Chapter Two
Draco Malfoy sighed as he stepped out of Alexandre’s bedroom and rubbed his eyes, overcome with exhaustion. He had known that taking care of children was tough work, but truthfully, Alexandre wasn’t a high maintenance child. He was relatively well behaved for a nine month old baby; he rarely made a mess and hardly ever cried. All in all, Alexandre was the perfect baby.
Except at night. In the month that Alex had been at the Manor, the baby had not once slept through the night. Draco or Narcissa would put him to bed at the right time, but not even a half-hour later Alexandre would wake up crying and screaming. Draco would rush over to the child’s room, pick him up, and spend the next three or four hours trying to calm him down. Nothing any of them had tried so far had worked. They had fed him, changed him, and burped him. Draco had even tried singing to him, though had abandoned that tactic as it only made the problem worse. After two weeks of it, Draco had called in a pediatric healer to find out if it was a medical reason, but the doctor could find nothing physically wrong with Alex. Draco would have just chalked it up to normal infant behavior, but it had happened every night for the past month.
Something was wrong with Alexandre, and Draco was determined to fix the problem. His son would want for nothing, and that included a good night’s sleep.
The only way Draco could think of providing that good night’s sleep for his son was to discover the problem and fix it. But he had no clue where to even begin, and the only ones who might know what the problem was were Potter and Lovegood. If Draco valued his son over his pride, he would walk over to the Floo and contact them.
For the briefest of moments Draco contemplated refusing to ask for their help, of facing his problem like a Malfoy. The moment passed as the memory of Alex’s piercing cry tugged at Draco’s heartstrings, and he resolutely marched over to his fireplace. Grabbing a handful of green powder, he threw it in the Floo and took a deep breath to shout, “Stepping Stones Home for Children.”
Before he got the words out, however, a house elf popped into the room and squeaked out, “A visitor for you, Master Draco.”
Draco nodded, grateful that he didn’t have to swallow his pride just yet. “Thank you, Minty. I’ll receive him in the parlor.
“It is a ‘her’, Master Draco, not a ‘him’.”
Draco raised an eyebrow at the correction. A woman? “Again, the parlor, Minty.”
The house elf nodded, popping out to presumably escort the unannounced guest to the parlor. Draco straightened up from his kneeling position by the Floo and brushed his clothing to remove any wrinkles or specks of dust.
As he made his way to the parlor, Draco’s thoughts were more focused on Alex and his problem than his unexpected guest. He entered the room and froze in shock at the identity of his guest. Whoever Draco had expected to be sitting demurely on the sofa, it most certainly was not Ginevra Weasley.
She raised her head at Minty’s twitter of, “Master Malfoy,” and the subsequent pop of Apparition.
Draco inclined his head towards the flame haired beauty sitting on the plush sofa. “Ginevra, what a pleasant surprise.”
“Malfoy,” she replied, and her soft voice carried a touch of exhaustion that shocked Draco.
The last time he had seen her, right after he had adopted Alex, she had been full of fire and passion that dominated even through her grief at losing the child she had come to love. Now, though she was physically unchanged, her demeanor and aura seemed diminished, muted somehow. Draco hated to think that only one month away from Alex had done this to her.
After taking his seat and pouring himself some of the tea on the table, he sat back and regarded her calmly. “What can I do for you, Ginevra?”
She met his eyes, her own chocolate colored orbs filled with hope and sorrow. “You gave me an open invitation to visit. I was hoping that I could spend some time with Alex.”
Her request wasn’t unexpected, but part of Draco had hoped she was here for another reason entirely. “Of course. Alex should just be waking up from his nap.”
She perked up a little, and Draco realized that she had been scared he would deny her the chance to see the child. She had swallowed her own pride in coming here, Draco reasoned; she had admitted that she needed Alex in her life, and Draco respected her for that.
On the walk up to Alex’s bedroom Draco glanced over at Ginevra and found her looking back at him with a smirk. Glad to see a spark of life in her, he smirked back. She blushed, but refused to back down from his issued challenge.
“Why, Malfoy,” she quipped with a honeysuckle tone, “you’re looking a little peaky. Not getting enough sleep?”
He scowled slightly at her mention of his appearance. No amount of charms or potions seemed to alleviate the dark circles under his eyes. “Yes, well, you know how it is, Ginevra. Once you have a baby you can forget about a good night’s sleep.”
“True, Malfoy. You can also forget about your perfect appearance from now on. No more Sex-God Malfoy dampening the knickers of women at thirty paces.”
“Oh, come now,” Draco chided. “Not even Alex can reduce my natural charm. As a matter of fact, he has only enhanced my appeal. Now, not only am I a Sex-God, but I’m a Sex-God with enough maturity and responsibility to raise a family. Really, what more could a woman ask for?”
“Right, Malfoy. Only you would think of using an innocent child to attract women,” she rebuked.
Draco shot her a cheeky grin that he knew would infuriate her. “Working on you, isn’t it?”
Ginny tried for a moment to reply, but settled on a simple, “Oh shut up, Malfoy.” She sent what was supposed to be a withering glare at him, but its effectiveness was reduced by her small smile in his direction.
Draco smirked triumphantly, satisfied that he’d won that round. The look in her eyes promised retribution, and Draco was most certainly looking forward to that.
They arrived at their destination, cutting off whatever Ginny might have come back with. He opened the doors to Alex’s room and felt a sense of peace settle over him as he inhaled the warm and calming air of the nursery. Beside him, Draco could see Ginny visibly relax as well as she took in the tranquil setting. The room was decorated in light blues and greens alternating in various patterns on the walls and furniture. The sea-green carpet was plush and warm—with the help of some mild heating charms—and was perfect for Alex to grab onto to help him crawl. Various toys decorated the corners, and Draco was particularly proud at displaying the “Baby’s First Wand.” Usually the toy only worked with children two and up, when the magic was more developed and concentrated, but Alex had produced a bright glow from the tip at his meager nine month age. Seeing the light produced by his son’s magic was one of the memories Draco knew he would cherish.
