Ginny Weasley pushed her ringlets of red hair out of her glittery green
eyes as she kneaded a large handful of dough with her small, white
hands. Two of her maids worked beside her, chatting pleasantly with
her about re-decorating a room in the manor. That was when the
phone rang.
Ginny allowed Marie, one of the maids, to answer while she
wiped her hands on a soft towel. The phone was for her, so she
cradled the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she dusted
flour off of her dark jeans and baby-blue tank-top.
"Happy birthday, sweetie." A smooth voice said, causing a bright
smile to light up Ginny's freckled, heart-shaped face.
"Thank you, Draco." Ginny replied sweetly.
"You weren't up when I left for work, so I decided to ask you
over the phone- would you like to go out tonight to celebrate your
24th?" Draco asked.
A smile tugged at Ginny's lips. "I would love to, babe."
"Alright,then. Where?"
"Umm...somewhere with lots of food." Ginny said thoughtfully.
Draco gave a low laugh. "Food? Since when do you eat a lot?"
Ginny giggled. "Since I'm eating for two." And with that said,
Ginny hung up the phone and turned around to tell Marie and Hillary
her good news.
~*~
"Draco! Get back to work!" The Minister of Magic warned, looking
at Draco sitting in a large office chair.
Draco looked up, a bewildered expression on his face. Fudge's
eyebrows were raised, clearly wondering what the heck Draco was
doing.
"I think I'll need the rest of the day off." Draco heard himself
saying. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the surprise he was
feeling.
"B-but you're the vice-minister! You can't leave, I need you
here!" Fudge spluttered.
Draco had already pulled his leather jacket over his muscly body.
"I've already sent out instructions for the day. No worries, eh, Fudge?"
He slapped the man on his shoulder and headed past him to the
elevator.
It was a nice, sunny day outside. He could feel the sun beating
down on his blonde head. But Draco wasn't quite so sure he wanted to
go home yet. He needed a little while to think.
~Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change~
Draco saw a small coffee shop and headed inside. Not many
people were there, considering it was a nice day to enjoy outside, but
Draco knew right when he walked in that Hermione was there. He
could smell her light perfume that she had worn ever since her first
day at Hogwarts, when they met on the train. His silvery eyes darted
to a table in the back. Draco walked over with confident strides.
"Hello, Malfoy."
Draco nodded at Ron, sitting beside Hermione. "Hello, you two."
Hermione smiled. "Sit down." She nodded at a third chair.
Draco did so. Hermione was being friendly. Then again, she had
been since their 5th year, when Draco and Ginny had begun going out.
Ron, though, was still always a bit weary, but at least he hadn't totally
blown up about Ginny and Draco's marriage.
Draco's eyes filled up with tears. He couldn't help it- they spilled
over onto his cheeks. His chest heaved, his lips smiled. He glanced up
through his hair at the couple sitting across from them.
"Malfoy...what's wrong?" Ron asked, a frown formed upon his
face.
Draco took a big breath. "Nothing's wrong-" He began. He took a
few steady breaths and continued. "Everything's right."
Hermione looked puzzled. Draco swallowed and glanced at Ron,
wondering how he would take the news.
"Ginny's pregnant." He smiled, wiping his tears.
~I close my eyes, begin to pray
And tears of joy stream down my face~
Hermione laughed in a great wave of happiness. Even Ron
cracked a smile.
"Well, congratulations!" The two exclaimed as Draco grabbed a
napkin to wipe his face.
"Thanks. You're both invited to the shower." Draco said,
mentally making a note to himself to plan a shower.
Draco heaved a happy sigh and stood up. "Well, I think I'll just
grab a coffee and go. I'm planning on taking Ginny out tonight for her
birthday, so I should make reservations early." He explained and
watched the happy couple nod. "Well, see you two soon."
Draco strolled up to the counter and ordered his caramel
frappachino. Sipping the delicious drink, he walked out of the shop and
decided to find a way into Diagon Alley.
He made his way rather quickly to a small furniture store on the
outskirts of the muggle town. He paused before going inside, checking
that it was the right store. Curly writing told him he was entering
"Zabini Furniture". Yep, this was definitely the right place. Draco pulled
open the large double-doors. (A/N: I've always thought Blaise was a
guy.)
Draco looked around. The carpets were dark reds or greens, the
furniture new, cherry wood or black iron. The front desk looked neat
and tidy, pencils in wooden canister, papers sorted into manila files.
