Her newly forged papers declared her new name would be Jennifer Winslow. Draco had deliberately chosen the name "Jenny" with the intention that it would be close enough to "Ginny" to minimize any chance of someone using her old name inadvertently.
It had only taken Draco a week to create the new identity, since he was already familiar with the process after having created his own. In addition, they also had the discreet help of a friend or two in the newly reformed Ministry that had agreed to look the other way if a small Confundus charm was used in the process.
For the most part, the Weasley family was supportive of the marriage, although none seemed happy that Ginny would be secluded among Muggles. By agreement, Ginny wouldn't return unless absolutely necessary. It was the best that circumstances would allow.
Ron remained the sole voice of dissent. When he arrived home from St. Mungo's he ranted at Ginny for what seemed like hours, muttering words about loyalty to Harry and something about leopards changing spots when he spoke about Draco. She tried not to shout back but eventually gave in to her temper. In the end, her brother relented, admitting that Draco had proven himself and agreed to let Ginny live her own life, although he refused to speak to her for the rest of the week, spending his time with Harry, who seemed to spend most of his time quietly sulking.
Possibly the most daunting task facing Ginny was the need to learn enough about being Muggle to behave convincingly in the new environment. Hermione was reluctantly helpful, despite Harry and Ron's reactions. The older girl's logical side seemed to override the disapproval of Ron and Harry and she spent much of her free time teaching Ginny about the Muggle world, leaving Ginny hopeful that the remaining two-thirds of the trio might eventually come around.
The morning of the wedding, Ginny found herself rummaging through her closet for something simple to wear.. The ceremony was going to be small, to attract as little attention as possible, but finding an appropriate dress for the occasion had proven more difficult than she anticipated. The week leading up to the event had been so busy with packing, Muggle lessons, and visits from her brothers that the dress she needed for the occasion had become almost insignificant.
In the end, she'd decided to make do with one of the things she and her mother had recently altered, but upon trying it on that morning, she discovered that her original choice no longer fit properly due to her expanding size. Baby notwithstanding, her mother had spent the past month feeding her with excessive enthusiasm.
She cursed slightly and cast an alteration spell on the offending item before slipping it on and looking at herself critically in the mirror. With a sigh of resignation, she sat down heavily on her bed.
It was the first quiet moment she had to herself all week and she took advantage of the silence to look around her room in much the same way that she had one year earlier, vividly recalling how she felt when she left to marry Lucius. Little about the room had changed during the time she'd been gone, and the sight of her familiar childhood room brought her comfort. She wondered if her new home would ever give her the sense of comfort and safety that she felt in her parents' house.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see her mother peering in, reminding Ginny that her departure this day bore almost no resemblance to the way she'd left the last time. She smiled at her mother and stood up, and was about to ask her mother for help in better altering her dress when she noticed the older woman holding out a shopping bag.
"I was able to find this in the Muggle shop in the village this morning when I was there with Hermione. I thought that you might like it," she said hopefully, motioning to the bag.
"Mum, you shouldn't have," she said, but nevertheless took the bag and peered into it like an eager child.
It was a simple wool dress, creamy white, rather comfortable and warm-looking, and loose enough to hide her rounding stomach. Ginny smiled as she removed the garment and held it up to herself. She would be able to wear the dress for other occasions as well. It was pretty, practical, and perfect.
"Thanks, Mum. It's lovely. How did you know?"
Her mother gave a smile in return. "I didn't, but I saw it and thought that, even if you didn't need it today, it might be a nice gift for another time."
She tried it on, enjoying the feel of the comfortable fabric. It was nearly new and she smiled gratefully at her mother, knowing that the gift must have cost her parents a few days of her father's wages. She pulled a worn pair of shoes from the closet that matched the dress well enough, thinking once again of the beautiful clothing she'd once worn and how this simple dress meant more to her than all the most expensive, custom-made garments in the world.
She turned to her mother, striking a pose. "How do I look?"
Her mother nodded in approval. "You look lovely, dear," she said, a small tear coming to the corner of her eye.
Concern overwhelmed Ginny. She'd been having enough difficulty holding back her own emotions due to the recent news of Lucius and all the planning for moving out. Her parents' calm support over the last few days had been her anchor. Seeing her mother upset immediately cast her hormone-enhanced emotions into turmoil and she immediately rushed to the older woman and gave her a hug. "Oh, Mum!"
"My baby girl," Molly replied simply, crushing her daughter close.
Still wrapped in her mother's embrace, she asked, "Are you sure you're all right with this, Mum? I mean... it's just so sudden."