Draco heard the soft cry he had come to associate with Alex’s awakening and then chuckled as Ginny rushed over to the hand-carved birch wood crib by the window. He followed the eager witch at a more sedate pace, choosing to savor the moment. The grief he had noticed in her when she arrived vanished in the face of her obvious happiness at being reunited with Alexandre. Her eyes lit up and her cheeks became flushed as she smiled down at his son. She reached a hand down to the baby and gently stroked his hair.
“He’s already grown so much,” she murmured, and Draco agreed with her as he peered down at the child. She was quiet for a moment before she met his eyes and asked, “Can I hold him?”
Draco smiled a real smile and nodded at her, not wanting to break her glowing demeanor by speaking. Her entire body seemed more alive than ever and Draco found it intoxicating. His senses seemed heightened as he watched her delicate fingers secure Alex in her grasp, saw the muscles of her arms flex while bringing the child to her, heard her sigh of contentment as Alex settle in her arms, smelled the flowery scent of her perfume in the air. Draco needed more.
He stepped closer to her slowly, gently, so as not to frighten her away. He stopped right in front of her and rested his eyes on the child in her arms. His child. He reached out and smoothed his hair, mimicking her gesture from before and saw her smile out of the corner of his eye. He raised his eyes and met her golden ones before taking that same hand and tucking one strand of glorious red hair behind her ear. He willed his hand to linger there, gently tracing the contours of her cheekbone, her brow, and down her jaw line. Draco risked running his fingers across the seam of her slightly parted lips and was rewarded with her small intake of air.
But because he was Draco, he couldn’t help the smirk that took hold of his mouth, and lo and behold, she drew back from him in anger.
“Why you—how dare—what makes you think that you—“
“Why, Ginevra,” Draco commented casually, cursing his propensity for smirking, “I do believe you’re stuttering.”
“You…you,” she stammered, still obviously flustered.
“Yes, me,” he finished for her. “The name’s Draco, love. I’ll be just outside if you need me.” He nodded at her and took his leave. Outside in the hallway he took a deep breath. He had come way too close back there to losing all control. All he had wanted was to place Alex back down and snog her senseless. Not such a great plan. He was all for snogging her silly, but he would rather not be slapped—or kicked in an unfortunate area—immediately afterwards.
The door opened and closed as Ginevra stepped out of the nursery. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, neither knowing exactly what to do or say. Luckily, or unluckily, Draco yawned suddenly, feeling the effects of his latest sleepless night.
He glared as Ginny giggled. “Think my exhaustion is funny, do you?”
She only laughed harder. “Well, you must really have girls lined up at your door if you’re tired enough to actually yawn in front of other people.”
“Women?” he snorted. “Where would I find the time? Alex keeps me up half the night with his crying. Cute as he may be, that kid’s got some set of lungs.”
She looked amused. “Now I know you’re lying. Alex has got to be the quietest baby I’ve ever met. I’ve never had a problem with him.”
“Are you sure we’re talking about the same baby?” Draco asked, eyeing her curiously. “Alexandre Rowan Malfoy, blond hair, bright blue eyes, pudgy arms and all?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” she replied slowly, enunciating as if she thought he was stupid. “Alex is a very quiet sleeper.”
Draco threw up his arms in exasperation. “Then you explain to me why Mother, or Severus, or I have been up every night this past month trying to figure out why Alex cries for hours at night. We’ve tried everything: food, changing, toys; we even called a pediatric healer. Nothing works.”
Ginny’s eyes lit up in understanding. “Have you tried singing to him?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “Yes, Ginevra, we’ve all sung to him. Severus has quite the enchanting baritone voice, you know.”
She ignored his sarcasm. “What have you been singing?”
“Traditional lullabies and the like.”
Ginny nodded again, as if everything made sense to her. “Alex’s family was Irish, both sides. The Rowans lived around Dublin for a long time, and only moved to Britain a few months before their murder. I don’t know why, but every night before I would go home Harry insisted that I sing Irish lullabies to him. I guess it calms him down, because I never heard anything about Alex causing a commotion. I don’t know why Harry didn’t include it in his information file.”
Draco groaned. “So you mean all I have to do is sing him Irish folk songs every night and that’ll do it?”
“That’ll do it,” she affirmed.
Draco’s spirits sunk even further. “I’m doomed,” he moaned. “I can’t sing worth a damn.”
“Come now, Malfoy, everyone can sing a little,” she informed him, sounding altogether too amused by his suffering.
Draco quirked an eyebrow that said, “Wanna bet?” He followed this up with the start of a horribly off pitch lullaby. “Peacefully my baby sleep, stars in heav’n begin to peep. O’er thy bed of yellow—“
“Then again,” Ginny rushed to interrupt, “not everyone has an ear for music.”
“Told you,” Draco restated, feeling odd about gloating over his tone-deafness.
“Well then, just have your mother, or Professor Snape, sing to him, instead.”
Draco shook his head. “They’re on vacation in Brighton and won’t be home for weeks. That’s who knows how many nights without sleep that I can’t afford.”
“Well,” Ginny offered carefully, “I suppose I could do it for tonight. But only tonight,” she added at his entirely too hopeful face.
“Perfect,” Draco replied, immensely pleased at having achieved two things at once: finding the solution to Alex’s sleeping problem and getting to know Ginevra better. He already knew that he affected her physically; the scene in the nursery attested to that, but no, if he wanted her, Draco would have to go deeper than the physical, something he had usually avoided. He was known as the Slytherin Sex-God, after all, not the Slytherin I’m-The-Perfect-Boyfriend-God. Though with Ginny, Draco realized, delving beneath the surface didn’t scare him as much now.
