Ack! Sorry this took so long to upload everyone! Marina has had a crazy weekend! Thank you so much to our reviewers and please keep reviewing! The more support we have, the more I'm motivated to post these chapters for you!

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and to those who celebrate, Happy Chanukah! The fifth is when it starts and I, for one, am excited! It's my daughter's first Chanukah!!! YAY!

Hugs and Kisses,

Marina & James


Draco Malfoy had something up his sleeve; Yuri might only be seven, but he was smart enough to know that much. His blond cousin was gone a lot, leaving Mindy to take care of Yuri. Ginny was always gone for her mediwitch training, and to top it all off, Pansy and Gregory had decided that they wanted a few days alone together, so Draco and Ginny were currently taking care of Rosaline. This worked out for Ginny as this week they were learning about baby care at the academy, so she brought Rosaline along for a kind of living show and tell. Needless to say, Yuri was feeling jealous and left out like never before. He got hardly any attention at all, except from the Mindy. And even she stopped paying attention to him if Rosaline was around and crying. Something had to be done, and Yuri felt that matters had to be taken into his own tiny hands.

He waited for Draco's next trip out, then grabbed his hat and traveling robes. Once he was ready, Yuri made a break for it. He knew the general location of the Academy as he and Draco one day had surprised Ginny with a homemade lunch so she would get a break from cafeteria food. Taking a moment to remember the way, Yuri set out to get a little attention for himself. He only had to ask directions when he was unsure if he was going the right way, and the friendly wizarding shopkeepers were more than helpful. All in all it took him roughly two hours to make it to the Academy where he was halted by a security wizard since he obviously didn't look like a student there. "Ginny Weasley…get Ginny Weasley. I'm..." He thought for a moment and then set his jaw in determination. "I'm her son." It was practically the truth as she did care for him like he was her own.

Laughing as Rosaline gurgled happily, Ginny stood before the class, "And that's pretty much it. Swaddling is very easy, even without magic, and it makes babies feel safe because it reminds them of their mother's womb." The other mediwitch trainees talked among themselves. Some had brought in their own babies to work with while those without children or whose children had passed the infancy stage had simulated magical dolls that acted in likeness to a real child. Rosaline was fascinated by the other babies and her wide blue eyes followed them around the room; the infant was almost two months old now and was remarkably well tempered. The instructor, an older witch in her late sixties clapped her hands, "Excellent, everyone, excellent. Now, I want to show you how to-"

The focus of the classroom was disturbed as a flustered young witch who ran the administrative portion of the school bustled in. "E-excuse me Madame Fleming but there's a young man here who is looking for his mother." Blushing hard, she cleared her throat again, "Ginny, your son is insisting on speaking with you right now. I believe it's an emergency..." Opening her mouth again, she was cut off by a very perturbed Yuri stalking into the classroom, his pale face mottled with red and his eyes brimming with tears. Oh, how quickly things were changing.

Yuri had, much to the witch's chagrin, followed her to the classroom. He wasn't about to be left out AGAIN. Oh no, not this time. He had tears in his eyes, but it wasn't from sadness really. No he wasn't sad at being left out, he was angry about it. They were his family first; the bloody baby could go back to her own family, thank you very much. No, his eyes were watering from the smell of some of those medical potions rooms they'd passed on the way here…some of that stuff was vile. Upon entering the room, Yuri immediately looked around, seeing all the happy babies with their mothers. His eyes then fell on Ginny holding Rosaline, and he wiped the tears out of his eyes. Stupid potion fumes. His eyes narrowed at the baby and he crossed his arms over his chest in a much too Draco-like manner, and gave Ginny a fairly good impatient-Draco look. For all the time Draco wasn't spending with the boy, he apparently had taught him all of the Malfoy looks.

Shock coursed through her as Yuri stepped through the door, tears in his eyes, his little fists clenched in anger. With the utmost care, she placed Rosaline into the baby carrier that Pansy had sent her to keep Rosaline safe without having to put her in the crib every time she had to run around the apartment. Instructing one of her friends to watch the baby, Ginny knelt beside Yuri, trying to ignore the eyes of everyone around her, "Love, what's the matter?" She asked fearfully, "Did something happen? Is Draco alright? Did someone hurt you?" Bringing her hand to gently stroke his cheek, she pulled him into a hug. "What's wrong, Yuri?"

Yuri watched Ginny move toward him, but he refused to change his demeanor. Nope, he was righteously angry, and nothing she could...well ok maybe the hug did help a bit. He hugged her back. Damn her and her good hugs. "No, I'm fine." He stared at her some more. "I don't know where Draco is. As soon as you leave, he leaves and tells Mindy to watch me. And then you got Rosaline to worry about...I live with you two but I hardly see you anymore." It should be clear by now what he was trying to say. He didn't feel very much like part of the family, since the family had practically forgotten about him, in his mind anyway.