Her mother released her, looking at her intently. "The boy fought You-Know-Who for you. Not for any other reason, but for you. Of course, I'm all right."
"But…."
The older woman gently reached up to touch Ginny's cheek, studying her face lovingly. She smiled sadly before speaking, her face taking on a thoughtful expression. "You two are so young. Much too young for all this responsibility."
Molly sighed heavily and reached up to brush a lock of hair from her daughter's face, the tear that had formed in her eye finally escaping, leaving a wet streak on her cheek. "War ages people before their time," she said. "I wanted to protect you from all that. I wanted so much more for your life."
Seeing her mother cry only caused Ginny to allow her own emotions to run unchecked and immediately tears came to her own eyes as well. Her mother's words were so true. The last year seemed like a lifetime and, even before that, she'd personally witnessed so much injustice that a part of her had become hardened. She felt far older than her twenty years.
Now she was moving into a world that was completely different from everything she'd ever known; a world that contained no magic.
A soft knock on the bedroom door fortunately interrupted the pair before they were too far overcome with emotion. Both women turned to see Arthur Weasley opening the door, peeking in tentatively. "Thought I'd check on my girls. You've been up here for quite a while."
They turned to him, still holding each other by the arms, tears streaking both their faces.
He began to back away. "Maybe I should leave …."
"No, Arthur. Just a little mother-daughter chat. I think we're done," Molly said, brushing the wetness from her cheeks.
He sighed in relief. "Good. It's nearly time. He'll be waiting for us at the church. Harry's been gracious enough to let us borrow the invisibility cloak so we won't be noticed leaving here." He turned to Ginny and looked at her seriously. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Ginny. If you have any doubts at all, we can find another way."
She loved her father so much. He'd move the moon for her if he could. It reminded her of the one thing that she regretted about choosing this new life for herself: she wouldn't be able to come home to see her parents as often as she'd like. She wasn't sure she was ready to leave her childhood home. Even though she'd spent a year away, somehow this was different.
But the thought of being with Draco set her heart racing. She was only moving down the street and, when she thought of it from that perspective, it seemed like the most natural progression in the world.
"I think I'd have chosen him no matter what, Dad. I know it's not perfect, but it's what I want."
He gave her the special smile that only her father could give. His chin lifted and his eyes told her that he was confident that everything would work out. "Well then, let's not keep your young man waiting," he said, offering his arm for her to take.
The walk to the village was quiet, mostly by necessity. The cloak was a little short for fully hiding three grown adults, forcing them to walk a bit awkwardly down the frozen path. Both her parents fussed over her the entire way, making sure that she didn't lose her footing.
They stopped at a small stone archway surrounded by hedgerow to remove the cloak. Molly paused to adjust her hair and dress slightly, giving her daughter one last look of approval.
Entering the small church, Ginny felt a wave of nervousness overcome her again, but the sight of her fiancé standing in the front, looking almost as nervous as she felt, seemed to balance her feelings. She was a bit sad that none of her brothers would be attending, but it was far too important not to draw attention to the matter.
The ceremony itself was short and sweet. Although it was as small as the civil ceremony she'd endured before, the warmth and love in the room filled her with a joy she never thought she'd know.
There was little fanfare after the ceremony; Ginny and Draco simply signed their fake names to a few papers and it was done. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, warming the small group as they walked away from the church toward the little cottage that they'd chosen.
Ginny had only seen it in photographs before, to minimize any chance of her being noticed moving in and out of the Burrow and Apparating while pregnant was not recommended. It was actually much prettier than she'd expected. Located on the edge of the village, it was secluded but seemed warm and welcoming and even had a small garden in the back.
As her parents walked them to the door of the little house, her mother wrapped her in another hug. "Mrs. Jenny Hanson," she said softly. Then, turning to Draco, she asked, "How in the world did you ever pick that name?"
Draco looked contrite, then mumbled something, causing Ginny to laugh. "It's the name of his horse," she explained, her nervousness lifting as she noticed her parents' confusion over her amused comment.
Her parents looked at the pair in surprise. "You named your Muggle self after your horse?" her mother asked, traces of amusement coming to her face as well.
Draco looked slightly affronted. "Well, I considered Barnabas, but that seemed too obvious."
"His other horse," Ginny explained, still smiling.
"It was better than Twinkle!" he insisted, giving his bride a look of righteous indignation.
"His third horse?" her father asked, a smile also tugging at his lips.
Ginny nodded in mock seriousness.
Her parents both laughed, and her father pulling Ginny into a hug. "I think you are going to be all right, my little Gin-bug."
