Chapter 11

Ginny's POV

I honestly felt sort of bad for Lucius. I know how foreign this all is to him, but in truth, considering who he is, he was doing quite well at this. He hadn't even been in a bad mood about anything! Decorating the tree is a far cry from what he's used to doing as well, but as the kids pulled out ornaments that were made as school projects in the past, Lucius got a bit of a history lesson of our family life.

Wyatt went to bed shortly after we finished the tree. The girls took off to Eva's room shortly after, needing to catch up. I sat on the sectional looking at the tree; a little tradition of my own. Lucius was watching the fire across from me. Severus brought me a glass of wine and Firewhiskey for himself and Lucius. Severus sat close to me, his hand resting on my leg.

"I'm sorry, Lucius," I apologized, "I expected that you would have a bit more time before Marie was here."

"It's fine, Ginevra. The girl needs somewhere safe to be."

"But she is rather different from the type of teen girls you were used to," Severus stated.

He nodded. "She's so friendly and informal," he admitted.

"She has a good heart. I have bad news for you both," I began, "Tomorrow, we are heading to the mall. On top of Christmas shopping, Wyatt needs a whole new wardrobe!"

"Why a mall?" Severus moaned.

"It makes the most sense. Severus, you and I can take Wyatt and get his stuff done. Lucius, you and Eva can bond while shopping together. We can all meet for lunch and regroup, and yes Lucius, lunch will likely be wrapped in paper."

"You really mean 'The Mall?'" Severus asked. He hates going to that place.

"Yes Severus, or would you rather go to two or three other malls instead?" I stated.

"What is this mall?" Lucius asked.

"It's hell! The largest collection of Muggles go there, and I swear they each become dumber and more rude with every minute they spend in the place!" Severus complained.

"It's a large collection of shops and services all in one indoor location. There are about 800 shops, services, and entertainment features there. Really, in a city this far north where it's so cold so much of the time, it makes a lot of sense. And both of you will be leaving your wands here."

Severus patted my leg. "I love the faith you have in us."

"I have wanted to curse them there too, but I'm not going there with two men who bear Dark Marks and have their wands. If something happened and Aurors showed up, I would be fighting with them for months to get you two out of prison!"

"Then allow us to remain at home," Severus suggested.

"You promised Wyatt to help him with the shopping I can't help him with. Lucius needs to bond with Eva. You know the mall is like her second home," I explained.

"Lucius, just remember I gave you a warning! I swear; Azkaban is better than this place."

I shook my head at Severus. "The difference is Lucius is far more social than you are. It's not as bad as Severus makes it, and for the record, I have wanted to curse people on Diagon Alley as well."

"I'm sure I will be fine," Lucius assured me.

"You have been quiet all night. What's bothering you?" I asked Lucius, then took a sip of my wine.

He raised an eyebrow at the question. "I had this image of what I would find here, but it's not what I expected. That in itself is an eye opener."

"Muggles aren't that different. No, we don't have the dishes being washed with magic, but it's not that different. And Lucius, building a relationship with Eva will take time. The effects of being here this Christmas could take a very long time before you might see rewards. We owe you an apology," I glanced at Severus, "we should have told you about her. If we had, you wouldn't be doing this now."

"And that is the reason you invited me here."

"Not fully, Lucius. She is a fourteen year old girl. She needed the home advantage, she needed to feel safe and secure while getting to know you. You know yourself; you can be rather intimidating."

"Ginevra, I get it. I will admit that I, too, have faults. Had I handled things differently, we wouldn't be here at all."

"Surprisingly, Lucius, I don't have an issue with how you handled things," Severus said. I have learned that I'm not going to hear the words 'I love you' every day, but he does let me know in other ways.

"Severus, you can entertain Lucius. I think I'm going to go soak in the tub. Good night, Lucius."

Some time later, I was in the tub, reading. Severus appeared, leaning in the doorway. "It's been nearly twenty years since you first bathed in my tub," he mused.

"Almost to the day," I replied.

"It seems you handle Lucius quite well."

"Handling him was never an issue," I teased Severus. "I think I might have had a harder time if Marie hadn't been here."

He came over and sat on the edge of the tub. "What happened before the excitement at the Klack place?"

"We went shopping in Nanaimo. He asked that we go to dinner at a place where food didn't come wrapped in paper, so we went to the steakhouse. We were having a glass of wine at the dinner table here when Marie called."

"Ginny, please recognize he is still Lucius. I know him, and I believe he still wants you. Don't presume that he won't try to manipulate you or Eva. He's even more treacherous because he knows you and how you think."

"Severus, I know." I reached for his hand. "I thank you for your concern, BUT love, I remind you; you once set me free and I came back to you. I'm not going anywhere." I pulled him towards me. He bent down to kiss me. "You didn't adjust to the time change yet, did you? I mean, you're not really tired, are you?"

"Join me in the shower, my dear. I'm feeling rather nasty!" He strolled over to the large shower area and started undressing. I scrambled out of the tub to join him.