Ginny was gob smacked. She knew that she had been neglecting him a bit lately, mostly because she left for school before he even awoke and usually got home long after he went to sleep. Not to mention that her weekends were filled with studying. The only day she really had for him was Sunday and she was so exhausted by that point that she often collapsed on the couch reading a book or napping the day away. To hear him say that he was truly feeling her absence made her heart break, "Oh Yuri," She whispered, pulling him tighter against him. "I never, ever want you to think that I don't love you or that you aren't my special little one. You are everything to me and I'm sorry I've been so busy. I know it's wrong that I haven't made time for you..." Kissing his cheek she rocked him very slowly. "And as for Draco, I thought he was spending time with you, playing with you!" Anger coursed through her veins. "Believe me, I won't let him get away with that any more either."

Yuri couldn't stay angry at her when she hugged and kissed him. It was like her magic was imbued in hugs and kisses and they took away all the anger. He would have to ask if that was possible sometime, after all it also worked on Draco so...it couldn't just be a coincidence, right? He frowned and looked down at the floor. "I don't know where he goes but I know he's up to something. He has this...look in his eyes. Like he's doing something sneaky and no one knows about it. He plays with me when he's around…but that's not until a couple hours before you get home every night. And you spend so much time with..." His eyes narrowed as he looked over her shoulder at Rosaline, "her..."

Ginny tried not to laugh at the accusatory tone he took on, "That, my love, is my goddaughter." She stroked his hair gently. "She's only here for a few more days while her mommy and daddy relax a little bit. Pansy and Gregory are the same age as Draco and me and they just got married not too long ago. It's only fair that they get a little time to themselves, right?" Smiling, she met his dark eyes, "It'll be just the three of us again soon…" Or two, if Draco was going to be playing these games with her. "Tonight you and me and Draco and Rosaline will have a picnic, okay? We'll go into the woods and bring a blanket. I'll pick up some of your favorite foods at the market." Kissing him again, she smiled, "What do you say?"

Yuri's mouth twisted while he thought about it. It sounded fun. Definitely tempting. He nodded slowly, "Okay...I suppose we can do that." His eyes narrowed again and he looked over at Rosaline. "Do we have to bring...her along?" Yeah he wasn't impressed with Rosaline any. She was noisy, made messes, took up the time of HIS family, was noisy, pooped herself a lot, and did he mention she was noisy? That's all she ever did around him...cry. She'd be happy as a jaybird when Draco or Ginny were playing with her, but when he tried to give her a chance, she'd belt one out like an opera singer. He swore one of these days she'd cry so loud he'd never hear again.

"I'm glad, it'll be fun." She knew that she was interrupting precious class time but there was no class that was more important to her than Yuri was. Looking over at Rosaline, she chuckled, "How about this...Rosaline comes to the picnic but Mindy can put her to bed. So that means you and I can stay up an extra hour later and tell stories and make cookies...it'll be fun." She knew she'd be extremely tired come tomorrow but for Yuri's health and state of mind, she'd give up sleep altogether.

Yuri thought about it for a moment and nodded. "Okay… I guess that's alright." His eyes took on a pleading quality. "Can I stay here for the rest of the day? I don't want to go back home with no one but Mindy there. It's boring and lonely, and I swear that elf cheats at chess." He always lost even when he thought he was doing well. And the elf couldn't possibly be good enough to beat him all the time. What he didn't realize is that elf had been in the family for many years and had played just about every Malfoy in at least one game of Wizard's chess. The Malfoy's were only trumped in the game by Ron Weasley, so the elf had picked up a few things over the years.

Looking back at Madame Fleming, the older woman gave her a wink and a slow nod. "You can stay Yuri but I want you to be on your best behavior." Standing, she took his hand and led him over to her desk, transfiguring her healing potions textbook into a chair for him and peeked over at Rosaline who had fallen asleep once more. With a smile and a nod, the lecture continued.

A few hours later...or as Yuri saw it, five years later, the classes were over. About an hour into the lecture, he had started to fall asleep. He was even more bored here than he was at home with just the stupid elf around for company. His saving grace had been Rosaline, of all people. She had woken up numerous times, and Yuri had attempted to calm her down so Ginny wouldn't get in trouble. Of all things...it worked. For once the little girl shut her mouth and cooed and giggled at his antics instead of going nuts once more. Finally they were heading home, and Yuri was kind of curious to see what would happen to Draco.

After stopping at the market to pick up Yuri's favorite meal: shepherd's pie, thick crusty bread, and a large fudge cake for dessert; Ginny made her way back to the apartment silently. Rosaline was tucked safely in one arm, the bag of food Yuri had graciously offered to help carry, leaving her hand free to slip through his as they made their way back home. As they entered the apartment, Ginny handed Rosaline off to Mindy and looked over at Yuri, "Go wash up and change into your play robes...then ask Mindy to pack our picnic. I need a moment alone to talk to Draco..." And when she found him, he was in for a whooping.