"Thanks, Dad," she said, allowing tears to flow, but they were happy tears. Despite the fact that she'd gone through a marriage ceremony only a year before, and all she had now was a simple Muggle ceremony and a Muggle piece of paper, it was in that moment that she truly felt that she was really married. Her parents' love and approval in the matter meant the world to her.
"We'll leave you now," her mother said, her smile turning gentle. "I'll be by on Sunday and you make sure that you send word if you are having any trouble at all with the baby."
She nodded and Draco wrapped his arm around her waist. After watching her parents wander back down the road, the young couple turned and entered the sparsely furnished cottage that was now their home.
Walking into the house for the first time, Ginny looked around. The few pieces of furniture were arranged along one wall and the few boxes holding their meager belongings were stacked in the corner, waiting to be unpacked. Doing it the Muggle way was going to be a challenge, but she was determined that she'd see it through.
She peered into the smaller of the two bedrooms, seeing the baby's crib that Fred and George had purchased just a few days ago as a wedding gift. She smiled. Her lively brothers were still a part of her life, reminding her once again that her hardship had been for the right reason. Judging from the obvious quality of the item, it seemed apparent that their joke shop had been flourishing since Voldemort's fall. She had been assured that the item contained no hidden jokes of any kind.
Glancing into the larger bedroom, she saw that the bed was covered in a lovely quilt and immediately recognized it as one that had been hand-made by her mother. She gave a deep sigh.
Warm arms encircled her as she looked at the room. "Is everything all right?" her new husband asked. It was so like him. He'd asked her that question just over a year ago, when they'd met in the Muggle pub and she tried to wrap her mind around the idea of calling him husband. It didn't seem quite real.
"I know it's a bit small, but it was the best we could find on short notice," he continued.
She turned in his embrace to face him and smiled. "It's perfect."
He smiled, with just a hint of smugness. "Good."
"You always ask if I'm all right. Are you all right?" He didn't answer right away, so she continued, "I mean, there's nothing stopping you from going back to the Magical world..."
He tightened his arms around her slightly. "It's a little late to ask that now, isn't it?"
She wrapped her arms around him, returning the embrace. "No, it's not. But, it's just a Muggle piece of paper, with two fake names on it. You can return anytime. I'm the one that has to stay hidden."
He shook his head. "There is no place I'd rather be. If I went back, I wouldn't have the money I'd need to keep my horses in the manner I'd prefer. Here, I get to do that every day and get paid for it." He winked. "It's not easy, but the place has its advantages."
She smiled shyly, tilting her chin down and looking up at him. "Advantages?"
Pulling her closer, he began rocking slightly, as if in a slow dance. "The pace is slower here, almost simple. Don't get me wrong; I miss having elves cooking and cleaning for me, but Muggles seem to live with a lot less mayhem. It's a bit more predictable."
Her smile turned coy. "Sounds boring."
"Oh no, love. Far from boring."
He leaned forward and kissed her, slowly and sweetly, and she felt an overwhelming urge to melt. They'd had so little time alone in recent weeks, with the exception of brief goodbye kisses, that she had almost forgotten how much she'd missed being alone with him. She languished in the feeling of his lips, soft and warm and welcoming. For the past week, she'd gone to bed each night thinking of his kisses and wondering if they would be any different in the Muggle world.
They were better.
The urge to be closer to him became more insistent as his mouth moved over hers hungrily. They were alone, really truly alone at last. The realization hit her like an epiphany. It was such a foreign concept that she could barely wrap her mind around it.
Then, he broke off the kiss rather abruptly, reached down and scooped her into his arms.
"What are you doing?" she squeaked in surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck to steady herself.
"Muggle tradition that I recently learned about. I'm carrying you into the bedroom."
"Oh."
"You don't like it?" he asked, stopping midway through the bedroom door.
For some unknown reason, nervousness overcame her. They'd been apart for so long, and she was becoming more acutely aware of her body was continuing to change due to her pregnancy. It was a tiny bit embarrassing to admit.
"I... It's not that... the tradition is rather lovely... but..."
"But, what?"
"I'm fat," she said timidly.
He blinked twice, processing her statement, then smiled. He marched into the bedroom and deposited her on the bed, leaning over to kiss her soundly. "I don't care."
She giggled, albeit nervously.
He pulled back, his expression turning dark and lustful, and immediately began removing his shirt. A smirk twisted slowly and sensually onto his lips as he looked at her on the bed, their bed. He towered over her, taking control and suddenly the hint of an unwelcome memory shot through her subconscious. Instinctively, she moved away from him, scrambling back toward the headboard, feeling ridiculously unsure of herself.
He stopped, his shirt unbuttoned and hanging loosely on him. Disappointment and concern replaced the lustful smirk that had been there only a moment before.