Ginevra looked at the hall clock and sighed. “Well, I guess I should get home. Mum will be wondering where I’ve gone. I’ll be back before Alex’s bedtime.”
Draco hastily grabbed her wrist as she turned away to leave. “Wait. Why don’t you stay for dinner and tell me about Alex’s other peculiarities that Potter and Lovegood forgot to mention?” At her skeptical look he added, “After all, you would know more about Alex than anyone else. I would appreciate your input.”
The combination of his compliment and self-degradation did it, as Draco knew it would. “Fine, I’ll stay for dinner, and I’ll put Alex to bed, but after that, you’re on your own.”
Draco accepted her terms, already figuring out how to get her to come back the next night. He led her back to the parlor and spent the next hour or so getting a crash course on all of Alex’s likes and dislikes. Ginny tutored him on simple yet affective cures for common illnesses in children. Draco learned a lot from listening to her speak, and not only about Alex. She gestured with her hands as she talked, and the more excited or passionate she was about the subject, the more grand and wild the gestures got. She almost never stumbled with her words and she always kept the conversation moving. Rarely, if ever, Draco learned, was Ginny at a loss for something to say.
But he didn’t just spend the afternoon and evening listening. Draco actually shared quite a bit about himself with her, though not in long speeches or soliloquies. Every so often during a pause in the conversation she would ask questions about him and he would answer honestly, if not always completely. With Draco, some things were best left unsaid.
As the hours grew on, Draco and Ginny continued their conversation in the dining room. Over the salads the conversation turned into more of a competition to see who could make the other falter first.
“So, how did it feel being a ferret, Ferret?”
Draco snorted. “How do you think? I was a rodent with a human mind. I was scared shitless.”
“Wouldn’t take much, I imagine,” Ginny commented.
“Calling me a coward, Ginevra?” Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, Draco,” she replied sweetly, “you were after all, a Slytherin, but that’s alright, no one’s perfect.”
“That means so much coming from the Gryffindor Princess. Tell me, were there no late night snogs behind tapestries? No secret rendezvous in the prefect's room, or were you really as pure and untouchable as they said you were?”
“Oh yeah, I was so innocent. Still am, too. Poor little me, twenty years old and never been kissed.” She affected an American southern drawl as she swooned. “Good Heavens! Whatever shall I do?”
Draco had to smile at her antics. “Well, well, well. The little angel’s got a broken halo. I could have made quite a few Galleons had I know that in school.”
“Like you needed them,” she scoffed. “You should have donated then to the cause. And by cause, I mean me,” Ginny clarified in an admonishing tone.
Draco smirked. “Now, Ginny, any true Slytherin knows better than to give without demanding something in return. I doubt you would have paid the dues I would have asked for my donation.”
“Damn right, I wouldn’t.”
“Told you, but now tell me, what is your magic number?” Draco was truly interested to hear her answer.
“My magic number?” she asked, confused.
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, Ginevra, your number.”
“As in…?”
“As in, how many people have you slept with?” Draco spelled out for her.
“Oh,” she said, blushing a little at the forwardness of the question. “Two.”
“Wait, let me guess. Potter and Thomas?”
Two nods confirmed his guess. “Yup. What about you? What’s the Slytherin Sex-God’s magic number?”
“Well, you know us Sex-Gods,” Draco replied breezily. “Too many to keep count. We aren’t known for our counting skills, after all. But you know, that’s twice you’ve called me that. I think someone’s bitter she couldn’t get any Sex-God attention at school.”
“Bitter.” She laughed. “Please.”
“Well, because you asked so nicely, I think I’ll help you out,” Draco righteously informed her.
Ginny rolled her eyes at his come-on. “Thanks, I think I’ll pass.”
Draco shrugged. He hadn’t expected her to accept the offer, anyway. “Whatever you want, Ginevra. It’s a standing offer, whenever you feel like it.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” she informed him sarcastically.
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Draco responded with a smirk.
Suddenly the clock struck eight and Draco realized with a start that it was Alex’s bedtime. After Ginny put him to bed she would leave and their night would be over. For now, at least. Draco thought he had the perfect way to ensure her return.
Draco gave Ginny a little half-smile to break the tension induced by the clock’s interruption. “Ready to work your magic, Ginny?”
She smiled back. “I’m ready to show you up, if that’s what you mean, Draco.”
At some point in the evening she had stopped calling him by his surname and began addressing him in a more familiar way. Draco didn’t know when exactly it had happened, only that he liked the way his name sounded when she said it, and that he didn’t want her to stop.
“Well then, by all means. Show me the error of my ways, oh wise one,” Draco pleaded in a mock imploring voice.
Draco succeeded in making her laugh. “Come on, Draco. Let’s go put the little one to bed,” she said and started walking away towards the nursery.
Draco followed quietly behind, openly appreciating the view. They entered Alex’s room to find him already dressed in his night clothes, Minty’s handiwork, no doubt. Draco almost frowned at losing the extra time it would have taken to bathe and dress Alex.
“Oh, who’s a big boy, now? Yes, Alex, you are, but even big boys need their sleep,” Ginny informed his son warmly.
Draco still didn’t understand her penchant for talking to babies. Surely Alex couldn’t understand her words, but Draco let it be. She was far more gifted at handling children than Draco was.
“Draco, do you have a rocking chair?” Ginny asked, standing beside the crib holding Alex in her arm.
He didn’t, so he conjured one with a flick of his wand. “Now I do, but isn’t the point to have Alex falling asleep in his crib?”
She sent him an impatient look. “Just trust me on this.”
