-"
"They what?" Ron asked sharply. "They were touching my baby sister?"
"Ron, they had to examine her to make sure to take the proper actions if she was-you know," Hermione explained calmly, though, despite her professional demeanor, she couldn't bring herself to say what may have happened to her best friend. Turning to Draco, she lowered her voice and said, "We've all seen her already. Two of the Healers went to take naps-they need their sleep, Draco. I don't want them working on her while they are tired. The other two are in with her now."
"I'm not paying them to take naps," Draco grumbled under his breath.
Hermione tapped his shoulder with an amused, yet sympathetic smile, on her face. "Maybe you can give her a kiss and heal her, yeah?"
"If only it were that easy," Draco drawled.
He let out a sigh and pushed open the door to Ginny's room, not bothering to say anything to the Weasleys behind him. Inside, he found two Healers bustling about, but his sole focus was on the pale body on the bed. Her hair lacked the lush fullness he was used to seeing, but nothing compared to her face. The Healers hadn't removed the bruises yet, and her eye was swollen, her cheek black and blue. A rush of anger filled him, and he wished, for the hundredth time, that Harry had not been with him when he discovered Warrington.
"Mr. Malfoy," one of the Healers said, shocked to see him.
Draco didn't reply, too scared he would lash out at the Healers. Instead, he moved to the side of the bed, out of the way of the two Healers, and sank down in the chair. He moved the chair closer to the bed, reaching out to thread his hand through hers, not caring that the two men in the room were staring at him. The only thing he could concentrate on was how weak she looked on the bed, and when he glanced at the bag on the other side of the bed collecting the blood seeping from her open wound, his stomach lurched. A bitter taste filled his mouth, his own blood, as he bit down on his tongue to prevent himself from roaring in rage.
Picking up her hand, he placed a kiss on her knuckles and placed it back on the bed gently, almost as if she would disintegrate in pieces before him. The eldest of the Healers smiled at him when he looked up, and Draco felt like the Healer knew exactly what was going on in Draco's head. It was disconcerting, and he lowered his eyes to avoid making contact with the Healers all-knowing gaze.
"You know, sometimes talking to them helps," the elderly Healer suggested, his hands massaging the side of Ginny's head. "Nash, go and see if Bennin and Lisde found out anything about that wound."
"Hang on a moment," the one named Nash said. "Let me just heal her face."
Draco watched as the man rubbed in a liquid on Ginny's cheek and touched it upon her eyelid. In a matter of seconds, the bruising began to go down until all that was left was a slight redness to her face, which Nash told Draco was completely normal. He gave Draco a slight bow before leaving the room. The other Healer motioned towards Ginny with a flourish of his hand as if trying to signal Draco as to what to say.
"I wouldn't know what to say," Draco said stiffly, the Healer trying his patience.
"Well, tell her how much you love her and miss her," the Healer replied, unmindful of the glare that the young blond was giving him. "Then go on from there."
"I don't-I don't love her," Draco said, his gaze drifting to Ginny's red face. "I care about her."
"Right, of course," the Healer said, though he looked far from convinced. "Well, I'm all done here. I am going to see if I can't find some more Blood Replenishing potion."
Draco stood up when the Healer left, brushing a strand of her hair out of her face. Almost hesitantly, he placed a kiss on her forehead, hoping that perhaps, by some luck, she would awake. When she didn't, he pressed a small kiss to her lips, all hope deflating from him, and he sat down again, placing her small hand in his. He needed to be able to touch her, to fortify the fact that she was alive and in front of him. Staring at the closed door, he wondered briefly if there was any truth to what the Healer said.
"Serena's fine," he said, his voice hoarse. "I didn't tell her what happened to her. You were right on the island-you're her mother. You deserve to make decisions about her life as much as I do."
He sat up when he saw he eyes flutter, disappointment coursing through him when nothing more happened. However, hope rekindled within him, and he thought that perhaps the Healer was worth his price after all.
"I never meant for things to get so out of control in the kitchen. I hoped it would. But I didn't know what it would do to me. The things you said to me, Ginny," Draco said exasperatedly. "I want you to wake up, Ginny. I want to make things right. I want-I just want you."
At that moment, one of the Healers burst into the room, and the elderly one right on his coattails. In a rush, they began to explain to Draco that they found something they thought would help. He listened, his hand squeezing Ginny's, as they explained the process that Ginny would have to endure in order to stop the bleeding and heal her. It would be painful, but there was no other choice. He felt as if he was standing outside of his body as he moved out of the room, leaving them to do their work.
