Chapter 9

There was silence between Gabrielle and Draco, in which simply fiddled with her fingers. Finally she took a deep breath and opened her mouth but Draco cut her off, "Don't answer that, if Ginny wanted me to know she would have told me . . ." he trailed off.

"First off, I wasn't going to tell you. Your right Ginny would want to tell you herself, but you haven't asked her Draco, she's not just going to up and tell you something that she thinks you might not even want to know."

"I'm not sure I do want to know. I couldn't take knowing that some else had. . ." he trailed off again and looked toward the door.

"I know, but you should ask Ginny not me."

Draco nodded and turned to leave, "Remember Dray, tomorrow my house."

He nodded and left.


Spectre fell to the ground and covered her face, she was shaking violently but it didn't stop her raising back to her feet, "That insolent fool," Lucius yelled. He was now standing by the fire.

Spectre watched his back rise and fall with his deep haggard breaths, soon enough his breathing became shallower as he calmed down, "Come here," he commended and she was by his side in seconds.

"I need to get my sons attention and I need to get it in a big way. He needs to finally learn his lesson that running away is the coward's way out and like it or not he is no coward, he is a Malfoy."


Ginny,

Can I take you to Gabrielle's tonight?

Draco.

P.S. Yes, I did just ask . . . don't waste it.

Ginny laughed to herself and quickly scribbled a reply in the affirmative. Sending it on its way she went back over to her girls and Harry who were sitting on the floor of the living room, she looked around before speaking, "Where's Mione?"

"Bathroom, she's been in there a lot lately. Morning noon and night, I wonder if she has a bug."

Ginny smiled and shook her head at Harry's oblivious nature, "I think the correct term is bun not bug,"

"Huh?"

Ginny smiled down at him then sunk to her knees, she ran her fingers through Elizabeth's soft hair and spoke, "Harry, do you remember about, I don't know four or five years ago when we were in school and I kept on rushing off to the bathroom for no apparent reason,"

"Yeah"

"And then about a week later, after graduation I sat the both of you down for an explanation. . ." She trailed off to leave Harry to figure out the rest.

"Yeah, it was because you were . . . oh . . . OH, you mean Mione's . . . oh." Ginny watched Harry's face. It was the most wondrous thing to see, the realisation that he was responsible for life.

I'm going to tell him.

"Exactly, pretend I didn't tell you though. Lie, tell her you actually figured it out yourself."

Harry blindly nodded still not listening. Ginny sighed and left the room, she walked down the hall and knocked on the bathroom door, "Tis only I," she announced before coming in.

Hermione was sitting on the floor with her head resting against the sink, "I feel like a I just threw up and Mac truck"

Ginny nodded, "I know the feeling, but in nine or so months it will all be worth it." Hermione gave her a puzzled look and Ginny smiled. "N-" Hermione began then stopped, "Oh no, I am aren't I?" Ginny nodded.

"What am I going to tell Harry?"

"Taken care of," Hermione looked up at Ginny and smiled, "Thanks Gin."

While Hermione rinsed the bad taste out of her mouth Ginny conjured her a cup of hot herbal tea and sat patiently on the closed toilet until her friend was finished. When Hermione had settled back against the sink with her tea Ginny spoke, "I'm going to tell him . . . tonight, I have to."

Hermione sipped her tea unfazed by Ginny's revelation, "Good on you, Gin. He deserves to know. I'm glad you finally come to your senses about it, but couldn't you have waited till next week to tell him?"

Ginny looked confused and sat staring awkwardly at her friend, "Why next week?"

Hermione rested her cup down and looked at Gin, "Because you just lost me ten galleons to Gabrielle."

Ginny blinked and sputtered, "Y-You guys were betting on me?"

"Well we had to make it interesting some how?" Hermione shrugged.

Ginny picked up and extra roll of toilet paper and threw it at Hermione who dodged it laughing, "We're sorry Gin, but you had to admit it was a pretty good idea, betting on the inevitable"

"I'm not upset you guys were betting on me . . . I'm upset the whole letting someone know he's had children for the past four years scenario is only worth ten galleons these days, I mean you guys could have told me and won yourselves more money because I was certain I wasn't going to tell him at all." Ginny shrugged and stood up, making her way to the door.

Hermione nodded, "You have a point there, next time maybe,"

Ginny paused with her hand on the knob, "Next time one of us secretly has children and keeps it from the father for four . . . almost five years?" she asked the brunette.

"Yeah," Hermione answered simply.

Ginny shrugged, "Ok,"

Ginny listened to the sounds of the girls laughing through the bathroom door, she stood on the white tiled floor dripping wet. After securing a towel around her frame she waved her wand to dry out her hair, but as her mind was wrapped up with other matters entirely she forgot to charm it straight so her naturally curly hair sprang in front of her, "Oh, bollocks." She cursed slamming her wand on the bathroom counter.