She bit her lip, realizing that her unconscious action had upset him. "I'm sorry," was all she could think to say.
"What's wrong?"
She wasn't entirely certain why she'd reacted the way she did. She sat back, thinking for a moment. Marriage had been so cruel to her in the past. Somehow, putting the label on herself again had struck a chord. She'd been unprepared for Draco's commandingly amorous advance. Swallowing, she tried to calm herself from the irrational reaction.
"It's just so sudden, so different."
He cautiously sat on the bed next to her, reaching over slowly to take her hand. "You were afraid...of me."
"No! Not of you. Never of you."
"But you were afraid."
She nodded sadly and took hold of his hand in return. "I guess I don't have fond memories of marriage. It hasn't been very good to me."
He hung his head, closing his eyes as if in pain. Looking back toward her, he looked at her earnestly. "I would never, ever try to force you to do something that you didn't want. You know that, don't you?"
She scooted over closer to him, feeling decidedly guilty over her unconscious reaction. "I know that with all my heart. I wouldn't be here otherwise."
He nodded but looked away from her again, still appearing hurt over her response to him. She brought up her other hand touching his cheek softly until he brought his eyes back to meet hers. His head was still down, his long, light brown fringe of hair dropping carelessly over his eyes, making him look sweet and inviting. She couldn't resist leaning in to kiss him softly.
Pulling away, she said, "It's a new life for us. I promise to try to forget the old." She paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I'm sorry. Everything just suddenly seemed so overwhelming."
Seemingly encouraged by the kiss, he brought his hand up to cup her cheek. "I promised to love and cherish you. That's what it should be."
He leaned in, closing the short distance again to kiss her, this time with a gentle intensity. The emotion of the kiss gave her chills. It was in that moment that she realized the label of marriage hadn't changed anything between them except their living conditions. She returned the kiss, hoping to match the intensity with her own.
The silent battle continued for a long minute, each partner intent on showing the other their feelings on the matter. Finally pulling away, Ginny felt breathless. More than breathless, she felt uncomfortably warm and shifted enough to grab the warm dress and pull it over her head.
He lifted an eyebrow questioningly but said nothing, as if afraid to disrupt the moment.
She tried to ignore how self-conscious she felt about her tummy, placing the recently removed garment in front of her. Then, she reached behind and unhooked her bra, enjoying watching her new husband's smile return to his lips.
"Don't ever think that I don't want you, Mr. Hanson," she said flirtatiously, using the fake name.
Encouraged, he crawled forward, forcing her to lie back as he leaned over her, enjoying how she welcomed the action with a smile. "I don't ever think I enjoyed hearing my Muggle name more."
She grinned up at him, her hands tracing down his stomach and tugging at his belt. "Good," she replied, "because I expect I'll be mentioning it frequently. I rather like the name Derek."
He smirked, leaning forward to kiss her again, allowing her to loosen the offending garment. He tugged it off the rest of the way, taking the moment of being away from her to remove his shirt as well.
She said nothing, just watched him appreciatively as he finished disrobing, her expression encouraging him to become a bit more bold. He moved up to lay next to her on the bed, lightly tracing his fingers along her arm, then up to her neck. They lay there like that for several minutes, just looking at each other. Eventually, she began to grow impatient. "Well, Mr. Hanson, do you plan to do something or are we just going to stare at each other all night?"
A lazy grin came to his lips again. "I was hoping you'd say something like that, Mrs. Hanson."
"Well, I guess seeing a handsome man undressed in front of me has inspired me."
"Oh, really?"
He pulled the dress away from hiding her tummy, leaning forward to lay light kisses there.
In actuality, her baby bump wasn't all that large. She'd seen Fleur and Tonks go through pregnancy and, by comparison, she was rather on the small side for six months along but her changing body still left her feeling self-conscious. The light kisses, however, made her forget all that. She buried her fingers in his hair, enjoying the intimate moment.
It wasn't long before he was trailing kisses up to her breasts, nuzzling them as his hand reached between her legs to pleasure her there. She gave an audible sigh, feeling both a physical and emotional overload at his touch. He stopped his nibbling at her breast to give a slight smirk at the sound.
"Don't you dare stop just yet," she ordered.
"Not married a day and already getting demanding," he responded, continuing to allow his fingers to play with her sex in a leisurely pattern.
"Oh, if I didn't love you so much, I'd hex you for that," she grumbled good-naturedly in return.
His grin widened. "As the lady wishes..." and with that, his touch brought her to the point of crying out in pleasure as she convulsed around his long fingers.