"They're performing surgery," he murmured to the Weasleys, who were wondering about the excitement. "They said the curse only clings to the skin around the wound. And if they remove it, they can regrow new skin."
He saw the muted gasps around him and allowed Pansy to wrap her arms around him, but not for long. He removed himself from her grasp and walked away, unable to stay around the Weasleys. There was a sadness in the room that threatened to swallow him up and suffocate him. He couldn't take it. His footsteps gained speed, and he soon found himself in the tea room of St. Mungo's, a few Healers roaming about and most ignoring him.
"Draco?"
Draco turned his head and saw Blaise with two cups of tea. "Blaise."
"What are you doing here? How is Serena? Is she in the hospital? Narcissa sent a house elf to tell us that Serena was fine. Is she here?" asked Blaise in a rush, sitting across from him.
"No, Serena's fine. She's with my parents. I was here to see Ginny," Draco said, his voice rough. "Merlin, Blaise. How did it come to this?"
"Come on, mate." Blaise pressed a styrofoam cup into his hand. "I'm going to go get another cup, and then we're going to see Luna."
Fifteen minutes later, Draco found himself in Luna's hospital room. There was a baby by her side, wrinkled and pink. Without thinking, Draco placed the cup of tea on a table in the room, washed his hands, and moved towards the small bundle. Luna nodded her assent when Draco looked up at her, and he picked up the small child, mindful not to jostle her as she was asleep.
"She's beautiful," Draco said, his words barely audible. "Have you named her yet?"
"Guinevere Elizabeth Zabini," Blaise said.
"Gwen for short," Luna added, wiping away a tear. "We felt it only fitting."
"Little Guinevere," Draco whispered. "Your Aunt Ginny is going to love you when she wakes up."
"Is she-"
"She's going to be okay," Draco replied, not looking up from the peaceful face of the baby in his arms. "They found a way to seal her wound. It will take some time, but she'll be fine."
"And Serena?"
"I didn't tell her about her kidnapping, just Ginny's," Draco said, rocking the little girl in his arms. "I don't think she needs to know."
"Do you remember what I told you to do the morning you came to tell us about Ginny being in the hospital-the first time?" Luna watched him move towards the window with Guinevere, a sad smile on her face.
"Yes," Draco said, turning back to look at Luna.
"Do it now, Draco. Look at your feelings carefully because when she wakes up, she's going to need more than what you've given her in the past," Luna stated serenely. She reached out and grabbed Blaise's hand. "She deserves more than secret trysts and always being second in your life. She won't abide by that happening anymore. I know Ginny. Coming out of this alive is going to shake her world, and she will be lost and unsure of what to do. You'll either need to be there for her or leave her alone. No more messing with her feelings."
"I wasn't-"
"Even if you weren't conscious of it, you were," Luna said forcefully. "Now, what are you doing here? You need to go to her, Draco. Be there when she wakes up. After that, you can make your decision."
Draco stared down at Guinevere and placed a soft kiss on the baby's forehead before placing her back in the bassinet at Luna's side. With a few parting words, he took his tea and left the room, his feet leading him back to Ginny's room even though his mind was busy turning over what Luna said, what his father said. He felt as if for the past six months, his emotions had been stuck in some sort of balloon, and the balloon had all of a sudden popped, releasing a torrent of confused emotions.
"I sent the boys to get something to eat," Mrs. Weasley said when Draco appeared around the corner. "They were putting holes in the wall with their eyes."
"Oh," Draco replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Did Pansy go with them?"
"No, she went to the loo," Mrs. Weasley said. "Hermione went in with the other Healers at Charlie's insistence."
"Right." Draco found himself speechless, and he leaned against the wall, unsure of what else to do.
"She'll be fine. My Ginny, she's pulled through a lot," Mrs. Weasley said assuredly.
"Why didn't you tell Ginny the truth, that Serena was alive? Why did you try so hard to take away her chances of being a mother?" asked Draco, the words out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I would have done my best to make her happy. She was my responsibility from the moment we conceived Serena."
"I didn't want her to be a responsibility," Mrs. Weasley replied roughly. "I wanted her to be cared for and loved."
"It wasn't your decision to make," Draco snapped back, all his irritation and anger boiling forth. "One day, you'll have to explain to your granddaughter why her mother wasn't the first one to hold her or wasn't there at birthday parties. You robbed my daughter of her mother. And you can sit there and continue to think that Ginny and Serena or even your own family will put this in the past. It won't happen. There will always be some reminder."
"So be it," Mrs. Weasley replied, anger flashing across her face. "I can't change it Mr. Malfoy. I did what I did, and there is nothing I can do about it. If I had a Time Turner, I would go back and stop myself. But you know that is impossible."