"Blaise?" Draco called out. No answer. He worked through the
many pieces of furniture into the back room. It was dark except for the
crackling fire and candles set upon the mantle piece. Sitting on a large,
blue velvet armchair was Blaise, talking quietly and seriously on a cell
phone. He made a motion for Draco to sit down and be quiet.
Draco sat on a tan leather couch and watched Blaise talk on the
phone. Odd looking thing, he thought, I wonder what it does... Blaise
quickly finished up his call and snapped the phone shut. He stood up
and gave Draco a quick slap on the back.
"Hey! How have you been?" Before Draco could reply, Blaise had
waved his arm towards the back of the room, at a young woman Draco
hadn't noticed before. She was very tan and skinny, with very dyed
honey-blonde waves framing her face, bringing out her cocoa-colored
eyes, with dark, long lashes. She closed her book, smiling, and stood
up to her full height of 5 feet 8 inches. "This is my fiancé, Elese." Elese
reached forward to shake Draco's hand, then leaned into Blaise's
shoulder as his arm slid around her waist.
Draco quickly explained he needed to get into Diagon Alley.
"The fireplace is yours!" Blaise motioned towards the pot of floo
powder on the mantle, and upon hearing the bell in the front of the
store, he and Elese bustled out to help a customer.
Draco grabbed a handful of the green floo powder and threw it
into the fireplace. The gentle flames roared and raised up to the top of
the fireplace. Clearing his throat, Draco stepped in and announced
"Diagon Alley!" With a final roar, Draco disappeared.
~With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything~
Meanwhile, Ginny was in her bedroom, resting. She laid down on
her king-size bed, but the sparkle from her large diamond wedding
ring, splashing color around the room, made her head spin. She closed
her eyes, laughing as she remembered the day she had moved into
the manor. She had decorated the bedroom in reds and golds, the
gryffindor colors, and when Draco had arrived home, he insisted on
one color from each of their houses. Her giggle stopped though, as she
remembered the month before. The only reason she had been allowed
to move in was because Lucius and Narcissa had been killed the month
before, murdered by the dark lord.
Ginny sat up and padded into the bathroom to get herself some
aspirin. Taking the pill with huge gulps of water, she then set down her
glass with a clank. Her hand reached up to rub her head. You'd better
get your act together before you go out tonight, Gin. Come on.
So Ginny found herself in her closet, finding something to wear
out to dinner tonight. She wasn't sure if they were going casual or
formal, so she ended up choosing an emerald-green tank-top with
thick straps that crossed over in the back, a long black skirt, and her
black slip-on heels. Getting ready for a night out always made her feel
better.
She walked over to the mirror. Draco had always said she looked
good in green, because it matched her eyes, but Ginny secretly
thought Draco was holding on to some of his Hogwarts years as a
Slytherin, just as they both had with decorating the bedroom, even
though that was just a joke.
She added a little extra make-up, toyed with her hair, and
sprayed herself with her favorite perfume.
Ginny thought she might have heard a door downstairs, but it
was impossible to be sure of in this big house, with servants and maids
milling about all the time. Without another look in the mirror, Ginny
took the main staircase downstairs to meet her husband.
~*~
A few short hours later, the couple sat in a fancy restaurant,
sharing a desert.
"So." Draco began. Ginny looked up at him expectantly.
"When will you know if it's a boy or girl?" He asked.
Ginny smiled and took a sip of her champagne before answering.
"I already do." She said quietly.
"And-?" He pressed.
Ginny looked up at him. "It's a girl."
~With arms wide open
With arms wide open~
Tears of happiness sprang once again in Draco's eyes. He could
just see them together, him teaching her how to swim, or to swing,
dressing her in little green dresses, brushing her hair, teaching her
spells, her going to Hogwarts....
"Draco?" Ginny's sweet voice interrupted.
"I'm so happy, Gin." Draco reached across the table to take her
hand. "Umm- do we have any names?"
Ginny laughed. "Well, I've thought of some, but I want to discuss
them with you before any decisions are made."
"OK. What were you thinking?"
"Well, I love the name Libbie Rose, and I also like Lorelei Ryenn,
Sierra May, and Sydney Joy. But I was also thinking of using parts of
our names, or relative's names."
"Well, to tell you the truth, Libbie Rose Malfoy sounds so
beautiful, and the fact that those are both our mother's middle names
makes it special."
