Merlin, Help Me!
Chapter Two
Settling?
Ginny's POV
When we told my family our story, my parents were happy. I think my mother was thrilled to be able to finally call Harry her son. Dad was pleased to say that the family was no longer Pure blood only. Ron and George were a little upset with Harry; dating me was fine, wanting to marry me was fine, but having sex with me crossed the line! I felt bad that Ron wasn't talking to Harry.
Once Hermione talked to Ron and pointed out that that they were having sex, Ron softened a bit. But since then if Ron is in the same room with us, he makes a point of sitting between us.
It surprised me how easy it was to slip back into a romantic mood with Harry, mostly for my family's benefit. But Harry and I had decided to take this slow. He was right; kissing him didn't feel like kissing one of my brothers. However, it also wasn't like kissing Draco had been. Draco had always taken control and he always let me know who was in charge. I liked it that way. Harry was more unsure when he did kiss me, almost like he was worrying I was comparing him to Draco.
But we talked about it and what we both expected and wanted. That did help.
We decided on a fall wedding; I always loved fall. It would be at the Burrow, with the leaves turning colors. We also had decided to keep the wedding quiet and we would announce our marriage after the fact. We didn't want it to become a media circus.
I didn't feel bad about marrying him, for he was my best friend. And like him, I knew I could trust him. Draco's actions left me questioning a lot of things, but Harry knew my darkest secret and was still there at my side protecting me.
I was lucky; by the time the wedding rolled around, I still wasn't showing. Our wedding was lovely and everything we both hoped for. I think that if I had been showing at the time of the wedding, the press might have paid closer attention. On our wedding night we did sleep together, and it was very nice. However, Harry did worry about hurting me, so he was a little too gentle. We went on a wonderful honeymoon where we both could relax.
Draco's POV
When she walked out of the room, all I wanted to do was run after her. But I didn't. I stayed there the whole weekend, hoping she would come back, knowing I played my role too well and she would not. After that, I headed out on a holiday; my tour of the world. I met lots of women and slept with many of them, but none reacted as she had. None even came close. There were women prettier than her, but I could care less; they weren't her. I didn't feel the same in them as I had felt with her. She made me feel like a man, whole and complete. I never told her, but when she was about to cum, she always made this mewing sound that would send me over the edge each and every time.
But after six months, it was time to return home. Besides, my mother was about to come after me. She was one of those women who would always see me as the small child. It was hard to say no to her.
As I changed to go down to dinner this evening, my eyes fell on the black mark on my left arm. I hated the thing, but even for a Malfoy this was not something that would ever go away. Much like how Ginny would always be in my heart.
At dinner I listened as Mother and Father talked. Mother was a bit of a gossip. "Did you hear the latest?
The Weasley girl secretly married Harry Potter. I wonder why it was secret?" Mother mused.
My Ginny married Potter! How could she do that to me?
"My dear," Father said. "I'm sure they simply wanted a private service so as not to draw others' attention to their sad family."
Father's words reminded me why I ended things with Ginny; she would never be good enough for my family, but why had she married him so quickly?
That night, as I lay in my bed, I thought back to how things had started with Ginny. Hogwarts had been closed for a few weeks after the final battle, but reopened for 5th to 7th years so we could complete our NEWTs and OWLs. My family had been lucky; it was decided that because of what Mother did when Potter had been killed in the forest and the fact that we didn't fight in the final battle we had suffered enough under Voldemort and were freed.
I remembered the first time I spoke with her. She was sitting out by the lake. I had never seen her look so vulnerable. She looked like she would break if the wind blew the wrong way.
I, on the other hand, was having a harder time; not many of the people I once spent time with wanted anything to do with me. I was alone. I still don't know why I went up to her. I remember hearing the words come out of my mouth; "I'm sorry about your brother."
She looked up at me and stared.
I couldn't blame her; I think the only other person who ever heard the word 'sorry' come out of my mouth was my mother.
"Excuse me?" she stated in disbelief.
I sat down next to her. "Fred, I'm sorry about him."
"I'd think you'd be happy that there's one less blood traitor," she accused but didn't move.
"Well, yes he may have been one, but still he was gifted in a way not many appreciate." I caught sight of a smile on her lips.
"Why are you out here?" she asked.
"I needed a break from studying. My common room is not the friendliest place. What about you?"
"My common room is a little too warm."
"Too much attention, then?"