Yuri nodded and did so. As he ran down the hall, the front door opened and Draco came in looking worried as hell. He spotted the boy running into his room, and then saw Ginny there. She didn't look happy. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and walked up to her. He leaned in to give her a kiss, testing the waters. If she allowed him to do so, maybe things would be ok; otherwise he might in for a world of hurt. "Hello Ginny. I see you found the rat. I've been out looking for him for hours." It was true; he'd come home to find Mindy crying that Master Yuri has run away and it was her fault since she was such a bad elf and never let him win at chess. Draco had left immediately to see if he could find the boy. He'd checked all his favorite spots in Wizarding London, and then decided to check his old haunt...Knockturn Alley. Thankfully, Yuri wasn't there either. Unfortunately, that meant Draco was out of options and now had to go home empty handed and explain to Ginny how he'd lost Yuri. In all the scenarios going through his head, he couldn't picture that going well, no matter what.

Scalding ire burned her every cell as she walked in. With the children out of the room, Ginny didn't hold back. As he leaned in for a kiss she gave him a resounding slap across the face, "You bloody BASTARD!" She snapped, quickly casting a silencing charm before she pushed him away from her. She wanted to claw his eyes out; she was a mother protecting her young. "How could you do this to him?" She screeched, "How could you do this to me?" Rounding on him, she pulled off her cloak, her body heat rising with every breath, "You promised me that you'd take care of him, that you'd play with him! You promised me you'd treat him like your own son!" She roared, "And now I come to find out that you leave him here all day with no company but your bloody house elf and you expect to get a kiss! Oh, I could just kill you!"

Draco had never been slapped that hard. It was so forceful that his head spun and took his body with it, and then she pushed him while he was already off balance, and down he went. He slowly got to his feet while she ranted at him. "Alright, I deserved that." He turned to face her, a hand placed over the burning red mark on his cheek in the perfect size and shape of her hand. He stared at her for a moment to let her finish. So...she had found out about him leaving. That means that Yuri had most likely found his way to the Academy, and had ratted him out. Draco worked his jaw for a second and then walked over to sit on the couch. That was the first time she'd ever hit him. "So he told you. Did he tell you how long I've been leaving? About a week," It was time to come clean. "So sue me, I was trying to set up a surprise party for him. His birthday is this next weekend and I wanted him to enjoy it. I'm sorry I thought the elf could take care of him...I'm sorry that I was trying to do what you so desperately wanted me to do." He stood up and walked to the door, tossing a piece of paper on the table with names and numbers. "Those are the businesses I was working with. Sorry I tried to do something nice. I'll leave." He opened the door and started to walk outside.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me Draco Malfoy!" She yelled, not caring for one second that he was admitting to trying to do something nice. "So you just thought that he would like a bloody party better than having someone to love him and care for him? Did YOU like that Draco? Did you like when your father ignored you for years on end then showed you off at a bloody party?" Her face was crimson with anger, her entire body wracked with shaking. "He came to my class in tears, Draco, he was in tears! And he was asking me if we forgot about him, if we didn't love him anymore!" Her own tears began running down her face, "And do you know what that felt like? It was worse than anything Voldemort ever did to me!"

Draco closed the door and rounded on her. "Well I'm sorry for doing the only FUCKING THING I KNOW HOW TO DO! I didn't have the happy frilly family life that you had Ginny! I'm doing the best I bloody know how to," His own face as red as her hair with anger. "And I wasn't ignoring him. I played with him while I was here. I just figured that my bloody family never gave him a decent birthday party his ENTIRE LIFE! I was trying to do something nice. And if I'm planning a surprise party for him I can bloody well take him with me. That would ruin the whole surprise."

Ginny shook her head, "Oh sure, poor Draco, he had a bad childhood. Stop using it as an excuse! Yuri LOVES you; he loves you like a father, like a brother, like he's never had the chance to love anyone before in his life." Jamming her fingers through her hair, she was sorely tempted to rip it out, just to alleviate some of the pressure she was feeling. "And a bloody birthday party? Why the hell is this the first time I've heard about this? Because you don't share a damn thing with me! Am I going to be your wife, Draco, or just another person you lie to?"

Draco's eyes narrowed as she spat it all back at him. Low blow about his family. That was a terribly low blow. How did she expect him to be the perfect surrogate father when he had no real example in his own life? It's not like there was a textbook on how do be a perfect dad. "This is the first time you've heard about it, because you're never here. You're always off at the academy. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're living your dream, trying to become a mediwitch and all. But don't you dare try and put all the blame on me. You spend less time with him than I do. On your day off you sit there on the couch and read one of your books. So don't you dare try and say that I'm the bad guy in this. You're doing just as badly as I am!"

It stung. More than stung really, it felt as if he had jammed a wand right through her chest. Not bothering to wipe the tears streaming down her face, she closed them for a moment before she spoke, allowing her time to breathe, "I've been busy and I know I've been neglecting him too...but I love him, Draco. I've never once heard you tell him that you love him." Her voice was soft now, pained and frightfully raw. "I just care about him so much and I love you and I want us to be a family! But how can we do that? Whatever we're doing...it's not working."