Draco acquiesced and Ginny sat down on the rocking chair and settled Alex in securely. She began a gentle rocking motion, and Draco heard her whisper, “What song would you like, tonight, love? Sho Heen Sho? No, too slow. How about Suo Gan? Yes, I think that will do nicely.”
She began to hum, and Draco was instantly hypnotized by her voice. He quickly sat down and listened to her sing his son to sleep.
“Sleep, my baby, on my bosom,
Warm and cozy, it will prove,
Round thee mother’s arms are folding,
In her heart a mother’s love.
There shall no one come to harm thee
Naught shall ever break thy rest;
Sleep, my darling baby, in quiet
Sleep on mother’s gentle breast.”
Almost like it was magic, Draco could see Alex’s eyes slowly begin to creep close, the warm and rich tones of Ginny’s lullaby making the infant drowsy. Draco could feel his own body relaxing as she sang, and a calm wave of peace drifted over him.
“Sleep serenely, baby, slumber,
Lovely baby, gently sleep;
Tell me wherefore art thou smiling,
Smiling sweetly in thy sleep?
Do the angels smile in heaven
When thy happy smile they see?
Dost thou on them smile while slum’bring
On my bosom peacefully.”
The lyrics over, Ginny continued to hum the smooth melody until little Alex was completely asleep. Then, as gently as she could, she stood up from the chair and settled the baby back into his crib. Aside from rolling to his side, Alex did not stir. Caught up in the moment, Draco slowly moved to join Ginny in standing over the crib and watching Alex sleep. After a few moments, Draco let himself wrap a hand around Ginny’s waist and hold her to his side. The move seemed almost natural, and the way Ginny settled into his body erased any doubts in Draco’s mind that she wouldn’t come back the next day. Confident in her reaction, Draco leaned down and kissed the top of her head lightly, still not breaking the blanket of tranquility that had settled over the room.
Ginny raised her eyes, startled at his move. He made no indication that he saw this however, and gently brushed a hand over Alexandre’s golden blond hair before quietly leaving the nursery. Ginny followed a moment later.
For the second time that day, the pair stood in silence outside the closed doors to Alex’s room, Ginny’s eyes resting on anything but the man in front of her.
“I guess I’ll just get going then. Alex should be fine for the rest of the night,” Ginny ventured into the silence.
Draco just nodded and led the way to the front doors. There was another pause as Minty fetched Ginny’s coat.
“Well, Draco, I do have to say that I had a pretty decent time with you today,” Ginny said rather hesitantly.
Draco smiled at the perfect opening she presented. “Then why don’t you come back tomorrow and do it again?”
She became wide-eyed, but otherwise didn’t lose her composure. “I can’t, Draco. I’ve got to work at the orphanage tomorrow.” It sounded like a feeble excuse.
“Tomorrow night, then. Come by for dinner and then you can help me with Alex again.”
She smiled, still not giving in. “Sorry, but you have to learn how to take care of him yourself. I told you how, now just figure out a way to make it work without me there.”
Draco smirked. “Fine, if you won’t come back for Alex, how about for something else?”
“What?” she asked cautiously.
“This,” was all he said before suddenly swooping down to capture her lips. She stiffened for a moment before letting herself relax. Draco took this as his cue to deepen the kiss, and before Draco lost control he pulled back.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself he asked, “So, would you come back for that?”
Ginny looked at him amusedly. “We’ll see,” she replied, before grabbing her coat and walking calmly out, the blush at the back of her neck the only outward affect of their snog.
Oh, she’d be back.
* * *
Sure enough, the next day Ginny arrived at the doors of the Manor after her shift at Stepping Stones.
“I knew you’d come back.”
“Yeah, well it wasn’t for you. It was for Alex.”
When Draco reminded her of her word about learning to handle things on his own, she told him to shove it. They spent the rest of the evening disguising flirting as banter, followed by another diner and another lullaby. This one had a soft lilt to it, and Draco found himself humming along in his own off-key way as she sang, “Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, That’s an Irish lullaby.” Their evening ended in much the same way as before, with equal participation in the snogging the second time around.
After that, Ginny’s visits to the Manor came pretty frequently. On days she worked, she would come over at night and stay through Alex’s bedtime. Though she didn’t visit every night, when she did she found herself staying later and later.
When Narcissa and Severus returned from their vacation, Ginny spent her evenings with them, too. She and Draco’s mother became fast friends, bonding over a shared passion for gardening of all things. She and Snape had been on friendly terms while she was at school, and things had remained the same with their friendship.
As for her and Draco, they spent hours together almost every night after Alex went to bed, either talking or snogging. Draco was careful not to push too far to fast with the physical side of their relationship, and Ginny didn’t mind. Soon they started to spend time together outside the Manor, leaving Alex under Narcissa’s and Severus’s care. Though they had been unofficially together for a few months, both Draco and Ginny were relieved to find that they could still be comfortable and confident in their relationship away from Alex and the Manor.
Their relationship blossomed, though not without thorns. Draco’s first meeting with the Weasley clan didn’t go so well, though mostly due to Ron’s hexing Draco before they had stepped on the porch. They had had a few other minor spats, and one major one where Ginny refused to speak to him for three weeks, though they always managed to repair the bonds between them.
Two years after the first night Ginny had sung Alex to sleep at the manor, Draco proposed to her, and was tackled to the ground as she literally threw herself at him in excitement. The wedding was the grand affair expected by everyone and just about everything was perfect.
But the thing that Ginny treasured as much as her marriage to Draco was that the same day she signed her marriage license, she signed the adoption papers for Alexandre. He again had two parents who insanely loved him and were insanely in love. And they became a family. Draco, Ginevra, and Alexandre Malfoy.
The End
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Thanks for reading. If you liked it, please leave a review.
