(A/N)Mucho thanks to Linda for everything she's done to this story (and done wonderfully, if I might add) And just to let all you ickle kiddies know, the characters... they aren't mine... the story, it is mine. Got it? Good.

***


To a lot of people, Jessica was a highly regarded witch. She wasn't only beautiful and kind-hearted, Jessica also was an amazingly brilliant Auror. Even though she was just in training when Voldemort was at his apex of power, she was one of the most successful in catching Death Eaters. She even took one of those Death Eaters and made him fall to his knees in love with her.


***


“Mr. Malfoy.” Julius Anderson pounded on the door of the Malfoy Mansion. He clearedd his throat and spoke again.“Mr. Malfoy I know it is bad business that has brought me here, but I must go over this document with you.”


Julius had been standing in the cool March wind for about an hour now. He had been putting this unpleasant task off for a few days, but the Minister of Magic had finally given him little choice: Return to the Ministry without the document or forfeit his job. Julius knew that Draco was inside because when he had first arrived, he had seen the unmistakable blond head peeking out of a window. That was 59 minutes ago.


Finally, to Julius' delight, the door opened. When he looked eye level, he saw no one at all. Looking further down, he saw a queer looking house-elf in a sheet with bows on its ears. Julius had never understood the reason to have a house-elf about. They were the oddest and most frightening creatures he'd ever seen. He'd rather have a hippogriff tidy up his house in a sheet rather than one of those. Julius shuddered as the creature began to talk in the highest-pitched voice his ears had ever had the misfortune of hearing.


“Mr. Malfoy says you need not be here. Mr. Malfoy tells Mipsy to tells sir to ge- get off his bl-bloody property." The house elf would not look at Julius, she thankfully kept her large eyes pointed at his shoes. "Sir, Mr. Malfoy is not happy. Mipsy has to ask sir to please go home.”


Julius mustered a patient tone of voice. “I understand Mr. Malfoy is not happy, but... Mipsy... I have to see him. Please tell Mr. Malfoy that this has to be done,” Julius never thought that he would ever be speaking to a house elf, let alone pleading with it. But if this... Mipsy, didn't let him into the house, Julius would not have a job to go back to.



“Please sir, Mr. Malfoy doesn't want-”


“You inconsiderate fool.” Draco's sharp voice could be heard before his body came into view. “Have you not heard what I have just been through?” he snapped.


Julius stared as the young man took hold of the door frame himself. Draco Malfoy, at just 25, didn't seem to have changed much since his Hogwarts days. The only thing that did change was that he had opted to keep his white-blonde hair short. The long shape of his face resembled that of his father, but the similarities ended there. Though Draco's features were once hard like his father's, the years did seem to soften them. Jessica's doing, of course. Julius wondered, along with many others, what Jessica had done to tame a person such as Draco Malfoy.


Julius said, “Yes, Mr. Malfoy, I do know. That is why I've come to read the document to you.” Julius held up the roll of parchment to show.


The bristling anger disappeared, and Draco looked defeated. “I don't think I'm ready,” he said in a voice so quiet that Julius was glad to be standing so close.


“I understand that as well, Mr. Malfoy, but the Minister has given me orders. I have no choice but to follow them.” Or I am out of a job, Julius thought to himself.


Draco simply nodded and moved aside to allow the unwelcomed visitor into his home
The Malfoy Mansion once sparkled with the life it held, but as Julius silently followed Draco down the corridor the squeaks of Julius' shoes on the polished wood floors seemed to echo into every lonely crack of the house. From behind, Julius couldn't help but take notice of the way Draco carried himself; hunched over in sadness. This made Julius feel nothing but sorry for the young man. Stronger was this emotion because only five years earlier, Julius had passed Draco on his way to his trial. Draco had been shackled and chained, and he had given Julius and everyone he had walked by, a cold sneer. It was a couple of months later that the fates blessed him. Saved him, really. Julius did not know the full story, but Jessica Moorship had gotten Draco out of Azkaban Prison and into her home. They were married soon after. And that brought Julius to this ever so sad business.


When they reached the sitting room Draco sat down in a brown leather chair, and Julius followed by sitting on the matching couch. The only light from a small desk lamp seemed to be giving off a haunting glow as Julius took out the parchment and unrolled it. He stared at it for a long while until he sighed loudly.


He said hesitantly, “I don't think I will read the introductions, Mr. Malfoy, as I am positive you know what it is going to say,” Draco gave no nod or acknowledgment that he heard the man, but Julius continued anyways. “I, Jessica Malfoy, leave all my possessions to my beloved husband Draco Malfoy. Except the silver watch that I know Mipsy admires. I leave that to her. My wishes are as follows:” Julius pulled a letter out of his robe pocket and handed it over to Draco. He noticed that the young man's hands were shaking terribly as he accepted it. “She asked next that I give this to you so that you may read it in peace. I suppose her last wishes are in there, for that is all she has written for me. Any questions at all, Mr. Malfoy, you will know where to find me.” Julius stood up to leave, but paused as he passed Draco who seemed to be in a trance. “I truly am sorry, son,” he said placing a hand on Draco's shaking shoulder and then leaving.


Draco waited until he heard the front door of the mansion close and then whispered, “Thank you.”

"Ginny," Mrs. Weasley called to her daughter. "Ginny dear, if you don't wake up, you'll never make it to the interview!"

Ginny rolled over in her bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. For the past five years she'd been having nightmares and hadn't been getting much sleep. She'd wake up in a sweat and silent screams.

"Ginny, you've got to leave!" Molly's voice rang through the house. Ginny quickly jumped out of bed, pulled on her clothes, cast a glamour charm on her hair, and ran downstairs to find her mother looking furious.

"Good... now remember where you are supposed to Floo to?" Mrs. Weasley asked, pushing Ginny to the fireplace.

"Yes mum, goodbye." She kissed her mother's cheek and grabbed a handful of Floo powder. "Library," she shouted and she was gone.


***

Ginny Flooed to a library that was the largest library she'd ever seen. Hermione's was massive but this... this was unfathomable. The ceiling must've reached three stories and all four walls where covered in books from the floor up. There were two black leather couches facing each other with two mahogany end tables for each of them. Sitting upon them were very dim lamps in the shape of snakes, their mouths where the bulb was. A rug lay between the couches. It was made of earth tones and lavishly designed with some sore of ancient Indian design.

"Ah, Miss has arrived," said a squeaky voice behind Ginny, causing her to jump. "Mipsy did not mean to give Miss a fright."

"It's all right," Ginny told the house elf, her hand placed over her fast beating heart.

"Sir will be with Miss in one second. He asked Mipsy to tell Miss to sit. Mipsy shall bring tea." With that, the house elf disappeared out of the room.

Ginny sat and waited listening to the tick-tock of the Grandfather clock that rested against the wall behind her. Finally she heard the sound of shoes on a hardwood floor and the door opened.

"Malfoy?" Ginny asked, unbelieving.

"You?" Draco said at a loss for words. He had no idea Jessica would've picked a Weasley. Out of all the other witches in the world...

"What am I doing here?" Ginny asked rudely.

"Believe me," Draco flopped down on the couch opposite of Ginny and sneered. "If it were up to me, you wouldn't be here."

"My name is on the form and all the paperwork you must've signed to get me here. How could you not know it was me?"

"My wife knew who you were. Everything was left in a letter, besides the paperwork. He handed Ginny a letter that he held in his hand. "That's a letter that Jessica left for you to explain this," Draco paused, trying to find the right word, "situation."

Ginny stared at the letter in her hand for a few moments, then carefully opened it and began to read:

Ginny Weasley,

I know you must be wondering why I chose you. Trust me, I have my reasons and I am sure that you will find them out in due time. I know this won't be easy on you, for I know the way Draco has treated you, your family, and your dear friends. I ask you, as a dying woman, please look past that. I need you to give Draco the one thing that I will never be able to and that I wanted so badly to give him. A child. I must also ask you to please stay here with Draco during the nine months. I would love for him to see what it would've been like if we were to have a baby. I know that this seems like an awful lot to ask of someone I never met, but I have nothing else to give him, but this. I hope you understand.

Always,
Jessica Malfoy

Draco wondered what the letter had said. He watched as Ginny's eyes went wide, and then filled with tears. When Mipsy had brought in the tea, mid-letter, the tears were spilling onto her freckled cheeks.

"And you- you support her decision?" Ginny asked looking from the letter back to Malfoy.

Draco contemplated his words, then sat forward. "I thought she was nuts at first, but this is was the only thing she wanted. And seeing a Weasley in my library is a shock, but Jessica has my trust."

"So, what do we do?"

"You signed up to be a surrogate witch, but you don't know what to do?" Draco came to the closest to a laugh that Ginny had ever heard.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I know what to do for that, but she wants me to live here," Ginny held up her letter." If Jessica hadn't mentioned that to Draco in his letter, he showed no surprise.

"So, you'll live here," he said simply, sitting back again.

"I can't. I've got a life and a job."

"Not anymore."

"What!?"

"The job. You don't have a job anymore. What would you need it for? As for a life..." He smirked at her.

"But-"

"This is what my wife had wanted!" Draco took a deep breath to control his anger. "Are you going to do it or not? I've got other things that I could be wasting my time on." Draco got up to leave.

"Malfoy," Ginny called before he reached the door. He turned around with disgusted look on his face. "I'll do it," Ginny agreed finally. "When did you want to do it?"

"As soon as possible," Draco answered. "What?" He asked when he noticed Ginny giving him a strange look.

"I'm trying to picture you as a father," she said and then started to laugh.

"Well, if you're quite done, I think it would be okay for you to leave." Draco gestured to the fireplace. "I'll send an owl to the Medi-Witch tomorrow and let you know when the appointment will be. Do you think you can be packed by tomorrow?"

"I'm a witch, Malfoy. It doesn't take me long to pack." She said before stepping into the fireplace and flooing back to the Burrow.

Authors' Note: I only write fan fiction, work at Target, and go to college.. Does that sound like J.K. Rowling to you? I'm not trying to be her... if only ::sigh:: And thanks so much to Isabel who beta'd this chapter wonderfully!

---

Ginny waited until dinner that night to tell her parents. Being the only child still living at the Burrow was often times lonely, but tonight, Ginny was thankful for this. She was scared enough about what her parents would think, let alone her over protective brothers.


“So, Ginny dear,” her mother started as they sat down to dinner, “tell us how the interview went.”

“Well, I've decided to do it.”

“Oh.” Her mother couldn't hide the shocked look on her face and Mr. Weasley choked on his potato.

“Please, you both knew this day would come. It's why I volunteered,” Ginny said rolling, her eyes at her parents’ reactions.

“Yes, but your father and I didn't really think you'd do it,” Molly said.

“You really didn't think Fred and George would open up their joke shop. You didn't really think Bill would marry Fleur, or that Ron would really ever grow up and ask Hermione to marry him. You didn't really think Charlie...” Ginny froze. Charlie had died in one of the final battles against Voldemort. They couldn't bring themselves to talk about him in normal conversations, as they were not fully healed. Oh hell, Charlie wouldn't like the special treatment. “You didn't think Charlie would really work with dragons,” Ginny finished.

“She does have a point, Molly,” Arthur agreed with is daughter. “But Ginny, you're only twenty-four. Have you given up hope of having your own children when you're married?”

“No, and honestly, I didn't think it would be this soon, but someone really wants a child and I will give this chance to that person.”

Molly Weasley smiled proudly at her daughter. “Who is the couple?”