Draco closed his eyes for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose. This had gotten out of hand. This was almost as bad as that fight between Gregory and Pansy they had been unfortunate witnesses to. Their saving grace was probably the fact that they'd fought before and gotten through things already, so they didn't have that built up tension like the other couple had had. Nope, this was just another fight for them, worse than any other, but a fight none the less. "How can I tell him I love him? Do you know what I see when I look at him? Bellatrix. His eyes are hers, exactly to the tiniest speck. He has her eyes, like they were plucked from her head and placed in his. And he looks just like his father too. Two of the nastiest Death Eaters there ever were, rolled into one. And that's all I can see when I look at him." Draco left out a breath and leaned back against the door, letting his legs out and sliding down the wooden surface so he was sitting on the floor.

"That's what you think of him?" She screamed, her voice going hoarse again. "Every time he snuggles on your lap, you think of your bloody Aunt Bellatrix and Uncle Rodolphus? Every time he wakes up screaming with nightmares, you think of them? You think that he's some sort of extension of them and that every time he tells you that he's sad or happy or excited, that it's all for some nefarious purpose?" Sobbing, she walked as far away from him as she could. Staring out the window that overlooked a placid forest, she tried to control her shaking sobs. A forest they were supposed to be having a nice picnic in...If only things would be resolved. But then, there was no resolving this. "You must be a glutton for punishment, eh, Draco? You take a little boy barely old enough to understand what's going on in the world and you make him into the bad guy because you can't stand how much he reminds you of your family." Without turning, she shook her head, "Or is it that he reminds you of yourself, Draco?"

Draco looked up at Ginny, guilt evident in his eyes. "Both," He said honestly. "I see him and it reminds me way too much of myself at that age. Wanting to know where my mum and dad were. There was even a house elf to take care of me while they did the Dark Lord's work in his absence. And I know," He tapped his chest, "In my heart, that he could just as easily follow that path and be the worst of them all. It's in his nature...in his blood. And I know because I was that way too. And I'm so scared that I'm going to blow it. That I'm going to single handedly be responsible for him becoming what I fear he'll become. And it scares me so much, that I do exactly like I am doing. And the worst part is I know that if I keep doing this, I'll make it all come true. Just like that crackpot Trelawney said once. Sometimes you try so hard to make something not happen, that you inadvertently make it happen."

Wrapping her arms tightly around her waist, she listened to him give the honest truth. They were finally getting to the heart of the matter, "That's why we need to work together in this, Draco. That's why he has to see that no matter what, we love him and it doesn't matter if Bellatrix Black is his mother or not. Don't you see? He's not looking for answers right now, he's not looking to be wrong and evil and hurtful...he just wants to be loved. He wants to please you and me. He even listens to your incessant talk of Quidditch because he knows you like it! He's never even seen a game before, love...but he does it because he wants you to know that what you say matters to him." Stepping toward him, she sighed, "So why don't you cut the crap, Draco! Stop acting like you're the scum of the earth when we both know you turned away from that life. If you believe that you're worth something, that you're good, then maybe you can make him believe it too!"

Draco dropped his head and placed his hands, clasped together on the back of his head. His elbows rested on his knees and he stared at the floor. "It's not that easy Ginny. Maybe for you it is. But I'm not you. I don't see the good in me Ginny. Every time I look in the mirror I see my father. I see the spoiled little rich kid who hurt people for fun and dreamed of being a Death Eater. All I see are my sins. And I don't know how to move past them. How am I supposed to show Yuri that I'm good? That I'm not the rich boy from the story we told him...when I don't even see it in myself?"

Silently, slowly, she moved back toward him. Her tears had dried, replaced by a fierce ache inside of her. It was a hunger, a passion that couldn't be sated so easily by a few tears and apologies. There was something fundamentally impenetrable in them, a dark space, a gaping hole that threatened to consume them. "Don't you think I know how that feels? Ginny Weasley, always kind, always good...Ginny Weasley, the jewel of her family, the first female Weasley in centuries," Her voice took on a mocking edge to it, "When all the time you know in your heart that you're just Ginny Weasley, Tom Riddle's concubine." Dropping to her knees before him, she gripped onto his legs tightly, needing that contact, that physical link between them. "You are good, Draco...you are wonderful and kind and sweet. And you love me; I can see it in your eyes. Let me love you, Draco...let Yuri love you."

Draco slowly looked up at Ginny as her last words fell on him. Her hand on his knee pierced through the fears he had. He slowly reached out a hand and placed it on hers. He didn't speak for a long moment, just watched her. After an eternity, he finally spoke, "I let you love me Ginny. And I want to let Yuri too. But I don't know how...I just don't know how. It's just so hard to do the right things. I'm trying, I'm doing the best I can Ginny. It's just not enough. Just like all those times when I got into it with Harry. My best was never enough then, and it's still not enough now."