Tam
Draco Malfoy sighed as he stepped out of Alexandre’s bedroom and rubbed his eyes, overcome with exhaustion. He had known that taking care of children was tough work, but truthfully, Alexandre wasn’t a high maintenance child. He was relatively well behaved for a nine month old baby; he rarely made a mess and hardly ever cried. All in all, Alexandre was the perfect baby.
Except at night. In the month that Alex had been at the Manor, the baby had not once slept through the night. Draco or Narcissa would put him to bed at the right time, but not even a half-hour later Alexandre would wake up crying and screaming. Draco would rush over to the child’s room, pick him up, and spend the next three or four hours trying to calm him down. Nothing any of them had tried so far had worked. They had fed him, changed him, and burped him. Draco had even tried singing to him, though had abandoned that tactic as it only made the problem worse. After two weeks of it, Draco had called in a pediatric healer to find out if it was a medical reason, but the doctor could find nothing physically wrong with Alex. Draco would have just chalked it up to normal infant behavior, but it had happened every night for the past month.
Something was wrong with Alexandre, and Draco was determined to fix the problem. His son would want for nothing, and that included a good night’s sleep.
The only way Draco could think of providing that good night’s sleep for his son was to discover the problem and fix it. But he had no clue where to even begin, and the only ones who might know what the problem was were Potter and Lovegood. If Draco valued his son over his pride, he would walk over to the Floo and contact them.
For the briefest of moments Draco contemplated refusing to ask for their help, of facing his problem like a Malfoy. The moment passed as the memory of Alex’s piercing cry tugged at Draco’s heartstrings, and he resolutely marched over to his fireplace. Grabbing a handful of green powder, he threw it in the Floo and took a deep breath to shout, “Stepping Stones Home for Children.”
Before he got the words out, however, a house elf popped into the room and squeaked out, “A visitor for you, Master Draco.”
Draco nodded, grateful that he didn’t have to swallow his pride just yet. “Thank you, Minty. I’ll receive him in the parlor.
“It is a ‘her’, Master Draco, not a ‘him’.”
Draco raised an eyebrow at the correction. A woman? “Again, the parlor, Minty.”
The house elf nodded, popping out to presumably escort the unannounced guest to the parlor. Draco straightened up from his kneeling position by the Floo and brushed his clothing to remove any wrinkles or specks of dust.
As he made his way to the parlor, Draco’s thoughts were more focused on Alex and his problem than his unexpected guest. He entered the room and froze in shock at the identity of his guest. Whoever Draco had expected to be sitting demurely on the sofa, it most certainly was not Ginevra Weasley.
She raised her head at Minty’s twitter of, “Master Malfoy,” and the subsequent pop of Apparition.
Draco inclined his head towards the flame haired beauty sitting on the plush sofa. “Ginevra, what a pleasant surprise.”
“Malfoy,” she replied, and her soft voice carried a touch of exhaustion that shocked Draco.
The last time he had seen her, right after he had adopted Alex, she had been full of fire and passion that dominated even through her grief at losing the child she had come to love. Now, though she was physically unchanged, her demeanor and aura seemed diminished, muted somehow. Draco hated to think that only one month away from Alex had done this to her.
After taking his seat and pouring himself some of the tea on the table, he sat back and regarded her calmly. “What can I do for you, Ginevra?”
She met his eyes, her own chocolate colored orbs filled with hope and sorrow. “You gave me an open invitation to visit. I was hoping that I could spend some time with Alex.”
Her request wasn’t unexpected, but part of Draco had hoped she was here for another reason entirely. “Of course. Alex should just be waking up from his nap.”
She perked up a little, and Draco realized that she had been scared he would deny her the chance to see the child. She had swallowed her own pride in coming here, Draco reasoned; she had admitted that she needed Alex in her life, and Draco respected her for that.
On the walk up to Alex’s bedroom Draco glanced over at Ginevra and found her looking back at him with a smirk. Glad to see a spark of life in her, he smirked back. She blushed, but refused to back down from his issued challenge.
“Why, Malfoy,” she quipped with a honeysuckle tone, “you’re looking a little peaky. Not getting enough sleep?”
He scowled slightly at her mention of his appearance. No amount of charms or potions seemed to alleviate the dark circles under his eyes. “Yes, well, you know how it is, Ginevra. Once you have a baby you can forget about a good night’s sleep.”
“True, Malfoy. You can also forget about your perfect appearance from now on. No more Sex-God Malfoy dampening the knickers of women at thirty paces.”
“Oh, come now,” Draco chided. “Not even Alex can reduce my natural charm. As a matter of fact, he has only enhanced my appeal. Now, not only am I a Sex-God, but I’m a Sex-God with enough maturity and responsibility to raise a family. Really, what more could a woman ask for?”
“Right, Malfoy. Only you would think of using an innocent child to attract women,” she rebuked.
Draco shot her a cheeky grin that he knew would infuriate her. “Working on you, isn’t it?”
Ginny tried for a moment to reply, but settled on a simple, “Oh shut up, Malfoy.” She sent what was supposed to be a withering glare at him, but its effectiveness was reduced by her small smile in his direction.
Draco smirked triumphantly, satisfied that he’d won that round. The look in her eyes promised retribution, and Draco was most certainly looking forward to that.
They arrived at their destination, cutting off whatever Ginny might have come back with. He opened the doors to Alex’s room and felt a sense of peace settle over him as he inhaled the warm and calming air of the nursery. Beside him, Draco could see Ginny visibly relax as well as she took in the tranquil setting. The room was decorated in light blues and greens alternating in various patterns on the walls and furniture. The sea-green carpet was plush and warm—with the help of some mild heating charms—and was perfect for Alex to grab onto to help him crawl. Various toys decorated the corners, and Draco was particularly proud at displaying the “Baby’s First Wand.” Usually the toy only worked with children two and up, when the magic was more developed and concentrated, but Alex had produced a bright glow from the tip at his meager nine month age. Seeing the light produced by his son’s magic was one of the memories Draco knew he would cherish.