“Not a couple,” Ginny frowned. It was now or never, she told herself. She took a deep breath before saying “Draco Malfoy” as quickly as she could.

The silence in the room was deafening. Mr. Weasley's fork was inches in front of his open mouth. Mrs. Weasley's hands were flat on the table where they were when she was intently listening to her daughter. When the silence became too much, the ghoul began rattling some pipes. That was the first time Ginny had ever been truly thankful of the ghoul because her father seemed to snap out of his state of shock.

“M-Malfoy?” He questioned putting his fork down. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“Believe it or not, yes. It is what his wife wanted and it was the last wish she left for him. I don't know how she chose me, but she did. The more I think about it the less sense it is making, but I made him a promise, and I will keep it.” Ginny's parents smiled with pride at her determination. She had to have determination if she was willingly agreeing to have Malfoy's child.

“Another thing,” Ginny began, “in the agreement was that I live at Malfoy's manor until I have the baby,” Ginny held up her hand to stop her parents who were about to react to the news. “It was in Jessica's letter to me, and I will be doing it. She wants Malfoy to go through the pregnancy with me. I don't necessarily think it's a great idea, but since she asked, I feel like I have to.”

“Ginny, you don't have to do anything,” Molly said.

Ginny sighed. “Mum, if dad died when you were younger, and he asked you to fulfill this wish for him. If he wanted you to father Lucius Malfoy's baby so you knew what it was like to have a child, would you?”
“I already have many children.”

“No, before that. Before you had any children at all.”

Molly was silent for a few moments, staring intently between her husband and her daughter. “Yes, I suppose I would. But I honestly don't think your father would request that I would have Lucius' child.”

“Of course he wouldn't. Please Mum, I need you to be okay with this as well,” Ginny pleaded with her mother.

“I am okay with it, dear. Just be careful,” Mrs. Weasley squeezed her daughter’s hand in her own.

“Now that we are all okay with it,” Arthur smiled at his daughter and wife, “can we please eat before our dinner gets cold?”

***

Before Ginny had woken up from her nightmare the next morning, a black owl had brought a letter from Malfoy saying that a Medi-witch would be meeting with them at 3:30 p.m. and that she should be packed, and meet him there. It explained that his house elf would be picking up her bags from her house and settling them into her room at his house.

***

“Draco Malfoy,” a feminine voice called from the corridor that Draco's back was facing.

“Draco Malfoy?” The voice repeated.

Draco knew who the voice belonged to without even looking. Reluctantly, he stood up and faced her. “Sweet Merlin,” he said under his breath. Even though he knew who the voice belonged to, he wished upon everything he owned it wasn't her.

Hermione Granger. Well, now that she had married the Weasel, it's probably Hermione Weasley. Unless she was one of those liberated witches and kept her last name. Even though it was a muggle name, he would've rather kept it than be a Weasel.

“So, it is you,” Hermione smirked.

“Would there be any other Draco Malfoy?”

“I suppose not, but one can dream, can't she? So, who is the unlucky -”

“Hermione!” Ginny cried as she walked into the waiting room. “Oh, please don't tell Ron!” She pleaded as she shrugged off her green jacket.

Draco smirked as he watched the red-haired Weasley squirm.

“I - I won't, of course.” Hermione looked unsure of herself. “You do know this is Draco Malfoy, don't you?” She whispered to Ginny.

Ginny sighed and looked at Malfoy and frowned for the smirk still remained on his face. “Yes, I know it's Malfoy. He wants a kid, and I happen to have the equipment for him to have one. Can we please hurry this along so I can start my nine months of hell?”

It was Draco's turn to frown. “Your nine months of hell?”

“Yes, thank you. I don't remember you say you were going to carry a child and then squeeze it out your-”

“Well, you're the one that has to live with me. Don't you think that is going to be hell for me?”

“Excuse me, you're the one making me live there. It's not like I offered to do it out of the goodness of my heart,” Ginny countered.

“If you two are done,” Hermione edged her way between the two, “follow me please.” She led them down the corridor to her office. On the desk were some moving pictures of Hermione and Ron on their wedding day. Another was of Ron and their daughter Natalie sleeping on the couch. The light blue walls of her office held a few plaques and awards from the Wizarding Medical Research Team and even one that Ron had given her that said “President of S.P.E.W.” It was a Christmas gift from their seventh year in Hogwarts.

“Okay, we've just got to get a few papers filled out. Did you want the spell done today?” Hermione asked as she put a few pieces of parchment in front of the odd couple.

“Yes,” they said at once.

“Right,” Hermione smiled.

After the mountain of papers were done (“I thought you said a few, Granger, er, Weasley”)

Hermione took Draco into the waiting room to wait and Ginny into a room where she could perform the spell.

“You're not under the Imperious Curse, are you?” Hermione asked Ginny when they were alone.

“No.”

“Then what made you just consent to having Draco's baby?”

“His wife.”

“Ginny, she's dead. Are you seeing ghosts?” The worry was etched on Hermione's face.

“No, no ghosts. Her last wish was for Draco to have a child, and for me to be the one to give it to him.”

“I did see her in here to look at candidates after they found out they couldn't have children,” Hermione thought out loud. “Your name was on the form also, so she must've known it would be you who was to have her husbands child. This is all so strange.”

“Ginny,” Hermione said seriously as she took out her wand. “Are you positive about this? I know I helped you become a surrogate witch, but you can change your mind.”

“I'm sure Hermione. This is why I signed up for it; to give someone else a child. I vowed to give someone a child, regardless of who they were. No, I didn't believe Draco Malfoy would be the parent, but I'm okay with it. It would be easier if we could put it in a pot for the nine months, though,” Ginny joked and Hermione laughed. “And, it's not as if I have to stay there after the baby is born. The baby will be his, all his, after it's out.” Ginny almost laughed at the thought of Draco changing dirty diapers.

They were silent for a few minutes as Hermione looked as if she were concentrating hard. She flicked her wand a few times.

“All done.”

“Done?” Ginny didn't know what to expect, but that seemed too easy.

“Yes. The muggle way is not as simple. I wouldn't complain,” Hermione smiled.

“When will I know if the spell worked?”

“Immediately.” Hermione took out a small needle. She instructed Ginny to hold out her finger and Ginny flinched as Hermione quickly pricked her fingertip. She swiped a drop of blood on a small piece of paper. Then Hermione took out a small clear cauldron and dropped the paper in to a blue potion. “If the spell worked, it will become gold. If not, it will remain blue.”

Ginny watched with baited breath as the potion turned gold. A huge smile broke out onto her face. She did not like the thought of a child of Draco's growing inside of her, Ginny was just happy the spell worked. And, it was a little bit exciting to know there was a little person just begining in her belly. Even if it would eventually be a Malfoy. Poor baby.

“In nine months, Draco will be a father,” Hermione said.

“You won't tell Ron, please?” Ginny asked again.

“I promise.”

All through dinner that night, Malfoy asked Ginny if she felt any different. After the fifty-sixth time, Ginny excused herself and went upstairs to unpack. The room she would be staying in was beautiful. It was done in rich wood and deep reds. The bed reminded her of the Hogwarts canopy beds, decorated in red and gold. There were two bureaus, a desk, and a closet. A fireplace was next to the door leading to her very own bathroom. Ginny was almost glad to be here. Almost.

After she had unpacked all her clothes, she lay on her bed and began reading a book. She looked up when she heard a knock on her door. She was more than surprised to see that it was Malfoy.

“No,” Ginny replied before he could even say anything.

“What?” He seemed confused.

“No, I don't feel any different.” Ginny didn't even bother to look up from the book.

“I was going to ask you if your room was okay.”

“In that case,” Ginny looked at him, finally. “The room is wonderful.”

“Good. I will leave you. Good night.” With a simple nod of his head, he left her room.

****

Ginny was in a dark and dank cell. She could walk four paces each way. There were no doors and no windows, just gray cement bricks on four sides of her. She had also been breaking pebbles out of the cement walls and making a pile so she could know how long she had been in there for. It had been sixth months so far. She had no idea what sort of spell or charm would be on the walls, but they only allowed Death Eaters in and out of her cell. Another strange thing she found about her cell was that either she did not know any of the Death Eaters coming in and out to question her, or their voices were disguised.

And to say they were coming to question her was an understatement. It was an outright lie. She had been beaten, tortured, and violated in every sick way they could think of.

“Wake up, little girl!” Ginny jumped as a hooded figure barged into her cell. “It's time for play,” the rough voice called. He grabbed her by the hair and pushed her into a laying position. Ginny didn't even cry out as he threw up her skirt and unceremoniously pounded into her small and tired body. He continued until he reached some sort of satisfaction, spat on her, and left the room.

Ginny lay motionless on the cold floor. Something like this happened every single night. Either they beat her, or raped her. Sadly, she could call upon the first night that she had been here. She had just gotten off the Hogwarts Express after completing her seventh year at Hogwarts. She was about to reach her parents, who were proudly waiting for her, when popping noises erupted all around her. The last thing she saw was a spell hit her mother, who fell to the ground, before large hands closed around her and she was being Apparated away from Platform 9 3/4 and brought to this very cell.

That night, they had tortured her and beat her, and she'd been raped until she thought she would die if one more person touched her. Thankfully, they tired of her, and left. Possibly to die on her own, Ginny never found out. Whether she had fallen asleep or passed out, she didn't know, but she was awakened when someone entered the room with heavy boots on. She almost began to cry because she did not know if she could stand it anymore.

Without saying a word, the person knelt beside her and drew their wand. Whatever the spell was, she did not hear it, but she felt no pain.

Was she dead?

“It was a healing charm,” the hooded person, who turned out to be a male, said softly. “You're not dead.” He said these things as if he could read her mind. Of course he could read her mind, she thought to herself. He is one of the Dark Lord's followers.

“That remains to be known,” he chuckled a little.

“Snape?” Ginny asked weakly.

“No, not that git. Here, take this, it'll help you sleep.” He held out a cup of purple potion. “No one will be back for a few days.” Ginny drank the Sleeping Draught.

“If not Snape?”

“It's not important. Just go to sleep.” Ginny fell asleep and didn't remember him leaving her room.

Every time she was tortured in one way or the other, he would return. He refused to say who he was or what Ginny's fate would be. “You'll live another day,” he would tell her as he handed her the Sleeping Draught.

Today as he knelt by her and performed the Healing Charm, Ginny softly replied, “thank you”. Tonight had been especially bad. They had performed many cutting spells on her. She knew she was bleeding a lot because the white shirt she had been wearing was red now. Blood red.

As if choreographed, he held out the Sleeping Draught. “Will I be able to sleep... never mind, I'll never get out of here,” Ginny said sullenly.

“No, you will get out of here, I promise.” Ginny looked at him surprised. This was the first time in her sixth months of him coming and helping her that he even mentioned her leaving.

“Can you tell me something,” Ginny wondered.

“My name is...”

“...not important. I got that all ready, but I want to know about my family. Could you tell me how they are doing? And Harry Potter and Hermione Granger?”

“The last I knew, Harry and Hermione were well. Your family has suffered a loss though. In the battle this morning, Charlie died.”

Ginny felt tears rush to her cheeks. “Drink the potion, Ginny,” he said softly. “You're alive another day.”


***

Ginny was bored out of her mind. For the past month she had felt like a prisoner in the mansion. She tried to clean a few things but Mipsy got offended and burst into tears. She tried reading books, but she couldn't sit that long. She tried visiting her mother, but it made her sad that she couldn't stay there. She visited Hermione on lunch breaks, but she got called off most of the time to be with a patient.