Draco gritted his teeth and did not reply.
"I am not happy that I took Serena away from Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said, this time her voice soft and filled with regret. "I am sorry for what I did. But I am happy that things have been somewhat corrected, and she's found happiness with you."
The door to the room opened, and Hermione poked her head out, smiling. "They've done it."
Mrs. Weasley let out a happy laugh. "Can we see her?"
"Mrs. Weasley, with all due respect, I think Draco should come in and see her," Hermione said, shooting Mrs. Weasley an apologetic look. "Come on, Draco."
"I'll go get the boys," Mrs. Weasley said with an understanding nod.
Hermione looped her arm through Draco's and led him into the room. "They're going to revive her. The wound is healed, and her head wound looks perfectly fine."
"Mr. Malfoy," the elderly Healer greeted. He brandished his wand. "Are we ready then?"
"Mr. Malfoy, Healer Granger, if you could stand on either side of her. She'll be disoriented when we wake her up," the one named Nash said. "It will be easier if she sees recognizable faces."
Draco and Hermione took their positions, and the Healer waved his wand.
It took a few moments for her eyes to flutter open, and when they did, she sucked in a deep breath, her eyes darting about the room in panic. Her upper body lifted off the bed, and Hermione and Draco had to gently press her down, Hermione whispering soothing words to Ginny, telling her she was okay. Draco could only stare in relief, despite Ginny's frightened expression, happy to see her awake.
"Serena," Ginny exclaimed. "Where is Serena?"
"At home," Draco said, his voice suddenly kicking in. "She's awake and eating French toast with my parents."
Suddenly, Ginny broke down in tears, her whole body shaking. Hermione ushered the Healers out of the room, positive that Ginny was fine, and left Draco there. Draco did the only thing he could think of doing. He lifted Ginny's upper body off the bed and hugged her, holding her just as he held Serena, his hands running up and down her back, his cheek resting against hers. The physical contact provided him with as much comfort as he gave her.
"Where's Warrington?" Ginny sniffled into his shoulder.
"Azkaban," Draco answered, the name making anger well up in him.
Ginny took a deep breath, her tears slowing down. "He was working with Tracey to trick you. The jewelry you bought her, she sold it and kept the money. They were going to run away together."
"Shhh," Draco murmured. His anger was overwhelming, but at the moment, he couldn't bring himself to care with Ginny in his arms. "We'll deal with it later. Just relax."
"I was so scared you wouldn't come in time, Draco," Ginny breathed, her hand resting against his chest. "And then you came into the room. I-thank you for saving me."
"Yes, this is an awful habit of yours, Weasley," Draco drawled with a smirk. "I do have a job that doesn't include saving your life."
"At least I chose your week off, right?" Ginny laughed into his neck. "What day is it, by the way?"
"You've been twenty-four for almost four days now," Draco said.
"Well, I can't say I will ever forget my twenty-fourth birthday," Ginny murmured with a sigh. "I could eat some cake though."
Draco chuckled. "Of course you could."
"Oh wait, what about Luna and the baby?" Ginny bolted out of Draco's arms. "Are they alright?"
"They are both healthy," Draco answered.
Ginny beamed up at him. "What did she name her?"
"I think that is for her to tell you. She'll want to see you." Draco stood up and helped her to lie back on the bed. "Your family is going to want to see you. I'll go see if Luna can come down and see you."
"Draco?"
Draco, who was on his way back to the door, looked back at her. "Yes, Ginny?"
"I really would eat a big cupcake," Ginny said, emphasizing the word big.
Draco smirked. "I'll see what I can do."
In the early hours of the morning, after everyone had seen Ginny, and the redhead had cried many tears after finding out about Guinevere, Draco snuck back into her room, a small box in his hand. Ginny, who was asleep, stirred her bed when she heard the door shut, and blearily opened her eyes. She looked shocked to see Draco but sat up, looking pointedly at the box in his hand.
"Had to have the house elf bake you a cupcake," Draco murmured, putting the box. "But ask and you shall receive."
Ginny laughed. "I was only joking."
"Chocolate cupcake with strawberry frosting," Draco said, flipping open the box. "Happy belated birthday, Ginny."
She leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "Thank you."
The next morning, when Mrs. Weasley stopped to see her daughter, she was surprised and teary-eyed, to find Draco Malfoy in a chair beside Ginny's bed, his head resting on his arm, which was draped across the bed, his hand entwined with her daughter's as they slept. Knowing that Ginny would be fine, she left the two to sleep, closing the door softly behind her and asking the Healers not to bother them if it was possible.