Draco heard the soft cry he had come to associate with Alex’s awakening and then chuckled as Ginny rushed over to the hand-carved birch wood crib by the window. He followed the eager witch at a more sedate pace, choosing to savor the moment. The grief he had noticed in her when she arrived vanished in the face of her obvious happiness at being reunited with Alexandre. Her eyes lit up and her cheeks became flushed as she smiled down at his son. She reached a hand down to the baby and gently stroked his hair.
“He’s already grown so much,” she murmured, and Draco agreed with her as he peered down at the child. She was quiet for a moment before she met his eyes and asked, “Can I hold him?”
Draco smiled a real smile and nodded at her, not wanting to break her glowing demeanor by speaking. Her entire body seemed more alive than ever and Draco found it intoxicating. His senses seemed heightened as he watched her delicate fingers secure Alex in her grasp, saw the muscles of her arms flex while bringing the child to her, heard her sigh of contentment as Alex settle in her arms, smelled the flowery scent of her perfume in the air. Draco needed more.
He stepped closer to her slowly, gently, so as not to frighten her away. He stopped right in front of her and rested his eyes on the child in her arms. His child. He reached out and smoothed his hair, mimicking her gesture from before and saw her smile out of the corner of his eye. He raised his eyes and met her golden ones before taking that same hand and tucking one strand of glorious red hair behind her ear. He willed his hand to linger there, gently tracing the contours of her cheekbone, her brow, and down her jaw line. Draco risked running his fingers across the seam of her slightly parted lips and was rewarded with her small intake of air.
But because he was Draco, he couldn’t help the smirk that took hold of his mouth, and lo and behold, she drew back from him in anger.
“Why you—how dare—what makes you think that you—“
“Why, Ginevra,” Draco commented casually, cursing his propensity for smirking, “I do believe you’re stuttering.”
“You…you,” she stammered, still obviously flustered.
“Yes, me,” he finished for her. “The name’s Draco, love. I’ll be just outside if you need me.” He nodded at her and took his leave. Outside in the hallway he took a deep breath. He had come way too close back there to losing all control. All he had wanted was to place Alex back down and snog her senseless. Not such a great plan. He was all for snogging her silly, but he would rather not be slapped—or kicked in an unfortunate area—immediately afterwards.
The door opened and closed as Ginevra stepped out of the nursery. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, neither knowing exactly what to do or say. Luckily, or unluckily, Draco yawned suddenly, feeling the effects of his latest sleepless night.
He glared as Ginny giggled. “Think my exhaustion is funny, do you?”
She only laughed harder. “Well, you must really have girls lined up at your door if you’re tired enough to actually yawn in front of other people.”
“Women?” he snorted. “Where would I find the time? Alex keeps me up half the night with his crying. Cute as he may be, that kid’s got some set of lungs.”
She looked amused. “Now I know you’re lying. Alex has got to be the quietest baby I’ve ever met. I’ve never had a problem with him.”
“Are you sure we’re talking about the same baby?” Draco asked, eyeing her curiously. “Alexandre Rowan Malfoy, blond hair, bright blue eyes, pudgy arms and all?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” she replied slowly, enunciating as if she thought he was stupid. “Alex is a very quiet sleeper.”
Draco threw up his arms in exasperation. “Then you explain to me why Mother, or Severus, or I have been up every night this past month trying to figure out why Alex cries for hours at night. We’ve tried everything: food, changing, toys; we even called a pediatric healer. Nothing works.”
Ginny’s eyes lit up in understanding. “Have you tried singing to him?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “Yes, Ginevra, we’ve all sung to him. Severus has quite the enchanting baritone voice, you know.”
She ignored his sarcasm. “What have you been singing?”
“Traditional lullabies and the like.”
Ginny nodded again, as if everything made sense to her. “Alex’s family was Irish, both sides. The Rowans lived around Dublin for a long time, and only moved to Britain a few months before their murder. I don’t know why, but every night before I would go home Harry insisted that I sing Irish lullabies to him. I guess it calms him down, because I never heard anything about Alex causing a commotion. I don’t know why Harry didn’t include it in his information file.”
Draco groaned. “So you mean all I have to do is sing him Irish folk songs every night and that’ll do it?”
“That’ll do it,” she affirmed.
Draco’s spirits sunk even further. “I’m doomed,” he moaned. “I can’t sing worth a damn.”
“Come now, Malfoy, everyone can sing a little,” she informed him, sounding altogether too amused by his suffering.
Draco quirked an eyebrow that said, “Wanna bet?” He followed this up with the start of a horribly off pitch lullaby. “Peacefully my baby sleep, stars in heav’n begin to peep. O’er thy bed of yellow—“
“Then again,” Ginny rushed to interrupt, “not everyone has an ear for music.”
“Told you,” Draco restated, feeling odd about gloating over his tone-deafness.
“Well then, just have your mother, or Professor Snape, sing to him, instead.”
Draco shook his head. “They’re on vacation in Brighton and won’t be home for weeks. That’s who knows how many nights without sleep that I can’t afford.”
“Well,” Ginny offered carefully, “I suppose I could do it for tonight. But only tonight,” she added at his entirely too hopeful face.
“Perfect,” Draco replied, immensely pleased at having achieved two things at once: finding the solution to Alex’s sleeping problem and getting to know Ginevra better. He already knew that he affected her physically; the scene in the nursery attested to that, but no, if he wanted her, Draco would have to go deeper than the physical, something he had usually avoided. He was known as the Slytherin Sex-God, after all, not the Slytherin I’m-The-Perfect-Boyfriend-God. Though with Ginny, Draco realized, delving beneath the surface didn’t scare him as much now.