Malfoy was in his study and was well aware of Ginny pacing back and forth outside his open door.

“Do you need something or do you like getting on my nerves?” He asked without picking his head up from what he was writing.

“I do like getting on your nerves.” Ginny walked into his study. “But there is something I need to ask.”

Malfoy stopped writing on the parchment, put his quill down, and looked at her expectantly.

“Can I get a job?”

Malfoy raised his eyebrows and glanced at her for a few seconds before answering.

“I thought we all ready discussed this. No.” Malfoy went back to his parchment.

“Why not? You try sitting around the house with nothing to do. I just need some small job. I won't go work at St. Mungos. I know I would be in danger on the Unliftable Curses floor, but I need to do something.”

“Play wizard chess.” Malfoy was still not looking up.

“With who? Mipsy?”

“Get one of your brothers, you've got about ten of them.”

“They don't know about what I'm doing yet. That'd go over lovely with them. 'Want to come play wizard chess with me at Malfoy's Mansion?'”

“So have the Mud- Grange- Weasley play,” Malfoy was getting frustrated.

“She's got her own baby to take care of on top of a job,” Ginny crossed her arms. “Draco, I'm going out of my mind.”

Draco's quill froze at the sound of his name. He looked at her, shocked, but she didn't seem to notice that she didn't call him Malfoy. Realizing it must've been a slip, he sighed loudly.

"Why not invite your whole family here for dinner one night?”

“My brothers-”

“Don't know... so invite them over.”

“So you want a war to start in your own home?”

“Might be nice,” Draco smirked and Ginny rolled her eyes. “They don't know this is my house. Just have them floo into the library like you did and explain everything. If they want to leave, they know where the fireplace is.”

Ginny thought this over. “What if they ask why they can't Apparate?”

“You can't Apparate in here anyways.”

“Really?” Ginny asked.

“Really. I don't want people Apparating into my house unannounced.”

“Well, they can't be angry forever, right?” Ginny asked.

“Right,” Draco agreed. “You let me know when you want the brood over, and I'll be ready.” Draco turned back to his letter he was writing.

“Tomorrow night?” Ginny asked over little thought. Draco's job as a part of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad for the Ministry of Magic usually had him home by four o'clock. Ginny knew from her father that they watched him closely and he wasn't allowed to stay over. She also knew if there was a raid while he wasn't at work, he wouldn't be called either. It seemed like they treated him poorly and it was beyond Ginny why he stayed.

“It's Wednesday, so it should be slow. Sounds good,” Draco said, looking up at her.

“Great!” Ginny smiled and Draco felt a little happy knowing that he put the smile there. “But don't think I have forgotten about the job,” Ginny warned before leaving. “I will also remind you that you shouldn't forget the Bat-Bogey hex I am sure you remember from your fifth year.”

“Just plan your party and I'll think about the job.”

“Thank you!” Ginny skipped happily out of the room and Draco shook his head, thankful that she missed the smile that was on his face. What the hell was happening to him? His wife just died... and this was a Weasley. A Weasley who would be out of his life when his baby was born. But Merlin, she was starting to grow on him.

AN- The characters are not mine (except Jessica). Sadly, I only write what Jo cannot bring herself to. If only... And a few of quick notes. Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews. They are lovely! It's my first Draco/Ginny story and I'm so excited to see that people read it, and then come back for more chapters. I'm sorry for the delay in updates. Whenever I update the chapter, the lovely Cabal must approve of it first, but the story appears to be updated, but it's really not. If you wait like about a day, and then come back to it, the newest chapter will be up. Pesky little problem, but one I can live with. Last note, thanks so much for Isabel who beta's the story for me. She does a wonderful job and catches everything that I don't. Wow, that was long.... sorry.

---

“Ginny Weasley.” Ginny woke at the sound of her name. The place she was in was bigger this time. It was the same room, for she noticed her pile of chipped cement that counted her days here, but it seemed to have stretched to accommodate the large number of Death Eaters it now held.

“Awake, I see.”

Ginny turned her head towards the voice and saw a pair of red eyes attached to a snake-like face. She quickly stood up; Ginny refused to sit or kneel before Voldemort.

“How dare you stand as if you were my equal,” she noticed his voice wasn't as intimidating when it was disguised.

“What do you want?”

“What I want is your precious Potter.”

“Do you know how old that is?” Ginny laughed. “My precious Potter. It's been over a year that he's been 'mine.' And if you're holding me here as bait, I do believe you are wasting your time.”

“And why is that?” Voldemort asked as if he actually cared what she thought. Ginny humored him with an answer.

“I'm expendable. I'm not an intricate part of his world. After what happened with Sirius, he no longer comes when he is called. Or baited.”

“That's a lie!”

“Is it? I've been here for months,” Ginny motioned to her large pile of cement pieces. “How many times has he tried to come for me? Have you gotten any sort of word that he's been looking?”

“You must really be feeling expendable right now to talk to me that way. Crucio!” Ginny fell to the ground in a blinding pain, yet she fought hard not to scream out. He would not get the satisfaction.

“Not enough?” Voldemort asked when he lifted the curse. “How about fifteen hitting you at once?”

“Dark Lord,” a very familiar voice said. He was in the room; the one helping her. “I know Potter will come for her. He's foolish and will never change. You've got to give him more time. He's always been a little slow.”

“But I can still kill her,” Voldemort said. Ginny almost sighed in relief. For a moment, she was a little frightened that Voldemort would kill her.

“If he does indeed love her, as gross as that may sound... he wouldn't bother coming if he knew she was dead,” her helper reasoned with his Dark Lord.

Voldemort was silent for a second. “Fine, she lives. If he's not here by the end of the week, we'll send him the body.” And, with that, he left, followed by the Death Eaters.

***

Ginny couldn't remember a time when she'd been so nervous to see her family. Bill and Fleur were busy working in America for Gringotts, so they wouldn't be making it. No one knew where Percy was anymore. He ran away sometime before the real fighting broke out, and they'd never seen him again. He sent them an owl once saying that he had to leave and he wished everyone the best. Before he left home, Ginny saw that Ron had a picture of Percy in his room and he shot knives at it when he was angry.

Ron and Hermione were sitting on one of the leather couches. They had found a sitter for Natalie and, even though Ron was very curious as to why they couldn't Apparate, Hermione had convinced him to come. Sitting beside them was Harry. Ginny thought it would be best to have him come and hear it from her, rather than find out from a very angry Ron. Her mum and dad sat on the other leather couch along with George. Fred was the only one missing and he should be arriving shortly.

“So, get on with it! I'm starving,” Ron said.

“Ronald!” Mrs. Weasley and Hermione said at the same time. Ginny smiled at the pair of them, and the ashamed look on Ron’s face.

“I'm waiting for...” at that time, Fred appeared in the fire place.

“Were you waiting for me?” He smiled broadly, his brown eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Yes, now hurry and sit,” Ron rushed him and Fred took a seat on the arm of the couch where his parents sat.

Ginny took a deep breath that lasted a few seconds. “I'm pregnant,” she admitted.

There was a moment of silence before most of them started talking at once. Mrs. Weasley was beaming proudly while Harry just stared at her. Hermione was yelling at Ron for the long list of profane words that were rolling out of his mouth as Mr. Weasley was yelling at Fred and George for the same thing.

Wow... that isn't even the worst part, Ginny thought.

“Would you all just kindly shut up,” Ginny said loudly. Everyone closed their mouths and turned to her once again. “Thank you. A little over a month ago, I was called to this place as an interview. You all knew that I offered to be a surrogate witch, had anyone ever needed me to be. The person whose child I am carrying gave me a letter from his wife expressing her dying wishes that I give her husband something that she could not. I agreed to-”

“It's not Malfoy, is it?” Harry asked speaking for the first time and Ginny cringed.

“No bloody way!” Ron whispered.

When Ginny finally found her voice again, she told Harry yes.

“Oy, I think I'm going to be sick,” George said.

“Please,” Ginny pleaded looking over her family, and Harry. “I need you all to be okay with this. I am doing this for Jessica. It's what she wanted.”

“Why you?” Ron asked.

“Jessica picked her,” Hermione answered for Ginny.

“You did this?” Ron asked, abashed that his wife would do such a horrid thing.

“Yes, Ronald, I performed the spell, but I am not the underlying cause as to why your sister chose to give birth to Malfoy's offspring. I think you will all be very childish if you do not support her. Ginny is an adult now and very much capable of making her own decisions.”

“Thank you, Hermione.” Ginny smiled at her sister-in-law. She couldn't remember a time when she was prouder of her.

“I support you,” George said. “It's very brave of you actually.”
“Yeah, I suppose I support you,” Fred agreed. That was better than him not supporting her, Ginny thought.

“I guess I support you,” Ron confessed. “But if your kid has red eyes, just be sure to remember it's your own fault.”

“Right, thanks, Ron. Except it's not actually mine after it comes out.” Ginny turned to Harry with a questioning look. He only nodded his approval, and Ginny wasn't expecting much more than that anyway. “So, if we go out and have dinner, you won't kill the only parent of this baby?”

“Do we have to call him Draco?” Ron asked.

“Call him whatever you wish.”

“So I can call him a right prat who doesn't know his head from his-”

“Ronald Weasley, if you so much as finish that sentence-” Hermione started and Ron clamped his mouth shut.

Ginny sighed and stood up. “I will be right back. I'll go tell Draco we are ready.” She found Draco in his study, pacing.

“You're not nervous, are you?”

“Of course I am. If a fight breaks out, Mipsy will have an awful mess to clean up, not to mention some trips to St. Mungos and that will be a waste of my floo powder.”

Ginny smiled. “No fights. There was a little yelling and name calling, but I think they've calmed down a bit. Maybe some food throwing... but definitely no fighting.”
Draco smiled a little. “Food comes out of the tablecloth better than blood. Can we eat now? I'm starving.”

Ginny rolled her eyes and let him lead her downstairs. It was then that she noticed the bare walls that lined the stairway. “Where did the pictures of Jessica go?” She wondered allowed.

“I took them down about a month ago,” Draco muttered, not turning around.

***

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat at the ends of the table at Draco's insistence. Ginny sat down at one side of the table and Fred, George, Ron, and Harry waited until Draco sat next to her before deciding to sit on the opposite side of the table. Hermione rolled her eyes and whispered “oh, honestly” before joining Ginny and Draco on the other side.

That was five minutes ago. Now a strained silence filled the large dining room. Ginny could feel Draco moving the table cloth as he nervously bounced his foot. Ron’s eyes kept jumping from one thing to the next as if he was expecting something to jump out at him. Both Hermione and Mrs. Weasley had forced smiles on their faces and Ginny found out why Draco was acting so nervous. Fred, George, and Harry were all staring at him with a hateful stare. Mr. Weasley seemed to be the only calm one, and, thankfully, was the first to speak.

“I suppose a congratulations is a month overdue, Draco.” At the sound of his name, Draco looked up from the invisible spot on the table cloth.

“Thank you, sir,” Draco replied with such politeness that the eyes that weren't staring at him all snapped in his direction.

“We've known each other long enough. I believe you can call me Arthur now,” Mr. Weasley smiled kindly. Ginny was so grateful that she had a wonderful father who could put away his hate for a few hours and act cordial to Draco.

Draco nodded and turned to Molly, who began talking.

“Have you thought of any names?”

“No, ma'am, I haven't given it much thought.”