Ginny squeezed his hand.
"Libbie Rose Malfoy it is, then. What's that?" Draco had pulled
out a gift wrapped in blue and silver.
"It's a present. I picked it up earlier in Diagon Alley."
He handed the gift over and wished her a happy birthday.
Slowly Ginny unwrapped the present.
"Oh my God." She gasped, looking at it. It was a framed portrait
of the two in a kiss, Ginny dressed in a red and gold gown, Draco
dressed in silver and green dress robes. At the bottom, written in a
swirly script, read Romeo & Juliet.
"I thought we could put an enlargement charm on it and hang it
in the house." Draco added.
"It's wonderful. Thank you." She set it carefully on the table.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, I'm stuffed." He quickly paid the bill, Ginny picked up her
portrait, and the two got a cab home, hand-in-hand the whole way.
~*~
The next morning was a Saturday. Ginny woke up late, tugging
her hair into a low ponytail and wrapping her favorite black cozy robe
around her. Dark circles under her eyes and a pale face (well, paler
than normal) indicated that she hadn't slept well.
She put on her worn slippers and padded downstairs three flights
to find her husband already showered, dressed in a white t-shirt and
jeans, a small gold chain around his neck, sitting at the counter with
stacks of envelopes, invitations, and address books all under the
control of his wand.
"What are you doing?" Ginny asked sleepily.
Draco jumped up and put an invisibility charm over his work.
"Nothing, nothing. Oh, Gin, you look really tired. Maybe you
should go back to bed." He said, looking closely at her.
"No, no, just coffee and a big hug will do just fine." She tried to
smile.
Draco busied himself with coffee and handed her a mug before
wrapping his strong arms around her back and inhaling her perfume
from the night before.
"I love you." He whispered.
"I love you, too. Now get me to the couch before I throw up all
over you."
Quickly, Draco did as he was told.
~Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life~
Ginny spent most of the day on the couch sleeping, drinking
coffee, and reading Witch Weekly and the Daily Prophet. Draco
checked on her every hour, being busy with baby shower plans and
dealing with calls from work and the servants and maids.
Draco hung the portrait in the entrance of the manor, where it
was bright amongst the expensive white of the room. Around five he
entered the kitchen and shooed the cook out, telling him to take a day
or two off. Draco, having never been in the kitchen before, relied on
his wand to set out everything he needed before he went to check on
Ginny once more.
She was awake, hiding behind a book on parenting, when Draco
made his way into the room. She looked up over the top of it, and
Draco could see her eyes were much better.
"Feeling better?" He asked, putting a hand on her forehead to
check her temperature.
"Much, much better. Actually, I'm all better, I think. Nothing a
few aspirins can't cure, right?" She threw the book down and got up,
only with the slightest wobble.
"That's good. Listen, I'm making you dinner all by myself, I gave
the cook a day off." He informed her.
"OK. Just make it light. And no alcohol whatsoever, I'll get sick."
"Alright. Where will you be?"
"Oh, I wanted to go decorate the baby room." She smiled. "It'll
be pretty."
"OK. I'll send someone up to get you when dinner's done."
~*~
~With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open...wide open~
After a dinner of soup and salad, Ginny made Draco come
upstairs with her to see the baby room. She had decided on the room
just across the hall from the master bedroom.
Like all of the manor's rooms, it was very big. Ginny had used
her wand to do all the decorating. The walls were a light purple color.
The curtains were white chiffon, with tiny beaded dragonflies on them
in the light purple. The crib was white, and so was the rocking chair in
the corner with a bookshelf hung on the wall in the shape of a
dragonfly in the two colors. There was a large toy box, filled to the
brim with dolls and tiny toy brooms. The dresser was white, but the
drawers were empty.
"Wow. It's so- um- pretty." Draco said out loud.
Ginny giggled. "I did the dragonfly thing for you. You know,
dragon, dragonfly..." She trailed off.
Draco nodded and checked his watch. "It's ten already. You
should get to bed, you need some more sleep." He instructed.
"I can already tell you'll be a great father, ferret boy. Bossy,
bossy, bossy." Ginny laughed, then swept out of the room and crawled
into bed.
~*~
Late that night, long after Ginny had fallen asleep, Draco lay
awake. Ginny was sprawled sideways on the big bed, so Draco did the
same and had his hand on her tummy, feeling small movements of his
daughter inside.