Ginevra looked at the hall clock and sighed. “Well, I guess I should get home. Mum will be wondering where I’ve gone. I’ll be back before Alex’s bedtime.”
Draco hastily grabbed her wrist as she turned away to leave. “Wait. Why don’t you stay for dinner and tell me about Alex’s other peculiarities that Potter and Lovegood forgot to mention?” At her skeptical look he added, “After all, you would know more about Alex than anyone else. I would appreciate your input.”
The combination of his compliment and self-degradation did it, as Draco knew it would. “Fine, I’ll stay for dinner, and I’ll put Alex to bed, but after that, you’re on your own.”
Draco accepted her terms, already figuring out how to get her to come back the next night. He led her back to the parlor and spent the next hour or so getting a crash course on all of Alex’s likes and dislikes. Ginny tutored him on simple yet affective cures for common illnesses in children. Draco learned a lot from listening to her speak, and not only about Alex. She gestured with her hands as she talked, and the more excited or passionate she was about the subject, the more grand and wild the gestures got. She almost never stumbled with her words and she always kept the conversation moving. Rarely, if ever, Draco learned, was Ginny at a loss for something to say.
But he didn’t just spend the afternoon and evening listening. Draco actually shared quite a bit about himself with her, though not in long speeches or soliloquies. Every so often during a pause in the conversation she would ask questions about him and he would answer honestly, if not always completely. With Draco, some things were best left unsaid.
As the hours grew on, Draco and Ginny continued their conversation in the dining room. Over the salads the conversation turned into more of a competition to see who could make the other falter first.
“So, how did it feel being a ferret, Ferret?”
Draco snorted. “How do you think? I was a rodent with a human mind. I was scared shitless.”
“Wouldn’t take much, I imagine,” Ginny commented.
“Calling me a coward, Ginevra?” Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, Draco,” she replied sweetly, “you were after all, a Slytherin, but that’s alright, no one’s perfect.”
“That means so much coming from the Gryffindor Princess. Tell me, were there no late night snogs behind tapestries? No secret rendezvous in the prefect's room, or were you really as pure and untouchable as they said you were?”
“Oh yeah, I was so innocent. Still am, too. Poor little me, twenty years old and never been kissed.” She affected an American southern drawl as she swooned. “Good Heavens! Whatever shall I do?”
Draco had to smile at her antics. “Well, well, well. The little angel’s got a broken halo. I could have made quite a few Galleons had I know that in school.”
“Like you needed them,” she scoffed. “You should have donated then to the cause. And by cause, I mean me,” Ginny clarified in an admonishing tone.
Draco smirked. “Now, Ginny, any true Slytherin knows better than to give without demanding something in return. I doubt you would have paid the dues I would have asked for my donation.”
“Damn right, I wouldn’t.”
“Told you, but now tell me, what is your magic number?” Draco was truly interested to hear her answer.
“My magic number?” she asked, confused.
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, Ginevra, your number.”
“As in…?”
“As in, how many people have you slept with?” Draco spelled out for her.
“Oh,” she said, blushing a little at the forwardness of the question. “Two.”
“Wait, let me guess. Potter and Thomas?”
Two nods confirmed his guess. “Yup. What about you? What’s the Slytherin Sex-God’s magic number?”
“Well, you know us Sex-Gods,” Draco replied breezily. “Too many to keep count. We aren’t known for our counting skills, after all. But you know, that’s twice you’ve called me that. I think someone’s bitter she couldn’t get any Sex-God attention at school.”
“Bitter.” She laughed. “Please.”
“Well, because you asked so nicely, I think I’ll help you out,” Draco righteously informed her.
Ginny rolled her eyes at his come-on. “Thanks, I think I’ll pass.”
Draco shrugged. He hadn’t expected her to accept the offer, anyway. “Whatever you want, Ginevra. It’s a standing offer, whenever you feel like it.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” she informed him sarcastically.
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Draco responded with a smirk.
Suddenly the clock struck eight and Draco realized with a start that it was Alex’s bedtime. After Ginny put him to bed she would leave and their night would be over. For now, at least. Draco thought he had the perfect way to ensure her return.
Draco gave Ginny a little half-smile to break the tension induced by the clock’s interruption. “Ready to work your magic, Ginny?”
She smiled back. “I’m ready to show you up, if that’s what you mean, Draco.”
At some point in the evening she had stopped calling him by his surname and began addressing him in a more familiar way. Draco didn’t know when exactly it had happened, only that he liked the way his name sounded when she said it, and that he didn’t want her to stop.
“Well then, by all means. Show me the error of my ways, oh wise one,” Draco pleaded in a mock imploring voice.
Draco succeeded in making her laugh. “Come on, Draco. Let’s go put the little one to bed,” she said and started walking away towards the nursery.
Draco followed quietly behind, openly appreciating the view. They entered Alex’s room to find him already dressed in his night clothes, Minty’s handiwork, no doubt. Draco almost frowned at losing the extra time it would have taken to bathe and dress Alex.
“Oh, who’s a big boy, now? Yes, Alex, you are, but even big boys need their sleep,” Ginny informed his son warmly.
Draco still didn’t understand her penchant for talking to babies. Surely Alex couldn’t understand her words, but Draco let it be. She was far more gifted at handling children than Draco was.
“Draco, do you have a rocking chair?” Ginny asked, standing beside the crib holding Alex in her arm.
He didn’t, so he conjured one with a flick of his wand. “Now I do, but isn’t the point to have Alex falling asleep in his crib?”
She sent him an impatient look. “Just trust me on this.”
Draco acquiesced and Ginny sat down on the rocking chair and settled Alex in securely. She began a gentle rocking motion, and Draco heard her whisper, “What song would you like, tonight, love? Sho Heen Sho? No, too slow. How about Suo Gan? Yes, I think that will do nicely.”
