Gift Or Torture

Chapter 10

Found Her Family!

GPOV

Four weeks were left before the baby was due and I was starting to panic! I was still not even close to picking a family! Severus had suggested that maybe I needed to look at a magical family because maybe that's what I felt was missing. I promised that if I got to three weeks I would. He had to head back to London for a few days.

When Esme heard that Severus was leaving, she insisted that I not be alone and invited me to stay with the Cullens. I had found that I enjoyed spending time with her and Rosalie, who reminded me of some of the things I did like about Draco. For instance, the whole attitude of 'I'm God's greatest gift.' In Draco I once found it endearing, now I realize what a snob he was. With Rose though, it was clearly a byproduct of how she was raised coupled with the improvements to her that being a vampire brought.

"So tell us Ginny, how do you feel about not seeing the baby after having it?" the woman asked. I was meeting couple number 38 and at this point I wasn't even trying to remember names.

"You mean once I give it up?" I asked.

"No dear, I mean I read that if you don't see the baby after giving birth, it's easier on you to walk away."

"Well, I would like to still be a part of her life. At least to write..."

The husband had been rather quiet up to now, but he interrupted, "Look, I can tell that we want your baby. How much money would it take for you to give birth, not set eyes on her, and then never have to worry about having anything to do with her?"

"You're offering to buy my baby, and you expect me to not even see her and just walk away, never knowing anything about her?"

"That way no one would ever have to know you messed up badly," wife number 38 said.

"She is not a mistake! She is a gift! No, I may not be ready to be a mother to her, but that doesn't mean I want nothing to do with her!" I yelled. I was now standing, hands on hips. "I wouldn't give you people a kitten, never mind a baby!" I stormed out of their house, only putting my coat on once I was outside. Before I even did it up, Jasper's car was pulling up in front of the house. He was already out and helping me to the car before I took two steps. I felt him trying to calm my nerves.

Once he got behind the wheel, he looked at me. "I knew the second they opened the door they were a no."

"They offered to buy my baby!" I fumed.

"I heard, but you kept your temper in check. You should be proud of yourself for that!" he exclaimed.

"I so wanted to curse them! I think I understand now how a Death Eater would want to see them writhe on the ground in pain!"

He smiled at me. "You could never do that."

"Yes, I could! To them, hell yes!"

He looked at me intently. "So they're a big no! Let's talk this out. Maybe if you voice it you'll figure out what you're looking for."

"Okay." I shifted in my seat. "They need to be kind and caring. I need to feel that they would be cool with the fact that she's a witch..." I thought carefully about what else I was looking for. "I want a couple like Mum and Dad. They have to know each other very well. You know, where they don't need to talk about some things because they already know what the other is thinking." I suddenly realized I had already found the perfect couple! "Jasper, can you drive faster? I really want to get back to your place!"

When we arrived, Jasper led me into the house. Everyone was in the living room. Esme came up to me and wrapped her arm around me. "Another no?" she asked with concern.

"Yes, but it's okay. I think I already found the family for my baby!" I grinned.

I could tell Jasper was confused by me.

"Oh, are you going to call them?" Esme asked.

"Yes, I'm going to talk to them." I took a seat in the armchair. "I can't believe I didn't see it before!"

"Who are they?" Carlisle asked.

"They are this amazing couple. They clearly love each other more than I could ever dream. They need her, and I know she will never feel unloved with them. I think she will complete their family. However, I'm thinking she might end up a little spoiled. The reason I had discounted them was because they aren't looking to adopt. Carlisle, Esme, would you be willing to adopt my baby girl?"

I was sure I had shocked them. Everyone was quietly staring at me as they processed the information. Jasper was the first to recover. "Ginny, are you sure?"

"Yes! I have never been more sure of anything! Don't you see? It's perfect! With you guys she'll always have someone around. With the endless amount of energy children have, she'll never hear that everyone's too tired to play with her. I think, based on Draco's coloring and my own, she could pass for Esme and Carlisle's biological child, making it easier to claim to be human for you both. You'll be able to stay somewhere longer because people will see changes in her, leaving them thinking that it's really good genes or, at worst, that you get work done to look so young. You won't have an issue with her being a witch. She most likely won't feel as odd and out of place as she would with a Muggle family. And I know you'll love her!"

"Ginny, I think Carlisle and I need to talk about this alone. Do you mind?" Esme asked.

"No that's fine. Please do." They then walked out of the room, leaving Rose, Emmett, Jasper and myself.

Jasper looked at me. "Their going to say yes," he assured me.