“Ron and I waited until Natalie was born to name her,” Hermione volunteered. “It's hard to name someone that you don't know.”

“Yeah,” Ron agreed, surprising Draco by the shocked look on his face as he listened to Ginny's brother. “Hermione wanted to name her Gertrude,” Ron said and everyone laughed, even Draco.

Thankfully, this lightened the mood and the evening turned out to be pleasant. Fred, George, and Harry stopped staring and actually said a few things to him. Harry talked to him about the next Quidditch match and who would make it to the next World Cup. Fred and George invited Draco to visit their shop sometime to see how they made their Canary Cremes. Most surprising of all was when Ron offered some parenting tips.

“Be sure to put up a smell-blocking charm when they mess themselves, or you won't be able to smell for a week.”

Ginny was so exhausted by the time the last person flooed back to their house, that she flopped down on one of the couches in the library.

“So, you managed to get through it alive,” she said to Draco as he, too, flopped on the other one.

“Yeah, you Weasleys aren't so bad... for Muggle-lovers,” Draco added with a smile.

“Can I get that in writing?”

“Maybe some other time. I'm a little knackered.” They were silent for a few moments, just listening to the crackle of the fire before Draco spoke again.


“What would you name the baby?” Draco asked. He had no idea. Maybe carrying the kid would give her some idea as to what it should be named.

Ginny was so surprised to hear that he had such a conversational tone with her that it took her a moment to think.

“Boy or girl?” she asked.

“Both.”

“Well, I've always liked the name Olivia Grace for a girl. And Hermione was telling me of a Muggle man by the name of Noah. I'd probably name a boy Noah Matthew.”

Draco was silent again. He seemed to be concentrating on what to say.

“You've got names picked out, so why not have children of your own? Why become a surrogate witch?”

“I have my reasons,” Ginny answered. She didn't like where this conversation was going.

“Such as?” Draco ventured.

“You wouldn't understand,” Ginny whispered. She really wanted this questioning to end.

“Well, I won't if you don't tell me.”

“Malfoy, just drop it!” With that Ginny got up and left the library for her room.

“So it's Malfoy again,” Draco whispered to himself as he rubbed his tired eyes.

***

Ginny was almost asleep when she heard a knock on her door. She heard the door being pushed opened and heard someone enter.

“Tomorrow, you'll be going in to work with me,” Draco said softly.

“What?” Ginny turned around in her bed to face him. She could see him outlined in the light from the hallway.

“You said you wanted a job, did you not?” Draco asked.

“Yes, but-” What in the world was he telling her? Did he actually get her a job?

“The Head Auror needs an assistant and Tonks said she knew you all ready. She seemed to think you'd be great for the job and told me to bring you in tomorrow.”

“You're not lying, are you?” Ginny questioned. This would be a really cruel joke.

“I don't lie. Anymore. Just be ready,” Draco turned to leave.

“Draco,” Ginny called him back.

“So, it's Draco once again?” he asked, but he stopped and turned back around.

“I'm sorry,” Ginny confessed. “It's just that my reasons for not wanting to have my own baby right now are very personal.” She saw Draco's head nodding in a silent understanding. “And thank you for the job.”

“If it gets to be too much, you're stopping,” he warned.

“Fine with me,” Ginny agreed.

“Good-night, Ginny.”

A/N: I offered J.K. Rowling this very rare American penny, but she declined... at present time, the characters are still hers. With the exception of Jessica... and the baby.

***

The night after Voldemort’s visit, Ginny was very grateful that no one had come, and she hoped it would stay that way. Unfortunately, while she was thinking that, a black cloaked figure entered her room. Ginny quickly sat up from the cold cement floor she was sleeping on.

“It's only me,” came the gentle voice of her ally, and relief washed over her. She was safe; it was him.

“What's going to happen to me?” Ginny asked as he walked over to wear she sat.

“I'm going to get you out of here,” he said simply, as if it were as easy as saying the words.

“How? I've been here for months! I'm going to die in here!” Then a thought hit her and she began to cry. “I'm never going to see my family again.”

“Ginny,” he knelt beside her and took a hold of her shoulders. “I will get you out of here. I have made sure everyone that you love is alive so that, when you get out of here, you can go and be with them. I wouldn't have risked my own ass and everything I own just to let that bastard kill you.”

“Why? Why have you risked everything? Surely not for me?” The man beside her that was still holding her shoulders had become her friend over the past months, it was true. Sometimes when he was cleaning her wounds and giving her the potions to make her well, he would talk to her. He seemed to want to know everything about her, and seeing as she was so lonely, she told him everything she could think of. But when did that mean someone would stick
their neck out for you and ... well, save your life?

“You are quite wrong. I've risked everything only for you, Ginny Weasley.” He held one of her hands and laced his fingers through hers. Ginny sucked in her breath. Of all the times he has come in here, and as close as they have gotten, he had never physically touched her. She could feel the electricity that goes through you when someone who cares for you touches you. “I want you safe and with your family.”

“When?” Ginny asked, finally finding her voice. “When will I be able to see them again?”

“Very soon,” he replied. “But you must listen to me very closely. I can't get you out of here alone. I need some others to help me and you must trust me completely. These people will be disguised as Death Eaters. I will come in with two others tomorrow. One will be given Polyjuice Potion to look like you, the other, a Death Eater. Once you put on a Death Eater robe, we are safe to move you. You cannot speak or act suspicious in any way. It will be highly dangerous to all of us if we are caught. Do you trust me?”

“I always have,” Ginny answered. “Where do I go after?”

“We will take you to a safe Apparation point inside the building. They are set up so that only those with Dark Marks will be allowed to Apparate; you will Apparate with someone.”

“Apparate to where?”

“The Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, where your father will be waiting you.”

“My dad?” Ginny asked, tears pooling in her eyes. She was so close to freedom, she didn't know if she would be able to sleep tonight.

“Do you trust me?” He repeated.

“With everything I am,” Ginny whispered.

“That is a lot. You have more courage than anyone that I know, Ginevra.”

“Seeing as most of the people you know are a bunch of cowards, who wear masks over their faces, that's not saying much,” Ginny smirked. He slowly tucked a piece of fire-red hair behind her ear.

“I know more than just Death Eaters.” He stood up. “Sleep, Ginny. Tomorrow, you will live outside of these walls.” While he was walking to the hidden door, Ginny called out to him and he turned to face her.

“Please, I have to know, why are you doing this?”

He chuckled softly. “You don't know by now? Because, somewhere, my heart thought my life wasn't mucked up enough, so it made me fall in love with someone I cannot have.”

Ginny slowly stood up and walked the four paces over to him and threw her arms around him. She could smell his cinnamon scent as he held on to her. This was so surreal to her. Here she was in a cell, held captive by Death Eaters and supposedly being killed at the end of the week. Throw in a friend working for the bad guys, who was going to break her out of here come tomorrow, and just admitted he loved her, only she doesn't know his name, and you have one crazy life.

“Will I ever see you again?” Ginny's voice came out muffled from her face being pressed to his chest.

“After tomorrow, no.” Ginny noticed his voice was a little deeper than it normally was, masking his emotions.

“What's your name?” Ginny asked one last time.

“It's not important.”

***

Ginny awoke the next morning with tear stains on her freckled cheeks. She usually woke up screaming when she had the nightmares, but that one was different. It wasn't a nightmare at all, but the beginning of her freedom. It always made her cry. What made her so sad was that she really never saw him again. Everyone had known that someone had helped her. Merlin, her father even talked to him a few times, but no one seemed to know who he was.

After he helped her out of there, she couldn't sleep without the Sleeping Draught. After five months of using it, she decided that she would just deal with it and stop taking the potion. Even though she had to relive the worst eight months of her life for the past seven years, Ginny found comfort in them because the dreams meant that she was alive now. They meant that, whoever that man was, he loved her enough to risk his life to make sure that she, like he often said, lived another day.

“Miss?” A squeaky voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Yes, Mipsy?” Ginny called tiredly. Was it really time to get up already?

“Master asks Mipsy to remind Misses that she must be gettings up if she wishes to start her new job on time.” The house elf looked like she was about ready to beat herself over the head with whatever she could find as her eyes found everyone in the room but Ginny.

“Thanks, Mipsy,” Ginny smiled kindly. She wondered why Draco had changed his mind on letting her get a job. After she showered, dressed, and met him downstairs at the breakfast table in the kitchen, she asked him.

“Because you would've whined about it until I gave in. As I didn't want to be driven insane on account of said wining, I was forced to agree. And Hermione…what?” Draco stopped as he saw Ginny's mouth snap open.

“You called her Hermione.”

Draco frowned. ”If I called her Weasley, it would be confusing because there are so many of you lot now. And if I called her Mudblood, I probably would be risking all of my body parts.”

Ginny thought for a moment. ”I suppose you are right,” she said finally, continuing to eat her muffin.

“As I was saying,” Draco paused to roll his eyes. ”Hermione said we have an appointment in two months. Supposedly, she will be able to find out what the sex is.”

“Do you want to know? I know some people choose not to,” Ginny stood up and brushed off a few crumbs, which had fallen onto her pants.

“Of course!” Draco stood also. “I already know it is a boy. I can already tell. So, do you feel any different?” Draco ducked out of the way as Ginny's hand went flying at his head.

***

“Wotcher, Ginny!” A young woman with blue, spiked hair greeted Ginny after Draco had dropped her off at the Auror department on his way to the Law Enforcement Squad. His office was a couple of departments down.

“How are you?” Tonks asked. She had become the head Auror after the war with Voldemort was over. Many Aurors were lost in the battle and, because Tonks was always in the front line during the battles, the Ministry said they couldn't find a more fitting person to take charge.

“Great. Glad to be here and out of the mansion.”

“Draco thought you would be. This is your desk,” Tonks motioned to a small wooden desk that had about ten perches for owls hanging off of it, a small ink bottle fastened to the top, and a large roll of parchment just waiting to be written on. “I'm afraid there isn't that much to be done, and it won't be the most exciting job, but I'm sure you'll love it.”

“Thank you so much,” Ginny hugged Tonks. After Ginny’s rescue, she had gone to visit Tonks and Remus Lupin, who married shortly after Ginny was taken. They were kind to her, and Tonks was a good ear when Ginny needed to talk. Ginny had actually told Tonks about being a surrogate witch before she told her parents.

“You're welcome, Gin. Now let me show you around,” Tonks motioned for her to follow.

****

“How is your new job going, dear?” Mrs. Weasley asked Ginny when she went home a couple of weeks later. Draco had decided to come along, much to Ginny's surprise. As she helped her mother in the kitchen, Arthur had taken Draco out to the shed to show him his plug and new rubber duck collections.

“I love it!” Ginny exclaimed. “Different than working at St. Mungo’s.”

“Yes, but the long term resident ward was very stressful and dangerous when the patients got out of hand,” Mrs. Weasley explained.

“I understand,” Ginny began to peel some carrots for the stew and place them in the large cooking pot. “It's wonderful to see Ron, Harry, and Tonks

everyday. Did you know that Harry is still getting fan mail for defeating Voldemort? And poor Ron -- the Chuddley Cannons are still trying to draft him to the team. He tries to hide them before Tonks can see because she thinks he's going to run off and leave her one Auror short.”

“She's got nothing to worry about,” Mrs. Weasley tapped the pot with her wand and warmed it immediately. “Ron loves his job.”

“Mom, do you think Dad knows who that guy was that saved me when the Death Eaters captured me?”