"You're not giving Yuri your best, Draco," Ginny said softly, "You're holding back, you're making excuses, you're afraid." She let her hand curl around his, holding tightly. "Let's find out how together, let Yuri and I show you what it's like to love and to be loved." Leaning forward she rested her belly against his knees as she grasped his face, kissing him softly on the mouth. "We can teach each other so much...we can make this work."

Draco returned the kiss softly and then stood up. "I better go talk to Yuri. I owe him that much." He smiled down at her as best he could and then walked down toward Yuri's room. He knocked on the door softly and waited for the boy to tell him to enter. He slowly opened the door and walked over sitting on the bed, and patting the spot next to him. "I want to talk to you Yuri. I know I've been ignoring you lately. And I'm sorry for that. I'm new to this whole...dad thing. And I know you deserve better than me. I just hope you can forgive me. I'll try my best to be what you deserve." He stopped, not sure what else to say. Maybe it would be best to let Yuri say something to him.

Yuri looked up from the book that Ginny had bought him. It was about the school that she and Draco used to go to. He couldn't really read it but he loved looking at all the pretty pictures. They made him smile, made him want to go there someday and to be like Ginny and Draco. The knock on the door had been expected, but he hadn't thought it would be Draco; he moved to the bed and motioned for Yuri to sit close to him. Without a moment's hesitation, Yuri snuggled against him, looking up at him as he spoke. Looking down at his hands, the small boy sighed, "I don't want you to be angry with me. I'm sorry I went to Ginny's school, I just didn't like being left alone." Tears welled in his eyes, "I didn't want to get you in trouble. Are you going away? Please don't go away!"

Draco pulled the boy into his lap and hugged him. "No, it's alright Yuri. You were right to go and tell Ginny. I shouldn't have left you alone like that with only Mindy. I should have been here taking care of you." He rubbed the boy's back in what he hoped was a soothing manner. "I won't go away, Yuri. I'm going to be here for as long as I can. Until Ginny gets tired of my foolish ways and kicks me out on my butt." He smiled a bit and chuckled. "I just wanted to apologize and say that from now on, I'm going to be here for you, okay? We can play any games you want to play and if I have to leave you can come with me. I'll try my best, better than I have been, Yuri, to be there for you."

Teary eyed and so glad to be wrapped in Draco's arms, Yuri cuddled against him. "Just don't go away...don't ever go away." He said, hugging him back tightly. His face was buried in Draco's shoulder, holding on for dear life. "I love you," He whispered, clinging tighter but all the while feeling Ginny's presence as she stepped into the doorway, her eyes glazed with tears. They were his family, his real family.

Draco held the boy to him tighter and sighed. He looked over at Ginny nodded to her, signaling she could come in. When she did, he wrapped her into the too and placed a kiss to her head, and then to Yuri's. "I love you...both of you. I'll do better than I have been, I promise." He'd do his damndest to do a better job of being a father to Yuri. He just hoped that this time, his best would be enough. This was the one time in his life that he couldn't afford to mess up. His best had to be good enough, because he really couldn't accept failure here...not now.

Clinging against the two of them, Yuri let go of seven years of heartache. His tiny, mewling cries were not like that of the strong, tough boy he tried to be, the hardened child that the streets had created. He cried for a mother who never loved him, for a father who couldn't save him, for a lifetime of pain and sorrow that had ended the day one pushy woman in ugly robes came to take him away from the hell which he thought he was eternally bound to. Within him the child that had been so silent for so long came ripping to the surface, bringing with him sobs of frustration, rage, happiness and sorrow. Holding tightly to Ginny and Draco was all he could do to keep his whole body from ripping apart.

Draco held onto Yuri for dear life. The boy cried all over his robes, but Draco didn't care. He needed to be allowed to do this. And Draco made sure that Yuri knew he wasn't alone in his moment of exposure. He was letting it all out, for the first time, letting go. Something Draco wished he had the strength to do. He looked over at Ginny and smiled weakly at her. Mouthing to her, 'I love you', he turned back to Yuri and rocked back and forth slightly while the child let it all out.

Ginny rubbed Yuri's back, never breaking contact as she watched him. Blinking back tears, she sat flush against Draco, holding onto him just as tightly. "I love you," She whispered, "Both of you. My family..." They were a family; a torn, dysfunctional little family but a family nonetheless. She closed her eyes, listening as Yuri's wracking sobs dissolved into hiccupping tears and then finally, heavy breathing. His face was bright red from crying but he looked more peaceful, somehow, healed almost. "What do you say we make a promise right here, right now, to always talk about when something is wrong?"

Draco nodded, "Sounds good to me." He rubbed Yuri's back a bit more and then leaned over to kiss Ginny. "I promise." Pressing his lips, chastely, to hers, he sealed the promise. After pulling back he smiled at them both, "If I'm not mistaken, I saw the makings of a picnic when I came in. You still up for that? I can give Yuri his birthday present a little early..." He let that linger a bit. He'd gotten Yuri the newest Firebolt Trainer racing broom, and he was planning on giving it to him and teaching him to play Quidditch. Who knew, maybe one day he could be a chaser on a house team or maybe even a seeker. All he needed was some practice; he already had the build for it.