"I know." Nothing ever seemed so right to me!

"Well, I think this is a whole new spin on that one hundred mile diet thing. Raising your own food!" Emmett said, grinning. I then heard the smack of rock hitting rock as Rosalie hit him.

"Rose, it's fine. I know how crazy this makes me seem, but I know this is right!" I hadn't felt this happy since I found out I was going to have her. I began daydreaming about how well this would go.

Fifteen minutes later, Carlisle and Esme returned. "Ginny, if we're going to do this, there are a few things we need you to understand," she explained.

"Yes?" was all I could say.

"Well, we are willing to raise your baby, but we want you to remain a part of her life," Esme continued. "She is going to need a human in her life. You, too, will be becoming a part of our family. You will have to visit regularly so she will always know that you are her mother."

I was now crying. This was exactly what I wanted! "Sure."

"We do want you to tell your family about her. They, too, can be a part of her life," Esme insisted.

"Kay!" I said, unable to conceal my happiness.

Esme turned toward Carlisle, smiling. "You're going to be a daddy!" she said as she excitedly hugged him.

Later, Jasper and I were watching a movie, 'Gone with The Wind.' He pointed out the historical errors in it, but how he did it wasn't offensive. I was lying on the couch, Jasper had my feet on his lap, and he was gently rubbing them. When the intermission music started, he looked over at me. "I need to tell you that there is a chance Rose will become colder towards you."

"Why?" I asked.

"She was very resentful of Bella for wanting to become one of us. With you willing to give the baby to Carlisle and Esme, she may decide that the baby will one day want to become like us," he explained to me as he continued to rub my feet. His cold hands felt so good!

"I don't think the baby will. I mean, like all of you, Bella was just a Muggle, right?"

He nodded.

"This baby will be a Pure blood witch. She will have her own powers, and they will start to show up at an early age."

"How early?" he asked.

"Mum says I was the youngest to do my first magic. I was five months old, the twins were three and Ron was one and a half. The twins were getting into trouble and Ron, who has always had issues with wanting attention, was screaming his head off. Mum was dealing with them, and then because I was quiet, she started supper. When she finally got to me, I was feeding myself a bottle, and it had been warmed!"

He looked surprised. In fact, I could actually feel it. "That's amazing!"

"Not really. I mean, I was a little young for something that complex, but the magic is natural for us. It's only as we learn to control other things like walking and talking that most of us lose the naturalness of doing it. We begin to over-think it, and then we need to learn how to control and master it. This little one," I patted my tummy, "comes from two very old and powerful wizarding families. One of two things will happen; she will either be very powerful or a complete Squib."

"A Squib?" Jasper asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I found it deadly sexy!

"A Squib is a non-magical person born into a magical family. It's very hard on them because they grow up in our world, but they can never really be part of it." I must have fallen asleep on the sofa soon after this because Jasper had carried me to the room I was using while staying there.

I called Severus the next morning before class. He was going to bring back some profiles of magical couples wanting to adopt. "Hey Severus, it's me -"

"Hello! You'll have to excuse me; I'm having dinner with an old friend of mine. Just give me a second," he said into the phone. After a minute or two, he finally spoke again. "Hello, Ginevra."

"An old friend? Are you dining with Lucius Malfoy?" I asked.

He chuckled. "You get an 'O' for that one. And who are you dining with tonight?" He gently reminded me I didn't have any room to talk. "What can I do for you?"

"What are you doing, speaking with him?" I fumed. "He's a Death Eater!"

I heard him chuckle again."My dear, the last time I checked, I too bear the Mark!" He then sighed. "He is an old friend."

"Yes, and he would kill me if he knew about the little project I'm working on."

"Speaking of that, how is that project coming along?" I knew he was truly interested.

"Well, I found a family for her. They're perfect!"

I could feel him smile over the phone. "That's good."

"You might not say that if you knew who they are," I said nervously.

"Who are they, Ginny?" he said warningly.

"Dr. and Mrs. Cullen." I winced and braced myself.

"MY- You're giving your child to a bunch of vampires?"

"I know, I know what you're thinking, but Severus, they are exactly who I have been looking for! I know it will never matter to them that she's not normal, like a Muggle. They will give her a life I can't. They don't care about where she came from, and I know that she will be treated as if she was their own offspring. And they still want me to play a role in her life!"

I heard him sigh into the phone. "You're sure about this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything! I'm so happy about it, too!"

A/N- Happy new year to all. I know I won't get another chapter up till next year. But please leave me a review! Maybe your thoughts on Severus and Ginny's relationship. Thanks!