Mrs. Weasley was shocked at first because of the quick change in subjects. She knew that the thought of who the man was that helped her was always in the back of her daughter’s mind. “Haven't you asked before?” She set her wand on the table.

“Yes, but maybe he just didn't remember then and he does now?”

“Ginevra, if your father knew, I am positive he would tell you,” her mother reached out and touched her hand. “Maybe you should ask around at the Ministry. You could even ask the pardoned Death Eaters. Ask Draco.”

“Ask me what?” The blond appeared in the kitchen, followed by a smiling Mr. Weasley.

“Nothing, it's not important,” Ginny started to set the silverware on the table. Draco got some plates and placed them next to the silverware.

“Nonsense, Ginny. She wants to know who the Death Eater was that helped her,” Mrs. Weasley spoke to Draco.

Ginny looked at him when she heard a loud crash coming from the side of the table where he was placing the plates.

“Sorry,” he said to Mrs. Weasley and quickly repaired them with his wand. “I always was clumsy.”

“Maybe you’d better not hold the baby,” Mr. Weasley joked and Draco laughed a little too loudly.

“So, do you know anything about the man?” Ginny asked.

“No,” Draco said. “I could ask around the Law Enforcement Squad, though. Maybe they caught wind of him.”

“Thank you,” Ginny replied getting some bottles of butterbeer from the refrigerator.

All of these wonderful characters, besides Jessica, belong to Mrs. J.K. Rowling. I would also like to note that I enjoy each and every comment that I get, and I do reply to them all. So, if you commented, check back, I probably said something back :) And if you do have a question or an opinion ... you can always feel free to e-mail me whenever you'd like, I'd love your input. And a huge special thanks to those of you who keep returning for me. I look forward to your comments! This ones for you.

---

Ginny awoke when she heard voices in the room. Two hooded figures were looking down at an exact replica of herself lying on the floor. He had told her that they would be using Polyjuice Potion on someone to make them look like her, but it still didn't take away the surprise of seeing herself lying there dead. That could've just as easily have been her, if it wasn’t for her helper.


“That's just Pettigrew,” he said, sensing her fear. “The spell will wear off in an hour, so we must move quickly.” He handed her a Death Eater robe and instructed her to put it on. “The entire place has a voice changing charm, so we won't worry about that, but we must keep moving, Ginny. If we are caught, we put all of our lives in danger.” He reached for her hand after she had the robe on and pulled her to her feet.

“We must be going,” the second person, who happened to be a female, said. Ginny allowed herself to be pulled out of the room. This seemed surreal to her. Was he really helping her get back to her family?

Once outside of the room, he let her hand go and positioned Ginny between himself and the woman. They walked a couple of feet before Ginny almost turned around and went back in fear. Up ahead, a Death Eater was walking towards her. She felt the woman put a strong, yet comforting hand on her back and push her forward.

“Anything on Potter yet?” Her Death Eater asked the passing Death Eater. He used a voice that she had never heard before, so disconnected and cold.

“Nothing yet. Hopefully, he won't show up, so the Dark Lord can let the little red-haired slut have it.” Ginny felt the man next to her tense up.

“Yeah, one can only hope,” the girl said quickly and the other Death Eater continued on.

“If you want to get us caught, keep acting that suspicious,” the woman whispered.

“Sorry,” he whispered back. They continued to walk in silence, and Ginny honestly didn't think that the hallway would ever end. The walls were the same cement brick that lined the walls of her cell. In a few spots, there was water dripping down to create murky puddles on the same cement floors. The only noise seemed to be their footsteps echoing on the walls and the swish of the robes as they walked. The wait was so hard for Ginny because she knew what was to come. She would be leaving and returned to her family. But the man on her left would be gone forever, and that made her heart ache.

Just when she thought it would never end, they turned a corner. They walked a little further until they came to a room. Ginny almost started to panic because the room looked exactly the same as hers. She thought they had brought her back as some sick evil joke.

“It's okay, Gin, this isn't your room.” He noticed her fear again. “This is where we leave you. This man here,” he motioned to a man in the room that Ginny hadn't noticed when they first arrived. “He will be taking you to your father.”

“I wish you the best of luck, Ginny Weasley,” the woman hugged her tightly.

“Thank you for helping me,” Ginny replied as she hugged her back.

“Be safe, Ginny.” She found herself in the arms of the man who loved her. The man she could never have. When she pulled back, he grabbed her hand and placed something in it.

“You're okay now,” he said simply. All too quickly, and before Ginny could say anything to him, the other Death Eater held her hand and they Apparated to the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters.

Ginny was surrounded by the arms of her father. After a couple of tearful minutes, he cordially thanked the man that brought his daughter to him and Ginny took a deep breath to collect herself. She was free. All because of a man who was pretending to be someone else. Pretending to be a Death Eater. Ginny turned her hand over to see what lay in it. She found a silver phoenix charm on a necklace.

The necklace that she received, Ginny later found out, encased a phoenix tear. She did some research, but there wasn't much to be found. She did find that there were only two made, much like Harry and Voldemort's wands. Only Ginny couldn't find the other one, or who made the necklaces. She wore it every day, though, keeping her savior close to her, only taking it off to sleep.

***

Ginny, only three months pregnant now, had a bump where her flat stomach used to be. It was beginning to harden and, even though it was small, she found it very hard to not rest her hands on it. Draco never mentioned the change, but she noticed him glancing at her and her stomach when he pretended to busy with something else while walking by her. Ginny was surprised that she could actually stand being in the room with him after such a short time. Sure, they would still shoot sparring words at each other, but it was mostly in a joking manner now. Surprisingly, Draco could be quite nice to her... sometimes.

This one day in particular, Tonks had sent Ginny home because she couldn't stay out of the bathroom long enough to get anything done.

Ginny was leaning up against the gold porcelain on Draco's toilet. His was the closest room to the stairway, and she didn't think she could make it any further. She was lucky that she made it to the toilet. Poor Mipsy would have a terrible mess to clean up. She had been dealing with a light morning sickness, like Hermione said she might experience, but this was awful. She felt terrible. Her entire body ached and, since this morning, she hadn't been able to keep anything down. Draco went off to work without her because she told him that she wasn't feeling well and would be on later.

Behind her, she heard the door to Draco's bedroom open, but she was afraid that if she moved or even opened her eyes, she would begin to retch again. She heard whoever it was walk over to her and then felt cool hands against her forehead. That's what her mother used to do when she was sick. Then, whoever came in carefully lifted her in their arms. Ginny allowed her head to rest against their hard chest. He smelled of spices. Must be Draco, Ginny thought. He always smells like the spices her mom used to bake with. She almost protested when he laid her down in his bed, but the silk sheets felt so cool on her hot skin.

“Thank you,” she whispered before she drifted off to sleep.

***

“Ginny,” someone was calling her name. Ginny didn't want to wake up, though. Why did her head feel so heavy and why did her entire body ache?

“Come on, Gin, you've got to eat,” the voice called to her again.

“Go away,” Ginny said weakly.

“If I had a Galleon for every time someone said that to me... well, I'd be me, but you get my point.” The voice was annoying, Ginny realized. Must be Draco. Ginny's eyes reluctantly fluttered opened to reveal him standing beside her bed. The white shirt he wore to work had a few buttons at the top unbuttoned and his tie was hanging loose around his neck. It was odd that he still wore his work clothes, because it felt like Ginny had been sleeping for hours.

“I brought you something to eat,” he held out a small plate with a couple of crackers on it.

“I'm not hungry,” Ginny mumbled as she put her head into her pillow.

“Yes, you are,” Draco sat on a part of the bed that wasn't occupied by Ginny and cleverly balanced the plate on his lap.

“Go away,” Ginny said, rather rudely. Her mother would've sent her a Howler if she heard the way she was talking to him.

“I can't do that. You've got to eat, and I'm not leaving until you do. Lucky for you, I've got a few days off to make sure that you eat.”

“Why?” Ginny asked finally turning her head away from the pillow to look at him.

“Eat this,” Draco held a cracker out to her, “and I'll tell you.” Draco smirked at her when she took the cracker from him.

“Damn cow,” Ginny crumbled under her breath.

Ignoring her remark, Draco sat so that his back was resting comfortably on her headboard and his socked feet were on the bed. “After she sent you home, Tonks came and got me. She said you were puking uncontrollably…”

“I was not puking uncontrollably,” Ginny interrupted, though her argument was weak.

“This is my story,” Draco said handing her another cracker before continuing. “I found you propped up against my toilet, and I brought you to rest here before I Flooed Hermione.”

“Why did you Floo Hermione?”

“You were sick and I didn't know what the bloody hell to do with you. I've never had to take care of someone before.”

“You felt my head to check for fever,” Ginny reminded him.

“I had no idea what I was checking for. My mother used to do that with me when I got sick,” Draco explained as he handed her yet another cracker. “Anyway, Hermione came over with that annoying brat of hers that attached itself to my leg the entire time she was here,” Draco said with disgust. Ginny tried not to, but the image of little Natalie clinging to Draco's leg was funny and laughter soon bubbled out of her lips. Draco threw a scowl at her, but was secretly relieved that she was okay. And not just because of the baby; he wanted Ginny to be okay, and that confused the hell out of him. “Hermione said you were sick and needed to rest, so I took a few days off. Not like they were going to miss me,” Draco grumbled.” And now, you have the pleasure of my company until you're well again.”

“What's wrong with me?” Ginny asked. “Hermoine said that I did have morning sickness a little, but I hurt now, all over.”

“No, it's not morning sickness. It's just influenza, or something of the sort. She said it could last a couple of days, or a week, and because of the baby, there really isn't anything they can give you.”

“Are you serious?”

“Very,” Draco said, frowning slightly. Not being able to give her anything for the pain she was in, made him feel something. Was that guilt? No, it couldn't be. He had never felt guilt for anything in his life. But he did feel bad for Ginny because she agreed to have a baby for him and, now that she was sick, she couldn't take anything to get better because of it.

“Is there anything you need?” Draco asked softly as he saw her eyes starting to close again.

“No,” she replied. “I'm just really tired.”

Draco nodded and stood up with the empty plate. When he got up to leave, she grabbed his arm. He looked down at her to find that her brown eyes were staring up at him in question.

“I know it'll be the worst thing that you have ever done, but can you just stay with me here?” Ginny nodded to the place that he just left vacant.

Again, Draco nodded. He set the plate down on the bedside table and sat back down. Ginny let go of his arm and snuggled up to his leg. She fell asleep to his fingers playing softly with her hair.

***

Ginny awoke to find her head in Draco's lap and his arm protectively around her back. She was glad that, even though her body still ached, she no longer felt nauseous.

“Mornin',” Draco mumbled as he put Ginny on the pillow next to him and stood up.

“Is it really morning?” Ginny asked. She could only see darkness out of his window.

“No,” Draco stretched. “It was noon when you fell asleep. It's seven now,” he said, glancing briefly at his wrist watch.

“Where are you going?” Ginny got scared that he was leaving her when she saw he was walking away from the bed. She felt foolish for being scared, though. This was only Draco. She didn't even know why she needed him to stay with her. She just felt safe having someone around.

“To the loo, and I need to change into my nightclothes.”

Just three months ago, she was agreeing to have a baby for him, based on a letter written from his wife, whom Ginny never knew. The conditions were that she was to stay here and have the kid, then leave. Now, here, Draco was taking care of her when she was sick, even agreeing on staying in the same bed with her. Allowing a Weasley to stay in his bed. How un-Malfoy of him. Was it true what everyone said? Did Jessica really change him?

