Chapter 11

James Lashes Out

Two weeks later, Ginny and Lily Apparated to the Malfoy chalet in the Canadian Rockies. Draco met them there to show Ginny around. The place was unseen to Muggles and sat on the side of a mountain overlooking a lake. Everywhere Ginny looked there were mountains! It was stunning. She never dreamed of so much snow, either. “The property is protected from avalanches; however, they are something to see, so if you hear a noise that sounds like thunder, look outside. There is a road up here, but it's closed for the winter. You won't have to worry about Muggles,” Draco said, sounding a little like a tour guide. He walked Ginny and Lily into the great room and flicked his wand. The curtains opened as he continued, “This room has the most spectacular view in the summer. The lake is the most beautiful color.”

Ginny counted at least seven mountain peaks. “I can only imagine...”

Draco smirked. “Well, you don't have to.“ He flicked his wand again and a summer version of the view covered the windows. “Father created that charm for Mother. Now, downstairs there is a pool-”

“A pool? Why would you need a pool with a lake like that right outside?” Lily asked.

“The lake is glacier-fed, so that makes it far too cold to ever swim in. This area is called the Valley of the Ten Peaks, and I understand that a picture of it was on the country's Muggle paper money for a number of years.” Draco paused and turned to Ginny. “You're about fourteen kilometers from the village of Lake Louise. However, don't get too excited; it's very small and will be crowded with Muggles. This is a huge time for them to go skiing. There is a bigger town not far from here called Banff if you want to check out Muggle shoppes. They also have some good sweets places and some fine restaurants. And a lot of Muggles socializing and taking too many pictures of everything. Scorpius and I will be staying at the closest Muggle hotel, not far from here.”

“Draco, this is amazing! How can I thank you?”

He came closer and grinned at her. “I can think of a few ways,” he whispered

Ginny looked over at Lily.

“Mum, can I go pick a room? Or do I have to wait for the boys?” Lily asked.

“No, go on,” Ginny replied. Once Lily left the room her attention returned to Draco. “You can't say things like that around my children!”

“Relax. She didn't hear me. You want to thank me for this? How about on New Year's Eve you join me at the hotel for their New Year's Eve party? Just us. The children can all stay here and will be fine and safe.”

“Safe? A Gryffindor and two Slytherins, without an adult around? One of them will end up being eaten by a bear!”

Draco shook his head. “Won't happen, dear. Yes, this is bear country, but they're all hibernating for the winter. And really, at Hogwarts there isn't a lot of supervision after class. I'm sure they will be fine. It's one evening out with some great food and some dancing.”

Ginny cocked an eyebrow at him. “Did Draco Malfoy just ask me out on a real date?” she asked.

He smirked at her, “I know it's very late, but better late than never. Come on, what do you say?”

“I guess, but I can't promise I won't worry about the children.”

“You're a mother and that's your main duty in life. Merlin knows, my mother still does it to this day. Alright, I need to head to Hogwarts to collect the boys. Does anyone know I'm getting James and Albus too?”

“Yes, Neville will meet you, and be nice.”

“I'm always nice,” he claimed

“Yes, and Blast-Ended Skrewts have brains as well as looks.”

Draco closed the gap between them and claimed her mouth as his. Just like years before, there was a little fight in her. It triggered all his memories of their past, causing him to be stimulated almost instantly. However, unlike years before, he had learned some self control and he broke away. “Do you know how much your tossing insults at me turns me on?” he asked.

Ginny started laughing, “That turns you on? How sick are you? I mean, with how you and Ron fought in school you must have walked around continually hard!”

“No dear; only you insulting me does that, and mostly because of our first couple of months together. It was like foreplay.” He finally let go of her hands. “I'm leaving now; I'll be back soon.”

While Ginny waited for Draco to return with the boys, she wandered around the house. The decor was mountain rustic, but with style. Draco had it decorated for Christmas. She liked it; it was very homey. The best thing about the place was when she looked out the window, there were no photographers waiting to click pictures of her or the children. As she wandered, she thought about the kiss she and Draco had shared before he left. She tried to remember if the excitement she felt when he kissed her died down after a period of time like it had with Harry. She was angry that she couldn't recall that, but she did love the feeling his kiss left her with.

She heard a knock on the door and knew it had to be Draco and the boys. She ran for the door; she hardly remembered seeing the boys once Harry had passed away. As she opened the door, she realized just how strange it was to see James and Albus standing with Draco and Scorpius. Then she was struck with the fact that Albus looked so much like Harry, and it ripped at her heart. As the boys stepped in, she reached out to them and pulled them close. “Merlin, I didn't realize how much I missed you both,” she said as a tear escaped down her cheek.

Albus hugged her back, but James tried to push her away. “I missed you too, Mum,” Albus told her.

“Why are we staying here instead of at our house and spending Christmas with family?” James complained as he tossed his bag down and looked around the room they stood in.

“James, the press has been camped outside the house for weeks on end now,” Ginny explained.