She began to hum, and Draco was instantly hypnotized by her voice. He quickly sat down and listened to her sing his son to sleep.
“Sleep, my baby, on my bosom,
Warm and cozy, it will prove,
Round thee mother’s arms are folding,
In her heart a mother’s love.
There shall no one come to harm thee
Naught shall ever break thy rest;
Sleep, my darling baby, in quiet
Sleep on mother’s gentle breast.”
Almost like it was magic, Draco could see Alex’s eyes slowly begin to creep close, the warm and rich tones of Ginny’s lullaby making the infant drowsy. Draco could feel his own body relaxing as she sang, and a calm wave of peace drifted over him.
“Sleep serenely, baby, slumber,
Lovely baby, gently sleep;
Tell me wherefore art thou smiling,
Smiling sweetly in thy sleep?
Do the angels smile in heaven
When thy happy smile they see?
Dost thou on them smile while slum’bring
On my bosom peacefully.”
The lyrics over, Ginny continued to hum the smooth melody until little Alex was completely asleep. Then, as gently as she could, she stood up from the chair and settled the baby back into his crib. Aside from rolling to his side, Alex did not stir. Caught up in the moment, Draco slowly moved to join Ginny in standing over the crib and watching Alex sleep. After a few moments, Draco let himself wrap a hand around Ginny’s waist and hold her to his side. The move seemed almost natural, and the way Ginny settled into his body erased any doubts in Draco’s mind that she wouldn’t come back the next day. Confident in her reaction, Draco leaned down and kissed the top of her head lightly, still not breaking the blanket of tranquility that had settled over the room.
Ginny raised her eyes, startled at his move. He made no indication that he saw this however, and gently brushed a hand over Alexandre’s golden blond hair before quietly leaving the nursery. Ginny followed a moment later.
For the second time that day, the pair stood in silence outside the closed doors to Alex’s room, Ginny’s eyes resting on anything but the man in front of her.
“I guess I’ll just get going then. Alex should be fine for the rest of the night,” Ginny ventured into the silence.
Draco just nodded and led the way to the front doors. There was another pause as Minty fetched Ginny’s coat.
“Well, Draco, I do have to say that I had a pretty decent time with you today,” Ginny said rather hesitantly.
Draco smiled at the perfect opening she presented. “Then why don’t you come back tomorrow and do it again?”
She became wide-eyed, but otherwise didn’t lose her composure. “I can’t, Draco. I’ve got to work at the orphanage tomorrow.” It sounded like a feeble excuse.
“Tomorrow night, then. Come by for dinner and then you can help me with Alex again.”
She smiled, still not giving in. “Sorry, but you have to learn how to take care of him yourself. I told you how, now just figure out a way to make it work without me there.”
Draco smirked. “Fine, if you won’t come back for Alex, how about for something else?”
“What?” she asked cautiously.
“This,” was all he said before suddenly swooping down to capture her lips. She stiffened for a moment before letting herself relax. Draco took this as his cue to deepen the kiss, and before Draco lost control he pulled back.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself he asked, “So, would you come back for that?”
Ginny looked at him amusedly. “We’ll see,” she replied, before grabbing her coat and walking calmly out, the blush at the back of her neck the only outward affect of their snog.
Oh, she’d be back.
* * *
Sure enough, the next day Ginny arrived at the doors of the Manor after her shift at Stepping Stones.
“I knew you’d come back.”
“Yeah, well it wasn’t for you. It was for Alex.”
When Draco reminded her of her word about learning to handle things on his own, she told him to shove it. They spent the rest of the evening disguising flirting as banter, followed by another diner and another lullaby. This one had a soft lilt to it, and Draco found himself humming along in his own off-key way as she sang, “Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, That’s an Irish lullaby.” Their evening ended in much the same way as before, with equal participation in the snogging the second time around.
After that, Ginny’s visits to the Manor came pretty frequently. On days she worked, she would come over at night and stay through Alex’s bedtime. Though she didn’t visit every night, when she did she found herself staying later and later.
When Narcissa and Severus returned from their vacation, Ginny spent her evenings with them, too. She and Draco’s mother became fast friends, bonding over a shared passion for gardening of all things. She and Snape had been on friendly terms while she was at school, and things had remained the same with their friendship.
As for her and Draco, they spent hours together almost every night after Alex went to bed, either talking or snogging. Draco was careful not to push too far to fast with the physical side of their relationship, and Ginny didn’t mind. Soon they started to spend time together outside the Manor, leaving Alex under Narcissa’s and Severus’s care. Though they had been unofficially together for a few months, both Draco and Ginny were relieved to find that they could still be comfortable and confident in their relationship away from Alex and the Manor.
Their relationship blossomed, though not without thorns. Draco’s first meeting with the Weasley clan didn’t go so well, though mostly due to Ron’s hexing Draco before they had stepped on the porch. They had had a few other minor spats, and one major one where Ginny refused to speak to him for three weeks, though they always managed to repair the bonds between them.
Two years after the first night Ginny had sung Alex to sleep at the manor, Draco proposed to her, and was tackled to the ground as she literally threw herself at him in excitement. The wedding was the grand affair expected by everyone and just about everything was perfect.
But the thing that Ginny treasured as much as her marriage to Draco was that the same day she signed her marriage license, she signed the adoption papers for Alexandre. He again had two parents who insanely loved him and were insanely in love. And they became a family. Draco, Ginevra, and Alexandre Malfoy.
The End
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Thanks for reading. If you liked it, please leave a review.
Tam
Author notes: Credit where credit is due:
Chapter One: “The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation,” is from RENT, by Jonathan Larson. Chapter Two: All lullabies can be found at http://www.contemplator.com/sad.html
The End.
Tamloid14 is the author of 2 other stories.
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