***

“What the hell is the matter with you?” Draco asked himself as he splashed water on his face. He was getting much too close to her. It was making his body react in such a way that should not be happening. It reminded him all too much of when he fist fell in love with Ginny Weasley. He loved Jessica with every inch of his being... but did she honestly know what she was doing, letting him be this close to the one person he never though he would see again?

Of course she did.

Disclaimer: Not mine. A/N at the end...enjoy

***

When Draco walked back into his room, Ginny started laughing. This was the exact reason he did not wear these damn things out in public. They made him look ridiculous.

“You wear glasses?” Ginny was staring at his silver frames.

“You think Scarhead is the only wizard who wears glasses?” Draco asked angrily. Ginny frowned.

“I just didn't know is all. You didn't have to bite my head off,” she said.

“There's a lot you don't know about me,” Draco grumbled as he got back into the bed.

“So tell me something about yourself.”

“I'm tired.”

“Oh, just one thing... and I'll tell you something about me,” Ginny bargained. She had slept the whole day, and was beginning to feel a little better. Well, her head was still throbbing, but she didn't feel nauseated anymore.

“Tell me why you decided not to have your own children,” Draco said. He knew he was walking on thin ice with that one. He knew what happened to her while the Death Eaters had her, because he was there, but he wondered if that was the reason she didn't want to have children. Or, maybe, he was completely wrong and she didn't want to have a brood like her mother, and have to live in poverty for the rest of her life. Working at St. Mungo's was doing well for her, and she was finally earning good money. A lot of children would definitely ruin that for a person.

“It's personal...”

“And so is anything I have to tell you,” Draco crossed his arms stubbornly.

“Fine,” Ginny agreed with a heavy sigh. Draco thought for a moment.

“I never really wanted to be a Death Eater,” he finally said. He wanted to tell her the truth, knowing that whatever she told him was something important. He just didn't want to tell her everything. Draco didn't think either of them was ready to know the full truth.

“What? You're kidding! Lucius Malfoy is your father.”

“Was my father,” Draco corrected her. His father killed himself shortly after Voldemort was killed. The coward figured taking his own life was more important than letting a Dementor do it.

“Besides,” he continued, “that's even more of a reason not to want to be involved with them. I thought about it, about being a Death Eater, and I probably would've done it because it clearly looked like the winning side in my fifth year.”

“Why?” Ginny asked. Draco chuckled.

“My choices at the time looked like Potty, someone I despised, or my father and Voldemort, someone else I despised, and someone I was terrified of.”

“All those times you stuck up for your father whenever someone said something about him, and you despised the man?”

“He was my father. I was taught to respect him, even if I hated him. My mother hated him with everything she was, but she still would not disrespect him.”

“That's ridiculous! How can you respect someone you hate?” Ginny wondered.

“It's just something that was taught in my family. As dysfunctional as it sounds to you, it was the way I was brought up. Can I continue?”

“By all means,” Ginny smirked.

“In my sixth year, I didn't even get to choose. Because of my father's arrogance and stupidity, I was forced to take the Mark and carry his burden. You know how that turned out.”

“Not well,” Ginny said sadly, thinking of her former Headmaster.

“Not well at all. After Snape killed Dumbledore, I had no where to go but back to Voldemort.”

“That's not true!”

“If I went back to the Order, they would've killed Snape and me. They were angry, and not willing to listen. Dumbledore was an old fool... but, the wisest old fool that will ever live. Whoever murders, or plots to murder, someone like that deserves to die. I would've killed myself if I wasn't so scared.”

“You…scared?”

“The entire Wizarding world wanted me dead. Your side was understandable. When Voldemort found out that I wasn't able to do it, he wanted me dead. Snape was able to convince him, eventually, that he had to do it. He told Voldemort that Dumbledore had immobilized me. Because Snape was his right-hand man, he, of course, believed him.”

“I thought you were terrified of Voldemort? Why would you go back?”

“As I said, I had nowhere else to go,” Draco frowned, “And after he gave the order to kill Dumbledore, I knew he was nothing more than a scared fool. He couldn't do anything serious with Dumbledore still around. He was the only person Voldemort was ever afraid of.” Ginny smiled.

“You've got so many layers, don't you?” she asked. This is only the beginning, Draco thought.

“So, what's your story?” Draco asked conversationally, as if it were just a question about the weather.

“I'm afraid as much as it is personal,” Ginny turned onto her side so that she faced Draco. “It's not as compelling a story as yours was.” Draco gave her a little smile. She realized that his smiles were much better than those smirks that usually adorned his hard face. The smiles actually made his eyes sparkle a little. Sparkle. What an odd word to associate with Draco Malfoy, Ginny thought before starting her story.

“As you know, I was captured during the Death Eaters’ raid on Platform 9 ¾, just after I completed my seventh year. While I was there, I was raped and tortured and I cannot get any of it out of my head.”

Draco sucked in his breath. It was as he had figured. It was because of what happened while she was captured. He was actually hoping it was because Scarhead had been such a bad lay that she couldn't bring herself to make love to another person. He was sadly mistaken. The thought of her not wanting to have children because of what happened to her made him feel a little sick. He wished he could've gotten her out of there sooner.

“I was only seventeen, so the wonderful “First Time” that you hear about, with soft music and rose petals strewn about the silk sheets of your lover’s bed, was on a wet cement floor with an old smelly Death Eater.” Ginny's voice was oddly empty and distant as she spoke. “When I came back, Harry wanted to continue our relationship. It took me almost dying for him to realize that he really, truly wanted to be with me. Only, I couldn't be with him anymore. Whenever he tried to touch me, or kiss me, I thought I might be sick. He said he understood, but I think he still might be mad about it.” Ginny looked up at Draco sadly, and he wanted to kill Potty for not understanding. “I let everyone down.”

“How'd you manage that?” Draco asked softly.

“Everyone thought I would marry Harry,” Ginny smirked cruelly. “I was supposed to marry him, according to Ron, after we broke it off officially for the second time, and have his five point three children and have the white picket fence that the Muggles always talk about. I just don't think I could ever be touched again.” Draco was aware of the tears that were forming in her eyes and he took to rubbing her hair as he had done earlier. It seemed to comfort her and it was the only thing he knew to do. He was never good at that sort of thing, he never had to be.

“Who wants to be with someone that a bunch of old Death Eaters used?” Ginny asked sadly.

“I'm sorry,” Draco said after a few moments of silence. He had no idea what in the bloody hell he was supposed to say. He sort of felt bad for making he tell him the story.

“Were you there?” Ginny asked, startling him. How did she know?

“Excuse me?” Draco asked; his tongue suddenly very dry and sticking to the roof of his mouth.

“Were you there?” Ginny repeated more slowly. “If you were there, then you could be sorry.”

“No, I wasn't there,” Draco lied.

“I didn't think so. Did you ever find anything about the Death Eater who saved me?”

“No,” Draco lied again. He had heard of the Muggle Hell, and if it were true, he would surely be going straight there for all the lies he told in his life. The biggest being now because the person, whom he had saved, sat with her head in his lap as he softly played with her hair until she drifted off to sleep again.

***

Thankfully, with Draco taking care of her, Ginny felt much better in a few days and was able to return back to work. It was under a strict warning that Draco agreed that she was ready, though. Ginny smiled now at the image of the stern face he gave her when he told her that she was not, under any circumstances, allowed to strain herself. If he could only see the “strain” that she was under lifting the envelopes from the owls’ legs, he would see why she laughed at him.

Ginny first saw Ron on his way into the office, late and with a baby sock stuck to the back of his robe.

“Mornin', Gin,” he grumbled as he walked past her desk to the office he shared with Harry.

“If you agree to make a lunch date with me, I won't tell Tonks you were late,” Ginny said not looking up from the parchment she was writing on. Ron stopped short and turned back to her.

“Tonks isn't the stealthiest person in the world, but she is the smartest, so she will find out that I was late anyway. But, I will have lunch with you,” he turned to walk away, but stopped and turned back around.

“Why?” he asked.

“Can't a girl want to catch up with her brother?” Ginny asked with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.

“Not this one,” Ron nodded to her.

“Fine,” Ginny put down her quill. “I need help with something.”

“That's more like it!” Ron grinned. “So how are you feeling?” He had finally woken up enough to realize that this was her first day back.

“Good. Draco took care of me.”

“That's... great.” Ron seemed to be struggling with the news of Draco caring for anyone... especially his sister. Ginny knew for a fact that Mrs. Weasley (and Hermione, she was sure) had made Ron and Harry behave when it came to Draco, for Ginny's sake.

“Well, I'll see you at lunchtime,” Ron said awkwardly and hurried into his office.

***

Ginny had just sat down in the noisy Ministry Cafeteria and had begun to pick at her chicken salad she had bought, when Ron joined her.

“I really need your help,” Ginny blurted.

“Glad you got straight to the point,” Ron laughed as he pulled out chips, a bowl of soup, an apple, a ham sandwich, and cookies out of a bag that said “Ron” in black letters, and “dad”, sloppily spelled with a pink crayon that Hermione had helped Natalie write with.

“Stuff it. I need to find out about the person who saved my life. Or someone who helped him get me out of there.”

“It's been seven years, Gin. Why are you suddenly so adamant about finding him now? What?” he asked when Ginny's eyes grew wide.

“You know what 'adamant' means?”

“Now you stuff it,” Ron said as he bit into his sandwich.

“Like you said, it's been seven years. I've always wondered, but now it's really bugging me that I haven't heard anything about anyone who might've known about it.”

“Maybe they're dead... maybe they don't want you to know.”

“But they saved me!” Ginny slammed her fork down and a couple of workers turned to look at her. She gave them a sheepish grin.

“Why would they not want me to find them?” she asked in a more appropriate tone.

“Shey noshdya” Ron said with a mouthful of apple.

“What?”

“I have no idea,” Ron repeated, “For whatever reason, it seems like none of the people that helped you want to be found.”

“But can you look,” Ginny pleaded.

Ron frowned. He was willing to do anything for his sister, but he knew that he wouldn't find anything about this mystery bloke, or the others that helped him. He knew very little about what his father knew about them because Arthur refused to speak of it.

“You don't even know his name, or what he sounded like. You said their voices were disguised,” said Ron.

“Ron, this means a lot to me. Maybe if I could find him and say 'thank you', I might be able to sleep at night without dreaming about the past.”

“What do you have for me, so that I can begin looking?”

“This.” Ginny handed him her Phoenix charmed necklace. “There were only two of them made from the same Phoenix's tears. I'm sure you can find more about it than I did.”

Ron stared at the necklace in his hand.

“You have nothing else that would help?” he asked finally.

“His hand.” Ron wrinkled his brow.

“What about it?” he asked.

“He held my hand. I would know what it felt like.”

“So, what am I supposed to do?” Ron asked. “Have all the pardoned Death Eaters around for a spot of tea and ask them to hold your hand?” Ginny laughed.

“It's a start,” she said.

“Gin, I might not find anything,” Ron said. He hated to let his sister down just as much as he hated to tell her no.

“I don't like not finding anything more,” Ginny said, “I hate knowing that someone saved me and I can't even give them a proper thank you.” Ron sighed heavily.

“Fine, just give me a couple of weeks of searching before you start sending me Howlers and Apparating to my flat in the middle of the night.”

“Thank you so much!” Ginny stood up and threw her arms around her brother, whose ears had turned red.