Yuri gave his assent as nonverbally as possible. He gave both Ginny and Draco teary kisses on their cheeks before bounding off the bed as if he'd never cried at all, "Presents!" He cried excitedly, "Let's go! Hurry up! I'm hungry and it's my birthday in two days!" Running into the other room he yelled, "Mindy get Rosaline, we're having a picnic, hurry!"

Ginny couldn't help but chuckle as she stood from the bed. Leaning down, she pressed her lips to Draco's, "You've made him, and me, so happy. I love you Draco...and I know you can do this." Grasping his hand, she took Rosaline from Mindy as they trekked their way outside into the hazy summer sunshine, still shining bright and strong even though the sun was dipping closer to the horizon. Out here in the fresh air and the wonders of nature, Ginny knew that a new life had begun today. A new life for all of them...who knew of what was to come.

Draco grabbed his Firebolt, and the small package that held the shrunken broom for Yuri. He pocketed the package, and smiled as he followed Ginny and Yuri out to the picnic area in the park. Luckily for them this was a Wizarding Park, so they didn't need to worry about muggles seeing anyone using magic, flying, or spotting the elf that accompanied them. Draco conjured a large blanket to set down on the grass and sat down there, placing his broom beside him. "Alright, we eat first," He gave a semi-stern look to Yuri, "And then I'll give you your present. But you have to eat." He smiled at the almost disheartened look on the boy's face, and then helped the elf to unpack the picnic food.

The shepherd's pie was delicious, even better though was the thick crusty bread that was served with it. Not to mention Mindy's own special blend of pumpkin and clover juice. She sat back, Rosaline gently resting her head against Ginny's belly as she lay against her. Yuri was eating quickly, hoping that the faster he ate, the faster he'd get his present. Holding up her glass, Ginny smiled, "I think we should have a toast...to my family. And to my special birthday boy!" Ruffling Yuri's hair, she smiled. In two days he would be eight and two weeks after that, she'd be seventeen...truly of age, able to do anything she wanted with her life. But of all the things she could do...this was the only thing she wanted to do.

Draco smiled past a mouthful of pie. He nodded and swallowed it down, and raised his glass, "To our family." Yuri followed suit, and soon the two boys were back to eating. Draco chuckled, but he was eating faster than normal as well, hoping to give Yuri his present sooner too, because then he could also play. When both were done, Draco took out the package and tapped his wand on it, making it expand to full size, and then handed the green package with a size bow to Yuri. "Okay...go on."

Cheering, Yuri ripped off the paper with gusto, his eyes going wide as he saw the gift. "A broom," He squeaked, "My very own broom! Oh I always wanted one, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Jumping up he tackled Draco with a hug and then very gently gave Ginny one for Rosaline was still perched on her belly, relaxing. He even gave the baby a gentle pat on the back for good measure. The training broom wasn't like the standard ones, it didn't have to be told to come up it merely hovered there, waiting for a person to sit on it. "Can we go flying sometime? Pleeeeease?"

Draco nodded and grabbed his own broom. "Why do you think I brought my broom along?" He chuckled and tossed his broom forward yelling, "Up!" Instead of falling to the ground like normal, it hovered and he sat down on it. "Alright, first lesson. Straddle the broom like me, and place both hand...both of them, firmly around the handle." He watched as Yuri copied him. "Alright, to rise up, pull up very slightly on the handle. Go slowly, the harder and faster you pull up, the faster it'll rise. We don't need you falling off and hurting yourself right off the bat or Ginny might not let us fly again." He winked over at the redhead and then watched Yuri. "Good. Now to lower, press down, excellent. Ok, I think we're ready...lean forward a bit, and then you'll start to move forward. Sit up to slow down...ready?" And with that Draco leaned forward slowly so Yuri could keep up.

Yuri took to flying like the Giant Squid to water. Watching Draco's every move, he copied him exactly until he was slowly flying, feeling the rush of wind on his face. And then suddenly he was going faster, laughing and hollering. He gave a quick wave to the ground where Ginny was fretting about his safety. Couldn't Draco have just given him a puffskein or a box of Honeydukes' finest chocolate? But then, a training broom wasn't so bad, was it? She'd heard that lots of wizarding children got them and they were perfectly safe when used with adult supervision. And who was better at supervising her son than a man with seeker's reflexes? She suddenly realized what she had just thought…her son.

Draco laughed along with Yuri as they flew around and played. The boy was a natural, almost as natural at it as Potter had been. He'd definitely be on a house team then, especially once Draco was done training him. He'd be pulling Wronsky feints in no time. Draco smiled and looked down to watch Ginny. It had been a long time since she'd been on a broom. He pulled up into a loop and dropped so that he was in a steep dive toward Ginny. He up and came to a halt beside her. "You want to fly a little, love? I can watch Rosaline while you get your wings back."

