July 1st

"You did what?"

Narcissa Malfoy simply sipped her tea as her son contemplated throttling her.

"I commissioned your pretty little flame. I must say, she's certainly worth the money. She sent me a few pictures of the works in progress the other day and I must say that I thoroughly approve."

"Mom! That's not what I'm talking about!" Draco protested.

"Draco, what is the problem?" Narcissa sighed. "Heaven knows you like this girl. I might not be the most observant of mothers, but even that dense brother of hers can tell that you fancy the girl. Now, the way I see, my son, is you have two options. Either pretend that you know nothing about this, or make the best of it."

Narcissa rose to her feet, setting down her tea. "Thank you again for the tea, Draco."

July 4th

"I'm not sure I get why you celebrate this holiday," Draco said.

Blaise shrugged and flipped the burger on the grill.

"He just wants an excuse to use that grill," Pansy said. She was looking good. Her stomach was bigger by the day and Blaise had gleefully informed Draco that his wife was having twins.

Scorpius sat on the patio at Pansy's feet, playing with marbles.

"Well, if this isn't the happiest little family ever."

Draco looked up as Artaz came around the corner of the manor. He narrowed his eyes at the guy. "What are you doing here?" Draco demanded.

"Looking for the woman of my dreams," Artaz said.

"Have you tried looking in the sofa…in hell?" Blaise suggested.

"Blaise!" Draco snapped, looking significantly at Scorpius who was suddenly paying attention.

"Sorry, Draco. Scorpius, I want you to promise me you won't turn into a moron like this fellow here."

Scorpius saluted Blaise. "Roger, Uncle Blaise!"

Pansy snickered from her seat and Artaz turned his attention to her.

"Why, Blaise. I'm so sorry your wife went and got fat on you."

Pansy's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Draco," she commanded, holding out a hand.

Draco reached over and helped his friend to her feet.

"Artaz. I am not so easy going that I won't retaliate and you aren't so big I can't throw your Irish ass over my knee."

Artaz grew an interesting shade of red and this time Blaise and Draco snickered while Scorpius clapped his hands.

Draco stepped over to Artaz. "Huff and puff, little wolf, but keep in mind what a dragon can do to you."

"She's going to be mine, Malfoy."

"No."

Artaz and Draco both looked over at Scorpius as the boy got to his feet. "Miss Ginny belongs with Daddy."

"Why?" Artaz snapped and Draco discretely punched the other man in the kidneys.

"A'cuz she loves Daddy," Scorpius said matter-of-factly.

July 6th

Ginny picked up Scorpius, planting him on her hip and holding him as Draco picked up Lily and Albus. James followed behind them at a slow pace, clinging to his Mom's shirt tails.

"That worked nicely," Draco commented.

Ginny and Draco had met for dinner earlier in the evening, leaving the kids with Dennis Creevey and his new girlfriend Tracey. Not many of their friends knew about them yet and Dennis was easy to blackmail into keeping his mouth shut.

Ginny didn't know what Dennis had done to her kids, but she had never seen a more worn out set of kids.

"They're going to sleep well," Ginny said.

"Where do you want to take them?" Draco asked. "Your place or mine?"

"Your call," Ginny said.

"Mine," he said definitely.

"All right," Ginny agreed.

Draco started to reach for his keys but stopped. "Can't quite get them," he said. "Can you?"

Ginny pulled out the keys. "Ashton Martin?" she said with a smile.

He grinned. "Hey, if I'm gonna play with Muggle toys, I might as well make sure they're good ones."

Ginny giggled. "And the fact that James Bond drives one makes no nevermind?"

Draco looked at her blankly as she opened the car. "Who?"

Ginny giggled again. "I hope you can drive stick."

July 7th

Ginny rubbed her neck. She wouldn't dream of telling Draco that he sucked at driving stick shift. Luckily the kids had been too out of it to wake up during the four mile drive home.

"Sorry," Draco said as he caught sight of her rubbing her neck.

She smiled at him. "Don't be. Even with whiplash, last night was wonderful."

"Dad!"

Ginny looked up as Scorpius, followed by her own brood, stormed Draco's bed.

Scorpius bounced up onto the bed, pausing at the last second to help Lily up. He flung himself at Ginny and she caught him, laughing.

"What is it?" Draco asked as Lily nestled against his chest. The kids were quick to adapt to the new situation and were happy to have two parents in their lives again.

"When is Teddy going to school?"

"Pretty soon. Early August," Draco said.

"Where's he going?"

Ginny had been afraid of this question. It wasn't that Teddy wasn't welcome at Hogwarts...he'd just been offered a position in the accelerated learning program...in Japan. It was a tremendous opportunity. But it meant a decision. Teddy was too young to have made any serious friends at school and the war was still too recent for anyone, even children, to willingly trust.

Japan, however, opened a new world of doors.

"We'll see," Ginny said.

July 10th

"It's a great school, Ginny."

Ginny sighed and stopped her pacing, taking a seat across the table from Hermione. Of course that would be Hermione's opinion: great school. Send the kid.

"It is. But I don't know if I could bear having him that far away. Hermione, Teddy is like a son to me."

"Go with him."

Ginny looked over her shoulder as Ron came into the room.

"What?"

"Take the kids, Ginny. Go with him. Go somewhere where no one knows about you and Harry. Where you don't have to worry about running into him every five seconds."

"Ron..."

"I know you, Gin. You worry about it and I hate that." He crossed to her and took her face in his hands, kissing her forehead. "I know it doesn't count for much, but I want you to be happy. If running away with Teddy and...and Malfoy is what it takes, then so be it. Be happy."

Ginny rose to her feet and hugged her brother. "Thank you so much, Ron."

He laughed. "I still hate Malfoy though. And tell him if he doesn't make an honest woman of you in a year, then I'll kill him."