"Hey, Libbie." He whispered when she kicked. He began to
whisper to her. He told her about her home, and about how wonderful
her mother is, about Hogwarts, and his whole life story.
"So, Libbie, even though I'm different now, I made a mistake
when I was younger. Don't try to be like me. Be just like your mother.
She's perfect."
~If I had just one wish
Only one demand
I hope he's not like me
I hope he understands
That he can take this life
And hold it by the hand
And he can greet the world
With arms wide open...~
~*~
5 months later
Draco looked around the waiting room impatiently. How long
could it possible take to deliver a baby? He'd been here for eleven
hours at the least.
He thought of the baby shower, which had taken place less than
a week ago. They had been given clothes to fill the drawers, toys and
books and bibs and a highchair, and pacifiers and baby food and baby
spoons and everything you could imagine.
Draco turned his head to the window. It was the perfect fall
evening. The sun was just setting, an orangey red, the leaves falling
and twisting and turning as they left their mother tree, yellow and gold
and red and orange. Like my baby, he thought. Libbie's leaving her
mother's branches, she's becoming something all by herself.
"Mr. Malfoy?" A kind woman's voice asked. She was plump and
blonde, wearing a nurse's uniform and shoes that squeaked. "They're
ready for you to come in."
Draco stood and followed the nurse into Ginny's room. Ginny lay
in the bed, looking tired and weak but happier than Draco had ever
seen her, and so, so beautiful. In her arms was a small bundle.
Draco kissed Ginny before he was handed his daughter.
His first look at her, he knew he loved her. She had a head full of
hair, ringlets like her mother, but strawberry blonde, the perfect mix
between Draco's silver and Ginny's deep red. Her eyes were the
clearest silver-blue, an exact set to his own. Her tiny, white fists were
curled into a ball, her silky milk-white skin bare. She looked like an
angel.
Out of his pocket, Draco drew out the gift he had been saving for
Libbie. It was a necklace, a delicate silver chain from which hung a
small angel, giving off a white glow. In the very center of the angel
was a tiny ruby. He draped it around her neck and gave his little Libbie
a kiss on her forehead.
~With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything..oh yeah
With arms wide open....wide open~
eyes as she kneaded a large handful of dough with her small, white
hands. Two of her maids worked beside her, chatting pleasantly with
her about re-decorating a room in the manor. That was when the
phone rang.
Ginny allowed Marie, one of the maids, to answer while she
wiped her hands on a soft towel. The phone was for her, so she
cradled the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she dusted
flour off of her dark jeans and baby-blue tank-top.
"Happy birthday, sweetie." A smooth voice said, causing a bright
smile to light up Ginny's freckled, heart-shaped face.
"Thank you, Draco." Ginny replied sweetly.
"You weren't up when I left for work, so I decided to ask you
over the phone- would you like to go out tonight to celebrate your
24th?" Draco asked.
A smile tugged at Ginny's lips. "I would love to, babe."
"Alright,then. Where?"
"Umm...somewhere with lots of food." Ginny said thoughtfully.
Draco gave a low laugh. "Food? Since when do you eat a lot?"
Ginny giggled. "Since I'm eating for two." And with that said,
Ginny hung up the phone and turned around to tell Marie and Hillary
her good news.
~*~
"Draco! Get back to work!" The Minister of Magic warned, looking
at Draco sitting in a large office chair.
Draco looked up, a bewildered expression on his face. Fudge's
eyebrows were raised, clearly wondering what the heck Draco was
doing.
"I think I'll need the rest of the day off." Draco heard himself
saying. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the surprise he was
feeling.
"B-but you're the vice-minister! You can't leave, I need you
here!" Fudge spluttered.
Draco had already pulled his leather jacket over his muscly body.
"I've already sent out instructions for the day. No worries, eh, Fudge?"
He slapped the man on his shoulder and headed past him to the
elevator.
It was a nice, sunny day outside. He could feel the sun beating
down on his blonde head. But Draco wasn't quite so sure he wanted to
go home yet. He needed a little while to think.
~Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change~
Draco saw a small coffee shop and headed inside. Not many
people were there, considering it was a nice day to enjoy outside, but
Draco knew right when he walked in that Hermione was there. He
could smell her light perfume that she had worn ever since her first
day at Hogwarts, when they met on the train. His silvery eyes darted
to a table in the back. Draco walked over with confident strides.