He withdrew his hand, moving himself to hover over her, carefully balancing on his elbows to avoid putting pressure on her. She wanted to return the favor, to play with him in return, but he seemed determined and she found herself giggling at his enthusiasm.
"Soon, I'm going to be too big for this particular position," she said.
"Well, I'm looking forward to experimenting with others, love. I'm sure we can be quite creative. For now, though, I intend to make full use of our time," he said as he lowered himself into her.
The tightness was wonderful and she tried to lift her hips to meet him, but felt just a bit awkward. He slowly rocked himself in and out, and the slowness was agonizing. He was being careful but it was far from what she needed at the moment. Her initial trepidation about how marriage would affect them had disappeared from her mind completely by this point, and all that was left was her need of him.
"I want to try something," she said, causing him to stop his actions and look at her questioningly. "Oh, nothing terrible, I promise," she continued, after catching the devilish gleam that came to his eyes at her words.
Disentangling herself from him, she turned over, supporting herself on her hands and knees. This position had always been one she'd avoided with him, since it seemed to have too many painful memories from her times with Lucius, but this moment was one of trust. He'd promised never to hurt her, never to force her, and this was her way of saying to herself that she fully believed that his words were the truth.
He leaned over her, placing his hands on her hips and guided himself into her once again. As he rocked inside of her, she felt the tingling of ecstasy build within. It was deeply personal, profoundly intimate, and she let herself give into the feelings until she moaned uncontrollably. His own grunt of fulfillment followed only moments later.
They collapsed onto the sheets immediately after, both spent, and covered in a light sweat. Darkness had fallen and suddenly, Ginny realized that they probably needed to get dressed to eat, although she was reluctant to leave such a comfortable spot in order to attempt to make her first Muggle meal.
"Sleep," he said, as if reading her thoughts. "I'll get us some takeaway in a little bit but I think we could use a nap for now."
She nodded, giving him a smile and a soft caress on his cheek before she turned onto her side to get comfortable. Her new husband curled up behind her, wrapping a hand around her waist to rest lightly on her rounded tummy. Just as they began to doze off, she felt a flutter underneath his hand.
He gasped, rubbing his hand lightly over the area. She'd felt the baby move before but this was the first time she'd been able to share the feeling with her child's father. She placed her hand over his, swept away in the special joy of the moment.
Kissing her shoulder, he pulled her closer, and said almost in awe, "That's really our son in there."
"Yes. Hard to believe that we'll be parents soon."
"I don't think I fully had time to comprehend what that meant until just his moment," he said, his hold on her tightening for a moment, as if to emphasize his words.
"I'm glad we're here together. When you're with me, I feel like I can handle anything," she said softly.
"We'll be all right. You'll see."
She nodded in agreement, then cuddled into the safety of his embrace and fell asleep.
Only three days later, Ginny was in tears, wondering what she'd gotten herself into. Draco was away at work and the little cottage was a mess. The dishes were piled high in the sink, encrusted with the remains of the previous evening's overcooked meal and she had spent most of the morning attempting to figure out the buttons on the machine that was responsible for washing the laundry.
It was horrible.
A small use of magic here and there would be acceptable, as long as no Muggles weren't around to see, but she knew she needed to learn how to do it all manually or risk being caught. She plopped herself heavily on the nearest chair and buried her face in her hands, peeking through her fingers at the small pile of dirty clothes.
She was so lost in contemplating her dilemma that when a loud knock came from the the front door, she nearly jumped out of her chair. She wasn't expecting anyone. Draco, ahem, Derek wasn't due home for several hours, so she hurriedly found her wand before walking toward the door.
The knock sounded again, startling her a second time. Pushing aside the curtain at the front window, she saw a Muggle woman on her front step, holding a package.
Tucking her wand up her sleeve, she cautiously opened the door.
The woman greeted her with a warm smile. "Hello," she said, "I hope I have the right house. Are you Derek's wife?"
Confused, Ginny merely nodded.
"It's nice to finally meet you," the woman said, again with an open, cheerful smile. "I'm Helen. Jack's wife."
She spoke as if Ginny should be familiar with the names. That was when Ginny realized that she truly had no idea about Derek Hanson's work or life. They'd always been so focused on their lives in the Wizarding World that the subject had never really been discussed and, over the past two days, they'd spend most of their time in the bedroom, becoming reacquainted with more important matters.
Ginny opened the door a little wider, still wary of the newcomer. She looked about to see if there might be anything that the woman was hiding while her mind darted back trying to recall hearing the name "Jack" in any of their conversations. Then, she recalled the picture of Derek and his friends with the horse, a picture now hanging on one of the cottage walls. The writing on the back mentioned someone named Jack.