July 21st

"Teddy?"

Teddy looked up from the massive tome he was reading and for a second he reminded Ginny so much of Remus that she had to choke back a sob. Blinking away the sudden sting of tears, she jerked her head. "Come into the kitchen. We have some things to discuss."

With a half shrug, he closed the book on a slip of paper and followed her into the kitchen.

Andromeda sat at the kitchen table and Ginny took a seat beside her. "We thought we should give you this," Ginny said, handing him a pale blue envelope. Teddy took it, his fingers shaking slightly.

"Is this..."

"Open it."

Teddy opened it, a grin splitting his face as he pulled out a ticket for Japan.

"I got in?"

"You got in, sweetheart," Andromeda said, hugging him.

He was fairly bouncing. Then he seemed to sober. "What about all you? Aunt Ginny? Are you coming? Granmma?"

"If you want us to," Ginny said.

Teddy frowned down at the ticket. "We need seven more."

Ginny looked down at him. "Seven?"

"Granmma, Aunt Ginny, James, Lily and Albus."

"That's only five, sweetheart," Ginny pointed out.

He looked up at her with a smile. "One for Draco and Scorpius."

July 30th

"I'm so very happy for you," Narcissa said as she and Ginny watched the movers hang the portraits.

Ginny blushed. "I didn't think you would approve."

Narcissa glanced at her. "Why wouldn't I? I may not be as open minded as my sister, but I'm not a vehement purist like Bella was. You and my son are happy and that makes Scorpius happy. And Andromeda and Teddy. See? Four family members happy. And I won't be upset to get new ones."

Ginny felt a little smile edge in. "Thanks."

"I must say," Narcissa said, looking at the portraits. "I am glad you were able to finish these before you left."

Ginny looked at them all, running the gambit of Narcissa's relatives and would-be relatives. Draco looked stunning. Ginny had chosen one of his wedding photos as a basis and he was smiling, looking thrilled at the world in general. Scorpius was captured forever at age nine, a puckish smile on his lips. His gaze was slightly averted, as if he was staring at something just past the viewer and he was amused.

Narcissa's portrait was again based on a wedding photo, but Ginny had taken a few liberties. in her portrait, Narcissa looked older, wiser and happier. Bella too looked...sane. Well as sane as Ginny could make her look. Andromeda was based on a picture of her from in her early thirties and she looked youthful and exuberant.

Tonks and Remus were side by side and on Narcissa's request, they had been portrayed without the scars that they had worn at their funerals. Tonks looked vibrant and happy and Remus looked so too. In Ginny's mind, with her keen artistic imagination, Tonks and Remus were holding hands below the edge of the frames.

"When do you leave?"

Ginny looked away from the picture of Teddy in his school robes. "In a few days. Teddy, the kids and I are going over to set up and get him ready for school. Draco will join us soon."

"And your children?"

"They think it's the best adventure ever. They are quite clear on the matter. If they don't like Japan I am more than happy to bring them back here."

"They'll love it. And the school is hard to get into, but I'm sure they'll make it."

Narcissa looked at the final portrait in the row and Ginny followed her gaze. She stared back at herself from the gilded frame, a half smile on her lips.

"Take care of my son, Ginny."

888

Ginny closed the trunk and looked around, trying to determine if she'd forgotten anything. The furniture was staying. They would buy new in Japan.

She sighed heavily. Draco, Andromeda and the kids had gone on a few days ago and she missed them fiercely. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her stomach, wishing Draco or one of the kids was there.

She pulled herself from her thoughts and made her way downstairs. She had some things to take care of yet.

She paused at the bottom of the stairs as the doorbell rang. Mildly annoyed, she walked to the door and opened it.

Artaz stood on the doorstep, scowling at her.

"What do you want?" she asked with an exasperated sigh.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes," she said, purposefully blocking his way. "Teddy got into a very good school overseas. End of discussion. Good bye."

"This isn't over, Ginny."

She flinched at his tone and he took that slight weakening of her stance for granted, pushing past her and into the house. He grabbed her by the upper arms, shoving her back.

"You're mine," he snapped.

Ginny had had quite enough bullying to last her a life time. She brought her knee up and into his crotch at the same moment that a rather heavy looking vase crunched against the back of his head. His eyes rolled up and he fell to the ground in a fetal position.

Ginny looked up to see Pansy waddling into the room from the direction of the kitchen. She had her wand out and sneered down at the fallen form of Artaz.

"I never liked him," she said.

"Pansy..." Ginny said, "You're leaking."

Pansy looked down at the hem of her skirt and swore. "I think my water just broke."

August 1st

"They're adorable," Ginny said, cradling Aurian Zabini as her brother Er'ril lay on their mother's chest.

Pansy smiled. Motherhood suited her well. After three hours of labor, Pansy had brought two perfect little children into the world.

"Where's Blaise?" Ginny asked.

"He was in while you were sleeping. Now he's Apparating all over the globe to tell everyone he knows that he's a father."

"He's been a father for nine months," Ginny pointed out.

Pansy sighed. "I never said I married him for his brains."

Ginny giggled as Aurian yawned.

"Ginny?"

She looked from Aurian to her mother. "What is it, Pansy?"

"What really happened? During my seventh year? What happened between you and Draco?"

Ginny sighed and took a seat on the edge of Pansy's hospital bed. "It's a long story..."

"We've got time."

(A/N: There you have it. The third to last chapter. I know I said this story was going to continue for another eight years but I got to this point and everything in me screamed end it. The next chapter, as you might have guessed, is going to be all flash backs of Ginny's sixth year. You asked for it. :) any way, after I finish this one, we'll hop over to Once Upon a Dream, which is the sequel and follows Scorpius. There will be a fair deal of DG just to keep everyone happy.