"Hello, Malfoy."
Draco nodded at Ron, sitting beside Hermione. "Hello, you two."
Hermione smiled. "Sit down." She nodded at a third chair.
Draco did so. Hermione was being friendly. Then again, she had
been since their 5th year, when Draco and Ginny had begun going out.
Ron, though, was still always a bit weary, but at least he hadn't totally
blown up about Ginny and Draco's marriage.
Draco's eyes filled up with tears. He couldn't help it- they spilled
over onto his cheeks. His chest heaved, his lips smiled. He glanced up
through his hair at the couple sitting across from them.
"Malfoy...what's wrong?" Ron asked, a frown formed upon his
face.
Draco took a big breath. "Nothing's wrong-" He began. He took a
few steady breaths and continued. "Everything's right."
Hermione looked puzzled. Draco swallowed and glanced at Ron,
wondering how he would take the news.
"Ginny's pregnant." He smiled, wiping his tears.
~I close my eyes, begin to pray
And tears of joy stream down my face~
Hermione laughed in a great wave of happiness. Even Ron
cracked a smile.
"Well, congratulations!" The two exclaimed as Draco grabbed a
napkin to wipe his face.
"Thanks. You're both invited to the shower." Draco said,
mentally making a note to himself to plan a shower.
Draco heaved a happy sigh and stood up. "Well, I think I'll just
grab a coffee and go. I'm planning on taking Ginny out tonight for her
birthday, so I should make reservations early." He explained and
watched the happy couple nod. "Well, see you two soon."
Draco strolled up to the counter and ordered his caramel
frappachino. Sipping the delicious drink, he walked out of the shop and
decided to find a way into Diagon Alley.
He made his way rather quickly to a small furniture store on the
outskirts of the muggle town. He paused before going inside, checking
that it was the right store. Curly writing told him he was entering
"Zabini Furniture". Yep, this was definitely the right place. Draco pulled
open the large double-doors. (A/N: I've always thought Blaise was a
guy.)
Draco looked around. The carpets were dark reds or greens, the
furniture new, cherry wood or black iron. The front desk looked neat
and tidy, pencils in wooden canister, papers sorted into manila files.
"Blaise?" Draco called out. No answer. He worked through the
many pieces of furniture into the back room. It was dark except for the
crackling fire and candles set upon the mantle piece. Sitting on a large,
blue velvet armchair was Blaise, talking quietly and seriously on a cell
phone. He made a motion for Draco to sit down and be quiet.
Draco sat on a tan leather couch and watched Blaise talk on the
phone. Odd looking thing, he thought, I wonder what it does... Blaise
quickly finished up his call and snapped the phone shut. He stood up
and gave Draco a quick slap on the back.
"Hey! How have you been?" Before Draco could reply, Blaise had
waved his arm towards the back of the room, at a young woman Draco
hadn't noticed before. She was very tan and skinny, with very dyed
honey-blonde waves framing her face, bringing out her cocoa-colored
eyes, with dark, long lashes. She closed her book, smiling, and stood
up to her full height of 5 feet 8 inches. "This is my fiancé, Elese." Elese
reached forward to shake Draco's hand, then leaned into Blaise's
shoulder as his arm slid around her waist.
Draco quickly explained he needed to get into Diagon Alley.
"The fireplace is yours!" Blaise motioned towards the pot of floo
powder on the mantle, and upon hearing the bell in the front of the
store, he and Elese bustled out to help a customer.
Draco grabbed a handful of the green floo powder and threw it
into the fireplace. The gentle flames roared and raised up to the top of
the fireplace. Clearing his throat, Draco stepped in and announced
"Diagon Alley!" With a final roar, Draco disappeared.
~With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything~
Meanwhile, Ginny was in her bedroom, resting. She laid down on
her king-size bed, but the sparkle from her large diamond wedding
ring, splashing color around the room, made her head spin. She closed
her eyes, laughing as she remembered the day she had moved into
the manor. She had decorated the bedroom in reds and golds, the
gryffindor colors, and when Draco had arrived home, he insisted on
one color from each of their houses. Her giggle stopped though, as she
remembered the month before. The only reason she had been allowed
to move in was because Lucius and Narcissa had been killed the month
before, murdered by the dark lord.