The older woman's smile began to falter and Ginny attempted to remember her manners.
"Hi Helen, I'm Jenny. Won't you come in?"
The smile brightened again and the woman lifted the package in her arms. "When he told me that Derek had gotten married, I wanted to bring a little something to welcome you."
Ginny accepted the package, awkwardly smiling back, unsure if there might be some Muggle custom about accepting a gift that she didn't know about.
Then she turned and remembered that the cottage remained in the same sorry state it had been in just prior to her visitor's arrival. If she hadn't been so nervous about who was at her front door, she might have waved her wand to tidy it up before inviting the woman in.
She stopped short and gave her visitor an apologetic look. "I'm... I'm..." Her cheeks began to flush in embarrassment as she tried to form some sort of legitimate excuse about why the place was in such a state of disarray .
The woman's eyes surveyed the room and she smiled at Ginny in a motherly way. "You're only just married and you've never kept house on your own before, have you?"
Ginny shook her head. "I don't know how to use the machine thing," she said, pointing to the complicated laundry box. She probably shouldn't have said that, but the woman just seemed so nice that it rather slipped out.
Then, the nice older lady said the kindest thing imaginable. "Would you like some help, dear?"
Apparently, it wasn't completely inconceivable that a woman her age could be unfamiliar with maintaining a house, and Helen's friendship was the best thing that could have happened for Ginny. Granted, she still had weekly Muggle lessons with Hermione, but Hermione's methods were more along the lines of a lecture, where Helen often offered a more practical approach.
More importantly, Helen helped by introducing Ginny to friends, encouraging her to join a local knitting group, and going for walks with her to keep company while their husbands were at work.
Occasionally, various family members would stop by to check on her, but for all outward appearances, Derek and Jenny Hanson were a normal, young Muggle couple.
Alexander Hanson was born at the end of May, both his parents proud and exhausted after the ordeal. Molly Weasley was the only family member present, refusing to keep away from her daughter at one of the most significant events of her life. Also, Hermione, who had begun healer training, managed to find a way to be at the Muggle hospital for the birth, just in case any magical complications arose.
When they handed her their son for the first time, Ginny wept with joy. He was perfect. She kissed every finger and toe twice, just to make sure, while her husband rested his hand on the fuzzy blond hair on the child's head.
A few weeks after that, because it seemed a proper Muggle tradition, a Christening ceremony was held at the small church near the center of the village. For the first time in the three short months that the young Mrs. Hanson had been introduced, the couple truly seemed to have reason to celebrate.
At the insistence of Helen and Jack, a garden party was held afterward to commemorate the occasion. Feeling safe in having one family event, they invited the Weasley clan. All except Ron accepted the invitation with great enthusiasm. It seemed they were thrilled at the idea of attending a Muggle event and when the day arrived they came in small groups, using various methods to keep their arrival discreet.
Of course, there was a small amount of eccentric behavior displayed by the visiting wizards, but it was kept largely manageable by the exceedingly thorough Hermione. Under her careful watch, all remaining un-Muggle-like behavior was easily attributed to liberal amount of food and drink.
Ginny looked around at her family and smiled. A true celebration at last. She cradled her newborn son and found herself lost in the fantasy of the moment. From all accounts, one would never know the odd circumstances that clouded her past by seeing them that day and she was willing to pretend that, for that moment, this was truly her life.
Her arms were getting tired from holding the baby so long as picture after picture was taken of the new family. Finally, Draco relieved her of her tiny burden. "My turn to cuddle with him," he said smugly as he lifted the sleeping child from her arms. "You've had him long enough and it looks like your mother wants her share of time too."
She laughed and he leaned in to give her a brief kiss, holding the baby between them, when another flash of a camera went off.
"Oh, enough!" she mumbled, only partially annoyed. .
Fred was holding a magical camera, grinning madly. "That's a shot that I intend to frame for Ron. You need at least a few that move, Ginny. They can't all be of the Muggle variety."
Looking at the rather un-Muggle-like camera in her brother's hands, she gasped. "Don't you dare let the Muggles see that camera. I have no idea what to say if they start asking questions!" she said, looking around nervously and trying to push the camera down and out of sight.
"Oh, they won't notice a thing with the way you're making a scene about it," he laughed.
If she'd had a wand readily available, he'd certainly have been hexed, regardless of the Muggles in the vicinity. Fred only grinned again and darted off in the direction of her parents.
"You'll thank me for this someday," he shouted cheerily over his shoulder once he was well out of range for receiving any physical damage, of course.