***

Authors Note: Hi guys! I was pretty bad on updating this time, and I apologize. I've had a doctor's appointment and a break up...and bunch of stuff. If you ever need to know what's going on if I have a lack in update, check my livejournal.. i'll post it on there (http://www.livejournal/users/lucy_20). I put something about it in my response to a review, but I'm not sure if anyone goes back and checks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it explaines some stuff for some people wondering why Draco asked about her not having kids. I just wrote a chapter that wasn't in there before ... and it includes a “date” which will probably be the next post... stay tuned :)

Sorry it has taken so long. Short author's note at the end. :)

****


That night, Ginny made sure she was home well before Draco was. When he walked out of the fireplace and into the library, he wasn't just surprised to see her there; he was surprised to see what she was wearing. All the times he had seen Ginny Weasley, she was in her robes for work, or Muggle jeans and a t-shirt. The Ginny standing before him now was dressed in a turquoise silk top and a white skirt, both accentuating the small bump on her stomach. Draco never thought pregnant women looked desirable, but on Ginny, pregnancy made her sexy.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, making it a task to take off his robe so he didn't have to stare at her.

“Don't think that just because you worked, I wouldn't find out that it was your birthday,” Ginny smiled.

“How'd you find out?” Draco dropped the robe that he had finally gotten off. He didn't tell anyone that it was his birthday.

“You forgot that as secretary for the Head Auror, I happen to get all the memos that enter the office. Did you forget in your whole ‘I'm-not-telling-anyone-it's-my-birthday’ plan that it's on the daily memos when the Ministry employees birthdays are?” Ginny felt she had to smirk at the stunned look on his face. He obviously had forgotten.

“Damn,” Draco swore under his breath. He had forgotten about that blasted memo.

“Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?” Ginny couldn't disguise the hurt in her voice. After he had taken care of her, she thought they were getting closer. She had spent the whole week in his bed because he wanted her near if she needed anything. The truth was she didn't mind at all. Ginny felt safe there. When she slept in his bed, she had no nightmares. Her sleep was actually peaceful. She knew that, tonight, she would be back in her own bed, and she was a little frightened and sad.

Thankfully, Draco had sensed the hurtful tone. “It's nothing personal, I just would rather sever any ties to the family that were shit to me,” he said as he casually retrieved his robe from the floor and slung it over one of the leather couches. “And if that means not celebrating the day that I was brought into the hell they created for me, then I will gladly attempt to forget it.”

“Then the dinner reservations I made will have to be cancelled.”


Draco smirked. Damn... she was good. Draco wasn't normally a person to give in to anyone, but just looking at that perfectly crafted pout on those cherry red lips made him think with another head. Another head that was almost standing at attention. Why did he have to take off his robes? With a heavy sigh, and a grab for his robe (again) he headed towards the library door.

“Give me a minute to shower quickly, and change and I'll be back down,” he called over his shoulder. There was no way he was turning around.

“Oh, I don't want you to do something you don't want to,” she called, not meaning to make it sound as seductive as she imagined it did.

Draco did all he could to not groan out loud as he closed the door. No, Gin, your making me want to do something my head on my shoulders says not to, Draco thought as he climbed the stairs to his room, and shower.

***

Draco entered the library about a half an hour later. “I had no idea where you planned on going, so I just threw something on,” he said, motioning to his black pants and button-up shirt, garnished with a dark red tie.

“Very handsome,” Ginny commented with a nod of her head. “Shall we go?”

“Of course,” Draco started towards the fireplace.

“No,” Ginny grabbed his arm and Draco allowed himself to be led out of the library and to the front door. “No Floo. It's not that far, we can walk.”

“You can walk in those?” Draco raised his eyebrows at her shoes.

“They are actually quite comfortable after you use a custom-fit charm on them.”

“So, where are we going?” Draco asked as, to Ginny's surprise, he held the door open for her. If his father was such a terrible man, Ginny wondered where he got his... slightly good manners from.

“That little Muggle place up the street,” Ginny answered.

“Ginny, that place is expensive. It's only a birthday,” Draco mumbled as they began walking up the dimly lit street.

“In my family, birthdays are a big deal. No expense is too much. And before I decided to take a small part in continuing the Malfoy name, I had a very well paying job of taking care of nutters. I assure you that I can afford to pay for a good meal.”

Draco sighed. “You really don't need to make a big deal out of my birthday.”

Ginny stopped and turned towards him, the Weasley fire in her eyes. “Fine, I'm not taking you out for your birthday. How dare you suggest something as ridiculous as that?” Ginny rolled her eyes, clearly playing with him. “I was sick, you took such excellent care of me, and now I have decided to take you out to thank you.”

Draco knew he would be pushing it, but he couldn't help saying it. “You don't have to thank me either.”

Ginny threw her hands up. “Fine! Think of is as a bloody date then, okay? We are going on a date, for Merlin's sake.” Ginny stalked off ahead and missed the smile on Draco's face. That was the most fun he had had in a while. It was almost like he was in Hogwarts again, only he didn't hate her or the Weasley clan anymore. Only Potter…and only a little.

He caught up with her when she got to the entrance and hurried in front of her to open the door. He was thankful that Jessica had told him all about how to treat a lady, even if one was a little pissed at you at the moment.

“Ah, Miss Weasley.” The waiter said after Ginny gave them her name. Draco had to give her credit, this place was nice. It was small and lit with very dim chandeliers. The tables were small and not meant for large parties of people. He even approved of the small candle centerpiece for the tables. Most Muggle restaurants insisted on putting insanely large flowers in the middle and you couldn't even see your date.

The two were ushered to a corner table and the waiter quickly supplied them with menus.

“Excuse me,” Draco said when the waiter returned and started to pour them the complimentary house wine. The waiter promptly stopped and turned to look at Draco. “Miss Weasley is pregnant,” Draco explained. At the confused look he received from the waiter Draco rolled his eyes. “She can't have wine,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Sorry, ma'am,” The waiter said finally getting it, and looking as if he wanted to be as far away from Draco as possible.

“Can't have my child growing an arm off of its forehead,” Draco commented as the waiter scurried away.

Ginny smiled. “Thank you. I was looking over the menu and didn't even notice what he was pouring.”

“It must be strange,” Draco said thoughtfully.

“What? Being pregnant?” Draco nodded. “You have no idea. It feels like just yesterday I was in your library reading Jessica's note. And now, here I am on a ‘date’ with you, being your surrogate mother. And actually enjoying your company.” Ginny looked shyly down at her menu. This was new territory for her. She hadn't felt like this in a long time, the last time being when she first realized that she and Harry might have a chance to be together. But since she had been back, she hadn't felt this way about anyone... not even Harry.

“Do you regret it?” Draco voiced the question he had wanted to ask her for a while now.

“Regret what? Being a surrogate witch?” Ginny looked up.

“Being my surrogate witch?”

Ginny smiled before answering. “I initially thought I would regret it, but it isn't too bad. It's hard to believe you are the same person who was terrible to my family and friends when we were in Hogwarts.”

I'm not the same person I was back then, he thought as he stared thoughtfully into the flame of the candle on their table. At that moment, he felt that Ginny deserved to know that he was her rescuer, and that it didn't matter if he was afraid of what her reaction would be. He had better say it now before he lost his nerve.

As he opened his mouth to speak, the waiter arrived to take their orders. This man was really starting to annoy Draco. The stupid prat.
“So,” Ginny said after the waiter left. “Why do you keep your job if they are so cruel to you?”

Knowing that his chance to say something had passed, he went with the conversation. “Cruel?”

“They have you in the lowest position possible. And don't think I haven't noticed that you leave your wand home when you go to work.”
Home. That was the first time that Ginny referred to the Mansion as home. Draco had to remind himself that when the baby was born, she planned on moving out. Lately, since she had been staying in his bed, it had been so easy to forget.

“They aren't cruel,” he said quietly. “They just keep an eye out.”

“An eye out? For what? You aren't someone who would let them treat you like that. Why not look for another job?”

“I deserve it.”

Ginny raised her eyebrows. “Oh, save the ‘poor me’ bit for someone who'll believe it.”

“Look how I was in school. Do you think I've changed?” Draco asked angrily. Couldn't she see that he couldn't be trusted? He was a Death Eater for God's sake. If you were a Death Eater, even a pardoned Death Eater, you were never to be trusted again. Severus was allowed back to Hogwarts, but you could bet that he wasn't allowed the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher again. Draco was surprised he was allowed back to Potions and not the Grounds Keeper. Draco knew that he saves countless lives during his days as a Death Eater, but he still felt ashamed for what he was before. He was also aware that being ashamed of what he did wasn't what a 'Malfoy' was supposed to feel, but he stopped using that word as a discription of himself when his father landed himself in prison. It was no longer a name of honor and pride, that he had to prove himself.

“Of course you have!” Didn't she just tell him that she was having a hard time believing that he was the same person who went to Hogwarts with her? Men were so thick sometimes.

“No,” Draco shook his head. “I haven't changed at all.” The way he said it led Ginny to believe that he was closing the discussion about his position at the Ministry.

For the rest of their “date”, Ginny shared some exciting tales of growing up in the Burrow. Draco silently decided that being poor didn't mean you would be unhappy. He shocked Ginny by telling her that even with his toy brooms, expensive chess sets and the best potion kits that Galleons could buy, he had been rather unhappy.

As they arrived back at the Mansion, Ginny announced that she was going to bed. As he watched her walk slowly up the stairs, he kicked himself for not saying anything to her about the mysterious Death Eater.

“Ginny,” he called and she turned to look at him expectantly.
“I - uh... had a - Jesus,” he swore.

“I'm sorry?” Ginny asked not really catching anything but “Jesus” out of his ramblings.

“I had a nice time, okay?” he said angrily.

Even though Ginny knew as soon as she got in her room she wouldn't be able to hold back the laughter, she held it in for his sake. Instead, she walked back downstairs and kissed his cheek. She did allow a few giggles to escape when his eyes snapped to her face in shock.

“I had a nice time too,” she said softly before making her way back upstairs again.

****
Ah, I hope you enjoyed :) I have set up a yahoo group if anyone wants to join it and ask questions freely, or anything. You can join by going here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/onelastwish/join . It should be fun :)

Ginny sat next to Draco in Hermione's office. Hermione had drawn some blood from Ginny to be added to a potion that would confirm the sex of Draco's baby.

“Merlin, I could go for some ice chips right now.” Ginny stared at Draco.

“Why ice chips?” she asked.

“Because,” Draco explained, “You can concentrate more on chewing the stupid little pieces then anything else. I ate them all the time when I studied for our O.W.L.'s”

“I want a chips, peanut butter, and banana sandwich,” Ginny said as if it was normal to want that. It was Draco's turn to stare. He was almost used to it though; he had been getting requests for odd sort of foods all week from her. At all hours of the night, too. After the first time Ginny requested tomato soup with chocolate in it, Mipsy came to Draco in tears. She was afraid that Ginny was going nutters and Draco said that he would get it. Now Mipsy came to him every night with different orders from Miss Weasley.

Draco and Ginny turned expectantly towards the door when it opened and Hermione entered the room.

“Congratulations, Draco,” Hermione started with a smile on her face.

“I knew it!” Draco shouted. “It's a boy!”

“... you're having a girl,” Hermione finished.

“WHAT?!”

“You're having a -”

*sniff*

Draco and Hermione turned to see tears falling down Ginny's cheeks. Draco was at her side in a second.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concerned. “Did you get hurt?” He was looking over her head and arms for any signs of injury; whatever injury she could come about sitting in a chair.