Ginny sat up and padded into the bathroom to get herself some
aspirin. Taking the pill with huge gulps of water, she then set down her
glass with a clank. Her hand reached up to rub her head. You'd better
get your act together before you go out tonight, Gin. Come on.
So Ginny found herself in her closet, finding something to wear
out to dinner tonight. She wasn't sure if they were going casual or
formal, so she ended up choosing an emerald-green tank-top with
thick straps that crossed over in the back, a long black skirt, and her
black slip-on heels. Getting ready for a night out always made her feel
better.
She walked over to the mirror. Draco had always said she looked
good in green, because it matched her eyes, but Ginny secretly
thought Draco was holding on to some of his Hogwarts years as a
Slytherin, just as they both had with decorating the bedroom, even
though that was just a joke.
She added a little extra make-up, toyed with her hair, and
sprayed herself with her favorite perfume.
Ginny thought she might have heard a door downstairs, but it
was impossible to be sure of in this big house, with servants and maids
milling about all the time. Without another look in the mirror, Ginny
took the main staircase downstairs to meet her husband.
~*~
A few short hours later, the couple sat in a fancy restaurant,
sharing a desert.
"So." Draco began. Ginny looked up at him expectantly.
"When will you know if it's a boy or girl?" He asked.
Ginny smiled and took a sip of her champagne before answering.
"I already do." She said quietly.
"And-?" He pressed.
Ginny looked up at him. "It's a girl."
~With arms wide open
With arms wide open~
Tears of happiness sprang once again in Draco's eyes. He could
just see them together, him teaching her how to swim, or to swing,
dressing her in little green dresses, brushing her hair, teaching her
spells, her going to Hogwarts....
"Draco?" Ginny's sweet voice interrupted.
"I'm so happy, Gin." Draco reached across the table to take her
hand. "Umm- do we have any names?"
Ginny laughed. "Well, I've thought of some, but I want to discuss
them with you before any decisions are made."
"OK. What were you thinking?"
"Well, I love the name Libbie Rose, and I also like Lorelei Ryenn,
Sierra May, and Sydney Joy. But I was also thinking of using parts of
our names, or relative's names."
"Well, to tell you the truth, Libbie Rose Malfoy sounds so
beautiful, and the fact that those are both our mother's middle names
makes it special."
Ginny squeezed his hand.
"Libbie Rose Malfoy it is, then. What's that?" Draco had pulled
out a gift wrapped in blue and silver.
"It's a present. I picked it up earlier in Diagon Alley."
He handed the gift over and wished her a happy birthday.
Slowly Ginny unwrapped the present.
"Oh my God." She gasped, looking at it. It was a framed portrait
of the two in a kiss, Ginny dressed in a red and gold gown, Draco
dressed in silver and green dress robes. At the bottom, written in a
swirly script, read Romeo & Juliet.
"I thought we could put an enlargement charm on it and hang it
in the house." Draco added.
"It's wonderful. Thank you." She set it carefully on the table.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, I'm stuffed." He quickly paid the bill, Ginny picked up her
portrait, and the two got a cab home, hand-in-hand the whole way.
~*~
The next morning was a Saturday. Ginny woke up late, tugging
her hair into a low ponytail and wrapping her favorite black cozy robe
around her. Dark circles under her eyes and a pale face (well, paler
than normal) indicated that she hadn't slept well.
She put on her worn slippers and padded downstairs three flights
to find her husband already showered, dressed in a white t-shirt and
jeans, a small gold chain around his neck, sitting at the counter with
stacks of envelopes, invitations, and address books all under the
control of his wand.
"What are you doing?" Ginny asked sleepily.
Draco jumped up and put an invisibility charm over his work.
"Nothing, nothing. Oh, Gin, you look really tired. Maybe you
should go back to bed." He said, looking closely at her.
"No, no, just coffee and a big hug will do just fine." She tried to
smile.
Draco busied himself with coffee and handed her a mug before
wrapping his strong arms around her back and inhaling her perfume
from the night before.
"I love you." He whispered.
"I love you, too. Now get me to the couch before I throw up all
over you."
Quickly, Draco did as he was told.
~Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life~
Ginny spent most of the day on the couch sleeping, drinking
coffee, and reading Witch Weekly and the Daily Prophet. Draco
checked on her every hour, being busy with baby shower plans and
dealing with calls from work and the servants and maids.