She barely had time to cross her arms and give a small, irritated, "Hmmph," when she was suddenly aware of someone approaching her from behind. Turning quickly, she partially expected to see George attempting to match his twin in some sort of annoying antic. Instead, she saw the unexpected sight of Ron towering over her, his expression showing what could only be described as the exact opposite of Fred's.
In other words, he didn't appear to be the least bit cheerful or happy, but she smiled when she saw him anyway, because it meant the world to her that he was simply there.
"Ron! You came!"
"Brilliant deduction, Ginny. Good to see that you haven't lost all your senses, then," he said, still looking unhappy but she didn't miss his attempt at a joke, albeit a weak one.
She jumped up, wrapping her arms around him in an impulsive hug. Despite his glum demeanor, he returned the hug, and as she looked over his shoulder, she saw Harry standing slightly behind him.
"Harry!"
Not the first time that day, tears sprung to her eyes. Happy tears. They supported her, even if they didn't agree with her choice of being with Draco, and now her whole family was together. It was a beautiful day.
"Can't believe you really went through with it," Ron said, looking over at Draco, who was currently cooing and waving his fingers at his son while Molly held and gently bounced the infant. Fred blatantly was taking pictures of the undignified scene, likely intending to use the photos for blackmail at a later date.
"I didn't have a choice, Ron. The baby was going to arrive no matter what."
"I mean the marriage. You know I meant that. I still can't believe it."
She didn't miss the fact that Harry remained a step back, saying nothing. She addressed both of them. "He's good to me. I know you find that hard to believe, but he is."
"What I want to say, Gin, is that you don't have to settle for this," Ron stated. Harry only nodded, staying silent. She understood why. After all, she'd already turned Harry down and they were hoping that by Ron speaking, she'd take their interference differently.
Harry finally seemed to find his voice. "We just want you to be happy, Ginny. We want to make sure that you're not rushing into something. It's not too late to find other options."
She wasn't angry, not yet, but if they kept pressing she would be. She needed to make them understand.
"What am I settling for?" she asked, looking earnestly between them both. "My baby is going to grow up with a mother and father who love him, together. My Mum and Dad are nearby and, while I'd rather not be living as a Muggle, at least here our marriage is real, and we are a real family, and Alex will never need to know otherwise."
"Someday, he'll need to come back to our world, you know," Ron argued. "He will find out his real family name. A secret like that won't keep forever."
"Maybe, but at least by then he'll hopefully be old enough to understand. Draco and I will deal with it together when the time comes."
"I still don't like him, Gin. You could do better. He'll always be part Death Eater in my opinion," Ron said, his tone sounding just a bit desperate.
She bristled, sparks coming to her eyes. The old Ginny had fully returned, after a year-long hiatus. She no longer had to hold back opinions and she certainly had no further reason to back down from a fight. She didn't even need her wand. She'd simply punch the living daylights out of her own brother if necessary to defend herself and, now, her family. "Don't you dare say that, Ron. You know that's not true."
Ron looked abashed, knowing he was wrong, but unable to verbally admit to it.
At that moment, the subject of the conversation walked to them, still cradling the infant in his arms, looking about as far from being a Death Eater as a man could look. Shifting the baby to one side, he wrapped his free arm around Ginny's waist and gave Ron and Harry a guarded look. Ginny immediately calmed, her burst of temper fading almost as fast as it came. Her family. She'd thought of Draco and Alex as her family. It completely overrode her irritation at her brother.
Draco appeared slightly suspicious but chose to ignore the obvious signs of recent argument by completely changing the subject. He spoke to Ginny cheerfully. "We really have to train your brothers to use my Muggle name. They've almost slipped up twice," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. As chaste as the act was, Ginny still blushed and smiled. Any display of affection in public was still unfamiliar to her. She reached her hand around his waist, returning the half hug.
"So, that's the baby, yeah?" Ron said, peering over to get a better look at the child.
"I see that you are as astute as ever, Weasley," Draco replied.
Ron shot him a dirty look, but said nothing as he reached out and took the little hand in two fingers, giving a small handshake. "Pleased to meet you, Alex." Alex responded by allowing drool to bubble from his lips.
"Good God, Weasley, you're encouraging him into bad habits already," Draco said, pulling the baby back and giving Ron a mock look of horror. Ginny laughed, all traces of anger erased from her thoughts.
"You look less poncy with the brown hair, Malfoy," Ron muttered, looking to change the topic. "How are you planning to explain the blond hair on the baby to everyone?"
"It comes from my mother's side," Draco replied snidely, in far too good a mood to be ruffled by Ron's jab. Before Ron could attempt another, Draco was already walking away to show off his son to the next group of admirers, Ginny smiling with affection as she watched him depart.