She had no time to fix it, swinging open the bathroom door she walked down her orange hallway into her living room and stopped, "Draco!" she said surprised, "You're early."

Draco sat on the couch with Sara and Liz on either side of him, his arms round then both as they both spoke to him at the same time about school. They looked like a real family, Duh Ginny they are. She thought to herself.

"Ginny," he looked her up and down. "You're naked." He raised his eyebrows.

Ginny gasped and looked down before calming herself, she was in her towel, "Well, you're early and I need to redo my hair because it went wrong."

"What's wrong with it?" he asked standing up from the couch and walking over to her. She felt her breath begin to catch in her throat as he reached out and let a curl slip around his finger.

"It's not straight," she said controlling her voice.

"I like it curly," he said simply before dropping the curl so it hung in front of her face, "But then again I just like to look at you,"

Ginny felt a blush creep up her cheeks as Harry and Hermione re-entered the room from the kitchen, "Ginny, we're just. . ." Hermione began to explain.

"It's ok, it's not like you left them with a complete stranger. It's just Draco." Ginny commented with such lightness that nobody had expected it, not even herself.

Ginny had always been very protective of her children, she was possibly more protective of them than her own mother was of her and her brothers; If that was even possible. When they had been born it had been a fortnight before she'd let anybody else hold them, and when she finally did you had to remain with in her sights. Maybe it was just maternal instinct in overdrive or maybe it was because they were her only connection to Draco. They were all she had left . . . until now anyway because he was back, But for how long.

Ginny shook her head as the annoying voice returned. She was trying not to let herself fall into the same trap again but it was hard. Draco broke the silence when he reached into the breast pocket off his jacket, "The reason for my earliness is this," pulled out a wad of folded parchment.

Counting it off evenly he handed half to Ginny and the other to Harry, "What's this?" Ginny asked looked down at the parchment.

"It's the Honeydukes contract, in our name. . ." Harry answered breathlessly.

Ginny's head shot up, "But. . ."

Draco shrugged, "It's ok, I don't need it."

"You promised that this," she pointed to the both of them "Wouldn't affect this." She shook the contract.

"It didn't, common sense did. I don't need it, you want it, take it. I need to start closing off all these open deals anyway." Draco said simply.

Ginny watched him closely, "and the real reason is?" she said in a leading tone.

Draco caved, "Ok, it may have affected it a little, but come on. Could you honestly not be mad at me if I took Honeydukes right from under your nose while trying to get back together with you?"

Ginny sighed, she really couldn't argue with that logic, plus it was true. "Fine. I'll drop it."

"Good," Harry said from behind them "because I already signed mine"

Ginny laughed and took the quill from Harry signing her name to the bottom of her own. Draco watched her perform the elegant loops in her name with a pang in his heart. He wished he could stay, he wish he had enough time to regain all her trust and change her name. Give her his.

When Draco came back to reality, Ginny had gone, Harry and Hermione were playing with Elizabeth and Sara was lying on the couch stifling a yawn. Draco checked his watch, 8:30pm. He made his way back over to the couch and sat next to the small girl.

She simply shuffled closer to him and rested her head in his lap, blinking she looked up at him with her clear grey eyes, "Have you ever been to Italy?" she questioned.

Draco nodded, "many times, you?"

She nodded, "we went this summer."

"Really, enjoyed it?"

She nodded again stifling another yawn, "Finny was there, and we got to play on the beach with Nny."

"Knee?"

She nodded at his pronunciation, "N-n-y," she spelt. "It's short for Johnny, he's our puppy."

"I didn't know you had a dog,"

She nodded again, "That's because he's in Italy. He lives there with Finny, because he's too small to travel by floo."

"Well, I have two dogs, Shmee and Squee. You can come play with them whenever you like."

"Really?" a hint of excitement in her tired voice. Draco nodded, "Tell Izzy, she'll scream."

Draco looked confusion for a second then realised the girl was referring to her sister and laughed. She heard the little girls breathing even out and looked down at her sleeping frame on his lap. He ran his hand through her soft strawberry blonde hair. He really didn't want to leave, but if these girls were going to have a normal life, he couldn't be a part of it.

And if he was honest with himself, he was terrified of leaving Ginny again, but he couldn't risk her getting caught up in his mixed up family battle. You're doing it for her, he reminded himself.

"Ready?" came a voice from above him. He looked up to see Ginny standing above him smiling.