Draco hung the portrait in the entrance of the manor, where it
was bright amongst the expensive white of the room. Around five he
entered the kitchen and shooed the cook out, telling him to take a day
or two off. Draco, having never been in the kitchen before, relied on
his wand to set out everything he needed before he went to check on
Ginny once more.
She was awake, hiding behind a book on parenting, when Draco
made his way into the room. She looked up over the top of it, and
Draco could see her eyes were much better.
"Feeling better?" He asked, putting a hand on her forehead to
check her temperature.
"Much, much better. Actually, I'm all better, I think. Nothing a
few aspirins can't cure, right?" She threw the book down and got up,
only with the slightest wobble.
"That's good. Listen, I'm making you dinner all by myself, I gave
the cook a day off." He informed her.
"OK. Just make it light. And no alcohol whatsoever, I'll get sick."
"Alright. Where will you be?"
"Oh, I wanted to go decorate the baby room." She smiled. "It'll
be pretty."
"OK. I'll send someone up to get you when dinner's done."
~*~
~With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open...wide open~
After a dinner of soup and salad, Ginny made Draco come
upstairs with her to see the baby room. She had decided on the room
just across the hall from the master bedroom.
Like all of the manor's rooms, it was very big. Ginny had used
her wand to do all the decorating. The walls were a light purple color.
The curtains were white chiffon, with tiny beaded dragonflies on them
in the light purple. The crib was white, and so was the rocking chair in
the corner with a bookshelf hung on the wall in the shape of a
dragonfly in the two colors. There was a large toy box, filled to the
brim with dolls and tiny toy brooms. The dresser was white, but the
drawers were empty.
"Wow. It's so- um- pretty." Draco said out loud.
Ginny giggled. "I did the dragonfly thing for you. You know,
dragon, dragonfly..." She trailed off.
Draco nodded and checked his watch. "It's ten already. You
should get to bed, you need some more sleep." He instructed.
"I can already tell you'll be a great father, ferret boy. Bossy,
bossy, bossy." Ginny laughed, then swept out of the room and crawled
into bed.
~*~
Late that night, long after Ginny had fallen asleep, Draco lay
awake. Ginny was sprawled sideways on the big bed, so Draco did the
same and had his hand on her tummy, feeling small movements of his
daughter inside.
"Hey, Libbie." He whispered when she kicked. He began to
whisper to her. He told her about her home, and about how wonderful
her mother is, about Hogwarts, and his whole life story.
"So, Libbie, even though I'm different now, I made a mistake
when I was younger. Don't try to be like me. Be just like your mother.
She's perfect."
~If I had just one wish
Only one demand
I hope he's not like me
I hope he understands
That he can take this life
And hold it by the hand
And he can greet the world
With arms wide open...~
~*~
5 months later
Draco looked around the waiting room impatiently. How long
could it possible take to deliver a baby? He'd been here for eleven
hours at the least.
He thought of the baby shower, which had taken place less than
a week ago. They had been given clothes to fill the drawers, toys and
books and bibs and a highchair, and pacifiers and baby food and baby
spoons and everything you could imagine.
Draco turned his head to the window. It was the perfect fall
evening. The sun was just setting, an orangey red, the leaves falling
and twisting and turning as they left their mother tree, yellow and gold
and red and orange. Like my baby, he thought. Libbie's leaving her
mother's branches, she's becoming something all by herself.
"Mr. Malfoy?" A kind woman's voice asked. She was plump and
blonde, wearing a nurse's uniform and shoes that squeaked. "They're
ready for you to come in."
Draco stood and followed the nurse into Ginny's room. Ginny lay
in the bed, looking tired and weak but happier than Draco had ever
seen her, and so, so beautiful. In her arms was a small bundle.
Draco kissed Ginny before he was handed his daughter.
His first look at her, he knew he loved her. She had a head full of
hair, ringlets like her mother, but strawberry blonde, the perfect mix
between Draco's silver and Ginny's deep red. Her eyes were the
clearest silver-blue, an exact set to his own. Her tiny, white fists were
curled into a ball, her silky milk-white skin bare. She looked like an
angel.
Out of his pocket, Draco drew out the gift he had been saving for
Libbie. It was a necklace, a delicate silver chain from which hung a
small angel, giving off a white glow. In the very center of the angel
was a tiny ruby. He draped it around her neck and gave his little Libbie
a kiss on her forehead.
~With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything..oh yeah
With arms wide open....wide open~