It was then that she realized how tall her brother had become in the time he'd been away. When the trio had left, they'd only been seventeen, now her brother was full grown and very much the same height and build as Draco. Even the odd exchange she'd just witnessed showed that they shared a similar wit. The two were more alike than either of them realized.
Ron appeared more relaxed after the altercation but when he turned back to Ginny, he once again looked doubtful and seemed to be ready to say something more. She grabbed his hand, hoping to have his full attention when she spoke again. "I love him, Ron," she told him firmly.
Her brother looked straight into her eyes as she said the words with conviction and gave a nod in understanding.
Harry shuffled nervously and Ginny once again found herself worrying about the hero's future. Now that he had defeated Voldemort, she once again wondered if he would find a new goal. She wasn't sure if he was going to now focus all his efforts on trying to save her from Draco.
But instead, his words surprised her. "Then we'll do our best to make sure that you both can come back, Ginny," he said, with every bit of his noble demeanor. "You shouldn't be afraid of coming home to see your parents, or be forced to keep hiding here if you don't want to. Alex will need to go to Hogwarts someday."
Ron nodded, solemnly agreeing with Harry.
"Harry wants us to get involved at the Ministry. We've got a bit of a reputation now, and we want to use that to fix some of the mess."
She brightened further. The pair had found a new quest, just as noble and lofty as the last. The thought of someday returning from exile was a wonderful thought. She doubted they'd have much success, but it was good that the golden trio seemed to have a real, tangible goal.
Suddenly, a motion near her parents caught her attention. She looked in that direction and felt a small wave of panic.
"Oh dear Lord, Ron. Dad is trying to talk to Jack, and he's waving his hands like he's trying to describe something Muggle. Please go rescue him before everyone thinks he's daft."
"He is daft when it comes to Muggle things, Gin," Ron returned with a knowing grin. With that, the siblings seemed to have finally made their peace as Ron proceeded to make his way across the patio toward his father.
Harry watched him go, a small smile on his face at the endearingly hopeless attempts Arthur made to understand the Muggle world. "All these years, and he's never quite gotten it, has he?"
Ginny shook her head with a smile. "I don't imagine he ever will, but I love to watch him try."
"I can't even come close to imagining Malfoy fitting in here. Living here like this, of his own free will," Harry added.
She smiled, looking over at Draco/Derek holding his son and beaming with pride as he stood with Molly for yet another picture. The sight warmed her heart. "I'm happier than I ever thought I could be."
She looked back to Harry. He wasn't happy to hear her admission, but he'd finally resigned himself to accept her choice.
The next few months could only be described as exhausting. Draco whined endlessly that it was the job of a house elf to change nappies, neither of them got a decent night's sleep for weeks, and then there was the continued effort to adapt to truly keeping a household without magic.
Hermione continued to stop by to give Ginny "Muggle" lessons, teaching her the day to day things in an efficient, detailed manner, as only Hermione could. They sat down frequently for lectures and Ginny was even given homework, which made her feel as if she was back in school again.
It was Jack's wife, Helen, who helped her the most, however, teaching her many of the things about how to handle the baby and such, all the while muttering about how young they were to have a child and how it was a shame that the world had yet to come up with a proper school for teaching new parents.
Eager to help with her newest grandchild, Molly was there almost daily, Apparating to a spot outside the village near a Muggle bus stop, to appear to any passers-by that she'd arrived in that manner. Ginny looked forward to seeing her walking down the familiar path that led to her back door and, as the weather warmed into summer, Ginny would tote Alex in a carrier with her out to the garden as she worked, simply enjoying the pleasant company.
Draco even had friends whom Ginny enjoyed meeting, friends who talked about work and girls and sports, and not a hint of wanting political power or paying homage to a dark lord looking to take over the world. She loved his friends.
Then there were more priceless moments than Ginny could count. Each time her son gave her a smile, she felt like her heart would burst with love and, each time Alex managed a new accomplishment, she felt a compulsive need to record the event in pictures and share it with anyone who was nearby to listen.
Onemoment that stood out in her mind was a rainy day, like any other, where Draco had come home from his work, and the dinner she'd made had been particularly good. As he settled down to read his newspaper after that, she settled into the big plush chair by the window to feed their small son, only to look up and find him watching her as if she was the most amazing thing on the planet. He walked over to her and kissed her passionately, the infant snuggled between them still feeding.
And then, every night, they would crawl into bed, exhausted, curled up against each other and whispering expressions of love. That was when Ginny knew that, despite any hardship, she was in the only place she would ever want to be, happier than she'd ever imagined.
Sorry. This is NOT the end.