Watching Yuri zoom around, darting between trees made her smile but she was also nervous as well. What if he hit a branch and fell? Alright, so the broom had an anti-falling charm that would protect him from falling off but what if the broom cracked or broke as well? It was a mother's fear she felt...yes, she was his mother, wasn't she? Smiling, she gently traded Rosaline for the broom. "Thank you, love." She kissed Draco's cheek and gave Rosaline's head a soft kiss before kicking off to join Yuri in a game of broom tag. Surprisingly, he caught her more than once, even though she wasn't holding back. "You'll be a great flyer someday, Yuri," She called out to him, "Much better than I ever was!"

Draco sat down with Rosaline and the two watched the mini air battle with awe as Yuri bested Ginny just about every time. And this was only his second hour flying. She'd been doing it for years. And by the look on her face, that determined look, Draco could tell she wasn't holding back. He'd have to rib her a little about that later, after all his Firebolt was much faster than the trainer broom, and she still managed to get caught. He sat there laughing about that thought, while Rosaline cooed and giggled in his lap before reaching up and honking his nose a couple times. Draco returned the favor by pushing her nose like a button, to the utter glee of the little girl.

Yuri whooped in excitement which caused Ginny to chuckle, "I think that's a yes." The sun dipped lower in the sky, mirroring Rosaline's drooping eyelids. "I think it's time to put the baby to bed," She said, calling Mindy to clean up and put the young child to bed. "Now, Yuri, go take a quick bath and then we'll tell our stories...and believe me, I have a good one tonight." Without a moment's hesitation, he darted for the bathtub that Mindy had already filled for him. From her place she could rock Rosaline and keep an eye on the boy while Ginny drew Draco close her, "I love you," She whispered, "And I'm sorry we fought...today has been perfect."

Draco wrapped his arms around Ginny and smiled. "I'm sorry I was pig headed and a git." He placed a quick kiss to her lips, "I don't know how you put up with me." Smiling again he kissed her once more, "But I love you all the more for it." Draco held onto her and rubbed her back soothingly, "So what story are you going to tell Yuri tonight? How the mean boy was a git and didn't love the family he had?" He chuckled a bit at his small little joke, and kissed her again. "I already invited your family over for Yuri's party and Harry said that if he's feeling well enough he'll stop by. I don't think we can count on that though, Snape's potion helped, but he's still in pretty bad shape from that battle. Remus, Tonks, and Hermione are babying him and won't let him do anything. Of course, knowing Potter, he'll sneak out to come here just to get away from it. And then he'll get sucked in by your mum." He laughed at that. Poor Harry would have the luck to get away from the mothering at his home, only to have Molly fawn all over him like always.

"I didn't go about my anger in the right way, either...I was just upset that you were leaving him home. He was so distraught when he came to me, I was afraid for him and for you." Snuggling against his chest she sighed and the laughed as he spoke of a story. "I want to tell him the story of a mean, nasty bastard and how his son overcame his legacy to be the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful man I've ever met." She marveled at him, "You really went to ALL those people to get them to come to Yuri's birthday party?"

Draco smiled. "That sounds like a wonderful story to tell him. I think he'll like it. It might make him think of himself, overcoming the legacy of his parents." He grinned at her and kissed her once more. "Of course I went to all those people. And more, I invited all your family, Harry, Remus, Tonks, Everyone in D.A, the Goyles, and I used a couple connections to find other children his age to come that will be attending Hogwarts with him in a few years. I figured he could start making friends now and then when they get to school they won't feel so...overwhelmed."

Kissing him again, she smiled, "You being so...fatherly makes me hot," She whispered, giving him a soft wink as Yuri came bounding back, his face scrubbed clean of chocolate and his eyes just as eager as before, if not slightly droopy from exhaustion, "Ready for a story?" Yuri nodded happily and crawled between them, holding onto Ginny and Draco's hands as she began, "Once upon a time there was an evil man who lived in a big evil castle surrounded by lots of evil things..."

Draco smiled and nodded. He couldn't wait to finish this story so he could show her just how much he liked being a parent. As they followed Yuri into his room, Draco gave Ginny's bum a small pinch. "Yes, an evil man. And he had a wife, who wasn't much better. They joined an evil cult of other bad people and together they hurt lots of people. And then one day, the man had a son, who just wanted to be a magical artist, and paint the most magical paintings ever. His mother supported him a little in this, but his father wanted him to be evil just like he was. So the boy started to become evil as well."

Ginny held Yuri tighter as she smiled over at Draco, "And the boy did many horrible things that secretly he hated. Why, one time he tripped a house elf with a whole lot of tea on a tray! Another time he stamped through the gardens and upset the pixies!" None of those things were exceptionally horribly but Ginny wasn't looking to frighten the boy or upset Draco. "But when his evil father wasn't around, he would make the most beautiful drawings of hearts and flowers and good things!" She said, "And soon the boy realized he didn't want to be evil at all!"

Draco smiled and nodded. "That's right; he decided he wanted to be a good person." He was thankful that Ginny was sparing the details. He didn't want Yuri to figure out who the story was REALLY about and start to hate him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the boy was growing on him. "So the boy decided to stop doing bad things, and his father disowned him for it. But that's okay, because the boy realized that if his father couldn't accept who he really was then he didn't deserve to be a father at all."