She nodded. We both sat there for a long time without speaking, but I really took note of her. She was the single most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She didn't wear makeup and her hair blowing around in the breeze didn't bother her. She wasn't worried about what I thought about her.
When she finally spoke again, it was as if she was talking to a friend. "I'm heading in for supper." She stood up, brushed herself off, and started to head back to the castle.
I called after her, "See you again the next time it's too warm in your common room."
The war had left us both floating and displaced. We both needed something to ground us. The first time I slept with her had been right before she headed back to Hogwarts for her 7th year. I felt bad; I didn't know it was her first time. If I had, I would have made it more special for her.
What did it matter now? She was married to Saint Potter. I shouldn't even be thinking about her. Tomorrow I would start working for the family business. In a few years, I would settle down and marry the right kind of girl, a girl that would make my father happy. Merlin, help me!
A few weeks later, I was walking down Diagon Alley when I spotted her. She was strolling with her husband, his arm draped over her shoulder. Her hair seemed a little darker and longer than I remembered. Then she turned to the side and I saw the tummy on her. Ginny was expecting a child! I had a cousin who, when I last saw her, was about eight months along, and that was how Ginny looked! Her child was mine!
I couldn't let this go! I followed them, and a couple of minutes later Potter left her in front of her brother's shop. I moved in the second he was gone. I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her off the busy street. Before she could even speak, I roared, "What the hell is going on?"
She looked at me in shock "Whatever are you talking about?"
Still holding her arm, I pointed at her stomach. "Is that mine?" I accused.
She looked down at her tummy and rubbed it with her free hand. "This is NOT yours!"
"Bullshit! You're about eight months along, aren't you?"
She looked up at me with her warm brown eyes, however there was no warmth in them. "Yes!"
"Then that IS mine!"
She looked at me and laughed in my face. "Yours? You think I would run the risk of having your child?" She lowered her voice, "Yes, I was sleeping with you, but at the same time Harry and I were together. We didn't want anyone to know; you were only a smoke screen. Oh, you really thought you were the only one! That's so sweet!" She paused, "Need I remind you, you were the one to point out that I was a whore. Trust me, if this baby was yours, I would have found a time turner and headed to Salem." She then jerked out of my grasp and headed back to the door of her brothers' shop.
Ginny's POV
As the door to the shop closed behind me, I felt the tears running down my face. Ron, who was working there with George, came over to me. "Ginny, what's wrong?"
"Hormones," I claimed.
"Come on into the back. Where's Harry?"
"He forgot something about a case and had to run back to the office so it could be filed in time. He said he would meet me back here."
Ron nodded. "I need to go back up front. Will you be all right."
"Yes. I just need a minute alone." Once Ron left me alone, I completely fell apart. I couldn't have stopped crying if I tried. Some time later, I felt Harry's arms wrap around me.
"Are you okay?" he whispered. I shook my head. "What happened?"
"Malfoy," I quietly whispered back.
He nodded. "I'm going to take you home. Just give me a second." I heard him talking to Ron. "Do you mind if I use the Floo here to take her home?"
"No of course not. Besides, it wouldn't look too good for someone to be seen leaving the shop as upset as she is. Hormones- man, remember that the next time you think about sleeping with my little sister!"
Harry returned, lovingly took me in his arms, led me to the Floo, and then shuttled us back to the small house he bought for us. He got me to sit at the table and set the tea to making itself, then returned to my side. "Do you want to tell me about it?"
"He grabbed me right after you left. He guessed that the baby was his. He was quite upset with me."
"Okay, so he knows. What happened next?"
"He doesn't know; I lied. I told him that I was seeing you at the same time and that the baby wasn't his."
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Is that what you want?"
I nodded. "After the things he said when he ended things with me, there is no way I want him around the baby."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Are you still okay with this?"
He smiled at me. "Yes, Ginny. I love you and I love the life we're making together. If you don't want him to know, we'll do it your way." He then kissed me on the forehead. "Do you still want to shop for baby things today?"
"Not really, but if we leave it any longer, the baby will be coming home to no bed, no clothing, no nothing."
"Would you rather go to Muggle London?"
"I'm not putting the baby in a crib that doesn't have the most basic spells to protect it!" she exclaimed.
Harry smiled at me, then said, "Whatever you want, love."
A/N – So Draco knows she pregnant, what will he do? Please leave me a review.