“No,” Ginny sniffed, snatching her arms out of Draco's reach. “And don't talk to me anymore,” she pouted at him.

Hermione stiffled a giggle as a confused look spread across Draco's face.

“Don't talk to you?” Draco asked.

“Yeah, you girl hater! Why is it so bad that you're having a girl?”

“I'm-”

“And don't even blame it on me. It's not even my baby.... well, it was my egg... but it's you and your bloody female making sperm that did it! When this girl comes out, you better keep it because I can't just shove it back up my-”

“Ginny, it's okay,” Hermione decided to intervene before things got out of control. “Draco is delighted to be having a girl, aren't you?” Hermione shoved Draco's shoulder to answer because he seemed to be stuck with his mouth and eyes wide open. Finally he nodded his head. “Do you want to wait in the waiting room so I can talk to Draco about his daughter?”

Ginny sniffed. “Is something wrong?” she asked worriedly

“No, nothing's wrong. I have a few papers that I need him to sign,” Hermione answered, “Possibly, you could go and visit your co-workers on the fourth floor? It has been a while, and they've been asking about you.”

By now Draco had moved to the chair again. He was amazed at what a smooth liar Hermione Gra- Weasley was. Must've been hanging around with Scarhead and the Weasel.

“That would be nice,” Ginny finally smiled. “Is that okay?” Ginny asked Draco. The confused look was again on his face as he saw a genuine smile on her lips. The very same lips that had just yelled at him. The very same lips he had been waiting seven years to kiss...

"Oh, Merlin, no!" Draco thought. He didn't want this to happen. This is the reason he had stayed away for seven years.

“Draco?” Ginny questioned him, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Sure,” he croaked, finding his voice.

“Great!” she squeezed his forearm and hugged Hermione before she left.

“Are you all right?” Hermione asked as she closed the door and sat on the edge of her desk in front of Draco.

“Yes. No. I have no idea,” Draco sighed and put his hands over his face and continued talking. "One minute she's up, the next you would've thought I tried to murder her. She wants the weirdest foods at ungodly hours. After she wanted tomato soup and chocolate, Mipsy woke me up crying, saying that she wouldn't get Misses the food because she was afraid she would upset her. So now I have to do it. At midnight,” Draco added, removing his hands from his face. He looked as if he wanted to place his hands in his hair and rip every strand out.

Hermione felt strange as she gave Malfoy a kind smile. He was the kid that tortured her and her friends in Hogwarts. Things are different now, she reminded herself. He's different now.

“I understand what you're going through. I do,” she reassured him when he raised his eyebrows in doubt. “Ron hasn't let me forget how terrible my mood swings were when I was pregnant. But I also know what she is going through. At almost five months, she's just beginning to show. The reality of giving birth is just really setting in, and it's terrifying for the first time. Her clothes are not fitting her anymore, and that's depressing for any woman. Not to mention that Ginny's hormones are all over the place. She can feel extremely happy and, the next minute, she can feel really sad. If you think you've got it bad...”

“Ginny's got it worse,” Draco finished.

Hermione nodded and reached to the other side of her desk and picked up a book.

“This is the book that Ron and I read together each month.” Hermione handed it to Draco who began flipping through the pages. “It tells you what you need to know each month, and has different questions that she, or you, might come across. It's very helpful... what are you doing?” Hermione asked. She was watching as he turned the book different ways, then began shaking it.

“The pictures. They don't move.” He looked at her curiously and Hermione laughed.

“ 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' is a book written by Muggles. The pictures won't move.”

“Odd.” Draco flipped the book right-side up. “Can you really have a baby standing up?” he questioned, squinting at the picture, trying to comprehend what was happening.

“Sometimes,” Hermione answered as she went to sit behind her desk, “Even though the way we can do the immaculate conception is quite different from Muggles, the birthing process is much the same. We just have potions, instead of their medicine.”

“Shouldn't Ginny be here to hear this?” Draco asked curiously, still flipping through the book.

“I wanted to talk to you about it alone.” Hermione paused. There was something else she needed to ask him, privately... she just hoped he wouldn't get angry. Well, she expected anger, just not too much of it, if she was lucky. “And ask if you know that she asked Ron to find out about the mysterious Death Eater that saved her?”

Draco almost dropped the book. “Is he?” he asked as all the color drained from his face.

“He doesn't know what do to. Draco, we all think you should just tell her.”

“How do you know? How does Weasley know?” Draco asked. He thought that he and two other people knew what he did.

“Arthur Weasley. Please don't be mad at him,” Hermione added nervously, “He let is slip just the other night when Ron and I were over for dinner. We had a lot of questions, which he explained.”

“Who else knows?” Draco's voice was unreadable. Hermione didn't know if she should fear him because his secret was out, or not.

“Molly. No one else, to my knowledge.” Draco remained silent for a few minutes and Hermione nervously tapped her fingers on the wooden desk.

“I can't tell her,” Draco said finally.

“Why not?” Hermione folded her hands in front of her to keep from tapping them.

“Because she expects this great shinning knight and she'll just end up getting me.”

“Are you saying you're not enough?”

“No,” Draco slammed the book on the table, startling Hermione. “I'm saying I'm not what she wants.”

“I'm not sure she had anyone in mind,” Hermione started.

“Sure. Whenever someone pictures their saviour, it's always me.” Draco's voice was rich in sarcasm. “No, she pictures someone like St. Potter. Someone who does this sort of thing every day.”

“The way I heard it, you did do that sort of thing everyday.”

“No, it didn't start off that way. I just did it because I had no where else to go. And to add to all this mess of reasons why I can't tell her, I'm a Malfoy.”

“Oh, please. When are you going to let that go? You've got to stop defining yourself by your last name!”

“I am a Malfoy.”

“That's right. But you are Draco Malfoy. You're not Lucius! He took lives and he tortured them. How many lives did you save, Draco?”

“Ginny.”

“And countless others. I'm not stupid, Draco. I know exactly how many people there were. Two hundred and fifteen. You saved-”

“I'll tell her when I'm good and ready to tell her.” Something flashed in his eyes that reminded Hermione of the old Draco Malfoy.

“Why?” Hermione asked more gently, and Draco sighed, taking a few seconds to collect himself.

“She wouldn't understand.”

“Don't underestimate Ginny,” Hermione said softly.

-----

After they left St. Mungos, Draco insisted that he take Ginny to buy some clothes. He'd rather try and head off some of the depression that Hermione was telling him about by getting clothes that will fit her. Then when they got home, they sat down to read some of the book. Well, they caught up on the chapters they had missed, and then read about the fifth month. Draco was a little disappointed when Ginny announced that she was sleepy, and promised that she would send Mipsy in so he could make her something at midnight. Draco actually liked her being that close to him while they sat on the couch.

He sighed as he poured himself some water from the pitcher on his dresser. He really would've liked to tell her, but everything inside of him told him not to. He'd kept it a secret so long, it felt odd even thinking about telling her. He had to hold back his anger after finding out that the Weasel and his wife knew about it. He couldn't blame Arthur though. There was a time or two that Draco had to stop himself from telling Ginny about it. He couldn't imagine what it must've been like for Arthur, who saw her almost every day after it happened.

Logic told him that he should tell her. She would be happy to know once and for all, who it was that saved her. But his conscience told him that she'd be terribly let down.

"Jesus", Draco thought as he set the water down on his bedside table and got into bed. If he had known that it was going to be this difficult to just stop himself from telling her, he wouldn't have done it. No, that was a lie. He wouldn't have left her there to die, which is what was going to happen if he had done nothing. He wouldn't trade saving her for anything.

He put on his glasses and began reading the book that Hermione had given them. There was some interesting things he wanted to read about. This is what he was doing when he heard a faint knock on his door. Assuming it was Mipsy, he told her to enter.

“You're not busy, are you?” Draco jumped at the sound of Ginny's voice.

“No,” he said, his voice catching at his throat when he looked at her. She was wearing one of the nightgowns they had bought earlier that day. It had small straps and was white and almost see-through. She looked beautiful.

“More outrageous food?” he asked, putting his book down. The only good thing that came from having Lucius Malfoy as a father, was that he was able to hide his emotions. "And his erections", he thought, looking down at the strategically placed book. Only, he learned that himself, right now; and not from his father.

Ginny smiled sheepishly as she walked closer. Merlin, if she didn't stop biting her lip like that...

“I need you to feel something,” Ginny said and Draco almost groaned. What in the world could she want him to feel?

“Excuse me?” Draco asked. He was finding it more difficult to hide his emotions when she looked that good, and she was standing so close to him.

Ginny sighed. “Move over.” She motioned for him to move over on the bed. Which he did, holding the book to make sure it didn't fall off.

Ginny slid into the bed beside him. After she was better, she had returned to her own bed. Being back here now made her feel protected somehow.

“Why are you up at this hour?” Draco asked after checking his watch to see that it was two a.m. He should've been asking himself that question, actually.

“Oh, here,” Ginny took a hold of his wrist and gently place his hand firmly on her belly. He looked at her with confusion, then his eyes widened. He felt something try to kick his hand away.

“Is that-”

“Your baby girl.” Ginny smiled.

His baby girl. Draco Malfoy had happy tears in his eyes, and he didn't care. He could've cared less that there was a possiblility that Ginny could sell the story of Draco Malfoy crying to the Daily Prophet the next day. This was his baby girl.

“My baby girl,” he whispered to himself. He felt a small hand cover his and felt something burning inside him and suddenly found it hard to breathe.

“I think she's going to be a football player,” Ginny said softly.

“No, she's going to be a Seeker, like her father,” Draco said with a smile. “Does it hurt?” he asked curiously.

“No, just feels different. Like nothing I would ever imagine. It feels... beautiful.”

“You're beautiful.” Draco wasn't even aware he had said anything, until he heard Ginny gasp. With her mouth open slightly like that, how could he not kiss her?

He slowly leaned in, giving her plenty of time to stop him. He searched her chocolate eyes for any sign that she was scared because he knew her past and he didn't want to push her. He was very surprised when it was Ginny who finally closed the distance between them.

With one hand still on her stomach, Draco ran his other hand to her head and threaded it in her hair. The red hair that he had been wanting to touch ever since he saw her that day in Diagon Alley. It met his every sweet expectation; soft and silky. He was again surprised by her when she held on to his upper arm and pulled him even closer, deepening the kiss. She tasted so sweet as her tongue finally found his. He had kissed many women before her, and none of them even came close to the things she did to his thoughts. She had erased every women from his memory and replaced them with herself. Except Jessica.

He pulled back slowly and she released the hold she had on her upper arm.

“I'm sorry,” Ginny said placing a hand over her shocked mouth.

“I'm not,” Draco said, shaking his head. He watched as a slow blush creep up to her cheeks.

“I better go,” Ginny began to stand up when she felt his hand on her arm, holding her there.

“Can you stay?” Draco asked before her feet touched the floor, “I don't want to miss her.” He nodded to Ginny's belly. “And I kind of like having you here,” Draco added softly.

“Draco,” Ginny started, only to find she didn't know what she wanted to say.

“I just want you here, both of you. I don't know what's happening between us, Ginny. I'm not going to lie and say that I don't want it to, but we'll figure that out later. Just stay?” he asked again.

Ginny nodded and climbed back into the bed, this time laying down. “I kinda like being here,” she whispered after Draco had turned out the light and she felt his hand rest on her stomach again.