"Sure" He whispered lifting Sara's delicate frame and placing her head on his shoulder, "I'll go put her down first"

Ginny smiled and nodded. Draco disappeared into the darkness of the hallway and Ginny crumbled, "I can't do it Mione. I can't tell him. Suppose he's only good with them now because there's no responsibility, no attachment."

Hermione sighed and rose from the ground, "Ginny, calm down. He's not the same Draco everyone thought he was in School. He's . . . a person. He's that person that Gabrielle was always trying to get us to believe he was. He's real."

Ginny looked at Hermione and nodded, "You're right, he is." He was the Draco Ginny had fallen in love with; he was kind and gentle and didn't hide his feelings. He wasn't Malfoy the monster who broke her heart. He was Draco who had loved her.

Then why had he done it?

Ginny decided that before she could let him in any further, she would have to get that question answered.

"Ready?" Draco's voice came from behind her and she looked up at him.

"Yeah," she stepped over a forest of toys and bent down to kiss Liz goodbye. "Early to bed, ok?"

Liz nodded, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a child healthy, wealthy and wise." She recited.

Ginny smiled and nodded, "You bet." She said gently touching the tip of her daughter's nose.

With quick and distant goodbyes to Harry and Mione, the odd couple left her apartment and apparated to the Zabini Mansion. Draco and Ginny appeared outside the doors of the mansion, silencing charms made the place seem like a crypt from the outside but both knew there friends better than that.

Draco rested a hand on the great door and gave a subtle push, it gave without resistance, and they entered the large foyer. A house elf greeted the immediately to take their coats and another came to lead them into the party, "It's alright, we know where it is," Draco said waving him off. The small elf hesitated for a moment before disappearing in a slow shimmer.

"Aw, poor little guy. He was just doing his job." Ginny commented in a way that seemed half sarcastic and half sullen.

"I know but I wanted to be alone with you for a bit,"

Ginny was thankful for the dimly lit foyer as she felt a blush creep up her neck, "why?"

"because… because I. . ." but the words won't come he could in good conscience tell her again even if it was true when he knew he was just going to leave again. "because we haven't been able to be alone for awhile," Ginny's eyes fell to a point behind him.

"And we still aren't," she whispered.

Draco turned to in time to see, someone come into view at the end of the foyer, an range pinprick indicating they had left the party to smoke. The person still lay in shadow but Ginny simply smiled and spoke, "Hey, Finny." She said simply.

The pinprick moved as he removed the smoke from between his lips, they listened to him exhale before he replied, "Hello,"

Draco couldn't hide the frown that almost instantly appeared on his face as he heard his name. The anger subsided as Ginny steadily slipped her hand into Draco's and led him toward the large living room where the party as suppose to be.

They should have known better that when Gabrielle mentioned a small friends and family gathering she never meant it. The place was practically packed with people, mostly the pure-blooded of course, but there were a few Halflings here and there. As Draco entered with Ginny, there were immediate whispers. Of course because Draco was being seem outside of a newspaper or Business meeting and two because he was being seen with Ginny.

"Ginny!" Gabrielle called from across the room, "Draco!" the two made their way over to their friend and exchanged greetings.

"You're both here, awesome."

"What happened to family and friends?" Draco asked looking around the room.

"I have a big family and lots of friends," Gabrielle said simply, "and besides its two families now, mine and Blaise's and these are only the ones we both like"

Draco scanned the room, "You need to like less people," he breathed.

They became separated as the party went on but Draco kept Ginny firmly in his sights. These were the people he had grown up with the world that had moulded his face and attitude in to a perfect mask of indifference, she was the girl who had all but shattered it and here they were mixing together pretty perfectly.

She found him later on and handed him a drink, "So that's where you disappeared to?" he said accepting the drink.

"Yep, but it's a hard room to cross."

"I noticed" They had a comfortable silence, Ginny sipping away at her glass of demon wine, Draco barely touching his rum and coke. He watched her she had worn her hair curly, because he had commented on it. It was that simple, he had expressed a like and she had fulfilled a need. He had to tell her . . . everything.

He opened his mouth to speak but Gabrielle appeared at her side, leaning over she whispered in Ginny's ear. Ginny's eyes widened and she shook her head, "No, no, no, no, hell no!"

"So I'll take that as a maybe then," Gabrielle said lightly before bouncing off toward the piano. Draco realised that Blaise was seated at the piano bench looking over some notes. When Gabrielle reached him, he put them down and she perched herself on the edge on the bench.

"Ok," she began in a loud voice. The party quieten down, "I have circulate and tabulated and now I'm giving you what you want. I'm going to sing, but under the circumstances that after I do so. We all play a little game, ok?"

There were cheers and Gabrielle took them as a yes. Blaise began to play.

