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.”
“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.”
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