Despite Yuri's protests that he was not tired, his head began to flop onto Draco's shoulder as Ginny finished up the story. "And something magical happened, one day the boy drew the most beautiful picture, a picture of a family, a happy family. And he found that when he stepped back and looked at the painting, that his dreams had come true. He was the happy smiling man in the picture; he had a beautiful wife and a little boy who were so happy to have him. And he knew then that he truly wasn't evil and that he had found love by being good. The end," She said, chuckling to find that Yuri had indeed passed out. The poor kid, he was exhausted and the hour was already growing late, especially for young ones. With care, Ginny pulled back the blankets and smiled as Draco tenderly placed Yuri in the bed. The boy instantly cuddled under the covers, yawning sleepily. "Goodnight my love," She whispered, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. Then, threading her arms around Draco she smiled at him, "Let's go to bed..."

Draco walked over, and placed a small kiss to the top of Yuri's sleeping head and then joined Ginny outside. "Bed sounds good." He grinned and wrapped his arms around her, then picked her up and started kissing her as he made his way to their room. He pushed the door open and carried her inside, before kicking it closed and dropping her on the mattress. "I love you Ginny." He smiled mischievously at her before he started to remove his robes. Once he was divested of the bulky garment he climbed on the bed with her and started to trail kisses up from her ankle to her inner thigh. "I find myself...still hungry." He winked at her, making clear his intentions.

Ginny tried not to squeal as he picked her up, carrying her into the bedroom and shutting the door behind them. She used the last ounce of sanity she had to do a silencing charm before he pressed her to the bed, his mouth coming to trail kisses down her body as he began to pull off his robes. The sight of him naked made her stomach do flips and it wasn't long before he had her robes off too. "Well then," She purred, "I suppose we'll just have to sate your hunger somehow." In the last few weeks, Ginny and Draco had been abstaining from sex more than having it, mostly because Yuri often had nightmares and with the arrival of Rosaline, there was just too much to worry about. But tonight there was no stopping the lust that had built between them. Arching against him, she moaned deeply as his hardened length rubbed against the juncture of her thighs, "Hurry Draco..." She begged.

Draco smiled and backed away, "Hurry? But the fun is just getting started." He grinned at her and brought his face down to the juncture of her thighs, and slowly ran a finger, and then his tongue along her lips. After he got a moan from her, he used his mouth to pleasure her for a good while. They hadn't done much more than regular sex, and Draco was feeling the need to show her some other wonders before they got down to that right away.

It was no use, Ginny bucked as he laved his mouth and his fingers over the sensitive folds of her. Gripping onto him, she panted heavily. Her pupils were dilated with passion, her pale skin flushed with need. "Oh Merlin," She choked, rubbing her body against him as she called his name. She was so close to the cusp of orgasm that her body was already trembling, sweat pouring out of ever pore in her body. It was no use; he was so skilled with his tongue, filling her with it as he licked clean the juices her body was producing in force. "Please," She begged, writhing beneath his ministrations.

Draco smiled at her and lifted himself up to lean over her. He looked down into her face, filled with passion, and smiled. "Well...if you insist." He used one hand to guide himself in, and with a powerful thrust, he buried himself as far as he could go inside of her. He held the position for a moment, reveling in the feel of her around him, and then slowly began to pull out, and push back in. Merlin he loved her. The things she did to him. She drove him crazy with a single word. It was pleasing to know he could drive her crazy too this way.

Ginny let out a gasp of pleasure as he thrust hard into her. He had never been this far buried into her and yet it had never been so pleasurable before. His thrusts were wild and unrestrained, beating with his inner tempo and bringing her spiraling into an orgasm that matched his. Her body tightened around him, squeezing with every bit of force she had, all the while her breath hitched and her resolve shattered into a million pieces as she waited for him to fill her to the hilt.

Draco spilled all he had into her and then collapsed beside her. His breathing was deep and slightly ragged. He smiled at her and pulled her into a tight embrace. He whispered his love for her into her ear, and placed numerous kisses upon her lips and body. After a few more minutes, Draco got up again. He put on a pair of silk sleeping pants, and lay back down. Since Yuri had frequent nightmares, Draco had taken to using at least a pair of pants so as not to repeat the first night that Yuri was with them.

Ginny followed suit, pulling on a nightgown before she snuggled up against Draco, her head lolling on his chest. She was exhausted but making love to him and spending the evening with Yuri and Rosaline more than made up for it. With a chaste kiss to his lips and another 'I love you', she closed her eyes and dreamed of a family. Not just any family, but her family...she and Draco were sitting outside watching Yuri zoom around on his broom. All the while, Ginny cradled another boy in her lap...she was shocked to look over and find Draco had one too. At another other time she would've gasped at her own thoughts, but in the dream, she just smiled. Twins, eh; well that was something of a feat now wasn't it?