Draco quietly watched the exchange; it was clear the second he arrived at Hogwarts that James was not happy about this trip, and only time would tell what James' reasons were. “Here, Ginny. This is a satellite phone.“ He handed it to her. “If you want to talk, or need to, my number is programed into it. You just have to press this and then the send button. Call anytime. I thought you might enjoy going into the bigger town I mentioned earlier, so tomorrow I could arrange a Portkey for you all to come to our hotel and then we could drive down.”

Any other time Ginny would have questioned Draco about the 'drive down' part, but the way James was acting showed her she needed to talk to him. “Thanks, Draco. That would be lovely. I'll call later to arrange a time.”

As Draco left he understood that Ginny needed to spend some time with her sons and was not too upset.

Once the door closed behind the Malfoy men, Ginny turned to James. “Is something wrong, James?” she asked as he walked out of the room.

“He's been in a bad mood since you wrote to us about this trip,” Albus explained.

“Go upstairs, pick out a room, and then find your sister. She has really missed you.”

“Sure Mum, and I think it's great that we came here.”

“Thanks, Al.” Ginny headed up to follow James. Her eldest had turned fourteen and was like most teen boys. “James, do you want to talk about this?”

He spun around, facing his mother. “Why are we here?” he yelled.

“Because we needed to be together for the holidays, but I also thought we needed to be away from the past,” Ginny explained.

“What's going on with you and him?” James asked accusingly.

Ginny always knew her oldest had a temper. “He's a friend.”

“Really? Then how come he never came around the house when Dad was alive?”

“Draco and your father never got along very well,” Ginny informed her son.

James paced the room. “But you and him get along well enough that you agree to stay in one of his family estates?” James' meaning was clear.

“James, Draco and I became close during what should have been your father's seventh year.”

“So he's someone you used to occupy your time with when Dad wasn't around, and you're doing that now,” he surmised.

“James, you're old enough to understand what was happening at Hogwarts at that time”

“Mum, he took the Mark!” James said, sounding like his father.

Ginny sighed. “Draco is a friend to me, and I understand that you feel I'm betraying your father somehow. But I'm not. I loved your father and always will. Draco never had anything to do with my feelings for your dad.”

“But Mum, he's a Malfoy and you're a Weasley. The two don't go together! That's the rules.”

“James, you're acting like your Uncle Ron, who by the way agreed that coming here was a good idea, even knowing that Draco was part of it.”

“I, I-” James couldn't finish.

“I know. I miss your father too, but don't you think experiencing new things will make missing him a little easier than facing stuff that is filled with memories of your dad when everything is still so fresh in our minds?”

“Professor Longbottom said the same thing,” James admitted.

“He always had a good head on his shoulders.”

Later that evening, Ginny called Draco. “How did things go this afternoon?” he asked.

“James seems to have Harry's knack for knowing when things are not as they appear,” Ginny admitted.

“Do you think he knows about our past?”

“No! No one knew, and I know my family wouldn't have told him. He's just very loyal to Harry,” Ginny warned. “But Albus couldn't be happier about this.”

“Um, Ginny, Scorpius and I were talking over dinner. When he was young I told him about an angel that saved me, and he knows it was you. He figured out how I felt, and still feel, about you. He told Albus, and from the sounds of it, they see themselves as soon-to-be brothers.”

“Oh boy!” Ginny gasped.

“I talked to him some more, and I think he understands, but I felt you should know.”

“Thanks.”

“I never could have guessed this is how it would work out. If I had, I never would had told him.”

“I know. I remember that day I found him on Diagon Alley; he asked if I was an angel,” Ginny recalled.

“I never told him your name, but I think he knew that day,” Draco replied.

“Why did you tell him I was an angel?” she asked.

“Ginny, you saved me.”

“That's the second time you said that. I don't understand.”

There was a long pause on Draco's end of the line. “Did Harry or Ron ever tell you what took place in the Room of Requirement during the Final Battle?”

“Only that they saved your life.”

He knew that was the point they would tell it from. “Crabbe wanted to kill them right there. I refused to do it, for I knew that if I killed your brother or allowed him to be killed, that would be something you would never forgive me for. I insisted he needed to bring them to the Dark Lord, then all hell broke loose. If it hadn't been for you and my feelings for you, I would have tried. We both know there was no love lost between me and Ron, or Harry, at that time”

It was Ginny's turn for a long pause. “Oh. I never knew.”

“So, what are you going to do about Albus?” he asked.

“I don't know; everything seems like a lie.”

“I could talk to him, if you want,” Draco offered.

“I don't know. Can I think about it tonight?”

“Of course. So what time do you want to head out tomorrow?”

“What was that about driving?” Ginny asked.

“There isn't anywhere that would work well for a Portkey or to Apparate to, so I was going to arrange for a limousine to take us to the town.”

“Now I have to say yes just to see you use a Muggle form of transportation! How about eleven tomorrow?”

“Sounds great. I can't wait to see you.”

“'Night, Draco.”

“Sweet dreams, my love. Now hit the “Off” button.”

Author notes: Later this week I am having surgery so Please leave me a review in lieu of a get well!

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