I lie in an early bed, thinking late thoughts

Waiting for the black to replace my blue

I do not struggle in your web because

it was my aim to get caught

But daddy longlegs, I feel that

I'm finally growing weary

Of waiting to be consumed by you

Give me the first taste,

let it begin heaven cannot wait

Forever

Darling, just start the chase -

I'll let you win but you must

Make the endeavour

Ginny listened to her friend singing but barely heard it. It was a pretty song, she should know, she wrote it and if Gabrielle got her way which she usually did. Ginny would be up there next.

Oh, your love give me a heart contusion

Adagio breezes fill my skin with sudden red

Your hungry flirt borders intrusion

I'm building memories on things we have not said

Full is not heavy as empty, not nearly my love,

not nearly my love,

not nearly

Give me the first taste, let it begin heaven cannot wait

Forever

Darling, just start the chase - I'll let you win, but you must

Make the endeavour

Draco had been listening to his friend sing; it was one of the things he missed. The songs had kept him sane in school and without them; he had suffered a great loss. Ginny had stiffened beside him during the song, he let his hand slide into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze, "What's wrong?"

"She's going to make me sing," Ginny said without looking at him.

"What's wrong? Do you still get stage fright?"

"It's not that I haven't sung since. . ." she trailed off and looked at him.

Before he could say anything, there was a group yell of Ginny's name. Gabrielle's game had been simple, yell out the name of the next person you want to sing, and the fact the most of the people there had gone to school with her and Ginny as well as the fact Gabrielle had told them what to yell in her trip around the floor. Ginny had been the next nominee.

"Fuck," was the next word out of Ginny's mouth as the large crowd parted giving her a clear path to the piano. Ginny walked the small distance like a prisoner committed to the death sentence.

Blaise slowly moved away from the piano bench and take a seat. During a long period of silence Ginny had learned how to play, she still played and wrote, but she had refused to sing. Ever since the girls had been born Ginny hadn't uttered a word in song, even while the others sang 'Happy birthday' Ginny had just beamed, but never opened her mouth.

She sat at the piano bench and stared at the keys, she took a deep breath and smiled sweetly looking up and out toward Gabrielle, 'I hate you,' she mouthed. Gabrielle simply blew her a kiss and mouthed back 'I love you.'

Ginny placed her fingers on the keys and dragged them off several times before actually hitting one. That wasn't so hard, keep going, the voice in her head was saying and she did.

How many times do I have to say
To get away-get gone

It had been the first song that came to her head so she sang it, without much thought as to who was hearing it.


Flip your shit past another lasses
Humble dwelling
You got your game, made your shot, and you got away
With a lot, but I'm not turned-on
So put away that meat you're selling
Cuz I do know what's good for me-
And I've done what I could for you
But you're not benefiting, and yet I'm sitting
Singing again, sing, sing again
How can I deal with this, if he won't get with this
'm I gonna heal from this; he won't admit to it
Nothing to figure out; I gotta get him out
It's time the truth was out that he don't give a
Shit about me


How many times can it escalate
Till it elevates to a place I can't breathe?
And I must decide, if you must deride
That I'm much obliged to up and go
I'll idealize, then realize that it's no
Sacrifice, because the price is paid, and
There's nothing left to grieve


Fuckin go-


Cuz I've done what I could for you, and I do know what's
Good for me and I'm not benefiting, instead
I'm sitting singing again, singing again, singing again,
Sing, sing, sing again
How can I deal with this, if he won't get with this
'm I gonna heal from this; he won't admit to it
Nothing to figure out; I gotta get him out
It's time the truth was out that he don't give a
Shit about me

How can I deal with this, if he won't get with this
'm I gonna heal from this; he won't admit to it
Nothing to figure out; I gotta get him out
It's time the truth was out that he don't give a
Shit about me

There were applause as usual and Ginny took deep breaths to slow down the pace of her heart. Gabrielle rushed over and encircled her, "I'm so Sorry Ginny, I know that was hard for you. But look at you it was the kick in the pants you needed. You know I love you right?"

"Bitch," Ginny said simply. Then smiled, "Love you too," she looked around behind her friend. "Where is he?"

Ginny had expected this from the moment she realised what she was singing, what she was saying.

Gabrielle shrugged, "No clue but he hasn't left the wards didn't detected anything."

Ginny nodded and pulled away from her friend. She didn't say anything because she didn't have to. It wasn't hard figuring out where Draco had gone, it was where he always went.


And that's that...no it's not over...but that chappie took me long enough.

R&R!!! please and thank you.

Song credits, Both are Fiona Apple 'First Taste' off of Tidal and 'Get gone' of off When The Pawn

di dum di di di di di di dum di dai ..we're following the leader the leader the leader...sorry been watching peter pan

Hope you liked it.